Variations in the spores of Myxidium zealandicum Hine, 1975 (Protozoa: Myxosporidea)

Myxidium zealandicum Hine, 1975 was recorded from several tissues in New Zealand freshwater eels. The gills were the most frequent site of infection, but spores also matured on the gill arch, in the skin, and occasionally in the urinary and swim bladders. Thus M. zealandicum is a histozoic species that may have evolved from a coelozoic form.

Variation in spore size (8.0–11.5 jam) was found in relation to site of infection; variation in the number and arrangement of valve striations was also observed. Deposition of fibro‐blasts occurred at all sites of sporogony, except among the goblet cells of the epidermis.

The small size (6.0–10.5μm) of unstriated spores occurring with normal spores in the gills of eels from Lake Otomangakau appeared to be related to the size of the cysts in which they occurred, and to the host Anguilla dieffenbachii.     

Distribution of helminths in the digestive tracts of New Zealand freshwater eels 1. Distribution of digeneans

The distributions of Stegodexamene anguillae and Telogaster opisthorchis in Anguilla dieffenbachii and A. australis studied over two years are described. Peak occurrence of S. anguillae was in the anterior intestine, declining posteriorly, except for mature flukes under crowded conditions in A. dieffenbachii which predominated in the mid intestine, declining anteriorly and posteriorly. Peak occurrence of T. opisthorchis was in the rectum of A. australis and posterior intestine of A. dieffenbachii; occurrence declined anteriorly. Distributions appeared to be maintained by selective site segregation. Flukes moved down the tract, with or without subsequent loss, in both host species held live or examined after death. T. opisthorchis were lost before S. anguillae, and the larger mature flukes of both parasite species were lost before the less mobile immature flukes. Fluke loss from electric‐fished A. dieffenbachii was more rapid than from netted A. australis. Chilling and freezing retarded movement in, and evacuation from, dead hosts.     

Migrating eels in a Canterbury river,New Zealand

A fish trap in the upper reaches of the South Branch stream, Canterbury, New Zealand, caught eels from December 1957 to October 1964. The downstream migrations of immature and adult eels of both New Zealand freshwater species (short‐finned Anguilla australis and long‐finned A. dieffenbachii) were recorded. These migrations showed a seasonal and a lunar periodicity, and the larger runs were also influenced by rainfall, water volume, or the passage of a depression. Seasonal peaks were marked for mature eels of both species, and for immature A. australis, but not for immature A. dieffenbachii.     

Distribution of helminths in the digestive tracts of New Zealand freshwater eels

The distributions of the nematode parasites Paraquimperia sp., Spirocamallanus sp., and Cucullanus sp. in the intestines and recta of Anguilla dieffenbachii and A. australis from Lake Ellesmere and the South Branch of the Waimakariri River were studied over two years. Peak occurrence of Paraquimperia was in the anterior intestine of A. australis and mid intestine of A. dieffenbachii. Male and female Spirocamallanus sp. established in the mid intestine, but as female worms grew they attached more anteriorly and thus maintained the mid body in the mid intestine, prevented the tail end entering the rectum, and maintained the vulvae close to male worms. Cucullanus sp. was most often found in the mid intestine, but occurred throughout the intestine, possibly because of migration with food. Paraquimperia and Spirocamallanus extended their range with crowding; Cucullanus increased in density in the mid intestine. Posteriad movement, with or without subsequent evacuation, was a general feature of all species in both hosts, held live or examined after death. Chilling and freezing slowed or arrested loss from dead hosts. Larger worms (Spirocamallanus sp.) moved and were lost more rapidly than small worms (Paraquimperia sp.); worm loss was more rapid from A. dieffenbachii than from A. australis.     

Prey selection and dietary overlap of shortfinned (Anguilla australis) and longfinned (A. dieffenbachii) eels during summer in the Horokiwi Stream,New Zealand

Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected and the diets of shortfinned eels (Anguilla australis) and longfinned eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii) inhabiting a small coastal New Zealand stream were examined to investigate intraspecific and interspecific trophic partitioning and prey selection. Our results showed intraspecific segregation of preferred prey among three size classes of juvenile shortfinned eels, but there was significant overlap between different size classes of longfinned eels. All size classes of both species of eel fed nocturnally on similar prey, and so there was no indication of temporal or trophic segregation. Therefore, habitat separation is assumed to be the main mechanism to reduce interspecific competition in these two co‐occurring species of eels.     

