Fluoroquinolones are the most common group of antibacterial agents currently used in the Korean aquaculture industry, and use of these agents has been increasing steadily. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection was used for the simultaneous determination of five fluoroquinolones in fish and shellfish: ofloxacin (OFL), pefloxacin (PEF), norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENRO). Fish and shellfish muscle was homogenized, and protein, lipid, and low molecular weight pigments were then excluded from the homogenate. The final eluates were analyzed by HPLC equipped with a Shiseido UG-120 type C18 reverse-phase column ($4.6{\times}250 mm$, $5{\mu}m$) and a fluorescence detector (excitation at 280 nm, emission at 450 nm). The mobile phase was 0.1 M phosphoric acid and acetonitrile solution (91:9, v/v) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) was added to it at a rate of 5 mL per a liter of the mobile phase. Adequate chromatography separation was obtained using the above method. Average recoveries of fortified samples at levels from 0.05 to 0.5 mg/kg were $72.3{\pm}2.5-84.5{\pm}1.2%$ for OFL, $82.7{\pm}3.3- 109.3{\pm}7.5%$ for NOR, $85.3{\pm}6.6-116.0{\pm}7.9%$ for PEF, $76.0{\pm}4.3-109.3{\pm}12.4%$ for CIP, and $78.7{\pm}5.9-100.0{\pm}9.8%$ for ENRO. The limit of detection of OFL was $5{\mu}g/L$, the others were $1{\mu}g/L$. We concluded that the new analytical method was suitable for the determination of fluoroquinolones in fish and shellfish.

Fluoroquinoles have a wide range of antimicrobial properties and are effective in the treatment of bacterial diseases in fish. The use of fluoroquinoles continues to grow steadily. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are probably the most important class used among synthetic antibiotics in human and veterinary medicines because of their broad activity spectrum and good oral absorption. This study was conducted to estimate the residue of antibiotics in four species of farmed fishes, including olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), black rock fish (Sebastes schlegeli), red sea bream (Pagrus major), and sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus), collected from fish farms located in the southern coastal area of Korea. The residues of fluoroquinolones were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector. Residuals of five fluoroquinolones in muscle tissue of farmed fish were analyzed. We found that enrofloxacin was the most common agent in fish muscle, and that ciprofloxacin was the next most common. The range of detected concentrations of fluoroquinolones in olive flounder muscle was 0-0.859 mg/kg in 32.6% of all samples. Enrofloxacin was commonly detected in sea bass muscle at a range of 0-0.143 mg/kg in 38.9% of all samples. Fluoroquinolones were detected in 6.9% of black rock fish muscle and in 16.6% of sea bream, although the detected concentration was below 0.01 mg/kg. The maximum detection value of enrofloxacin and ofloxacin in olive flounder at the time of shipping was 0.102 mg/kg and 0.09 mg/kg, respectively; no other antimicrobials were detected. We detected no antimicrobial substances in red sea bream.

Enrofloxacin (ENRO) is one of the most commonly used fluoroquinolones for treating bacterial disease in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) farming, but its withdrawal time for industrial-scale farming has not been well established. Withdrawal times of ENRO following oral administration were evaluated in olive flounder under field conditions. Fish were held in an inland fish tank and fed a commercial mediated diet containing 5 mg/kg of ENRO for 9 days. Seven fish per sampling point were examined during and after treatment. ENRO and its major metabolite, ciprofloxacin (CIP), were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The concentration of ENRO and CIP in muscle increased during the medication period, and then decreased rapidly The sum of ENRO and CIP concentration in olive flounder peaked on day 6, with a maximal concentration in muscle of 4.30 mg/kg. ENRO residues were eliminated rapidly; at 10 days post treatment, the level in muscle was 0.10 mg/kg, but it took about 50 days to be reduced to below 0.1 mg/kg. After 60 days, the residual concentration was below 0.1 mg/kg in all samples. The level of ENRO accumulation at the beginning of oral administration was variable, according to the farming conditions, but the overall exhaustion time was almost the same. We concluded that an adequate withdrawal period of enrofloxacin is 60 days in the case of oral administration.

A high performance liquid chromatography assay method for spiramycin in fish muscle was developed. The developed method was evaluated and validated by monitoring spiramycin in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), black rock fish (Sebastes schlegeli) and in live conger eel (Anguilla japonica) in fish farms and distribution centers. Using the developed method, the recovery rate was up to 82.4-88.8%, which was higher than that of conventional methods (77.6-87.1%). In particular, the proposed sample treatment protocol was suitable for use with fish samples to remove low molecular weight materials and pigments that could interfere an accurate analysis. The prepared stock solution was very stable, and it remained chemically stable for 5 weeks at $4^{\circ}C$. The performance limit of the developed method for spiramycin acid in fish muscle was 0.05 ppm. One hundred thirty-four fish samples including olive flounder, black rock fish and live conger eel were analyzed to evaluate the overall efficiency of the modified method and to monitor the actual condition of spiramycin usage in fish farms. Olive flounder and black rock fish were collected from fish farms in coastal areas of Korea, and live conger eels were purchased from a fish market in the Busan area from September 2001 to March 2002. According to the overall performance of the developed method, it was considered suitable for the monitoring of spiramycin in fish muscle. The suggested method of analysis for spiramycin in fish muscle is registered in the Korean Official Methods of Food Analysis and is currently tieing utilized for fishery products inspection by the Korea Food and Drug Administration and the National Fisheries Products Quality Inspection Service.

