Colonial Nesting Birds of Chikhacheva Bay (Tatarskii Strait, Sea of Japan)

This paper presents new data on species composition, density, and migration patterns of marine colonial birds obtained during ornithological studies in Chikhacheva Bay (northern part of Tatarskii Strait) in 2001–2002.     

Buried ostracods collected at the location of a nuclear submarine accident in the Chazhma Cove (Peter the Great Bay,Sea of Japan)

In a sample of benthos collected at the location of a nuclear submarine accident in Chazhma Cove (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan), we found remains (valves and shells) of 37 ostracod species, along with living pollution-tolerant organisms. The death of ostracods may be due to the consequences of the nuclear accident, but most likely was caused by domestic and technogenic pollution of the bay by oil products, which are particularly harmful to ostracods. The data provide a vivid example of detrimental anthropogenic impact on the fauna of ostracods, suggesting their increased sensitivity to adverse environmental factors, compared to many other marine organisms.     

Age and growth of Lestrolepis japonica (Aulopiformes: Paralepididae) in Kagoshima Bay,southern Japan

 Age and growth of a paralepidid, Lestrolepis japonica, were determined from sagittal otoliths of specimens collected from April 2001 to February 2002 in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan. Marginal growth increments indicated that the annulus was formed once a year, in August and September. Four groups were recognized, having none, one, two, or three annuli, respectively. Age in months was assigned to each individual on the basis of August as the birth month. The maximum recorded age was 48 months. Growth was expressed by von Bertalanffy's equation, L _t  = 171.91{1 − exp[−0.148(t + 0.403)]}, t being the age in months and L _t the standard length (mm) at age t. Received: July 15, 2002 / Revised: November 18, 2002 / Accepted: December 10, 2002     

Anisian foraminifers from allochthonous limestones of the Tanoura formation (Kurosegawa Terrane, West Kyushu, Japan)

Thirty-five species belonging to 21 genera of foraminifers are distinguished from allochthonous limestone blocks contained within the autochthonous mudstones and sandstones of the Carnian Tanoura Formation, Kurosegawa Terrane of West Kyushu (SW Japan). These blocks are considered to be Anisian in age, based on the occurrence of two foraminifers widely distributed in the Anisian of the Tethyan Realm, Pilammina densa and Meandrospira dinarica; they are associated with Involutinid-like forms, such as Triadodiscus and Aulotortus, and with other foraminifers. The allochthonous limestones are mostly composed of oolites, abundant bioclasts and detrital quartz grains. They are thought to have been redeposited during the Carnian on the shelf slope of the South Kitakami-Kurosegawa Old Land. Palaeogeographically, this terrane was part of the North Gondwana margin, then isolated eastwards before its Early Cretaceous amalgamation with South China. Three foraminiferal species, Triadodiscus eomesozoicus (Oberhauser), Triadodiscus? tanourensis, n. sp., and Triadodiscus? sp. are described from the Anisian allochthonous blocks.     

The Meroplankton of Amurskii Bay (Peter the Great Bay,Sea of Japan)

Russian Journal of Marine Biology - The composition and seasonal dynamics of meroplankton in Amurskii Bay (Sea of Japan) were studied for the first time. The total survey period exceeded two years....     

Effect of antler growth period on the chemical composition of velvet antler in sika deer (Cervus nippon)

The aim of this study was to provide basic information to allow improved scientific assessment of velvet antlers’ quality by investigating the change of chemical composition depending on antler growth period in sika deer (Cervus nippon). Twelve antlers harvested from sika deer stags (aged 4–5 years) by antler growth periods of 40 days (FDG) and 60 days (SDG) after the casting of antler buttons from the previous set were analysed to compare the chemical composition, such as crude protein, ash, ether extract, amino acid, collagen, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), uronic acid and sialic acid. The weight of velvet antler in FDG was lower than that of the SDG (P<0.05). SDG had a higher (P<0.05) content of crude ash than FDG. FDG had a higher (P<0.05) content of crude protein than SDG. Amino acid composition was also higher in FDG than in SDG for all sections. The content of collagen was higher in SDG than in FDG for the middle and base (P<0.05) sections. However, collagen levels were exceptionally higher (P<0.05) in FDG than in SDG for the upper section. While the content of collagen was significantly higher (P<0.05) for the upper section than for the middle and base sections in FDG, this was significantly increased (P<0.05) downward from the upper to the base section in SDG. Uronic acid content was higher in FDG than SDG for all three sections but there was no significant difference between groups in the middle and base sections. The content of GAGs was significantly higher (P<0.05) in FDG than SDG for all three sections. The content of sialic acid was the same as that of GAGs. Consequently, in this study, velvet antler production was increased with the extension of antler growth period, but the contents of protein, total amino acid composition, GAGs, uronic acid and sialic acid were decreased and those of ash and collagen were increased. Therefore, it is expected that the quality of velvet antler may be decreased greatly by extension of antler growth period.     

