Title | Effect of vitamin A on the skeletal morphogenesis of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2011 |
Authors | Georga, I, Glynatsi, N, Baltzois, A, Karamanos, D, Mazurais, D, Darias, M, Cahu, CL, Zambonino-Infante, J, Koumoundouros, G |
Journal | Aquaculture Research |
Volume | 42 |
Pagination | 684–692 |
ISSN | 1365-2109 |
Keywords | Fish, limb asymmetry, phenotypic plasticity, retinol |
Abstract | The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin A levels in the larval diet of Dicentrarchus labrax, (a) on the shape of juvenile skeleton and (b) on the development of pelvic fins. To exclude the side-effects of skeletal abnormalities on skeleton shape, morphometric analysis was performed on normal individuals only. Geometric morphometric analysis revealed a significant effect of larval nutrition on the shape of juvenile skeleton (Wilk's λ=0.0188, P<0.001), 55 days after the application of the different nutritional regimes. Between-groups shape differences mainly concerned the position of anterior dorsal pterygiophore, which was associated with a significant (P<0.05) increase of the number of dorsal lepidotrichia and hard spines at low levels of vitamin A (3–9 × 103 IU kg−1 dry food). At the lowest vitamin A levels (3 × 103 IU kg−1 dry food), the development of pelvic fins was abnormal, with severe bilateral (44±10%, mean±SD) or unilateral (22±9%) lack of the fin lepidotrichia, hard spines and their supporting elements. In the 82–94% of the unilaterally deformed individuals, deformation concerned the left pelvic fin. Concerning the shape of pelvic fins in the normally developed individuals, results demonstrated a significant effect of nutritional conditions on the size and position of all the elements of the pelvic fin area (basipterygium, lower metacleithrum, cleithrum, scapula) (Wilk's λ=0.3087, P<0.001). Our results demonstrate a significant nutritionally driven phenotypic plasticity in D. labrax, with dietary levels of vitamin A determining the skeleton shape and the left–right symmetry of pelvic fins. |
URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2109.2010.02676.x |
DOI | 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2010.02676.x |