• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2009

It was examined whether the common belief that "cultured puffer fishes do not contain tetrodotoxin (TTX)", the major lethal substance that accidently causes death in consumers of those fishes, is true in river puffer fish Takifugu obscurus. In mouse bioassay, lethal levels of toxins were detected in the ranks: gonad>liver>intestine>muscle>skin in wild puffer fish. In contrast, no mortality occurred in the mouse bioassay on cultured fish. However, there were sleepiness, sluggish behavior, and hind limb paralysis with the tissue extracts of cultured fish suggesting the presence of TTX or other similarly acting toxins. An attempt to confirm the presence of TTX in cultured fish with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was not very successful. The results suggest possible existence of TTX toxins or similarly acting toxins.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.298-304
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• 1999

Toxic effect of landfill leachate on the larvae and juvenile stage of the river puffer fish, Takifugu obscurus, were investigated in order to assess severity of environmental impact of leachate effluent on the general population of estuarine fishes. A short-term toxic experiment was designed to test both laboratory hatched larvae and juveniles (5, 10 and 15 mm in length) and in-situ juveniles (30 and 45 mm in length) using the leachate concentrations between 0 and 16%. Lethal concentrations of 50% mortality ($LC_{50}$) were observed using Spearman-karber Method. 24hr-$LC_{50}$ appeared at the leachate concentrations ranging from 3.03 to 8.57%, 48hr-$LC_{50}$ at 2.73 to 6.21 %, 72hr-$LC_{50}$o at 2.45 to 5.53%, and 96hr-$LC_{50}$ at 2.38 to 4.93%, respectively. Leachate concentrations between 0.69 and 1.51% induced 96hr-$LC_1$. Respiratory frequency was significantly affected even at low leachate concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0% (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the leachate effluents may cause a harmful impact on the physiology of river puffer fish, especially for younger cohorts.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2007

The present experiment was carried out to study the effects of light intensity on growth, survival, caudal fin shape, body composition, skin color and blood component of river puffer, Takifugu obscurus. Four light intensities (0, 500, 1,000, 2,000 lx) were tested in duplicates for 60 days. Specific growth rate (SGR), daily feeding rate (FR) and food coefficient (FC) were reduced following to the decrease of light intensity. However in survival rate there was not significantly different among groups. The damage extent of caudal fin was increased in more strong light intensity. In body composition, moisture and crude protein were only significantly difference according to light intensity. In body color, L and a were the highest in 0 lx. In blood analysis, the content of AST, ALT, GLU significantly increased in more powerful the intensity groups. It is concluded that the supplement of low light intensity (e.g. 0 lx) recommended for the commercial scale aquaculture of river puffer in land-based tank without growth and survival retardation.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.147-153
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• 2007

The present study was performed to evaluate sitological quality of the cultured and wild river puffer, Takifugu obscurus. Proximate composition, the content of extractive nitrogen, the content of nucleotides and their related compounds, total and free amino acid, and fatty acids were analysed and sensory evaluation in the muscle of the river puffer were compared. The cultured river puffer had a higher moisture content compared to the wild fish, while there was no significant difference in crude lipid, crude protein and ash contents. Nucleotides and their related compounds including ATP, ADP, AMP, IMP, HxR and Hx were detected. The result from analyzing ATP-related compound showed difference in total content by wild and cultured river puffer, and IMP content that had largest influence upon the savory taste of sliced raw fish, was higher in the cultured fishes than wild ones. Breaking strength level of the wild river puffer was higher than that of the cultured fish. High levels of C16:0 and C18:0 were shown in all samples and -3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content were not different between the cultured and wild river puffers (P>0.05). Total 17 amino acids were detected in the samples, and most of the samples had high contents of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine and leucine and low contents of cystine, histidine, methionine and tyrosine. The result from surveying free amino acid content of wild and cultured river puffer showed difference in content, but generally taurine and lysine content for the whole free amino acid held the most part. There was no significant difference in texture, flavor and overall acceptance score between the cultured and wild fishes (P>0.05).

