published_or_final_version / Ecology and Biodiversity / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-123). / Microfiche. / xiii, 123 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Ecology and Biodiversity / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879), is gaining popularity as a key aquaculture species; global production currently exceed 220,000 tonnes, however, industry expansion is limited by high operational costs, with the feed accounting for between 40 to 60% of these. Attention, therefore, has been devoted to increasing the inclusion of plant proteins into the formulation of aqua feeds as a consequence of the limited, unpredictable supply and increasing price of fishmeal. The concomitant introductions of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), such as phytic acid (PA) with the plant protein fraction, however, are major impediments in the efforts toward the increased use of plant protein ingredients in aqua feeds. Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that can curtail the development of this as PA has been reported to suppress growth impairing proper nutrient intake, diminishing the availability of minerals, and causing damage to the body tissues and organs which can result in mortality. Although the anti-nutritive effects of PA have been studied extensively in terrestrial agriculture farm species, as well as in a variety of fish species, there is almost no information regarding the effects of PA in crustaceans, including the freshwater prawn, M. rosenbergii. The aims of this present thesis were, therefore, to gain a greater understanding of dietary PA and microbial phytase and their effect on growth performance, feed utilisation, nutrient utilisation and digestibility, mineral availability and whole body proximate composition in juvenile M. rosenbergii. Specifically, the first major experiment set out to investigate the effect of including increasing amounts of PA in the diets presented to M. rosenbergii on growth. The dose-response relationships between PA and growth performance, feed utilisation, nutrient digestibility and utilisation and whole proximate composition were investigated. Four replicate groups of M. rosenbergii with a mean initial carapace length of 6.03 ± 0.30 mm and mean initial weight of 0.29 ± 0.02 g were fed graded levels of PA for 140 days. The basal diet, to which different levels of PA were added to obtain 0.26 (control), 6.48, 11.28, 16.53, 21.45 and 26.16 g PA kg-1, contained fishmeal, soy protein concentrate, wheat meal and corn starch. The results indicated that growth performance, feed utilisation and survival did not differ significantly between the groups receiving the different inclusions of PA within their diets. The apparent protein, lipid and energy utilisations responded negatively, decreasing significantly (p<0.05) with an increasing inclusion of PA, particularly within the groups of prawns fed the diet with the highest inclusions of PA, i.e. the 21.45–26.16 g PA kg-1 diets. The digestibility of protein and lipid were also reduced as the inclusion of PA increased. The whole body composition of protein (p<0.04), lipid (p<0.01) and gross energy (p<0.05) decreased significantly with an increasing supplementation of PA, while the ash content significantly increased (p<0.01), most notably in the groups of prawns receiving the highest levels of dietary PA. The second major experimental trial investigated the effect of microbial phytase on the growth of juvenile M. rosenbergii, when fed diets supplemented with various doses for a period of 80 days. The study set out to improve the growth performance, feed utilisation, nutrient digestibility and utilisation and body composition of M. rosenbergii when fed diets high in plant protein ingredients. To investigate this, four plant protein based diets, which included soybean meal, wheat gluten and wheat meal, were formulated and supplemented with microbial phytase at levels of 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 FTU kg-1 (one phytase unit per kg) and fed to sixty juvenile M. rosenbergii (mean initial carapace length of 8.51 ± 0.52 mm; mean initial weight of 0.40 ± 0.07 g) for 80 days. High levels of plant protein in the diets supplemented with 0–2000 FTU kg-1 did not result in any negative effect on growth performance, feed utilisation nor on the survival of M. rosenbergii. Noticeable moderate growth improvements in line with increasing microbial phytase supplement levels were observed and the highest growth performance was seen in the group fed 2000 FTU kg-1. Supplementation of the diets with 500–2000 FTU kg-1 were found to affect the nutrient utilisation, resulting in a significant (p<0.05) increase in the protein and lipid utilisation when compared to the prawns analysed from the control group. In addition to this latter finding, an increasing supplement of phytase in the diet also resulted in an increase in the dry matter fraction as well as improvements in the digestibility of protein and