• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.10-20
• /
• 2011

Genetic determinant for metallothionein (MT), a cysteine-rich protein playing essential roles in metal detoxification and homeostasis, was characterized in the Korean bitterling (Acheilognathus signifer, Cyprinidae), an endemic fish species. The full-length A. signifer MT (AsMT) cDNA (551 bp) is composed of a single open-reading frame (ORF) to encode a polypeptide of 60 amino acids containing 20 cysteine residues whose positions are conserved in most cypriniform MTs. At the genomic level, the AsMT (2,593 bp spanning the 5'-flanking region to the 3'-untranslated region) represented a conserved tripartite (three exons interrupted by two introns) structure with AT-rich introns. The upstream regulatory region (-1,914 bp from the ATG initiation codon) of AsMT displayed various sites and motifs for transcription factors involved in the metal-mediated regulation and stress/immune responses. The AsMT transcript was ubiquitously detected in various organs with variable expression levels, where the ovary and intestine showed the highest expression, while the heart and skeletal muscle represented the lowest level. During an exposure to copper (immersion in $0.5\;{\mu}M$ Cu for 48 h), the levels of AsMT transcripts were significantly elevated in the liver (more than 3.5-fold), moderately in the gill, kidney, and spleen (ranging from 1.5- to 2.5-fold), and barely in the brain and intestine. Results of this study could form a useful basis to explore the metal-related stress physiology of this endangered fish species.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.208-215
• /
• 2013

Host species preference of Acheilognathus signifer for spawning in freshwater mussels was investigated at the part of the Dalcheon Stream (site 1) and the Gaedaecheon Stream (site 2) in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea from April to June (spawning period) 2011. The spawned mussel rate of A. signifer at the study site 1 (wild condition) was 63.6% in Lamprotula leai and 2.1% in Unio douglasiae sinuolatus. It was not found in Anodnta arcaeformis flavotincta and Lanceolaria grayana. The number of eggs, larvae, or both of A. signifer at the study site 1 (wild condition) was 1~41 ($12.0{\pm}9.21$) in L. leai and 6 in U. d. sinuolatus. As a result of experiment 1, A. signifer was only spawned in L. leai with 60% of spawned mussel rate and the number of eggs, larvae, or both was 1~19 ($6.8{\pm}5.44$). According to experiment 2, A. signifer was spawned in all mussels. Spawned mussel rate of A. signifer was 75.0% in L. leai, 42.9% in U. d. sinuolatus and 21.4% in A. a. flavotincta and the number of eggs, larvae, or both was 1~35 ($13.0{\pm}8.80$) in L. leai, 1~26 ($5.2{\pm}6.92$) in U. d. sinuolatus and 2~19 ($8.6{\pm}5.64$) in A. a. flavotincta. Experiment 3 showed A. signifer was solely spawned in L. leai and the number of egg was from 2 to 10 ($6.7{\pm}4.16$). This study confirmed A. singifer is not so much generalist as specialist. We found the most preference species for spawning in the mussels by A. signifer was L. leai.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.96-104
• /
• 2010

During an artificial breeding as a part of restoration of the endangered Korean bitterling Acheilognathus signifer, a small number of individuals exhibiting oculocutaneous albinism were produced. We compared the pigmentation and morphology of normal and albinic bitterlings by histological examination of skin samples obtained from 10 regions on the body, fins, and eyes. There were no differences in morphometry and in general morphology of skin between them. In normal bitterlings, pigment cells were better developed in the dorsal region, the upper part of caudal peduncle region, the choroid-retinal epithelium and iris than in other areas. In the albinic bitterling, however, pigment cells were present only in three parts of the dorsal region, the caudal and dorsal fin, which had few melanin cells. Albinic bitterlings also displayed deficient pigmentation in the choroid-retina pigment epithelium and iris. Although they had different pigmentation aspects in distribution and development between normal and albinic bitterlings, melanin cells were mainly present in the dorsal regions of the skin and eyes where are exposed directly to light.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.199-204
• /
• 2015

A natural hybrid between Acheilognathus signifer and A. lanceolatus was collected in their sympatric area, the Gimhwanamdaecheon of Hangang (River), Korea. Morphological characters, mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt b), and recombination-activating gene 1 (RAG-1) were investigated to confirm the natural hybrid origin. As a result of morphological characters, the natural hybrid was appeared to have intermediate characters between two parental species in three characters; the band of dorsal fin, the color patterns of anal fin membrane, and the body color. In analysis of cyt b, it was revealed that the maternal species of the natural hybrid was appeared to be A. signifer due to their 99.9% sequence identity. Also, in analysis of RAG-1, an electropherogram of the hybrid individual displayed double peaks, strongly indicating its hybrid state.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.32 no.5B
• /
• pp.331-343
• /
• 2012

In this study, the site investigation for fish was performed in the 15 km of Hongcheon river including Oancheon stream. The river ecosystem health was evaluated using the field data for fish. The field survey was carried out at 9 sites, 4 times from August to November 2011. The ecological diversity, including dominance, evenness, and richness and the ecological health using IBI and QHEI were evaluated. The result shows that the mean IBI in the 9 sites is in good-common condition, but the downtown section has a common-worse condition. The result evaluated by QHEI shows optimum-good condition. Also, the habitat suitability index for Pseudopuntungia tenuicorpa, which is one of endangered species, was evaluated, and then the environment flow was calculated by using the PHABSIM model. The previous research in the literature reports that Acheilognathus signifer, one of the endangered species, inhabited in Hongchen river. However, the existence of Acheilognathus signifer was not found in the recent research and this study. Thus, the physical habitat condition for Acheilognathus signifer was evaluated using the field data in the previous study. Also, the habitat improvement for Acheilognathus signifer in Hongcheon river was proposed.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2014

