Filters
The first case report of the Florida cooter (Pseudemys floridana) in Poland, along with an market analysis and comments on the online pet trade as a source of potential biological invasions
The threat posed by invasive alien turtle species to aquatic ecosystems in Poland increases annually. The spectrum of species recorded in the wild evolves and follows trends observed in the pet market. After the ban on the trade of slider turtles (Trachemys scripta), Pseudemys spp. dominated the market of pet turtles in Poland. Currently, released specimens are more and more frequently recorded in the wild, and the scale of their invasion may be similar or even higher than what is currently recorded for T. scripta. In 2025, the first report of a released Pseudemys floridana was recorded in Poznań, which is probably the first record of this species in Poland. The analysis of online offers of freshwater turtles present on the market shows that Pseudemys spp. represents almost 50% of all offers. Thus, a risk assessment for potential invasion should be evaluated, and probably the list of invasive species of concern for Poland should be reviewed, including Pseudemys spp.. However, no action against keeping it in private hands should be taken. The main preventive action should be a ban on the import of Pseudemys spp. to Poland.
Aktualny stan wiedzy na temat żywienia ryb jesiotrowatych z uwzględnieniem alternatywnych materiałów paszowych
Wpływ zastosowania mączki z owadów na wykorzystanie paszy, parametry wzrostu i rozwoju oraz zrównoważenie środowiskowe w podchowie jesiotra ostronosego (Acipenser oxyrinchus)
Black Soldier Fly Meal as a Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiota Remodelling Factor: A New Natural and Sustainable Source of Prebiotic Substances for Fish?
The microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) plays a crucial role in the development, lifespan, physiology, barrier functions and immunity against pathogens in fish. One of the significant causes of fish mortality in production systems, which also generates huge financial losses, is pathogenic dieseases. Consequently, effectively managing disruptions in the microbiota could play a crucial role in mitigating economic losses across the sector. It was investigated the effect of an alternative raw material increasing inclusion—full‐fat Hermetia illucens larvae meal on the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome of Atlantic salmon. Thus, five experimental feeds were prepared: a control diet (CON) without the addition of black soldier fly full‐fat meal (BSFM) and with 30% fish meal (FM); BSFM5, with 5% addition of full‐fat BSFM and 27.1% FM; BSFM10, with 10% full‐fat BSFM and 24.3% FM; BSFM15, with 15% addition of full‐fat BSFM and 21.3% FM; and BSFM20, with 20% addition of full‐fat BSFM and 18.6% FM. After 60 days of growth experiment on Atlantic salmon presmolts, the contents of two sections of the GIT, proximal and distal, were gently sampled and subjected to next‐generation sequencing (NGS) to analyse the microbial populations. No significant differences were observed in the microbial compositions of the groups, irrespective of the intestinal section analysed. In the proximal and distal intestine, the CON group exhibited the highest number of distinct phyla. Increasing the inclusion of BSFM in the diet led to a reduction in the abundance of specific phyla. Similar results were noted at genus level. The BSFM5 and BSFM10 groups showed increase number in Enterococcus, while the Lactobacillus population were maintained at a high level. Due to abovementioned changes as well as the increased share of Bacilli populations, it may be concluded that up to 20% BSFM shares may have positive microbiota‐modulating effects. Thus, BSFM may be considered not only as a nutrient source but a functional feed material in fish diets also, due to its prebiotic effects observed in the study.
The First Report of The Growth Performance and Environmental Sustainability Effects of Dietary Insect Meal Application on The Jardine River Turtle (Emydura Subglobosa)
Abstract This study provides empirical data on the balancing, production, and quality of freshwater turtle diets containing partially defatted black soldier fly larvae Hermetia illucens meal (BSFL) as a fish meal (FM) replacement. A 70-day experiment was performed using 27 Jardine river turtle (Emydura subglobosa) juveniles (6 months old). Three dietary treatments were applied, namely, CON with 30% fish meal and no BSFL as the control, H75 with 22.5% fish meal and 7.5% BSFL, and H150 with 15% fish meal and 15% BSFL, with 3 replicates per treatment, 3 animals per replicate, and 9 specimens in total per treatment. Post-extrusion tests showed that feed technological parameters are dependent on the BSFL meal proportion in terms of the pellet length expansion rate, volume increase, and water binding capacity. The obtained experimental feeds were well accepted by the animals. During the entire experimental period, no turtle mortality, diet-related issues, or differences in shell development or growth performance were recorded among the treatments. However, the feed intake increased in comparison to CON when 7.5% BSFL meal was used (42.30 g vs. 50.40 g), and a lower feed conversion ratio was observed in the 15% BSFL treatment (1.51 vs. 1.38). For the first time, it was empirically proven that E. subglobosa can efficiently utilize BSFL meal for up to 15% of their diet. Moreover, the possibility of an increase in environmental sustainability during turtle husbandry due to a decrease in total marine resource use of 55.8% and a 57.4% decrease in the use of fish meal per kg of body weight gain were recorded.
Establishing a Freshwater Turtle (Emydura subglobosa) Laboratory Line (FTLL) as a novel model species for research and education
<b>The Jardine River turtle (Emydura subglobosa) was selected as a potential model species for studies on freshwater turtles and general reptile physiology. Attempts to establish a freshwater turtle laboratory line were made when an adult pair of E. subglobosa was received in 2016 by the Laboratory of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture (Poznań University of Life Sciences). The first generation of offspring was obtained in 2017, and the second generation in 2023. In each generation, unrelated specimens were added to the animal cohort to avoid inbreeding. Husbandry regimes were established, and a basal diet for nutritional experiments was developed and manufactured by two methods, producing extruded feed and a gelatine-solidified variant. The establishment of the Freshwater Turtle Laboratory Line (FTLL) provides an opportunity to improve the development of husbandry techniques, increase knowledge of reptile physiology, and use laboratory-raised animals as model species for research and education.