Influence of
all-trans retinoic acid on pigmentation and skeletal formation in
larval Japanese flounder
Y.Haga, T. Takeuchi, T. Seikai-2002
Fisheries
Science, 68(3):
560-570
Abstract:
The effect of all-trans retinoic
acid (atRA) on pigmentation and skeletal formation of Japanese flounder Paralichthys
olivaceus was investigated. Five groups of flounder larvae were fed live
food enriched with 0.5 mL docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 38G oil containing
10 mg of atRA/10 L of culture medium during different
developmental stages; that is, A-B, C-D, E-F, G-H, and I. The control group
was fed live food enriched with only DHA 38G oil. Flounder that were fed
live food enriched with atRA during the A-B stages showed albinism, and
mandible and severe caudal defects (albinism 75.7%, lower jaw defects 75%,
caudal defects 100%). Occurrence of these abnormalities in other groups was
0%, 1-4%, and 4.5-10.7%, respectively. Administration of atRA during the A-B
stages also caused a high number of vertebrae mainly in the caudal area.
Moreover, additional abdominal vertebrae had formed in 25% of fish that were
fed live food enriched with atRA in the A-B stages. These results indicate
that the effect of atRA is dependent on the developmental stage of flounder
larvae and they also suggest that morphological and color abnormalities in
flounder were induced by atRA accumulated in live food (rotifers 13 mg/g;
Artemia 1.6 mg/g), especially during the A-B stages.
(Department of Aquatic
Biosciences, Tokyo University of Fisheries, Minato, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan,
Tel/Fax: 81-3-5463-0545, e-mail of T. Takeuchi:. take@tokyo-u-fish.ac.jp)