Feeding Characteristics of Three Species of Intertidal Sea Anemones of the South Kuril Islands

We examined the content of the coelenteron of Oulactis orientalis, Cnidopus japonicus, and Aulactinia sp. (family Actiniidae) inhabiting the intertidal area of Shikotan and Kunashir Islands (South Kuril Islands). The feeding characteristics (food spectrum, the index of filling of the coelenteron, the index of food similarity of the species, occurrence frequency, the index of trophic importance, and the proportions of certain components in the food pellet) allowed us to determine that the examined species are euryphagous.     

Sign left by introduced and native predators feeding on Hutton's shearwaters Puffinus huttoni

Abstract

The identification of introduced and native predators is important for many conservation studies within New Zealand. Carcasses of Hutton's shearwaters were collected over three field seasons, and where predation was probable, the bodies were autopsied. Paired bites identified stoats as the principal predator of Hutton's shearwater, but also revealed that a feral cat was present within the colony. Stoats killed their prey with a bite to the back of the neck or head, and commenced feeding on the neck or head. Despite the limited number of cat‐killed birds, cats appeared to feed on Hutton's shearwaters differently from stoats, starting on the breast muscles. Harriers and kea left sign that allowed birds killed or scavenged by these native birds to be distinguished from those killed by stoats or cats.     

The effect of restricted feeding on the wheel-running activity rhythms of the predatory marsupial Dasyurus viverrinus

Summary The effects of restricted feeding schedules on the circadian rhythms of wheel-running of Dasyurus viverrinus were examined under a light/dark cycle and in constant darkness (experiment 1) and in constant light (experiment 2). The results of the 2 experiments showed that: (1) in contrast to the light/dark cycle, restricted feeding is only a weak zeitgeber for the wheel-running activity rhythms of D. viverrinus; (2) restricted feeding elicits meal anticipatory activity in D. viverrinus comparable to that elicited by restricted feeding in the rat; (3) transient cycles of the anticipatory activity free-run with a period different to that of the main component of activity for several cycles after the termination of restricted feeding; and (4) activity suggestive of beating between 2 oscillators occurs during restricted feeding and after the termination of restricted feeding. Taken together the latter 3 observations suggest that the activity rhythms of D. viverrinus are controlled by at least 2 separate circadian oscillators.     

长江安庆新洲水域鱼类群落结构及多样性

沙洲水域环境良好,饵料资源丰富,栖息生境多样,为鱼类的生长繁殖提供了优良的生存环境。为了解长江安庆新洲水域鱼类群落结构特征,于2017年4月、7月、10月和12月对安庆江段新洲水域鱼类群落进行季节性调查。共采集鱼类64种,分属5目11科48属,其中62.5%为鲤科鱼类。以物种数和多样性指数分析群落多样性特征,结果表明新洲水域鱼类种类多样性水平较高。单因素方差分析表明,该群落多样性季节差异显著(P0.05),空间差异不明显。新洲水域鱼类群落优势种为鳊(Parabramis pekinensis Basilewsky, 1855)、鲤(Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758)、贝氏■(Hemiculter bleekeri Warpachowsky, 1887)、银鮈(Squalidus argentatus Sauvage et Dabry, 1874)和似鳊(Pseudobrama simoni Bleeker, 1864)。4种摄食功能群中,杂食性(42.19%)和肉食性(35.94%)鱼类物种数比例较高;3种生态类群中,淡水定居性鱼类占绝对优势(84.37%);3种栖息水层类型中,底层鱼类物种数比例较高,占37.50%。大型经济鱼类占总渔获物比例低(0.01%),但个体较大,因而相对重要性指数(IRI)高。总体上,新洲鱼类群落多样性和丰富度指数较高,均匀度指数偏低,个体小型化趋势明显。捕捞强度过大、水利工程建设导致的江湖阻隔及外来物种入侵是新洲水域渔业资源衰退的主要因素。由此,建议持续开展长江渔业资源监测,加强长江干流沙洲水域渔业资源保护。     

