Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in Neogobius kessleri (Perciformes,Gobiidae) and cross‐species amplification within the family Gobiidae

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellites were isolated from Neogobius kessleri, a benthic fish of Ponto‐Caspian origin which has been recently introduced into the Middle and Upper Danube River. Number of alleles and heterozygosity per locus in a sample of 32 fish individuals ranged from two to four and from 0.13 to 0.75, respectively. These primers will be useful in determining the population structure of N. kessleri. In addition, successful cross‐amplification was obtained for four related species, N. melanostomus, N. fluviatilis, N. gymnotrachelus and Proterorhinus marmoratus. These microsatellite loci may be useful for the evaluation of the origin of non‐native goby populations.     

Expected future reproductive success and paternal behaviour in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus (Pisces, Gobiidae)

We studied egg care and guarding behaviour in the paternal sand goby, Pomatoschislus minutus , in relation to egg number and age. A male's expected reproductive success is assumed to increase with larger egg masses and older eggs. Non-shareable care, i.e. fanning, was higher in larger and older egg masses. Egg age explained 65% and egg mass size 22% of the total variation in the amount of fanning performed by a male. Contrary to expectation, egg removal did not affect a male's fanning behaviour, Males that were approached stayed longer in the nest when they guarded larger egg masses. Males with older eggs were also more reluctant to leave the nest. The time since a male had been chased away from his nest until he returned decreased as the season progressed. The results are discussed in relation to tradeoffs between present and future reproductive events.     

Biochemical systematics of some serranids from Taiwan (Pisces, Serranidae)

An electrophoretic study of genetic variation at 17 loci in ten serranids belonging to three subfamilies (Anthiinae, Epinephelinae and Serraninae) was carried out to assess their systematic relationships. A relationship dendrogram was constructed from the fenetic identities calculated b Nei's method for all pairwise cornarisons. These fishes were divided into three major welldefined groups: Anthiinae, Epinepielinae and Serraninae. Although the relationships among them appear slightly different from that deduced from morphological features; e. g., Serraninae are distant from Anthiinae and Epinephelinae biochemically, but are closer to Antiinae than to Epinephelinae morphologically. However, a tendency for an increase of the genetic distance in higher categories is obvious (Table 5).     

Ventilation rate and behavioural responses of two species of intertidal goby (Pisces: Gobiidae) at extremes of environmental temperature

We investigated the behavioural responses of two gobiid fish species to temperature to determine if differences in behaviour and ventilation rate might explain any apparent vertical zonation. A survey of the shore at Manly, Moreton Bay revealed Favonigobius exquisitus to dominate the lower shore and Pseudogobius sp.4 the upper shore. These species were exposed to a range of temperatures (15–40°C) in aquaria for up to 6 h. At 20 °C F. exquisitus exhibited a mean gill ventilation rate of 26 ± 1.4 bpm (beats per minute) differing significantly from Pseudogobius, which ventilated at a fivefold greater rate of 143 ± 6 bpm. The ventilation rate in F. exquisitus underwent a fivefold increase from normal local water temperature (20 °C) to high temperature (35 °C) conditions, whereas that of Pseudogobius did not even double, suggesting that Pseudogobius sp. is a better thermal regulator than F. exquisitus.While both species emerged from the water at high temperatures (>30 °C) the behaviours they exhibited while immersed at high temperature were quite different. F. exquisitus undertook vertical displacement movements we interpret as an avoidance response, whereas Pseudogobius sp. appeared to use a coping strategy involving movements that might renew the water mass adjacent to its body. The thermal tolerances and behaviours of F. exquisitus and Pseudogobius sp. are in broad agreement with their vertical distribution on the shore.     

The identification of Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas) and Pomatoschistus lozanoi (de Buen) (Pisces, Gobiidae)

Sand gobies areextremely abundant in coastal waters and estuaries. Pomuroschistus lozunoi tends to be overlooked due to identification problems. This paper summarizes the characteristics to distinguish P. lozanoi from P. minutus and presents a new distinctive feature that allows identification of juveniles from 15-20 mm standard length onward. The known geographic distribution of P. lozanoi is extended northward to 53°30' N and southward to 40°N on the coast of Europe. In northern Europe P. loxmoi seems better adapted to the estuarine habitat than previously thought.     

