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Structure of and energy reserves in the liver of wild and cultured yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea

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Abstract

Knowledge of the structure and energy reserves, in the liver of commercially important fish species, is important in understanding metabolic processes and in assessing the impact of potential environmental physical and chemical stressors in both wild and cultured stocks. The present study investigated the microscopic morphology and histochemistry (total and neutral lipids, glycogen) of liver tissue of wild (3+) and cultured (1+) sexually immature female and male yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea Storer), sampled in late April 2001. Hepatosomatic indices [HSI: (liver weight/body weight−liver weight)×100] of cultured fish were significantly higher than those of wild fish. Females in the cultured group had significantly lower HSIs than males. The liver of both wild and cultured L. ferruginea was interspersed with pancreatic tissue. The main components of the liver tissue were irregular cords of hepatocytes arranged in tubules which surrounded vascular sinusoids. The hepatocytes contained an abundance of lipid, much of which appeared to be neutral lipids, in both sexes of the cultured fish. Total and neutral lipid droplets were larger, and the area occupied by these droplets was significantly greater in both cultured females and males compared to the wild fish, suggesting lipidosis in the cultured fish. In the cultured fish these differences were sex-dependent, the females having significantly more total and neutral lipids in hepatocytes than the males. This suggests a potentially greater storage capacity in females and/or a higher lipid metabolism in males. There were no statistically significant differences in glycogen content between the cultured and wild fish, or between the sexes in both sampling groups.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank L. Barrett, C. Mercer, A. Squires, and H. Baikie for their technical assistance, K. Dwyer for the age determinations of the otoliths, and R. Ficken for preparing the photographs.

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  1. Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada

    G.E. Fåhraeus-Van Ree & D.R. Spurrell

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  1. G.E. Fåhraeus-Van Ree
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  2. D.R. Spurrell
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Correspondence to G.E. Fåhraeus-Van Ree.

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Communicated by J.P. Grassle, New Brunswick

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Fåhraeus-Van Ree, G., Spurrell, D. Structure of and energy reserves in the liver of wild and cultured yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea . Marine Biology 143, 257–265 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1083-y

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