Changes during late-stage embryonic development from egg-juvenile to free-living hatchling in Chinese freshwater crab Sinopotamon yangtsekiense (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae)

This study expands on recent reports that direct development in the Chinese potamid freshwater crab Sinopotamon yangtsekiense involves the completion of all brachyuran larval stages (nauplius, zoea, and megalopa) inside the egg case during embryonic development. Detailed studies of embryonic development in this species revealed the presence of an additional larval stage (the egg-juvenile) between the megalopa and the free-living hatchling crab. We described and compared the appendages of the head, thorax, and abdomen of the egg-juvenile with those of the hatchling crab in S. yangtsekiense. Significant differences were found between most of the appendages of these two stages with a soft exoskeleton in the egg-juvenile, no joint articulation, a slimmer appearance, and a lack of setae when compared with the newly emerged free-living hatchling crab. These modifications of the appendages are related to the confinement within the egg case of the egg-megalopa and egg-juvenile during direct development, and the need for the free-living hatchling freshwater crab to move, feed, and respire. In marine crabs, the megalopa gives rise to the first crab stage whereas in freshwater crabs the egg-juvenile follows the megalopa and immediately precedes the free-living first crab stage.     

生物土壤结皮与种子附属物对4种荒漠植物种子萌发的交互影响

生物土壤结皮能直接或间接地影响维管植物种子萌发与群落建成,种子本身的生物学特征（如种子附属物等）对萌发也存在一定影响。本研究选取古尔班通古特沙漠4种常见的具有不同形态附属物的藜科植物（梭梭（Haloxylon ammodendron ）、粗枝猪毛菜（Salsola subcrassa ）、心叶驼绒藜（Ceratoides ewersmanniana ）和角果藜（Ceratocarpus arenarius ））种子,设置苔藓结皮、地衣结皮和裸沙3种土壤基质,通过去除或保留种子附属物,对比研究了生物土壤结皮与种子附属物对种子萌发的影响。结果表明：粗枝猪毛菜和梭梭的苞片显著抑制了种子萌发（p <0.05）,心叶驼绒藜的柔毛和角果藜的刺状附属物对种子萌发没有显著影响（p >0.05）。与裸沙相比,苔藓结皮显著抑制了4种植物种子的萌发（p <0.05）,地衣结皮显著抑制了粗枝猪毛菜种子的萌发（p <0.01）,而对其他3种植物种子的萌发无显著影响（p >0.05）。同时,附属物与结皮对粗枝猪毛菜种子的萌发还具有交互作用,表现为显著抑制种子萌发（p <0.01）。可见,生物土壤结皮对具有不同附属物的荒漠植物种子萌发具有不同的影响,进而造成维管植物种子萌发的空间异质性,影响维管植物分布和多样性。