• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2010

The effects of suspended solids size on culture water quality were determined in a commercial recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. The particulate phase of the culture water was serially divided into six size fractions using 300, 200, 100, 75, 45, and 26 ${\mu}m$ pore size stainless sieves. The total, dissolved, and particulate nitrogen and phosphorus, and suspended solids for each fraction were determined. The concentration ranges in the fractions were: total nitrogen, 164-148 mg $L^{-1}$; total phosphorus, 20.4-15.5 mg $L^{-1}$; and total suspended solids, 8.1-6.1 mg $L^{-1}$. The concentration of total nitrogen and total phosphorus decreased significantly (P<0.05) with a 26 ${\mu}m$ and 200 ${\mu}m$ filter pore size, respectively. Nutrients from dissolved organic substances were much higher than from particulates. Analysis of particle size fractionation and its effects on water quality is useful to estimate removal efficiencies of a commercial effluent screening device for solid management and development of solid removal systems.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2000

The immunostimulatory effects of quaternary ammonium compounds(QACs) were investigated in leucocytes of eel(Anguilla japonica) in vitro. Proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes(PBLs) was no significantly affected by QACs, regardless of mitogen(PHA, ConA and LPS) and the concentration of QACs added. QACs heightened the leucocytes function such as respiratory burst activity, phagocytosis and pinocytosis, resulting in significantly increased the bactericidal activity of macrophages. These results suggested that QAC might modulate the immune responses by activation of leucocytes function but not by increment of immunocompetent cell numbers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1454-1459
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• 2013

This study investigated the effects that water temperature and the administration of estradiol-17${\beta}$ (E2) had on the sex ratio and growth of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Glass eels (total length${\fallingdotseq}$6.5 cm) were differentiated into an E2 group and an E2-free group and then they were reared for about four months at three water temperature levels of $20^{\circ}C$, $24^{\circ}C$, and $28^{\circ}C$. The results showed that the young eels survived normally at the rearing water temperature of ${\geq}24^{\circ}C$, and grew to a mean size of 20 cm (total length). In the E2-free group, temperature was not found to increase the sex ratio (feminizing rates); however, the sex ratio of the E2-administrated group was found to be a little higher at a high temperature ($28^{\circ}C$). The growth of the E2 group was lower than the growth of the E2-free group at $24^{\circ}C$ and the E2 concentration levels in the plasma at $24^{\circ}C$ were found to be significant after the end of the E2 administration period (178 days). Therefore, we thought that long-term administration of E2 must be considered to be the reason for growth decline in spite of the prominent sex ratio effect. Our results indicate that temperature was not related to an increase in the feminizing rate (sex ratio) in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, and other environmental factors (rearing density, salinity, etc.) that have the possibility of inducing ovarian differentiation must be investigated.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.289-295
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• 2018

Large quantity of eggs fail to be fertilized and many of fertilized eggs are unable to hatch in the eel, Anguilla japonica. Larvae of eel absorb egg yolk up to 8 days after hatching but the majority of hatched larvae die before they reach the stage of first feeding in this species. Genes of key enzymes for yolk processing (cathepsin B, D, L and lipoprotein lipase - abbreviated as ctsb, ctsd, ctsl and lpl, respectively) could be associated with egg quality. In this study, we investigated differences in the expression of these genes between floating eggs and sinking eggs, and also the relationship between the gene expressions of the enzymes and fertilization rates in the fertilized eggs obtained from artificially matured female eels. Expressions of yolk processing enzyme genes did not show significant difference between floating and sinking egg groups. Expression of ctsb decreased when fertilization rate was high. Expression of ctsd, ctsl and lpl, however, did not show any significant differences. These results suggest that ctsb expression could be an indicator of egg quality, and that some proteins prone to be digested by ctsb could be very important in the process of fertilization and normal cleavage in this species. Further study should identify these critical proteins to improve our understanding on the quality of fish eggs.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2013

