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Experimental evaluation of calcein and alizarin red S for immersion marking grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus

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Abstract

Calcein (CAL) and alizarin red S (ARS) at concentrations of 50–200 and 150–300 mg/l, respectively, were used for immersion marking juvenile grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus. With the exception of non-lateral line scales from the 150 mg/l ARS treatment and lateral line scales from the 150, 200 mg/l ARS treatments, immersion for 24 h produced detectable marks in sagittae, lateral line and non-lateral line scales, and fin rays (dorsal, pectoral, ventral, anal, and caudal) at 100 days post-marking. Detectable fluorescent marks in sagittae were readily observed at concentrations of 150–200 mg/l CAL or 200–300 mg/l ARS. Marks were poorly visible in all non-lateral line and lateral line scales from ARS-treated groups. Fluorescent marks were readily detected in non-lateral line and lateral line scales at 150–200 mg/l CAL, and in fin rays at 100–200 mg/l CAL or 150–300 mg/l ARS. In particular, optimal marks were observed at comparatively high concentrations investigated in sagittae (300 mg/l ARS) and fin rays (100–200 mg/l CAL or 250–300 mg/l ARS). There was no significant difference on the survival or growth of marked fish compared to controls throughout the experiment (P > 0.05).

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by ther National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31400396) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (XDJK2014C019 and SWU113056). We wish to express our thanks to Prof. Weizhi Yao, Shengqi Su, and Zhengli Wu for their suggestions on the manuscript and participation in many aspects of this study. We also thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable and constructive comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Hongjian Lü, Hongjun Chen, Mei Fu & Xiwen Peng

  2. Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of China

    Dan Xi

  3. Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan

    Zhixin Zhang

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  1. Hongjian Lü
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  2. Hongjun Chen
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  3. Mei Fu
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Correspondence to Mei Fu.

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Lü, H., Chen, H., Fu, M. et al. Experimental evaluation of calcein and alizarin red S for immersion marking grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus . Fish Sci 81, 653–662 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-015-0884-5

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