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2011

To investigate the influence of density and feeding frequency (food amount) on growth, cannibal dynamics and survival of puffer Takifugu obscurus (TL $25.0{\pm}0.5$ mm, BW $0.53{\pm}0.03$ g) during early life history, we conducted one experiment composed with 6 density groups set up as 1.43 inds./${\ell}$, 2.14 inds./${\ell}$, 2.86 inds./${\ell}$, 3.57 inds./${\ell}$, 4.29 inds./${\ell}$ and 7.14 inds./${\ell}$. The experiment was triplicately performed in 1 ton FRP tank for 30 days. Daily food intake (DFI), feed efficiency (FE), growth, cannibal frequency, and survival rates were examined. Although not find any significant relation of density to DFI and FE, we found that growth decreased significantly with the increasing of density under 3.57 inds./${\ell}$, but significantly increased with the increasing of density over 4.29 inds./${\ell}$. Cannibal frequency and daily mortality rate was significantly increased with increasing density and decreasing feeding frequency, inducing the most poor survival rate in the highest density group and low feeding frequency. Therefore, we concluded that the density and the feeding frequencies affect sibling cannibal dynamics and survival of puffer stock.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.23.1-23.7
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• 2016

The effects of daily feeding frequency (Exp I), water temperature (Exp II), and stocking density (Exp III) on the growth of river puffer, Takifugu obscurus, juvenile fish of 10 and 40 g in body weight were examined to develop effective techniques to produce river puffer in a non-exchange water system. In Exp I, fish were fed commercial floating feed with 45 % protein one to five times per day to apparent satiation each by hand daily for 8 weeks at $25^{\circ}C$. In both the 10- and 40-g size groups, the final body weight, daily feed consumption, and weight gain of fish fed one meal per day were significantly lower than those of fish fed five meals per day (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the final body weight, daily feed consumption, and weight gain among fish fed two, three, and five meals per day. Feed efficiency showed decreasing tendency with increasing size of fish. In Exp II, fish of 10 and 40 g in initial body weight were reared with the commercial feed at $15-30^{\circ}C$ for 8 weeks. The weight gain of fish increased with raising water temperature up to $25^{\circ}C$ and decreased drastically at $30^{\circ}C$ for both sizes. The Q10 of specific growth rate was decreased with raising water temperature from 5.04 (temperature interval, $15-20^{\circ}C$) to 0.66 ($25-30^{\circ}C$) for the 10-g fish and from 4.98 to 0.31 for the 40-g fish. In Exp III, the effect of stocking density on growth was examined with fish of 10 and 40 g in initial body weight. The final body weight for initial stocking densities of 4, 8, and $12kg/m^3$ was significantly higher than that of $20kg/m^3$ for the 10-g fish, and the final stocking density reached 10.1, 19.2, 28.7, and $39.9kg/m^3$, respectively. For the 40-g fish, the final body weight for initial stocking densities of 3 and $6kg/m^3$ was significantly higher than that of 9 and $15kg/m^3$ and the final stocking density reached 7.38, 13.5, 17.1, and $27.5kg/m^3$, respectively (P < 0.05). In both groups, weight gain tended to decrease with increasing stocking density; however, survival showed no significant difference.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2008

Monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) of wild river puffer Takifugu obscurus, and water quality environment in spawning area during breeding season were investigated from March 1995 to February 1996. Monthly changes in GSI and HSI of T. obscurus, that was cultured in low salinity, were calculated. The external morphology of the gonads, germ cell differentiation during gametogenesis and the reproductive cycle with the gonad developmental phases were investigated by histological analysis. The optimum water quality environment in Ganggyung, Choongcheongnam-do, where is spawning ground of wild T. obscurus, was $15-20^{\circ}C$ (water temperature) and 0 psu (salinity). Monthly changes in the GSI in females and males reached a maximum in May, and then rapidly decreased. Therefore, it is assumed that in the natural condition the spawning period of wild T. obscurus is May to June. In females and males, it showed a negative correlationship between the GSI and HSI. The external morphology of the gonads in female and male T. obscurus, that was cultured in low salinity, is composed of a pair of saccular structure. Based on monthly changes in the GSI, it is assumed that in female T. obscurus, that was cultured in low salinity, spawn from March through May. Therefore, it showed a negative correlationship between changes in the GSI and HSI. On the whole, in females and males, it showed a similar pattern between wild and cultured T. obscurus. The reproductive cycle with the gonad developmental phases can be classified into successive five stages in females: the early growing stage, late growing stage, mature stage, ripe and spent stage, and recovery and resting stage. In males, that can be divided into successive four stages: the growing stage, mature stage, ripe and spent stage, and recovery and resting stage. In case of wild T. obscurus, the spawning period has once a year, however, those cultured in the high water temperature ($20-27^{\circ}C$) - low salinity (under 3.3 psu) condition have reproductive characteristics having possibilities of discharge of eggs and sperms year-round as a multiple spawner.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.278-288
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• 2007

