어류의 번식은 뇌에서 분비되는 다양한 신경호르몬과 뇌하수체에서 분비되는 생식소 자극 호 르몬에 의해 조절된다. 극동산 뱀장어(Anguilla japonica)의 번식도 이 호르몬들의 작용에 의해 조절되지만 성 성숙 시 신경호르몬이 뇌하수체 호르몬을 조절하는 방법은 완전히 밝혀지지 않 았다. 이전 연구에 의하면 progesterone (P4), melatonin 및 serotonin (5-HT) 등과 같은 신경호 르몬이 일부 어류의 번식 과정 조절에 관여하는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 본 연구에서는 뱀장어의 뇌 하수체를 초대 배양하였고, 안정화된 뇌하수체 세포에 P4, 17β-estradiol (E2), melatonin 및 5- HT를 처리하였다. 이후 처리된 호르몬의 작용이 뇌하수체 세포에서 번식 관련 호르몬인 FSHβ, LHβ, GH 및 SL mRNA 발현에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 조사하였다. 본 연구를 수행한 결과, P4는 뇌하수체 세포에서 FSHβ와 LHβ 발현을 증가시켰고, melatonin은 FSHβ와 LHβ 뿐만 아니라 GH 와 SL의 발현을 증가시켰다. 하지만 5-HT는 이 유전자의 mRNA 발현에 유의한 영향을 미치지 않았다. 이상의 결과는 P4 또는 melatonin이 뱀장어의 초기 성 성숙에 중요한 역할을 할 수 있음을 의미한다.

A total of 23 individuals of glass eel (Anguilla japonica) were investigated from two estuarine barrages of the Nakdong River in 2016. It was observed that most individuals migrated through the eastern barrage, compared to the western. Individual numbers differed significantly along the corridor modification of the barrages; for example, the number of individuals was two to three times higher after the modification. These results indicate that modification of fish way and lock gate for has facilitated migration of glass eel, and our study potentially offers the operation strategy of estuarine barrage in order to induce more active migration of glass eel.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of vibration on primary (e.g. plasma cortisol), secondary (e.g. plasma glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Na+, K+ and Cl- and tertiary (e.g. mortality) stress responses in cultured eel, Anguilla japonica. For this purpose, three groups (including one control group and two stress groups) were set up. The control group was made exposed to vibration corresponding to 48 decibel (dB, V) (produced using electric vibrators) for 15 minutes per hour every day, and the two stress groups was made exposed to vibration corresponding to 58 and 68 dB (V) (produced using the same electric vibrators), equally, for 15 minutes per hour every day. Blood was sampled at day 0 (before starting vibration stress tests, BS), and days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 (after starting vibration stress tests). As a result, plasma cortisol showed trend to continuously rise by consecutive stress from 4.1±0.1 ng/ml in BS. In 48 dB group (control), cortisol showed the highest level with 7.6±0.9 ng/ml after 7 days (p <0.05), but at 9 and 11 days was not significantly compared with BS level. In 58 dB group, the cortisol showed the highest level with 43.1±4.8 ng/ml after 1st day. Cortisol of 68 dB group increased significantly during the experimental period (14.4±2.3~32.0± 5.7 ng/ml) (p<0.05). In 58, and 68 dB groups during the experimental period differed significantly compared to 48 group (p <0.05). Glucose in 48 dB were increased from 42.0 ±5.7 (BS) to 52.5±2.1 (1 day), the level was not significantly from 1 to 11 days. Glucose in 58 and 68 dB groups was increased significantly than BS during experimental period (p <0.05). K+ in 68 dB increased significantly (p <0.05) from 2.3±0.2 mE/ql (BS) to 3.3± 0.5 mE/ql at 5 days. In 48 and 58 dB groups during the experimental period differed significantly (p <0.05). Na+ and Cl- levels were not differed significantly during the experimental period. AST and ALT in 58 and 68 dB groups showed trend to continuously rise by consecutive stress. At 7 and 9 days in AST, between 48, 58 and 68 dB groups differed significantly (p <0.05). In 48, 58 and 68 dB groups at 1 day, blood hematocrit increased significantly higher than BS. The 11 days after vibration stress, the mortality in 48, 58 and 68 dB groups was 1.1, 5.1 and 5.8%, respectively. The present results have shown that A. japonica exhibited ''typical'' physiological responses when exposed to chronic vibration stress. These data suggested that chronic vibration stress caused substantial stress in the fish; especially the persisting elevated plasma AST and ALT levels observed would be expected to adverse effect. In conclusion, chronic vibration stress could greatly affects the hematological characteristics in A. japonica.