A new species of Pomatoschistus (Teleostei,Gobiidae): the Mediterranean's smallest marine fish

The new sand goby species Pomatoschistus nanus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described from the northern coast of the Levantine Sea (eastern Mediterranean Sea) based on both morphological and DNA barcoding data. The new species is the smallest fish in the Mediterranean Sea and may be distinguished from congeners by the following features: predorsal area, first dorsal‐fin base and breast naked; δ‐pore missing; anterior point of the suborbital row b not reaching level of posterior point of suborbital row d; slightly emarginated caudal fin and nape coloration pattern. DNA barcode data clearly discriminate Pomatoschistus spp. in the neighbour‐joining tree with an average of 17·7% interspecific K2P distance. The most closely related taxon to P. nanus sp. nov. is Pomatoschistus bathi and the most distantly related is Pomatoschistus tortonesei with 11·9 and 21·9% K2P distances respectively. Morphometric and genetic data are also provided for Pomatoschistus bathi.     

Two new species of the genusAmblyeleotris (Pisces: Gobiidae) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

Two new shrimp-associated gobies,Amblyeleotris yanoi sp. nov. andA. masuii sp. nov. are described on the basis of specimens from Iriomote-jima Island and Okinawa-jima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.A. yanoi is distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of the following characters: 14 anal fin soft rays, 19 pectoral fin rays, 97–103 longitudinal scales, a candle flame-shaped marking on the caudal fin, a very low membrane connecting the pelvic fins and absence of a ventral frenum.A. masuii differs from all other congeners by having 92–97 longitudinal scales, the length of the interpelvic connecting membrane relative to the longest pelvic fin ray (0.43–0.66), black blotches on the sides of the chin, and blue spots on the opercle and preopercle.     

Genetic and biogeographic relationships of the racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus (Gobiidae: Teleostei) from introduced and native Eurasian locations

The racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus , along with several other neogobiin fishes, has been spreading north and west from its native Ponto-Caspian range for the past two decades via shipping and canals. It has been predicted as a likely future invader of the North American Great Lakes, where it would join its neogobiin relatives – the round and freshwater tubenose gobies. The present study is the first to analyse the population genetic and biogeographic relationships of the racer goby, establishing a baseline to aid interpretation of its future spread patterns and likely donor-recipient population relationships. The mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene was sequenced from representative areas of the racer goby's range, including rivers of the northern Black Sea and areas of spread upstream in the Danube River and outside the Ponto-Caspian region to the Vistula River in Poland. Results discerned nine haplotypes, with few shared among drainages of native rivers and most sites housing unique alleles. Racer goby populations significantly diverged among watersheds, supporting historic low migration and little non-anthropogenic gene flow. The Dnieper River was identified as a likely donor source for the Vistula River colonization, where appreciable variability suggests a relatively large number of founding genotypes.     

Length and sequence variation in the mitochondrialDNA control region of the Etruscan freshwater goby Padogobius nigricans (Teleostei, Gobiidae)

The primary structures of the mtDNA control region, the flanking tRNA^Pro and tRNA^Phe genes and the partial 12S rRNA gene of the freshwater Etruscan goby Padogobius nigricans (Teleostei, Gobiidae) were determined. A tandem array of variable 17-bp repeats, named R1–7, was found to be responsible for most of the observed length and sequence variation between individuals.     

Genetic relationships of four Taiwan mullets (Pisces: Perciformes: Mugilidae)

Electrophoretic data for 19 presumptive gene loci separated Mugil cephalus from Liza spp. with Nei's genetic distance of 0.863, and from Valamugil formosae with 0.703, and from both Liza and Valamugil with 0.783. Within the genus Liza , Nei's genetic distance was only 0.237 between L. affinis and L. macrolepis.     

