Natural history, biogeography, and endangerment of Hawaiian dry forest trees

We describe the floristic composition of Hawaiian dry forest trees and identify natural history characteristics and biogeographic variables that are associated with risk of endangerment. Hawaiian dry forests are comprised of 109 tree species in 29 families, with 90% of all species endemic, 10% indigenous, and 37% single-island endemics. Forty-five percent of Hawaiian dry forest taxa are at risk of endangerment. Dry forest taxa at risk have a significantly larger range size compared to taxa from other Hawaiian forest types. Dispersal mechanism was a significant predictor of a species occurrence in dry forest compared to other forest types based on logistic regressions clustered by lineage. Among dry forest taxa, hermaphroditic breeding systems, autochorous dispersal mechanisms, conspicuous flowers, and dry fruit were all more likely to be at risk of endangerment. When analyses were clustered by lineage using logistic regressions, only dispersal mechanism and flower size were significant predictors of risk and taxa with autochorous dispersal and conspicuous flowers were more likely to be at risk. The Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai all have remarkably similar numbers of dry forest taxa (63–65 species) and dry forest taxa at risk of endangerment. However, Big Island and Kauai have the highest number and percentage of single-island endemics. These results demonstrate patterns of endangerment specific to Hawaiian dry forests, the high levels of endangerment in this forest type, and the importance of prioritizing conservation in dry forest regions.     

Molecular phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Hawaiian Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae)

The fern genus Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae) is represented in the Hawaiian Islands by 18 endemic taxa and one non-endemic, native species. The goals of this study were to determine whether Dryopteris in Hawai'i is monophyletic and to infer the biogeographical origins of Hawaiian Dryopteris by determining the geographical distributions of their closest living relatives. We sequenced two chloroplast DNA fragments, rbcL and the trnL-F intergenic spacer (IGS), for 18 Hawaiian taxa, 45 non-Hawaiian taxa, and two outgroup species. For individual fragments, we estimated phylogenetic relationships using Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony. We performed a combined analysis of both cpDNA fragments employing Bayesian inference, maximum parsimony, and maximum likelihood. These analyses indicate that Hawaiian Dryopteris is not monophyletic, and that there were at least five separate colonizations of the Hawaiian Islands by different species of dryopteroid ferns, with most of the five groups having closest relatives in SE Asia. The results suggest that one colonizing ancestor, perhaps from SE Asia, gave rise to eight endemic taxa (the glabra group). Another colonizing ancestor, also possibly from SE Asia, gave rise to a group of five endemic taxa (the exindusiate group). Dryopteris fusco-atra and its two varieties, which are endemic to Hawai'i, most likely diversified from a SE Asian ancestor. The Hawaiian endemic Nothoperanema rubiginosum has its closest relatives in SE Asia, and while the remaining two species, D. wallichiana and D. subbipinnata, are sister species, their biogeographical origins could not be determined from these analyses due to the widespread distributions of D. wallichiana and its closest non-Hawaiian relative.     

Conservation genetics of the endangered endemic Hawaiian genus Brighamia (Campanulaceae)

The endemic Hawaiian genus Brighamia (Campanulaceae) comprises two federally endangered, morphologically similar species, B. insignis from Kaua`i and Ni`ihau and B. rockii from Moloka`i. To assist the design of conservation management programs for these taxa, isozyme analyses were performed to assess the levels of genetic diversity at the population and species levels, including comparisons within and among seven natural populations and one ex situ collection each of B. insignis and B. rockii. Our sampling (N = 80) represents ~41% of all known individuals in the wild. Isozyme analyses revealed levels of genetic variation comparable to those reported for other Hawaiian flowering plant taxa but low levels of genetic variation at the population and species levels when compared to flowering plants in general. Ex situ individuals (N = 61) were genetically representative of natural populations and hence may appropriately serve as stock for population augmentations. The two morphologically similar Brighamia species were highly distinct genetically. The combination of morphological and ecological similarity with allozymic dissimilarity observed in Brighamia is unique among the Hawaiian taxa studied to date.     

