Seasonal Variations in Abundance and Size Composition of the Lobate Ctenophore Bolinopsis Mikado (Moser) in Tokyo Bay, Central Japan

Surveys of the abundance and size composition of the ctenophore Bolinopsis mikado were conducted in Tokyo Bay over a 5-year period from 1990 to 1994. B. mikado appeared throughout the year, and its mass occurrence was observed between August and November; annual maximum abundance ranged from 19 to 91 ind. m^–2. Water temperature seems to influence the seasonal variation of B. mikado abundance. Environmental conditions (e.g. rough waters due to a typhoon) and predation by the beroid ctenophore Beroe cucumis appear to affect annual variations of B. mikado abundance. Size frequency distributions of B. mikado indicated that its reproduction was most active in summer and fall but occurred throughout the year in Tokyo Bay. A sharp decline of the copepod population in August 1990 was probably due to predation by B. mikado which was very abundant at that time; its predatory impact was estimated to be 24 % day^–1.     

三亚湾秋季桡足类分布与种类组成及对浮游植物现存量的摄食压力

秋季(11月底),桡足类针刺拟哲水蚤(Paracalanusaculeatus)和拟哲水蚤(Paracalanus)幼体为三亚湾优势种;强额孔雀哲水蚤(Pavocalanuscrassirostris)对浮游植物现存量的平均日摄食压力最大,各站平均为叶绿素a的(6.79±6.82)%,其次是针刺拟哲水蚤,平均为(5.97±5.67)%,亚强次真哲水蚤(Subeucalanussubcrassus)对浮游植物现存量的摄食压力较低,平均为(2.20±2.33)%,桡足类在秋季对浮游植物的日摄食压力占叶绿素a的(22.31±18.92)%。三亚湾属于生产力偏低的海区,对初级生产力的摄食压力以中型浮游动物针刺拟哲水蚤、锯缘拟哲水蚤(Paracalanusserrulus)、红纺锤水蚤(Acartiaerythraea)、微驼背隆哲水蚤(Acro calanusgracilis)和驼背隆哲水蚤(Acrocalanusgibber)为主,小型浮游动物的摄食压力也占一定的比例。     

Mesozooplankton dynamics in nearshore waters of the Great Barrier Reef

Zooplankton dynamics (community composition, juvenile somatic growth rate, adult egg production, secondary production) were studied in coastal waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Two sectors were compared, one adjacent to a catchment of near-pristine land use patterns, the other to a more intensively farmed catchment. Sampling was conducted in the austral winter (August) and summer (January–March) of two succeeding years. Gradients in zooplankton community composition were weak, with only moderate effects of season and sector. Overall, 37% of zooplankton biomass was in the 73–150 μm size fraction, 26% in the 150–350 μm fraction, and 38% was >350 μm. There was no biomass difference and only small differences in community composition between samples taken during the day and at night; ostracods and large calanoid copepods were occasionally more common at night. Carbon-specific growth rates averaged 0.29 d⁻¹ for cyclopoid copepods and 0.35 d⁻¹ for calanoid copepods, with no difference between sectors. Calanoid copepod growth showed a significant relationship to chlorophyll concentration, but cyclopoid copepods did not. Copepod egg production was low (7.9 ± 5.9 eggs female⁻¹ d⁻¹) and apparently food-limited. Copepod secondary production was lower in August (mean = 2.6, range 1.4–4.0 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) than in January–March (mean = 8.5, range 2.4–15.5 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹). Secondary production by mesozooplankton in the 73–100 μm size range averaged 0.9% of total phytoplankton production.     

湄洲湾灵川贝类养殖滩涂小型底栖动物数量研究

2005年6月至2006年3月对湄洲湾北岸灵川贝类养殖滩涂的小型底栖动物进行研究,并探讨了贝类养殖对滩涂底栖环境可能造成的影响.结果表明:小型底栖动物的总平均密度为65.7±37.5个/cm2,春季(3月)的密度比其它季节高.线虫和桡足类是小型底栖动物密度的主要组成,其中线虫平均密度为63.9个/cm2,约占密度组成的97.3%;桡足类平均密度为0.77个/cm2,约占密度组成的1.2%.许多站次的线虫和桡足类数量之比(N/C)均超过100,多贝类养殖的Y断面的小型底栖动物密度、N/C均比寡贝类养殖的F断面高.     

二氧化碳酸化对两种桡足类肌肉和卵母细胞超微结构的影响

利用实验生态学方法及透射电子显微镜技术对培养于CO₂酸化海水中的中华哲水蚤和刺尾纺锤水蚤肌肉和卵母细胞超微结构进行了观察。结果表明:两种桡足类肌丝排列的有序性均随酸化的加剧而降低,较高CO₂浓度海水会对桡足类产生一定程度的氧化损伤;桡足类卵母细胞的电子密度随酸化的加剧而降低,球形颗粒出现内缩或瓦解,酸化可能会导致桡足类卵母细胞发生过量凋亡,从而影响卵的质量。     

Effects of some environmental parameters on the reproduction and development of a tropical marine harpacticoid copepod Nitocra affinis f. californica Lang

The effects of salinity, temperature, and light conditions on the reproduction and development of harpacticoid copepod, Nitocra affinis f. californica under controlled laboratory conditions were determined. Seven different salinity levels (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 ppt), four temperatures (20, 25, 30, 35 °C), three different light intensities (25, 56, 130 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and photoperiods (24 h:0 h, 1 h:23 h, 12 h:12 h LD cycle) were employed in this study. The highest (p < 0.05) overall reproduction and fastest development time were achieved by copepods reared under 30–35 ppt salinity. The optimum temperature required for the maximum reproduction was 30 °C while under 30 °C and 35 °C the copepod development time was shortest (p < 0.05) compared to other temperature levels. The overall reproduction was highest (p < 0.05) and development rate of N. affinis was shortest (p < 0.05) under lowest light intensity (25 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Continuous light (24 h:0 h LD) inhibited the egg production while, continuous darkness (1 h:23 h LD) and 12 h:12 h LD significantly favoured the overall reproductive activity of the female. Photoperiods 1 h:23 h and 12 h:12 h LD yielded highest total (p < 0.05) offspring female⁻¹ coupled with highest (p < 0.05) survival percentage. This study illustrated that although N. affinis can tolerate wide range of environmental conditions, prolonged exposure to subnormal environments affect its reproduction and development. This study showed that this species can be mass cultured for commercial purposes and has a potential to be used for toxicity studies due to its high reproductive performance fast development and a wide range of tolerance to environmental conditions.