Influence of salinity on the migration of postlarval and juvenile flounder Pleuronectes flesus L. in a gradient experiment

The behaviour of the flounder Pleuronectes flesus was observed in an experimental aquarium that consisted of five connected units with decreasing salinity from 20 to 15, 10, 5 and 0·5. This experimental aquarium was highly effective for studying behaviour in salinity gradients, because the gradient was relatively stable. After 4 days of observation, significantly more flounder were found in water with a salinity of 0·5, indicating a preference for fresh water. The total length of the flounders ranged from 7·5 to 21 mm. The majority of larvae had already started eye‐migration, however, the longer specimens had completed metamorphosis. The migration towards low salinities was observed to increase with ontogenetic development.     

温度对海蜇横裂生殖的影响

横裂生殖(strobilafion)是大多数钵水母(Scyphomedusac)特有的一种无性繁殖方式,指螅状幼体经分节(segmentation)和变态(metamorphosis)两个紧密联系的发育阶段产生碟状幼体的全过程(Spangenberg,1965)。海蜇(Rhopilema esculenta Kishinouye)生活史多次变态过程中,横裂生殖是一个重要环节(丁耕芜、陈介康,1981);就经济意义而言,人类食用的是海蜇水母型成体,只有通过横裂生殖才能产生实质为幼水母的碟状幼体。因此,阐明海蜇横裂生殖的诱导和抑制条件,无论对发育生物学研究,或以人工手段培育出大量海蜇幼水母用于水产增殖实践都具有重要意义。     

Developmental changes in fatty acid biosynthesis and composition in the house cricket,Acheta domesticus

Incorporation of [1-¹⁴C] acetate into various phospholipid and triacylglycerol fatty acids showed cyclic fluctuations in fatty acid biosynthesis that were similar for all of the major fatty acids in both male and female house crickets, Acheta domesticus, during development. All three stadia showed low levels of biosynthesis near ecdysis followed by increased synthesis to a peak at midstadium. In the phospholipid fraction, the incorporation of newly synthesized saturated fatty acids, 16:0 and 18:0, predominated near ecdysis, while at midstadium linoleic acid was the most actively synthesized fatty acid. In the triacylglycerol fraction, 18:0 and 18:1 predominated throughout the entire stadium. In contrast to the large fluctuations in fatty acid biosynthesis, the fatty acid compositions of the phospholipid and triacylglycerol fractions did not change within a stadium. However, significant differences were demonstrated between the stages and were associated primarily with differences between nymphal and adult stadia. Males and females differed in the proportions of 16:0 and 18:2 incorporated into phospholipids with females showing a greater proportion of 18:2 and a corresponding smaller proportion of 16:0 than males. The greater proportion of linoleic acid in females and in adults in general compared to nymphs and the predominance of the incorporation of newly synthesized linoleic acid into the phospholipid fraction of all stadia are consistent with the importance of this fatty acid in a number of biological roles.     

Patterns of serotonin and SCP immunoreactivity during metamorphosis of the nervous system of the red abalone,Haliotis rufescens

Larvae of the red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, rely on external chemical cues to trigger metamorphosis; thus, the timing of metamorphosis is depedent upon the larva's chance encounter with the appropriate substrate. We examined the effect of the timing of metamorphosis on the development of the central nervous system (CNS), concentrating on the pattern of serotonin and small cardioactive peptide- (SCP) immunopositive neurons in the cerebral ganglia. By 4 days postfertilization the cerebral ganglion has five pairs of serotonin-immunoreactive (IR) neurons, one pair of which (the V cells) innervate the velum. This complement of cells remains stable for as long as the larval stage persists but metamorphosis causes the rapid loss of the V cells. In the case of SCP-IR neurons, one pair is present prior to metamorphic competency, but as larvae continue to age in the absence of inducing cues, additional pairs are gradually added. Metamorphosis causes an acceleration in SCP-IR neuron addition. This separation of developmental patterns is well adapted for the inherent uncertainty of the timing of metamorphosis in abalone larvae. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

小地老虎变态期间马氏管超微结构与酯酶活性的变化

本实验用光镜和电镜观察了小地老虎Agrotis ypsilon Rottemberg幼虫在变态期间马氏管超微结构的变化及成虫马氏管的重组过程,同时还研究了变态期马氏管酯酶的活性.结果表明:(1)变态期间马氏管外形完整,除至预蛹期隐肾复合体解体外,其余无明显变化.(2)变态期间管壁细胞变化显著.幼虫6龄末期马氏管细胞结构开始变化,主要特点为:细胞质电子密度高,充满了核糖体颗粒,微绒毛萎缩,线粒体从萎缩的微绒毛中退出进入细胞质,基膜内褶破坏.进入预蛹期幼虫马氏管细胞解体:基膜内褶、顶端微绒毛、线粒体及细胞质内的其它细胞器消失,并形成自体吞噬泡,细胞质内仅存细胞核及各种类型的液泡.但是在变态期间因底膜始终存在,故马氏管外形不变;至蛹后期,成虫马氏管细胞在原位重组,基膜内褶由浅变深,微绒毛由短变长,线粒体内嵴从无到有.(3)变态过程中羧酸酯酶和酸性磷酸酯酶的活性变化趋势基本相同,以六龄幼虫最强,预蛹期次之,蛹期最低.     

