Seagrass colonization: Knock-on effects on zoobenthic community,populations and individual health

This study provided evidence that Zostera noltii presence affects macrofauna community structure independently from median sediment grain-size and that the notion of ecosystem health is rather subjective: in the present case, we recorded “good health” in terms of seagrass development, “no impact” in terms of macrobenthic biotic indices and “negative effect” for a given key-population. The occurrence and development of a Z. noltii seagrass bed was surveyed at Banc d’Arguin, Arcachon Bay (France), to estimate the modification of the macrozoobenthic community and of the dynamics of a key-population for the local ecosystem, – the cockle Cerastoderma edule. Even though median grain-size of the sediment decreased only at the very end of the survey, i.e. when seagrass totally invaded the area, most of the macrofauna community characteristics (such as abundance and biomass) increased as soon as Z. noltii patches appeared. The structure of the macrofauna community also immediately diverged between sand and seagrass habitats, without however modifying the tested biotic indices (BENTIX, BOPA, AMBI). The health of the cockle population (growth, abundance, recruitment) was impacted by seagrass development. Related parasite communities slowly diverged between habitats, with more parasites in the cockles from seagrass areas. However, the number of parasites per cockle was always insufficient to alter cockle fitness.     

Small-scale Spatial Distribution of a Pyramidellid Snail Ectoparasite, Boonea impressa, in Relation to its Host, Crassostrea virginica, on Oyster Reefs

Abstract. The pyramidellid snail, Boonea (= Odostomia) impressa (SAY), is an important ectoparasite of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica (G melin ). The small-scale spatial distribution of snails was examined in 11 oyster populations in the Copano Bay - Aransas Bay area of the Texas coast. Snails were contagiously distributed (s²/>1) and positively spatially autocorrelated. Patchiness was better developed and patches were larger on enclosed reefs than on more exposed open-bay reefs, probably because higher wave energy and increased distance between oyster clumps limited clump-to-clump movement by snails on open-bay reefs. Small snails were consistently distributed differently from large snails because small snails were less host specific. As the snails grow, a narrowing of host preference results in a substantial change in spatial distribution. Snails were consistently more contagiously distributed than their hosts; however, snail distribution was not host-density dependent. Factors determining the spatial distribution of the host had surprisingly little effect on the distribution of snails. Snail aggregates apparently form randomly by chance meetings of a few snails and then grow by attraction of additional snails. Consequently, snail behavior, which determines the size and length of time a patch retains its integrity, and the age distribution of the snail population may be the two most important factors, besides population size, determining the impact of B. impressa on oyster populations.     

新发现的江河寄生性等足类——细角鳃虫的人工感染试验

珠江水系贺江段近年出现严重危害网箱养殖和江河鱼类资源的大型寄生虫病害．初步鉴定该虫隶属于甲壳纲．等足目．鳃虫科．细角鳃虫属．是国内新发现的淡水鱼类寄生虫。用该虫对草鱼、银鲫、麦鲮进行人工感染．结果表明：该虫具有很强的寄生能力．累积感染率为76．2％～100．0％；对寄生部位具有一定的选择性，以寄生在鳃部的比例（55．6％～72．0％）最大．胸鳍（11．7％～28．8％）次之；对试验鱼有较强的致死性；该虫吸血后体长（L）增长较大．体宽（W）基本不变；从寄主体上主动脱落的虫体，其L／W的增长率（16．32％～18．00％）较大，而一直寄生在寄主身上的虫体．其L／W的增长率则因各自摄食量的不同而存在较大的差异。     

Ecology of benthic polychaetes in the heathcote estuary,New Zealand

The distributions of 19 species of polychaetes burrowing in the intertidal sand and mudbanks of the Heathcote Estuary, New Zealand, are related to salinity, sediment grade, and length of time of exposure at low tide. Only Nicon aestuariensis Knox and Scotecolepides benhami Ehlers appear to be truly estuarine species reaching their greatest population densities in low salinities. Incidental observations of feeding and reproduction are reported.     

Prevalence of Kudoa thyrsites (Myxozoa) in South African sardine Sardinops sagax,kingklip Genypterus capensis,and Cape hakes Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus

Prevalence of infection with the myxozoan parasite Kudoa thyrsites is not well documented in sardine Sardinops sagax, the Cape hakes Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, and kingklip Genypterus capensis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used to determine the prevalence of K. thyrsites in wild-caught S. sagax (n?=?296), Merluccius spp. (n?=?162) and G. capensis (n?=?70), harvested in 2015. Sardinops sagax were harvested from the east, south and west coasts of South Africa, whereas M. capensis, M. paradoxus and G. capensis were taken from the west coast only. Relationships between K. thyrsites infection prevalence and fish capture locality, season, sex and size were determined with Chi-square tests. Prevalence was highest in S. sagax (91%), followed by M. capensis and M. paradoxus (87%) and G. capensis (40%). Prevalence was independent of sex of the host for all fish species. In the case of S. sagax only, the prevalence of infection was independent of locality of capture but depended on season, with prevalence lowest during spring and highest during autumn. No significant relationship (p?>?0.05) was found between infection prevalence and host size for any of the fish species.     

