EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND Ca^2＋ ON THE LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DECAPODA CRUSTACEAN ： ERIOCHEIR SINENSIS

With increasing demand in China for the mitten crab larvae, understanding its survival mechanism gets more important. This research focused on the effects of temperature and Ca^2 on the larval growth and development. Eriocheir sinensis larvae were reared in laboratory under 21 different combinations of temperature (15, 20, 25℃) and Ca^2 content (120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180mg/l) and constant salinity (20) and pH (8), The results suggested that the survival rate increases with temperature and Ca^2 content. These combinations of temperature and Ca2 content maximized survival rate inour study and it may be the optimum water environmental conditions for culturing the larvae. To predict surviving larvae number under different water environmental conditions, 21 dynamic mathematical models were developed. This for the first time observation of the zoeal Ⅵ larvae of the Changjiang River E.sinensis population showed that they occurred under stressed water environmental conditions: temperature of 15℃ and Ca^2 content of 120,130mg/l.     

The Effect of Temperature on Growth and Energy Budget of the Polychaete,Neanthesjaponica Izuka

Growth and energy budget of the polychaete, Neanthesjaponica, at various temperatures （17, 20, 23, 26 and 29℃） were investigated in this study. The growth, as indicated by final dry weight and specific growth rate （SGR）, increased with increasing temperature, with the maximum level at 26℃, and then decreased significantly at 29℃. A similar trend was observed in feeding rate, food conversion efficiency （FCE） and apparent digestive rate （ADR）. However, no significant differences were detected in ADR among all the temperature treatments. In the pattern of energy allocation, faeces energy was only a small component of energy budget and had little influence on the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. The metabolic energy accounted for a large portion of energy intake for each temperature treatment. The nitrogen excretion was appreciable with changing temperature. The two expenditure terms （respiration energy and excretion energy） in energy budget were the major factors influencing the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. These results revealed that temperature affected the growth of N. japonica mainly by influencing feeding rate and FCE. In addition, regression equations describing the relationship between feeding rate, faecal production, SGR, FCE and temperature were obtained. The optimum temperatures for feeding rate, FCE and SGR were estimated at 25.01 ℃, 24.24℃ and 24.73 ℃, respectively, from the regression equations.     

Effect of salinity on growth and first sexual maturity of Exopalaemon carinicauda (Holthuis, 1950)

To determine the optimal salinity for growth and first sexual maturity of ExopaIaemon carinicauda, the effects of salinity on growth and reproductive performance of early juvenile prawns of E. carinicauda were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Postlarvae from the same female broodstock were reared at six salinity levels （5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30） for 12 weeks. The specific growth rate （SGR） and survival rate （SR） under different salinity levels in the first 6 weeks were calculated and compared. SGR was significantly influenced by salinity. Prawns reared in salinity of 10 grew significantly faster （P〈0.05） than those reared in salinities of 5, 20, 25, and 30. However, ANOVA confirmed that there was no significant effect among the six salinity levels on SR. For the next 6 weeks, the body length （BL）, body weight （BW） at the first sexual maturity, and the age at median sexual maturity （As0） of females were measured and compared. Female prawns reared at salinity of 10 presented significantly shorter A50, but no significant differences among the six salinity levels for BL and BW at the first sexual maturity were observed. Based on the above information, the optimal salinity for growth and first sexual maturity of juvenile E. carinicauda is approximately 10.     

Effects of lithium on the survival,growth,and reproduction of Daphniopsis tibetana Sars(Crustacea:Cladocera)

We evaluated the effects of lithium on the survival,growth,and reproduction of D.tibetana in the laboratory.The safe concentration value was 69.3 mg/L.The time to first brood was significant lower for individuals reared in 5 and 10 mg/L(24.4 and 24.0 d,respectively) compared with individuals reared in20,40,or 60 mg/L.Females reared in 5 mg/L lithium produced a mean of 16.5 neonates/brood and had the highest number of broods(3.0±1.95).The rate of egg production(a),the intrinsic rate of increase(r_m),net reproduction rate(R_0),and finite rate of increase(λ) were highest for D.tibetana reared at 5 and 10 mg/L lithium,and the duration of development was shorter than for the remaining groups.The results indicated that rearing in 5-10 mg/L lithium can accelerate the growth and reproduction of D.tibetana.     