Length‐weight relationships of 79 marine fish species from the coastal waters of Hong Kong

Dedicated benthic fisheries‐assessment surveys with beam trawls (2 cm mesh size) were used to sample demersal fish communities at depths 7–35 m along four transects in each of the western, southern and eastern waters of Hong Kong monthly for >24 months. We report length‐weight relationships (LWRs) for 79 species (11 orders, 37 families) of fishes for which LWRs are presently absent or scarce. For 56 of these species, relationships between total length and standard length or disc width were also derived.     

Length–weight relationships of 10 fish species from a Ganga River Basin tributary,Uttarakhand, India

Length‐weight relationships (LWRs) are described for 10 fish species belonging to three families from the Gaula River, a tributary of the Ganga River Basin in India. LWRs for these species were unknown to FishBase, and new maximum lengths are recorded for one species. These results will be useful for fishery research, management and conservation in the least‐explored tributary of the Ganga River Basin.     

Length‐weight relationships of 10 fish species from two tributaries of Indus River Basin in Jammu and Kashmir,India

Length‐weight relationships (LWRs) are described for 10 fish species belonging to three families from the Jhelum and Poonch River, tributaries of the Indus river basin in India. LWRs for these species were unknown to FishBase and new maximum lengths are recorded for three species. These results will be useful for fishery research, management and conservation in these tributaries of Jammu and Kashmir.     

Length–weight relationships of 21 fish species from the upland Ganga River Basin tributaries of Central Indian Himalaya

Length–weight relationships (LWRs) are described for 21 fish species belonging to six families from different tributaries of the upland Ganga Basin in India. LWRs for five selected species were unknown to FishBase and new maximum lengths are recorded for 13 species. These results will be useful for fishery research, management and conservation in these tributaries of the Ganga River basin.     

Length–weight relationships of 43 fish species from Haizhou Bay,central Yellow Sea

Specimens of 43 fish species belonging to 25 families were collected from seasonal bottom trawl surveys in Haizhou Bay from March to December 2011. The length–weight relationships (LWRs) of these fish species were estimated, with 22 species presented for the first time. Maximum total length records of ten species exceeded those in FishBase. The effects of sex, season and growth phase on the relationships for some of these species were taken into account whereby one species had significantly (P < 0.05) different LWRs by sex, and eight species exhibited significantly different LWRs by season. Two different growth stanzas were detected for two species using the double‐logarithmic plot of body weight versus total length.     

Temporal and spatial trends in prey composition of wahoo Acanthocybium solandri: a diet analysis from the central North Pacific Ocean using visual and DNA bar‐coding techniques

A diet analysis was conducted on 444 wahoo Acanthocybium solandri caught in the central North Pacific Ocean longline fishery and a nearshore troll fishery surrounding the Hawaiian Islands from June to December 2014. In addition to traditional observational methods of stomach contents, a DNA bar‐coding approach was integrated into the analysis by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) region of the mtDNA genome to taxonomically identify individual prey items that could not be classified visually to species. For nearshore‐caught A. solandri, juvenile pre‐settlement reef fish species from various families dominated the prey composition during the summer months, followed primarily by Carangidae in autumn months. Gempylidae, Echeneidae and Scombridae were dominant prey taxa from the offshore fishery. Molidae was a common prey family found in stomachs collected north‐east of the Hawaiian Archipelago while tetraodontiform reef fishes, known to have extended pelagic stages, were prominent prey items south‐west of the Hawaiian Islands. The diet composition of A. solandri was indicative of an adaptive feeder and thus revealed dominant geographic and seasonal abundances of certain taxa from various ecosystems in the marine environment. The addition of molecular bar‐coding to the traditional visual method of prey identifications allowed for a more comprehensive range of the prey field of A. solandri to be identified and should be used as a standard component in future diet studies.     

Length–weight and length–length relationships of 11 fish species from Zhimai River estuary,China

The present work provides the length–weight relationships (LWRs) and total length – standard length relationships (LLRs) of 11 fish species belonging to six families. The fishes were collected from seasonal bottom trawl surveys in the Zhimai River estuary, March 2011 to May 2013. This is the first record of LWRs and LLRs for several of the fish species in this area.     

