Diel and tidal changes in the distribution and feeding habits of Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus juveniles in the surf zone of Ariake Bay

Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus juveniles recruit to the surf zone and grow by feeding on commonly occurring coastal copepods. However, little is known about diel and tidal patterns in their migration and feeding habits. We sampled wild juveniles during the neap and spring tides, over periods of 24 h, with small seine nets in the sand flat of the eastern part of Ariake Bay, Kyushu, western Japan. In both the neap and spring tides, abundance of juveniles significantly increased during the daytime, being highest around the time of high tide. The relative gut fullness indices of juveniles drastically increased in the morning (0700–0900) and during the flood tide in the daytime, while major prey copepod (Paracalanus spp.) density in the ambient water was relatively constant. We summarized that L. japonicus juveniles would migrate to the surf zone after sunrise to feed on copepods, and then emigrate from the surf zone after sunset. The migratory behavior of L. japonicus juveniles would be influenced by light (daytime) and feeding activity influenced by both light (morning) and tidal condition (flood tide). The intertidal region of the tidal flat was recognized to be one of the important habitats for L. japonicus during their early life history.     

Phenotypic plasticity for skeletal growth,density and calcification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Porites lobata</Emphasis> in response to habitat type

A reciprocal transplant experiment (RTE) of the reef-building coral Porites lobata between shallow (1.5 m at low tide) back reef and forereef habitats on Ofu and Olosega Islands, American Samoa, resulted in phenotypic plasticity for skeletal characteristics. Transplants from each source population (back reef and forereef) had higher skeletal growth rates, lower bulk densities, and higher calcification rates on the back reef than on the forereef. Mean annual skeletal extension rates, mean bulk densities, and mean annual calcification rates of RTE groups were 2.6–9.8 mm year⁻¹, 1.41–1.44 g cm⁻³, and 0.37–1.39 g cm⁻² year⁻¹ on the back reef, and 1.2–4.2 mm year⁻¹, 1.49–1.53 g cm⁻³, and 0.19–0.63 g cm⁻² year⁻¹ on the forereef, respectively. Bulk densities were especially responsive to habitat type, with densities of transplants increasing on the high energy forereef, and decreasing on the low energy back reef. Skeletal growth and calcification rates were also influenced by source population, even though zooxanthella genotype of source colonies did not vary between sites, and there was a transplant site x source population interaction for upward linear extension. Genetic differentiation may explain the source population effects, or the experiment may have been too brief for phenotypic plasticity of all skeletal characteristics to be fully expressed. Phenotypic plasticity for skeletal characteristics likely enables P. lobata colonies to assume the most suitable shape and density for a wide range of coral reef habitats.     

Direct effects of physical stress can be counteracted by indirect benefits: oyster growth on a tidal elevation gradient

The paradigmatic gradient for intertidal marine organisms of increasing physical stress from low to high elevation has long served as the basis for using direct effects of duration of water coverage to predict many biological patterns. Accordingly, changes in potential feeding time may predict the direction and magnitude of differences between elevations in individual growth rates of sessile marine invertebrates. Oysters (triploid Crassostrea ariakensis) experimentally introduced at intertidal (MLW+0.05 m) and subtidal (MLW–0.25 m) elevations in racks provided a test of the ability to use duration of water coverage to predict changes in growth. During early-to-mid winter, a depression of 38–47% in shell growth of intertidal oysters matched the 36% reduction in available feeding time relative to subtidal oysters. In late winter as solar heating of exposed oysters increased, growth differences of 52–55% departed only slightly from the predicted 39%. In spring, however, duration of water coverage failed to predict even the correct direction of growth change with elevation as intertidal oysters grew 34% faster despite 39% less feeding time. Intense seasonal development of shell fouling by other suspension feeders like ascidians, mussels, and barnacles on subtidal (94% incidence) but not on aerially exposed intertidal (21–38% incidence) oysters may explain why duration of water cover failed to predict spring growth differences. Less intense fouling develops on intertidal oysters due to the physiological stress of aerial exposure on settlers, especially during higher temperatures and longer solar exposures of spring. Fouling by suspension feeders is known to reduce growth of the host through localized competition for food and added energetic costs. Thus, in springtime, indirect effects of aerial exposure providing a partial refuge from biological enemies overwhelmed direct effects of reduced duration of water coverage to reverse the expected pattern of slower intertidal growth of a marine invertebrate.     

