• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1098-1106
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• 2016

To study the influence of light intensity on blind-side hypermelanosis of starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus, we compared growth, glucose, cortisol, ratio of malpigmented blind-side area, ambicolored fish ratio and expression of mch mRNA for 60 days in 0 lux(darkness) and 20 lux(low light density). The test was done in duplicate at 50 fish/tank with the selected ordinary juvenile flounder. The rearing was performed in FRP aquarium tanks ($H100cm{\times}L100cm{\times}W100cm$). Growth was higher in the 0 lux. The ratio of malpigmented blind-side area and ambicolored fish ratio were significantly higher at the 0 lux than at the 20 lux. The result suggests that 20 lux could inhibit the hypermelanosis. The expression level of MCH 1, 2 mRNA was significantly lower in 0 lux, indicating that MCH 1, 2 and light intensity are related to blind-side hypermelanosis of starry flounder.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2011

To determine whether rearing density affects the hypermelanosis on the blind side (ambicoloration) of olive flounders Paralichthys olivaceus, we reared fry with an unpigmented non-eyed (blind) side in duplicate at densities of 150 individuals/$m^2$ (commercial production density: control) and 450 individuals/$m^2$ (high density group) for 90 days in 1-t dark-green fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP) tank. We recorded feed intake, feed conversion efficiency (FE), growth and survival, and measured the ratios of staining blind-side area (staining area) and ambicolored fish every 30 days. Daily feed intake (DFI), feed conversion efficiency (FE), growth rate, condition factors, and survival rate were calculated at the end of the experiment. Although the FE was higher in the high-density compared to the control, the two density groups showed similar feed intakes, growth, and survival. The ratio of staining area as well as the ratio of ambicolored fish significantly were significantly higher in the high-density group than in the control from days 30 to 60, but significantly increased and evened out by the end of the experiment (P<0.05). In conclusion, we determined that rearing density is not the main cause of the blind-side hypermelanosis, but found that increasing the rearing density can accelerate the ambicoloration in olive flounders.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.588-596
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• 2014

To examine the influences of water temperature and stocking density on feeding, growth and blind-side hypermelanosis of the starry flounder Platichthys stellatus, we performed an experiment with fry at two densities: 2 and 8 fish/L. The fry had a total length of $3.2{\pm}0.1cm$, body weight $0.6{\pm}0.1g$, and pigmented patches (pigmented ratio $2.6{\pm}0.4%$) on the blind side. Duplicate experiments were conducted in 93.7 L glass tanks for 120 days, from July to November. We determined daily food intake (DFI), food efficiency (FE), growth, survival rate, ratio of hypermelanic fish, and pigmented area rate on the blind side at 60-day intervals. The DFI was less than 50 mg/fish/day, and growth was delayed from July to September (water temperature [WT]> $20^{\circ}C$). After October, when WT < $20^{\circ}C$, the DFI increased significantly and the growth was accelerated, suggesting that the rearing temperature of starry flounder in artificial facilities should be < $20^{\circ}C$. While the FE, and survival did no differ between the two density groups, DFI and growth were significantly higher at 2 fish/L than at 8 fish/L. There was no difference in the pigmented area ratio between the two density groups. Although the hypermelanosis was not correlated with body size, the malpigmentation increased with growth. These results suggest that a high stocking density is not the main cause of blind-side hypermelanosis, although it can accelerate hypermelanosis in the starry flounder.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.841-847
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• 2016

To study the influence of background color and substratum on hypermelanosis of starry flounder, we compared the daily food intake (DFI), the feed efficiency (FE), the survival, the growth, the ratio of pigmented area on the blind side and the ratio of hypermelanic fish duplicately reared for 180 days in dark-green FRP aquarium (control), white FRP aquarium together with dark-green substratum. The ratio of pigmented area on the blind side was significantly higher at the dark-green group than at the white group. DFI, FE and growth were higher in the dark-green substratum. Pigmented area rate and ratio of hypermelanic fish were significantly higher at the dark green group than at the high dark-green substratum. The results suggest that bright tank color and substratum bottom could inhibit the hypermelanosis.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2014

In Pleuronectiformes, blind-side malpigmentation (hypermelanosis) is common in cultured flatfishes, and is economically important. To understand the mechanism of blind-side hypermelanosis in flatfishes, we examined when the malpigmentation initially occurred, and studied how the symptoms proceeded during early development of the starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus. To assess quantitative pattern changes of blind-side skin, we observed morphological development of the whole body from 22 (total length [TL] $10.0{\pm}0.2$ mm and body weight [BW] $8.8{\pm}0.57$ mg) to 110 days (TL $23.4{\pm}0.7$ mm, BW $193.6{\pm}23.3$ mg) after hatching (DAH), and also examined the malpigmented area rate of blind-side skin and the malpigmented fish ratios. The experimental animals were reared in fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks in water at a temperature of $18.9{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$ and salinity of $32.6{\pm}0.6$ psu and were fed with rotifer and Artemia nauplii from 22 to 48 DAH, and with A. nauplii and commercial feed from 49 to 110 DAH. As results, the first staining patch seen by the naked eye was observed around the area between the anus and pelvic fin or caudal edge of the trunk at 80 DAH (TL $20.6{\pm}0.5$ mm, BW $112.5{\pm}8.8$ mg). The pigmented area and the pigmented fish ratios were significantly increased from 80 to 110 DAH. These results indicated that malpigmentation on the blind side of starry flounder was initially observed at about 2 cm in length and 100 mg in weight, and the pigmented domain on the blind-side skin was continually broadened by the differentiation of pigmented cells (melanophores and xanthophores) with growth.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2012

