Temporal asymmetries in the feeding patterns along the tidal cycle in two sympatric littoral blennies

The temporal patterns of feeding activity of Lipophrys pholis and Coryphoblennius galerita were studied by snorkelling dives during high-waters. The feeding activity was especially intense during the rising-tide when compared to the ebbing-tide. The relative abundances of C. galerita and small L. pholis observed on rock-walls were higher during the rising- and high-tide. However, L. pholis larger than 7–8 cm showed higher relative abundance on rock-walls during the ebbing phase, apparently because they move up and down with the tide, and many individuals were in their downward movements as the tide ebbs. It is hypothesized that the asymmetry in feeding pattern observed in both species reflects a trade off between two conflicting needs, maximizing feeding time and reaching their low-tide shelters in time, avoiding the risk of getting stranded in unsuitable locations.     

Nursery function of mangrove: A comparison with mudflat in terms of fish species composition and fish diet

Shallow soft-bottom habitats including mangroves and mudflats provide important nursery functions for juvenile fishes, but little information exists concerning the relative nursery value of these habitats for juvenile fishes. We compared the potential of a mangrove and a mudflat in a semi-enclosed bay in Hong Kong to serve as fish nurseries by measuring species composition, dietary composition, gut fullness and diet breadth of juvenile fishes. Fish abundance was higher in mangrove than mudflat, but species richness was almost similar between the two habitats. After excluding Ambassis gymnocephalus, which was found mainly in the mangrove, difference in fish abundance between the two habitats was small. The gut fullness and diet breath of most species did not differ between mangrove and mudflat, suggesting that the two habitats were very similar in terms of providing feeding opportunity for juvenile fishes. While the importance of mangrove as nursery of fishes has been repeatedly emphasized, our data suggest that other soft-bottom habitats, such as mudflats, are also important and need to be protected.     

军曹鱼仔鱼期的摄食与生长

以人工孵化的军曹鱼(Rachycentron canadum)卵黄囊期仔鱼为材料,对仔鱼早期阶段的摄食及生长情况进行研究。结果表明:在水温28~32℃条件下,军曹鱼仔鱼3日龄开始摄食,6日龄时卵黄完全耗尽,6~7日龄饥饿仔鱼进入不可逆点(PNR)期;混合营养期3~4 d。饥饿仔鱼的初次摄食率开始较低,此后上升,到卵黄囊快要耗尽时达高峰(50%),以后又下降。内营养期,仔鱼日平均生长率为0.86 mm/d;PNR前的摄食期,饥饿仔鱼的日平均增长率为0.068 mm/d,而摄食仔鱼的日平均生长率为0.64 mm/d;PNR后至死亡前,饥饿仔鱼体长呈负增长,而摄食仔鱼的日平均生长率达1.04 mm/d。摄食仔鱼在孵化后8 d内的全长和日龄呈指数关系;前10 d的口径与全长呈正比关系。     

采用碳氮稳定同位素技术对黄海中南部鳀鱼食性的研究

根据2005年4~5月在黄海和长江口海域进行的春季底拖网调查,应用稳定同位素方法研究了黄海中南部鳀鱼(Engraulis japonicus)及其可能摄食饵料的碳氮稳定同位素比值,结果表明:(1)黄海中南部鳀鱼的食物组成为不同粒径的浮游动物、太平洋磷虾(Euphausia pacifica)和仔稚鱼,其中以粒径为500~900μm的浮游动物为主,贡献比例占61%~84%;仔稚鱼贡献比例占16%~21%,较传统胃含物方法分析的结果小;(2)黄海中部海域鳀鱼的碳氮稳定同位素比值平均值较南部海域高,原因可能与各海域的能量来源不同或存在微食物环有关,也可能与不同海域鳀鱼的能量转换途径不一样,即与食物链长短不一有关.     

环境DNA分析大亚湾夜光藻藻华对真核浮游生物群落的影响

夜光藻是全球广泛分布的藻华种之一,其摄食作用对浮游生物的群落结构有着重要影响。利用环境DNA技术和Spearman相关性分析,文章研究了2021年1月中旬大亚湾夜光藻高丰度站位浮游生物的群落结构与生物相关性。结果显示,夜光藻高丰度站位的海水温盐条件为温度14.4～18.3℃、盐度32.52‰～33.14‰。夜光藻丰度较高的站位中,卡顿藻科、海链藻科等浮游植物类群的相对丰度均值为2.41%和2.23%,明显高于其他站位的0.75%和0.62%;同时拟哲水蚤科与长腹剑水蚤科等类群的相对丰度均值为8.22%和4.46%,明显低于其他站位的64.13%和11.12%。结合Spearman相关性分析表明,夜光藻丰度增加可能导致其对拟哲水蚤科等类群摄食压力增加,拟哲水蚤科类群丰度减少降低了卡顿藻科、海链藻科、原甲藻科、隐芽藻科等浮游植物类群的摄食压力,使其生物丰度增加;同时夜光藻摄食压力增加使得裸甲藻科、圆筛藻科等浮游植物丰度下降。因此,夜光藻丰度增加影响了水域中真核浮游生物群落结构。综上结果表明,环境DNA技术有助于认识夜光藻在浮游生物群落中的生态地位,可用于浮游生物各类群之间的关系分析。     

