5. BIRDS ON RIETFONTEIN FARM,LOOP SPRUIT VALLEY

Randall, R. M. &; Randall, B. M. 1981. Roseate Tern breeding biology and factors responsible for low chick production in Algoa Bay, South Africa. Ostrich 52:17-24.

Roseate Terns Sterna dougallii were studied in 1977 on St Croix Island, Algoa Bay, South Africa. They are winter breeders in Algoa Bay and remain away from the breeding islands until about three weeks before the first eggs are laid. Full breeding dress is usually attained by the time the chicks hatch, when red appears on the culmen. Reasons are given for regarding the red culmen as an intraspecific aggressive signal. Nest density was 0,2/m² with a mean nearest neighbour distance of 0,66 m ± 0,27 m. Mean size of first clutches was 1,32 eggs, of replacement clutches was 1,03 eggs. Eggs measured 42,1 mm (39,8-44,5 mm) x 30,1 mm (28,6-31,5 mm). In clutches of two eggs, first eggs had significantly larger volumes than second eggs. Incubation took about 25 days and one of the pair did most of the incubating. Rearing took less than 28 days and all the terns had left the island a week after the last chick first flew. Human disturbance, gull predation, intraspecific aggression, and rain were factors contributing to the low production of 33 flying young in 1977. An estimated production of 79 flying young was calculated as necessary to maintain the population of 74 breeding pairs.     

The first record of the genus Helobdella (Hirudinoidea: Glossiphoniidae) from Australia,with a description of a new species,Helobdella papillornata

The first species of the genus Helobdella in Australia is recorded from Victoria. Helobdella papillornata has all of the diagnostic features of the genus including: triannulate segments, one pair of eyes on somite II, diffuse salivary glands, five crop caeca, one annulus between the gonopores and one annulus between the anus and the caudal sucker. It is characterised by a subterminal mouth, lobed gastric caeca, five to seven darkly pigmented papillae per somite on the dorsal surface, 14 brown dorsal stripes, five pairs of compact testisacs and a resting length of 15 mm and a maximum extended length of 40 mm. Individuals lay between 20 and 50 eggs attached directly to the ventral surface of the parent. At 20 °C the eggs hatch after 2 weeks and the young immediately reattach to the parent for a further 2 to 4 weeks, during which time the attached young feed on snails captured by the parent. After leaving the parent, young forage on their own or in small groups of three or more until they reach reproductive maturity. Individuals become reproductively mature, producing eggs and young, 3 to 4 months after hatching.     

Filial cannibalism in the barred-chin blenny Rhabdoblennius ellipes: males do not preferentially eat young eggs

Female barred-chin blenny Rhabdoblennius ellipes prefer to mate with males tending young eggs, possibly to reduce the risk of male selective filial cannibalism against young eggs in the nests. To test this hypothesis, we conducted aquarium experiments with nests containing eggs at different developmental stages. All egg-tending males consumed both young and old eggs. However, the observed and expected number of consumed young eggs did not differ, indicating that R. ellipes males do not selectively cannibalize young eggs in nests with eggs of mixed developmental stages. Relatively small differences in egg age within a nest may explain this nonselectivity in this species.     

Reproduction and development of the weakly electric fish,Pollimyrus isidori (Mormyridae,Teleostei) in captivity

Synopsis No clear sexual dimorphism occurs in Pollimyrus isidori. Females usually grew slightly larger than males. The anal-fin reflex, however, makes it easy to discriminate between males and females. Spawning took place during the first six hours of the dark phase, in the territory of the male. During each spawning act 2–4 eggs were laid. The male put the eggs into a well-hidden nest previously constructed from plant material. The eggs, free embryos, and larvae of several spawnings were guarded by the male for several weeks. The females laid on average 120 eggs per fractional spawning. The eggs were 2 mm in diameter, not adhesive and very yolky. There was a relationship between pH and viability (% embryos hatched). Hatching occurred on the third day after spawning. The respiratory network of segmental origin in the median fin fold was well developed in the free embryos. Transition to exogenous feeding occurred on day 14. The larval period ended when the fish were 15 mm long and 40–50 days old. First gonadal recrudescence occurred at a total length of 6 cm (about 200 days old). The environmental factors decreasing conductivity and pH, increasing water level, and imitation of rain led to gonadal recrudescence, but pH did not act as a cue. Recrudescence was triggered by a decrease of conductivity, but absolute values or ionic composition of the water were not important. Maturation was completed after about fifty days. Mature and spawning fish no longer required any variation of these environmental factors to maintain mature gonads. A steady and considerable increase in conductivity led to gonadal regression. The fish did not show postbreeding refractoriness.     