The starry flounder Platichthys stellatus, like all flatfish, exhibits conspicuous lateral asymmetry in numerous traits, most obvious of which is the migration of one eye to the other side of the head during metamorphosis. Additional changes related to eye migration include asymmetrical pigmentation, and a behavioral shift from larvae that exhibit upright, open-water swimming to juveniles and adults that lie on the ocean floor, eye side up. However, the morphology of these juveniles has been quite plastic in recent years, a phenomenon which is thought to be related to a diverse suite of semi-intensive and intensive larviculture methods. The cause of morphological abnormalities in the farmed flatfish is poorly understood. In the present study, we observe the features of morphological specificity and abnormality of immature fish (mean total length 23 cm) and survey the occurrence frequency of the specificity and abnormality of juvenile (mean total length 6.70 cm) in artificial culture facility. We find 2 types of abnormality (e.g., albino in ocular side and hypermelanosis in blind side) and 1 type of specificity (e.g., lateral polymorphism). These considerably differ from normal individuals (has sinistral eye and pigmented on only one side) by several characteristics (dextral eye, ocular side albinism, blind side hypermelanosis). The incidences of albinism, hypermelanosis, and body reversal are $10.1{\pm}2.56%$, $91.7{\pm}1.7%$, and $13.1{\pm}1.1%$, respectively. These suggest that these morphometric and morphological differences occur more in artificial environment during and just after metamorphosis.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2016

In the present study, to clarify a possible relevance of blind-side hypermelanosis to chronic stress in cultured flounders, P. olivaceus, a serial experiment was tried with comparison of biochemical stress factors between wild type and hypermelanic type in cultured olive flounders. The mean size of experimental animal was total length 21.5±0.42 cm and body weight 87.5±6.1 g. The initial malpigmented area rate on the blind side skin was 0.63±0.12% and 16.7±4.7%, respectively, in the wild type and the hypermelanic type. The stress factors surveyed in the experiment were glucose (GLU), total protein (TP), cortisol, free type-thyroid hormones (FT₃ and FT₄) in plasma, and also moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, and crude ash in body muscle. As a result, GLU and TP were higher in hypermelanic type than in wild type. Plasma cortisol was also higher in hypermelanic type than in wild type. In FT₃ and FT₄, any difference between two groups was not observed. In body nutrient factors, the moisture and the crude ash in body composition were not different between two groups, but the crude protein was low and the crude lipid was high in the hypermelanic type. Therefore, it is concluded that the blind-side hypermelanosis of cultured flounders could be related with a chronic stress.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2014

To find the influence of water temperature, tank color and illumination in feeding, growth and blind-side hypermelanosis of starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus, in the present study, we performed a series of temperature, background color and illumination intensity test for 180 days (From June to December). The test was done in duplicate at 100 fish/tank (430% of initial covering area [PCA]) with the selected ordinary juvenile flounder (TL $17.3{\pm}0.5cm$, BW $82.5{\pm}0.2g$). The rearing was performed in darkgreen FRP aquarium tanks ($H100cm{\times}L100cm{\times}W100cm$; bottom area $1m^2$) lighten with average 1,000 lux and 230 lux, and in white FRP aquarium tank ($H100cm{\times}L100cm{\times}W100cm$; bottom area $1m^2$) lighten with average 230 lux of light intensity. We investigated correlation of daily food intake (DFI) with water temperature and salinity, and compared the influences of background colors and light intensity in DFI, food efficiency (FE), growth, survival rate, and ratio of malpigmented blind-side area and ambicolored fish ratio. In DFI, although it was not related with salinity, the amount was significantly decreased under 0.5 g/fish/day in summer and winter season, but was significantly increased over 1.5 g/fish/day in autumn season showing from $10^{\circ}C$ to $20^{\circ}C$ in water temperature. In background and illumination test, DFI, FE and survival rate showed no difference among three groups. The ratios of malpigmented blind-side area and ambicolored fish were also not significantly different among three groups, indicating that the blind-side hypermelanosis of starry may be governed not by background color (or light intensity) but by a genetics external trait inherited from parents.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.325-337
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• 2014

To assess the functional structure of prepro-melanin-concentrating hormone (pMCH), we isolated and cloned pMCH (of-pMCH) mRNA from the brain of the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, and compared its amino acid sequence with those from other animals. In addition, to examine whether activation of the brain of-pMCH gene is influenced by background color, density, and feeding, we compared pMCH mRNA activities against different background colors (bright and dark) and at different densities (100% PCA and 200% PCA). To examine whether the pMCH gene is related with malpigmentation of blind-side skin and appetite, we compared pMCH gene expression between ordinary and hypermelanic flounders, and between feeding and fasting flounders. The of-pMCH cDNA was 405 bp in the open reading frame [ORF] and encoded a protein of 135 amino acids; MCH was 51 bp in length and encoded a protein of 17 amino acids. An obvious single band of the expected size was obtained from the brain and pituitary by RT-PCR. In addition, of-pMCH gene activity was significantly higher in the bright background only at low density (< 100% PCA) making the ocular skin of fish whitening, and in ordinary fish. However, the gene activity was significantly decreased in dark background, at high density (>200% PCA), and in hypermelano fish. These results suggest that skin whitening camouflage of the flounder is induced by high MCH gene activity, and the density disturbs the function of background color in the physiological color change. Moreover, our data suggest that a low level of MCH gene activity may be related to malpigmentation of the blind-side skin. In feeding, although pMCH gene activity was significantly increased by feeding in the white background, the pMCH gene activity in the dark background was not influenced by feeding, indicating that the MCH gene activity increased by feeding can be offset by dark background color, or is unaffected by appetite. In conclusion, this study showed that MCH gene expression is related to ocular-skin whitening camouflage and blind-skin hypermelanosis, and is influenced by background color and density.