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ABSTRACT The blue crab [Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun. 1896)] is a benthic decapod with a varied diet. The diet includes invertebrates and detrital material that can have relatively large amounts of [...]

ABSTRACT Before animals reared in captivity can be used as a model for study or as a supplement for wild populations, it is important to demonstrate that they can integrate [...]

ABSTRACT In the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896), double ejaculations have been observed; however, it is not known if these multiple inseminations are the products of different males or [...]

ABSTRACT Heteroplasmy is the presence of multiple genotypes in an individual and is commonly associated with mitochondria where thousands of copies of the genome can be present in a single [...]

ABSTRACT Understanding the population structure of a commercially fished species and how those populations change over time is essential for proper management. Although the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) [...]

INTRODUCTION Advances in marker and sequencing technologies have transformed environmental science research over the last two decades. Once limited to relatively few model organisms, high-resolution genetic and now genomic information [...]

We set out to determine whether probiotic addition would improve larval development in the false percula clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris and to determine what molecular responses could be observed in the larvae following probiotic exposure. We supplied the probiotic bacterial strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 to clownfish larvae from the first day posthatch simultaneously by live prey and with addition to rearing water (group 2) and exclusively by live prey (group 3). We observed twofold higher body weight in both clownfish larvae and juveniles when probiotics were supplied via live prey and added to the rearing water. In addition, development was accelerated with metamorphosis occurring 3 days earlier in fingerlings treated with probiotic. Alteration in molecular biomarkers supported the faster growth observation. There was significantly increased gene expression of factors involved in growth and development (insulin-like growth factors I and II, myostatin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors [alpha] and [beta], vitamin D receptor [alpha], and retinoic acid receptor [gamma]) when probiotics were delivered via live prey and added to the rearing water. Moreover, probiotic treatment lessened the severity of the general stress response as exhibited by lower levels of glucocorticoid receptor and 70-kDa heat shock protein gene expression. Furthermore, an improvement of skeletal head development was observed, with a 10-20% reduction in deformities for juveniles treated with probiotic. All data suggest a potent effect on development resulting from the administration of lactic acid bacteria to larval clownfish, and this study provides a preliminary molecular entry path into the investigation of mechanisms responsible for probiotic enhancement in fish development. metamorphosis; fish growth; nuclear receptor gene expression doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00300.2009

An economically viable solution to the disposal of waste from chicken houses is the treatment to produce a natural, granulated fertilizer that can be commercially marketed for garden and commercial use and for this, odor of the final product is important in consumer acceptance and an earthy odor is desirable. By understanding and manipulating the microbial processes occurring during this process, it may be possible to modify the odors produced.