Seston and dissolved organic carbon dynamics duringMicrocystis bloom with special reference to the effects of three Chinese domestic fishes in experimental enclosures

TheMicrocystis bloom that once disappeared from Donghu Lake, a shallow, eutrophic Chinese lake, was successfully resumed with the use of the enclosure method. Seston and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics during theMicrocystis bloom were investigated with particular emphasis on the effect of three Chinese domestic fishes (silver carp, bighead carp and grass carp). The results showed that the change of chlorophyll a obviously related to the fish species and its stocking density. Due to the release of extracellular ogranic carbon and increased bacterial activity, DOC increased apparently after silver and bighead carps were introduced. POC/DOC dropped considerably in the enclosures containing silver and bighead carps and in the surrounding lake water, which implied that the bacterial activity was more pronounced in such ecosystems. Statistical analysis indicated that the linear relationship between POC and chlorophyll a could reflect the state of algal growth and nutrient metabolism. It was expected that this study would provide some information on biomanipulation in the shallow, eutrophic lakes. This work was supported in part by a Grant-In-Aid from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology (FEBL) affiliated to the Institute of Hydrobiology for the project “Control Ecosystem: An Approach to Lake Restoration”.     

Effects of dietary levels of carbohydrate,lipid, phosphorus and zinc on the growth,feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

A 54-day feeding experiment was conducted on juvenile Nile tilapia using isonitrogenous, isocaloric semipurified diets. The carbohydrate content in the diet was 9%, 32% and 50%; the corresponding lipid content was 22.2%, 12%, and 4%. The diets were supplemented with 0.85% or 1.5% phosphorus and 40 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg zinc. The experiment was carried out in flow-through aquaria using dechlorinated tap water at 23–26°C. The experiment showed that the increase of the carbohydrate content in the diets resulted in a 43–249% increase in weight gain, a 27–59% decrease in feed conversion ratio, and a 65–121% increase in protein efficiency ratio. In fish fed diets containing 36–50% carbohydrate, an increase in supplemented phosphorus to 1.5% greatly increased the weight gain. On the contrary, a high content of supplemented zinc (100 mg/kg) inhibited growth and increased feed conversion ratio.     

Short‐term temporal variation in gelatinous zooplankton populations over 48 hours in a coral reef at Redang Island,Malaysia

Gelatinous zooplankton abundance and species composition were investigated at 3‐h intervals for a 48‐h period at a fringing reef in Malaysia. A total of 20 gelatinous zooplankton species were observed; the community was dominated by the calycophoran siphonophore Diphyes chamissonis (79.9%), followed by the trachymedusdae Aglaura hemistoma (5.6%) and Liriope tetraphylla (4.8%). The gelatinous zooplankton were not collected in the water column during most of the daytime hours (1200, 1500 and 1800 h) but were common during the night. However, an abrupt peak in abundance was found at 0900 h on the second day. The times of appearance at night were different depending on the species, and the number of species was also different depending on the hour of sampling. Sampling at 3‐h intervals over a 48‐h period revealed that the temporal variation (or sampling availability) was large in this study. Careful consideration should be given to the sampling variability in handling the gelatinous zooplankton samples in coral reef areas.     

Ecological aspects of fin whale and humpback whale distribution during summer in the Norwegian Sea

The Norwegian Sea is a migration and feeding ground for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in summer. During the last decade, significant structural changes in the prey community, including northerly expansion and movement in the distribution of pelagic fish species, have been reported from this ecosystem. However, little information on whale feeding ecology exists in the Norwegian Sea and surrounding waters. A total of 59 fin whales and 48 humpback whales were sighted during 864 h of observation over an observation distance of about 8200 nmi (15,200 km) in the Norwegian Sea from 15 July to 6 August 2006 and 2007. The fin whale group size, as mean (±SD), varied between one and five individuals (2.1 ± 1.2 ind.) and humpback whale group size varied between one and six individuals (2.5 ± 1.7 ind.). Fin‐ and humpback whales were observed mainly in the northern part of the study area, and were only found correlated with the presence of macro‐zooplankton in cold Arctic water. Humpback whales were not correlated with the occurrence of adult Norwegian spring‐spawning herring (Clupea harengus) except for the northernmost areas. Despite changes in the whale prey communities in the Norwegian Sea, no apparent changes in fin‐ or humpback whale distribution pattern could be found in our study compared to their observed summer distribution 10–15 years ago.     