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.     

Studies on the development of the oncosphere and procercoid of Cyathocephalus truncatus (Cestoda) in the intermediate host, Gammarus pulex

Cultured eggs of Cyathocephalus truncatus were found to develop optimally at 20°C, but they did not develop at 6°C and above. The oncosphere of the tapeworm has been seen to be a true hexacanth embryo. Specimens of the intermediate host. Gammaurs pulex , were infected by being forced to feed on pieces of lettuce leaves on which infective eggs of the tapeworm were placed. The young drveloping porocercoid was first recovered from the haemocoel of Gammarus pulex 5 days after infection. The procercoid was found to reach the infective stage within the amphipod after about ten weeks.     

Breeding biology of rooks (Corvus frugilegus L.) in Hawke's Bay,New Zealand

Abstract

Three rookeries in Hawke's Bay were studied during 1966–68. First or replacement clutches were started between 26 August and 23 October. First clutches averaged 4.3 eggs and replacements 3.7 eggs. The mean size of first clutches varied between years from 4.1 to 4.6 eggs. Incubation took 17–18 days. Most losses occurred around hatching, when about 40% of the eggs or young were lost. Incubated eggs and small nestlings incurred losses of 20% and 10% respectively, and all nestlings older than 10 days survived to at least 20 days. On average, 1.4 young were reared per nest in which eggs were laid; successful nests averaged 2.2 young. First clutches averaged 1.3 young (2.4 per successful first clutch). During the season, mean clutch size declined from 4.2 to 3.5, the mean number of young hatched declined from 2.0 to 0.6 per clutch, and the mean number of young fledged from all clutches declined from 1.3 to 0.4 per clutch. Mean nestling weight increased with age from 14 g on the first day after hatching to 360 g on the 19th day. The causes of egg and nestling mortality and the adaptiveness of clutch size are discussed.     

Reproduction of spined loach, Cobitis taenia, (Cypriniformes; Cobitidae) under laboratory conditions

A simple and reliable method is described for breeding spined loach, Cobitis taenia Linnaeus, 1758, under laboratory conditions. Three 40 L aquaria were each provided with a thick tuft of moss placed on top of a gauze-covered plastic box to serve as a spawning site. Ovoposition always occurred in the most densely available vegetation. The nonadhesive eggs fell through the gauze into the box. The spined loach is a fractional spawner releasing eggs in 14–18 batches at intervals of 2–23 (median 6) days. The total number of eggs per female was 2905–4282 during the reproductive season of 101–120 days. Yolks measured 1.14 ± 0.07 mm and eggs were 2.54 ± 0.22 mm in diameter. Total larval length was 5.03 ± 0.34 mm at hatching and 6.77 ± 0.34 mm at the beginning of exogenous feeding. The method allowed the rearing of numerous young for conservation measures and experimental investigations.     

Beobachtungen zur Fortpflanzungsbiologie des Stirnbandibis,Harpiprion caerulescens

Summary In the Pantanal of Mato Grosso hatching and rearing of the chicks of the Plumbeous Ibis (Harpiprion caerulescens) was observed towards the end of the dry season (mid-August until mid-October). Mating and nest-building was already noticed earlier in the year (March/April). A nest was found 12 m up in a tree in a sparsely wooded area. It was built of dry twigs and its cavity was lined with leaves and grass. Both partners shared in nest-building. The clutch consisted of two pale grey eggs (67 × 44 mm). The chicks hatched on 6th September. Until they were ten days old, the two young birds received constant attention from both parents who took over from each other five times a day and both fed the young. Later, the young birds were gradually left unprotected for longer periods. They fledged on the 43rd day after hatching.     

