Day–night variations in the demersal nekton assemblage on the Mediterranean shelf-break

The composition of the demersal nekton assemblage inhabiting the Mediterranean shelf-break of west-central Italy was examined to investigate the diel variation in species composition and abundance. Fish were obtained during four 24-h sampling periods that represented the four annual seasons. Thirty-two hauls (eight in each season) were conducted in a shelf-break area at 140–160 m depth. The density of fish, crustaceans, and decapods exhibited differences on short- and long-term time scales: multidimensional scaling suggested that season and light intensity may be important factors influencing fish assemblage composition.At the diel scale two main assemblages separating nocturnal and diurnal hauls were identified. The typical assemblage structure of shelf-break bottoms was represented during daylight by species such as Merluccius merluccius, Capros aper, Serranus hepatus, Macroramphosus scolopax and Trisopterus minutus capelanus. At night, the assemblage showed a drastic change due to the increase of small nektobenthic species, Argentina sphyraena and Glossanodon leioglossus, together with cave-dwelling fish (Gnathophis mystax, Chlopsis bicolor, Nettastoma melanurum) and nektobenthic crustaceans (i.e., Parapenaeus longirostris and Solenocera membranacea).The above-mentioned differences in species composition may be related to changes in vertical distribution for trophic needs (M. merluccius) and/or in the shoal structure (A. sphyraena and G. leioglossus). The lack of data on the pattern of trawl catchability of Mediterranean species during the day may lead to an inaccurate estimation of species abundance when only diurnal trawl survey data are used.     

Diel changes in metal concentrations in a geogenically acidic river: Rio Agrio,Argentina

Rio Agrio in Patagonia, Argentina is a geogenically acidic stream that derives its low-pH waters from condensation of acidic gases near its headwaters on the flanks of the active Copahue Volcano. This study reports the results of three diel (24-h) water samplings in three different pH regimes (3.2, 4.4 and 6.3) along the river. Changes in the concentration and speciation of Fe dominated the diel chemical changes at all three sites, although the timing and intensity of these cycles were different in each reach. At the two acidic sampling sites, total dissolved Fe and dissolved Fe(III) concentrations decreased during the day and increased at night, whereas dissolved Fe(II) showed the reverse pattern. These cycles are explained by Fe(III) photoreduction, as well as enhanced rates of precipitation of hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) during the warm afternoon hours. A strong correlation was observed between Fe(III) and As at the furthest upstream (pH 3.2) site, most likely due to co-precipitation of As with HFO. At the downstream (pH 6.3) location, Fe(II) concentrations increased at night, as did concentrations of rare earth elements and dissolved Al. Photoreduction does not appear to be an important process at pH 6.3, although it may be indirectly responsible for the observed diel cycle of Fe(II) due to advection of photochemically produced Fe(II) from acidic upstream waters.     

Diel Vertical Migration of the Marine Cladoceran Podon Leuckarti: Variations with Reproductive Stage

Diel vertical migration (DVM) of the marine cladoceran Podon leuckarti was investigated with reference to their reproductive stages and size. Males and females, except for gamogenic females with an advanced resting egg (GA), aggregated at the near-bottom layer or at the surface during the day and dispersed into the water column at night. Both the near-bottom aggregation and the surface aggregation during daytime are suggested to be behavior that reduces the predation risk from visual predators. However, GA aggregated in the near-bottom layer during daytime and avoided the surface layer. The near-bottom aggregation might be more effective behavior for GAs to reduce risk of visual predation than the surface aggregation because of the conspicuous resting egg they carried. These results show that carrying an advanced resting egg influenced the DVM of P. leuckarti.     

2000年夏季南极普里兹湾及邻近海域浮游植物研究

报道了2000年夏季(1月)在62°~69°S,70°30'~75°30'E的南极普里兹湾邻近海域浮游植物种类组成、丰度分布、叶绿素a浓度及其环境调控.结果表明,调查海区共有浮游植物4门33属65种、变种和变型.浮游植物平均细胞丰度为32.67×103个/dm3.浮游植物细胞丰度和叶绿素a浓度高值均出现在水体较稳定的近岸海湾和冰间湖及毗邻陆架,在大陆坡和深海区它们的值明显减小.浮游植物细胞丰度和叶绿素a浓度在0~50m水层最大,100m以下水层随深度的增加而减小.浮游植物丰度呈昼夜变化,在13:00丰度最高.浮游植物优势种为短菱形藻(Nitzschiacurta),占总丰度的24.8%.浮游植物种类组成和细胞丰度与浮冰和水团稳定性有关.经回归分析,浮游植物细胞丰度与水温、溶解氧成显著正相关,与无机磷(PO_{43--P)和无机氮(NO3--N)成显著负相关.}     

Day–night and depth differences in haemolymph melatonin of the Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus (L.)

