The effects of barotrauma on five species of South African line-caught fish

Management measures for South African line-caught fish include output controls such as closed seasons, bag and size limits and no-take moratoria. The main condition for these measures to be effective is that undesirable catches can be successfully released. However, most of the line-caught fish species are susceptible to barotrauma, a condition caused in physoclists by the rapid reduction of hydrostatic pressure during the ascent to the surface during capture. We investigated the effects of barotrauma on five commercially important species: roman Chrysoblephus laticeps, silver kob Argyrosomus inodorus, hottentot Pachymetopon blochii, santer Cheimerius nufar and carpenter Argyrozona argyrozona. A classification of the external signs of barotrauma was developed and internal and external signs of barotrauma were examined in relation to fishing depth and fish size, and compared between species. Immediate post-release mortality was investigated during a catch-and-release experiment. Medium-term survival of C. laticeps (~1 d) was examined by returning fish to depth in cages and subsequent monitoring on SCUBA. Our results indicate that most of the fish experience barotrauma even when caught at relatively shallow depths. External signs include extension of the inflated, everted stomach through the mouth, distended eyes, protrusion of the hind-gut and other organs through the cloaca, and gas bubbles in the dermal tissue between the fin rays. The absence of any obvious external signs of barotrauma can be misleading as dissections of such fish revealed ruptures of the swimbladder and other internal injuries consistent with barotrauma. Our results indicate that there might be significant post-release mortality, a factor that needs to be taken into account during stock assessment predictions and during the implementation of catch restrictions.     

青藏高原东南缘晚第三纪盐源构造逸出盆地的沉积特征与构造控制

晚第三纪盐源盆地位于夹持于鲜水河断裂与红河断裂之间的川滇块体的东南缘，并夹于木里弧与盐源弧形构造之间。为东西向展布并向南东凸出的弧形盆地，盆地中充填了巨厚的同构造期的磨拉石，是一个由顶底不整合面限制的构造层序，具有总体先向上变细后向上变粗变浅的完整沉积旋回；盆地自南而北的充填样式总体显示为冲积扇（水下扇）－深湖－湖沼－河流冲积平原，为一个南厚北薄楔形盆地，沉只特征表明该盆地具有单断张性盆地的充填特性，川滇块体向南东挤出作用使该区由原来的挤压状态下逆冲系统转变为引张状态下的向南东的构造逃逸系统，从而在川滇块体内形成晚第三纪盐源盆地，盆地的长轴垂直于川滇块体南东向挤出方向。因此，晚第三纪盐源盆地是大陆块体侧向挤出作用的沉积响应，沉积物的时代研究表明川滇块体这次挤出构造事件出现的时间为晚中新世－上新世，其与Tapponnier(1986）大陆块体侧向多期挤逸模式最后一期挤出事件相对应。