Coral communities and reefs from Guerrero,Southern Mexican Pacific

Corals in the Eastern Pacific extend south from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and oceanic Chile, and west from Colombia to Clipperton Atoll. Nevertheless, large stretches of the Mexican Pacific remain fundamentally unstudied. Therefore, to assess the current conditions of coral communities, a coastal fringe ～300 km long (17°40′ N, 101°39′ W to 16°46′ N, 99°49′ W) was surveyed within the Southern Mexican Pacific, between 2005 and 2009. Fifteen stony coral species were identified at 13 coral communities and six Pocillopora‐dominated fringing reefs, with Pocillopora verrucosa and Pocillopora damicornis the primary contributing taxa. Reef development was identified in embayments or behind rocks or islands that offered shelter from northern and northwestern winds. Observations of Pocillopora effusus, Pocillopora inflata, Porites lobata, Pavona clavus, and Pavona varians expanded the species known geographic ranges by several degrees of latitude, suggesting reef building fauna comprised a mixture of widespread and relatively rare Eastern Pacific corals. Results indicated greater live coral cover in the Ixtapa‐Zihuatanejo area (15–73%) than in the Acapulco localities, which had high algal dominance; the reefs in the latter region exhibited high erosion. Regional differences are likely the result of long‐standing anthropogenic pressures around Acapulco since 1950, when it became an important tourist destination. This paper is the first detailed report of ecologically stressed corals and coral reefs from the state of Guerrero on the Mexican Southern Pacific coast.     

Depth of settlement of two mussel species on suspended collectors in Marlborough Sounds,New Zealand (Note)

The preferred depth of settlement and settlement period of two species of mussel spat were monitored at Yncyca Bay (NZMS1 S15 220460) and Wet Inlet (NZMS1 S16 265432) in the Marlborough Sounds on collectors suspended in 0–4 m of water between 20 October 1975 and 4 April 1976. Peak settlement of Mytilus edulis aoteanus was between 20 October 1975 and 4 January 1976, and decreased with increasing depth. Peak settlement of Perna canaliculus was between 16 February 1976 and 12 April 1976, and showed no preferred depth of settlement.

Capture of wild stocks of Mytilus edulis aoteanus and Perna canaliculus spat for use in aquaculture has become more reliable through accurate forecasting of peak settlement periods, and knowledge of preferred depth of settlement of the two species.

Preferred depth of settlement of spat may affect the shore zonation of mussels.     

Burrowing behaviour of the paddle crab Ovalipes catharus (White, 1843) (Brachyura: Portunidae)

The burrowing behaviour of Ovalipes catharus (White, 1843) is described and compared with that of some other burrowing crabs. O. catharus is a fast, back burrowing crab which makes temporary burrows in soft sand. The average time from initiation of burrowing to complete submergence was 6.5 s, there was no difference between males and females but burrowing time increased significantly with crab size. Similar morphological adaptations are required for burrowing and swimming: streamlined body shape, smooth lightly constructed exoskeleton, and flattened legs. O. catharus has a reversed respiratory current like O. guadulpensis but it differs in its burrowing behaviour. Compared to some other crabs, burrowing in O. catharus is rapid.     

Diet of landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and trout in the Waitaki lakes,New Zealand

Landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), ranging in fork length (FL) from 105 to 313 mm, were captured in fine‐mesh gill nets set in the limnetic zone of the Waitaki hydro lakes (44° 30′ S, 170° 10’ E) in the South Island, New Zealand. A total of 443 stomachs was examined and the frequency of occurrence, volume and weight of prey items calculated. In the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore the principal food (54% by weight) was zooplankton (Boeckella dilatata) whereas in the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore it was larval and juvenile common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidi‐anus) (73% by volume). In Lake Waitaki in winter, salmon had eaten insects (43% by volume) with smaller amounts of snails (Potamopyrgus antipo‐darum, 23%) and bullies (24%). In Lake Ohau adult insects may be an important food. There were also variations in diet with season and fish size. The stomachs of 147 brown trout (Salmo trutta) and 181 rainbow trout (S. gairdnerii) caught in the same gill nets were also examined. In contrast to sockeye salmon stomachs they contained negligible amounts of zooplankton (< 1% by weight) and large amounts of aquatic insects (50–58% by weight in the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore). Comparisons with juvenile sockeye salmon and kokanee in North American lakes are made. The impact of introductions of sockeye salmon into other New Zealand lakes is discussed.     

