Seasonal changes in condition, nutrition, gonad maturation and energy content in barbel, Barbus sclateri, inhabiting a fluctuating river

The objective of this study was to investigate the seasonal cycle of condition, nutrition and gonad development, as well as the magnitude of seasonal variations in energy content of somatic and gonad tissues in juveniles, males and females of Sclater's barbel, Barbus sclateri, from the upper Guadalete River (south Spain). The influence of reproductive cycle on somatic changes was also investigated and discussed. Measurements of condition factor (K), somatic index (SI), gonadosomatic index (GSI) and somatic and gonad energy content (J g^-1 dw) were made in individual specimens taken from the Guadalete River monthly for 12 months. This freshwater ecosystem is characterised by strong seasonal fluctuations in water and flow level, temperature and food supply. It was found that in general juveniles, males and females of barbel exhibited a similar condition, nutrition and somatic energy cycle throughout the year, with the highest values in spring and the lowest in summer. Depletion of K, SI and somatic energy storage from spring until mid-summer seems to be associated with high metabolic demands during this period, and in adult fish also with spawning-related activity. The gonad index and energy content of the gonad were the highest in April and the lowest in summer for both sexes. Spawning took place during late spring – early summer, with fish quiescent by mid summer. The energy required for ovarian development (3970 J g^-1 dw) was greater than the one for testes development (2763 J g^-1 dw). Data on gonad energy content indicated a period (March to April) of intense energy accumulation (64% males and 37% females) which was related to the decline in the average somatic energy content in males and females. The somatic energy content was linearly related to K and SI. In the same way, GSI correlated positively with gonad energy. Linear trends were found between somatic parameters (K, SI and energy content) and gonad parameters (GSI and energy content). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The seasonal cycle of condition in the pollan, Coregonus autumnalis pollan Thompson, of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

The length–weight relationship for Lough Neagh pollan was log W= 3·2 log L –2·24. Covariance analysis indicated that there were no differences between the sexes, with maturity, or between years. While a seasonal cycle in relative condition was in phase with gonad development during late summer and autumn, changes in somatic condition presented a more complex pattern. Somatic condition increased in spring, as did the quantity and diversity of food consumed. Despite good conditions for feeding and growth, there was an autumn fall in somatic condition, caused by the diversion of energy to gonad growth.     

Seasonal patterns of winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus abundance and reproductive condition on the New York Bight continental shelf

To resolve varied and sometimes conflicting accounts of spawning and habitat characteristics for winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, seasonal patterns in abundance and reproductive condition were investigated in the New York Bight, near the southern edge of their current reproductive range. Fish were collected from trawl surveys on the inner continental shelf from October 2006 to October 2007. Pseudopleuronectes americanus were most abundant during January and April surveys, were rarely collected in August, with intermediate abundances in June and October. Measurements of fish condition [hepato‐somatic index (I_H), condition factor (K) and the per cent dry mass of muscle tissue (%M_D)] and reproductive condition [gonado‐somatic index (I_G)] were determined to evaluate seasonal changes in energy accumulation and depletion and reproduction. Males and females had similar patterns in body and reproductive condition, although the magnitude of change was greater for females. I_H values were highest during spring and early summer, suggesting increased feeding following spawning. K and %M_D increased through spring and summer then declined in the autumn and winter concurrent with gonadal development. Gonads began developing in the autumn, and in January, I_G values approached spawning levels, with many spent individuals collected in spring. Within these general patterns, however, there was a large degree of variability among individuals, and a few mature non‐reproductive (‘skipped spawning’) females were observed. In the period after spawning, increased energy intake, indicated by increased I_H, may influence reproductive output since this energy is gradually transferred to the muscle and used for gonadal development in the forthcoming year. The occurrence of ripening individuals on the inner continental shelf in January suggests that these fish either rapidly move into estuaries to spawn by February–March or they remain on the inner shelf to spawn, or some combination of these. Future studies should evaluate these possibilities, as both estuarine and inner shelf habitats are potentially affected by activities such as dredging, sand dredging and wind energy development.     