Length-weight relationship of fish species captured around an artificial offshore reef (northern Rio de Janeiro,Brazil)

The present work provides length-weight relationships (LWRs) for fish species captured around artificial offshore reef deployed 5 km from Guaxindiba Port, northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fish were captured during two sampling periods each year between 1996 and 2017 using bottom gill nets (25 m_length × 3 m_depth; 30 mm mesh). The fish were kept on ice and the biometric data, including total length (cm) and total wet weight (g) were determined in the laboratory. A total of 16 species belonging to 10 families were analyzed with Sciaenidae being the species richest family (5 spp) in the samples. The new value of LWRs for Sphyraena guachancho and new maximum sizes recorded for seven species highlight the scarcity of information on biological aspects of South America coastal fishes. These LWRs should assist fisheries scientist and managers to complement their further studies of population parameters to improve management decisions.     

A reptilian smoking gun: first record of invasive Jackson’s chameleon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamaeleo jacksonii</Emphasis>) predation on native Hawaiian species

Here we report the first conclusive evidence of an introduced reptile (Chamaeleo jacksonii) feeding on Hawaiian taxa, including 11 snails in four endemic genera from two families, including four individuals of an endangered species (Achatinella mustelina), and native insects in five genera. Native Hawaiian invertebrates were discovered in the dissected stomachs of wild caught Jackson’s chameleons collected from June to November 2009 on the island of Oahu. Although Jackson’s chameleons were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1970s, ecological impacts have never been documented. Of particular concern is the fact that chameleons have previously only rarely been found in native Hawaiian habitat, although 12 were recently collected in a mid-elevation native forest, an area that is not likely to be suitable for their long-term persistence, but that is adjacent to higher elevation pristine forest where endemic prey are abundant and favorable climatic conditions exist for chameleon persistence. One concern is that Jacksons’s chameleons may be undergoing a range expansion into upper elevation pristine forests. If chameleons reach and establish populations in these areas, devastating impacts to the native ecosystem are possible. A thorough understanding of the impacts of chameleons on Hawaiian fauna will require additional evaluation and sampling, but dissemination of this discovery in a timely fashion is important as it provides new information regarding this threat. Monitoring and collection of chameleons is ongoing, particularly in native Hawaiian forest habitats at mid and upper elevations (600–1,300 m).     

Fish species diversity in southern African estuarine systems: an evolutionary perspective

Synopsis The ichthyofauna of southern African estuaries consists primarily of juvenile marine species that use these habitats as nursery areas. The abundance and biomass of fishes in estuarine systems are typically high but species diversity is generally low, with only a few taxa dominating the community. This relatively low species diversity is attributed to the fact that estuaries in the region are unpredictable environments which lack any degree of permanence and are dominated by mobile marine eurytopes. Although stenotopes, represented mainly by small resident species from the families Gobiidae, Clinidae and Syngnathidae, are present in southern African estuaries, little speciation appears to have occurred. A possible reason for this lack of speciation, apart from the seasonal and annual variability of the abiotic environment, is that the lifetime of individual systems is usually limited to a few thousand years. In addition, fishes utilising southern African estuaries need to remain flexible (eurytopic) in their responses to an external environment which is unlikely to become more stable in the future. Thus the lack of permanence and fluctuating nature of southern African estuaries on both a spatial and temporal scale, together with the dominance of eurytopes in these systems, does not favour the evolution of new species. A preliminary examination of the available literature indicates that a detailed review of estuarine ichthyofaunal communities on a global basis will probably mirror the trends outlined above, and reveal a domination of these dynamic ecosystems by eurytopic taxa with low speciation potential.     

Length–weight relationships and basic biological information on 64 fish species from lower sections of the Wujiang River,China

The present study provides the length–weight relationships (LWRs) for 64 fish species belonging to eight families from the lower sections of Wujiang River, a tributary of the upper Yangtze River in China. LWRs for eight of these species are unknown to FishBase and new maximum body weights are recorded for 25 species. In addition, some basic biological information on 64 fish species is also summarized. These results will be useful for fishery research, management and conservation in the Wujiang River.     

Diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Wolbachia in Drosophila and other native Hawaiian insects

Wolbachia is a genus of parasitic alphaproteobacteria found in arthropods and nematodes, and represents on of the most common, widespread endosymbionts known. Wolbachia affects a variety of reproductive functions in its host (e.g., male killing, cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis), which have the potential to dramatically impact host evolution and species formation. Here, we present the first broad-scale study to screen natural populations of native Hawaiian insects for Wolbachia, focusing on the endemic Diptera. Results indicate that Wolbachia infects native Hawaiian taxa, with alleles spanning phylogenetic supergroups, A and B. The overall frequency of Wolbachia incidene in Hawaiian insects was 14%. The incidence of infection in native Hawaiian Diptera was 11% for individuals and 12% for all species screened. Wolbachia was not detected in two large, widespread Hawaiian dipteran families—Dolichopodidae (44 spp screened) and Limoniidae (12 spp screened). Incidence of infection within endemic Hawaiian lineages that carry Wolbachia was 18% in Drosophilidae species, 25% in Caliphoridae species, > 90% in Nesophrosyne species, 20% in Drosophila dasycnemia and 100% in Nesophrosyne craterigena. Twenty unique alleles were recovered in this study, of which 18 are newly recorded. Screening of endemic populations of D. dasycnemia across Hawaii Island revealed 4 unique alleles. Phylogenetic relationships and allele diversity provide evidence for horizontal transfer of Wolbachia among Hawaiian arthropod lineages.     

ADAPTIVE RADIATION AND GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN HAWAIIAN BIDENS

The genus Bidens (Asteraceae) has undergone extensive adaptive radiation on the Hawaiian Islands. The 19 species and eight subspecies endemic to Hawaii exhibit much more morphological and ecological differentiation than the continental members of the genus. However, the Hawaiian taxa have the same chromosome number and retain the capacity to interbreed in all possible combinations. Twenty-two populations of 15 Hawaiian taxa and four populations of American taxa were compared at 21 loci controlling eight enzyme systems. Populations of Hawaiian taxa are highly polymorphic. However, little genetic differentiation has occurred among taxa in spite of the high levels of genetic variability. Genetic identities calculated for pairs of populations show that populations of the same taxon are genetically more similar than are populations belonging to different taxa, but all values are high. The level of genetic differentiation that has occurred among the species of Hawaiian Bidens is comparable to the level of genetic differences found among populations within single continental plant species. Moreover, there is no correlation between the isozyme data and morphological data. No groups of taxa are evident in the genetic data, although morphological groups exist. Genetic differentiation at isozyme loci has not occurred at the same rate as the acquisition of presumably adaptive morphological and ecological characters in Hawaiian Bidens. Adaptive radiation may be limited to a few genes controlling morphological and ecological characters.     

Patterns of endangerment in the hawaiian flora

The Hawaiian flora, because of its great isolation, high levels of endemism, known lineages, and high rates of endangerment, offers unique opportunities to explore patterns of endangerment related to phylogeny, ecological and life history traits, and geographic patterns. Nine percent of the native flora of 1159 taxa are already extinct, and 52.5% are at risk (extinct, endangered, vulnerable, or rare). Risk is strongly associated with limited geographic distribution at several scales: endemic taxa (native only to the Hawaiian Islands) are at far greater risk than indigenous taxa (with both Hawaiian and extra-Hawaiian ranges); single-island endemics are more at risk than multi-island endemics; small islands have the highest proportion of endemic taxa at risk; and endemics with more limited habitat distributions (elevation, community type) are more at risk. Historic population density is a strong predictor of risk, and taxa with low historic population densities are at greatest risk with rapid anthropogenic changes. Among the major islands, Maui Nui has the highest percent of taxa that are extinct. Kaua'i has the lowest percent of extinct taxa and the highest proportion of single-island endemic taxa that are rare. Endemic taxa at risk are associated with distributions in shrublands, forests, bogs, and cliff habitats. Endemic taxa with distributions in low elevation dry habitats have the highest proportion of taxa at risk, but the greatest absolute numbers of taxa at risk have distributions in mesic lowland and montane forests, and in wet montane forests. The life history patterns associated with risk are complicated, and inclusion of the effects of evolutionary relationships (lineages) changes some of these patterns. Species level analyses without respect to lineage shows risk associated with monomorphic (hermaphroditic) breeding systems and bird pollination because of the large number of hermaphroditic, bird-pollinated species in the Campanulaceae. Analyses incorporating the effect of lineage greatly reduce the impact of large lineages and result in an association of risk with insect pollination, and no effect of breeding system. There is no association of lineage size and the percent of taxa at risk within the lineage; endemic taxa from lineages with large radiations are at no greater risk than endemic single-taxon lineages. The percentages of taxa at risk at the family level in the Hawaiian Islands and worldwide (excluding Hawaiian taxa) are positively correlated, although flowering plant families in the Hawaiian Islands have a much greater proportion of taxa at risk. Some of the approaches described here may be useful to predict geographical and biological patterns of endangerment in island and island-like ecosystems under increasing pressures of endangerment and extinction.     

