Inter-annual variability in larval supply to populations of three invertebrate taxa in the northern California Current

We investigated sources of inter-annual variability in larval supply to crab and sea urchin populations at Bodega Head and Point Reyes in northern California. During the spring and summer upwelling seasons of the years 1992 through 1997 we monitored the weekly settlement rates of nine species of crabs and two species of sea urchins. As observed in previous studies, daily values of alongshore windstress, temperature and salinity provided evidence for the poleward flow of relatively warm, low salinity water from south of Point Reyes, an apparent retention zone, during upwelling relaxation events. In years dominated by these events (1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996) we observed that alongshore windstress, temperature and salinity were coherent and temperature was significantly correlated with cancrid crab settlement. During these years the magnitude of cancrid crab settlement and the fraction of cancrid crabs relative to other crab species settling were high. Over four years of concurrent sampling there was consistently greater cancrid crab settlement at the Point Reyes site, within the retention zone, than at Bodega Head. Settlement of non-cancrid crabs (porcellanids, grapsids, pagurids and majids) was not as closely linked to intra-annual patterns of upwelling and relaxation, possibly due to the shorter seasonal availability of larvae allowing for the influence of fewer relaxation events. Settlement of this group among years was positively correlated with environmental indicators of strong seasonal upwelling; high salinity, Bakun upwelling index and low temperature. Sea urchin settlement events were observed in June and July of 1992, 1994 and 1997 during warming periods when salinity and temperature were increasing and alongshore windstress was low. Across the six years of the study, we found that cancrid crab larvae had a more even seasonal availability than larvae of non-cancrid species, which settled in greatest numbers during the early portion of the upwelling season. Sea urchins settled in greatest numbers during the later part of the upwelling season. Together these patterns demonstrate the taxon-specific way that inter-annual variability in larval supply is forced by the coincidence of larval availability with favorable physical transport mechanisms.     

Recruitment patterns of Serpula vermicularis L. (Polychaeta, Serpulidae) in Loch Creran, Scotland

This study aimed to contribute to conservation management of reefs of Serpula vermicularis by increasing understanding of the factors influencing larval settlement. The study was carried out in Loch Creran, which supports the most extensive known development of S. vermicularis reefs in the world. Settlement plates were deployed to examine the influence of season, depth, reef density, substrate type and orientation. Monthly deployment of plates revealed settlement of S. vermicularis to occur predominantly from mid-June to mid-October, peaking in late August to early September. Settlement of Pomatoceros spp. peaked much earlier, in late May to early June. Deployment of plates at different depths revealed a marked reduction in S. vermicularis settlement intensity between 6 and 12 m. As this corresponds with the deeper limit of the peripheral fringe of serpulid reefs in the loch, it is suggested that this limit is imposed by a depth-correlated settlement response, rather than reduction in available substrata. Comparisons of various substrata showed a preference by S. vermicularis larvae for a slate over a scallop substrate and no evidence of enhanced recruitment to occupied or unoccupied tubes of S. vermicularis, suggesting that gregarious attraction is unlikely to be a factor causing reef formation. Settlement onto the upper side of a horizontal scallop substrate was found to be insignificant in comparison with the underside or a vertically orientated scallop. Evidence for the role of light in controlling the depth and substrate-orientation preferences of S. vermicularis larvae is discussed. Based on the results of this study, recommendations are made regarding remediation of areas suffering reef damage.     

Ecological characteristics of Walleye pollock eggs and larvae in the southeastern Bering Sea during the late 1970s

Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is an ecologically and economically important groundfish in the eastern Bering Sea. Its population size fluctuates widely, driving and being driven by changes in other components of the ecosystem. It is becoming apparent that dramatic shifts in climate occur on a decadal scale, and these “regime shifts” strongly affect the biota. This paper examines quantitative collections of planktonic eggs and larvae of pollock from the southeastern Bering Sea during 1976–1979. Mortality, advection, and growth rates were estimated, and compared among the years encompassing the 1970s’ regime shift. These data indicate that pollock spawning starts in late February over the basin north of Bogoslof Island. Over the shelf, most spawning occurs north of Unimak Island near the 100 m isobath in early or mid April. Pollock eggs are advected to the northwest from the main spawning area at 5–10 cm/sec. Larvae are found over the basin north of Bogoslof Island in April, and over the shelf between Unimak Island and the Priblof Islands in May. Compared to 1977, the spawning period appeared to be later in 1976 (a cold year) and earlier in 1978 (a warm year) in the study area. At the lower temperatures in 1976, egg duration would be longer and thus egg mortality would operate over a longer period than in the other years. Mean larval growth appeared to be lower in 1976 than in 1977 and 1979. Estimated egg mortality rate in 1977 was 0.6 in April and 0.3 in early May.     