婴幼儿喂养指数法评价6~23月龄婴幼儿喂养状况的临床价值

摘要 目的：探讨婴幼儿喂养指数法（ICFI）评价6~23月龄婴幼儿的喂养状况的临床价值。方法：于2015年6月至2016年2月，按照多阶段分层整群随机抽样的方法，抽取1418例6~23月龄婴幼儿作为调查对象。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）喂养建议建立喂养指数体系（包括母乳喂养、奶瓶喂养、膳食多样性、食物频率和喂养频率），进行ICFI评分。结果：本次共调查1418例婴幼儿，男766例（54.02 %），女652例（45.98 %）。6~8月龄组482例（33.99 %），9~11月龄组457例（32.23 %），12~23月龄组479例（33.78 %）。母乳喂养率为45.06 %，随月龄增加母乳喂养率降低（x²=234.486，P<0.05）。奶瓶喂养率为74.75 %，随月龄增加奶瓶喂养率升高（x²=75.671，P<0.05）。膳食多样性总满分率为67.42 %，满分率随月龄增加而增加（x²=154.146，P<0.05）。6~8、9~11月龄食物频率总满分率由高到低依次为谷类、蔬菜/水果、蛋/鱼/禽肉类、豆类及其制品、畜肉类；12~23月龄依次为奶类及其制品、蔬菜/水果、蛋/鱼/禽肉类、畜肉类、豆类及其制品。三个月龄组间食物频率评分随月龄增加而增加（F=1240.819，P<0.05）。喂养频率满分率为41.11 %（583/1418），随月龄增加而降低（x²=149.05，P<0.05）。结论：ICFI可客观地反映婴幼儿的喂养状况，目前6~23月龄婴幼儿喂养状况不容乐观，喂养状况随着月龄减小而变差。     

The influence of feeding,enrichment, and seasonal context on the behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)

Though some research exists concerning general behavior and activity patterns of Walruses in zoos or aquariums, less is known about how these patterns change in response to various environmental and temporal contexts. This study presents two studies assessing behavioral changes in relation to feeding period, object enrichment (OE), and season in a social group of four Pacific Walruses at the New York Aquarium. Study 1 examined behavior in relation to feeding context (nonfeed, prefeed, postfeed); data were collected over a three‐week period, resulting in 47 observation sessions for each feeding context. Study 2 examined behavior in relation to OE and season; data were collected in two phases resulting in 12 enrichment and 9 no‐enrichment (NE) observation sessions (Phase 1), and 21 enrichment and 18 NE observation sessions (Phase 2). Study 1 showed that after feeding, oral behavior increased while social behavior and total swim frequency decreased. In Study 2, both swim frequency and social behavior were found to interact with OE and phase, while oral behavior remained constant across all conditions. As in the wild, both studies found all animals to be swimming the majority of the time. Though every animal spent much of its swim time engaged in an Individual Swimming Pattern (ISP), both studies showed that the proportion of ISP (in relation to total time swimming) remained stable across all contexts, suggesting a potential functional role of the ISPs. These results are discussed in light of the ongoing debate over the role of stereotypies in welfare assessment. Zoo Biol 29:397–404, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Sieve element occlusion provides resistance against Aphis gossypii in TGR-1551 melons