An endemic Korean bitterling, Acheilognathus signifer, known as using freshwater mussels for its spawning activity, much prefers Lamprotula leai in Dalcheon stream (Goesan population) and Unio douglasiae sinuolatus in Gadaecheon (Danyang population) stream, Korea. The spawning pattern between two mussels and one bitterling was carried out in two populations from April to June, 2011 and 2013. L. leai in the Goesan population was bigger shell length and have more eggs, larvae or both with A. signifer than those of U. d. sinuolatus in the Danyang population. Also, A. signifer in the Goesan population appeared to have a longer ovipositor and lay ripen eggs more than those of A. signifer in the Danyang population. Glochidium, a larval stage, of some L. leai in the Goesan population was incubated in all the demibranch, whereas for all of U. d. sinuolatus in the Danyang population was found in the outer demibranch only. For L. leai in the Goesan population, the eggs, larvae or both of A. signifer were much more in the non-breeding mussels (giving no glochidium) than the breeding mussels having the glochidium. For U. d. sinuolatus in the Danyang population, in contrast, the non-breeding mussels have fewer eggs, larvae or both less than the breeding one.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.202-215
• /
• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the spawning preference of the Acheilognathinae fishes in relation to the shell size of host mussels after identifying the species of eggs and fries in the host mussel using our recently developed RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) molecular marker at four sites [Hongcheon Naechoncheon (HN) and Deokchicheon (HD) from the North Han River basin and Jeongseon Goljicheon (JG) and Joyanggang (JJ) from the South Han River] in South Korea during May in each year between 2015 and 2018. The Acheilognathinae fish observed in the studied sites included one species (Acheilognathus signifer) in HN and JG, three species (Rhodeus uyekii, A. signifer, and Acheilognathus yamatsutae) in HD, and two species (A. signifer and Acheilognathus yamatsutae) in JJ, and we collected 982 host mussels (Unio douglasiae sinuolatus) that inhabited in all four sites. Using the RFLP molecular marker, we confirmed 46 eggs and fry of the Acheilognathinae fish (454 A. signifer, 43 Acheilognathus yamatsutae, and 149 Acheilognathus yamatsutae) in Unio douglasiae sinuolatus (N=163; 16.6%). We compare the average shell length, shell height, and shell width of mussels with [presence] eggs/fry and mussels without [absence] eggs/fry to examine the spawning preference according to the size of host mussels in each site. The results show that the shell length (1.98 mm), shell height (0.85 mm), and shell width (0.73 mm) of mussels with the eggs/fry were significantly larger (Mann-Whitney U test, P=0.002; difference=1.98 mm) than those of mussel without eggs/fry in HD where three species cohabitated. Although the shell length, shell height, and shell width of mussels with the eggs/fry were larger also in the other three sites, the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, we analyzed the mean number of spawned eggs and fry of each species and found $9.31{\pm}5.94$ R. uyekii, $2.86{\pm}2.45$ A.signifer, and $2.50{\pm}1.32$ A. yamatsutae. R. uyekii spawned 6.45-6.81 more eggs than A.signifer and A. yamatsutae on average per mussel, and it was statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.001). These findings indicate that the three species of Acheilognathinae fish tend to prefer larger mussels as their spawning hosts, and this tendency increases when the number of cohabitating bitterling fish species increases. Moreover, A.signifer and A. yamatsutae spawned a smaller number of eggs evenly in more host mussels while R. uyekii spawned many eggs on relatively fewer mussels. We found mussels (N=4) having the eggs/fry of two coexisting species, A. signifier and A. yamatsutae in HD and JJ where more than two bitterling fish species occurred. It suggests the interspecific competition taking place between the Acheilognathinae fishes for utilizing the same resource of mussels for spawning when two or more species cohabitate. This study is expected help to understand better the spawning patterns and reproductive ecology of the Acheilognathinae fishes, which will provide insightful information for advancing our understanding of their ecological relationships - mutualism or host-parasitism - with host mussels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Aquaculture Society Conference
• /
• 2006.05a
• /
• pp.589-590
• /
• 2006

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2014

A natural intergeneric hybrid between Rhodeus pseudosericeus and Acheilognathus signifer was collected in their sympatric area, the Jucheongang (stream), the Namhangang (river), Korea. Morphological characters as well as mitochondrial cytochrome b (mt-cyb) gene were investigated to confirm the natural hybrid origin. In the comparison of morphological characters, the natural hybrid appeared to have intermediate characters between two parental species in several key characters such as the band of dorsal fins, the color pattern of body, and the body spot and stripe. Also, the collected specimen had an incomplete lateral line with a large number of pored scales. In analysis of mt-cyb gene, it revealed that the maternal species of the natural hybrid appeared to be R. pseudosericeus due to their 100% sequence identity. Thus, such results gave convincing evidence for the occurrence of a natural intergeneric hybrid between Rhodeus pseudosericeus and Acheilognathus signifer.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.57-63
• /
• 2005

The digestive apparatus and food of the Korean bitterling, Acheilognathus signifer, from the upper reaches of the Hongcheon River were investigated by examining their gill rakers, pharyngeal teeth, and digestive-tube contents. Gill rakers of the first arch were relatively few (17 to 21, mean = 19) and short (mean = 0.36 mm, SD = 0.035). The 2nd to 5th pharyngeal teeth were well developed, while the first tooth was poorly developed. Gill rakers and pharyngeal teeth were completely formed early in life. The digestive tube was long and arranged in many coils. The digestive-tube contents of Korean bitterling mainly consisted of phytoplankton and detrital microorganisms.