Seasonal changes in condition indices in adult mature and non-maturing burbot, Lota lota (L.), in the north-eastern Bothnian Bay, northern Finland

The population structure and seasonal changes in condition factors of the burbot in a shallow coastal region of the north-eastern Bothnian Bay are described. The significance of the so-called rest years is examined by comparing condition indices in immature or sterile and mature burbot. The somatic condition index ( K ₂), liver index ( K ₁), intestine index ( K ₁) and gonad index ( K_g ) are determined monthly in terms of organ weight in relation to body length. Approximately 30% of the whole catch of 1052 burbot were non-maturing but were 40 cm or more in length. K ₂, K ₁ and K ₁ were lowest in the autumn, when the first sign of gonad recrudescence was observed in mature burbot. The non-maturing burbot were never in poorer condition than mature ones. As mature and non-maturing burbot dissipated their energy stores during the warmest period of the summer, it is concluded that burbot spending a rest year do not accumulate and store energy reserves over the summer for the next year, and that such rest years, if they exist, do not occur for nutritional reasons.     

Seasonal and interannual variation in the energetic condition of adult male Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae in the northern Gulf of Mexico

One hundred and thirty Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae livers were collected from April 1999 to October 2001 from inshore waters of the Mississippi Sound to investigate seasonal and inter‐annual variation in their energetic condition. A decline in the hepato‐somatic index ( I _H) was observed from 1999 to 2001. In addition, I _H, liver specific energy content and total energy content were lowest during the summer and highest during the spring and autumn, while liver water content was highest during the summer and lowest during the spring and autumn.     

Seasonal variation in the metabolic rate and body composition of female grey seals: fat conservation prior to high-cost reproduction in a capital breeder?

Many animals rely on stored energy through periods of high energy demand or low energy availability or both. A variety of mechanisms may be employed to attain and conserve energy for such periods. Wild grey seals demonstrate seasonal patterns of energy storage and foraging behaviour that appear to maximize the allocation of energy to reproduction—a period characterized by both high energy demand and low food availability. We examined seasonal patterns in resting rates of oxygen consumption as a proxy for metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition in female grey seals (four adults and six juveniles), testing the hypothesis that adults would show seasonal changes in RMR related to the reproductive cycle but that juveniles would not. There was significant seasonal variation in rates of resting oxygen consumption of adult females, with rates being highest in the spring and declining through the summer months into autumn. This variation was not related to changes in water temperature. Adults increased in total body mass and in fat content during the same spring to autumn period that RMR declined. RMR of juveniles showed no clear seasonal patterns, but did increase with increasing mass. These data support the hypothesis that seasonal variation in RMR in female grey seals is related to the high costs of breeding.     

Some observations on the biology of Cirrhinus reba (Cuvier)

Some observations on the biology of Cirrhinus reba (Cuvier) from Muzaffarnagar (U.P., India) have been made during the period July 1966 to June 1969. In C. reba both males and females mature simultaneously. The gonads attain the maximum weight in June and minimum in November. There is a definite seasonal cycle in relative condition. The relative condition in both male and female is highest in June preceeding the period of breeding. It is the gonad weight which influences the fluctuations of the relative condition. The visceral weight does not exert any significant effect on it. It is found possible to determine the spawning season and its extent, from the seasonal fluctuations of the relative condition. The present studies have also thrown light on the maturation and spawning habits of C. reba . The fish has only one spawning season of short duration, running from July to early September. In a mature ovary, the mature ova form only one mode which is sharply distinguished from the immature stock.     

The reproductive cycle, condition and feeding in Barbus liberiensis, a tropical stream-dwelling cyprinid

This investigation examines the biology of Barbus liberiensis , a small cyprinid living in the forest streams of Sierra Leone and Liberia, in relation to seasonal changes in the environment. The population studied showed a single discrete breeding season coinciding with the early part of the rains. Maturing fish previously marked moved upstream at this time. The pattern of gonad development is analysed and the relationship of fecundity to body size is defined numerically. The total and somatic (i.e. excluding gonad weights) condition of the fishes, relative to the length/weight data in September-November when the gonads are resting, reach a peak at spawning time for both mature males and females and for immature fish. The pattern of condition during a year differs in the two sexes.
B. liberiensis consumes a wide variety of foods but relies largely on insects and higher plant fragments. Debris from the forest canopy is an important source of nutriment. The fish feed, during the daytime and possibly at night, throughout the year. Experiments to determine the rate at which food passes through the gut are described and show that food passage is rapid.
The seasonal cycles in condition and reproduction are discussed in relation to cycles in some other tropical and temperate riverine fishes.     

Annulus formation on scales and seasonal growth of the Central Amazonian anostomid Schizodon fasciatus

Annulus formation on the scales of the Central Amazonian anastomid fish Schizodon fasciatus was studied with respect to periodic variations in growth rates caused by seasonal inundation or associated biological processes. Monthly samples from fish markets were analysed with regard to marginal scale increment, feeding index, condition factor, gonadosomatic index, and body cavity fat content. There was a significant variation in all indices which was related to seasonal change in water level. Fat storage was related to energy requirements especially during gonad maturation. Fastest growth was observed during the period of falling water level. The formation of scale growth marks corresponded to the period of gonad maturation between January and February. The results indicate the formation of only one single growth mark on scales per year.     

