东南太平洋智利竹筴鱼渔场及单位捕捞努力量的时空分布

根据2007年3-12月"开富"号拖网渔船在东南太平洋的生产统计数据和卫星遥感反演的海表温度数据,分析了智利竹笑鱼(Trachurus murphyi)的渔获量、网产量的季节变化,并探讨了单位捕捞努力量(CPUE)的时空分布格局及其与水温的关系.结果表明:CPUE在5-8月较高,其他月份相对较低,表现为冬季＞秋季＞春季＞初夏.从全年来看,在海表温度12℃～14℃时,智利竹笑鱼的产量较高,其次为15℃～17℃.秋季渔场纬度分布较高(41°S-46°S);冬季渔场有所北移,分布于34°S-42°S,并向西转移至101°W;春季初期渔场继续西偏,随后向东转移,经度方向变化幅度达29°;初夏渔场有所南撤.总的来说,智利竹筴鱼渔场时空分布具有明显的季节变化,CPUE值波动范围较大.     

基于广义可加模型的时空和环境因子对东南太平洋智利竹筴鱼渔场的影响

根据2001-2007年我国渔船在东南太平洋海域的智利竹筴鱼生产统计数据、时空因子以及海表温度、叶绿素浓度、海表温度梯度等环境数据,利用广义可加模型（GAM）分析了智利竹筴鱼资源变动情况及其与时空和环境因子的关系.结果表明：GAM模型对单位捕捞努力量渔获量(catch per unit effort,CPUE)总偏差解释率为31.47%;竹筴鱼生产具有明显的季节变化,主要集中在第17～41周,其中第25～31周的CPUE较高;东南太平洋智利竹筴鱼作业渔场集中在78°-98° W,30°-435° S之间,适宜海表温度为12 ℃～18 ℃,14 ℃～16 ℃最适宜,适宜叶绿素浓度在0.09～0.18 mg·m^-3,海表温度梯度在0.3 ℃～1.9 ℃.逐步建模法结果表明,影响竹筴鱼资源丰度的因子按重要性从大到小依次为周次、年份、海表温度、经度、纬度、叶绿素浓度和海表温度梯度.     

中东大西洋中部海域中上层鱼类中心渔场的时空变化

根据2012年1—8月和2014年12月—2015年7月中国大型拖网渔船在中东大西洋中部海域佛得角海岸(FAO34渔区3.11小区)的渔捞日志资料以及遥感获取的海洋环境数据,利用产量重心法、地统计插值、数理统计、广义加性模型(generalized additive models,GAM)等方法 ,对该海域中上层鱼类平均单位捕捞努力渔获量(CPUE)的月变化、中心渔场的时空变动及其与海表温度(SST)、叶绿素a浓度、经度、纬度的关系进行了分析。结果表明:该海域各月平均CPUE基本呈先减少、后增加的趋势;中心渔场的分布具有明显的月变化,基本呈先由北往南推移,且在3—4月份到达最南端,后由南往北推移趋势;不同月份渔场中心叶绿素a浓度为0~10 mg·m-3,且渔场中心叶绿素a浓度以7~9 mg·m~(-3)居多;不同月份渔场中心的SST为17.3~27.6℃,且渔场中心的SST以19~21℃居多。GAM模型分析表明,渔场的最适SST为20~22℃,最适叶绿素a浓度为4.480~7.388 mg·m~(-3),经度集中在16°40'W附近,纬度集中在19°N附近。海洋环境与CPUE的回归方程显著性检验表明,除了SST呈不显著外,叶绿素a浓度和空间因子与CPUE的回归关系均极显著(P0.01),影响渔场的因子按重要性从大到小依次为经度、纬度、叶绿素a浓度和SST。分析认为,洋流产生并导致的涌升流的位置变化对佛得角海岸FAO34渔区3.11小区中心渔场的时空变化具有重要影响。     

