This paper provides a brief description of the natural history known of the genus Sphoeroides as an introduction to the biology of Mexican puffer fish Sphoeroides annulatus Jenyns (1842). Studies to determine the culture potential of this species during 11 years are described. At the experimental level, useful advances have been made on S. annulatus and reproductive and rearing husbandry practices together with the nutritional requirement, physiological studies, diseases and control therapies are discussed. The results and findings obtained in the first year of operation of the as-yet incomplete pilot-scale facility to a level required for commercial production are also described.

The mechanisms of action of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in monogenean parasites of the genus Cichlidogyrus were investigated through a microarray hybridization approach using genomic information from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The effects of two concentrations of AgNPs were explored, low (6 µg/L Ag) and high (36 µg/L Ag). Microarray analysis revealed that both concentrations of AgNPs activated similar biological processes, although by different mechanisms. Expression profiles included genes involved in detoxification, neurotoxicity, modulation of cell signaling, reproduction, embryonic development, and tegument organization as the main biological processes dysregulated by AgNPs. Two important processes (DNA damage and cell death) were mostly activated in parasites exposed to the lower concentration of AgNPs. To our knowledge, this is the first study providing information on the sub-cellular and molecular effects of exposure to AgNPs in metazoan parasites of fish.

The histological changes in the liver, kidney, spleen, and gills of Syacium papillosum from the continental shelf of the Yucatan Peninsula, Gulf of Mexico, and their statistical associations with environmental conditions and pollutants were assessed in 2010, 2011, and 2012. We evaluated the extension and severity of the lesions through a degree of tissue change (DTC), and, with the sum of the number of lesion types within each of their DTC stages, we determined the histological alteration index (HAI). The liver and kidney were the most affected organs, with HAI values > 100. Fish with the most severe damage were observed on the Campeche Bank and the Caribbean Sea, contrasting with those collected from the northern Yucatan continental shelf. The presence of foci cellular alteration and abundant melanomacrophage centers indicated that these flatfishes were chronically exposed to environmental stress factors. Redundancy analyses showed strong associations between HAI values and hydrocarbon and heavy metal concentrations in muscle. Our results provide evidence for the first time of a differential health condition of the Yucatan shelf through the histopathology shown in S. papillosum, establishing the baseline for future monitoring programs in the region. Graphical abstract

La biotecnología acuícola se basa en el conocimiento generado por investigaciones científicas multidisciplinarias aplicadas a la producción de organismos acuáticos. Las enfermedades infecciosas, el cambio climático y la sostenibilidad, son los principales retos actuales de la acuicultura. En este trabajo se hace una revisión de las posibles soluciones biotecnológicas a estos retos, a través del mejoramiento de las dietas, del uso de nuevas tecnologías de análisis, como son las ciencias ómicas y finalmente se discute la integración de especies nativas a la acuicultura. Todas estas actividades, con políticas públicas adecuadas, promoverán el desarrollo de una acuicultura más rentable, sostenible y acorde con las condiciones regionales, garantizando la seguridad alimentaria.