东海太平洋褶柔鱼生殖群体的空间分布及其与环境因子的关系

依据1997-2000年在东海(26°00′-33°00′N、120°30′-128°00′E)进行的4个季节的底拖网调查资料,分析了该海区太平洋褶柔鱼生殖群体的时空分布特征,同时结合广义相加模型(GAM),量化分析了各环境因子对于其种群成熟度指数(PMI)空间分布的影响机制。结果表明:太平洋褶柔鱼生殖群体春、夏、秋、冬4个季节在东海均有分布;秋季PMI值最高,春季最低;4个季节太平洋褶柔鱼生殖群体的分布范围均较广,主要集中在东海外海受台湾暖流和黑潮控制的水域。太平洋褶柔鱼生殖群体的环境适应性存在明显的季节差异:其分布的底温范围为:春季14.70-18.30℃、夏季13.18-20.91℃、秋季13.96-24.67℃、冬季14.33-19.75℃。底盐范围为:春季29.52-34.63、夏季31.57-34.27、秋季32.26-34.72、冬季34.25-34.70。水深范围为:春季55-179m,夏季43-176m、秋季40-184m、冬季79-152m。综上所述,东海太平洋褶柔鱼生殖群体的时空分布具有广范围、多季度的特点,这种分布特征可有效降低其幼体间的种间竞争,为确保其种群繁衍提供有利保障。     

Biochemical and energy dynamics throughout the reproductive cycle of the striped venus Chamelea gallina (Mollusca,Bivalvia)

The striped venus Chamelea gallina is an important commercial bivalve species in Europe. However, large inter-annual fluctuations in stock abundance and periodic recruitment failure threaten the biological and economic sustainability of this fishery. This study aimed to improve the knowledge of the reproductive cycle and reproductive strategies of this species from the Algarve coast (southern Portugal) in order to contribute to the establishment of management measures and to assess its potential for aquaculture. The reproductive cycle of C. gallina followed a seasonal cycle, significantly influenced by sea surface temperature and food availability. Gametogenesis took place in winter, coinciding with the phytoplankton bloom. Spawning occurred during summer, followed by a short period of sexual inactivity in autumn. Condition index did not reflect the reproductive cycle of C. gallina and generally, followed the same trend of chlorophyll a. Glycogen was positively correlated with gonadal index and chlorophyll a. High total lipid values were recorded throughout gonad ripeness and spawning, but decreased at the end of the spawning and in the rest period. The extended spawning period of C. gallina will allow larvae to be obtained for much of the year by artificial spawning of wild broodstock.     

Seasonal variations in the gonad size and the protein and water content of cod, Gadus morhua (L.), muscle from Northern Norway

Water and protein contents of muscle and gonad index of sexually mature and immature cod of the same size were studied throughout a one-year cycle. In mature cod, the gonad was found to increase isometrically with fish weight suggesting that the relative energy demand for gonadal growth is independent of fish size. Spawning took place in late March or early April. Similar seasonal variations of water and protein contents of the muscle occurred in both mature and immature cod. In December to February, the protein content reached a maximum and water content a minimum, and in March to April, protein content was low, whereas the water content of the muscle was at a maximum. Since mature and immature cod showed the same variations in body composition, it is suggested that little of the seasonal variations of mature cod can be explained by reproductive processes.     

The effect of feeding or starvation on resource allocation to body components during the reproductive cycle of the sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck)

To determine the effects of feeding or starvation on resource allocation to body components during the reproductive cycle of Sphaerechinus granularis, sea urchins were placed in laboratory tanks and either fed ad libitum or starved during two different periods of their biological cycle, i.e. the mature stage and the recovery stage. The urchin growth was monitored over the whole experimental period, the gonad, gut, lantern indices and organic matter levels of different organs were determined at the end of the experiment. During the mature stage sea urchins in good nutritional conditions did not increase in size, but allotted energy to gonad production and stored reserves in body wall. Limiting food stopped the gonadal growth without complete regression. During the recovery period food allowed somatic growth, i.e. test growth and the storage of reserves in gonad somatic cells. This somatic production did not occur under food-limited conditions and the resources allotted for survival and maintenance were taken from different body components.     