2008년부터 2012년까지 임진강 하구역에서 어류 군집과 실뱀장어 소상을 조사한 결과 다음과 같다. 채집된 어류는 총 18과 42종이었으며 이 중 한국고유종은(Microphysogobio jeoni) 1종으로 고유화빈도가 0.04%이었다. 국외에서 도입된 외래어종은 떡붕어(Carassius cuvieri)와 초어(Ctenophayngodon idellus) 2종이 출현하였고 개체수 비교풍부도는 0.06%로 매우 낮았다. 출현한 어종 중 순수담수어에 속하는 종은 17종(40.5%), 회유성 6종 (14.2%), 기수성 8종 (19.1%), 해산어 11종(26.1%) 등 이었다. 개체수 구성비가 높은 종은 뱀장어(Anguilla japonica (glass eels, 49.8%)), 웅어 (Coilia ectens, 23.3%), 두우쟁이 (Saurogobio dabryi, 8.1%), 강주걱양태(Repomucenus olidus, 3.3%), 점농어(Lateolabrax maculata, 2.9%), 가숭어(Chelon haematocheilus, 2.8%)등 이었으며 생체량에 있어서는 C. ectens (33.6%), C. haematocheilus (14.2%), 잉어(Cyprinus carpio, 10.5%), 숭어(Mugil cephalus, 9.1%), S. dabryi (7.6%) 등이 풍부하였다. 우점종은 개체수에 있어 A. japonica (glass eels)이었고 C. ectens가 아우점종이었다. 파주시에서 연간 어획된 양은 83.6~240.3 t이었으며 2011년과 2012년에 급격히 감소하였다. 어획된 어류 중 생체량에 있어 M. cephalus (48.0~80.0%), C. carpio (6.7%), 붕어(Carassius auratus, 4.9%), 메기 (Silurus asotus, 3.9%), 황복(Takifugu obscurus, 2.5%), A. japonica (adult, 2.2%), 동자개(Pseudobagrus fulvidraco, 2.1%) 등의 순으로 풍부하였다. 연간 포획된 A. japonica (glass eels)는 양은 0.03~1.13 t이었고 연평균 212.0 kg이었으며 개체당 평균 체중이 0.16 g으로 약 1,325,000개체이었다.

소음 스트레스로 인한 뱀장어(Anguilla japonica)의 영향을 파악하기 위하여 스트레스 지표로 사용되는 코티졸, 포도당, 알부민 및 glucocorticoid receptor(GCR) 유전자의 발현 양을 측정, 분석하여 노출되지 않은 대조구와 비교하였다. 그 결과, 알부민은 노출 1시간 후에 낮은 값을 보인 반면 코티졸과 포도당은 대조구에 비해 매우 큰 차이를 보이며 높게 나타났다. GCR 유전자의 조직 발현 결과 간, 아가미, 근육 및 소장에서 많이 발현하였다. 소음 노출에 따른 시간의 변화에서 간과 아가미 근육과 소장에서 발현이 감소하는 양상을 나타내었다. 실험결과 뱀장어의 glucocorticoid receptor 유전자의 발현변화가 소음 스트레스로 인한 영향을 파악하는데 유용한 지표가 될 수 있음을 확인하였다.

Large quantity of eggs fail to be fertilized and many of fertilized eggs are unable to hatch in the eel, Anguilla japonica. Larvae of eel absorb egg yolk up to 8 days after hatching but the majority of hatched larvae die before they reach the stage of first feeding in this species. Genes of key enzymes for yolk processing (cathepsin B, D, L and lipoprotein lipase - abbreviated as ctsb, ctsd, ctsl and lpl, respectively) could be associated with egg quality. In this study, we investigated differences in the expression of these genes between floating eggs and sinking eggs, and also the relationship between the gene expressions of the enzymes and fertilization rates in the fertilized eggs obtained from artificially matured female eels. Expressions of yolk processing enzyme genes did not show significant difference between floating and sinking egg groups. Expression of ctsb decreased when fertilization rate was high. Expression of ctsd, ctsl and lpl, however, did not show any significant differences. These results suggest that ctsb expression could be an indicator of egg quality, and that some proteins prone to be digested by ctsb could be very important in the process of fertilization and normal cleavage in this species. Further study should identify these critical proteins to improve our understanding on the quality of fish eggs.

Genomic DNAs were extracted from the muscle of twenty-one specimens of three eel species collected in Anguilla japonica (AJ), Muraenesox cinereus (MC) and Conger myriaster (CM) from the Yellow Sea, respectively. In the present study, 7 oligonucleotides primers generated 191 specific loci in the AJ species, 226 in the (MC) species and 181 in the CM species, respectively. The primer BION-02 generated the most loci (a total of 83), with an average of 11.86 in the AJ species. The specific loci generated by oligonucleotides primers exhibited inter-individual-specific characteristics, thus revealing DNA polymorphisms. With regard to average bandsharing value (BS) results, individuals from Conger myriaster species (0.808) exhibited higher bandsharing values than did individuals from Muraenesox cinereus species (0.729) (P<0.05). The longest genetic distance (0.430) displaying significant molecular difference was also between individual no. 01 within Anguilla japonica eel species and individual no. 04 within Anguilla japonica species. In this study, the dendrogram resulted from reliable seven oligonucleotides primers, indicating three genetic clusters composed of group I (ANGUILLA 01~ANGUILLA 07), group II (MURAENESOX 08~MURAENESOX 14) and group III (CONGER 15~CONGER 21). The existence of species differentiation and DNA polymorphisms among three eel species were detected by PCR analysis. As mentioned above, a dendrogram revealed close relationships between individual identities within three eel species. High levels of a significant genetic distance among three eel species showed this PCR approach is one of the most suitable tools for individuals and/or species biological DNA studies.