Fauna and standing crop of freshwater mussels in Poyang Lake, China

Freshwater mussels are a major component of the zoobenthos and they therefore play an important role in freshwater ecosystems. The community composition and the standing crop of freshwater mussels in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China and one of two lakes connected to the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, were investigated from February 2008 to May 2009. Mussels were sampled in hydrologically and geographically distinct sampling areas. A total of 42 species and 13 genera were identified, of which 32 species were endemic to China. Two species, Unio douglasiae and Lamprotula caveata, dominated all sampling areas. The number of genera and species, and the number of species within each genus, differed significantly among sampling areas. Freshwater mussels were very abundant, with an overall density of 0.28 ± 0.22 ind./m2 and biomass of 4.08 ± 3.96 g/m2. Significant variation observed among sampling areas and among genera was probably due to the variety of habitats among the areas sampled and to the adaptability of different freshwater mussels to environments. This study suggests that Poyang Lake and other freshwater lakes in the region are important sites of freshwater mussel biodiversity and conservation.     

Marine fouling in offshore areas east of Hainan Island, northern South China Sea

INTRODUCTIONBiofoulingonunderwaterpartsofman mademarinestructuresisamajoreconomicandtechni calproblemhavinginternationaldimensionsforthedevelopmentofoceanengineeringbecauseitnotonlyincreasesstaticandhydrodynamicloading,butalsoaffectscorrosioncharacteristicsandim pedesunderwaterinspectionandmaintenance (CallowandEdyvean ,1 990 ) .Duetodifferencesingeographicalpositionsandenvironmentalconditions,thedistributionofsessileorganismsvarieswitharea .Therefore ,understandingtheformationofbiofoulin…     

Marine biofouling in offshore areas south of Hainan Island, northern South China Sea

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＢｉｏｆｏｕｌｉｎｇｃａｎｃａｕｓｅｒｏｕｇｈｎｅｓｓｏｆｓｕｂｍｅｒｇｅｄｓｕｒｆａｃｅｓｏｆｍａｒｉｎｅｓｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅｓ(Ｃｈａｋｒａｂａｒｔｉ,1991),ｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｈｙｄｒｏｄｙｎａｍｉｃｌｏａｄｉｎｇｓ(ＷｏｌｆｒａｍａｎｄＴｈｅｏｐｈａｎａｔｏｓ,1985),ａｃｃｅｌｅｒａｔｅｃｏｒｒｏｓｉｏｎｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ(Ｐａｔｉｌｅｔａｌ.,1988),ａｎｄｉｍｐｅｄｅｕｎｄｅｒｗａｔｅｒｉｎｓｐｅｃｔｉｏｎａｎｄｍａｉｎｔｅｎａｎｃｅ(Ｈｏｕｇｈｔｏｎ,1978).Ｔｈｅｌａｃｋｏｆｄ…     

A Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index for the Bioassessment of Wetlands Adjacent to Agriculture Fields in the Sanjiang Plain,China

Adjacent intensive agriculture disturbs the natural condition of wetlands.However, to assess the effect of this agriculture on wetlands, few studies have used indices based on aquatic invertebrates.Multi-metric indices(MMIs) have been successfully used to assess freshwater ecosystems worldwide and are an important management tool, but little is known about their applicability in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China.In this study, we developed a MMIs for aquatic invertebrates to assess freshwater wetlands in this region.The aquatic invertebrate assemblages were sampled in 27 wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain that included those in natural reserves and those affected by adjacent, intensive agriculture.Twenty-four candidate metrics were initially reviewed and screened before four core metrics were selected: total number of taxa, number of Hemiptera taxa, proportion of Gastropoda, and proportion of predators.Mann-Whitney U tests, Box and Whisker plots, correlation analyses, and redundant metric tests were used to assess the ability of metrics to distinguish among reference and impaired wetlands.Four ordinal rating categories for wetland were defined: poor, fair, good, and excellent.Of the impaired freshwater wetlands, 76.2% were in poor or fair categories.The MMIs was robust in discriminating reference wetlands from impaired wetlands and therefore have potential as a biomonitoring tool to assess the condition and to guide the restoration efforts of freshwater wetlands in Northeast China.     

