Two New Species of Free-Living Marine Nematodes of the Desmodoridae from Mangrove Wetlands of Xiamen Bay,China

Mangroves are unique in their biodiversity,but studies on their meiobenthic biodiversity in China are scarce.Despite the importance of mangroves,little work has been done on the classification of nematodes in mangrove wetlands.Fujian Province is the most northern point of China’s natural mangrove distribution,and it is also one of the provinces with the earliest constructed mangrove forest.In this paper,two new free-living marine nematode species of Desmodoridae from the Xiamen mangrove wetlands in China are described.Metachromadora xiamenensis sp.nov.is characterized by a cylindrical body,and smooth head capsule set off from the rest of the body.The cuticle is finely annulated and thickened at the midbody.Lateral ridges run from the posterior end of the pharynx to the middle of the tail.The amphid foveae is loop shaped and opens at the top with a double contour amphidial,pharynx with bipartite cuticularized internal cavity.There are 18 tubular precloacal supplements and tail with three small protuberances.Molgolaimus euryformis sp.nov.is characterized by a relatively short and plump body with finely annulated cuticle,which is particularly obvious in the tail.The head is small and wide with intensive striates.The inner and outer labial sensilla are indistinct with short spicules and ventral apophysis,a gubernaculum with a block-shaped hook,a swollen conical-cylindrical tail and an absence of precloacal supplements.     

中国对虾虾苗体表细菌的扫描电镜和病理学观察

从对虾育苗池中任意收集活的虾苗，通过扫描电镜观察发现其体表有大量附生细菌和污着生物，优势菌为弧菌属。这些细菌可分解几丁质，损害甲壳表导并影响蜕皮，为其它生物附着创造了机会。当有病毒感染或其它因素使其抗病力下降时，此类细菌可能乘机进入虾苗繁殖，引发弧菌病，故可称之为条件致病菌。有体表细菌附生的虾苗，肝胰腺内也常发现细小病毒和大量细菌感染，造成肝组织坏死。这是虾苗停止变态、蜕皮和大量死亡的重要原因。     

Ecology of Nematodes in the Mediterranean Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile 1. General Part and Faunistics of the Nematode Community

Abstract. The nematode fauna of the phytal region of a stand of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile was studied in a shallow subtidal location (5 m) at the island of Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy). During a one year's growth-cycle of the seagrass, abundance and faunal composition of the nematode community were investigated in a stratified sampling survey. Ninety seven species of nematodes were found. Nematode density and biomass ranged from 1.3 · 10⁵ indiv. · m^-2 (0.02g dwt · m^-2) in winter to 5.5 · 10⁵ indiv. · m^-2 (0.08 g dwt · m^-2) in early autumn. Density and biomass of nematodes were much lower and showed more marked seasonal fluctuations in the leaf strata than in the stem stratum of the seagrass. Diversity and seasonal homogeneity (expressed with Riedl 's index) were much lower in the two leaf strata (25–36 species, 29.6 ho%) than in the stem stratum (60–70 species, 42.5 ho%). The nematode community of the leaf stratum can be characterized as a Chromadora nudicapitata – Monhystrella sp. –Symplocostoma tenuicolle– community and is clearly set off from the stem stratum community (9.2% Riedl 's ho%), which is characterized as a Molgolaimus sp. 1 –Epsilonema sp. 1 –Chromadora nudicapitata– community. In the seasonal succession, the leaf stratum fauna shifts from a chromadorid-dominated community (from winter to summer) to a monhysterid-dominated community in early autumn. The stem stratum fauna shifts from a epsilonematid-dominated fauna in winter to a molgolaimid-dominated fauna in summer and early autumn. The distribution of nematode size classes showed a clear selection toward small animals (< 1 mm lenght), although marked seasonal fluctuations in size class distribution were observed. A modified approach for describing the trophic structure of the nematode fauna is presented. The observed abundance patterns and changes of community composition are discussed in relation to the development of habitat complexity and in relation to trophic conditions in the scagrass stand according to the seasonal growth rhythm of the plants and their aufwuchs-community.     

渤海自由生活海洋线虫两个新种(英文)

渤海自由生活海洋线虫两个新种,海异齿线虫Parodontophora marina n.sp.(嘴刺目、轴线虫科)和异毛联体线虫Paracomesoma heterosetosum n.sp.(色矛目、联体线虫科);前者来自渤海莱州湾的DA_2和DA_4站,水深分别为20和16m;后者来自大连夏家河子砂质滩中潮带。新种海异齿线虫与日本海齿线虫(P.marisjaponici Platonova,1971)十分相似,但新种有规则排列的颈刚毛(雄性和雌性的颈刚毛排列式均为(3D—2V)2,排泄细胞大且排泄孔开口于口腔中部的腹部表面。新种异毛联体线虫的雄性交接器为本属相对最长者,为肛径的7倍,化感器之后成对的颈刚毛以及de Man比值明显地高于本属所有的种。本文提供了包括这两个新种在内的两个属双歧式检索表。模式标本保存在青岛海洋大学海洋生物系。     

Meiobenthos in Nha trang bay of the south China sea (Vietnam)

The distribution of the taxonomical composition and the density of meiobenthos depending on the sediment type has been studied in bottom sediments of Nha Trang Bay. The maximal population density and the taxonomical diversity were observed in the silted coarse and heterogeneous sand (1031.4μ419.7 ind. 10 cm^-2), whereas the minimal level of density and diversity (588.1μ152.5 ind. 10 cm^-2) was in the coarse and heterogeneous sand with shell debris and corals. The correlation between the median diameter of sediment particles and population density of meiobenthos has been revealed (r=0.82, p<0.05). In bottom sediments of Nha Trang Bay, twenty six taxonomic groups of meiobenthos were observed. Nematodes dominated in all sediment types. Representatives of four orders, twenty eight families and ninety seven genera of marine nematodes were identified. The vertical distribution of meiobenthos in different sediment types was considered. A sediment column (10 cm height) was sectioned by five 2 cm portions. In the last layer (8-10 cm) the most number of meiobenthic groups was found in sandy sediments. In the lower layers of silt sediments, only nematodes were found.     

