Seagrass as the main food source of Neaxius acanthus (Thalassinidea: Strahlaxiidae), its burrow associates, and of Corallianassa coutierei (Thalassinidea: Callianassidae)

Burrows of the thalassinidean shrimps Neaxius acanthus and Corallianassa coutierei are striking aspects in tropical seagrass beds of the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Burrow construction, behaviour, burrow type and associated commensal community were investigated to clarify the ecological role and food requirements of these shrimps and their commensals. Gut content analysis and stable-isotope data were used to unravel the food sources and the trophic interactions among the commensal community.Individuals of Neaxius acanthus were caught on Bone Batang Island. In narrow aquaria filled with sediment they constructed burrows resembling those found in the field. During burrow construction and maintenance only little sediment was brought to the surface, most was sorted and compacted to create a distinct lining. Maintenance work by single shrimps typically took about 5 min, after which the shrimp walked up to the entrance and rested for a similar period of time. There were no differences in behaviour between day and night. Intrasexual encounters inside the burrow were characterised by a high level of aggression and all resulted in one participant being driven out of the burrow. Intersexual encounters led to coexistence with both animals taking turns in burrow maintenance and guarding the entrance. Offered seagrass leaves were pulled underground, cut into pieces and eventually integrated into the lining. Burrows of Corallianassa coutierei resembled a deep U-shape. Chambers branching off halfway down and at the deepest point contained seagrass fragments. All steep parts of the burrow were lined similar to burrows of N. acanthus.No commensals were found associated with Corallianassa coutierei. However, burrows of Neaxius acanthus in the field typically contained a pair of shrimps, up to 8 individuals of the commensal bivalve Barrimysia cumingii and large numbers of gammarid amphipods. Other animals found associated with the burrow were the goby Austrolethops wardi, a palaemonid shrimp species and two species of tube-building polychaetes, one of which was also found as an epibiont on N. acanthus.Stable-isotope and gut content analyses indicate that the diet of Neaxius acanthus, its commensal Austrolethops wardi, and Corallianassa coutierei is mainly derived from detrital seagrass leaves, with a potential contribution of sediment organic matter and seagrass epiphytes. In contrast the isotopic signature of Barrimysia cumingii suggests the presence of symbiotic sulphide metabolism bacteria. This study underlines that, besides their interactions with the surrounding ecosystem, thalassinid shrimp burrows play an important role as a sub-habitat with a unique associated fauna.     

Influence of environmental and prey variables on low tide shorebird habitat use within the Robbins Passage wetlands,Northwest Tasmania

Shorebirds feed primarily on tidal flats, and their distribution over these flats is influenced by their prey and abiotic factors. These factors act by influencing the distribution and abundance of the prey, or the shorebirds ability to exploit it. The aims of this study were to investigate the low tide foraging distribution of shorebirds at four sites within the Robbins Passage wetlands, and the environmental and invertebrate factors that may influence their distribution. The greatest densities and number of shorebirds were found at Shipwreck Point and East Inlet. The shorebirds within-site distribution was also non-random, with the shorebirds present in greatest densities at the water's edge and low intertidal stratum, although this varied among species. Generally, on a small spatial scale, invertebrate diversity was positively correlated, and seagrass leaf mass was negatively correlated, with shorebird feeding density. On a large spatial scale, invertebrate biomass and seagrass root mass were positively correlated with shorebird feeding density. Invertebrate biomass and seagrass root mass explained 71% of the variance in total shorebird feeding density on the tidal flats. The variation in shorebird feeding density and diversity was therefore partly explained by invertebrate diversity and biomass, as well as the environmental factors seagrass roots and leaf mass and tidal flat area, although the strength of these relationships was influenced by the two different spatial scales of the study. The strength of the relationships between shorebird feeding density and the invertebrate and environmental variables was stronger on a large spatial scale. The presence of seagrass may have influenced shorebird-feeding density by affecting the invertebrate abundance and composition or the shorebirds ability to detect and capture their prey. The area of the tidal flat had opposing effects on the shorebird species. These results can be used to assist in the development of management plans for the Robbins Passage wetlands and the conservation of important shorebird areas.     

Feeding preferences of estuarine mysids Neomysis integer and Rhopalophthalmus tartessicus in a temperate estuary (Guadalquivir Estuary,SW Spain)

Mysid shrimps are an important component of estuarine food webs because they play a key role in energy transfer as intermediate prey. We investigated the seasonal, tidal and depth specific variation in the diet of the estuarine mysids Neomysis integer and Rhopalophthalmus tartessicus and explored its implications for the planktonic community structure of a temperate estuary (Guadalquivir Estuary, SW Spain). Neomysis integer is an opportunistic omnivore feeding mainly on mesozooplankton and on members of the detrital–microbial loop, shifting prey seasonally according to availability. In contrast, R. tartessicus showed a more carnivorous diet and shifted its target prey during seasons of low resource availability. Despite statistically significant differences in diet composition, both species shared prey of similar size, particularly juvenile Mesopodopsis slabberi, the most abundant mysid species in this estuary, and copepods. Although these similarities imply inter-specific resource competition, their co-existence is achieved by niche partitioning and spatial segregation: the higher osmoregulatory capacity and foraging plasticity of N. integer confers a broader niche breadth for this species allowing N. integer to inhabit the more stressful oligohaline region of the estuary where R. tartessicus cannot survive. We propose that this mechanism relaxes the potential for competition between N. integer and R. tartessicus.     