Effects of protandric sex change on radula,pedal morphology,and mobility in Crepidula fecunda (Gastropoda: Calyptraeidae)

Protandrism was confirmed in Crepidula fecunda Gallardo 1979 by histological analysis of the gonad. Individuals were classified as immature (12 mm or less in shell length), male (13–26 mm), intersex (25–28 mm), and female (over 26 mm). There was an evident loss of mobility with growth— large females became completely sessile. The presence of epithelial glands in mobile individuals was associated with the need for lubrication during crawling, whereas the proliferation of subepithelial glands in sessile females was associated with adhesion. Mobility of immature and male individuals was related to grazing activities on biofilms, and in males was also associated with copulation. Grazing activity of motile individuals was carried out so that the radula teeth did not come into direct contact with the substratum, but rather harvested the biofilm surface. Sessile females used the radula to rasp the area under their shells, thus cleaning the substratum in preparation for oviposition. Since this process required that the radula enter into direct contact with the substratum, it suffered abrasion of radular teeth and loss of radular denticles, producing important alterations in its appearance in mature females. A complex interaction was observed between size, mobility, histological changes in the foot, activity, and tooth‐wear of the radula, which have been related to the sessile habit, sex change, and the oviposition process in this species.     

Macrobenthic polychaete assemblages of the continental shelf and upper slope off the west coast of the South Island,New Zealand

Polychaete assemblages are described from replicate box‐core samples collected in summer 1983 at 18 stations on the continental shelf and upper slope (28–943 m) off the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand, south‐eastern Tasman Sea (c. 41–43°S, 169–172°E). Three main station groupings were identified by multivariate analysis: (1) inner shelf sandy stations characterised by Prionospio australiensis, Aricidea (Acesta) sp., Magelona cf. dakini, Paraprionospio aff. pinnata, Aglaophamus sp., Heteromastus filiformis, and Magelona sp.; (2) middle to outer shelf muddy stations characterised by Levinsenia cf. gracilis, Prionospio australiensis, Paraprionospio coora, Aglaophamus verrilli, and Auchenoplax mesos; and (3) upper slope sandy mud or mud stations characterised by Prionospio ehlersi. A combination of water depth and sediment clay content provided the best correlation with the biotic pattern. Spionidae was the most abundant family (49% of polychaete individuals), which may reflect the scope for opportunistic species in a shelf environment characterised by a high input of terrigenous sediment and episodic upwelling.     

Pfiesteria shumwayae (Pfiesteriaceae) in New Zealand

Pfiesteria shumwayae Steidinger et Burkholder is now known to be present in New Zealand and occurs in estuaries around the country. The presence of Pfiesteria was initially determined by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based detection assay, using oligonucleotide primers targeted at ribosomal DNA extracted from estuarine water and sediments. Presence was confirmed by isolation from fresh sediments in the presence offish (Oreochromis mossambicus), followed by identification by scanning electron microscopy. The New Zealand isolates of P. shumwayae were ichthyotoxic in bioassays, but there is no historic evidence offish kills in New Zealand associated with the dinoflagellate.     

Astrothrombus rugosus clark,new to New Zealand,with notes on ophioceres huttoni (farquhar), hemilepis norae (benham), and ophiuroglypha irrorata (lyman) (echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Astrothrombus rugosus (Clark), hitherto known only from eastern Australia, is recorded here from off Kaikoura. Hemilepis abernethyi (Fell) and Ophioceres marginata (Fell) are here regarded as junior subjective synonyms of Hemilepis norae (Benham) and Ophioceres huttoni (Farquhar) respectively. Some New Zealand specimens of the cosmopolitan species Ophiuroglypha irrorata (Lyman) differ in some respects from the “typical” form; they may prove to represent a new species.     

Notes on the ecology and paleoecology of neothyrls,an endemic New Zealand brachiopod

Neothyris lecticularis (Deshayes, 1839) live mainly south o'f 44°S in waters 90–180 m (extremes 18–384 m) deep where bottom temperatures are always >7°c. Fossil N. “avails” (Hutton, 1886) in the early Pleistocene limestone at Castlepoint (41 °S) are associated with an assemblage of animals generioally the same as the living N. lenticularis assemblage of Foveaux Strait. The granular substrate occupied by the living animals is similar to the matrix of the Castlepoint limestone. Thus the early Pleistocene marine climate in 90–180 m at 43°S may have been about 5°c cooler than it is today; the possible use is mentioned of the presence of the fossil assemblage in studies of palaeoelimates.

Population analysis of living and fossil stocks show a constant bias toward the older age‐groups; this finding is discussed. Various ecological observations are recorded.     

Submerged vegetation of the Rotorua and Waikato lakes

Five plant communities in Lake Rotoiti, North Island, New Zealand (38° 02’ S, 176° 24’ E) are described. In shallow water (0–2 m depth) partly protected from the prevailing westerly winds, some indigenous species form characteristic mounds. From 2 to 6 m depth the exotic macrophyte Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss is the dominant and forms dense beds which appear to have completely replaced any native vegetation. Elodea canadensis Michx., a longer‐established exotic, may form a minor component of this zone, but may become the dominant species in water above and below the Lagarosiphon zone. Lagarosiphon appears to be primarily restricted to silty sand, but on pure silt areas it is replaced by Elodea and/or Nitella hookeri A. Braun. These zonations are probably static rather than successional. On underwater cliff faces and boulder shores a seasonal succession of algae was the major vegetation. Only filamentous cyanophytes grew within 1–2m of geothermal springs in the lake.