大西洋中部延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼渔场时空分布与温跃层的关系

为了解大西洋延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus albacares)渔场适宜的温跃层参数分布区间,采用Argo浮标水温信息和大西洋金枪鱼会委员(International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ICCAT)的黄鳍金枪鱼延绳钓渔获数据,绘制了大西洋中部月平均温跃层特征参数和月平均单位捕捞努力量渔获量(Catch per unit effort CPUE)的空间叠加图,用于分析大西洋中部延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼中心渔场时空分布和温跃层特征参数关系。分析结果表明:大西洋中部温跃层上界深度、温度具有明显的季节性变化,而温跃层下界深度、温度没有明显的季节变化特征。空间叠加图显示,1-6月份在赤道地区中心渔场主要分布在温跃层上界深度为20-60 m之间。7-9月份在60-80 m,同期在纳米比亚外海,中心渔场区域温跃层上界深度超过100 m。10-12月份,中心渔场区域温跃层上界深度下降到60 m左右。全年在赤道区域,中心渔场CPUE主要分布在温跃层上界温度26-29 ℃,低于24℃区域渔获率很低;温跃层下界深度在160-250 m,集中在230 m;温跃层下界温度在12-14 ℃之间,在此区间外CPUE值都比较低。7-11月份,在纳米比亚外海的中心渔场区域上界温度会低至20 ℃,下界深度分布在140-160 m,下界温度在14-15 ℃左右。数值计算得出大西洋中部黄鳍金枪鱼适宜的温跃层上界温度是26-28.9 ℃;适宜的温跃层下界温度和深度分别是12-14.9 ℃和150-249 m,而上界深度和中心渔场CPUE关系不明显。研究得出大西洋延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼中心渔场温跃层各特征参数的适宜分布区间及季节变化特征,为延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼实际生产作业和资源管理提供理论参考。     

南极磷虾渔场(48渔区)CPUE的年、月变化及其与海表温度、叶绿素浓度的关系

根据2010—2015年南极磷虾渔汛期(1—6月)的渔获量和海洋遥感数据,利用数理统计方法、产量重心法等对南极磷虾单位捕捞努力渔获量(catch per unit effort,CPUE)、渔场时空变动特征作了分析。结果表明:南极磷虾年平均CPUE总体呈上升趋势,2014年南极磷虾CPUE达到峰值(18.6 t·h~(-1));从月变化来看,1月南极磷虾CPUE较低(9.2t·h~(-1)),5月CPUE最高(20.9 t·h~(-1)),近60%的捕捞作业频次位于南设得兰群岛的夏季时段(1—3月);南极磷虾渔场集中在60°S—64°S、46°W—62°W范围内的海域;从渔场重心变动来看,每年1—6月渔场重心从南设得兰群岛附近海域向东北方向偏移,大部分重心主要集中在南设得兰群岛附近海域;南极磷虾作业渔场48.1、48.2、48.3亚区渔场适宜海表温度(sea surface temperature,SST)分别为-1.8～1.9、-1.8～0.8、1.1～1.4℃,1—3月CPUE高值区的适宜SST为-0.8～1.2℃,4—6月CPUE高值区的适宜SST为-1.8～-0.4℃; 48.1、48.2、48.3亚区叶绿素浓度适宜范围分别为0.09～1.21、0.14～0.52、0.32～0. 39 mg·m~(-3),CPUE高值区(20 t·h~(-1))海域的叶绿素浓度为0.13～0.83 mg·m~(-3);总体来说,南极磷虾渔场年平均CPUE值呈逐渐增长趋势,主捕区位于南设得兰群岛附近海域,中心渔场最适SST为-1.8～1.2℃,叶绿素浓度为0.13～0.83 mg·m~(-3)。     