A Successful Microbound Diet for the Larval Culture of Chinese Shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis

A 13-day feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of a microbound diet for rearing the larvae of Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis in comparison with the live foods that consist of Isochrysis galbana, Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraselrnis chuii, rotifer （Brachionus plicatilis） and Arternia sp. Larvae of 0 to 13d post-hatch （dph） were reared in a temperature-controlled semi-open culture system and stocked at a density of 100 larvae L^-1 in tanks, each containing 50 L sterilized seawater with salinity 30-32. Larvae were manually fed either the live foods or the microbound diet 6 times per day. At 13 dph, the growth of the larvae fed on the microbound diet was approximately 84% of that fed on the live foods. The survival rate of the larvae fed on the microbound diet was 44.29% at 13dph, which was not significantly different from that of larvae fed on live foods （63.55%）. The body length and development index （DI） of the larvae fed on the microbound diet were always lower than those of larvae fed on live foods. However, the differences reached significant levels only at 11 and 13 dph （P〈 0.05）. The mean dry weight loss of the microbound diet was 9.2% after 90 min immersion in seawater, indicating that this diet has a good water stability. The microbound diet contains 52.23% crude protein and 10.27% lipid and is easy to prepare. These characteristics of the diet suggest good potentials for its successful use in the larviculture of other penaeid and fish species.     

The Effect of Temperature on Growth and Energy Budget of the Polychaete,Neanthes japonica Izuka

Growth and energy budget of the polychaete, Neanthesjaponica, at various temperatures (17, 20, 23, 26 and 29 ℃) were investigated in this study. The growth, as indicated by final dry weight and specific growth rate (SGR), increased with increasing temperature, with the maximum level at 26℃, and then decreased significantly at 29℃. A similar trend was observed in feeding rate, food conversion efficiency (FCE) and apparent digestive rate (ADR). However, no significant differences were detected in ADR among all the temperature treatments. In the pattern of energy allocation, faeces energy was only a small component of energy budget and had little influence on the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. The metabolic energy accounted for a large portion of energy intake for each temperature treatment. The nitrogen excretion was appreciable with changing temperature. The two expendi-ture terms (respiration energy and excretion energy) in energy budget were the major factors influencing the proportion of food en-ergy allocated to growth. These results revealed that temperature affected the growth of N. japonica mainly by influencing feeding rate and FCE. In addition, regression equations describing the relationship between feeding rate, faecal production, SGR, FCE and temperature were obtained. The optimum temperatures for feeding rate, FCE and SGR were estimated at 25.01 ℃, 24.24℃ and 24.73 ℃, respectively, from the regression equations.     

Distribution of borehole temperature at four high-altitude alpine glaciers in Central Asia

The distribution of borehole temperature at four high-altitude alpine glaciers was investigated. The result shows that the temperature ranges from -13.4℃ to -1.84℃, indicating the glaciers are cold throughout the boreholes. The negative gradient （i.e., the temperature decreasing with the increasing of depth） due to the advection of ice and climate warming, and the negative gradient moving downwards relates to climate warming, are probably responsible for the observed minimum temperature moving to lower depth in boreholes of the Gyabrag glacier and Miaoergou glacier compared to the previously investigated continental ice core borehole temperature in West China. The borehole temperature at 10m depth ranges from -8.0℃ in the Gyabrag glacier in the central Himalayas to -12.9℃ in the Tsabagarav glacier in the Altai range. The borehole temperature at 10 m depth is 3-4 degrees higher than the calculated mean annual air temperature on the surface of the glaciers and the higher 10 m depth temperature is mainly caused by the production of latent heat due to melt-water percolation and refreezing. The basal temperature is far below the melting point, indicating that the glaciers are frozen to bedrock. The very low temperature gradients near the bedrock suggest that the influence of geothermal flux and ice flow on basal temperature is very weak. The low temperature and small velocity of ice flow of glaciers are beneficial for preservation of the chemical and isotopic information in ice cores.     