Reaction norms for metamorphic traits in natterjack toads to larval density and pond duration

The evolution of environmentally-induced changes in phenotype or reaction norm implies both the existence at some time of genetic variation within a population for that plasticity measured by the presence of genotype x environment interaction (G x E), and that phenotypic variation affects fitness. Otherwise, the genetic structure of polygenic traits may restrict the evolution of the reaction norm by the lack of independent evolution of a given trait in different environments or by genetic trade-offs with other traits that affect fitness. In this paper, we analyze the existence of G x E in metamorphic traits to two environmental factors, larval density and pond duration in a factorial experiment with Bufo calamita tadpoles in semi-natural conditions and in the laboratory. Results showed no plastic temporal response in metamorphosis to pond durability at low larval density. The rank of genotypes did not change across different hydroperiods, implying a high genetic correlation that may constrain the evolution of the reaction norm. At high larval density a significant G x E interaction was found, suggesting the potential for the evolution of the reaction norm. A sibship (#1) attained the presumed “optimal” reaction norm by accelerating developmental rate in short duration ponds and delaying it in longer ponds. This could be translated in fitness by an increment in metamorphic survival and size at metamorphosis in short and long ponds respectively with respect to non-plastic sibships. However, genetic variability for plasticity suggests that optimal reaction norm for developmental rates may be variable and hard to achieve in the heterogeneous pond environment. Mass at metamorphosis was not plastic across different pond durations but decreased at high larval density. Significant adaptive plasticity for growth rates appeared in environments that differed drastically in level of crowding conditions, both in the field and in the laboratory. The fact that survival of juveniles metamorphosed at high density ponds was a monotonic function of metamorphic size, implies that response to selection may occur in this population of natterjacks and that genetic variability in plasticity may be a reliable mechanism maintaining adaptive genetic variation in growth rates in the highly variable pond environment.     

Temperature- and developmentally-induced variation in the histochemical profile of myofibrillar ATPase activity in carp

The histochemical profile of calcium activated acid stable myofibrillar ATPase (mATPase) activity in developing larval and juvenile carp was investigated. In the larval fish, differentiation of pink muscle fibres occurred after metamorphosis which was delayed by a week at 17° C compared to larvae grown at 27° C. After metamorphosis the 27° C group exhibited some small myofibres with acid stable mATPase activity in the deep white muscle. This was similar for the juvenile carp which were acclimated for more than a month at 25° C. In contrast, the cold (12° C) acclimated juvenile fish, contained very few small white muscle fibres with acid stable mATPase activity. It was also noted that the cold acclimated fish had lower background acid stable mATPase activity than the warm acclimated fish. Results indicate that after metamorphosis and more evidently in juveniles, temperature can influence the rate of myofibre hyperplasia.     

Visualization of the initiation and sequential expansion of the metamorphic conversion of anuran larval skin into the precursor of adult type

A tadpole of bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana , is originally covered with the larval skin over its entire body. Drastic changes arise in both the epidermis and the subcutaneous connective tissue at an early developmental stage, producing the precursor of adult type skin (pre-adult skin). It was found that calcium is a useful probe to detect the region where the precursor formation has occurred because its deposition in the upper part of subcutaneous collagen bundles coincides with the appearance of the pre-adult skin. Whole-mount in situ staining of tadpoles with alizarin red S revealed the initiation site of the premetamorphic transformation of the larval skin into the adult precursor and its ensuing region-dependent expansion. The pre-adult skin first emerged at TK II to III (TK, Taylor and Kollros staging) t lateral sides of the body, which led us to postulate that 'the center for premetamorphic skin transformation' is formed at the specific site in this region. This center moved dorsally and then ventrally, then reached to the most proximal region of the tail, yielding a unique sequential conversion pattern by around TK V when the conversion was completed in the trunk. The present study also visualized the process of the hindlimb skin transformation.     

Isolation and characterization of a gene expressed mainly in the gastric epithelium, a novel member of the ep37 family that belongs to the βγ-crystallin superfamily

EP37 family proteins are non-lens members of the βγ-crystallin superfamily, of which expression is observed in integumental tissues of the Japanese newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster . In the present study, a gene was isolated that has high homology with ep 37 and is transcribed mainly in the gastric epithelial cells and hence designated gep. The predicted amino acid sequence of the gep cDNA contains four βγ-crystallin motifs in the N-terminal half, as is the case in the integumental EP37 proteins. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that GEP protein was mainly localized on the luminal content of the surface mucous cells of the gastric epithelium in both premetamorphic larvae and adults. In addition, GEP protein was also expressed in fundic glands after metamorphosis. Considering the fact that β- and γ-crystallins are evolutionarily related to stress-induced proteins, this localization suggests that GEP protein may have an evolutionarily conserved role in protection against physicochemical stresses, such as physical abrasion and autodigestion, during assimilation.     

Induction of metamorphosis in the sand dollar Peronella japonica by thyroid hormones

The larva of the sand dollar Peronella japonica lacks a mouth and gut, and undergoes metamorphosis into a juvenile sand dollar without feeding. In the present study, it was found that thyroid hormones accelerate the metamorphosis of P. japonica larvae. The contents of thyroid hormones in larvae increased gradually during development. Thiourea and potassium perchlorate, inhibitors of thyroid hormone synthesis, delayed larval metamorphosis and simultaneously repressed an increase in the content of thyroxine in the larval body. These results suggest that the P. japonica larva has a system for synthesis of thyroid hormones that act as factors for inducing metamorphosis.