Histological histochemical and morphological development of striped trumpeter (Latris Lineata) larvae and the effect of larval diet
Final report
In November 1992, this project commenced with the development of methods for the evaluation of striped trumpeter (Latris lineata) larvae cultured by the Finfish Development Program (FDP). The first year was spent in the selection of digestive enzymes for investigation and the modification of methods for their detection. In addition to the digestive enzymes selected, lipids and glycogen deposits were also studied to provide an indication of the status of larval energy uptake and storage. The project used the observation and measurement of samples of larvae to provide an assessment of growth, development and the general health of larvae. The methods developed by the project have been detailed in a Technical Report published by the DPI&F.
Preserved samples of larvae were processed, thin-sectioned and stained to provide information on the development of the swimbladder and the gut with its associated organs, as well as the presence of digestive enzymes at different stages of growth. The timing and method of swimbladder inflation, as well as the development of the digestive tract prior to metamorphosis, was investigated, providing valuable basic biological information on the species. This information was used to modify larviculture systems and techniques and resulted in the successful culture of juvenile striped trumpeters, banded morwong and greenback flounder in the 1994 rearing season.
SCRC: Australian aquaculture genetic support capability
A proven requirement for sustainable and efficient primary production is well managed selective breeding programs of domesticated stock. This was recognised for Australian aquaculture in establishing the Seafood CRC Breeding for Profit Theme outcomes and strategies.
Breeding programs are long-term investments delivering incremental gains based on selection decisions made on a combination of expert advice, phenotype and genotype data analyses and sound breeding objectives. This combination, and the essential data management and analytical systems required, are beyond the scope of any single aquaculture company to provide in-house. Like the animals in the breeding program, the provision of these capabilities needs to have continuity and a long-term delivery plan.
CSIRO has over 15 years co-investment with multiple sectors of the Australian aquaculture industry in R&D to deliver commercial selective breeding programs to meet individual needs. While delivering on the R&D, CSIRO considered the strategies for its clients to obtain the required future commercial genetic services. Local options for delivering this capability are limited, partly due the current lack of programs requiring the services and the size of the programs.
As such CSIRO has developed some capability and a strategic plan (see attachment) for the transfer of the delivery of the required capabilities and systems to the predicted 8 to 10 Australian and international breeding programs to an autonomous or semi-autonomous unit by 2015 to 2017. To deliver this strategy requires additional investment in the development of the essential capabilities and systems during the transition phase from 2013 to 2015.
However critical to the strategy and further investment is the need for an independent assessment of the economic and management viability of the proposed strategy and an autonomous unit, and potential uptake by identified national and international breeding programs of the services to be provided. This critical assessment is required before further investment in establishing the proposed independent genetic services unit and in developing the essential capability and systems.
This project therefore will be in two stages with a clear Go/No-go point after the first stage. Stage 1, proposed here, will involve an independent consultant completing a Business Case assessment of the proposed strategy and services unit. Stage 2 would proceed if that Business Case proved positive and the Unit and strategy was viable and acceptable to potential clients. The second, implementation stage (which would require an updated full proposal) would involve developing the proposed Unit and training and delivering the essential capability and systems for the Unit and for the long-term viability of Australian aquaculture breeding programs.
Final report
A proven requirement for sustainable and efficient primary production is well managed selective breeding programs of domesticated stock.
This project was undertaken to provide the proponents (CSIRO and CRC) with an independent assessment of a business case upon which to progress a strategy and develop an implementation plan for the delivery of essential genetic services to commercial aquaculture selective breeding programs.
SCRC: SCRC Honours Scholarship H4.1 Sustaining Australia’s aquaculture competitiveness by developing technological advances in genetics: Discovery of functional genes for commercial traits.(Abigail Elizur; Student Nicole Ertl)
Final report
Body colouration, an important survival, mate selection and communication mechanism for animals in the wild, has also significant commercial implications. In aquaculture, a darker body colour in prawns can increase farm profitability by AU$ 2-4 dollar per kilo of prawns. Therefore, there is a strong commercial interest in increasing colour intensity of prawns grown in captivity. In this study, the focus was on F. merguiensis, and the determination of factors that could be involved in colour formation in this species.
Molecular techniques were employed to clone and isolate crustacyanin subunits, genes known to be responsible for colouration in other crustacean species, from the muscle/cuticle tissue of F. merguiensis prawns and to develop gene specific primers to quantify the levels of crustacyanin gene expression in the cuticle of prawns displaying three different colour phenotypes (albino, light and dark).
The sequences encoding for the crustacyanin subunits A and C were isolated from the cuticle tissue in F. merguiensis and their expression levels characterised in prawns displaying different colouration patterns.
SCRC: Seafood CRC: review of seafood market access issues
As an input to Business Plan development by the Australian Seafood CRC for the Product Quality and Integrity Research Program, conduct an examination on technical market access support needs to identiify current infrastructure and support services relevant to tprovision of technical market access support within Australian seafood industry.
Final report
The Australian Seafood CRC is commissioning a number of critical reviews of technical market access support needs to inform the development of its Market Security Program. This information is to provide a basis for determining where to invest in research and development and how to achieve the best and most effective return on this investment.