Shrimp culture in Korea had been rapidly developed during 1990's and the production of farmed shrimp reached 3,268 mt from 2,605 ha in 2001. However the shrimp production decreased to 2,368 mt in 2004 because of the mass mortality due to outbreak of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). WSSV which is one of the most serious threats associated with cultured shrimp around the world has given the economic damages to shrimp culture industry every year since it was found from the shrimp ponds in the west coast of the South Korea in 1993. Various polyculture technologies of shrimp with shellfish, finfish or seaweeds have been implemented to reduce economic damages by mass mortalities of shrimp. Among them, the polyculture of shrimp with carnivorous fish can suppress or delay the viral outbreak of shrimp ponds because the fish may selectively eat the moribund shrimps infected by virus. To determine the selective predatory effect of river puffer Takifugu obscures on WSSV infected shrimp, postlarvae of Litopenaeus vannamei and Fenneropenaeus chinensis. One-year old river puffers were stocked to four earthen ponds of $1,616-1,848\;m^2$ in surface area as followings: polyculture LvP, L. vannamei ($43.4/m^2$)+puffer ($0.22/m^2$); control Lv, L. vannamei ($46.9/m^2$); polyculture FcP, F. chinensis ($30.3/m^2$)+puffer ($0.25/m^2$); control Fc, F. chinensis ($24.6/m^2$). Ponds of control Fc and polyculture FcP had mass mortalities by WSSV outbreak on the $51^{st}$ and $57^{th}$ days of culture respectively. The shrimps of polyculture LvP and control Lv were harvested on the $95^{th}\;day$. Shrimp survival rates of polyculture LvP and control Lv were 32.4% and 18.2% respectively and shrimp productivity of polyculture LvP was 69.2% higher than that of control Lv. Concentration of nutrients (TAN, $NO_2-N$, $NO_3-N$) was maintained within optimal ranges for shrimp growth although that of polyculture ponds showed at least two times higher than that of control ponds. The results suggest that polyculture of L. vannamei with river puffer is higher than monoculture in survival rate and productivity. In addition, F. chinensis should be carefully cultured because this species shows much higher susceptibility to WSSV than L. vannamei.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.270-277
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• 2007

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) which is the most serious threat to cultured shrimp around the world has given enormous economic damages to shrimp culture industry every year since it was found from the shrimp ponds in the west coast of the South Korea in 1993. WSSV has strong infectivity as well as virulence and it can be rapidly transmitted among shrimps in ponds by cannibalism of infected ones. Polyculture of shrimps with carnivorous fish has been applied in commercial shrimp farms to suppress or delay the viral outbreak because the fish may selectively eat the moribund shrimps infected by virus. To determine the selective predatory effect of a carnivorous fish, river puffer Takifugu obscurus on white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, polyculture trials in laboratory scale of WSSV-infected and non-infected shrimps with river puffer were conducted in concrete round tanks of $28.26\;m^2$ in surface area as followings: 1) juvenile shrimps (B. W. 0.62 g) with 5 months old puffer (B. W. 11.60 g) cultured for 8 days, and 2) sub-adult shrimps (B. W. 6.84 g) with 16 months old puffer (B. W. 85.82 g) cultured for 5 days in order to know the effects according to size difference of cultured animals. In polyculture of juvenile shrimp with 5 months old puffer, survival rates of infected and non-infected shrimps were 46.0% and 89.1% respectively and in that of sub-adult shrimp with 16 months old puffer those were4% and 48% respectively. The results showed that puffer tends to selectively prey on virus infected shrimps among infected and non-infected ones in a limited space with although there is difference in predatory rate with age and density of animals. Regardless of different densities and ages of animals as well as health condition of shrimps, however, there were low differences in daily biomass of shrimp consumed per kg body weight of puffer. This finding suggests that puffer preys on healthy shrimps when moribund shrimps were not sufficient. Therefore, farmers should consider the total biomass of puffer as well as density and stocking time when they stock puffer into shrimp ponds for polyculture.