The growth of New Zealand freshwater eels in three Canterbury streams

The growth of both species of New Zealand freshwater eel, Anguilla australis and A. dieffenbachii, was studied by tagging in three streams using a stainless steel subcutaneous tag. Possible causes of the differences in growth rates are discussed.     

First record of male freshwater eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii) caught at sea

Two silver (migratory) male freshwater eels, Anguilla dieffenbachii, were caught in a commercial trawl net in the South Taranaki Bight in April 2014. The capture date and the relatively small eye size indicated that both eels had probably only recently entered the sea. This is the first record of male A. dieffenbachii caught at sea, en route to the presumed spawning area in the South Fiji Basin.     

Spatial variation and commercial fishing of New Zealand abalone (Haliotis iris and H. australis)

The New Zealand abalone fishery produces about 1200 t annually, mostly from southern New Zealand. The fishery, based on Haliotis iris, is managed over broad management areas within which fishing intensity is spatially dispersed. The size composition of the commercial catch depends on location within a management area but is similar for divers fishing individual populations of H. iris and reflects the size composition of natural populations. For most populations, length‐frequency distributions of abalone were normally distributed: the mean shell length of H. iris was found to vary within populations over small spatial scales (100s m). The relative abundance of juvenile H. iris was low in relation to adults suggesting, at least for exposed populations, that rates of recruitment to populations of H. iris may be low. The relative abundance and mean shell length of juveniles and adults of H. australis was much less than that of H. iris. The scarcity of H. australis and the lack of separate catch quotas for the two species are factors which explain the low to zero catch of H. australis. The spatial variation in the size composition of H. iris suggests that management would be more appropriate over spatial scales which reflect local populations rather than the large spatial areas which are used to manage the New Zealand abalone fishery.     

Differential host use affects fecundity of the gastropod Crepidula onyx

For epibiotic or symbiotic marine invertebrates, alternative host species may differ substantially in quality, and under some circumstances such differences in host quality may lead to the evolution of increased host specificity. However, the fitness consequences of alternative hosts for epibiotic or symbiotic marine invertebrates have rarely been quantified. In Southern California, the gastropod Crepidula onyx is often found as an epibiont on either bay mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) or cone snails (Conus californicus). These hosts differ greatly in maximum size, with possible effects on size at sex change and final size in Cr. onyx, and thus on fecundity. Further, Cr. onyx on the two hosts differ in shell shape, possibly affecting the size of the ctenidium, which Cr. onyx uses for suspension feeding. We examined these potential effects of host use on fitness components in Cr. onyx. Epibionts on mussels reached much larger average sizes than did those on cone snails; further, epibionts on mussels often completed sex change at much larger sizes than did those on cone snails. On average, mussel epibionts had threefold higher average fecundities than did cone snail epibionts. Although there was a slight difference in shell shape between epibionts on the two host species, there was no difference in the scaling of ctenidium area with body size for Cr. onyx from the two hosts. The large average differences in fecundity in epibionts associated with the two alternative hosts suggests that there may be strong selection on host choice at larval settlement.     