Food Resource Partitioning between Two Invasive Gobiid Species (Pisces,Gobiidae) in the Littoral Zone of the River Danube,Hungary

At present, the invasive round and bighead gobies are the most abundant benthic fish species in the near shore zone of the Middle Danube. We compared their diet seasonally in natural and artificial habitats and contrasted it with the food supply. The composition of the macroinvertebrate community was determined mainly by seasonal changes, whereas habitat type had smaller effect. Round gobies followed these changes flexibly. They consumed mainly chironomids in the spring, whilst amphipods and molluscs in the summer and autumn. Bighead gobies relied on amphipods in each season and in both habitats, and consumed fish, too, including round goby (intraguild predation). Diet overlap was determined by the morphological differences of the species allowing a varying degree of differentiation according to the seasonally changing food supply. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spot-fixed fin digging behavior in foraging of the benthophagous maiden goby, Pterogobius virgo (Perciformes: Gobiidae)

 Several patterns of feeding behaviors have been documented in benthophagous fishes. The foraging behavior of the maiden goby, Pterogobius virgo, was studied at Kurahashi Island in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. Pterogobius virgo foraged mostly on polychaetes by volume from among several available prey items by digging in the sandy bottom. The digging behavior comprised swing of only pectoral fins or of both pectoral fins and body. Pectoral fin swing exposed the cryptic prey within the bottom, and fins and body swing exposed the prey and washed the sediment away. The swings were repeatedly and continuously conducted at a site during the daytime, making a pit several centimeters deep in which the fish was located. After the prey was exposed, the fish immediately and rapidly picked up the prey. Polychaetes were abundant prey in the sediment, occurring in the layer 3–5 cm deep from the bottom surface in the study area. In this goby, spot-fixed fin digging, the first documentation of feeding habits in gobies, may be effective for feeding on the most valuable prey, i.e., polychaetes, which may be otherwise unavailable for this fish. Received: April 24, 2001 / Revised: April 26, 2002 / Accepted: May 7, 2002     

Big is better: the importance of size for reproductive success in male Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas) (Pisces, Gobiidae)

The sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus , was used in aquarium experiments to study the importance of body size for the ability of males to gain access to nest sites and mates. When several male and female P. minutus were allowed to reproduce together, on average, half of the males built nests, and half of those males obtained eggs in their nests. Males with nests were significantly larger than males without nests, and nests with eggs belonged to males larger than the males with empty nests. In another experiment, when two males were competing for one nest, the largest male occupied the nest when both fish were put into the aquarium simultaneously. However, when the smaller male had been allowed to establish a nest before the larger male was introduced, the small male could usually retain the nest. Males with a body length < 50 mm did not build nests at all in the early part of the breeding season. In female choice experiments, no preference for larger males was found. Thus, male-male competition for nest sites and behavioural differences between different sized males seem to be the main factors influencing the non-random mating success in male P. minutus.     

Allozyme genetic distances and evolutionary relationships in species of akodontine rodents (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae)

Allozyme genetic distances were estimated for ten species of akodontine rodents, as compared with the Oryzomyini Oligoryzomys longicaudatus , which was used as an outgroup to assess plesiomorphic character-states. Twenty-six loci were analysed. Distribution patterns of allele frequencies were determined by both phenetic (UPGMA) and cladistic (PAUP') techniques. Allozyme analysis confirmed monophyly for the Akodontini, and among them, the distinctiveness of the genus Oxymycterus. Genetic divergence among the eight species of Akodon was small compared to most known species of rodents. Phenrtic and phylogenetic analysis between Bolonys obscurus and species of Akodon was m agreement with previous chromosomal work but in disagreement with the indications of morphology. The general lack of allozymic differentiation among members of the Akodontini suggests that in this group molecular divergence is unrelated to speciation. Molecular clock estimation calibrated by fossils showed that generic divergence within Akodontini started at least in the late Miocene and that divergence of Akodintini from Orizomyini occurred within the Miocene.     