Physical processes in an Indian Ocean atoll

 Detailed measurements of water levels, and tide and wave-induced currents were undertaken to examine physical processes and their relationship with morphology in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a medium sized atoll in the Indian Ocean. Results indicate that the atoll structure controls both lagoon circulation and the spatial pattern of energy distribution. Lagoon circulation is tide dominated (currents 16–31 cms^-1) with flushing (2–5 days) of the lagoon occurring through the deep leeward passages. Wave- and tide-driven unidirectional flows through shallow passages (26–65 cms^-1) are important mechanisms of ocean to lagoon water exchange and contribute up to 24% of the lagoon neap tide prism. Reef flats are dominated by wave energy (maximum velocity 140 cms^-1, east) with measurements of the attenuation of wave energy between reef flats and shallow lagoon (80–90%) conforming to measurements from fringing and barrier reefs. Spectral analysis shows that the characteristics of wave energy vary on different sectors of the atoll, with gravity wave energy dominating the east, and infragravity wave energy dominating the southern reef flat and passages. Wave setup at the reef crest is considered to be responsible for an identified 0.1 m higher water level in the southern as opposed to eastern and northern atoll, which promotes higher reef flat growth. Transmission of gravity waves across reef flats requires threshold water depths of 0.65 (east) and 0.70 m (south). The higher southern reef is an effective filter of gravity wave energy for most tidal elevations. Differences in the type and magnitude of physical processes within the atoll are discussed with relation to geomorphic development on Cocos. Accepted: 28 February 1998     

江苏海门蛎岈山牡蛎礁生态现状评价

基于2013—2014年间的生态调查结果,评价了江苏海门蛎岈山牡蛎礁的生态现状。无人机航拍结果显示,江苏海门蛎岈山分布有750个潮间带区牡蛎礁斑块,总面积约为201519.37 m2;与2003年相比,海门蛎岈山牡蛎礁面积约下降了38.8%。活体牡蛎的平均盖度约为66%,2013年5和9月熊本牡蛎Crassostrea sikamea的平均密度分别为(2199±363)个/m2和(2894±330)个/m2。2013年5月海门蛎岈山熊本牡蛎种群的平均肥满度(CI)和性腺指数(GI)分别为(9.76±0.95)%和(1013±82)mg/g,均显著低于浙江象山港养殖的熊本牡蛎种群(P0.05)。海门蛎岈山熊本牡蛎的单倍体多样性和核苷酸多样性指数分别为0.119和0.00028,均高于长江口野生种群和浙江象山港养殖种群。海门蛎岈山熊本牡蛎种群受到尼氏单孢子虫(Haplosporidium nelson)的轻度浸染,其感染率(17.2%)低于浙江象山港养殖群体(47.3%)。泥沙沉积和人类捕捞是江苏海门蛎岈山牡蛎礁面临的主要胁迫因子,今后牡蛎礁恢复的重点是增加附着底物的数量。     

Ontogenetic diet shift, feeding rhythm, and daily ration of juvenile yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus on a tidal mudflat in the Tama River estuary, central Japan

To ascertain the feeding habits of benthic juvenile yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus, the gut contents of 599 specimens (15–41 mm in standard length, SL), collected on a tidal mudflat in the Tama River estuary throughout the diel cycle, were examined. The major prey items changed from harpacticoid copepods to errant and sedentary polychaetes at ca. 20 mm SL. Prey width increased with fish size. Fish of 26–28 mm SL fed mainly from sunset to morning, with highest feeding intensity during twilight hours and/or high tide. Based on the gut evacuation rate estimated from a forced feeding experiment in the laboratory and data for the diel change of mean gut-content volume in the field, the daily ration of juvenile yellowfin goby (26–28 mm SL) was calculated to be 13.8 mm³ fish⁻¹ day⁻¹. This volume is approximately equivalent to 3.9 individuals of the errant polychaete Ceratonereis erythraeensis (9.7 mm in body length, BL) or 8.1 individuals of the sedentary polychaete Prionospio japonica (14.8 mm BL), both species occurring abundantly on the mudflat during the study.     

