Spawning patterns of four species of predominantly temperate pelagic fishes in the sub-tropical waters of southern Queensland

The diverse pelagic fish assemblage of sub-tropical southern Queensland includes fishes with predominantly temperate distributions, such as tailor Pomatomus saltatrix, sardine Sardinops sagax, round herring Etrumeus teres, and Australian anchovy Engraulis australis. The peak spawning seasons of P. saltatrix, S. sagax and E. teres occur during late winter and early spring (June–October). Eggs and larvae of these three species are widely distributed in shelf waters and comprise >50% of the ichthyoplankton assemblage during this period. Mean monthly sea surface temperatures (SSTs) during late winter and early spring range from 21 to 23 °C, and are thus similar to those recorded in southern Australia during summer and autumn, which is the spawning season of these three species in those temperate waters. E. australis eggs occur mainly in inshore waters, and comprise >50% of fish eggs collected during summer and autumn when mean monthly SSTs in southern Queensland exceed 27 °C. E. australis also spawns mainly during summer and autumn in temperate Australia. Hence, water temperature may be less important as a determinant of the spawning season of E. australis than it is for the other three species. The suitability of southern Queensland for spawning by predominantly temperate species during late winter and early spring may contribute to the high diversity of the region's pelagic fish assemblage. Adult P. saltatrix, S. sagax and E. teres appear to migrate northwards into southern Queensland during early winter to spawn, and larvae may be transported southwards into temperate waters by the East Australian Current. This dispersal-migration pattern is similar to those observed for several species, including P. saltatrix, in the western boundary current systems off the east coasts of North America and Africa. Hence, pelagic fishes in ecosystems off the east coast of three continents migrate into sub-tropical waters to spawn, and larvae are transported back into temperate nursery areas by the prevailing current.     

Effects of temperature and salinity on the development of embryos and larvae of the veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa （Valenciennes, 1846）

The major population of the veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa(Valenciennes, 1846), which is an important fishery resource, is facing a large decline in China. We studied the effects of incubation temperature(16–34℃ at salinity 30) and salinity(5–45 at 25℃) on the incubation period and subsequent larval development. In the temperature experiment, the shortest incubation period was 12 days at 34℃, the lower temperature limit was 16℃, the longest mean shell length(1 193±17 μm) occurred at 25℃ and the highest survival rate 72.28%±5.62% was observed at 28℃. In the salinity experiment, the shortest incubation period was 15 days at 25. The salinity tolerance range was 15–40, the longest mean shell length(855±9 μm) and the highest survival rate 72.93%±4.85% were both observed at 35. This study demonstrated that, during the egg–mass stage, temperature and salinity regimes infl uence later growth and survival of larvae. These observations deepen our understanding of the ecology and conservation of natural populations of Rapana venosa.     

Physical forcing of onshore transport of crab megalopae in the northern Portuguese upwelling system

Wind-driven circulation is a mechanism that may be involved in the shoreward transport of invertebrate larvae. This study investigated the temporal variability of the supply of crab megalopae to an estuary located in the northwest coast of Portugal, which is affected by seasonal upwelling, and related variations in supply to several upwelling indices. Megalopae of the European common shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.). were collected daily, using artificial settlement substrates, during a 3-month period, from March 15 to June 15, 2000. Two settlement episodes were detected, which were consistent with the variation in abundance and size of juvenile crabs. Variations in subtidal sea level and sea surface temperature anomaly were correlated with the strength of along-shore wind stress and consistent with upwelling theory. Contingency analyses showed positive significant associations between increasing intensity of southerly winds and megalopal supply, for time lags of 0–6 d, indicating that shoreward transport occurred during relaxation or reversal of upwelling favourable winds. Associations between megalopal supply and tidal range or the duration of nocturnal flood were not detected. Compared to other studies of the supply of crab megalopae to coastal habitats that used a similar methodology, very low numbers of megalopae were collected during this study. The paucity of C. maenas megalopae in the Ria de Aveiro is in agreement with the low densities of this larval stage in the plankton, and indicates that maintenance of the population is achieved despite a low supply of megalopae.     

罗氏沼虾仔虾及蚤状Ⅺ期幼体对盐度突变的适应试验

本文试验了罗氏沼虾仔虾及Z11期幼体对盐度突变的适应能力。试验结果表明,0．82cm的仔虾由盐度10．8‰放入淡水中及0．98cm的仔虾由淡水直接放放20‰以下盐度水中培育,对虾仔的成活影响不明显;Z11期幼体由盈度17‰直接放入7—17‰盐度水中和由盐度10．8‰放入4—10．8％盐度水中以及淡化后第二天由淡水直接放入17‰盐度水中培育,对幼体的成活率无明显影响,幼体能正常蜕皮变态。     

中华乌塘鳢仔稚鱼的生长发育

在实验培养条件下,观察了中华乌塘鳢Bostrichthys sinensis(Lacepede)仔稚鱼期的鳍、消化管、鳃耙等器官的发育过程。测量仔稚鱼标本198尾,将全长等11个形态指标数据进行线性回归处理,找出各形态指标与全长之间的关系。     

泥蚶幼虫滤水率和摄食率的研究

于１９９６年８月在胶南市棋子湾海珍品育苗采集已孵化５天,在壳长达到１４５μｍ的泥蚶面盘幼虫,利用Ｃｏｕｌｔｅｒ ｃｏｕｎｔｅｒ颗粒计数器测量泯蚶幼虫培育水体中饵料颗粒物质浓度的变化,对泥蚶幼虫的滤水率、摄食率进行了测定,并得出泥蚶幼虫滤水率,摄食率与生殖发育之间的关系。结果表明,泥蚶幼虫的壳长与其滤水率和摄食率均呈正相关,即幼虫工越长,其滤水率和摄食率越高。相同环境条件下,幼虫的培育密度与其滤率呈     

