Diet and dietary variation of New Zealand hoki Macruronus novaezelandiae

The diet of hoki was determined from examination of stomach contents of 1992 fish of 26–112 cm total length (TL) sampled at depths of 209–904m on Chatham Rise, New Zealand, from summer research trawl surveys and seasonal commercial fishing trawls, during 2004–2008. Prey was predominantly euphausiids, mesopelagic fishes and natant decapods. Multivariate analyses using distance-based linear models, non-parametric multi-dimensional scaling and similarity percentages indicated that the best predictors of diet variability were the position of the fish in relation to the subtropical front (STF), fish size and longitude. Pasiphaeids were more important to the north of the STF, and sternoptychid fishes and euphausiids more important in the STF convergence area. Euphausiids and sternoptychid fishes were important for smaller hoki (26–55 cm TL), myctophid fishes and natant decapods for larger hoki, and macrourids for the largest hoki (>84 cm TL). The longitudinal effect was characterised by pasiphaeids, euphausiids and sternoptychids to the west, and myctophids in the centre of Chatham Rise. Feeding activity was analysed using generalised additive models, and was found to vary with time of day, sample source (research or commercial), longitude, hoki size and depth. The variability in diet suggested hoki forage opportunistically within their preferred habitat and biological limits.     

Life history of Galaxias divergens (Salmonoidea: Galaxiidae)

Galaxias divergent Stokell is a small, bottom‐dwelling fish inhabiting streams in the North Island and the northern part of the South Island. Its ecology is similar in many respects to that of G. vulgaris. The fry develop in the same environment as the adults, unlike the sea‐going young of several other Galaxias spec'es. Spawning occurs in spring and summer, and at least some of the fish mature at the beginning of their second year. The maximum age attained seems to be about 3 years, and the fish can reach a length of about 80 mm in this time. The food consists mostly of small benthic invertebrates taken from both the stream bed and the drift fauna.     

Ecology of rocky reef fish of northeastern New Zealand: 50 years on

Abstract

This review examines the history and current understanding of the ecology of rocky reef fishes in northeastern New Zealand, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Leigh Marine Laboratory. The cumulative number of publications increased steadily to c. 180 by 2012. Most attention has been on the snapper (Pagrus auratus, f. Sparidae), the largest in size and economically most important species, and on triplefins (Tripterygiidae), the smallest in size and most diverse family. A strong quantitative school emerged in the 1980s, a period when there was little research on temperate reef fishes elsewhere. A ‘bottom-up’ view of the effects of habitat structure on fish emerged, identifying the key roles of depth, topography and macroalgae. By 2000, attention shifted to using marine reserves as laboratories for ecological research. A ‘top-down’ view of fish as predators emerged, documenting cascading effects on prey communities and habitats. The two different viewpoints have not yet been integrated. Research gaps, including population connectivity and climate change, represent major challenges for the next 50 years.     

Use of particle-size data to predict potential pelagic-fish yields of some southern African areas

A particle-size spectrum model is used to estimate standing stocks of some pelagic fish from measurements of phytoplankton chlorophyll in two exploited regions in southern Africa (southern Benguela and off South West Africa/Namibia) and in two unexploited regions (the Agulhas Bank and off the eastern Cape Province). The model is based on the assumption that equal biomasses occur in logarithmically equal size classes in the pelagic marine environment. Phytoplankton, with an equivalent spherical diameter ranging from 1 to 128 μm, occupy 21 size classes on the logarithmic scale. Two different size ranges are assumed for some commercial, pelagic fish species, equivalent to exploitation with two different purse-seine mesh sizes. A mesh of 12,7 mm would catch 8 size classes of pilchard, horse mackerel and anchovy whereas a mesh of 32 mm would catch only 3,3 size classes of pilchard and horse mackerel. From the model, the potential biomass of these commercial pelagic fish is estimated, after allowing for the presence of other commercial and non-commercial fish and other taxa in the exploited size range. Total pelagic fish production is estimated by assuming constant turnover rates of 1·y^?1 and 1,5·y^?1 when exploited with 32 and 12,7 mm mesh nets respectively. Consideration of the maximum and mean reported catches in the exploited areas indicates that only some 25 per cent of pelagic fish production is exploitable by man. On this basis, the unexploited Agulhas Bank region may yield some 400 000 metric tons (wet) of pelagic fish of the species considered, and the East Coast region some 90 000 tons. Exploitation in these regions cannot be recommended, because the Agulhas Bank is an important spawning ground for many pelagic species, and the fish in both regions probably act as a reserve buffer for the heavily exploited pelagic resource of the Western Cape.     