三峡水库澎溪河水-气界面CO2、CH4扩散通量昼夜动态初探

三峡水库温室气体效应近年来备受关注.为揭示三峡水库典型支流澎溪河水-气界面CO₂和CH₄通量的昼夜动态规律,明晰短时间尺度下该水域温室气体释放的影响因素,在2010年6月至2011年5月的一个完整水文周年内,选择4个具有代表性的时段(2010年8、11月和2011年2、5月)对澎溪河高阳平湖水域开展昼夜跟踪观测.结果表明:2010年8、11月和2011年2、5月4次采样的CO₂日总通量值分别为-8.34、73.94、28.13和-20.12 mmol/(m²·d),相应的CH₄日总通量值分别为2.22、0.11、0.32和7.16 mmol/(m²·d),不同时期昼夜变化明显.研究水域CO₂和CH₄通量过程不具同步性:CO₂昼夜通量变化可能更显著地受到水柱光合/呼吸过程的影响,但瞬时气象过程(水汽温差、瞬时风速等)在高水位时期亦可对CO₂通量产生显著影响;CH₄昼夜通量变化与水温条件改变更为密切.     

Mercury levels in New Zealand snapper Chrysophrys auratus

The New Zealand snapper Chrysophrys auratus is the object of a major fishery and contributes approximately 30% of the annual landed weight of fin‐fish. Samples of 65 fish from 7 localities on the New Zealand coast were analysed for mercury. Though there is an increase in mercury concentration with size of fish, the larger, older individuals with relatively high mercury levels contribute only a small proportion to the landed catch. Therefore, in establishing the average concentration of mercury in fish, due weight should be accorded to the differences in size composition of the catch. On this basis the average levels of mercury in snapper offered for human consumption are of the order of 0.25 ppm. As this is only half the “permissible safe level” of most other countries where fish consumption is much higher, the risk to the New Zealand consumer is negligible.     

Deposit feeding ecology of Amphibola crenata I. Long‐term effects of deposit feeding on sediment micro‐organisms

Short‐term effects of deposit feeding on benthic micro‐organisms are known from several marine environments, but longer‐term influences of deposit feeders have not been extensively investigated. The long‐term microbial response to deposit feeding by the gastropod Amphibola crenata was monitored in a 10‐month field study where deposit feeding intensity was controlled in artificial enclosures. The presence of the snail resulted in a minor decrease in bacterial numbers and a slight increase in heterotrophic activity relative to bacterial cell numbers. This effect may have been the long‐term signature of a previously reported pulse in bacterial production during the recolonisation of Amphibola faeces. Normal snail density had a strong inhibitory effect on primary productivity by the benthic microalgae, reducing CO₂ fixation to 29–47% of levels that could be attained when snails were excluded. Variations in the effect of deposit feeding on micro‐organisms over the experimental period suggest that it may be modified by seasonal factors acting on benthic communities. In a similar interaction of influences, seasonal changes in microbial biomass and activity appeared to vary with snail density.     

Albatross predation of juvenile southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) on the Campbell Plateau

Dietary samples collected at Campbell Island in summer 1997 indicate that southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) formed the bulk of the food of black‐browed albatrosses (Diomedea melanophrys impavida) during the chick‐rearing period. Birds preyed upon a single size class of fish with a mode at 80–90 mm standard length; fish were 4–5 months old and belonged to the 0+ age group. Satellite tracking showed that, when performing trips of short duration, adult albatrosses foraged within the 1000 m depth contour in the subantarctic zone north of Campbell Island. The feeding ecology of albatrosses thus suggests that juvenile (0+) southern blue whiting are pelagic and occur in dense schools in the top 5 m of the water column over the Campbell Plateau during the summer months. The high reliance of birds on juvenile southern blue whiting during the chick‐rearing period has implications for the management of the southern blue whiting fishery and the conservation of black‐browed albatrosses and other marine predators occurring in the New Zealand subantarctic area.     

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.