양식 멍게(Halocynthia roretzi)의 물렁증 발생에 미치는 절식의 영향

Starvation Effects on Occurrence of Tunic Softness Syndrome in Sea Squirt Halocynthia roretzi

We examined the effect of starvation on the occurrence of tunic softness to determine the cause of mass mortality of cultured Halocynthia roretzi (Drasche) in the Tongyeong region, Korea. In terms of the survival rate of H. roretzi and the occurrence rate of tunic softness, H. roretzi starved for 35 days at water temperatures of 8, 12, and $15^{\circ}C{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$ (room temperature of $15^{\circ}C{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) did not exhibit tunic softness at water temperatures of either $8^{\circ}C$ or $12^{\circ}C$. for morphological changes, although the tunic of H. roretzi was shrunken and became visibly smaller with a darkening color in all experimental groups, as compared to the state prior to starvation, its tunics bulbs continuously. The ratio of RNA/DNA concentrations and protein contents for each of the tunic sections were lower in the starved group. Our results indicate that tunic softness is not related to feeding deficiency, as no histopathological symptoms were apparent in the digestive gland or tunic of H. roretzi due to starvation.