东海竹筴鱼的食性

以2008年5月、8月、11月和2009年2月东海灯光围网采集到的453条东海竹筴鱼为研究对象,对其胃含物进行分析,应用K-W非参数检验、卡方检验、聚类分析等方法,对不同季节和发育阶段条件下东海竹筴鱼的食性进行研究.结果表明: 东海竹筴鱼的饵料生物有124种(包括未鉴定种),浮游甲壳类和小型鱼类为其主要饵料类群.优势饵料生物依次是麦氏犀鳕(IRI%=39.2%)、长尾类糠虾幼体(IRI%=18.4%)、短尾类大眼幼体(IRI%=7.6%)和太平洋磷虾(IRI%=6.6%)等.季节和叉长对东海竹筴鱼的摄食强度均有显著影响(P<0.01),东海竹筴鱼春季摄食强度最高,而冬季最低;叉长140～159 mm的竹筴鱼摄食强度最高,叉长45~99 mm的幼鱼的摄食强度较高,其余叉长的鱼摄食强度相对较低.聚类分析结果表明,叉长100 mm是东海竹筴鱼摄食取向的拐点.东海竹筴鱼四季的平均营养级为3.51,属于低级肉食性鱼类.     

南太平洋长鳍金枪鱼渔场CPUE时空分布及其与关键海洋环境因子的关系

根据2009—2012年南太平洋长鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus alalunga)延绳钓生产统计数据及遥感获取的海表温度(sea surface temperature,SST)、叶绿素a浓度(chlorophyll a concentration,Chl-a)和海面高度距平(sea surface height anomaly,SSHA)等环境数据,分析了长鳍金枪鱼单位捕捞努力量渔获量(catch per unit of fishing effort,CPUE)的时空分布及其与环境因子的相关性。结果表明:长鳍金枪鱼作业渔场主要集中在4°S—28°S、158°E—176°E附近海域;长鳍金枪鱼渔场CPUE呈明显的季节性变化,1—3月CPUE值较低(12.5尾·千钩-1),随后逐渐增加,至7月达到最大值为18.1尾·千钩-1,而8—12月基本呈逐渐降低趋势;1月渔场重心位于16°S、168°E附近海域,2—3月向西北偏移,而在3—7月逐渐向东南方向转移,8月以后开始逐渐回撤至西北方向,在9—12月渔场重心变化幅度相对较小,主要位于15°S—16°S、168°E—169°E海域;总体来说,长鳍金枪鱼中心渔场最适SST为27.0~30.5℃,次适SST为20~24℃;最适叶绿素a浓度为0.02~0.08mg·m-3,最适海面高度距平为3~23 cm。     

东海竹筴鱼的食性

以2008年5月、8月、11月和2009年2月东海灯光围网采集到的453条东海竹筴鱼为研究对象,对其胃含物进行分析,应用K-W非参数检验、卡方检验、聚类分析等方法,对不同季节和发育阶段条件下东海竹筴鱼的食性进行研究.结果表明:东海竹筴鱼的饵料生物有124种(包括未鉴定种),浮游甲壳类和小型鱼类为其主要饵料类群.优势饵料生物依次是麦氏犀鳕(IRI％=39.2％)、长尾类糠虾幼体(IRI％=18.4％)、短尾类大眼幼体(IRI％ =7.6％)和太平洋磷虾(IRI％=6.6％)等.季节和叉长对东海竹筴鱼的摄食强度均有显著影响(P＜0.01),东海竹筴鱼春季摄食强度最高,而冬季最低;叉长140 ～ 159 mm的竹筴鱼摄食强度最高,叉长45～99 mm的幼鱼的摄食强度较高,其余叉长的鱼摄食强度相对较低.聚类分析结果表明,叉长100 mm是东海竹筴鱼摄食取向的拐点.东海竹筴鱼四季的平均营养级为3.51,属于低级肉食性鱼类.     