lipid. There were, however, no significant differences in moisture, protein, lipid, gross energy and the ash content of the whole body of the M. rosenbergii among the groups. This thesis, in a third major trial, explored the impact of other potential ANFs associated to PA, the binding effect of PA with mineral. The effects of graded levels of PA (i.e. 0.26–control, 6.48, 11.28, 16.53, 21.45 and 26.16 g PA kg-1) on the moult frequency and mineral availability in juvenile M. rosenbergii fed over a period of 140 days were determined. The levels of PA assessed in this feed trial had no major detrimental effects on moult frequency. Negative effects (p<0.05) of high PA levels (i.e. 21.45–26.16 g PA kg-1), however, were found on the whole body P concentration. An inverse trend was recorded for the Ca content in the whole body (p<0.005) and carapace (p<0.004) with increasing PA inclusion. These results are consistent with findings for marine shrimp species such as Marsupenaeus japonicus and Litopenaeus vannamei. The graded inclusion of PA in the experimental diets also resulted in a significant reduced (p<0.03) P content in the carapace. Significant changes (p<0.05) were observed in the carapace Zn, Cu, K and Na compositions, particularly in the prawns fed the diet containing 11.28 g PA kg-1, which suggests that the specific minerals were either selectively utilised or retained in the carapace. Accordingly, this thesis investigates the potential of adding dietary supplements of microbial phytase in order to improve mineral availability as proven in several fish species. To explore this, four experimental diets were formulated - three incorporating different levels of microbial phytase (i.e. 0 FTU kg-1, 1000 FTU kg-1 and 2000 FTU kg-1) and a fourth, a control. An aliquot of 15 g PA kg-1 was also added to each treatment. The mineral premix was omitted from the test group diets except the control diet was identical to the 0 FTU kg-1 diet but included a mineral premix and an aliquot of 8 g kg-1 monosodium phosphate which replaced an equal amount of wheat meal fraction. The trial found no significant differences in growth, feed utilisation and moult frequency with the microbial phytase level within the diet, however, survival was compromised. The proximate composition of the prawn whole body was in most cases unaffected by the level of phytase. Supplementation of the diets with microbial phytase did, however, result in significant higher (p<0.05) concentrations of minerals including: 1) Ca, Mg, K and Na in the whole body; 2) Ca and Zn in muscle tissue; and, 3) Ca and Mg in the carapace. The Zn content of the carapace, however, was negatively affected by the inclusion of microbial phytase suggesting the necessity of this mineral within the diet of M. rosenbergii. This thesis contributes to current understanding surrounding the inclusion of dietary PA and the benefits of microbial phytase within the experimental diets consumed by juvenile M. rosenbergii. The knowledge gained from this work provides a means to optimise the use of plant protein ingredients and with the potential to decrease the dependability of fishmeal without compromising M. rosenbergii production and profitability, thus ultimately promoting the sustainable expansion of M. rosenbergii aquaculture.

Demographic parameters and the general biology of the subantarctic shrimp Nauticaris marionis from the Prince Edward Islands were investigated. The carapace length is the most accurate indicator of body size and it was confirmed that N. marionis is a partially protandric hermaphrodite. Gravid females of N. marionis observed mainly in March with negligible hatching persisting until April/May. The majority of juveniles develop into males. Juveniles are characterised by an appendage on the endopodite of the first pleopod called the appendix interna or a.i.1. Juveniles that develop into males do so by growing a further appendage on the endopodite of the second pleopod. This appendage characterises males and is called the appendix masculina (or a.m.). Juveniles may develop directly into primary females through the development of an ovary and the loss of the a.i.1. The sequence differs among individuals, with some developing the ovary before losing the a.i.1 and others losing the a.i.1 first. Loss of the a.i.1 appears to be by shedding during a single moult, rather than by atrophy. Females can also develop by an alternative route as secondary females. Such animals first become males with an a.m. and then develop an ovary, thus forming an intermediate form called a tertium quid, or “third thing”. Again, there are two forms of tertium quid. Tertia quae a have the a.m. as well as the a.i.1. Tertia quae b have the a.m. in combination with an ovary but no a.i.1. Either form of tertium quid can develop into a secondary female through loss of the a.m., and in the case of the tertium quid a, loss of the a.i.1. It is unclear whether sexual differentiation occurs in the plankton or just after N. marionis settles