Studies of community structure and seasonal dynamics of planktonic copepods in saline-alkaline ponds

Abstracts Species abundance and seasonal succession of copepods in saline-alkaline ponds were studied in Zhaodian Fish Farm, Gaoqing County, Shandong Province, from 5 April 1997 to 1 September 1998. The results indicated that in the conditions of salinity ranging from 1.36 to 20 g/L, total alkalinity changing from 2.4 to 7.2 mmol/L and pH 8-9, zooplankton in saline-alkaline ponds was composed of freshwater salt-tolerated species or halophile species, some of which are halobiont species and usually occurs in freshwater. In our study, copepods were predominant in many fish-culture ponds and all control ponds without fishes in spring, late autumn and early winter. Dominant species of copepods were Sinocalanus tenellus, Cyclops vicinus, Thermocyclops taihokuensis. The biomass of copepods in the control ponds without fishes was higher than that of the fish-culture ponds.     

ELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF Al-BASIC SACRIFICIAL ANODE AT ESTUARY

The Al-basic sacrificial anode is widely used to protect steel construction from corrosion in seawater,but is not suitable for protecting steel in freshwater. In the estuary area, seawater and freshwater mix anddifferent seawater salinity can be formed in different mixing sites between freshwater and seawater. Basedon the requirements of the Shengli Petroleum Administrative Bureau of China, the effect of seawatersalinity on electrochemical properties of Al-basic anode was studied under laboratory conditions by themethod given in National Standard GB 4948-85 (China Starndard Bureau, 1985). No obvious effectwas found when seawater salinity was 30 to 10, but obvious effect on anodic open circuit potential, closedcircuit potential and current efficiency was found when seawater salinity was 5. These values are lowerthan those given in the Naional Standard.     

Description of Cephalodella changdensis sp. nov. (Rotifera: Notommatidae) from Hunan Province,China

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - A new freshwater rotifer Cephalodella changdensis sp. nov. discovered in two locations in Changde, Hunan, China, is described morphologically. The new species...     

Complete nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence amplification and molecular analyses of B angia(Bangiales,Rhodophyta) from China

Filamentous Bangia,which are distributed extensively throughout the world,have simple and similar morphological characteristics.Scientists can classify these organisms using molecular markers in combination with morphology.We successfully sequenced the complete nuclear ribosomal DNA.approximately 13 kb in length,from a marine Bangia population.We further analyzed the small subunit ribosomal DNA gene(nrSSU) and the internal transcribed spacer(ITS) sequence regions along with nine other marine,and two freshwater Bangia samples from China.Pairwise distances of the nrSSU and 5.8S ribosomal DNA gene sequences show the marine samples grouping together with low divergences(0-0.003;0-0.006,respectively) from each other,but high divergences(0.123-0.126;0.198,respectively) from freshwater samples.An exception is the marine sample collected from Weihai,which shows high divergence from both other marine samples(0.063-0.065;0.129,respectively) and the freshwater samples(0.097;0.120,respectively).A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on a combined SSU-ITS dataset with maximum likelihood method shows the samples divided into three clades,with the two marine sample clades containing Bangia spp.from North America,Europe,Asia,and Australia;and one freshwater clade,containing Bangia atropurpurea from North America and China.     

Species richness and biodiversity significance of alpine micro-waterbody systems in Gaoligong Mountain,Northwest Yunnan,China

Water quality, size, connectivity and other physical properties of hydrological systems might have different functions in the formation and maintenance of biodiversity, but this remains mostly unclear due to the lack of undisturbed sites for experimental modelling. Alpine freshwater habitats such as micro-waterbodies(MWB) represent a kind of natural system suitable for biodiversity research. In order to assess potential linkages between environmental factors, connectivity of MWBs and aquatic species richness, we conducted a pilot study in two separated MWB systems located in Gaoligong Mountain, northwest Yunnan province, China. A total of 27 MWBs have been analyzed, including 22 connected and 5 isolated bodies. 13 conventional environmental factors were tested while all kinds of aquatic macro-organisms were collected and classified. Results showed a high environmental heterogeneity among MWBs and significant differences between the two systems but only a few environmental variables such as the depth of soil bottom, total Nitrogen and altitude were related to species richness and the formation of the community structure. As a benefit from the high environmental heterogeneity, the cascaded MWB systems provided divergent habitats able to support species richness at a higher level than the same number of randomly selected MWBs. This finding supports the idea that habitat connectivity matters also in extremely small aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, although still a preliminary result, a polarization effect within connected chains where edge MWBs host higher taxa and endemic taxa richness as well as larger populations, was detectable. This study gives interesting insights on the spatial processes driving community structure and a new prospective for biodiversity conservation. Since alpine MWBs have significant effects on the maintenance of watershed biodiversity, further research on such small and crucial ecosystems is encouraged.     