中东太平洋金枪鱼延绳钓中心渔场的时空变化

根据2009年6月—2012年1月上海金优远洋渔业有限公司在中东太平洋作业的5艘金枪鱼延绳钓渔船的渔捞日志资料,结合卫星遥感反演的海表温度数据,分析了中东太平洋金枪鱼延绳钓渔场的年际和季节变化规律以及渔获量与海表温度的关系。结果表明:在厄尔尼诺年(2009年),金枪鱼延绳钓渔场作业重心会向偏东方向移动,且金枪鱼钓获率较高;而拉尼娜年(2010、2011年)则向偏西方向移动,且钓获率下降;研究海域作业渔场的最适宜海表温度范围为25~30℃;2009年最适海表温度略高于2010年和2011年;平均月渔获量与月平均海表温度呈显著正相关(P0.05)。     

中西太平洋大眼金枪鱼中心渔场时空分布与温跃层的关系

采用Argo数据和中西太平洋渔业委员会的大眼金枪鱼延绳钓数据,绘制了温跃层和月平均单位捕捞努力量渔获量(CPUE)的空间叠加图,分析中西太平洋大眼金枪鱼渔场时空分布对温跃层的响应关系.结果表明: 全年中心渔场纬向主要分布在南北纬10°之间的低纬度区域.在赤道以南有季节性中心渔场的出现和消失,与温跃层上界温度、深度和温跃层厚度的积极性变化有关.中心渔场主要分布在温跃层上界较深(70～100 m)和厚度较大(>60 m)的海域,厚度小于40 m的区域难以形成中心渔场;适宜分布的上界温度区间在26～29 ℃,在此区间外CPUE多小于中心渔场阈值(Q3).中心渔场的空间分布随上界深度和跃层厚度的季节性变动而变动,当赤道以南海域的上界深度变浅以及厚度变薄时,中心渔场消失.温跃层下界温度、深度和温跃层强度季节性变化不显著,但与中心渔场出现有显著关系.中心渔场主要分布在温跃层下界深度两条高值带之间的区域,温度低于13 ℃以及强度大的区域;在温跃层下界深度超过300 m和小于150 m区域,下界温度超过17 ℃的区域,或者强度小的区域难以形成中心渔场.利用频次分析和经验累积分布函数计算其适宜温跃层特征参数分布,结果表明研究区域大眼金枪鱼适宜分布的上界温度、深度和下界温度、深度分别是26～29 ℃、70～110 m、11～13 ℃和200～280 m;适宜分布的温跃层厚度和强度分别是50～90 m和0.1～0.16 ℃·m^-1.本研究初步得出研究区域大眼金枪鱼CPUE空间分布和温跃层的关系,为我国远洋金枪鱼捕捞作业和资源管理提供理论参考.     

Carnivora from the Plio-Pleistocene hominin site of Drimolen, Gauteng, South Africa

Drimolen is one of the newest and most productive hominin sites in South Africa, and is dated on faunal grounds between 2.0 Ma to 1.5 Ma. This paper provides the first overview of the Carnivora from Drimolen, updating the previously published preliminary faunal list, and describing all currently prepared craniodental and postcranial material. The Drimolen specimens are described in comparison with other modern and fossil South African carnivore material. The carnivores cover a range of taxa including hyaenids, felids, canids and herpestids. Most notable amongst these are the sabretooth Dinofelis aff. piveteaui craniodental and postcranial remains, which are described in detail, and a Chasmaporthetes nitidula cranium. The genus Chasmaporthetes is found at three other sites in the area - Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Coopers D. There are two models for the geographic origin of Dinofelis piveteaui, in that it may have arisen in either eastern or southern Africa. These possibilities are discussed in the light of the new South African Dinofelis material, as the Drimolen material appears to represent a more primitive form with affinities with D. piveteaui. Fossil leopard material from Kromdraai B and Drimolen is also discussed, as the metapodia assigned to P. pardus from these two sites are very small, but lie within the variation of modern leopards. Such size differences in fossil postcrania may have implications for the niches that these animals may have occupied in the past.     