Horizontal spatial and temporal distribution patterns of nearshore larval fish assemblages at a temperate rocky shore

There have been no previous studies of the composition of nearshore larval fish assemblages along the coast of Portugal. We aimed to describe the composition and horizontal distribution patterns of larval fish assemblages and their temporal dynamics near a rocky reef at depths shallower than 13 m (inshore) and at two miles (3.70 km) from shore (offshore), as well as along transects perpendicular to the shoreline, from the reef to 10 miles offshore (18.52 km). Samples were taken using 5 min sub-surface trawls at the rocky shore of the Arrábida Marine Park (W Portugal). A total of 1021 larvae were collected, belonging to 61 taxa inshore and to 29 taxa offshore. Along transects, 626 larvae of 52 taxa were collected. Most larvae belonged to coastal species associated with rocky reefs. Total larval abundance and diversity were higher from May to July, which is consistent with the spawning activity of adults. Diversity and total larval abundance decreased significantly with increasing distance from shore, both in the inshore/offshore comparison and in the transects, where this decrease was evident at a very small spatial scale (within the first mile from the reef). Species assemblages differed in the pattern of distribution, with most species clearly associated to the extreme nearshore. The distribution patterns obtained were independent of the spawning mode of species. Results are discussed in the light of the possible physical mechanisms that can potentially act at the Arrábida Marine Park to facilitate larvae retention and the role of larval behaviour.     

Consumption of bacteria by larvae of a deep-sea polychaete

We investigated whether trochophore larvae of the polychaete Hesiocaeca methanicola, which lives on exposed ice‐like methane hydrates between 500 and 600 m, could consume near‐bottom picoplankton. In laboratory trials larvae significantly reduced the growth rates of all types of picoplankton, including heterotrophic bacteria, Prochlorococcus sp., Synechococcus‐type cyanobacteria and phototrophic eucaryotes <3 μm. Our findings suggest that these types of plankton may be important food sources for deep‐sea planktotrophic larvae.     

甲状腺素对斜带石斑鱼仔鱼变态的影响

用甲状腺素(Thyroxine,T4)处理斜带石斑鱼Epinepheluscoioides仔鱼,研究T4对仔鱼变态的影响。仔鱼在变态前期和变态高峰期,用0.01mg·L-1T4处理7d后仔鱼完成变态,用0.10mg·L-1T4处理4d后仔鱼完成变态,用1.00mg·L-1T4处理3d后仔鱼完成变态,对照组仔鱼在实验期间未能完成变态。用0.01mg·L-1T4处理变态高峰期仔鱼其存活率明显提高和全长增长明显变慢,但对变态前期仔鱼无影响;用0.10和1.00mg·L-1T4处理变态前期和变态高峰期仔鱼,其存活率显著降低和全长增长明显变慢。结果表明,在变态高峰期用0.01mg·L-1T4处理仔鱼能加速它的变态并提高其存活率。     