This study was conducted to evaluate the optimal processing conditions of smoke-dried powdered oysters and to determine their shelf-life during storage for development of a natural oyster flavoring substance. The optimal conditions for processing of smoke-dried oyster powder with freshy oyster were as follows. Raw shelled oysters were rinsed with 3% saline solution, drained, boiled for 10 minutes at $98^{\circ}C$, and then smoked for 1 hour at $50^{\circ}C$, followed by drying for 4 hours at $80^{\circ}C$ Smoke-dried oyster powder with oyster scraps were prepared as flavoring material. The smoked oyster scraps were submerged in oyster sauce far 10 minutes at room temperature and then dried with hot air for 5 hours at $50^{\circ}C$. The smoke-dried oysters and smoke-dried oyster scraps were then pulverized to 50 mesh and packed in tea bags or vacuum-packed in laminated plastic film bags (PE/PVDC/CPP, $12{\mu}m/15{\mu}m/50{\mu}m$). Compared to non smoke-dried powdered oysters, the smoking and dipping in oyster sauce enhanced the flavor and prevented lipid oxidation of the smoke-dried powdered oyster product. Shelf-life tests indicated that the vacuum-packaging method preserved the quality of smoke-dried powdered oysters stored for 150 days at room temperature.

The tadpole larvae of most ascidians have two sensory pigment cells in their brain vesicle. The anterior otolith pigment cell is sensitive to gravity, whereas the posterior ocellus pigment cell responds to light. Besides these two sensory cells, the larvae also possess another type of sensory receptor cell: hydrostatic pressure receptor (Hpr) cells. The Hpr cells have been presumed to sense hydrostatic water pressure, although no functional analysis has been performed. In larvae of the ascidian Halocynthia reretzi, the development of the Hpr cells and their structure in the brain vesicle are poorly understood. To investigate the morphology and formation of the Hpr cells, we established a monoclonal antibody, Hpr-1, that specifically recognizes Hpr cells. The Hpr-1 antigens became detectable in the brain vesicle at the late tailbud stage. Each Hpr cell projected a small globular body, connected by a short stalk, into the lumen of the brain vesicle. The brain vesicle showed remarkable left-right asymmetry. Pigment cells were located on the right side in the lumen of the brain vesicle, whereas Hpr cells were present in the left side. After metamorphosis, the Hpr cells were observed near the rudimental siphons of the juvenile.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of extruded pellet (EP) diets, as compared to a raw fish moist pellet (MP) diet for olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, grown in commercial-scale aquaculture for 1 year. Four diets with duplication per diet were formulated for this experiment: two experimental EP diets (EP1 and EP2), one commercial EP diet (CEP), and a raw fish MP diet (MP). The MP diet consisted of 80% frozen horse mackerel and 20% commercial binder meal. Fish weighing $30.1{\pm}0.1 g$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) were distributed randomly to each aquarium as a group of 2,600 fish. Weight gain (WG) and feed efficiency ratio (FER) of fish fed EP2 and MP were higher (P<0.05) than those of fish fed CEP, while those of fish fed EP1 did not differ (P>0.05) from those fed EP2 and MP. However, fish fed the MP diet had a higher survival rate than fish fed the other diets. Fish fed EP2 had higher serum, phospholipids and total protein levels, and lower levels of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and total cholesterol than fish fed MP (P<0.05). Dorsal muscle and liver proteins and lipid of fish fed EP1 were higher (P<0.05) than those of fish fed CEP, while those of fish fed EP1 and MP did not differ from those of fish fed EP2 (P>0.05). These results strongly suggest that EP1 could be developed to replace MP for grow-out stage production of olive flounder without adverse effects on growth performance.

We measured the concentrations of organic matter and metallic elements (Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg) in the surface sediments of Masan Harbor (in the southern sea, Korea) to evaluate the geochemical characters of sediment and the pollutions by organic matter and metallic elements. The mean grain size of the surface sediments in the study area ranged from $5.6{\phi}$ to $7.8{\phi}$, indicating silt sediment. The water content of the surface sediments exceeded 60% except at some stations. The contents of ignition loss (IL), total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) ranged from 7.2-14.3%, 1.2-3.2%, and 0.10-0.28%, respectively. Based on the C/N ratios, the organic matter in the surface sediments of Masan Harbor may originate from terrigenous sources including fluvial inputs (mainly sewage in urban areas). The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) ranged from $11.3-29.9\;mgO_2/g\;dry$ and 0.20-4.47 mgS/g dry, respectively, and low concentrations were observed near a shipping route. In addition, the concentrations of metallic elements showed large spatial variations in Masan Harbor and the distributions of metallic elements were also comparable to those of organic matter. This implies that the distributions of organic matter and metallic elements in the surface sediments of Masan Harbor are mainly controlled by biogenic matter and artificial action (mainly dredging). In addition, we calculated the enrichment facto. (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) in order to evaluate pollution by metallic elements. The enrichment of metallic elements relative to Al was three to eighteen times higher at the study sites, compared to levels in the Earth's crust except for Fe, Ni and Mn. In addition, the Igeo class indicated that the surface sediments in the study area were moderately to strongly polluted in terms of metallic elements.