Hox genes and regional patterning of the vertebrate body plan

Several decades have passed since the discovery of Hox genes in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Their unique ability to regulate morphologies along the anteroposterior (AP) axis (Lewis, 1978) earned them well-deserved attention as important regulators of embryonic development. Phenotypes due to loss- and gain-of-function mutations in mouse Hox genes have revealed that the spatio-temporally controlled expression of these genes is critical for the correct morphogenesis of embryonic axial structures. Here, we review recent novel insight into the modalities of Hox protein function in imparting specific identity to anatomical regions of the vertebral column, and in controlling the emergence of these tissues concomitantly with providing them with axial identity. The control of these functions must have been intimately linked to the shaping of the body plan during evolution.     

Interactions between enhancer of rudimentary and Notch and deltex reveal a regulatory function of enhancer of rudimentary in the Notch signaling pathway in Drosophila melanogaster

Enhancer of rudimentary, e(r), encodes a small nuclear protein, ER, that has been implicated in the regulation of pyrimidine metabolism, DNA replication and cell proliferation. In Drosophila melanogaster, a new recessive Notch allele, N^nd-p, was isolated as a lethal in combination with an e(r) allele, e(r)^p2. Both mutants are viable as single mutants. N^nd-p is caused by a P-element insertion in the 5′ UTR, 378-bp upstream of the start of translation. Together the molecular and genetic data argue that N^nd-p is a hypomorphic allele of N. The three viable notchoid alleles, N^nd-p, N^nd-1 and N^nd-3, are lethal in combination with e(r)⁻ alleles. Our present hypothesis is that e(r) is a positive regulator of the Notch signaling pathway and that the lethality of the N e(r) double mutants is caused by a reduction in the expression of the pathway. This is supported by the rescue of the lethality by a mutation in Hairless, a negative regulator of N, and by the synthetic lethality of dx e(r) double mutants. Further support for the hypothesis is a reduction in E(spl) expression in an e(r)⁻ mutant. Immunostaining localizes ER to the nucleus, suggesting a nuclear function for ER. A role in the Notch signaling pathway, suggests that e(r) may be expressed in the nervous system. This turns out to be the case, as immunostaining of ER shows that ER is localized to the developing CNS.     

Cold-adaptation in sea-water-borne signal proteins: sequence and NMR structure of the pheromone En-6 from the Antarctic ciliate Euplotes nobilii

Ciliates of Euplotes species constitutively secrete pleiotropic protein pheromones, which are capable to function as prototypic autocrine growth factors as well as paracrine inducers of mating processes. This paper reports the amino acid sequence and the NMR structure of the pheromone En-6 isolated from the antarctic species Euplotes nobilii. The 63-residue En-6 polypeptide chain forms three alpha-helices in positions 18-25, 36-40 and 46-56, which are arranged in an up-down-up three-helix bundle forming the edges of a distorted trigonal pyramid. The base of the pyramid is covered by the N-terminal heptadecapeptide segment, which includes a 3(10)-turn of residues 3-6. This topology is covalently anchored by four long-range disulfide bonds. Comparison with the smaller pheromones of E. raikovi, a closely related species living in temperate waters, shows that the two-pheromone families have the same three-helix bundle architecture. It then appears that cold-adaptation of the En proteins is primarily related to increased lengths of the chain-terminal peptide segments and the surface-exposed loops connecting the regular secondary structures, and to the presence of solvent-exposed clusters of negatively charged side-chains.     

Distribution and long-term temporal patterns of four invasive colonial ascidians in the Gulf of Maine