Temperature effects on herbivory for an Indo-Pacific parrotfish in Panamá: implications for coral–algal competition

An assumption that a positive relationship exists between temperature and herbivorous fish grazing rates in coral reef environments has been used to explain seasonal and latitudinal trends in herbivore pressure. However, this assumption has not been systematically quantified over short-term (hours–days) changes in temperature, avoiding the confounding influences that can occur on seasonal or latitudinal scales. This study measured grazing activities of the pan Indo-Pacific parrotfish Scarus ghobban over short-term changes in temperature in upwelling and non-upwelling environments on the Pacific coast of Panamá. Individual juvenile fish were followed over naturally varying temperatures to determine their bite rates (bites min⁻¹), the foray frequency (forays min⁻¹) and bites per foray. In the upwelling environment, there was a significant positive correlation between temperature and bite rate (R _Partial = 0.63, P < 0.0001) and there was a marked fourfold change in bite rates over the range of temperatures encountered in the study (21.2–29.4°C). Bites per foray were also positively correlated to temperature (R _partial = 0.27, P < 0.0001), and tide height (R _partial = 0.26, P < 0.001), whilst foray frequency was positively correlated to temperature (R _partial = 0.63, P < 0.0001), but negatively to tide height (R _partial = −0.31, P < 0.0001). The effect of temperature on grazing rates may explain differences in herbivore pressure across different thermal environments and may be a factor contributing to algal biomass increases in low-temperature coral reef environments.     

Hypoxia tolerance and air-breathing ability correlate with habitat preference in coral-dwelling fishes

Hypoxia tolerance and air-breathing occur in a range of freshwater, estuarine and intertidal fishes. Here it is shown for the first time that coral reef fishes from the genera Gobiodon, Paragobiodon and Caracanthus, which all have an obligate association with living coral, also exhibit hypoxia tolerance and a well-developed air-breathing capacity. All nine species maintained adequate respiration in water at oxygen concentrations down to 15–25% air saturation. This hypoxia tolerance is probably needed when the oxygen levels in the coral habitat drops sharply at night. Air-breathing abilities of the species correlated with habitat association, being greatest (equaling oxygen uptake in water) in species that occupy corals extending into shallow water, where they may become air exposed during extreme low tides. Air-breathing was less well-developed or absent in species inhabiting corals from deeper waters. Loss of scales and a network of subcutaneous capillaries appear to be key adaptations allowing cutaneous respiration in air. While hypoxia tolerance may be an ancestral trait in these fishes, air-breathing is likely to be a more recent adaptation exemplifying convergent evolution in the unrelated genera Gobiodon and Caracanthus in response to coral-dwelling lifestyles.     

Bioerosion caused by foraging of the tropical chiton Acanthopleura gemmata at One Tree Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef

The bioerosive potential of the intertidal chiton Acanthopleura gemmata on One Tree Reef was determined by quantification of CaCO₃ in daily faecal pellet production of individuals transplanted into mesocosms after nocturnal-feeding forays. Mean bioerosive potential was estimated at 0.16 kg CaCO₃ chiton⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Bioerosion rates were estimated for populations on two distinct chiton habitats, reef margin (0.013 kg CaCO₃ m⁻² yr⁻¹) and beachrock platform (0.25 kg CaCO₃ m⁻² yr⁻¹). Chiton density on the platform was orders of magnitude greater than on the reef margin. The surface-lowering rate (0.16 mm m⁻² yr) due to bioerosion by the beachrock population is a substantial contribution to the total surface-lowering rate of 2 mm m⁻² yr⁻¹ previously reported for One Tree Reef across all erosive agents. At high densities, the contribution of A. gemmata to coral reef bioerosion budgets may be comparable to other important bioeroders such as echinoids and fish.     