Area and the rapid radiation of Hawaiian Bidens (Asteraceae)

Aim To estimate the rate of adaptive radiation of endemic Hawaiian Bidens and to compare their diversification rates with those of other plants in Hawaii and elsewhere with rapid rates of radiation. Location Hawaii. Methods Fifty‐nine samples representing all 19 Hawaiian species, six Hawaiian subspecies, two Hawaiian hybrids and an additional two Central American and two African Bidens species had their DNA extracted, amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced for four chloroplast and two nuclear loci, resulting in a total of approximately 5400 base pairs per individual. Internal transcribed spacer sequences for additional outgroup taxa, including 13 non‐Hawaiian Bidens, were obtained from GenBank. Phylogenetic relationships were assessed by maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. The age of the most recent common ancestor and diversification rates of Hawaiian Bidens were estimated using the methods of previously published studies to allow for direct comparison with other studies. Calculations were made on a per‐unit‐area basis. Results We estimate the age of the Hawaiian clade to be 1.3–3.1 million years old, with an estimated diversification rate of 0.3–2.3 species/million years and 4.8 × 10^?5 to 1.3 × 10^?4 species Myr^?1 km^?2. Bidens species are found in Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America, but the Hawaiian species have greater diversity of growth form, floral morphology, dispersal mode and habitat type than observed in the rest of the genus world‐wide. Despite this diversity, we found little genetic differentiation among the Hawaiian species. This is similar to the results from other molecular studies on Hawaiian plant taxa, including others with great morphological variability (e.g. silverswords, lobeliads and mints). Main conclusions On a per‐unit‐area basis, Hawaiian Bidens have among the highest rates of speciation for plant radiations documented to date. The rapid diversification within such a small area was probably facilitated by the habitat diversity of the Hawaiian Islands and the adaptive loss of dispersal potential. Our findings point to the need to consider the spatial context of diversification – specifically, the relative scale of habitable area, environmental heterogeneity and dispersal ability – to understand the rate and extent of adaptive radiation.     

Evolutionary impacts of hybridization and interspecific gene flow on an obligately estuarine fish

For free-spawning estuarine taxa, gene flow among estuaries may occur via hybridization with mobile congeners. This phenomenon has rarely been investigated, but is probably susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance. In eastern Australia, the estuarine Black Bream Acanthopagrus butcheri and marine Yellowfin Bream Acanthopagrus australis have overlapping distributions and the potential to hybridize. We used surveys of microsatellite and mtDNA variation in 565 adults from 25 estuaries spanning their distributional range to characterize the species and their putative hybrids. Hybrids were widespread (68% of estuaries) and hybrid frequencies varied greatly among estuaries (0-58%). Most (88%) were classed as advanced generation backcrosses with A. butcheri and displayed A. butcheri mtDNA haplotypes. We found most hybrids in the three estuaries within the zone of sympatry (57%). Our study highlights the underemphasized importance of estuaries as sites of hybridization and suggests that hybridization is driven both by opportunity for contact and human activity.