南麂列岛海域沉积物中甲藻孢囊的多样性和分布

南麂列岛地处亚热带海域,是台湾暖流和江浙沿岸流的交汇处,因而呈现出很好的生物多样性。据调查,南麂列岛附近海域已鉴定的浮游植物甲藻有53种,而到目前为止,对南麂列岛海域甲藻的休眠孢囊种类和分布的调查仍为空白。本文通过对2014年南麂列岛附近海域沉积物中甲藻孢囊的调查研究,在该海域共发现甲藻孢囊10属26种,其中,种类最多的是原多甲藻属(Protoperidinium),有10种;其次是斯氏藻属(Scrippsiella)和亚历山大藻属(Alexandrium),分别有4种,膝沟藻属(Gonyaulax)2种,舌甲藻属(Lingulodinium)、易碎藻属(Fragilidium)、扁甲藻属(Pyrophacus)、翼藻属(Diplopsalis)、裸甲藻属(Gymnodinium)和多沟藻属(Polykrikos)各1种。这些甲藻孢囊中,异养型和自养型甲藻孢囊各13种,自养型甲藻孢囊在数量上所占比例较大(79%)。2014年南麂列岛海域甲藻孢囊丰度较低,每毫升沉积物能检测出2—33个;夏、秋季的孢囊丰富度较高;岙口等相对开放海域的孢囊丰度明显高于岙内各站点。值得注意的是,三种有毒甲藻孢囊,塔玛/相似亚历山大藻(Alexandrium tamarense/affine),具刺膝沟藻(Gonyaulax spinifera)和多边舌甲藻(Lingulodinium polyedra)的孢囊也在样品中检出,并且分别占春季、夏季和秋季孢囊总丰度的37%、23%和27%。本研究为完善南麂列岛甲藻的物种多样性提供了依据。     

福建福宁湾表层沉积物中甲藻孢囊分布与多样性研究

孢囊是甲藻生活史中特殊的休眠阶段,被认为是赤潮发生的种源。于2018年4月采集了福建福宁湾海域表层沉积物,对沉积物中甲藻孢囊的分布规律进行了研究,重点揭示有毒有害甲藻孢囊的分布;同时测定了沉积物中生源要素含量,以揭示孢囊分布与生源要素的关系。共鉴定甲藻孢囊25种,其中别什藻(Biecheleria tirezensis)孢囊占据优势。孢囊的种类多样性指数(H'')偏低,为2.06~2.34;均匀度指数(J)为0.71~0.81。孢囊密度介于178.6~386.3 cysts/g (以干重计,下同),平均为286.0cysts/g。孢囊密度高值区位于水深较深、沉积物颗粒较细的长表岛外海域,而低值区则位于长表岛至海尾角的近岸海域。值得注意的是,研究分析鉴定出9种有毒有害甲藻的孢囊,包括麻痹性贝类毒素(paralytic shellfish poisoning,PSP)原因种奥氏亚历山大藻(Alexandrium ostenfeldii)和链状/塔玛亚历山大藻(Alexandrium catenella/tamarense)孢囊复合体、goniodomine A原因种平野亚历山大藻(Alexandrium hiranoi)、虾夷扇贝毒素(yessotoxin,YTX)原因种具刺膝沟藻(Gonyaulax spinifera)和网状原角藻(Protoceratium reticulatum)、产生鱼毒素的哈曼褐多沟藻(Pheopolykrikos hartmannii)以及赤潮藻类Barrufeta bravensis、锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella acuminata)和垂裂莱万藻(Levanderina fissa),其中Barrufeta bravensis、Gonyaulax spinifera和Scrippsiella acuminata的孢囊分布广泛且密度较高,需引起关注。     

Habitat use and longitudinal distribution patterns of native fish from a near pristine Stewart Island,New Zealand,stream

Distribution, abundance, and habitat preferences of native fish were investigated down the length of a relatively pristine, medium‐sized, fourth‐order stream on Stewart Island, New Zealand. A limited fish fauna was recorded (six species), including three threatened large galaxiid species (Galaxias argenteus, Galaxias fasciatus, and Galaxias brevipinnis), which have restricted distributions on mainland New Zealand. Results indicated that these large galaxiids occupy diverse habitats including pools and backwaters within the mainstems of this stream. Their extensive distributions and wide habitat usage were attributed to factors such as the intact catchment vegetation, unmodified stream channel, and the absence of introduced fishes, particularly salmonids. Results suggest that some native species have been excluded from mainstem habitats elsewhere in New Zealand. It was also evident that interactions among the native species influenced habitat use; G. brevipinnis avoided backwaters, runs, and pools in reaches occupied by G. fasciatus and Anguilla dieffenbachii; whereas G. fasciatus appeared to avoid habitats occupied by G. argenteus and A dieffenbachii. Maximum densities and biomass of galaxiids and eels occurred in deepwater habitats (>0.75 m). Furthermore the fish inhabiting these deeper waters were larger and more likely to be female. These findings have significant implications for the design and application of sampling protocols for native New Zealand fishes and for the protection of their habitats. If deeper waters are not sampled then species, sex, and size biased data may result.     