The potential for seaweed resource development in subarctic Canada; Nunavik,Ungava Bay

Ungava Bay is ice covered 6–7 months of the year and evidence of ice scouring of seaweeds is extensive in the intertidal and shallow subtidal. Maximum tidal amplitudes of 16 m, among the highest in Canadian waters, compound this impact. Despite this level of annual perturbation, very extensive and dense beds of fucoids in the intertidal and laminarians in the subtidal are common on the western shores of Ungava Bay. Ground surveys of 24 intertidal stations combined with satellite images delineated 82,000 tons standing crop of Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus evanescens in Payne Bay, of which 36,000 tons were considered harvestable. Subtidally, kelp cover reached peak biomass at 5–10 m consisting of three primary species, Saccharina longicruris, Laminaria digitata, and Laminaria solidungula. In the area of Payne Bay, kelp beds of 100 ha were common, averaging 9–12 kg m⁻² wet weight. The productivity of brown algae at these latitudes has been assumed to be low relative to southern latitudes. Direct measurement of lineal growth indicates productivity is intermediate between arctic and temperate populations. The potential for medium level industrial harvest exists under conservative management strategies within the constraints of subarctic logistics.     

Potential Impacts of a Western Pacific Grapsid Crab on Intertidal Communities of the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean

Population density and size distribution, salinity tolerance, and feeding activity were examined in a western Pacific grapsid crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, that was recently introduced to the mid-Atlantic coast of North America. Seasonal abundance on a boulder/cobble shore (Crane Neck Pt.) in central Long Island Sound, New York, USA, during 1997–1998, ranged from 7 to 10 crabs m⁻² averaged over the entire intertidal zone. Crabs occurred throughout the intertidal during summer and fall, but appeared to move from high to low elevations during winter. In laboratory experiments, H. sanguineus tolerated salinity down to 10 ppt for 7 d, but showed significant preference for 20 or 27 ppt over 10 ppt. The crabs readily consumed juvenile snails (Littorina littorea) and mussels (Mytilus edulis), as well as other common species of macroalgae and invertebrates occurring at Crane Neck Pt. High feeding rates and the ability to consume littorine snails up to 13 mm in height and mussels up to 20 mm in length suggest that this nonindigenous species has the potential to significantly affect the structure of rocky intertidal communities in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean; however, rigorous field studies are needed to accurately determine the impact of this recent introduction. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The metabolic responses and acid–base status after feeding, exhaustive exercise, and both feeding and exhaustive exercise in Chinese catfish (Silurus asotus Linnaeus)

Feeding and exhaustive exercise are known to elevate metabolism. However, acid–base status may be oppositely affected by the two processes. In this study, we first investigated the acid–base response of Chinese catfish to feeding (the meal size was about 8% of body mass) to test whether an alkaline tide (a metabolic alkalosis created by gastric HCl secretion after feeding) would occur. We then determined the combined effects of feeding and exhaustive exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and acid–base status to determine whether the alkaline tide induced by feeding protects against acid–base disturbance during exhaustive exercise and affects subsequent recovery. Arterial blood pH increased from 7.74 ± 0.02 before feeding to 7.88 ± 0.02 and plasma [HCO₃ ⁻]_pl increased from 5.42 ± 0.29 to 7.83 ± 0.37 mmol L⁻¹ 6 h after feeding, while feeding had no significant effect on P_\textCO2 P_{{{\text{CO}}_{2} }} . Exhaustive exercise led to a significant reduction in pH by 0.46 units and a reduction of [HCO₃ ⁻]_pl by ~3 mmol L⁻¹. Lactate concentrations in white muscle and plasma increased by 2.4 mmol L⁻¹ and 13.4 μmol g⁻¹, respectively. Fed fish had a higher pH and [HCO₃ ⁻]_pl than fasting fish at rest, and the reductions in pH (0.36 units) and [HCO₃ ⁻]_pl (~2 mmol L⁻¹) were thus lower after exhaustive exercise. However, the recovery of acid–base status and metabolites were similar in digesting and fasting fish. Overall, a significant alkaline tide was found in Chinese catfish after feeding. The alkaline tide elicited by feeding significantly prevented the decreases in pH and [HCO₃ ⁻]_pl immediately after exhaustive exercise, but recovery from exhaustive exercise was not affected by digestion.     

