We investigated the effects of puffer (Sphoeroides rubripes) supplementation on antioxidant metabolism in ethanol-treated rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups of 7 rats each and fed (1) an AIN-93G diet (NC), (2) 25% ethanol (E), (3) 25% ethanol and an AIN-93G diet containing 1% puffer flesh (E+F), or (4) 25% ethanol and an AIN-93G diet containing 1% puffer skin (E+S) f...

Toll-like receptors (TLR) recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and regulate the subsequent immune responses in mammals. We have so far succeeded in finding the 11 types of TLR genes from Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). TLR genes have also been found in the genomes of fugu (Takifugu rubripes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). However, only limited information is kn...

A comparison of the growth, hematological values, fatty acids, and gonadal and growth hormonal changes of river puffer, Takifugu obscurus, tiger puffer, T. rubripes, their hybrids (river puffer × tiger puffer) and hybrid triploids was performed during 3 months of their early growth period. Several features were observed during these 3 months: hybrids showed the highest levels of specific growth...

Comparative population genetic analyses of traditional and emergent molecular markers aid in determining appropriate use of new technologies. The bocaccio rockfish Sebastes paucispinis is a high gene-flow marine species off the west coast of North America that experienced strong population decline over the past 3 decades. We used 18 anonymous and 13 gene-associated simple sequence repeat (SSR) ...

We compare the complexity and organization of the G protein alpha subunit multigene family in the vertebrate genomes of mammals and the Japanese puffer fish Fugu rubripes. Fourteen Fugu G alpha genes were identified of the 16 genes characterized previously in mammals, including Fugu genes from the four classes of alpha subunits Gs, Gi, Gq, and G12. Fugu and mammalian G alpha coding sequences ar...

A new goby species Tridentiger radiatus sp. nov. is described from Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China. The new species, found in sympatry with a widely distributed barbeled congener Tridentiger barbatus (Günther, 1861), is one of the only two Tridentiger species known to possess mandibular and cheek barbels. Tridentiger radiatus is diagnosed by having higher longitudinal and transverse scale c...

Bacteria forming light-organ symbiosis with deep-sea chlorophthalmid fishes (Aulopiformes: Chlorophthalmidae) are considered to belong to the species Photobacterium phosphoreum. The identification of these bacteria as P. phosphoreum, however, was based exclusively on phenotypic traits, which may not discriminate between phenetically similar but evolutionarily distinct luminous bacteria. Therefo...