Experimental research on the influence of two cultivation practices on rainfall runoff- and （sandy and muddy） sediment-generating processes in purple soil environment

Rainfall simulations have been conducted to study the soil erosion process of purple soil in two cultivation practices---contour cultivation and downslope cultivation. Results showed that under the two cultivation practices, the surface runoff can be described by the logarithmic function formula. In the initial period of rainfall, the amount of runoff increased with the rainfall duration and 20 minutes later it became relatively constant. The changing process of soil erosion rate may be described by the logarithmic function formula. The erosion rate increased with the rainfall duration and 20 minutes later it also became constant. Under downslope cultivation condition, the soil erosion rate increased more significantly than that under contour cultivation condition in the case of gentle rainfall intensity, and there is no obvious difference in erosion rate for downslope cultivation and contour cultivation practices. However, with increasing rainfall intensity the soil erosion rate under the downslope cultivation condition could be more than 30 times that under the contour cultivation condition. But this kind of difference would be reduced to some extent in the case of heavy rain.     

荒漠蓝藻规模化培养试验

以人工生物土壤结皮治理沙化土地技术是近年来新兴的绿色环保固沙技术,是目前沙区生态恢复研究的热点。然而,用于人工生物土壤结皮培养的荒漠蓝藻等生物体的产量是限制该技术大规模应用的瓶颈。为阐明荒漠蓝藻规模化培养的生长特征及其限制因子,以分离于腾格里沙漠蓝藻结皮中的优势荒漠蓝藻——鱼腥藻（Anabaena cylindrica）、具鞘微鞘藻（Microcoleus vaginatus）、念珠藻（Nostoc carneum）、席藻（Phormidium sp. NIES-2121）、伪枝藻（Scytonema sp. NIES-4073）、爪哇伪枝藻（Scytonema javanicum）和单歧藻（Tolypothrix tenuis）为研究对象,测定了不同扰动时长下荒漠蓝藻的生长特征和产量,分析了荒漠蓝藻的生长与扰动时长、温度、光照强度、光合有效辐射、pH和电导率对荒漠蓝藻的影响。结果显示：荒漠蓝藻接种后干重先迅速增加后逐渐趋于稳定,而6 h和12 h扰动下干重在培养后期高于3 h扰动;荒漠蓝藻在3、6、12 h扰动下的总质量分别为每培养池（15 m³）0.858、0.940、0.841 kg;在3 h和12 h扰动下荒漠蓝藻干重与日均温度呈显著二项式相关,与日均光照强度和日均光合有效辐射呈显著负相关;荒漠蓝藻总质量与有效积温显著正相关。6 h扰动时长下荒漠蓝藻的总质量最高,且6 h扰动下荒漠蓝藻长势好于3 h,较12 h扰动耗能小。在荒漠蓝藻规模化培养时应将扰动时长设置为6 h,且确保生长期内的有效积温应不低于145 ℃。     

Distribution of whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri, Desmarest 1823) larvae in the Río de la Plata estuarine front

Whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) larvae obtained and hydrographic data collected in the Rio de la Plata estuary (35°S–56°W) between 1987 and 2000 were used to explore the early life stages spatial and temporal distribution patterns and their relation to oceanographic features. The spatial distribution, restricted to a band in the inner part of the estuary, coincided with the bottom salinity front and the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ, turbidity front). Larvae were present during the warmest months (October through May) within a range of 14–24.5 °C temperature and 0.9–33 salinity. A vertically stratified sampling performed in the region where the largest abundance was found (December 2005 and March 2006) was used to test the hypothesis that larvae retention occurs in the bottom salinity front.The vertically stratified sampling showed larvae throughout the water column with high predominance in the river–estuary transition zone. A positive correlation between abundance and the bottom salinity horizontal gradient was found. The size analysis showed that the largest individuals (>10 mm SL), probably undergoing the settlement process, inhabited near the bottom and that the smallest (<10 mm SL) were present in the whole water column. Length distribution along the front showed no trend.Results support the estuarine retention hypothesis of previous studies on whitemouth croaker gravid females, eggs distribution and outcomes from a numerical simulation model. Retention in the salinity front/MTZ would allow larvae to benefit from food accumulation in the region, the high turbidity level provide shelter against predators and retention in the estuary secure closeness to the main nursery ground.     

Dispersion and feeding of larval herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the Moray Firth during September 1985

A plume of herring larvae dispersing from a spawning site at Clythness in the Moray Firth (northern Scotland) was surveyed during early September 1985. Several cohorts of larvae were evident from the length distributions, and these were arranged in order of increasing length (age) towards the south-west. The spacing of cohort centres indicated a drift rate of 1–2 km day⁻¹.Calanoid copepod nauplii constituted the major proportion of the diet of larvae <10 mm sampled during the study. Cyclopoid copepod nauplii and gastropod veligers were not found in the diet although they were present in the water. The distribution of nauplii in the region was inversely correlated with the concentration of phytoplankton chlorophyll, and nauplii concentrations were above average in the vicinity of the herring spawning site. The drift trajectory of the herring larvae took them towards an area of high copepodite and adult copepod concentration—items which formed an increasing part of the diet of larger (older) larvae.