温度对金红色大鳞副泥鳅(Paramisgurnus dabryanus)孵化、仔鱼活力和性别分化的影响

以大鳞副泥鳅(Paramisgurnus dabryanus)新品系“赣红1号”为对象,探究了不同温度(20,23,26,29,32℃)对其受精卵孵化、仔鱼活力和性别分化的影响。结果显示,当温度在20~32℃范围内时,培育周期和孵化周期与温度均呈负相关关系,均随着温度的升高而缩短。培育周期在各温度组间差异显著(P<0.05),孵化周期在29和32℃组间差异不显著,其余各组间均具有显著差异(P<0.05)。随着温度的升高,孵化率先升高后降低,26℃时孵化率达到最高;畸形率呈现与孵化率相反的趋势,26℃时畸形率最低,且显著低于20、29和32℃组(P<0.05);仔鱼的不投饵存活系数(SAI)随着温度的升高而逐渐降低,各组间差异显著(P<0.05),23℃时SAI值为59.77,最大可存活时间为15日龄;此外,雄性率随温度的升高而增加,高温可促进个体趋向雄性发育。研究发现“赣红1号”受精卵孵化、仔鱼活力和性别分化均受到温度的重要影响,结合生产实际和试验数据,其孵化和仔鱼培育的适宜温度应保持在23~26℃。     

化学物质对硬壳蛤幼虫变态的诱导

用KCl、肾上腺素（EPI）、去甲肾上腺素（NE）、L—DOPA和GABA（γ-氨基丁酸）进行了不同浓度不同处理时间对硬壳蛤（Mercenaria mercenaria L ）幼虫变态诱导实验。结果表明，KCl、肾上腺素、去甲肾上腺素和DDOPA对硬壳蛤幼虫的变态均有诱导作用，而GABA的诱导作用不显著。KCl的最佳诱导浓度随处理时间不同而有所不同。处理时间为1～24，48，72h时KCl的最佳诱导浓度分别为33．56，20．13～26．85，13．42mmol／L。肾上腺素和去甲肾上腺素的诱导作用与浓度和处理时间均有关。肾上腺素的最佳处理浓度为100μmol／L，最佳处理时间均为8h，此时幼虫变态率提高最大，为36．97个百分点。当去甲肾上腺素的诱导浓度为100μmol／L，处理时间为8～16h时，幼虫变态率提高也较大，均大于18个百分点，死亡率增加，但均低于30个百分点，当去甲肾上腺素诱导浓度为500μmol／L时，虽然在8～16h的处理时间范围内，幼虫变态提高率也较大，均大于18个百分点，但当处理时间超过8h，在16～48h范围内，幼虫死亡率提高明显增大，均大于50个百分点。L-DOPA的适宜诱导浓度为10～50μmol／L，适宜处理时间为8～24h，此时幼虫变态率均提高30个百分点以上，最高可提高79．43个百分点。GABA的诱导作用较弱，最佳诱导浓度随处理时间的不同而有所不同，处理时间为24h和48h时，最佳诱导浓度为0．1μmol／L；处理时间为0．5～16h时，最佳诱导浓度为100μmol／L。     

坚强芽孢杆菌对凡纳滨对虾幼体变态的影响

研究比较了坚强芽孢杆菌Bacillus firmusZOU4菌株对数期细胞和孢子在不同加菌量、次数及不同幼体期加菌对凡纳滨对虾Litopenaeus vannam ei幼体无节Ⅲ期到溞状Ⅱ期变态的影响。结果表明,多次加入高数量对数期细胞或孢子对无节Ⅲ期到溞状Ⅱ期幼体变态具有极显著(p<0.01)促进作用,且对数期细胞效果明显高于孢子,溞状Ⅰ期之前比其后加菌效果更显著(p<0.05),但对无节Ⅲ期变态到溞状Ⅰ期影响不明显(p>0.05)。     

单体褶牡蛎(Crassostrea sp.)的研究

采用肾上腺素(EPI)和去甲肾上腺素(NE)诱导、颗粒固着基和先固着后脱基三种方法,对褶牡蛎的眼点幼虫进行处理,产生单体蛎苗。EPI和NE诱导的最适浓度为10~(-4)M,最适处理时间为3h,幼虫的不固着变态率分别达47.7％和46.6％。处理时间延长,变态率增加不明显。EPI和NE的诱导效果差别不明显,其诱导作用对稚贝的生长无明显副作用。颗粒固着基以贝壳粉为佳,最适颗粒的规格为幼虫的壳长。幼虫先固着后脱基而形成单体蛎苗,以可弯曲的灰色塑料板效果最好,固着的小贝可通过来回弯曲塑料板而从上面脱落下来,小贝长至1～2cm大小时,脱基最容易。