Biomass of meiobenthic in the Bohai Sea, China

IorasMeiOfauna is a vmp imprtant pep in benthic small bo web energetica1ly duo to theirarell aize and high turnovr rates. A nde Of meMauna op be the recireulaton of nutrient8*Marine nemathe mey keep the bacterial chnies on sand grains in active phase Of gorth byfeding on bacteria, thus enhancing the recirculation Of nutrients (McIntyre, l969; Feller andWrmick, l988; MOntagna et al., l995). But energetics studie8, no matter tfor conductedon the energybudgt level for individua sPeCies or a…     

Tackling the Sulfide Gradient: A Novel Strategy Involving Marine Nematodes and Chemoautotrophic Ectosymbionts

Abstract. The Stilbonemutinue (marine free-living nematodes) arc remarkable for cctosymbiotic bacteria, which cover the greatest part of their body in a highly ordered and species specific pattern. Using SEM we describe the main types of symbiotic cover and give evidence for the role of the bacteria in the nutrition of their host on the basis of stable carbon isotope ratios. In experimental systems the worms migrated repeatedly across a sulfide gradient during 12 h when sulfide concentrations were low, but stayed above the sulfide maximum at high concentrations. The migration across the chemocline exposes the symbionts alternately to reduced sulfur compounds and oxygen; this constitutes an alternative strategy to the ventilation/circulation systems in symbiotic macrofauna from sulfidic habitats.     

Long‐term nutrient enrichment alters nematode trophic structure and body size in a Spartina alterniflora salt marsh

The effects of long‐term experimental nutrient enrichment on nematode trophic guilds and morphometrics were examined in intertidal saltmarsh creeks of Plum Island Estuary, Massachusetts, USA. Nematodes from the marsh‐edge Spartina alterniflora habitat in a reference creek (n = 3300) were sampled annually and compared with nematodes (n = 3100) from a creek in which nitrate and phosphate loading rates were increased approximately 10–15× for 6 years. Trophic guilds in both creeks were dominated by epistrate (diatom) feeders and predators, and natural temporal variability across years was high. However, after 4 years of nutrient enrichment, a shift in the nutrient‐enriched creek was detected from a dominance of epistrate feeders to an increased proportion of predators, even though neither the benthic microalgae biomass nor the total density of nematodes was affected by fertilization. Nematodes also became longer, and longer relative to their diameter over time with nutrient enrichment because of the shift in trophic structure as short‐stout epistrate feeders were replaced with longer, more slender predators. These changes may have been directly related to nutrient enrichment effects on benthic algae or indirectly to the many other effects of enrichments on ecosystem structure or function. Our research indicates that nutrient enrichment alters the nematode community and this alternation may directly or indirectly affect the response of benthic algae to nutrient enrichment and as well as other ecosystem services.     

Spatial and seasonal variations in the ecological characteristics of the free-living nematode assemblages in a large microtidal estuary

This study has determined the ways in which the density, number of species, species composition and trophic structure of free-living nematode assemblages in the subtidal waters of a large southern hemisphere microtidal estuary change spatially and seasonally, and has explored whether those four biotic characteristics are related to certain environmental factors. Based on data derived from samples collected seasonally at 12 sites throughout the estuary, the densities and number of species of nematodes decreased progressively with distance from estuary mouth, to reach a minimum at sites where salinities were most variable, and then increased slightly in the uppermost part of the estuary where salinities were least. Densities were also generally greatest in spring, due largely to increases in the abundance of epistrate-grazing species at this time and thus when the amount of primary food (microphytobenthos) peaked. The spatial distribution of the composition of the nematode assemblages was closely correlated with salinity and, to a lesser extent, grain-size composition and amount of particulate organic material (%POM) in the sediment. Although species composition changed sequentially along the estuary, the change was particularly pronounced between sites above and below the area where salinities started to decline markedly and become more variable and %POM increased markedly. This reflected, in particular, far greater abundances of Spirinia parasitifera at the six downstream sites and of Theristus sp. 1 at the six sites further upstream. Species composition underwent pronounced seasonal cyclical changes at all sites, presumably reflecting interspecific differences in the timing of peak reproduction and thus of recruitment. The trophic structure of the nematode assemblages changed both spatially and temporally in relation to the relative abundance of different food sources. Thus, for example, non-selective deposit feeders, such as Theristus sp. 1, dominated samples in the upper estuary, where %POM was by far the greatest, and was rare or absent at downstream sites. Conversely, epistrate grazers, such as species of the Chromadoridae, were most abundant at downstream sites in spring, when the density of the microphytobenthos reached its maximum.