Development of the cottid fish,Pseudoblennius percoides,reared in the laboratory,with brief descriptions of juvenileP. marmoratus andP. zonostigma

Embryonic, larval and juvenile development of the cottid fish,Pseudoblennius percoides were described on the basis of a series of laboratory-reared specimens. The eggs were demersal, adhesive, almost spherical in shape, measuring 1.66–1.82 mm in diameter, and with numerous various-sized oil globules. Neighboring eggs adhered to each other to form an egg mass. Hatching occurred between 13 and 16 days after spawning at a water temperature of 15.4 to I6.5°C. Newly hatched larvae measured from 6.5 to 7.3 mm, averaging 6.9 mm TL, and possessed 40 myomeres. Absorption of the yolk was completed at about 7.5 mm TL. Flexion of the notochord started and finished at about l0 mm TL and about 14 mm TL, respectively. Aggregate numbers of all fin rays were completed at over 16 mm TL, when the larvae reached the juvenile stage. The pigment pattern became the same as that of adults in juveniles longer than 25 mm TL. Lateral lines were completed at over 44 mm TL, when the juveniles attained to the young stage. The early stages of this species were clearly distinguished from those ofP. cottoides, and the juveniles of fourPseudoblennius species, i.e.P. percoides, P. cottoides, P. marmoratus andP. zonostigma, could be identified mainly by their pigment patterns.     

THE ECOLOGY OF THE NILE CROCODILE (CROCODYLUS NILOTICUS LAURENTI) ON CENTRAL ISLAND, LAKE RUDOLF

1. Lake Rudolf, nothern Kenya, has one of the largest undisturbed populations of the Nile Crocodile. In 1965 the Kenya Game Department initiated the Lake Rudolf Crocodile Research Project. Central Island, where the crocodiles live under undisturbed conditions, was chosen for studying breeding behaviour and ecology of the reptile. Eight months were spent on the island. 2. On the island most of the crocodile population was confined to a crater lake, Lake C, which supported up to 500 animate at the height of the 1965-66 breeding season. 3. The 1200 m shoreline of Lake C was shared out between about a dozen large males each guarding his territory by patrolling up and down the shore. The territorial shore lengths ranged from 60 to 230 m. The territories extended about 50 m into the water. 4. The crocodiles were first seen courting on 10.10.65 in Lake C. The territorial males exhibited a “courtship splash display”. Copulation ranged from 30 to 100 seconds; eleven copulations averaged 58 seconds. 5. The factors important in site selection for nesting are shade, suitable soil, proximity to water and the degree of slope of the shore. Because the shores of a second crater lake, Lake A, satisfied these conditions they had the largest number of nests. The fully exposed sites on Lake C, and the Lake Rudolf shores, had very few nests. 6. The females dig the nests with their forelimbs, using them in turn. The hind limbs and the belly are used to push away the soil collecting at the mouth of the burrow. The female guards the nest constantly throughout the incubation period of three months against monitor luzards. Laying began in the third week of November, 1965 reaching its peak during the second week of December. The crocodile egg is oblong, measuring 55.5 to 89.0 mm in length and 43.0 to 54.0 mm in width. Mean weights of the eggs from 15 clutches ranged from 83.7 to 126.6 g. Clutch sizes on Central Island varied from 14 to 46 eggs, giving a mean of 33 eggs per clutch. When the young are about to hatch, the mother releases them by digging up the nest. The young when they hatch are about 31.0 cm long and weigh about 76.8 g. They are guarded by the mother for at least six weeks. Infant mortality is probably very considerable.     

