Effects of co-existing microalgae and grazers on the production of hemolytic toxins in Karenia mikimotoi

Karenia mikimotoi (Miyake & Kominami ex Oda) Hansen & Moestrup is associated with harmful algal blooms in temperate and subtropical zones of the world. The hemolytic substances produced by K. mikimotoi are thought to cause mortality in fishes and invertebrates. We evaluated the composition of the hemolytic toxin produced by K. mikimotoi cultured in the laboratory using thin-layer chromatography.In addition, we evaluated the effect of co-occuring algae (Prorocentrum donghaiense and Alexandrium tamarense) and the cladoceran grazer Moina mongolica on hemolytic toxin production in K. mikimotoi. The hemolytic toxins from K. mikimotoi were a mixture of 2 liposaccharides and 1 lipid. Waterborne clues from P. donghaiense and A. tamarense inhibited the growth of K. mikimotoi but increased the production of hemolytic toxins. Conversely, K. mikimotoi strongly inhibited the growth of caged P. donghaiense and A. tamarense. In addition, the ingestion of K. mikimotoi by M. mongolica induced the production of hemolytic toxins in K. mikimotoi. Taken together, our results suggest that the presence of other microalgae and grazers may be as important as environmental factors for controlling the production of hemolytic substances. K. mikimotoi secreted allelochemicals other than unstable fatty acids with hemolytic activity. The production of hemolytic toxins in dinoflagellates was not only dependent on resource availability, but also on the risk of predation. Hemolytic toxins likely play an important role as chemical deterrents secreted by K. mikimotoi.     

A new species of Cerithium （Gastropoda： Cerithiidae） from the South China Sea

Specimens of a new species of Cerithiidae, Cerithium mangrovum n. sp., were collected during two surveys along the coasts of Hainan and Guangdong Province, China. Usually associated with potamidid snails, this species often occurs in large populations between the mid-high tidal zones in a range of habitats, including mangroves, grass beds, silt, mud, and coral reefs. C. mangrovum n. sp. has a slender and tapering shell and the straight-sided whorl bears three aligned beaded spiral cords. The thick outer lip has a wide posterior sinus. It morphologically resembles C. coralium Kiener, 1841. The shell of C. coralium is usually larger and wider and the spiral cords are not as beaded as in C, mangrovum n. sp. Its radula has a rachidian tooth with a shallow, wide, median basal projection while the rachidian tooth of C. mangrovum n. sp. has a moderately long, median basal projection.     

Identification of Species in Genus Platycephalus from Seas of China

Platycephalus in Chinese sea area has a high commercial value.However,there were mis-identifications in previous records.In this study,we fully distinguished and diagnosed all five species,Platycephalus indicus,P.cultellatus,Platycephalus sp.,Platycephalus sp.1 and Platycephalus sp.2.The results revealed that P.cultellatus was overlooked by previous ichthyologists.Platycephalus sp.1 was misidentified as P.indicus in reality,and Platycephalus sp.2 only existed in the seas of Japan.Furthermore,morphological,especially phylogenetic analysis indicated that Platycephalus sp.from South China Sea differs from all former known species,which might be a new species.We identified all Platycephalus species in China seas for the first time,which will contribute to local species identification,biodiversity conservation and sustainable exploitation of Platycephalus species.     

Medusa consumption and prey selection of silver pomfret Pampus argenteus juveniles

The current study explored Aurelia aurita and Rhopilema esculent um consumption by silver pomfret juveniles, as well as their prey selection between the two jellyfi sh species. Silver pomfret juveniles weighing 1±0.1 g actively preyed on both the species. Their daily A. aurita consumption was 11.6 times their own body weights regardless of the size of A. aurita medusae. Their daily R. esculent um consumption was 13, 9.1, 5, and 4.1 times their own body weights when the R. esculentum medusae were 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm in bell diameter, respectively. The survival rates of the R. esculent um were higher than those of the A. aurita. When the R. esculent um medusae were more than 30 mm in bell diameter, their survival rate exceeded 92%. Silver pomfrets serve as a type of potential predators on A. aurita in coastal waters, and they have little infl uence on R. esculent um with a size exceeding 30 mm. Besides, A. aurita may be able to be used as fi sh prey in silver pomfret artifi cial breeding.     

