A reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) for commercially fished blue crab Callinectes sapidus in Florida

Walters, Erin A.; Crowley, Claire E.; Gandy, Ryan L.; Behringer, Donald C.

doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106188

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, indirect approaches have been developed to calculate the age of crustaceans. In recent decades, several new methods have been used to analyse ageing in crustaceans, such as the widely used content of the brain pigment lipofuscin as an accurate indicator of age [61,62], the counting of endocuticle growth bands in gastric mills and eyestalks [63], and the reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) method used to predict mortality [64]. The amount of lipofuscin pigment is related to physiological age rather than chronological age [65].…”

Section: Methodology For Life History Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life History Traits of the Stygophilous Amphipod Synurella ambulans in the Hyporheic Zone of the Lower Reaches of the Upper Sava River (Croatia)

Gottstein,

Redžović,

Erk

et al. 2023

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Estimating the growth and population dynamics of crustaceans is important for understanding the role of species in ecosystems and for conservation and monitoring purposes. This study investigated temporal and spatial variation in population dynamics (growth rate, instantaneous mortality rates, and longevity) of the stygophilous freshwater amphipod Synurella ambulans (F. Müller, 1846), and influencing environmental factors. Seasonal sampling was conducted from December 2018 to October 2019 at two sampling sites (Jarun and Medsave) along the Sava River in northwestern Croatia. A Bhattacharya cohort analysis was applied to the length-frequency data using the FISAT software package. At least four cohorts were distinguished during the year. The possible influence of environmental factors on growth parameters was investigated using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), which revealed that the important environmental factors influencing S. ambulans abundance were water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration. The average total body length (TBL) of females was 4.25 mm, while the TBL of males was 3.34 mm. The asymptotic length (L∞) and growth coefficient (K) were estimated to be 6.30 mm and 0.92 year−1 for females and 5.40 mm and 0.59 year−1 for males, respectively, at the Jarun site. L∞ and K were estimated to be 7.20 mm and 0.34 year−1, respectively, for females and 4.00 mm and 1.20 year−1, respectively, for males at the Medsave site. Estimated total mortality (Z) for each sex had higher values for males than females at both sampling sites. The lack of ecological knowledge on S. ambulans populations and relationships with invertebrate communities in the hyporheic zone of the large river ecosystems emphasises the importance of a detailed study for protecting this species and its vulnerable ecotonal groundwater-connected environment.

show abstract

Section: Methodology For Life History Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life History Traits of the Stygophilous Amphipod Synurella ambulans in the Hyporheic Zone of the Lower Reaches of the Upper Sava River (Croatia)

Gottstein,

Redžović,

Erk

et al. 2023

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several reflex impairment (RAMP) [ 34 ] indicators are used as a relatively reliable way to predict mortality in many taxa, including crustaceans [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. We identified two reflex responses as being consistently useful indicators of health in C. maenas : leg flare and leg retraction.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other haemolymph parameters, e.g., BRIX and haemolymph protein density are an increasingly credible, cost and time effective way to indicate the physiological condition of large crustaceans [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. More subjective measures, e.g., behavioural and reflex impairment (RAMP) indicators [ 34 ] are also established as a relatively reliable way to predict mortality in many taxa, including crustaceans [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Animal Stocking Density and Habitat Enrichment on Survival and Vitality of Wild Green Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas, Maintained in the Laboratory

Wilson

Wyeth

Spicer

et al. 2022

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The wide geographic distribution, large size and ease of capture has led to decapod crustaceans being used extensively in laboratory experiments. Recently in the United Kingdom decapod crustaceans were listed as sentient beings, resulting in their inclusion in animal care protocols. Ironically, little is known about how captive conditions affect the survival and general condition of wild decapod crustaceans. We used the green shore crab, Carcinus maenas, to investigate the effects of stocking density and shelter on survival and vitality indices during a 6 month period in the laboratory. Neither stocking density nor the presence of shelter affected survival. Stocking density also had no effect on the vitality indices (limb loss, claw strength, BRIX, righting time, leg flare and retraction). The presence of shelter did affect the number of limbs lost and the leg retraction response, but had no effect on the other vitality indices. All vitality indices changed, and mortality increased over time, independent of treatment: this became most apparent after 8 to 11 weeks storage in the laboratory. This decline in condition may have been due to repeated handling of the crabs, rather than the stocking conditions. In support of this, untracked, non-handled (control) individuals sustained a 4% mortality rate compared with 67% mortality in experimental crabs during the 6 month period. Although simple experimental monitoring of crabs with biweekly vitality tests only produced transient short-term stress events, the repeated handling over time apparently led to a cumulative stress and a deterioration in animal health. Bringing wild crustaceans into the laboratory and holding them, even with modest experimental manipulation, may result in high mortality rates. Researchers and animal care committees need to be aware that wild captive invertebrates will respond very differently to laboratory-bred vertebrates, and plan experiments accordingly.

