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This study was conducted to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancement properties of lipids derived from Aptocyclus ventricosus eggs on RAW264.7 cells. Firstly, we determined the fatty acid compositions of A. ventricosus lipids by performing gas chromatography analysis. The results showed that A. ventricosus lipids contained saturated fatty acids (24.37%), monounsaturated fatty acids (20.90%), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (54.73%). They also contained notably high levels of DHA (25.91%) and EPA (22.05%) among the total fatty acids. Our results for the immune-associated biomarkers showed that A. ventricosus lipids had immune-enhancing effects on RAW264.7 cells. At the maximum dose of 300 µg/mL, A. ventricosus lipids generated NO (119.53%) and showed greater phagocytosis (63.69%) ability as compared with untreated cells. A. ventricosus lipids also upregulated the expression of iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α genes and effectively upregulated the phosphorylation of MAPK (JNK, p38, and ERK) and NF-κB p65, indicating that these lipids could activate the MAPK and NF-κB pathways to stimulate macrophages in the immune system. Besides their immune-enhancing abilities, A. ventricosus lipids significantly inhibited LPS-induced RAW264.7 inflammatory responses via the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. The results indicated that these lipids significantly reduced LPS-induced NO production, showing a decrease from 86.95% to 38.89%. Additionally, these lipids downregulated the expression of genes associated with the immune response and strongly suppressed the CD86 molecule on the cell surface, which reduced from 39.25% to 33.80%. Collectively, these findings imply that lipids extracted from A. ventricosus eggs might have biological immunoregulatory effects. Thus, they might be considered promising immunomodulatory drugs and functional foods.

The article presents an illustrated description of early larvae of the smooth lumpsucker Aptocyclus ventricosus from Avacha Bay and Vilyuchinskaya Bay in southeastern coast of Kamchatka. The larvae differ from previously described larvae from Japanese and Korean waters in their earlier development: the urostyle bending, the formation of fin rays, and the development of pigmentation occur earlier. The growth of the larvae is uneven. The head and torso increase in relation to the length of the body, while the tail part practically does not grow. Eye diameter, maxillary length, and the length of the pectoral fin rays relatively decrease. The first dorsal fin is difficult to distinguish, which can cause difficulties in the larva diagnoses. The larvae are coastal, lead an attached lifestyle.

Horizontal, vertical, and temperature-dependent distributions, size composition of bottom and mid-water trawl catches, and biomass estimations of smooth lumpsucker Aptocyclus ventricosus (Pallas) (Cyclopteridae) within the Russian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the northwestern Sea of Japan are presented. This species is distributed very widely throughout the study area inhabiting both near-bottom layers and water column. It is less abundant in small bays and in the northern Tatar Strait (north to 50°N). Despite wide bathymetric (0 to 940 m) and temperature (-1.1 to +12.2°C) ranges this species occurred mainly within the lower mesopelagic zone of 400-800 m depths and cold temperatures of -0.5-1°C. In the near-bottom layer catches of smooth lumpsucker were represented by fish with Total length (TL) 5-45cm (mean 28.1 cm, dominant lengths 29-37 cm) while in water column its TL varied 4 to 41 cm with mean 17.9 cm, most abundant were fish with TL 8-15 and 24-31 cm; the difference is associated with specific life history aspects of the species considered. Recent increase of smooth lumpsucker biomass in the study area was observed with estimated value of 3000 t in the northern Primorye (Russia).

Phylogenetic morphological, and molecular analysis of lumpsuckers of the family Cyclopteridae is carried out. The cladograms reveal the validity of three subfamilies within the family Cyclopteridae: Cyclopterinae, Aptocyclinae, and Eumicrotrematominae. Five valid genera ( Cyclopterus , Aptocyclus , Cyclopsis , Lethotremus, and Eumicrotremus ) are revealed, and the genus Cyclopterus is accepted as the most generalized within the family Cyclopteridae. The genus Lethotremus is separated from the species of the genus Eumicrotremus , and, thus, the generic status of the former genus is restored. The taxonomic position of E. soldatovi is discussed. Based on the presence of a large number of monotypic genera among generalized clades of lumpsuckers, they could represent the remains of the former widely distributed fauna with a weak development or absence of external armament. The forms of the genus Eumicrotremus with a good armament represent a comparatively young group of weakly differentiated species. Several heterochronies of the paedomorphic and peramorphic types are revealed in the evolution of the family Cyclopteridae.