Eimeria anguillae léger & hollande, 1922 parasitic in New Zealand eels

Eimeria anguillae Léger & Hollande, 1922 (Sporozoa: Coccidia) is recorded from Anguilla australis Richardson, 1848 and A. dieffenbachii Gray, 1842 introduced as elvers into a New Zealand eel farm. The parasite is identified by the hexagonal cross section of the sporocysts, dimensions, and lack of asexual and early sexual stages in the mucosal and submucosal tissues. Discrepancies in previously published details of the micropyle and sporocyst vestigal body are attributed to the limitations of earlier microscopes.

In heavy infections the mucosa and submucosa are partially or totally destroyed, and both oocysts and sporocysts are passed out with necrotic tissue.     

Parasitic barnacles (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) from New Zealand off‐shore waters

Nine genera and species of rhizocephalans were recorded from the off‐shore waters around New Zealand. Mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences were used to examine base differences between the European and New Zealand species of Parthenopea. Serial sections to study the internal structures of the reproductive organs were made for the genera Thylacoplethus and Thompsonia. Two species, Parthenopea australis n. sp. and Thylacoplethus novaezealandiae n. sp. are new to science and described in detail. Parthenopea australis n. sp. is the first rhizocephalan species recorded from the vicinity of active cold seeps. Three rhizocephalans could not be identified as they were parasitised by hyperparasitic cryptoniscine isopods. The decapodhost species comprised the taxa Paguridae, Lithodidae, Galatheidae, Chirostylidae, and Callianassidae.     

Spawning patterns of four species of predominantly temperate pelagic fishes in the sub-tropical waters of southern Queensland

The diverse pelagic fish assemblage of sub-tropical southern Queensland includes fishes with predominantly temperate distributions, such as tailor Pomatomus saltatrix, sardine Sardinops sagax, round herring Etrumeus teres, and Australian anchovy Engraulis australis. The peak spawning seasons of P. saltatrix, S. sagax and E. teres occur during late winter and early spring (June–October). Eggs and larvae of these three species are widely distributed in shelf waters and comprise >50% of the ichthyoplankton assemblage during this period. Mean monthly sea surface temperatures (SSTs) during late winter and early spring range from 21 to 23 °C, and are thus similar to those recorded in southern Australia during summer and autumn, which is the spawning season of these three species in those temperate waters. E. australis eggs occur mainly in inshore waters, and comprise >50% of fish eggs collected during summer and autumn when mean monthly SSTs in southern Queensland exceed 27 °C. E. australis also spawns mainly during summer and autumn in temperate Australia. Hence, water temperature may be less important as a determinant of the spawning season of E. australis than it is for the other three species. The suitability of southern Queensland for spawning by predominantly temperate species during late winter and early spring may contribute to the high diversity of the region's pelagic fish assemblage. Adult P. saltatrix, S. sagax and E. teres appear to migrate northwards into southern Queensland during early winter to spawn, and larvae may be transported southwards into temperate waters by the East Australian Current. This dispersal-migration pattern is similar to those observed for several species, including P. saltatrix, in the western boundary current systems off the east coasts of North America and Africa. Hence, pelagic fishes in ecosystems off the east coast of three continents migrate into sub-tropical waters to spawn, and larvae are transported back into temperate nursery areas by the prevailing current.     

Food and feeding of small fish in the Rakaia River,New Zealand

Benthic macroinvertebrates and fish species were collected at monthly intervals during a 12‐month period, from 3 areas of the lower Rakaia River. The composition and abundance of the benthos and stomach contents of the fish were analysed for seasonal trends, food niche breadth and overlap between pairs of fish species, and overlap between the benthos and the diet of each fish species. The diets of bluegilled bully (Gobiomorphus hubbsi), upland bully (G. breviceps), juvenile longfinned eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii), Galaxias brevipinnis, G. paucispondylus, and juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) were similar to the proportions of prey species in the benthos. Deleatidium and chironomid larvae dominated the benthos in all seasons and formed the majority of food items in the diet of these species. Food niche overlap between these species was high, indicating potential competition, but preferred habitat and feeding habit differences plus low fish population density and abundance of main prey items probably eliminate the occurrence of any serious competition. The diet of the other fish species differed from this pattern. The common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) ate proportionally more chironomid larvae and fish eggs than occurred in the benthos; torrentfish (Cheimarrichthys fosteri) ate proportionally more chironomid larvae than occurred in the benthos; and quinnat salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) depended largely upon prey species of terrestial origin, such as adult Deleatidium and dipterans.     