Effect of temperature and photoperiod on maturation of Cephalothrix hongkongiensis （Nemertea： Palaeonemertea）

The limited knowledge about the relationships between environmental factors and the maturation and reproductive seasonality of nemerteans is mostly obtained from field studies, and in many cases is conjectural. Few species have been studied under well-controlled laboratory conditions. In this work, the effects of temperature and photoperiod on gonad development and spawning of Cephalothrix hongkongiensis were observed by rearing worms under different temperatures and photoperiods. Worms reared at 4℃ and 6℃ showed no growth or gonadal development, and all died within 109 days. At 8℃ and 12℃, gonads could be seen from 90 days to the termination of the 360-day experiment, but no spawning was observed. Worms maintained at 16, 24, and 28℃ showed both gonadal development and spawning, and matured faster at higher temperatures. Under a fixed temperature(16℃), photoperiod did not have any significant impact on maturation and spawning. It is likely that temperature plays a major role in regulating the maturation and reproductive cycle of C. hongkongiensis.     

Effects of rearing temperature and density on growth, survival and development of sea cucumber larvae, Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka)

In laboratory conditions, effects of rearing temperature and stocking density were examined on hatching of fertilized egg and growth of auricularia larvae of Apostichopus japonicus respectively. Data series like larval length and density, metamorphic time, and survival rate of the larvae were recorded. Statistics showed that for A. japonicus, survival rate (from fertilized egg to late auricularia) decreased significantly with the increasing rearing temperature (P<0.05). At different temperatures SGR was statistically significant as well (P<0.05) from day 1, and maximal SGR was found on day 9 at 24°C (159.26±3.28). This study clearly indicated that at low temperature (<24°C), metamorphic rate was remarkably higher than at higher temperature (>26°C). Hatching rate was significantly different between 0.2–5 ind./ml groups and 20–50 ind./ml groups. Rearing larvae at the higher density had the smaller maximal-length, whereas needed longer time to complete metamorphosis. This study suggested that 21°C and 0.4 ind./ml can be used as the most suitable rearing temperature and stocking density for large -scale artificial breeding of A. japonicus’s larvae.     

The effect of temperature on growth and energy budget of the polychaete, Neanthes japonica Izuka

Growth and energy budget of the polychaete, Neanthes japonica, at various temperatures (17, 20, 23, 26 and 29°) were investigated in this study. The growth, as indicated by final dry weight and specific growth rate (SGR), increased with increasing temperature, with the maximum level at 26°C, and then decreased significantly at 29°C. A similar trend was observed in feeding rate, food conversion efficiency (FCE) and apparent digestive rate (ADR). However, no significant differences were detected in ADR among all the temperature treatments. In the pattern of energy allocation, faeces energy was only a small component of energy budget and had little influence on the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. The metabolic energy accounted for a large portion of energy intake for each temperature treatment. The nitrogen excretion was appreciable with changing temperature. The two expenditure terms (respiration energy and excretion energy) in energy budget were the major factors influencing the proportion of food energy allocated to growth. These results revealed that temperature affected the growth of N. japonica mainly by influencing feeding rate and FCE. In addition, regression equations describing the relationship between feeding rate, faecal production, SGR, FCE and temperature were obtained. The optimum temperatures for feeding rate, FCE and SGR were estimated at 25.01°C, 24.24°C and 24.73°C, respectively, from the regression equations.     