on the benthos. The results of gut content analysis suggest that N. marionis is an opportunistic feeder, preying on a variety of prey with a preference for detritus, benthic amphipods and gastropods. Cannibalism of conspecific pleopods by large individuals of N. marionis occurred mostly in females, particularly in incubation containers. Cannibalism also occurs in males, and its occurrence depends on individual size, not gender. No diel patterns were observed in the feeding activity of N. marionis. In situ daily rations of males (carapace length <7mm) and females (>7mm) were equivalent to ≈10% and ≈5% of body dry weight, respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth curve parameters were empirically identified, by cohort analysis of data collected during 4 years, as K = 0.22239/year, L[subscript]∞ = 14.05789mm, t₀ = -0.05174, L₀ = 0.16083mm. N. marionis can survive up to seven years under natural conditions.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Ecology and Biodiversity / Master / Master of Philosophy

The purpose of this research was to develop and standardize a novel feeding bioassay with Macrobrachium rosenbergii for use in the laboratory and allowing it to be easily deployed under field conditions. Standardization of the test aimed to minimize feeding rate variations and to ensure that subsequent statistical analyses have sufficient power to consistently detect changes in feeding rates. These were accomplished through the development of a post-exposure feeding toxicity test under laboratory, microcosm and in situ/field conditions. This procedure was proven to be repeatable and economical. M. rosenbergii as test animals were available in terms of quantity and uniformity in sizes. The standard guidelines and procedures for M. rosenbergii bioassay developed from this study include the size of test animals (9-10 mm), density in exposure containers (10 animals in 500 mL of medium in the laboratory, 10 animals in field chambers with 98.6 mL volume), exposure time (24 hours), feeding period for post-exposure feeding (4 hours) and number of replicates for the feeding test (10 replicates for individual measurements). The tiered approach used in the preliminary risk assessment of pesticide using TOXSWA was capable of screening the risk level of pesticide in the study area, identifying profenofos and dimethoate as test chemicals for the lethal and sub-lethal experiments. This model was beneficial in the preliminary risk assessment of pesticides in the tropics, since it was not necessary to set up laboratory work. This method could also provide preliminary data to support the environmental planner and decision/policy maker. This is an alternative way to develop a cost efficient model to inform and warn the risk of pesticide use. The effects of pH, temperature and hardness on control post-exposure feeding rates of M. rosenbergii were assessed and indicated that M. rosenbergii was very sensitive to acidic and basic conditions. The use of post-exposure feeding inhibition as the endpoint under laboratory conditions revealed that prawns were sensitive to pesticides (chlorpyrifos, dimethoate and profenofos) and a heavy metal (zinc). Post-exposure feeding rate inhibition could be used as a sublethal endpoint as the EC50 values obtained for chlorpyrifos and zinc were lower than their lethal levels. Mortality of prawn was also another endpoint used to define the toxicity of pesticides such as carbendazim, in which mortality occurred during exposure, but post-exposure feeding rate of the surviving animals did not decrease. The microcosm experiments were able to link the laboratory toxicity tests and the effects observed in the field. Microcosm studies provided another dimension to studies looking at pesticide effects on aquatic systems. In this research, carbendazim affected feeding and survival rates in the microcosm set-up but in the laboratory only mortality showed a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05). In situ bioassays were able to show the effects of pesticides on post-exposure feeding rates using the methods developed. Post-exposure feeding rates were significantly lower than control in farms using pesticides while in uncontaminated sites (pesticide-free), the post-exposure feeding rates did not decrease. However, mortality was observed even in the uncontaminated sites which could be attributed to other factors such as low dissolved oxygen and presence of some other unidentified chemical substances. The degree of mortality and the effect on feeding rates depends not only on the type and concentration of the known pesticide but also on water quality parameters. The basic methods developed for in situ bioassay from this research is a simple, easy and fast way to determine the effect of pesticides because the results can be seen in the field. The procedures developed and results obtained from this study can be used as a basis for further toxicity studies on M. rosenbergii and other potential tropical species.