Few studies have been conducted to quantify and understand the role of melatonin in invertebrates, and particularly in crustaceans and in deep-sea animals. In this study, we examined day–night differences in haemolymph melatonin of the burrowing decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus (L.) during exposure to cycles of monochromatic blue light (480 nm) and darkness cycles of 10 and 0.1 lx. These differential intensity conditions simulate illumination at the depth of the shelf (80–100 m) and of the slope (300–400 m), where these lobster populations are chiefly found in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Our objectives were: (a) to verify the presence of melatonin in the haemolymph of this species using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and fluorescence HPLC (HPLC); and (b) to study the relationship between diel variations in melatonin concentration and locomotor rhythms, in order to examine whether the former influences behaviour. Melatonin was identified in LC–MS/MS by Q1 and Q3 mass peaks at an elution time of 3.7 min, and it was also detected by HPLC. Melatonin concentration was found to be two orders of magnitude higher at 10 lx (4.8±5.3 ng ml⁻¹) than at 0.1 lx (0.06±0.03 ng ml⁻¹). Also, the increase at daytime in 10 lx was absent in 0.1 lx. When the locomotor rhythm of animals exposed to both photoperiod regimes was compared, the diel periodicity was found to be preserved, but the timing of activity shifted from night to day. Extrapolating these data to the field, we interpret our results to mean that locomotor activity preserves its diel character, but not its phase and amplitude, in a bathymetric range where haemolymph melatonin reduces its concentration and rhythmic fluctuation.     

南黄海梭形纽鳃樽昼夜垂直移动的初步研究

本文对2006年12月、2007年5月和6月在南黄海两个连续站S1-4和S3-3采集的梭形纽鳃樽的昼夜垂直移动进行了研究。结果表明, 在不同季节不同海域该种昼夜垂直移动行为略有差异。在S1-4站位, 12月份梭形纽鳃樽复体从未到达底层(50—70m), 在0—50m的水层中表现出不规则的昼夜垂直移动。从中午(12:00)到傍晚(18:00)主要分布在表层, 之后移动到较深的水层(10—30m), 而单体由于数量较少而未进行昼夜垂直移动分析; 5、6月份, 该种单体和复体都出现了明显的反向昼夜垂直移动, 即白天迁移到表层, 夜间向底层迁移, 5月份尤为明显。在S3-3站位, 12月份和5月份梭形纽鳃樽的单体和复体几乎在整个水层都有分布。12月份梭形纽鳃樽复体在夜间有向下移动的趋势, 在06:00时到达最底层, 白天主要分布在20m以上的水层中。5月份梭形纽鳃樽单体和复体昼夜垂直移动不明显, 但主要分布在10—20m的水层中。     

Vertical structure of larval fish assemblages during diel cycles in summer and winter in the southern part of Bahía de La Paz, México

The effect of environmental variables on the vertical structure of larval fish assemblages in a tropical coastal lagoon was analyzed. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected from the near-bottom and surface strata near the mouth of a subtropical lagoon during contrasting seasonal conditions of temperature, photoperiod, light intensity, and tidal heights. During summer, larval fish assemblages had high species richness (R) and were dominated by tropical species. During winter, assemblages had lower R values and were dominated by subtropical and temperate species. Vertical distribution patterns of the taxa were determined by the interaction of environmental variables and behavior of each species to maintain their position in a stratum in the water column, or to achieve vertical migrations induced by environmental stimuli that, in this case, were thermal gradient, column water stratification, and intensity of light. Depth position and vertical migration of fish larvae, coupled with the flood and ebb tide conditions, played an important role in their retention and displacement toward the lagoon. Fish larvae with distribution restricted to the inner part of the inlet, such as Achirus mazatlanus, Etropus sp., and several gobies, were more abundant in the near-bottom stratum during the ebb tide, allowing them to avoid exportation, whereas those that could spawn outside, but depended on the inlet as a nursery area, were more abundant near the surface during flood tide, such as Abudefduf troschelii and Stegastes rectifraenum.