To determine the relative importance of two main factors, diet or culture environment, that affect the proximate composition and main nutritive ingredients (vitamin A, vitamin E, cholesterol, fatty acid composition) in cultured eels, we analyzed the composition of eels fed diets of formula feed (FF) produced by four different companies and of eels cultured at five different eel farms that provided only one of the four different FFs. The four commercial eel FFs did not markedly differ in proximate composition or major nutritive compounds, and consequently, these variables did not significantly differ in cultured eels fed the different FFs. The FF imported from Japan was marginally superior to the two domestic commercial FFs and the FF imported from Taiwan in terms of the proximate composition and main nutritive ingredients of both the FF itself and the eels cultured on it. However, proximate composition and main nutritive ingredients significantly differed among eels cultured at the five farms that used a different FF and among eels fed the four different FFs at the same farm. In conclusion, the difference in quality between domestic and Japanese FFs in terms of eel culture was small, whereas physical or chemical environmental differences among farms during eel culture may more strongly affect the proximate composition and levels of the main nutritive ingredients in cultured eels.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 2008

The effects of dietary yeast β-glucan administration on growth, nonspecific immune responses, serum lysozyme, skin mucous lysozyme, NBT (nitroblue tetrazolium) reduction by phagocytes, and disease resistance against Edwardsiella tarda in Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica were evaluated. Fish were fed the diets supplemented with 0%, 0.1% and 0.5% of yeast β-glucan to a commercial diet for 6 weeks. The body weight gain from the fish fed on the 0.5% supplemented diet for 6 weeks was significantly higher than the control. Both serum and skin mucous lysozyme were significantly higher in the all experimental groups except 2 weeks of 0.5% group. The bactericidal activity of serum was slightly increased at 6 weeks. Also, The intracellular superoxide anion production of kidney phagocytes was significantly higher in the all experimental groups. The diet supplemented with 0.1% were also found to raise the relative percent survival (RPS) of Japanese eel after an artificial challenge with 1×107 cells of Edwardsiella tarda per fish. The results suggested the potential of yeast β-glucan to activate some innate immune responses and to improve the growth in Japanese eel.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of vibration on primary (e.g. plasma cortisol), secondary (e.g. plasma glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Na⁺, K⁺ and Cl^- and tertiary (e.g. mortality) stress responses in cultured eel, Anguilla japonica. For this purpose, three groups (including one control group and two stress groups) were set up. The control group was made exposed to vibration corresponding to 48 decibel (dB, V) (produced using electric vibrators) for 15 minutes per hour every day, and the two stress groups was made exposed to vibration corresponding to 58 and 68 dB (V) (produced using the same electric vibrators), equally, for 15 minutes per hour every day. Blood was sampled at day 0 (before starting vibration stress tests, BS), and days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 (after starting vibration stress tests). As a result, plasma cortisol showed trend to continuously rise by consecutive stress from 4.1±0.1 ng/ml in BS. In 48 dB group (control), cortisol showed the highest level with 7.6±0.9 ng/ml after 7 days (p<0.05), but at 9 and 11 days was not significantly compared with BS level. In 58 dB group, the cortisol showed the highest level with 43.1±4.8 ng/ml after 1st day. Cortisol of 68 dB group increased significantly during the experimental period (14.4±2.3~32.0±5.7 ng/ml) (p<0.05). In 58, and 68 dB groups during the experimental period differed significantly compared to 48 group (p<0.05). Glucose in 48 dB were increased from 42.0 ±5.7 (BS) to 52.5±2.1 (1 day), the level was not significantly from 1 to 11 days. Glucose in 58 and 68 dB groups was increased significantly than BS during experimental period (p<0.05). K⁺ in 68 dB increased significantly (p<0.05) from 2.3±0.2 mE/ql (BS) to 3.3±0.5 mE/ql at 5 days. In 48 and 58 dB groups during the experimental period differed significantly (p<0.05). Na⁺ and Cl^- levels were not differed significantly during the experimental period. AST and ALT in 58 and 68 dB groups showed trend to continuously rise by consecutive stress. At 7 and 9 days in AST, between 48, 58 and 68 dB groups differed significantly (p<0.05). In 48, 58 and 68 dB groups at 1 day, blood hematocrit increased significantly higher than BS. The 11 days after vibration stress, the mortality in 48, 58 and 68 dB groups was 1.1, 5.1 and 5.8%, respectively. The present results have shown that A. japonica exhibited ''typical'' physiological responses when exposed to chronic vibration stress. These data suggested that chronic vibration stress caused substantial stress in the fish; especially the persisting elevated plasma AST and ALT levels observed would be expected to adverse effect. In conclusion, chronic vibration stress could greatly affects the hematological characteristics in A. japonica.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 1998

This experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of levamisole (LMS) in 5. fgrjn challenged eels with different treatment regimens: 7-day LMS treatment before the challenge, 7-day LMS treatment started simultaneously with the challenge, 14-day treatment before and after the challenge. The antibacterial effect was activated in all treated groups, with the best being obtained in the simultaneously treated group. LMS stimulated the defense mechanisms of the eel as demonstrated by increase in the level of total protein, albumin, trypsin inhibitor capacity, lysozyme activity, antibody titers antibacterial activity and survival rate. These results suggest that antibacterial effects of LMS was achieved by not only non-specific immune response but also specific one in eel.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2008

This study investigated the synergistic effects of dietary supplementation of quartz porphyry(QP) and a laboratory developed feed stimulants, BAISM(BS) on growth performance and utilization as the additives for juvenile eel Anguilla japonica. Six isoenergetic experimental diets(18.2 kJ/g) were formulated to contain 50% crude protein, 15% lipid with or without dietary QP(Song-Gang stone, Davistone, Korea) and BS supplementation. QP and BS were provided at 0% in the control diet($Q_0B_0$) and at 0.7% QP+0% BS($Q_{0.7}B_0$), 0.7% QP+0.3% BS($Q_{0.7}B_{0.3}$), 0.7% QP+0.5% BS($Q_{0.7}B_{0.5}$), 0.7% QP+0.75% BS($Q_{0.7}B_{0.75}$) and 0.7% QP+1.0% BS($Q_{0.7}B_{1.0}$) in experimental diets on dry matter basis. After four weeks of adaptation, triplicate groups of 30 fish initially averaging $15{\pm}0.1g(mean{\pm}SD)$ were randomly distributed into each aquarium, and they were fed one of the experimental diets for 8 weeks. By the end of the feeding trial, weight gain(%), specific growth rate(%), feed efficiency(%) and protein efficiency ratio of fish fed diet $Q_{0.7}B_{0.5},\;Q_{0.7}B_{0.75}\;and\;Q_{0.7}B_{1.0}$, were significantly higher(P<0.05) than those of fish fed the other diets. But, $Q_{0.7}B_{0.5},\;Q_{0.7}B_{0.75}\;and\;Q_{0.7}B_{1.0}$ were no significant differences(P<0.05). In challenge test, fish were infected by intraperitoneal injection of 0.1 mL bacterial suspension with Edwardsiella tarda per fish after the feeding trial. As a result, fish fed QP and BS supplemented diets have a significantly higher cumulative survival rate than those of fish fed control diet(P<0.05). In conclusion, these results indicated that the optimum dietary supplementation level of QP and BS could be approximately 0.7% quartz porphyry+0.5% BAISM($Q_{0.7}B_{0.5}$) of diet based on WG, FER, SGR, PER, cumulative survival rate in juvenile eel A. japonica.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2010

Yersinia (Y.) ruckeri has been recognized as a serious bacterial pathogen to several kinds of fish, including rainbow trout. However, there are no reports about the characteristics and pathogenicity of Y. ruckeri isolated from farm-cultured eels. In this study, we isolated and characterized Y. ruckeri from the farm-cultured eel Anguilla japonica in Korea. We investigated the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Y. ruckeri and tested the virulence of Y. ruckeri isolates on experimentally infected eels. Examination of the flagellar morphology of Y. ruckeri by electron microscopy showed peritrichous flagella in its cell body. Biochemical reaction studies showed overall identical profiles between the isolates and the reference strain of Y. ruckeri in API 20E and API ZYM tests. We sequenced the 16S rRNA of the Y. ruckeri (1,505 bp) for the genotypic characterization (National Center for Biotechnology Information accession number EU401667). Comparison of the 16S rRNA sequences with previously reported Y. ruckeri strains revealed similar phylogenetic relationships. In the virulence assay of the Y. ruckeri on eels, the eels exhibited listlessness, but Y. ruckeri was reisolated from those of the gills and kidneys.