Bemerkungen zur Biologie sowie Haltung und Vermehrung des Sokotra-Riesengeckos, Haemodracon riebeckii (Peters, 1882)

The Socotra Giant Gecko, Haemodracon riebeckii, is the largest species of lizard on Socotra Island. The nocturnal, arboreal and rupiculous living geckos are omnivorous. Two pairs were kept in terrariums and were fed with various insects (crickets, locusts, cockroaches), sweet fruits and other feeding stuff (such as meat, fish). Temporarily H. riebeckii was kept together with other lizards (Eublepharis macularius, Trachylepis socotrana), without any signs of aggressive behaviour. Juveniles and adults of both sexes are able to produce a sound. These acoustic signals seem to be related to predators, because never any intraspecific function could be observed. Within seven years of captive breeding two females produced 253 eggs. Usually two white and sticky soft-shelled eggs were laid within one clutch, more rarely a single egg was laid. The two eggs of a clutch were always laid on the same day. H. riebeckii belongs to the geckos that bury their eggs and practice some brood care, but no special parental care. The female is able to proof with her hind legs the deep and shape of a hollow in the substrate to bury the eggs, which were buried in a sticky and soft-shelled condition. They are oval in shape (egg length 16.4-19.8 mm, egg width 12.4-17.8 mm, quotient EL:EW 1.22±0.05) and have in the beginning a weight ranging from 1.7100 to 2.5201 g. As typical for geckos with hard-shelled eggs the egg weight decreases during the incubation period. The loss can be between 5.59 to 30.29%. The development of eggs up to hatching of young depends upon temperature and the germinal stage in the laid egg. The time difference between the hatching of the young within one clutch of two eggs was usually 1 to 5 days. In some cases there were, however, longer differences (up to 61 days), which are probably caused by different developmental stages of the embryos during the time of egg laying. The shortest incubation period recorded during our investigations was 83 days for eggs incubated at constant temperature of 28 to 29.5 °C and the longest 359 days at 26 to 26.5 °C. Constant high incubation temperatures caused a premature hatching of young. In normal hatched young were the yolk sac retracted and the navel closed. In premature hatched young were the yolk not resorbed and the mortality within the first three month comparatively high. The snout-vent length (SVL) of newly hatched young is from 27 to 39 mm and the tail length (TL) from 25 to 38 mm (SVL:TL index 0.90-1.27), the weight is from 0.7688 to 1.5366 g. Young specimens are distinguished from adults by the brown/white striped lower jaw and the white-banded tail. Young which hatched in the terrarium were eaten by the adults. A loss of young can be avoided if they are raised individually.     

Sibling recognition in juvenile Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.)

Juvenile Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), from two full sibling groups were studied concerning the possible existence of chemical cues with information about kinship. Each full sibling group was divided into two groups with the same number of specimens and placed in two separate aquaria. The division coincided with the start of exogenous feeding. Preference tests were performed about 7 and 10–13 months after the division. Due to the increasing size of experimental fish, two different sizes of apparatus were used. The first series of experiments was performed in a small Y-maze fluviarium and the second series in the large standard fluviarium. The momentary positions of one fish at a time in the test area were recorded by time-lapse photography with a 16-mm film camera and filtered flashlight (no transmittance <670 nm). The fish were given a choice between two water qualities; thus the following comparisons were made: (i) unconditioned water ν. water scented by siblings from the same aquarium; (ii) unconditioned water ν. unfamiliar non-siblings; (iii) siblings from the same aquarium ν. unfamiliar non-siblings; (iv) siblings from a separate aquarium ν. unfamiliar non-siblings; (v) siblings from the same aquarium ν. siblings from a separate aquarium. The test fishes preferred water scented by siblings over non-siblings, even though the siblings were taken from a separate aquarium. Nevertheless, they were attracted to water scented by unfamiliar non-siblings in preference to unconditioned water. No preference was shown between chemical cues from siblings taken from the same and a separate aquarium.     

