Vertical zonation and distributions of calanoid copepods through the lower oxycline of the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone

This paper provides the first comprehensive analysis of calanoid copepod vertical zonation and community structure at midwater depths (300–1000 m) through the lower oxygen gradient (oxycline) (0.02 to 0.3 ml/L) of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Feeding ecology was also analyzed. Zooplankton were collected with a double 1 m² MOCNESS plankton net in day and night vertically-stratified oblique tows from 1000 m to the surface at six stations during four seasons as part of the 1995 US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Arabian Sea project. The geographic comparison between a eutrophic more oxygenated onshore station and an offshore station with a strong OMZ served as a natural experiment to elucidate the influence of depth, oxygen concentration, season, food resources, and predators on the copepod distributions.Copepod species and species assemblages of the Arabian Sea OMZ differed in their spatial and vertical distributions relative to environmental and ecological characteristics of the water column and region. The extent and intensity of the oxycline at the lower boundary of the OMZ, and its spatial and temporal variability over the year of sampling, was an important factor affecting distributional patterns. Calanoid copepod species showed vertical zonation through the lower OMZ oxycline. Clustering analyses defined sample groups with similar copepod assemblages and species groups with similar distributions. No apparent diel vertical migration for either calanoid or non-calanoid copepods at these midwater depths was observed, but some species had age-related differences in vertical distributions. Subzones of the OMZ, termed the OMZ Core, the Lower Oxycline, and the Sub-Oxycline, had different copepod communities and ecological interactions. Major distributional and ecological changes were associated with surprisingly small oxygen gradients at low oxygen concentrations. The calanoid copepod community was most diverse in the most oxygenated environments (oxygen >0.14 ml/L), but the rank order of abundance of species was similar in the Lower Oxycline and Sub-Oxycline. Some species were absent or much scarcer in the OMZ Core. Two copepod species common in the Lower Oxycline were primarily detritivorous but showed dietary differences suggesting feeding specialization. The copepod Spinocalanus antarcticus fed primarily on components of the vertical particulate flux and suspended material, a less versatile diet than the co-occurring copepod Lucicutia grandis. Vertical zonation of copepod species through the lower OMZ oxycline is probably a complex interplay between physiological limitation by low oxygen, potential predator control, and potential food resources. Pelagic OMZ and oxycline communities, and their ecological interactions in the water column and with the benthos, may become even more widespread and significant in the future ocean, if global warming increases the extent and intensity of OMZs as predicted.     

Feeding habits of Solea senegalensis in earthen ponds in Sado estuary

The senegale sole, Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858, is a commercially valuable fish and it is beginning to be cultured in a semi-intensive way in fish farms in southern European countries. The present study was initiated to investigate the diet of S. senegalensis under semi-extensive conditions. The feeding habits of sole were studied in two earthen ponds of a fish farm in the Sado estuary. In one earthen pond, artificial fish ration was given. S. senegalensis feeds on few prey items, its diet is mainly composed of insect larvae (Chironomus salinarus) and polychaeta (Hediste diversicolor). The diet composition of this species suggests feeding specialization, by consuming mainly annelids and insect larvae and by avoiding other items, extremely abundant in the environment, such as gastropods. In the water reservoir where ration was given, some fish consumed simultaneously benthic organism together with ration. However, benthic organisms seem to be the most important component of S. senegalensis diet.     

Environmentally-induced plasticity of life history parameters in the cladoceran Simocephalus vetulus

Key life history parameters significantly differed between two different clones of Simocephalus vetulus originating from different habitats, i.e. a fishless pool and a fish pond. The following fitness-related traits were studied: lifespan, age at first reproduction, interclutch period, number of clutches, and number of embryos. In general, in relation to the fish pond clone the fishless pool clone revealed longer lifespan and higher fecundity due to more frequent clutches, contributing to a higher fitness. Higher food quantities decreased the lifespan but did not alter fitness-related traits except for a shorter interclutch period. The Simocephalus clone from the fishless pool matured earlier in low food conditions, while the fish pond clone matured earlier in the high food conditions. The switch in food concentration between the subsequent generations significantly shortened the lifespan in the fish pond clone but revealed no effect in the fishless pool clone.     