Feeding habitats of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) during winter and spring in Helan Mountains, China

The feeding habitat selection of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) was studied by direct observation method in the Helan Mountains, China during winter (from November to December) and spring (from April to June) from 2003 to 2004. We established 25 line transects to collect information on feeding habitats used by blue sheep. Blue sheep in the study area preferred mountain savanna forests, a habitat dominated by Ulmus glaucescens, with medium tree density (<4 individuals / 400 m²), moderate tree height (4–6 m), higher shrub density (> 5 individuals / 100 m²), higher shrub (> 1.3 m), higher food abundance (> 50 g), moderate distance to human disturbance (< 500 m), and mild distance to bare rock (< 2 m). Such habitats characterized by 12 ecological factors were preferred as feeding areas by blue sheep during winter. Similar to habitat selection by the species during winter, blue sheep also showed a preference for mountain savanna with tree dominated by Ulmus glaucescens and medium tree density (< 4 individuals / 400 m²) during spring. Nevertheless, blue sheep preferred medium tree height (< 6 m), moderate tree density (5–10 individuals / 100 m²), medium shrub height (1.3–1.7 m), higher food abundance (> 100 g), moderate altitude (< 2 000 m), moderate distance to water resource (< 500 m), and medium hiding cover (50%–75%) during spring. Selection of the feeding habitats by sheep showed a significant difference in vegetation type, landform feature, dominant tree, tree height, shrub density, distance to the nearest shrub, food abundance, slope direction, slope degree, distance to water resource, and hiding cover between winter and spring. Results of principal components analysis indicated that the first principal component accounted for 24.493% of the total variance among feeding habitat variance during winter, with higher loadings for vegetation type, dominant tree, tree height, distance to the nearest tree, shrub density, shrub height, altitude, distance to water resource, and distance to human disturbance. In spring, the first principal components explained 28.777% of the variance, with higher loadings for vegetation type, distance to the nearest tree, shrub height, distance to the nearest shrub, food abundance, altitude, and distance to human disturbance. Translated from Zoological Research, 2005, 26(6): 580–589 [译自: 动物学研究]     

Interspecific variation in spawning time and male mating tactics of the parrotfishes on a fringing coral reef at Iriomote Island,Okinawa

Spawning time and male mating tactics of parrotfishes (family Scaridae) were investigated on a fringing coral reef at Iriomote Island, Okinawa. Spawning was observed in 14 species, and more frequently in more abundant species such as Chlorurus sordidus, Scarus rivulatus and Chlorurus bowersi. At the reef-edge spawning site, C. bowersi spawned at high tide, C. sordidus spawned both at high tide and in the early morning, whereas Calotomus carolinus and most of the Scarus species such as S. rivulatus spawned only in the early morning, mostly 0630–0830 h. Spawning only in the early morning irrespective of tide phase and moon age has seldom been reported from the scarid species of other localities. It is suggested that spawning in the early morning would be adaptive in species such as S. rivulatus, which migrated considerable distances (ca. 500 m) to the inshore feeding sites, in order to minimize feeding losses due to migration. For male mating tactics, pair spawning by territorial TP (terminal phase) males occurred in all 14 species, and streaking and group spawning by nonterritorial small IP (initial phase) males were seen more frequently in more abundant species. Moreover, group spawning by nonterritorial TP males, which were larger than the IP males but smaller than the territorial TP males, frequently occurred in S. rivulatus. Such mating tactics of TP males have not been reported from Scaridae.     