Electrochemical behavior of Al—basic sacrificial anode at estuary

The Al—basic sacrificial anode is widely used to protect steel construction from corrosion in seawater, but is not suitable for protecting steel in freshwater. In the estuary area, seawater and freshwater mix and different seawater salinity can be formed in different mixing sites between freshwater and seawater. Based on the requirements of the Shengli Petroleum Administrative Bureau of China, the effect of seawater salinity on electrochemical properties of Al—basic anode was studied under laboratory conditions by the method given in National Standard GB 4948-85 (China Starndard Bureau, 1985). No obvious effect was found when seawater salinity was 30 to 10, but obvious effect on anodic open circuit potential, closed circuit potential and current efficiency was found when seawater salinity was 5. These values are lower than those given in the National Standard. Contribution No. 2681 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. This study is a major project (Ky85-11-5) and a key project (A14920416) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and also received support from the Shengli Oil Field.     

Status of two Coreius species in the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Dam construction alters natural flow regimes which,in turn,cause significant changes in fish communities during and after impoundment. The construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir,from impoundment of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River,China,may have affected native fish species. Thus,the status of two lotic freshwater fish species,Coreius heterodon and C.guichenoti,were monitored in the Three Gorges Reservoir,including fish abundance,individual composition,growth,condition,and mortality. Data on both species were gathered from upstream,midstream and downstream areas of the reservoir and,where available,from studies published before and after dam construction. Lower abundance,slower growth,a less diversified age structure,poorer fish condition(indicated by hepatosomatic index) and higher mortalities were recorded in sites nearest the dam compared with upstream areas. Furthermore,after final impoundment,individual Coreius species inhabiting the area changed,with young individuals becoming more abundant,while upstream of the reservoir the two Coreius species became smaller at a given age. The results show that the status of the two Coreius species was subject to dramatic changes after impoundment.     

Complete nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence amplification and molecular analyses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bangia</Emphasis> (Bangiales,Rhodophyta) from China

Filamentous Bangia, which are distributed extensively throughout the world, have simple and similar morphological characteristics. Scientists can classify these organisms using molecular markers in combination with morphology. We successfully sequenced the complete nuclear ribosomal DNA, approximately 13 kb in length, from a marine Bangia population. We further analyzed the small subunit ribosomal DNA gene (nrSSU) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence regions along with nine other marine, and two freshwater Bangia samples from China. Pairwise distances of the nrSSU and 5.8S ribosomal DNA gene sequences show the marine samples grouping together with low divergences (00.003; 0–0.006, respectively) from each other, but high divergences (0.123–0.126; 0.198, respectively) from freshwater samples. An exception is the marine sample collected from Weihai, which shows high divergence from both other marine samples (0.063–0.065; 0.129, respectively) and the freshwater samples (0.097; 0.120, respectively). A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on a combined SSU-ITS dataset with maximum likelihood method shows the samples divided into three clades, with the two marine sample clades containing Bangia spp. from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; and one freshwater clade, containing Bangia atropurpurea from North America and China.     

Invasion and spreading of Cabomba caroliniana revealed by RAPD markers

Applying randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), the genetic variation ofCabomba caroliniana Gray (cabomba or fanwort), a new alien plant in China, was analyzed in this paper. Total 143 bands, including 47 polymorphic bands, were amplified from 23 primers in 20 samples. The sampling distance was large, but its genetic diversity was low. The main results were that: (1) Cabomba, which grew and dispersed mainly in fragment, was an abundant and dominant species in freshwater, and its main dispersal mechanism was vegetative reproduction (2) Cabomba was originally introduced into China as an aquarium submerged plant. Somehow, those discarded cabomba became invasive species in the areas of Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Meicheng, and other places. (3) Although the level of genetic diversity in cabomba was low, their rapid dispersion and propagation could seriously harm to local aquatic community. Therefore, specific measure should be used to control cabomba from uncontrolled spreading and damage to local vegetation communities. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 39970145) and Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (No. G2000046803).     