海洋贝类的病害性纤毛虫研究Ⅲ.触毛亚目盾纤类纤毛虫

报道山东沿海贝类鳃表及外套腔中共栖的 3种触毛亚目盾纤类纤毛虫 :厚鱼钩虫(Ancistrum crassum)、日本鱼钩虫 (Ancistrum jap onicum)及亚桶形后口虫 (Boveriasubcylindrica)。文中依据活体观察、蛋白银及银浸法染色对其活体形态学、纤毛图式及银线结构进行了综合描述 ,对采自 4种不同宿主的厚鱼钩虫种群进行了比较研究。该文系后口虫属纤毛虫在我国的首次报道。     

Hydrology of Karamea Bight,New Zealand

The results of a hydrological survey of the Karamea Bight, on the west coast of the South Island, are presented and discussed. The hydrology of the region was dominated by the Westland Current, the river outflow and wind‐induced upwelling. The existence of a southwards flowing undercurrent associated with the upwelling is postulated at 150 m depth over the continental slope, and the name of Westland Undercurrent is proposed for this feature.     

三疣梭子蟹含硒谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶基因克隆及其表达分析

为探究三疣梭子蟹的免疫机制以及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)在甲壳动物响应寄生虫感染免疫过程中的作用,本研究采用RACE方法从三疣梭子蟹中克隆获得硒半胱氨酸-谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶基因的全长cDNA序列,其cDNA序列全长为696bp,5′-UTR长度为102bp,3′-UTR长度为87bp,开放阅读框长度为507bp,编码168个氨基酸,其中含有一个典型的由蛋白石终止密码子(220TGA222)编码的硒半胱氨酸(40U)。预测了该基因编码的氨基酸序列及其中的保守结构域,包括GPx家族签名序列(64LAFPCNQF71)、活性位点序列(152WNFEKF157)以及与酶催化活性相关的氨基酸位点包括谷氨酰胺(74Q)、精氨酸(90R和168R)和色氨酸(142W)。相似性比对和系统发育分析结果表明,三疣梭子蟹硒半胱氨酸-谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(SeGPx)与甲壳动物中的SeGPxs相似性较高,其中与拟穴青蟹SeGPx相似性最高,并与其在系统发育树中聚为一支。经血卵涡鞭虫侵染后(0—192h),SeGPx基因在三疣梭子蟹的血细胞、肝胰腺和鳃组织中的转录水平均发生显著性升高。该结果表明,SeGPx在三疣梭子蟹应对血卵涡鞭虫的免疫反应中发挥重要作用,可通过调控甲壳宿主体内被病原扰乱的氧化还原状态进而起到宿主组织保护作用。     

Thraustochytrium caudivorum——一种香港牡蛎新型原生生物寄生虫

破囊壶菌(Thraustochytrids)是一类具有分解作用的海洋异养原生生物。研究表明破囊壶菌可对软体动物、海洋扁虫类造成消耗性疾病。本研究从发病的牡蛎鳃组织中分离出一种未在牡蛎中记录过的破囊壶菌寄生虫,经形态学及分子生物学分析后,鉴定为一种破囊壶菌寄生虫Thraustochytriu caudivorum。利用倒置显微镜和激光共聚焦超高分辨系统观察到T.caudivorum的生活史可分为游动孢子、营养细胞、孢子囊和变形虫四个阶段。游动孢子沉降成营养细胞,营养细胞再通过二分裂或形成孢子囊的方式释放不动的和可游动的孢子。破囊壶菌的形态大小变化迥异,本研究利用流式细胞仪和共聚焦系统探究了不同盐度对细胞大小的影响。结果表明,随盐度增大,体积小的细胞占比增多;在盐度为15 ppt时,细胞增殖缓慢,体积变大;而在盐度为20和25 ppt时,细胞体积变小,增殖速率加快。25 ppt盐度条件下,游动孢子数目最多。本研究首次从香港牡蛎鳃组织中分离出T. caudivorum寄生虫,并确立了其与破囊壶菌其他属之间的系统发育关系。