Seasonal shifts within juvenile recruit sex ratio of Pampas mice (Akodon azarae)

Sex ratio (SR) variation of Akodon azarae juvenile recruits was analysed during 1985–86 on a Pampean grassland in central Argentina. Rodents were intensively live-trapped on a 0.81 ha grid. The SR (proportion of males) of the overall population did not differ significantly from evenness (0.49). In contrast, juvenile recruits (0.5–2.0 months of age) showed SR fluctuations according to their time of birth. SR was strongly female-biased among spring and autumn juveniles (0.13 and 0.33, respectively), while males were predominant (0.72) among the summer juveniles.
Social and demographic implications of these results are discussed in the framework of current SR theory. Spring female recruits should be selected for summer reproduction and autumn female recruits for winter survival and spring reproduction. The overwintered population was characterized by 1:1 SR and an age structure composed of males older than females. Most of these males had been recruited as juveniles during the summer. They also made up most of the resident male population in the spring. A selective allocation of energy by the mothers among their offspring is the mechanism proposed to explain the seasonal changes in SR, as pregnant females which gave birth to the summer recruits were in better physical condition than the mothers of both spring and autumn recruits. These results are consistent with the predictions of Werren & Charnov (1978), based on temporal overproduction of one or the other sex according to differential changes in the life-history expectations for both sexes.     

Feeding of Greenland halibut <Emphasis Type="Italic">Reinhardtius hippoglossoides</Emphasis> (Pleuronectidae) in the Kara Sea

Feeding of Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides in the northern Kara Sea was studied based on data collected in summer–autumn 2007–2013. The main food of all size groups of halibut were fish—up to 98% of weight of the food bolus. Larger individuals had lower intensity of feeding as compared to juveniles, which was probably owing to the lack of suitable food for large fish and, along with gonad maturation process, could be one of the reasons of their migration to the Barents Sea. The northern part of the Kara Sea, as well as the adjacent areas of Barents Sea, can be considered as an important area of habitation of juvenile Greenland halibut of the Norwegian–Barents Sea population.     

PHOTORESPONSES OF THE WOODPIGEON COLUMBA PALUMBUS IN RELATION TO THE BREEDING SEASON

• 1 The gametogenetic response following photo-stimulation was tested in Woodpigeons under controlled laboratory and aviary conditions. Subjects were wild-caught adult or first-winter birds or were hand-reared from wild-taken nestlings. The natural seasonal gonad cycle is described and experiments were related to this cycle.
• 2 Gonad recrudescence could be initiated in adults with regressed organs by exposure to summer photoperiods, while the normal vernal recrudescence could be prevented if birds were artificially kept on short (winter) daylengths. Thus Woodpigeons could be stimulated towards reproductive condition at seasons when the gonads of wild-living birds remained inactive, viz. late September to mid-February.
• 3 Juvenile males were unresponsive to extra photo-stimulation until they were about six months old. This meant that some spermatogonial division could be procured in a few individuals in late February, but juveniles were not very noticeably affected by an extended photoperiod until mid-late March. This is the time when juveniles first begin gametogenetic development in the wild, though spermatogenesis normally accelerates in April after which time the rate of gonad development is constant. First-winter females were judged to resemble males in their photoperiodic responses but the sample examined was small.
• 4 The results confirm that the natural gonad cycle in the Woodpigeon is controlled (via gonadotrophic hormones) by seasonal changes in daylength. More important is the finding that the species appears to possess no post-nuptial refractory period. Thus, at the end of the breeding season in September birds kept on summer daylengths were maintained in full reproductive condition until December. The testes of controls placed on winter daylengths regressed within one month, but they were immediately responsive to a summer daylength which stimulated spermatogenesis within a month.
• 5 The discussion argues that the avian refractory period is not a necessary period for gonad rehabihtation and reorganization and that it has not evolved as a fixed period serving to time the breeding season; views which until now have been current. Instead, it functions only as a safety mechanism, preventing unseasonal reproduction in those species for which natural selection favours seasonal breeding. In such species the evolution of sensitivity to a particular daylength could result in breeding taking place at the wrong time, for example spring responding species might also respond in the autumn. Because natural selection permits Woodpigeons to remain in breeding condition from March until September, without disadvantage, a direct response to natural daylength can regulate the cycle, and there is no need for a period of pituitary refractoriness. It is not known if some pigeons have lost the refractory period or whether they never possessed one.