Invasion and spreading of Cabomba caroliniana revealed by RAPD markers

Applying randomly amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD）, the genetic variation of Cabomba caroliniana Gray （cabomba or fanwort）, a new alien plant in China, was analyzed in this paper. Total 143 bands, including 47 polymorphic bands, were amplified from 23 primers in 20 samples. The sampling distance was large, but its genetic diversity was low. The main results were that： （1） Cabomba, which grew and dispersed mainly in fragment, was an abundant and dominant species in freshwater, and its main dispersal mechanism was vegetative reproduction. （2） Cabomba was originally introduced into China as an aquarium submerged plant. Somehow, those discarded cabomba became invasive species in the areas of Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Meicheng, and other places. （3） Although the level of genetic diversity in cabomba was low, their rapid dispersion and propagation could seriously harm to local aquatic community. Therefore, specific measure should be used to control cabomba from uncontrolled spreading and damage to local vegetation communities.     

A new species of Phyllochaetopterus Grube,1863(Polychaeta:Chaetopteridae) from Hainan Island,South China Sea

Phyllochaetopterus species are widely distributed on the coast of China.Here,Phyllochaetopterus hainanensis n.sp.,a new species collected from Hainan Island(China),is reported.It is characterized by having a V-shaped peristomium,two eyespots covered by a pair of large curved peristomial notopodia(cirri located beneath the palps),13-14 chaetigers in the anterior body region,with three enlarged modified chaetae on the fourth notopodium,and more than five chaetigers in the middle body region.The modified chaeta has a slightly inflated head with an obliquely truncate end.The new species resembles Phyllochaetopterus socialis Claparede,1869,but differs in the shape of peristomial notopodia and peristomium.Twelve species of Phyllochaetopterus have been described from the Pacific Ocean,including the new species described here.An identification key to the known Pacific species is provided together with a brief discussion of the taxonomic value of the eyespots for the genus.     

ANNUAL LAMINATIONS IN THE SEDIMENTS OF HONGFENG LAKE, CHINA

ＡＮＮＵＡＬ　ＬＡＭＩＮＡＴＩＯＮＳ　ＩＮ　ＴＨＥ　ＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＳ　ＯＦ　ＨＯＮＧＦＥＮＧ　ＬＡＫＥ，　ＣＨＩＮＡＡＮＮＵＡＬＬＡＭＩＮＡＴＩＯＮＳＩＮＴＨＥＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＳＯＦＨＯＮＧＦＥＮＧＬＡＫＥ，ＣＨＩＮＡ￥ＷｕＦｅｎｇｃｈａｎｇ；Ｗａ...     

Comparison of the respiratory metabolism of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei cultured in seawater and freshwater

Litopenaeus vannamei, a euryhaline species, can be cultured at a wide range of salinities. The emergence of freshwater pond-culture of L. vannamei is an important prelude to the continued development of shrimp culture in China. In this study, we compared the respiratory metabolism of juvenile L. vannamei cultured in freshwater and saltwater by measuring their oxygen consumption rate (OCR), ammonium-type nitrogen excretion rate (AER) and pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities at different molting stages in order to physiecologically characterize juvenile L. vannamei under freshwater conditions. The results showed that OCR was significantly higher in saltwater than in freshwater at all stages of molting cycle. However, variation of OCR among molting stages in saltwater was similar with that in freshwater, and the highest OCR was observed at post-molting stage. At all stages of molting cycle, AER was significantly higher in freshwater than in saltwater, and the highest was observed at post-molting stage. The activity of PK was significantly higher in saltwater than in freshwater. Conversely, the activity of LDH was higher in freshwater than in saltwater in general. Significant variation of PK and LDH activities in molting cycle was observed in saltwater and freshwater. The results indicated that aerobic metabolism of juvenile L. vannamei was more active in saltwater than in freshwater; while its protein metabolism was more active in freshwater than in saltwater.     

曹娥江流域的淡水贝类

报告了自１９８１年以来历次对曹娥江流域淡水贝类的调查结果。标本经鉴定计有５２种，其中腹足纲６科１３属３２种，瓣鳃纲４科１１属２０种。分析了流域中淡水贝类与栖息环境的关系。探讨了流域中淡水贝类的分布区划及经济意义。