Invasive ascidians are a growing concern for ecologists and natural resource managers, yet few studies have documented their short- and long-term temporal patterns of abundance. This study focuses on the invasion of the Gulf of Maine by the colonial ascidians Botryllus schlosseri, Botrylloides violaceus, Diplosoma listerianum and Didemnum sp. A. We examined the time of arrival and potential vectors for these four invasive ascidians using survey data (collected from 1969 onwards) and literature documentation. We also compared the dominance and seasonal patterns of abundance of these species using data from two identical panel studies; one conducted from 1979 to 1980, the other from 2003 to 2005. Didemnum and Botrylloides were most likely first introduced into the Damariscotta River, Maine in the early 1970's through oyster aquaculture while Botryllus and Diplosoma were probably transported by commercial and recreational vessels. The overall abundance of colonial ascidians has increased since 1979 and 1980. Botryllus was the only invasive colonial ascidian present during the 1979 to 1980 study and accounted for an average of 6.16% cover on panels. From 2003 to 2005, the more recently arrived colonial ascidians Botrylloides and Didemnum accounted for 7.38% and 2.08% cover respectively, while Botryllus covered only 1.16%. Our results reveal a shift in seasonal abundance between 1979 to 1980 and 2003 to 2004. In 1979 and 1980, colonial ascidians had the highest percent cover in fall and winter while in 2003 and 2005 they had highest percent cover in summer and fall. Seasonal patterns of space occupation by colonial ascidians were correlated with seasonal changes in seawater temperature.     

Patterns of intermediate host use and levels of association between two conflicting manipulative parasites.

For many parasites with complex life cycles, manipulation of intermediate host phenotypes is often regarded as an adaptation to increase the probability of successful transmission. This phenomenon creates opportunities for either synergistic or conflicting interests between different parasite species sharing the same intermediate host. When more than one manipulative parasite infect the same intermediate host, but differ in their definitive host, selection should favour the establishment of a negative association between these manipulators. Both Polymorphus minutus and Pomphorhynchus laevis exploit the amphipod Gammarus pulex as intermediate host but differ markedly in their final host, a fish for P. laevis and a bird for P. minutus. The pattern of host use by these two conflicting manipulative parasites was studied. Their incidence and intensity of infection and their distribution among G. pulex were first examined by analysing three large samples of gammarids collected from the river Tille, Eastern France. Both parasites had low prevalence in the host population. However, temporal fluctuation in the level of parasitic infection was observed. Overall, prevalence of both parasite species was higher in male than in female G. pulex. We then assessed the degree of association between the two parasites among their intermediate hosts, using two different methods: a host-centred measure and a parasite-centred measure. Both measures gave similar results; showing random association between the two acanthocephalan species in their intermediate hosts. We discuss our results in relation to the selective forces and ecological constraints that may determine the pattern of association between conflicting manipulative parasites.     

Multi-step assembly pathway of the cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidase complex

The cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidases as members of the heme-copper oxidase superfamily are involved in microaerobic respiration in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic proteobacteria. The biogenesis of these multisubunit enzymes, encoded by the ccoNOQP operon, depends on the ccoGHIS gene products, which are proposed to be specifically required for co-factor insertion and maturation of cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidases. Here, the assembly of the cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidase from the facultative photosynthetic model organism Rhodobacter capsulatus was investigated using blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This process involves the formation of a stable but inactive 210 kDa sub-complex consisting of the subunits CcoNOQ and the assembly proteins CcoH and CcoS. By recruiting monomeric CcoP, this sub-complex is converted into an active 230 kDa CcoNOQP complex. Formation of these complexes and the stability of the monomeric CcoP are impaired drastically upon deletion of ccoGHIS. In a ccoI deletion strain, the 230 kDa complex was absent, although monomeric CcoP was still detectable. In contrast, neither of the complexes nor the monomeric CcoP was found in a ccoH deletion strain. In the absence of CcoS, the 230 kDa complex was assembled. However, it exhibited no enzymatic activity, suggesting that CcoS might be involved in a late step of biogenesis. Based on these data, we propose that CcoN, CcoO and CcoQ assemble first into an inactive 210 kDa sub-complex, which is stabilized via its interactions with CcoH and CcoS. Binding of CcoP, and probably subsequent dissociation of CcoH and CcoS, then generates the active 230 kDa complex. The insertion of the heme cofactors into the c-type cytochromes CcoP and CcoO precedes sub-complex formation, while the cofactor insertion into CcoN could occur either before or after the 210 kDa sub-complex formation during the assembly of the cbb3-type cytochrome c oxidase.