Information on stock identification and spatial stock structure provide a basis for understanding fish population dynamics and improving fisheries management. In this study, otolith shape analysis was used to study the stock structure of blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) in the northeast Atlantic using 1693 samples from mature fish collected between 37°N and 75°N and 20°W and 25°E. The results indicated two stocks located north and south of ICES Divisions VIa and VIb (54°5N to 60°5N, 4°W to 11°W). The central area corresponds to the spawning area west of Scotland. Sampling year effects and misclassification in the linear discriminant analysis suggested exchanges between the northern and southern stocks. The results corroborate previous studies indicating a structuring of the blue whiting stock into two stocks, with some degree of mixing in the central overlap area.
Brown ring disease (BRD) in the Manila clam is characterized by the formation of a brown deposit of conchiolin on the inner surface of the shell that gives the disease its name. The development of the signs of BRD may be favored by the entry of bacteria in the extrapallial compartments via mechanical disruptions of the periostracal lamina and/or chipping of the shell margin. In order to test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment simulating clam handling under aquaculture conditions and we checked for prevalence of BRD signs. Our results assess that rough handling of R. philippinarum in presence of the bacterium V. tapetis significantly increase the prevalence of BRD signs. As a consequence our results show that minimizing manipulations and transfers of clams during culture is beneficial to avoid the development of BRD signs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.