The origin and paleoecologic significance of the trace fossil Asteriacites in the Pennsylvanian of Kansas and Missouri

The trace fossil Asteriacites, recorded in Cambrian to Recent shallow- and deep-marine facies, is traditionally interpreted as the resting trace of asterozoans. Well-preserved specimens of A. lumbricalis are abundant in Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) shallow- and marginal-marine siliciclastic deposits of eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Detailed morphologic analysis of these specimens suggests that they record the activities of mobile epifaunal ophiuroids. Evidence of a brittle star (ophiuroid) producer rather than sea star (asteroid) is provided by (1) trace-fossil morphologic features reflecting the anatomy of the producer (e.g., well-differentiated central structure, slender vermiform arms) and ophiuroid burrowing technique (e.g., proximal arm expansion, arm branching), and (2) mode of occurrence (e.g., gregarious behavior, horizontal and vertical repetition). Vertical and horizontal repetition produces complex aggregates of A. lumbricalis that are interpreted either as escape structures (fugichnia) or as feeding structures, respectively. Ophiura texturata is proposed as a modern analogue for the A. lumbricalis producer, based on inferred life habit and feeding behavior. Asteriacites lumbricalis is present in two different intertidal trace-fossil assemblages. The first assemblage is characterized by high diversity and records tidal flats developed outside of embayments under normal marine conditions. The second assemblage consists of A. lumbricalis together with a few other ichnotaxa and represents a depauperate association that developed in restricted tidal flats within an embayment or estuarine setting. This challenges the conventional view of Asteriacites as a normal-marine salinity indicator. Some echinoderms, and particularly asterozoans, penetrate and inhabit modern environments of depressed salinity. The presence of Asteriacites in Pennsylvanian marginal-marine facies of Kansas and Missouri provides evidence that ophiuroids had adapted to brackish-water conditions by the late Paleozoic.     

Spatially Extended Habitat Modification by Intertidal Reef-Building Bivalves has Implications for Consumer-Resource Interactions

Ecosystem engineers can strongly modify habitat structure and resource availability across space. In theory, this should alter the spatial distributions of trophically interacting species. In this article, we empirically investigated the importance of spatially extended habitat modification by reef-building bivalves in explaining the distribution of four avian predators and their benthic prey in the Wadden Sea—one of the world’s largest intertidal soft-sediment ecosystems. We applied Structural Equation Modeling to identify important direct and indirect interactions between the different components of the system. We found strong spatial gradients in sediment properties into the surrounding area of mixed blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) reefs, indicating large-scale (100s of m) engineering effects. The benthic community was significantly affected by these gradients, with the abundance of several important invertebrate prey species increasing with sediment organic matter and decreasing with distance to the reefs. Distance from the reef, sediment properties, and benthic food abundance simultaneously explained significant parts of the distribution of oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), Eurasian curlews (Numenius arquata), and bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica). The distribution of black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)—a versatile species with many diet options—appeared unaffected by the reefs. These results suggest that intertidal reef builders can affect consumer-resource dynamics far beyond their own boundaries, emphasizing their importance in intertidal soft-bottom ecosystems like the Wadden Sea.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus cavaticus</Emphasis> (Teleostei: Perciformes), a new epigonid fish from Palau,western Central Pacific

A new epigonid fish, Epigonus cavaticus, is described on the basis of eight specimens (59.2–69.5 in standard length: SL) collected from a cave at depth 20 m, southern fringing reef of Ngemelis Island, Palau. The species differs from other congeners by having minute teeth on both jaws, no opercular spine, pyloric caeca 7–8, gill rakers 25–27, total pored lateral line scales 48–50, dorsal fin rays VII-I, 10–11 (mode VII-I, 10), pectoral fin rays 16, vertebrae 10 + 15, body depth 21.4–25.0% SL, pectoral fin length 22.7–24.6% SL, eye diameter 44.4–47.5% head length: HL, upper jaw length 40.2–42.5% HL. Four paratypes (63.7–66.8 mm SL) of the new species are female with mature gonads, it is the smallest in size at sexual maturity among the congeners.     