Comparative ecology of the copepods Calanoides carinatus and Calanus agulhensis — the influence of temperature and food

Hypotheses regarding temperature, food abundance and food size were tested to explore niche separation between Calanoides carinatus, an abundant copepod in the cool and food-rich southern Benguela upwelling system, and Calanus agulhensis, the dominant copepod on the warmer, relatively food-poor Agulhas Bank off the south coast of South Africa. Under non-limiting food conditions, egg production by both species increased linearly with temperatures between 9°C and 18°C. Egg production by C. carinatus was relatively faster at 21°C, but was offset by greater mortality. Both species showed similar functional responses to food concentration in the field, reaching satiation at ～15mg Chl a m^?3, or ～3–4ppm. Food abundance was the most important predictor of egg production, whether measured as Chl a or as particle volume. Both species preferred larger particles that dominated the biomass peak, but particle size appeared more important for C. carinatus, with increasingly faster rates of egg production as the proportion of large cells (>10μm) exceeded 50%, and slower ingestion of small (<10μm) cells. Omnivory may be more important to C. agulhensis. Niche separation between the two species appears unrelated to temperature, food abundance or diel vertical migratory behaviour, and is more likely a function of variability in food availability, although food size may also play a role.     

Phytoplankton models and life history strategies

Phytoplankton models generally do not consider the initial phases of seed stocks and deal only with the vegetative growth phase, ignoring life history strategies. Some quantitatively important diatoms, such as species of Chaetoceros and Skeletonema, have special strategies with respect to the timing of the planktonic phase that cannot be explained purely on the basis of environmental clues. In Norwegian waters and elsewhere, the first Chaetoceros bloom of the growth season usually starts in mid March, initiated by C. socialis. Other Chaetoceros species appear in the water column later. Species of dinoflagcllates like Alexandrium also bloom at certain times of the year. In many cases, phytoplankton inocula originate from resuspension of bottom-dwelling spores or cysts rather than from residual planktonic vegetative cells, and it is probable that, in some species, inoculation events are controlled by endogenous biological clocks. The sequential appearance of different Chaetoceros species may be related to day-length-regulated germination of spores. Most Chaetoceros species have few generations, but they appear at opportunistic times in the plankton. In contrast, Skelelonema costatum and Scrippsiella trochoidea appear at any time of the year. Some modelling results can be improved by including the dynamics of phytoplankton seed stocks in the sediments.     

Prevalence of Kudoa thyrsites (Myxozoa) in South African sardine Sardinops sagax,kingklip Genypterus capensis,and Cape hakes Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus

Prevalence of infection with the myxozoan parasite Kudoa thyrsites is not well documented in sardine Sardinops sagax, the Cape hakes Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, and kingklip Genypterus capensis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used to determine the prevalence of K. thyrsites in wild-caught S. sagax (n?=?296), Merluccius spp. (n?=?162) and G. capensis (n?=?70), harvested in 2015. Sardinops sagax were harvested from the east, south and west coasts of South Africa, whereas M. capensis, M. paradoxus and G. capensis were taken from the west coast only. Relationships between K. thyrsites infection prevalence and fish capture locality, season, sex and size were determined with Chi-square tests. Prevalence was highest in S. sagax (91%), followed by M. capensis and M. paradoxus (87%) and G. capensis (40%). Prevalence was independent of sex of the host for all fish species. In the case of S. sagax only, the prevalence of infection was independent of locality of capture but depended on season, with prevalence lowest during spring and highest during autumn. No significant relationship (p?>?0.05) was found between infection prevalence and host size for any of the fish species.