The geographic distribution of Echiura from southern Africa

The echiuran fauna of southern Africa currently comprises two families, four genera and 16 species of which one has recently been described as new to science and four are new records for the region. The taxonomic characters distinguishing the genera are given. The zoogeographic distribution of the southern African species is outlined and discussed. Knowledge of the echiuran fauna is too scanty to throw any light on the division of the coastline into faunistic provinces.     

Dense shelf water cascades and sedimentary furrow formation in the Cap de Creus Canyon,northwestern Mediterranean Sea

To investigate the processes by which sediment is transported through a submarine canyon incised in a continental margin affected by recurrent dense shelf water cascading events, several instrumented moorings were deployed in the Cap de Creus Canyon from September 2004 to September 2005. This was done as part of the EuroSTRATAFORM Program that investigated sediment transport and accumulation processes in the Gulf of Lions. Results obtained in this observational study confirm that major cascading events can effectively contribute to the rapid export of sediment from the shelf and upper slope to deeper environments, and suggest that the associated strong currents carrying coarse particles are able to erode the canyon floor and generate sedimentary furrows. During winter 2004–2005, persistent northerly winds and the absence of river floods contributed to decrease the buoyancy of coastal waters and to dramatically enhance the intensity of dense shelf water cascades in the Gulf of Lions. Under such conditions, cascading continuously affected the entire Cap de Creus upper canyon section for more than a month and sustained cold temperatures and down-canyon steady currents >60 cm/s (up to 100 cm/s), showing periodic fluctuations that lasted between 3 and 6 days. Increases in suspended sediment concentrations were associated with dense shelf water cascading outbursts, but the magnitude of the concentration peaks decreased with time, suggesting a progressive exhaustion of the resuspendable sediments from the shelf and canyon floor. Grain size analyses of the particles caught by a near-bottom sediment trap show that dense shelf water cascades are able to transport coarse sediments (up to 65% sand) in suspension (and presumably as bed load), which have the potential to abrade the seafloor and generate erosive bed forms. The orientation of a large field of “wide” (i.e., widths about 1/2 spacing indicative of erosive formation) sedimentary furrows recently observed in the Cap de Creus Canyon clearly coincides with the preferential direction of highest velocities measured by the moored current meters, indicating a causative relationship between contemporary dense shelf water cascades and furrow formation.     

大亚湾三种经济贝类的营养生态位及潜在产量评估

通过周年4个季度对大亚湾3种主要经济贝类———珍珠贝Pinctadamartensii,华贵栉孔扇贝Chlamysnobilis　和贻贝Pernaviridis的采样、观测和鉴定,分析它们胃肠物中的食物组成及其季节变化,综合分析了它们的营养生态位。结果显示,3种贝类的食物组成相似,食物中以碎屑、碎片最多,其次是浮游植物,主要包括硅藻、甲藻、金藻和蓝藻,而浮游动物含量最少,偶尔见到原生动物、轮虫、枝角类和桡足类的残体或壳。大亚湾水体的年初级生产力为63万t有机碳,推算出大亚湾生态系统中贝类的最大产量约为1600t·km-2,潜在产量为16—160t·km-2。     

Study on the feeding habit and trophic level of main economic invertebrates in the Huanghai Sea

INTRODUCTIONTheHuanghaiSeaisrichwithfisheryspecies.Apartfromfishes,thereisagreatnumberofinvertebrates,ofwhichmanyareofcommercialimportance,playinganimportantroleintheHuanghaiSeafishery.Twogroupsofinvertebrates,CrustaceaandCephalopodawerelandedduringthetrawlsurveysintheHuanghaiSea.CrustaceaincludedPenaeusorientalis,Trachypenaeuscurvirostris,Crangonaffinis,Mitatynaeopsisdalei,Palaemongravieri,Portunustrituberculatus,Charybdisbimaculata,Oratosquillaoratoria,etc.andCephalopodainclucded…     

水生高等植物-浮游植物关系和湖泊营养状态

本文根据中国一些湖泊的资料,从湖泊营养化角度分析了水生高等植物的生物量,分布和优势种以及浮游植物,透明度和湖泊营养状态的关系,表明高等植物和浮游藻类这两种初级生产者的生产在浅水湖泊中呈负相关,并反映在水质指标和湖泊营养状态下,同是,简要讨论了光限制,营养供给和生化抑制作用在浮游植物与水生高等植物关系中的作用。