Microsatellites from the vairone Leuciscus souffia (Pisces: Cyprinidae) and their application to closely related species

Eleven microsatellites were isolated from the vairone Leuciscus souffia (Risso 1826), an endangered fish that inhabits river systems in and around the Alps in Europe. The level of genetic diversity was assessed in 29 individuals of the subspecies L. s. souffia, and their variability was further estimated in seven individuals of a different subspecies, L. s. muticellus. Eight of these microsatellite loci were also applied to seven closely related cyprinid species. Availability of the reported microsatellite loci will facilitate the investigation of population genetic structure of these species with applications for the development of conservation strategies and phylogeographical approaches.     

Genetic and morphological divergence between populations of the flatfish Platichthys flesus (L.) (Pleuronectidae)

Populations of the flounder, Platichthys flesus , were screened for electrophoretically detectable protein variation at up to 37 loci. Atlantic and North Sea populations (subspecies flesus ) were genetically very similar to one another ( I >0.99) but different from Adriatic (subspecies italicus ) and Black Sea (subspecies luscus ) populations. The values for genetic identity between subspecies were around 0.9. Diagnostic loci enabled specimens of flesus, italicus and luscus to be differentiated from one another. Samples of flesus showed two to three times the heterozygosity levels of italicus or luscus , consistent with the greater population size of flesus . Morphological comparisons enabled populations to be categorized to subspecies. Platichthys flesus italicus and luscus are valid subspecies: the terms are not synonyms. The genetic distance data provide an estimate of divergence time of the three subspecies at about 2 My ago, an estimate that seems reasonable in the light of present knowledge concerning the recent geological histories of the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins.     

Structure of the gut of the racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus (Kessler, 1857)

The morphological and histological features of the gut of juvenile racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus [range of body mass 0·2–0·9 g and standard length ( L _S) 20·0–38·8 mm] were examined in fish collected from the Włocławek Reservoir on the Vistula River, Poland. Evidence is provided of the stomachless nature of the gut of the racer goby. The intestine of the juveniles lacks the intestinal bulb. A particular feature of the racer goby gut is the secretory oesogaster (the transitional region where the secretory oesophagus merges into the intestine) with multicellular alveolar glands that secrete via a common duct to the surface between the mucosal folds. The cells in the secretory oesogaster alveolar glands are periodic-acid-Schiff (PAS) positive indicating the presence of neutral mucopolysaccharides. It is hypothesized that the secretory oesogaster is evidence of the loss of the functional stomach in this species. There are two sphincters: the oesogaster–intestinal and the intestinal–rectal in the racer goby gut. It can be concluded that the oesogaster–intestinal sphincter is functionally related to the gastro-intestinal sphincter described in many fish species having a stomach. Enterocytes with a distinct brush border and only a few goblet cells are observed in the epithelium along the whole intestine. The existence of vacuoles in the supranuclear region of the rectal enterocytes is also confirmed.     

Quantitative analyses of the genetic structure of closely related conifers with disparate distributions and demographics: the Cupressus arizonica (Cupressaceae) complex

Seedling populations of seven Cupressus taxa were compared in common gardens to assess relationships among taxa and to elucidate the genetic structure of three taxa with different distributions and demographics. Discriminant analyses of 15 quantitative traits separated C. sargentii and C. forbesii from taxa within the C. arizonica complex (C. arizonica, C. glabra, C. stephensonii, C. nevadensis, and C. montana); aligned a population of C. arizonica from Sierra de Arteaga, Mexico, with families of the same taxon from southwestern United States; and described a close relationship between C. nevadensis and C. glabra. but nevertheless separated taxa within the C. arizonica complex. Analyses of wind-pollinated progenies of single trees showed the narrow endemic, C. glabra, to have a greater degree of population differentiation than the more broadly dispersed C. arizonica. In addition, genetic variances within the numerically small populations of C. arizonica were about the same as in the much larger populations of C. glabra. The results also suggested that genetic variability in C. stephensonii, a taxon occurring in a single population, may occur primarily among inbred lines. While the genetic structures of C. arizonica and C. glabra have counterparts among broadly dispersed conifers, that of C. stephensonii appears to be unique. Together, the results support the view that genetic structure primarily reflects the uncertain, chance events that are interspersed throughout evolutionary history.