• Development and Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2014

In Pleuronectiformes, blind-side malpigmentation (hypermelanosis) is common in cultured flatfishes, and is economically important. To understand the mechanism of blind-side hypermelanosis in flatfishes, we examined when the malpigmentation initially occurred, and studied how the symptoms proceeded during early development of the starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus. To assess quantitative pattern changes of blind-side skin, we observed morphological development of the whole body from 22 (total length [TL] $10.0{\pm}0.2$ mm and body weight [BW] $8.8{\pm}0.57$ mg) to 110 days (TL $23.4{\pm}0.7$ mm, BW $193.6{\pm}23.3$ mg) after hatching (DAH), and also examined the malpigmented area rate of blind-side skin and the malpigmented fish ratios. The experimental animals were reared in fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks in water at a temperature of $18.9{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$ and salinity of $32.6{\pm}0.6$ psu and were fed with rotifer and Artemia nauplii from 22 to 48 DAH, and with A. nauplii and commercial feed from 49 to 110 DAH. As results, the first staining patch seen by the naked eye was observed around the area between the anus and pelvic fin or caudal edge of the trunk at 80 DAH (TL $20.6{\pm}0.5$ mm, BW $112.5{\pm}8.8$ mg). The pigmented area and the pigmented fish ratios were significantly increased from 80 to 110 DAH. These results indicated that malpigmentation on the blind side of starry flounder was initially observed at about 2 cm in length and 100 mg in weight, and the pigmented domain on the blind-side skin was continually broadened by the differentiation of pigmented cells (melanophores and xanthophores) with growth.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.325-337
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• 2014

To assess the functional structure of prepro-melanin-concentrating hormone (pMCH), we isolated and cloned pMCH (of-pMCH) mRNA from the brain of the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, and compared its amino acid sequence with those from other animals. In addition, to examine whether activation of the brain of-pMCH gene is influenced by background color, density, and feeding, we compared pMCH mRNA activities against different background colors (bright and dark) and at different densities (100% PCA and 200% PCA). To examine whether the pMCH gene is related with malpigmentation of blind-side skin and appetite, we compared pMCH gene expression between ordinary and hypermelanic flounders, and between feeding and fasting flounders. The of-pMCH cDNA was 405 bp in the open reading frame [ORF] and encoded a protein of 135 amino acids; MCH was 51 bp in length and encoded a protein of 17 amino acids. An obvious single band of the expected size was obtained from the brain and pituitary by RT-PCR. In addition, of-pMCH gene activity was significantly higher in the bright background only at low density (< 100% PCA) making the ocular skin of fish whitening, and in ordinary fish. However, the gene activity was significantly decreased in dark background, at high density (>200% PCA), and in hypermelano fish. These results suggest that skin whitening camouflage of the flounder is induced by high MCH gene activity, and the density disturbs the function of background color in the physiological color change. Moreover, our data suggest that a low level of MCH gene activity may be related to malpigmentation of the blind-side skin. In feeding, although pMCH gene activity was significantly increased by feeding in the white background, the pMCH gene activity in the dark background was not influenced by feeding, indicating that the MCH gene activity increased by feeding can be offset by dark background color, or is unaffected by appetite. In conclusion, this study showed that MCH gene expression is related to ocular-skin whitening camouflage and blind-skin hypermelanosis, and is influenced by background color and density.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2016

In the present study, to clarify a possible relevance of blind-side hypermelanosis to chronic stress in cultured flounders, P. olivaceus, a serial experiment was tried with comparison of biochemical stress factors between wild type and hypermelanic type in cultured olive flounders. The mean size of experimental animal was total length 21.5±0.42 cm and body weight 87.5±6.1 g. The initial malpigmented area rate on the blind side skin was 0.63±0.12% and 16.7±4.7%, respectively, in the wild type and the hypermelanic type. The stress factors surveyed in the experiment were glucose (GLU), total protein (TP), cortisol, free type-thyroid hormones (FT₃ and FT₄) in plasma, and also moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, and crude ash in body muscle. As a result, GLU and TP were higher in hypermelanic type than in wild type. Plasma cortisol was also higher in hypermelanic type than in wild type. In FT₃ and FT₄, any difference between two groups was not observed. In body nutrient factors, the moisture and the crude ash in body composition were not different between two groups, but the crude protein was low and the crude lipid was high in the hypermelanic type. Therefore, it is concluded that the blind-side hypermelanosis of cultured flounders could be related with a chronic stress.