Carbonate production by scleractinian corals at Aqaba,Gulf of Aqaba,Red Sea

Summary In a fringing reef at Aqaba at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba (29°26′N) growth rates, density, and the calcification rate ofPorites were investigated in order to establish calculations of gross carbonate production for the reefs in this area. Colony accretion ofPorites decreases with depth as a function of decreasing growth rates. The calcification rate ofPorites is highest in shallow water (0–5 m depth) with 0.9 g·cm⁻²·yr⁻¹ and falls down to 0.5 g·cm⁻²·yr⁻¹ below 30 m. Scleractinian coral gross production is calculated from potential productivity and coral coverage. It is mainly dependent on living coral cover and to a lesser extent on potential productivity. Total carbonate production on the reef ranged from 0 to 2.7 kg/m² per year, with a reef-wide average of 1.6 kg/m² perycar. Maximum gross carbonate production by corals at Aqaba occurs at the reef crest and in the middle fore-reef from 10 to 15 m water depth. Production is low in sandy reef parts. Below 30 m depth values still reach ca. 50% of shallow water values. Mean potential production of colonies and gross carbonate production of the whole reef community at Aqaba is lower than in tropical reefs. However, carbonate production is higher than in reef areas at the same latitude in the Pacific, indicating a northward shift of reef production in the Red Sea.     

Biology and distribution of the littoral rove beetle Psamathobledius punctatissimus (Le Conte) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

The intertidal macrofauna on a small sheltered marine beach at Pawley's Island, South Carolina, was dominated by insects, primarily Psamathobledius punctatissimus, a small beetle which attained densities of up to 2 260 adults m⁻². Both adult and larval beetles remained buried in the sand when covered by the tide, then emerged to form mole-like surface trails and feed upon diatoms when exposed. Eggs and young larvae were maintained within special maternal burrows, while larger larvae and non-breeding adults occupied their own individual burrows. Both adults and larvae became comatose when in direct contact with water, but recovered after as long as six hours submergence. In the field, burrows retained air during tidal coverage, allowing the beetles to avoid direct contact with sea water. Seaward extension of the population is probably limited by time available for feeding, while longshore distribution is restricted by sand texture and diatom concentration, or by sediment mobility in more exposed locations. Although very locally distributed, P. punctatissimus has achieved considerable success in a habitat poorly exploited by competitors of either marine or terrestrial origin. Contribution No. 434 of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research Contribution No. 434 of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research     

UV-absorbing compounds in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Porphyra haitanensis</Emphasis> (Rhodophyta) with special reference to effects of desiccation

The intertidal red alga Porphyra haitanensis Chang et Zheng is episodically desiccated and exposed to high levels of solar radiation at low tide during emersion. However, little has been documented on the relationship between the stresses during desiccation and related chemical compounds. We found that P. haitanensis thalli, when desiccated under indoor (artificial radiation) or outdoor (solar radiation) conditions, with or without UV radiation (UVR: 280–400 nm), contained significantly higher concentrations of UV-absorbing compounds (peak at 336 nm) than those maintained submerged (without desiccation). Solar UVR had no effect on the content of UV-absorbing compounds. Even though the concentration of these compounds decreased with time in all treatments, a slower decrease was observed in the desiccated samples. The samples with higher levels of UV-absorbing compounds showed higher photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PS II) during the exposure or subsequent recovering process than samples with low concentration of UV-absorbing compounds, reflecting their protective role. The concentration of these compounds varied in different parts of the thallus, with the middle and marginal parts containing 60–80% more UV-absorbing compounds than the basal parts in both female and male plants. In addition, the marginal parts of male thalli contained more UV-absorbing compounds than the corresponding parts of female thalli. Our data suggest that desiccation plays a key role in this alga to maintain high concentration of UV-absorbing compounds, and that this might provide a beneficial advantage to compete in the intertidal zone where the organism is normally exposed to high levels of UVR.