Diet and feeding strategies of round goby,Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) from the invasion front in the Danube River tributaries (Bulgaria): ontogenetic shift and seasonal variation

The round goby Neogobius melanostomus is one of the most successful Ponto-Caspian fish invaders, established in a variety of aquatic ecosystems throughout Europe and North America. Diet and feeding strategies of N. melanostomus from three recently invaded tributaries of the Lower Danube River (Bulgaria) were investigated. Research design is based on monthly examination of the round goby diet and macroinvertebrate density. The results show that the round goby consume a wide range of different organisms – 76 taxa in total (identified to family, genus or species level). The most common prey taxa in all three rivers were Chironomidae (Orthocladius/Cricotopus spp., Tanytarsini g. sp.), Trichoptera larvae (Psychomyiidae g. sp., Hydropsyche spp.) and Ephemeroptera nymphs (Baetis spp.). Only in one of the rivers, a predominant feeding on crustaceans (Gammarus spp.) was observed. The taxonomical composition of consumed invertebrates suggests that the round goby prefers the ecological group of “sprawling/walking” insect larvae associated to coarse substratum. Feeding activity was observed throughout the whole year, even during low-temperature months. Three seasonal and four size-depended shifts in the species’ diet were determined. Generalization feeding tactics predominated in all three rivers. Specialization was rare and specific for each tributary, where a few individuals consumed invertebrates from fine substratum and/or submerged vegetation. Possible relationships between the spread of N. melanostomus and the recent invasion of the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) in the Bulgarian Danube tributaries were discussed. Generalisation and feeding plasticity contribute to the round goby’s establishment success in the Danube tributaries and might facilitate its further upstream spread.     

准噶尔盆地东部棕尾鵟繁殖生态学研究

2005年4月至6月,在新疆准噶尔盆地东部地区对棕尾鵟的繁殖生物学进行了研究.通过对棕尾鵟(Buteo rufinus)10个巢的观察,发现巢体大多在山体阴面.对棕尾鵟的26枚卵进行测量,长径是56.24 mm±2.58 mm,短径是43.10 mm±0.93 mm.通过对亲鸟孵卵及育雏情况的观察,此地区棕尾鵟的窝卵数2～4枚,孵化率是0.433,幼鸟成活率为0.692,棕尾鵟繁殖力为0.499.在研究中发现,巢内的毛皮、布片、塑料袋等铺垫物由于被风吹起盖住卵而导致亲鸟弃巢的现象严重.10只卵由于巢内铺垫物的覆盖而导致孵化失败.     

中国对虾对日本刺沙蚕的摄食率研究

于１９９６年６月在山东莱阳市养殖场采集中国对虾（体长４．５－６．０ｃｍ体重１．２－３．７ｇ）和日本刺沙蚕（体长１．０－５．０ｃｍ）通过持续２０的室内实验,研究中国对虾对日本刺沙蚕的摄食率,实验条件为：水温２１－２３℃,海水盐度３０－３１,ｐＨ＝８．２－８．６,室内自然光照,实验结果表明,中国对虾对日本刺沙蚕的摄食率Ｃ（ｇ．ｇ＾－１．ｄ＾－１）与体重Ｗ（ｇ）的关系为Ｃ＝０．１５３Ｗ＾０．７０７２,在     

东海原甲藻(Prorocentrum donghaiense)对中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)摄食和消化酶活性的影响

采用单养和混养的方法,在实验条件下研究了东海原甲藻对中华哲水蚤摄食和消化酶活性的影响.结果表明:(1)中华哲水蚤对东海原甲藻存在一定摄食行为,藻类密度对摄食率有明显的影响.实验密度下,中华哲水蚤对东海原甲藻的最大摄食率为930cells/(ind·h).滤水率随着藻密度的增加而呈单一性的下降;(2)混养条件下,中华哲水蚤对金藻和东海原甲藻的摄食率均较单养时下降,滤水率的变化与摄食率相似;(3)不同藻密度下,昆布多糖酶活性都明显高于麦芽糖酶和纤维二糖酶的活性,而麦芽糖酶活性又稍高于纤维二糖酶的活性.与金藻相比,东海原甲藻实验组中华哲水蚤3种消化酶活性明显升高(P<0.05).     

Neuston: A relevant trophic resource for apple snails?