Allelopathic interactions between Prorocentrum micans and Skeletonema costatum or Karenia mikimotoi in laboratory cultures

Algal allelopathy is an ecological/physiological phenomenon that has focused attention on the interactions among algae and the production of algal toxins. We investigated the allelopathic interactions between the dinoflagellate genus Prorocentrum micans and diatom genus Skeletonema costatum and between P. micans and dinoflagellate genus Karenia mikimotoi using bi-algal cultures. Because the effects were species-specific and size-dependent, we evaluated the effect of different initial densities. At low densities of P. micans and high densities of S. costatum inoculated into the same medium, the growth of P. micans was weakly restrained, whereas the growth of S. costatum was significantly suppressed. S. costatum and K. mikimotoi were strongly inhibited by P. micans, in both the bi-algal cultures and enriched filtrates. Direct cell-to-cell contact was not necessary to gain a competitive advantage, thus, our results suggest that P. micans inhibited the growth of S. costatum and K. mikimotoi by the release of allelochemical(s). Last, a mathematical model was used to simulate growth and interactions between P. micans and S. costatum and between P. micans and K. mikimotoi in bi-algal cultures.     

New speices of Late Mesozoic wood fossils from southeastern Mongolia

Three new species of fossil woods are reported from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous in southeastern Mongolia,including Protaxodioxylon mongolense sp. nov. Circoporoxylon mongolense sp. nov. Protocircoporoxylon mongolense sp. nov. The anatomical characters of three new species are described in detail.     

许昌市国土资源系统“优秀基层所(站)”和“莲城国土卫士”光荣榜

正优秀基层所(站)1.许昌县新元国土资源分局2.许昌县河街国土资源所3.襄城县湛北乡国土资源管理所4.鄢陵县陈化店国土资源所5.长葛市增福庙国土资源所6.长葛市后河国土资源所7.禹州市国土资源局小吕国土资源所8.禹州市国土资源局梁北国土资源所9.许昌县陈曹国土资源所10.禹州市国土资源局鸿畅国土资源所6月25日,许昌市国土资源局召开全市国土资源系统"优秀基层所(站)"和"莲城国土卫士"表彰大会。     

Exposure to Prorocentrum minimum Induces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in the Ridgetail White Prawn,Exopalaemon carinicauda

Prorocentrum minimum is a bloom-forming, planktonic mixotrophic dinoflagellate, and can cause stress in shrimp ponds. In this study, healthy Exopalaemon carinicauda were exposed to 5 × 10^4 cells mL^-1 P. minimum for 72 hours to investigate the adverse effect of P. minimum on shrimps. Elevated superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity and malondialdehyde(MDA) content, reduced total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC) and catalase(CAT) activity, and regulatory glutathione peroxidase(GPX) activity were found in the hemolymph of E. carinicauda after exposure to P. minimum. In this study, P. minimum exposure induced oxidative stress and caused significant oxidative damage to E. carinicauda. P. minimum exposure increased the expression of HSP70 gene in the hemocyte, gills and hepatopancreas. Compared with the enhanced level of caspase-3 gene mR NA in the hemocyte and gills, the up-regulation of caspase-3 gene in the hepatopancreas was only observed from 3 to 6 h, and then the mRNA level of glutathione-S-transferase(GST) gene increased. These results indicated that GST might be involved in the shrimp hepatopancreas’ defense against P. minimum exposure. The present study demonstrates that exposure to P. minimum could induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in E. carinicauda. The SOD activity, HSP70 and GST(in the hepatopancreas) were evoked to protect cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis. This study will provide new insights into the toxic mechanism of P. minimum on shrimps.