Observations on the female reproductive cycles of captive Asian yellow pond turtles (Mauremys mutica) with radiography and ultrasonography

The annual reproductive cycle of 27 female Mauremys mutica was observed by radiography and ultrasonography from April 2006 to August 2007. Radiography was used to monitor clutch size and ultrasonography was used to monitor changes in the ovarian follicles. The follicles started to enlarge in September and became preovulatory in January. The mean maximum follicle diameter of ovulation was 18.30±1.44 mm, and ovulation occurred from March through August. Eggs were laid between April and August. Turtles entered latent period in early August and the maximum follicular size was at a low of 13.22±2.36 mm in late September. The vitellogenesis of the next reproductive cycle began in October. The 24 adult females laid 56 clutches containing a total of 227 eggs. Average clutch size was 4.05 eggs (range 1–8) and there were 2.33 clutches (range 1–4) per female. Egg shell images were first observed on the sixth or seventh day after ovulation. The oviductal period averaged 6.9 weeks (range 2–16 weeks) on the first clutch, 3.4 weeks (range 2–8 weeks) on the second, and 2.75 weeks (range 2–6 weeks) for the third. Radiography and ultrasonography are non‐invasive and convenient methods to evaluate the reproductive cycle of female M. mutica. They should be applicable to other turtles and should greatly enhance knowledge of reproductive physiology. Zoo Biol 29:50–58, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The mouse as a suitable host for an isolate of Schistosoma haematobium from Niger.

The host-parasite relationships of a Schistosoma haematobium isolate, originating from Niger, and the white mouse are described. Swiss OF1 albino mice were exposed individually to 200 cercariae and worms were recovered 9, 12, 16 and 20 weeks post infection. The mean worm returns ranged between 10.54 and 13.05% and did not alter significantly between 9 and 20 weeks post infection. The sex ratio of worms was always in favour of males; from 7.09:1 at 9 weeks after infection it decreased regularly to 3.28:1 at 20 weeks. Male worms reached a mean length of 8.72 mm at 20 weeks. From the 12th week post infection, a high number of eggs was found in the liver and gut. At 20 weeks, eggs were also found in the bladder. Viable eggs and infective miracidia were obtained. The infection of Bulinus truncatus from Niger succeeded with a mean rate of 61% after the first passage through mice. The isolate of S. haematobium was maintained in the laboratory during 3 successive passages through mice. These entirely new results are very probably linked to genetic characteristics peculiar to the S. haematobium populations from Niger.     

Habitat Preference, Reproduction and Diet of the Earthworm Eel, Chendol keelini (Teleostei: Chaudhuriidae)

The ecology of the earthworm eel, Chendol keelini, was studied in the field over a period of nine months. In addition this information was supplemented by aquarium observations. The species was most abundant in pools where it was associated with leaf litter and mats of fine tree roots along the banks. It fed on benthic invertebrates, especially chironomid and ephemeropteran larvae. C. keelini is sexually dimorphic; adult males develop a headhump and grow to a larger size than females. Reproduction was seasonal; the reproductive phase coincided with the wet season and lasted for several months. Fecundity was around 40 eggs per clutch. The eggs were spherical, between 1.2 and 1.5mm in diameter, and possessed a pair of long filaments for adhesion to the substrate. Females probably spawned more than once during the breeding season. The length frequency distributions and juvenile growth suggest that C. keelini is a short-lived species that matures during the first year with few individuals surviving to the second breeding season.     

Age effect of broiler breeders on fertility and sperm penetration of the perivitelline layer of the ovum

