Genetic characterisation of commercially important Brachionus strains
Dooms, S.; Deloof, D.; Dierckens, K.; Bossier, P.; Sorgeloos, P. (2005). Genetic characterisation of commercially important Brachionus strains, in: Mees, J. et al. VLIZ Young Scientists' Day, Brugge, Belgium 25 February 2005: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 20: pp. 33 In: Mees, J.; Seys, J. (Ed.) (2005). VLIZ Young Scientists' Day, Brugge, Belgium 25 February 2005: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 20. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. X, 129 pp., more In: VLIZ Special Publication. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. ISSN 1377-0950, more |  |
| Available in | Authors | | Document type: Summary
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| Keywords | Aquaculture
Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Fish > Marine fish
Biology > Genetics
Cultures > Fish culture
Taxa > Species > Commercial species
Brachionus plicatilis Müller, 1786 [WoRMS]; Rotifera [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract | The development of the mass production of high quality fingerlings of marine fish species in Europe was made possible by improvements in the techniques for producing and utilizing live food: rotifers of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex. In the past all commercially used rotifer strains were named Brachionus plicatilis (L-type) or Brachionus rotundiformis (S-type). But recent studies of natural Brachionus populations, based on the mitochondrial COI and genomic ITS1 molecular markers, revealed the existence of at least 9 biotypes of which recently 3 were (re)described as species: B. plicatilis, B. rotundiformis, B. ibericus (Gómez et al., 1995, 1996, 2002; Ciros-Pérez et al., 2001). This rotifer production is still the biggest problem for the fingerling production: the mass culture of these rotifers is very unpredictable. Periods with total mortality or reduced reproduction (‘crashes’) regularly occur. To get an idea of the genetic diversity of commercially used Brachionus strains, samples of hatcheries were analysed using the mitochondrial 16SrDNA molecular marker: polymorphisms are detected by the SSCP (Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism) and DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) technique and by DNA sequencing. Our findings confirm the hypothesis of the existence of a Brachionus plicatilis species complex: so far 16 haplotypes were detected. Very few commercial hatcheries (not a single European hatchery!) massculture the true Brachionus plicatilis s.s. |
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