The population structure and demographic history of a pelagic lumpsucker, Aptocyclus ventricosus, were investigated on the basis of sequence variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1038 bp). The haplotype network clearly recovered two haplotype groups, consisting of western and eastern North Pacific individuals, except for some specimens collected from offshore of Tohoku, northern Japan. The geographic distribution of haplotypes suggests that the ocean currents in the North Pacific have shaped the population structure of the species after historical vicariant events between the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula. In addition, the demographic histories of the two haplotype groups were quite different, suggesting that the western North Pacific group experienced a population expansion starting around 10,000 years ago, while the population size of the eastern North Pacific group has remained more stable.

The production of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) has become crucial in controlling sea lice levels in salmonid aquaculture. To improve their breeding, there is a need for early sex identification. The genomic region containing the anti-Müllerian hormone (amh) gene was suggested as the candidate master sex-determining gene in lumpfish. However, the genome of lumpfish contains three copies of amh with ambiguous sex specificity, designated amh1, amh2, and amh3. The study aims to analyse the male-specific region between these amh paralogues for its application as a sex marker. In this study, we utilised polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays to identify the male-specific amh markers in lumpfish and estimate the length of the male-specific region in the lumpfish genome. Our results indicate that a specific genomic region of approximately 27 kilobases (kb), encompassing amh1 and amh2 genes, exhibits male specificity, whereas amh3 is present in both sexes. The developed PCR-based genetic sex identification assays targeting amh1 and amh2 exhibited over 97% concordance with phenotypic records. Further experiments in other members of the Cyclopteridae: Aptocyclus ventricosus, Eumicrotremus taranetzi, and E. asperrimus revealed male-specific amh genome region only in A. ventricosus. Phylogenetic analyses using the available Cyclopteridae amh sequences suggest that male-specific amh arose early in the Cyclopteridae lineage. Our findings, along with the development of the PCR test, hold great promise for the field of lumpfish aquaculture and will also contribute significantly to future investigations aiming to enhance our understanding of the sex-determination system and the evolution of sex chromosomes in teleostean fish.

Because sea otters (Enhydra lutris) exert a wide array of direct and indirect effects on coastal marine ecosystems throughout their geographic range, we investigated the potential influence of sea otters on the ecology of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA. We studied the diets, productivity, and density of breeding Bald Eagles on four islands during 1993—1994 and 2000—2002, when sea otters were abundant and scarce, respectively. Bald Eagles depend on nearshore marine communities for most of their prey in this ecosystem, so we predicted that the recent decline in otter populations would have an indirect negative effect on diets and demography of Bald Eagles. Contrary to our predictions, we found no effects on density of breeding pairs on four islands from 1993—1994 to 2000—2002. In contrast, diets and diet diversity of Bald Eagles changed considerably between the two time periods, likely reflecting a change in prey availability resulting from the increase and subsequent decline in sea otter populations. The frequency of sea otter pups, rock greenling (Hexagammus lagocephalus), and smooth lumpsuckers (Aptocyclus ventricosus) in the eagle's diet declined with corresponding increases in Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens), Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius), and various species of seabirds during the period of the recent otter population decline. Breeding success and productivity of Bald Eagles also increased during this time period, which may be due to the higher nutritional quality of avian prey consumed in later years. Our results provide further evidence of the wide-ranging indirect effects of sea otter predation on nearshore marine communities and another apex predator, the Bald Eagle. Although the indirect effects of sea otters are widely known, this example is unique because the food-web pathway transcended five species and several trophic levels in linking one apex predator to another.

On the basis of data on bottom trawl catches in Pacific waters off the northern Kuril Islands and southeastern Kamchatka (1992–2002), quantitative indices of occurrence of the smooth lumpsucker Aptocyclus ventricosus and the range of preferred habitation temperature are provided. Its spatial and vertical distribution are analyzed, and specific features of size composition and the relationship between the length and weight of the body and between the average weight and the capture depth are considered; the diurnal, seasonal, and long-term dynamics of occurrence and of the amount of average catches is presented; data on the species composition of fish present in catches parallel to A. ventricosus are cited.