Induction of larval settlement and metamorphosis ofHaliotis discus hannai Ino (Gastropoda,Mollusca)

Conspecific foot mucus, excessive [K⁺] and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) showed different metamorphosis-inductive effect on the veliger ofHaliotis discus hannai. The inductive effect of excessive [K⁺] and GABA was developmental stage-dependent and dose-dependent, while that of conspecific foot mucus was only developmental stage-dependent. At 20°C the veliger larvae became competent within 4 days after fertilization.H. discus hannai larvae showed gregarious settlement pattern on the conspecific foot mucus under the conditions of either presence or absence of KCl or GABA. The present studies showed that the effect of conspecific foot mucus on abalone larvae metamorphosis could be dose-independent.     

Effects of temperature and salinity on the development of embryos and larvae of the veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa （Valenciennes, 1846）

The major population of the veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa(Valenciennes, 1846), which is an important fishery resource, is facing a large decline in China. We studied the effects of incubation temperature(16–34℃ at salinity 30) and salinity(5–45 at 25℃) on the incubation period and subsequent larval development. In the temperature experiment, the shortest incubation period was 12 days at 34℃, the lower temperature limit was 16℃, the longest mean shell length(1 193±17 μm) occurred at 25℃ and the highest survival rate 72.28%±5.62% was observed at 28℃. In the salinity experiment, the shortest incubation period was 15 days at 25. The salinity tolerance range was 15–40, the longest mean shell length(855±9 μm) and the highest survival rate 72.93%±4.85% were both observed at 35. This study demonstrated that, during the egg–mass stage, temperature and salinity regimes infl uence later growth and survival of larvae. These observations deepen our understanding of the ecology and conservation of natural populations of Rapana venosa.     

Effect of temperature under unfavourable conditions on oxygen uptake of larval herring,Clupea harengus

Oxygen uptake under starvation and short periods of sudden temperature change was measured for larval herring (Clupea harengus L.) reared at average temperature of 7.3, 11 and 12.9°C. Larval stages between first feeding and premetamorphosis were used. For comparison, the routine oxygen uptake (ROU) was also investigated and followed the relationshipQ=0.974+0.174tW ^−0.210, whereQ is in μg/(mg·h),W is dry body weight in mg andt is temperature in °C. The oxygen uptake under starvation (SOU, deprived of food for 24 h) was different from the routine when the larval dry weight was less than 0.6–0.8 mg; it increased with temperature and body weight giving the relationshipQ=1.568+0.110tW ^0.380; if the larval dry weight was more than 0.6–0.8 mg, it reverted to the norm (Q=1.704+0.078tW ^−0.349). The oxygen uptake was tested in short periods (3 h) of sudden temperature changes in six groups: 7.3 to 11, 7.3 to 12.9, 11 to 7.3, 11 to 12.9, 12.9 to 7.3 and 1.29 to 11°C. The oxygen uptake in the 7.3 to 12.9 and 12.9 to 7.3°C groups varied in a way similar to that of the larvae under starvation. The other four groups' oxygen uptake were more or less normal.     

Oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion of Meretrix meretrix in different temperature and salinity

Effects of temperatures and salinities on oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion rate of clamMeretrix meretrix were studied in laboratory from Oct. 2003 to Jan. 2004. Two schemes were designed in incremented temperature at 10, 15, 20, 25°C at 31.5 salinity and in incremented salinity at 16.0, 21.0, 26.0, 31.5, 36.0, and 41.0 at 20°C, all for 8–10 days. From 10 to 25°C, both respiration and excretion rate were increased. One-way ANOVA analysis demonstrated significant difference (P<0.01) in physiological parameters in this temperature range except between 15 and 20°C. The highestQ ₁₀ thermal coefficient value (12.27) was acquired between 10 and 15°C, and about 1 between 15 and 20°C, indicatingM. meretrix could well acclimate to temperature changes in this range. Salinity also had significant effects on respiration and excretion rate (P<0.05). The highest values of respiration and excretion rate ofM. meretrix were recorded at 16.0 salinity (20°C). These two physiological parameters decreased as salinity increased until reached the minimumQ ₁₀ value at 31.5 (20°C), then again, these parameters increased with increasing salinity from 31.5 to 41.0.M. meretrix can catabolize body protein to cope with osmotic pressure stress when environmental salinity is away from its optimal range. No significant difference was observed between 26.0 and 36.0 in salinity (P>0.05), suggesting that a best metabolic salinity range for this species is between 26.0 and 36.0. This work is supported by National High-Tech R & D Program of China. (863 Program) (2002AA603014).     