Apple snails are known for the strong impacts they provoke in wetlands and aquatic crops by their macrophytophagous habits. Interestingly, they are able to persist after they have eradicated most palatable aquatic macrophytes in the invaded wetlands. Pedal surface collecting is a distinctive mechanism that apple snails use to capture materials in the water surface. We were interested in knowing the relevance of neuston, the organisms associated with the air–water interface, as an alternative trophic resource. Using the invasive Pomacea canaliculata as a model, our experiments with simulated trophic resources in the laboratory showed that neuston is highly consumed even in the presence of abundant palatable macrophytes. P. canaliculata was able to grow efficiently using neuston as an alternative trophic resource both under laboratory and natural conditions. Neuston probably plays a relevant role specially when other trophic resources are inedible or absent or have been depleted by apple snails. Pedal surface collecting probably evolved in apple snails as an adaptation to cope with fluctuating trophic resources.     

Big fish (and a smallish skate) eat small fish: diet variation and trophic level of Sympterygia acuta,a medium‐sized skate high in the food web

The bignose fanskate, Sympterygia acuta, is a small‐to‐medium‐sized species endemic to shallow coastal waters of the Southwest Atlantic. Sympterygia acuta displays a clear seasonal reproductive cycle, characterized by maximum egg‐laying activity in spring and hatching in summer. We hypothesized that diet and feeding activity change with maturity stage and season and that, given its smallish size, the trophic level is low. Using a multiple‐hypothesis modeling approach, the diet of S. acuta in relation to sex, body size, maturity stage, region (i.e. north and south) and season was analysed; and a potential relationship between feeding activity and the seasonal reproductive cycle was assessed. Sympterygia acuta fed on a broad spectrum of prey, but teleosts were more important (47.97% index of relative importance, %IRI), followed by decapods (39.84%IRI), cumaceans (8.31%IRI) and isopods (1.89%IRI). Maturity stage was a strong determinant of the ontogenetic diet shift of S. acuta, and relationships between number of prey consumed with season and region were found.. Feeding activity was higher in the cold season than in the warm season, and was less important in the south region than in the north region. Unexpectedly, the specific trophic level was high (3.87). Sympterygia acuta shifts its diet with maturity stage, possibly by a combination of an improved ability to capture prey and a change in energy demand of mature individuals. Despite being a small‐to‐medium‐sized skate, S. acuta showed a trophic level similar to that of large‐bodied marine predators. It reduces its feeding activity seasonally because in the warm season this species may experience an increased predation risk from large sharks.     

低盐水体下摄食水平对斜带石斑鱼幼鱼生长及能量收支的影响

为探讨斜带石斑鱼(Epinephelus coioides)在低盐水体下最适的摄食水平,在水体盐度12、温度28℃±1℃的条件下,作者投喂人工配合饲料,研究了不同摄食水平(分别为体质量的2.36%、2.83%、3.31%、3.79%、4.25%及饱食)对斜带石斑鱼幼鱼(初始体质量为29.28 g±2.63 g)生长和能量收支的影响,并建立了生长-摄食关系和不同摄食水平下的能量收支方程。结果表明,在低盐下幼鱼鱼体粗蛋白及灰分含量在各摄食水平组间无显著差异(P0.05);脂肪含量在3.79%、4.25%及饱食组显著高于其他摄食水平组(P0.05);干物质含量在4.25%、饱食组显著高于其他摄食水平组(P0.05);能量含量随摄食水平降低而下降。摄食水平对幼鱼摄食率有显著影响(P0.05)且随摄食水平的降低而下降。幼鱼湿质量特定生长率、干质量特定生长率、蛋白特定生长率、能量特定生长率均随着摄食水平的增加而增加。特定生长率与摄食水平呈减速增长曲线关系,可用对数方程描述。幼鱼饲料湿质量转化效率、饲料干质量转化效率、饲料蛋白转化效率均随摄食水平的增加先增大后减少的变化,在3.79%组达到最大值,饲料能量转化效率随摄食水平的增加呈一直增加,在饱食组达到最大值。随着摄食水平的增加,生长能(G)呈先升后降的变化,在3.79%组有最大值,与摄食水平之间可用一元二次方程表述;排粪能(F)与排泄能(U)呈一直增大的变化,在饱食组有最大值,与摄食水平之间均可用线性方程表述;代谢能(R)则呈降低并逐渐趋于平稳的变化。在3.79%组,幼鱼获得最佳的能量收支方程为:100.00C=12.29F+13.73U+31.33R+42.65G。综合考虑认为,斜带石斑鱼幼鱼在低盐水体下最适的摄食水平为体质量的3.79%。