     

Lipid dynamics in the common torpedo, Torpedo torpedo, from the south eastern Mediterranean

Liver stores the major part of lipids in both mature and immature Torpedo torpedo of both sexes. Fluctuations in the lipid contents of liver, muscles and gonads of immature fish followed the relative change in food intake throughout the year. Hepatic and muscular lipids in mature females diminished before ovulation and were intensively consumed in the last stages of gestation (in pregnant females). After parturition, the recovery of the lipid stores was very rapid due to intensive food uptake. Storing of hepatic lipids in mature males started a little before gonadal maturation and reached a maximum in January and February while gonadal lipids decreased in the same period. Gonadal lipid for both sexes fluctuated in parallel to fluctuations in the GSI. Water content showed significant inverse correlation with lipid content in both liver and gonad tissues, but no significant correlation was recorded in the muscle tissues.     

The development of social behaviour in the vole (Microtus agrestis)

Juvenile voles of the species Microtus agrestis investigated the bodies of other juveniles with the nose, by touching the dorsal surface from snout to tail. Play movements often followed such nosing contacts and augmented further contacts. The most important scent stimulating play was produced by the skin at the back of the head. The secretion of the nose and mouth region may convey sexual identity, the rump region and feet individual identity.
Young born in the spring and early summer often interacted and played, the autumn young seldom. The behaviour of overwintering sexually immature adults was similar to that of the autumn juveniles. It is suggested that this seasonal difference in the behaviour of juveniles has consequences for subsequent mature males, and that this developmental factor may have an important effect on the annual population cycle.     

Reproductive cycles in oregon populations of the echlnoid, Strongylocentrotvs purpuratus (Stimpson). I. Annual gonad growth and ovarian gametogenic cycles

Four annual reproductive cycles were followed in the echinoid, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson), at three places on the central Oregon coast near 44°45′N lat., where intermittent upwelling depresses coastal sea temperatures from June through September. Monthly measurements were made of the gonad index of samples of 30 urchins and the relative frequency of five stages in oogenesis were determined from sectioned ovaries from these samples.Individuals in these populations are synchronous in their annual cycle of gonad growth, oogenesis, and spawning, the latter taking place between late December and March. The population usually undergoes one major, complete spawning within a period of 30 days. When large reserves of stored nutrients are present, ova continue to mature over a longer period and may be present in quantity from December into April. Gonad weight does not change significantly from March through June. From July through November the gonad undergoes its annual growth at a mean instantaneous relative growth rate of ≈ 1 % per day. Gonad growth is not significantly correlated with sea temperature. Variable temperatures resulting from upwelling do not result in erratic fluctuations in the reproductive cycle, probably because of the annual change in feeding rate, the seasonal shift in energy utilization, and the constancy of the amount of food assimilated during gonad growth. Gonad size and annual growth rates may differ significantly between years and locations, indicating that both are influenced by local environmental factors, probably food availability and degree of wave action.The frequency of oogonial clusters is least in mid-winter, increases after spawning, reaches an annual maximum in June and declines in the fall. Primary oocyte growth is very slow until October, when it increases abruptly, and some oocytes become ova as early as late October. When stored nutrients are low, many oocytes do not complete growth by January, and are not spawned until May. Prolongation of the spawning period delays the increase in frequency of oogonial clusters in the following new cycle. The timing of the annual increase in oogonial cluster frequency and of the onset of rapid oocyte growth did not otherwise vary between places and years. In these populations, entrainment or synchronization of the reproductive cycle to seasonal environmental events probably occurs at the beginning of one or all of these critical annual events: oogonial proliferation, annual gonad growth and rapid oocyte growth.     

Seasonal changes in energy and the energy cost of spawning in Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod

In the Gulf of Alaska, adult Pacific cod exhibited an annual cycle of condition, gonad index and liver index in which maximum values occurred in ripe fish in March and minima in July. About 30–31 % of prespawning stored energy was expended during the spawning effort. The energy associated with spawning derived from liver (24% and 18%), somatic tissue (22% and 33%) and gonad (53% and 48%) for females and males, respectively. Liver index and gonad index at the time of sampling were directly related in females, but in males gonad index was best related to liver index 1–3 months earlier.
The Pacific cod is very similar to the Atlantic cod in terms of energy cycling, maximum gonad sizes, energy expended during spawning and gonadal contribution to energy expenditure. However, in Pacific cod, somatic tissue contributes markedly to energy expended during reproduction. The Pacific cod cod differs from the walleye pollock with respect to gonad index (13% and 20%ν. 20% and 8% for females and males, respectively), spawning weight loss (25%ν. 38%), liver energy loss during spawning (71%ν. 55%) and energy cost of spawning.