Effects of temperature and salinity on survival,growth and DNA methylation of juvenile Pacific abalone,Haliotis discus hannai Ino

Temperature and salinity are two of the most potent abiotic factors infl uencing marine mollusks.In this study,we investigated the individual and combined ef fects of temperature and salinity on the survival and growth of juvenile Pacifi c abalone,Haliotis discus hannai Ino,and also examined the DNA methylation alteration that may underpin the phenotypic variation of abalone exposed to dif ferent rearing conditions.The single-factor data showed that the suitable ranges of temperature and salinity were 16–28°C at a constant salinity of 32,and 24–40 at a constant temperature of 20°C,respectively.The two-factor data indicated that both survival and growth were signifi cantly af fected by temperature,salinity and their interaction.The optimal temperature-salinity combination for juveniles was 23–25°C and 30–36.To explore environment-induced DNA methylation alteration,the methylation-sensitive amplifi ed polymorphism(MSAP)technique was used to analyze the genomic methylation profi les of abalone reared in optimal and adverse conditions.Neither temperature nor salinity induced evident changes in the global methylation level,but 67 and 63 dif ferentially methylated loci were identifi ed in temperature and salinity treatments,respectively.The between-group eigen analysis also showed that both temperature and salinity could induce epigenetic dif ferentiation in H.discus hannai Ino.The results of our study provide optimal rearing conditions for juvenile H.discus hannai Ino,and represent the fi rst step toward revealing the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of abalone in response to thermal and salt stresses.     

Production of bioplastics and hydrogen gas by photosynthetic microorganisms

Experiments on salimity tolerance of embryos and larvae of the southern bay scallopArgopecten irradians concentricus Say under controlled temperature of 28°C showed that although the eggs were fertilized and cleaved at salinity 18.1–37.4, they could further develop into normal D-shaped larvae only at salinity 23.4–36.1, while the trochophore larvae could develop into normal D—shaped larvae at salinity 22.1–39.9. For 72 hours, the larvae could tolerate salinity of 18.4–43.9, the salinity favoring growth was 19.8–42.4; the suitable range was 21–36, and the optimum at about 28. They metamorphosed at salinity 18.9–43.5, optimally at 24–32. Contribution No. 3301 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research was supported by the National Climbing Project B(PDB6-3-2).     

Effects of salinity, light and temperature on growth rates of two species of Gracilaria （Rhodophyta）

Effects of temperature, salinity and light intensity on growth rates of Gracilaria lichenoides and G. tenuistipitata var. liui Zhang et Xia were tested. Eight to ten levels of each factor were first tested separately. The best growth rate was obtained under the conditions of 32°C, 30 and 240 μmol/(m²·s) for G. lichenoides, and 24°C, 20 and 200 μmol/(m²·s) for G. tenuistipitata, respectively. Then a uniform design was used to evaluate the optimal combinations of the three factors. The best conditions for the highest daily specific growth rates (% increase in wet weight) are determined to be 31.30°C, 32.10, and 287.23 μmol/(m²·s) for G. lichenoides (16.26%/d), and 25.38°C, 21.10, and 229.07 μmol/(m²·s) for G. tenuistipitata (14.83%/d), respectively. Supported by the 908 Special Program (908-02-04-07), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2006CB400608), and K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University