Title: Identification of morphological and immunological markers as indicators of larval quality in marine fish species.

 Supervisor: Prof. Marco Galeotti

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) represent the most important fish species of Mediterranean aquaculture. However, the current European production is limited by several factors which lead to a high variability of production regimes and technologies among different sea bass and sea bream farms.

The competitiveness and sustainability of Mediterranean aquaculture could be increased by new hatchery rearing protocol aimed at improving the quality from eggs to juveniles. The hatchery stage is relatively short and it requires a careful control of photoperiod, temperature, water quality, oxygen level, ensuring more uniform breeding conditions among different farms. However, factors that still influence the larval development and resistance to diseases are the genetic traits of the broodstock and the feeding regimes. Their effects on European seabass and Gilthead seabream need further investigation. Some researchers have recently based their studies on the evaluation of gene expression, in order to investigate the correlation between fish genetic condition and larvae morphological development or larvae/juvenile immune response.

The present study, which is part of a Horizon 2020 project denominated “PerformFISH”, aims at estimating the fish quality at different ontogenetic stages (within the hatchery phase) in relation to the genetic background of the broodstocks and to different feeding regimes, and at validating some morphological and molecular markers of developmental quality.

The research activities will include morphological analysis and histological evaluation of larvae and juveniles provided by some European hatcheries aimed at establishing the fish quality and the presence of malformations. Furthermore, immunohistochemical and biomolecular analysis will be carried out for the identification of possible novel indicators of larval/juvenile robustness and of immune system ontogeny as well as immune-competence.

Biography and contacts

Valentina Pacorig was born in 1989 in Palmanova (Italy). In 2013 she graduated in Animal Production Science (110/110 cum laude) and in 2016 graduated in Animal Nutrition and Resources Master (110/110 cum laude) at Udine University (Italy). From December 2016 to June 2017 she collaborated with the “Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale” of Udine as post-graduated resident. In 2017 she started the doctoral course at the PhD school “Agriculture Science and Biotechnology” at the University of Udine under the supervision of Prof. Marco Galeotti (Section of Animal and Veterinary Science).

E-mail: pacorig.valentina@spes.uniud.it

Phone: +39 0432 558173