The objective of this study was to determine the age effect of a broiler breeder flock on duration of fertility and number of spermatozoa penetrating the perivitelline layer overlying the germinal disc (SP/mm(2) GDIPVL). Moreover, in the second half of the flock's reproductive life, the effect of using ejaculates of young roosters (CA2) in artificial insemination (AI) on the above parameters of fertility was estimated. The commercial flock of broiler breeder hens (n = 100) was inseminated six times from 31 to 62 weeks of age. Additional inseminations, with ejaculates of roosters aged 31 and 36 weeks (CA2), were performed at 56 and 62 weeks of age. AI was performed during two consecutive days (D0 and D1) with an insemination dose of 125 x 10(6) spermatozoa/0.06 ml containing pooled ejaculates. The following parameters were studied: the effective and maximum duration of fertility (De and Dm), percent of fertility on different days after AI (FD10, FD15 and FD20), indices of duration of sperm penetration (DSP, SP < or = 3/GDIPVL), SP/mm(2) GDIPVL in eggs laid on successive days after insemination of hens at different age, and correlations between some fertility indices. Both for De and Dm, the highest values were noted after AI of the layers at 36 weeks of age (14.8 +/- 0.49 and 17.4 +/- 0.46 days, respectively), which were about 2 days longer than at 56 weeks. All fertility indices decreased gradually with age, starting from AI at peak egg production (31-36 weeks of age), while the use of ejaculates from CA2 did not help to increase them significantly. Correlation coefficients between SP/mm(2) GDIPVL and the other fertility indices were positive and highest for eggs laid on D3. It is concluded that high De values can be obtained from broiler breeders in adequate environmental and technological conditions of AI. It is suggested that the age-related decrease in fertility is more pronounced in females, in which the efficiency of sperm storage tubules decreases. The present fertility indices indicate the possibility of lengthening AI intervals, especially at peak egg production.     

Reproductive Behaviour and Parental Care of Helobdella striata (Hirudinea,Glossiphoniidae): a Leech that Feeds its Young

The leech Helobdella striata Kutschera (1985) is a protandrous hermaphrodite. It copulates by hypodermic injection: a spermatophore is attached to the skin of the partner and sperm injected through it. During their male phase, the leeches copulate repeatedly and with different partners. In the female phase, 3 to 7 cocoons, each containing 2 to 20 eggs, are produced from the female gonopore and attached to the ventral side of the parent. The larvae which hatch from these eggs cling to the ventral side of the parent. After they have used up their yolk supply and have developed into juvenile leeches they remain attached to the parent for a further three weeks. Helobdella striata capture Tubifex worms and give them to the young they carry. This access to food allows the juveniles to grow from a size of 1 mm to 6 mm length while being carried and protected by the parent. H. striata reared in isolation produce young; at present it is not known whether they reproduce by parthenogenesis or by self-fertilization. The probable phylogenetic development of parental care patterns in the Hirudinea is reviewed.     

Embryonic, larval and juvenile development of the roughskin sculpin,Trachidermus fasciatus (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae)

Embryonic, larval and juvenile development of the catadromous roughskin sculpin,Trachidermus fasciatus, were described using eggs spawned in an aquarium. The eggs, measuring 1.98–2.21 mm in diameter, were light reddish-yellow and had many oil globules, 0.05–0.18 mm in diameter. Hatching occurred 30 days after spawning at 2.3–11.3°C. The newly-hatched larvae, measuring 6.9–7.3 mm BL, had a single oil globule, 9–10+25–26=34–36 myomeres and 6 or 7 large stellate melanophores dorsally along the gut. The yolk was almost resorbed, number of pectoral-fin rays attained 16–17, and two parietal, one nuchal and four preopercular spines were formed, 5 days after hatching, at 8.2–8.4 mm BL. The oil globule disappeared, and one supracleithral spine was formed, 11 days after hatching, at 8.9–9.5 mm BL. Notochord flexion began 15 days after hatching, at 9.7–10.3 mm BL. A posttemporal spine was formed 20 days after hatching, at 10.7–10.9 mm BL. The first dorsal fin spines (VII–VIII), second dorsal fin and anal fin rays (18–19, 16–18, respectively) appeared 23 days after hatching, at 12.0–13.7 mm BL. The pelvic fin spine and rays (I, 4) were formed and black bands on the head and sides of the body began to develop 27 days after hatching, at 13.8–15.8 mm BL. Newly-hatched larvae swam just below the surface in the aquaria. Preflexion larvae (8.9–9.5 mm BL), in which the oil globule had disappeared, swam in the middle layer, while juveniles (13.8–15.8 mm BL) began swimming on the bottom of the aquaria. Swimming behavior observed in the aquaria suggested that the fish started to change to a demersal existence at the juvenile stage.