Feeding behavior and plant response to feeding were studied for the aphid Aphis gossypii Glover on susceptible and resistant melons(cv.Iroquois and TGR-1551,respectively).Average phloem phase bout duration on TGR-1551 was<7% of the duration on Iroquois.Sixty-seven percent of aphids on TGR-1551 never produced a phloem phase that attained ingestion(EPG waveform E2)in contrast to only 7% of aphids on Iroquois.Average bout duration of waveform E2(scored as zero if phloem phase did not attain E2)on TGR-1551 was<3% of the duration on Iroquois.Conversely,average bout duration of EPG waveform El(sieve element salivation)was 2.8 times greater on TGR-1551 than on Iroquois.In a second experiment,liquid nitrogen was used to rapidly cryofix leaves and aphids within a few minutes after the aphids penetrated a sieve element.Phloem near the penetration site was then examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy.Ninety-six percent of penetrated sieve elements were occluded by protein in TGR-1551 in contrast to only 28% in Iroquois.Usually in TGR-1551,occlusion was also observed in nearby nonpenetrated sieve elements.Next,a calcium channel blocker,trivalent lanthanum,was used to prevent phloem occlusion in TGR-1551,and A.gossypii feeding behavior and the plants phloem response were compared between lanthanum-treated and control TGR-1551.Lanthanum treatment eliminated the sieve element protein occlusion response and the aphids readily ingested phloem sap from treated plants.This study provides strong evidence that phloem occlusion is a mechanism for resistance against A.gossypii in TGR-1551.     

The effects of ingesting plant hormones on schistosomiasis in mice: An experimental study

A number of studies have shown that primates monitor and select plant species in their diet as a function of their secondary compound composition. The possibility also exists that secondary compounds, when used in appropriate concentrations, may have a beneficial, medicinal aspect. In this regard, synthesis of a variety of data suggested a connection between selection of Balanites by Ethiopian baboons, and the distribution of schistosomiasis. To test the hypothesis that the secondary compounds in Balanites might be selected for ‘medicinal purposes’, we conducted an experiment on the effect of adding the active principle, diosgenin, to the food of schistosome-infected mice. The hypothesis was that this steroidal saponin might alter the host's hormonal milieu, making a less hospitable environment for the adult schistosomes. Sacrifice of the mice showed diosgenin-fed animals to have an augmented rather than decreased response to the disease. However, the data support the developing literature that shows that the host's hormonal environment has a major effect on the parasitic diseases they are subject to, and that the hormonal environment can be dramatically influenced by the secondary compounds in the diet.     

The rate of environmental fluctuations shapes ecological dynamics in a two‐species microbial system

Species interactions change when the external conditions change. How these changes affect microbial community properties is an open question. We address this question using a two‐species consortium in which species interactions change from exploitation to competition depending on the carbon source provided. We built a mathematical model and calibrated it using single‐species growth measurements. This model predicted that low frequencies of change between carbon sources lead to species loss, while intermediate and high frequencies of change maintained both species. We experimentally confirmed these predictions by growing co‐cultures in fluctuating environments. These findings complement more established concepts of a diversity peak at intermediate disturbance frequencies. They also provide a mechanistic understanding for how the dynamics at the community level emerges from single‐species behaviours and interspecific interactions. Our findings suggest that changes in species interactions can profoundly impact the ecological dynamics and properties of microbial systems.     

Thyroid hormone modulation during zebrafish development recapitulates evolved diversity in danionin jaw protrusion mechanics

Protrusile jaws are a highly useful innovation that has been linked to extensive diversification in fish feeding ecology. Jaw protrusion can enhance the performance of multiple functions, such as suction production and capturing elusive prey. Identifying the developmental factors that alter protrusion ability will improve our understanding of fish diversification. In the zebrafish protrusion arises postmetamorphosis. Fish metamorphosis typically includes significant changes in trophic morphology, accompanies a shift in feeding niche and coincides with increased thyroid hormone production. We tested whether thyroid hormone affects the development of zebrafish feeding mechanics. We found that it affected all developmental stages examined, but that effects were most pronounced after metamorphosis. Thyroid hormone levels affected the development of jaw morphology, feeding mechanics, shape variation, and cranial ossification. Adult zebrafish utilize protrusile jaws, but an absence of thyroid hormone impaired development of the premaxillary bone, which is critical to jaw protrusion. Premaxillae from early juvenile zebrafish and hypothyroid adult zebrafish resemble those from adults in the genera Danionella, Devario, and Microdevario that show little to no jaw protrusion. Our findings suggest that evolutionary changes in how the developing skulls of danionin minnows respond to thyroid hormone may have promoted diversification into different feeding niches.