Influence of tidal regime,diurnal phase,habitat and season on feeding of an intertidal crab

The relationship between diet and feeding activity of intertidal crabs, and environmental cycles (tidal, daily and seasonal), habitat and level of the intertidal zone (high/low) was studied using Neohelice granulata (Brachyura, Varunidae) as a model. This is a semi‐terrestrial burrowing crab occupying different habitats in the Southwestern Atlantic coasts and estuaries from bare low intertidal mudflats to high intertidal salt marshes, and from fine, organic matter rich sediment to very coarse sediment with low content of organic matter. The study was carried out in two contrasting habitats of three sites with diverse sets of physical and biological conditions. Diet and feeding of adult N. granulata were indirectly studied through the proportion of food items and the presence/absence of food in crab stomachs, respectively. This species has a dual mode of feeding: predominantly herbivorous (live plants or plant litter in salt marshes) or deposit feeder (superficial sediment and detritus in mudflats), but the quantity and quality of ingested food varies among habitats and sites. A trend to omnivory (including algae and conspecifics) was detected in relation to low quality of resources. Feeding activity modulated by a complex interaction of factors varied according to spatial and/or temporal changes in some natural cycles. Males and non‐ovigerous females fed preferably after dark and during submersion periods, but also after emersion periods if mudflat sediment remained wet; salt marsh crab feeding is somewhat independent of light and tidal cycles. Ovigerous females almost never fed. Both diet and feeding activity of this crab seem to be flexible traits adapted to different combinations of physical and biological factors.     

放养密度对西伯利亚杂交鲟摄食、生长以及肌肉组分的影响

研究了放养密度对西伯利亚杂交鲟幼鱼生长、摄食以及肌肉组分的影响。结果表明,经过80d的野外试验观察,发现在初始养殖密度分别为:3.9、6.3、8.7和11.0kg/m3的微流水环境中,高密度组(D组)和低密度组(A组)的死亡率、日摄食量、饵料系数(FCE)和摄食率差异显著(P0.05);西伯利亚杂交鲟幼鱼的最终体重、特定生长率(SGR)、日增重(DWG)都随着养殖密度的增大而降低,而单位水体日增重显著升高,最终体长和肥满度无显著差异(P0.05)。试验结束时,高密度组西伯利亚杂交鲟幼鱼肌肉中水分和灰分所占的比重越大,而在粗蛋白质含量和粗脂肪含量方面则表现出相反的趋势,但均无显著性差异。综合各种因素,建议西伯利亚杂交鲟幼鱼阶段的养殖密度为6~9kg/m3。     

Habitat use patterns of the invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans: a comparison between mangrove and reef systems in San Salvador,Bahamas

The Indo‐Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans is widespread both in its native and its non‐native habitats. The rapid invasion of this top predator has had a marked negative effect on fish populations in the Western Atlantic and the Caribbean. It is now well documented that lionfish are invading many tropical and sub‐tropical habitats. However, there are fewer data available on the change in lionfish abundance over time and the variation of body size and diet across habitats. A recent study in San Salvador, Bahamas, found body size differences between individuals from mangrove and reef systems. That study further suggested that ontogenetic investigation of habitat use patterns could help clarify whether lionfish are using the mangrove areas of San Salvador as nurseries. The aim of the present study is to determine temporal trends in lionfish relative abundance in mangrove and reef systems in San Salvador, and to further assess whether there is evidence suggesting an ontogenetic shift from mangroves to reef areas. Accordingly, we collected lionfish from mangrove and reef habitats and calculated catch per unit effort (a proxy for relative abundance), compared body size distributions across these two systems, and employed a combination of stable isotope, stomach content, and genetic analyses of prey, to evaluate differences in lionfish trophic interactions and habitat use patterns. Our results show that populations may have increased in San Salvador during the last 4 years, and that there is a strong similarity in body size between habitats, stark differences in prey items, and no apparent overlap in the use of habitat and/or food resources. These results suggest that there is not evidence an for ontogenetic shift from mangroves to reefs, and support other studies that propose lionfish are opportunistic forages with little movement across habitats.     

PCR‐based techniques to determine diet of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea): a comparison with morphological analysis

Comprehensive dietary information for the endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is currently limited by the deficiency and poor quality of identifiable prey remains recovered from regurgitate and faeces and the difficulty of observing feeding in the wild. In this study, we investigated DNA‐based prey detection methods using conventional (end‐point) and quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) on faeces collected from two captive Australian sea lions fed experimental diets of whole teleost fish, squid and shark tissue. PCR prey detection methods using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S genes combined with clone sequencing were compared with prey identified using traditional hard part analysis. The molecular results indicated that prey DNA was degraded. However, prey amplification was successful by targeting short (71 bp) DNA fragments. Both conventional PCR and qPCR techniques significantly increased prey detection compared with analysis of hard parts. For both sea lions, the hard part analysis was constrained by sporadic and extremely low recovery of fish otoliths (<2%), and cephalopod beaks were not recovered from the 116 squid fed. Comparisons between PCR techniques indicated comparable prey detection frequencies for all species tested; however, the sensitivity and greater resolution of qPCR improved prey detection by ~25% in one sea lion fed the experimental squid and perch. The detection of squid DNA ≤ 6 day post‐ingestion by qPCR further exhibits the ability and potential of this method to detect low concentrations of infrequent or pulse prey. This study highlights the use of DNA‐based analysis to detect prey taxa in the absence of identifiable hard prey remains.