Abundance,distribution, and feeding patterns of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Juan de Fuca Eddy

The Juan de Fuca Eddy is a seasonal, counter-clockwise gyre off the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Washington, USA and British Columbia, Canada that may provide favorable feeding habitat for juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) during their early marine existence. In late September 2002, physical and biological sampling was conducted along two transects of the eddy region. Surface rope trawling was conducted to capture juvenile salmon and other nekton, along with bongo and neuston net tows to examine potential mesozooplanktonic salmon prey. Presence of the Juan de Fuca Eddy was confirmed with vertical water profiles. In addition, nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations collected from 3-m depth were within the range observed in previous studies within the eddy region. In the mesozooplankton community, euphausiids, chaetognaths, and decapod megalopae were common. In the diet of juvenile coho salmon, euphausiids and decapod megalopae were dominant by percent number, and larval and juvenile fish were dominant by percent weight. Feeding intensity (percent body weight) based on stomach contents was variable, but not significantly different among stations. To compare the Juan de Fuca Eddy region with an upwelling area, we sampled along a transect off La Push (LP), Washington, USA which is south of the eddy. The eddy region was found to be less productive than the LP transect. Nutrients were lower, chlorophyll a concentrations were higher, and zooplankton abundance was generally higher along the LP transect than in the eddy region. In addition, more juvenile coho salmon were captured from the LP transect than the eddy region. Prey items in stomachs of salmon from the LP transect were heterogeneous compared to those from the eddy region. Feeding intensity along the LP transect was slightly lower and more variable than in the eddy region, and differences in feeding intensity among LP stations were significant. In addition, feeding intensities among stations nested within regions were significantly different.     

从东江调水后契爷石水库的水质和浮游植物群落结构特征

本文比较了太湖梅梁湾敞水区2004年秋季渔汛期刀鲚(Coilia ectenes)和间下鱵(Hyporhamphus intermedius)的食性,同时对不同食物的重要性、选择性以及两种鱼类食物的重叠进行了分析.结果表明,秋季刀鲚、间下鱵的食物主要由浮游甲壳动物、鱼和昆虫等组成.镖水蚤中的指状许水蚤(Schmackeria inopinus)是刀鲚最重要的食物,而间下鱵最重要的食物是裸腹溞(Moina sp.),而且摄食鱼和昆虫的比例远高于刀鲚.刀鲚和间下鱵对个体较大的指状许水蚤的选择性都比较高,对个体较小、而在太湖密度很高的象鼻溞(Bosmina spp.)都表现出主动回避.刀鲚与间下鱵的食物重叠系数较高,表明对竞争比较激烈,但要完全了解这两种鱼类的竞争关系,还要对它们在太湖的分布,不同发育阶段和不同季节的摄食情况进行详细的调查研究.     

鱼类摄食生态研究的理论及方法

综合分析了鱼类摄食生态研究的理论，方法及其应用中的诸多问题：胃含物分析法，营养生境及食物重叠，食物链与食物网，营养结构与营养级，摄食器官的形态特征与摄食行为的关系，食物选择以及生理生太因子对鱼类摄食的影响；提出了食物排序的概念、优势度指数Ｄ及其判定公式，并以此比较客观地建立了摄食生态相似的鱼类群落主次食物的划分标准。     

日本鬼

选用脊尾白虾对日本鬼鱼由亲鱼人工驯化投饵促熟.以扇贝卵子和轮虫作为育苗开口饵料,以卤虫幼体和蒙古裸腹氵蚤经营养强化作为育苗饵料,并对投饵技术进行调整改进.     

滤食性贝类在对虾综合养殖生态系统中的作用

就混养虾池中滤食性贝类如何影响虾池整个生态系统这个问题，综合了国内外这方面的文献，从滤食性贝类对混养虾池的水质、底质和其中的浮游植物、浮游动物的影响，以及混养对养殖效益的影响这几个方面作了探讨。     

盐度和昼夜节律对菲律宾蛤仔摄食率的影响

在实验室条件下，用流水系统测定盐度和昼夜节律对菲律宾蛤仔摄食率的影响。分别对15、20、25、30、35这5个盐度梯度，以及连续24h的00：00、04：00、08：00、12：00、16：00、20：00这6个时间点下菲律宾蛤仔的摄食率进行了测定。结果表明：在15-25的盐度范围内，蛤仔的摄食率随着盐度的升高而增大，在盐度25时达到最大，而在25-35盐度范围内随盐度的增加而减小；在一个昼夜里，蛤仔的摄食率存在显著的差异，夜间的摄食率明显高于白昼，00：00和12：00分别是两个极值；菲律宾蛤仔是一个有着明显昼夜节律性的底栖动物，并且对盐度有一个适应范围，盐度25-30是其最适的盐度。本实验为以后进一步研究菲律宾蛤仔在贝类混养虾池中的作用奠定了基础。     

音响驯化技术在鲤养殖中的实验研究

探讨淡水养殖尤其是大水域网箱养鱼中由于投饵方式的不当和投饵量过多导致过剩饵料沉积引起水域环境污染的解决方法。本研究利用鱼类的听觉生物学特性,参考音响驯化技术的有关参数,结合投饵用400 Hz正弦波连续音对鲤(Cyprinus carpioLinnaeus)进行了音响驯化实验。结果表明,最初放声时,实验鱼产生惊愕反应,迅速离声源而去;但驯化6 d后,实验鱼在放声后迅速游向声源,摄食时间由最初的150 s缩短到实验后期的60 s。整个实验阶段放声组与对照组摄食时间差异极显著(P<0.01),摄食率和特定生长率无显著差异(P>0.05)。根据实验鱼的生长参数,求得了参考投饵量曲线和方程。本实验结果为音响驯化技术在淡水鱼养殖中的推广应用提供了基础数据。