show abstract

“…There are various established operational welfare indicators for finfish, such as rapid opercular movements, physical damage inspections (e.g., eyes, fins, scales), gulping air at the water surface and condition of the gills (e.g., colour, mucous; Calduch‐Giner et al., 2022). Likewise, condition indices have been used by crustacean graders as proxies for welfare, vitality and survivability, for example, reflex action mortality predictors (RAMP) developed for crabs (e.g., snow crabs, Chionoecetes spp., Oregoniidae, blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus , Portunidae); Stoner, 2012; Yochum et al., 2015; Walters et al., 2022), or a vigour index for langoustine ( Nephrops norvegicus (Nephropidae); Albalat et al., 2017). These are relatively simple to use and can provide near real time assessment of mortality based on physical trauma and aberrations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, condition indices have been used by crustacean graders as proxies for welfare, vitality and survivability, for example, reflex action mortality predictors (RAMP) developed for crabs (e.g., snow crabs, Chionoecetes spp., Oregoniidae, blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, Portunidae); Stoner, 2012;Yochum et al, 2015;Walters et al, 2022), or a vigour index for langoustine (Nephrops norvegicus (Nephropidae); Albalat et al, 2017). These are relatively simple to use and can provide near real time assessment of mortality based on physical trauma and aberrations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Meta‐analytic assessment of physiological markers for decapod crustacean welfare

Conneely,

Coates

2023

Fish and Fisheries

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Decapod crustacean welfare is not only an ethical consideration for legislative purposes. Under culture and fishery settings, poor environmental conditions and operator practices can cause stress, which compromises the immune system and increases the risk of disease. For finfish, there are established environmental and animal (group, individual) welfare indicators. This is not the case for crabs, lobsters or shrimp. While environment‐based indicators like temperature, pH and oxygen levels are easily transferable, there is no consensus for a common measure of stress to monitor welfare in decapod crustaceans. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a meta‐analysis of the primary literature to test for relationships between haemolymph (blood) condition, for example, levels of glucose, L‐lactate, haemocytes (n = 8), and sources of physical stress, for example, handling, trawling, emersion and transport (n = 12). Despite variations in effect sizes (n = 459), generalised liner mixed models repeatedly ranked L‐lactate (followed by urea and glucose) as the most significant physiological predictor of stress in the haemolymph, with trawling followed closely by emersion as the most impactful stressors. Duration post (stress) exposure, sex (male, female), water temperature and moult stage (pre‐, inter‐, post‐moult) were not associated significantly with stress prediction using the selected biochemical and cellular parameters, however, moult status was undefined in ~48% of literature sources and should be interpreted with caution. We present evidence that quantitating L‐lactate levels in the haemolymph represents a physiologic operational welfare indicator of decapod crustaceans, which complements existing condition/vigour indices.

show abstract

A reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) for commercially fished blue crab Callinectes sapidus in Florida

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

Life History Traits of the Stygophilous Amphipod Synurella ambulans in the Hyporheic Zone of the Lower Reaches of the Upper Sava River (Croatia)

Life History Traits of the Stygophilous Amphipod Synurella ambulans in the Hyporheic Zone of the Lower Reaches of the Upper Sava River (Croatia)

Effect of Animal Stocking Density and Habitat Enrichment on Survival and Vitality of Wild Green Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas, Maintained in the Laboratory

Meta‐analytic assessment of physiological markers for decapod crustacean welfare

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About