A fluvial population of Cottus pollux (middle-egg type) from the Honmyo River, Kyushu Island, Japan

 Specimens of the Cottus pollux species' group collected from the upper part of the Honmyo River, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, were subjected to morphological and allozyme analyses to place them into one of the recognized valid taxa, viz. small-egg type (SE type), middle-egg type (ME type), or large-egg type (LE type). They were identified as ME type on the basis of specific morphological characteristics, such as laterally depressed cross-sectional shape at posterior half of the body and deep caudal peduncle, and by having a diagnostic allozyme allele (MEP ^* 54). This ME-type population is the first recorded from Kyushu Island, Japan. An ecological survey of the population revealed that females spawned larger eggs (2.8–3.2 mm in diameter) than those of other amphidromous populations, from which well-developed yolk-sac larvae of about 8.0 mm TL were hatched out. In addition, ME-type specimens collected on 25 and 26 May 2001 included 15 sex-unknown juveniles ranging from 18.8 to 30.2 mm SL, suggesting that they represented larvae hatched out on a nearby spawning ground, with no experience of downstream migration into Isahaya Bay. This observation strongly suggests that the ME-type population in the Honmyo River has a fluvial lifestyle, being different from other amphidromous populations. The former population may have arisen from an amphidromous ancestor through changes in egg size and early ontogenetic development. Received: February 25, 2002 / Revised: May 21, 2002 / Accepted: June 17, 2002 Acknowledgments We thank Professor M. Azuma, Nagasaki University, for his kind guidance of our field survey in the Honmyo River and Dr. G.S. Hardy, Thames, New Zealand, for correcting the English. Thanks are also offered to Mrs. Y. Miyajima and Y. Masaoka, Kyushu Branch of Construction and Technology Institute Co., for their helpful cooperation in the field survey. Drs. H. Sakai, National Fisheries University and Y. Yamazaki, Toyama University, and Mrs. N. Okabe and Y. Suzuki of Yamagata Prefecture are thanked for their help in sample collection. This work was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid (No. 13660171) from the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to A. Goto. Correspondence to:Akira Goto     

Fauna of Sponges (Porifera) of Peter the Great Bay,Sea of Japan

A complete list of sponges of Peter the Great Bay (northwestern Sea of Japan) is presented comprising 40 species belonging to 27 genera, 19 families, 9 orders, and 2 classes. Information is presented about the biogeographical composition of sponge fauna of the bay, the depths of their habitats, and their substrates.Original Russian Text Copyright ¢ 2005 by Biologiya Morya, Khodakovskaya.     

Diurnal appearance,fine structure,and chemical composition of fatty particles inHeterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae)

Summary In cells ofHeterosigma akashiwo cultured under a photoperiod of 1212 LD, one or several fatty particles have appeared, grew in size approximately the second hour of the dark period, diminished in size from the tenth hour of the dark period, and completely disappeared by the seventh hour of the light period. The particles, usually located on the side of the nucleus away from the flagellar bases, were partially surrounded by endoplasmic reticulum, but not bounded by a membrane. Lipids comprised 80% of the isolated particles fraction, proteins only 1%.Triacyl-glycerol occupied 80% of the acyllipids in the lipid fraction. Tetradecanoic, hexadecanoic, and hexadecenoic acids comprised 80% of the total fatty acids composition.     

宁夏贺兰山岩羊肌肉营养成分分析

为研究贺兰山岩羊肌肉组织的营养价值,对其组成成分进行分析。结果表明:雌性岩羊与雄性岩羊肌肉组织在磷、锌、氨基酸和脂肪酸的含量方面有所不同。岩羊肌肉是蛋白质和矿物质的良好来源,尤其是钙、磷和铜。与联合国粮食农业组织(FAO)和世界卫生组织(WHO)推荐的理想蛋白质模型(EAA /TAA 比约40% )相比较,岩羊肌肉蛋白质营养价值很高(其中,雄性EAA /TAA 比为39.3% ,雌雄EAA/ TAA 比为39.2%)。通过计算氨基酸评分和氨基酸化学评分,岩羊肌肉蛋白中缬氨酸为限制性氨基酸,赖氨酸含量很高。此外,岩羊肌肉也是亚油酸和亚麻酸的良好来源。     

Some Data on the Composition and Distribution of the Meiofauna in Vostok Bay (Sea of Japan)

The effect of some environmental factors on the composition and spatial distribution of the meiobenthos were studied in Vostok Bay. The spatial density of the meiobenthos significantly positively correlated with ground type and was maximum in fine- grained sands. The eumeiobenthos was dominated by harpacticoids in coarse-grained ground and by nematodes in ground with a high silt content. The pseudomeiobenthos was dominated by polychaetes and bivalve mollusks in all ground types. The depth distribution of the meiobenthos was highly heterogenous, harpacticoids being the only group whose distribution correlated significantly with depth.     

Effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria)

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria L.). Fresh and dry weight and the contents of dry matter, ash, lipid, protein, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Zn, retinol, lutein, zeaxanthine, cryptoxanthin, carotenes, lycopene and gross energy were determined in penultimate instar and adult locusts, that had been fed three different diets. The locusts received a diet of grass or grass+wheat bran or grass+wheat bran+carrots. Adding wheat bran decreased the protein content and increased fat content (633 vs. 583 and 182 vs. 231 g/kg DM, respectively). Addition of carrots to the diet increased fat content further from 231 to 271 g/kg DM. Mineral concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, and Na, were significantly affected by diet. P, K, Cu, and Fe concentrations were significantly different in penultimate migratory locusts compared with adults. Wheat bran decreased the α-carotene content, which did not change by incorporating carrots in the diet. However, carrots did result in higher β-carotene concentrations. Retinol concentrations were increased by incorporating both wheat bran and carrots in the diet compared with the diet containing only grass. This study shows that the chemical composition of migratory locusts can be manipulated through the diet. As such, it enables nutritionists to adapt the chemical composition of live feeder insects to better meet the nutritional demands of predators.     

Arenicolous mycelial fungi from the littoral of the Vostok Bay (Peter the Great Bay,the Sea of Japan)

The taxonomic composition of marine mycelial fungi was determined in the interstitial habitats of the Vostok Bay littoral (Peter the Great Bay, the Sea of Japan). A total of 39 species of ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi were detected and identified. The predominant species of the intertidal zone were Corollospora maritima, C. lacera, Carbosphaerella leptosphaerioides, Arenariomyces trifurcatus (Ascomycota), Alternaria alternata, Scolecobasidium arenarium, and Zalerion maritimum (anamorphic fungi). The complete list of species of obligately marine ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi from the interstitial habitats of the Vostok Bay littoral is presented for the first time     

Habitat expansion of an exotic lace bug, Corythucha marmorata (Uhler) (Hemiptera: Tingidae), on the Kii Peninsula and Shikoku Island in western Japan

Habitat expansion of an exotic lace bug Corythucha marmorata (Uhler) was observed on the Kii Peninsula in 2003–2004, and on Shikoku Island between 2004 and 2007. The bug was first sighted in Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture in 2000, and then further south in central Kii Peninsula in 2003 before reaching the southern tip of the peninsula by 2004. The bug was first observed in the Tokushima and Ehime Prefectures of Shikoku Island in 2004, after which the range expanded and extended across the entire island by 2007. In this study, six wild Asteraceae species were identified as the host plants to the lace bug.     

A new species of Neocervinia (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Cerviniidae) from the hyperbenthos of the Hatsushima cold-seep site in Sagami Bay, Japan

A new species of harpacticoid copepod, Neocervinia itoi (Cerviniidae), is described on the basis of females and copepodids collected from the Hatsushima cold-seep site in Sagami Bay, Japan. It is morphologically very close to its deep-sea congeners N. tenuicauda (Brotskaya, 1963) and N. unisetosa (Montagna, 1981). The new species differs primarily in the segmentation of the antennule and the endopod of both mandible and maxilliped, and in form and shape of the setae on leg 5. The presence of sensillar structures on the proximal part of the antennule is discussed. A key to the species of Neocervinia is presented. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Taphonomy of larger foraminifera: Relationships between living individuals and empty tests on flat reef slopes (Sesoko Island, Japan)

Summary The depth distributions of larger foraminifera (27 species) were investigated along two transects in the fore reef areas of a NW Pacific fringing reef. One transect is distinguished by a strong flattening below the steep reef slope (−30 m), whereas further steepening characterizes the equivalent part in the other transect. According to the different taphonomic processes affecting foraminiferal tests before final sedimentation, empty tests were classified into the three categories ‘optimally’, ‘well’ and ‘poorly’ preserved. The depth distribution of each preservation state was compared with living individuals. While distributions of optimally preserved tests almost coincide with living individuals, well-preserved tests are characterized by significant depth shifts that are stronger at the upper-most slope compared with the deeper parts. Since the time-averaged traction forces are similar in both investigated transects, differences between the distributions of living individuals and well-preserved tests are more intensive on steep versus flat slopes. Poorly preserved tests signalize allochthonous origin or reworking of relict sediments.     

Effect of soil sodicity on the growth,yield and chemical composition of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.)

Summary A replicated field experiment was conducted to study the effect of exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) on the yield, chemical composition, protein and oil content and uptake of nutrients by groundnut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) variety M-13. ESP over 15 delayed germination and emergence of flowers. There was continuous decrease in dry matter yield at 30 and 60 days of growth, grain and straw yield after harvest and protein, oil and kernel percent with increase in soil ESP. A 50 per cent reduction in groundnut yield was observed at an ESP of 20. Increasing soil ESP, increased Na and decreased K, Ca and N contents, but had no effect on the Mg, P, S, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu contents of the plant. Sodium content of the plant increased, while potassium and nitrogen decreased with age of the plant. The uptake of all the nutrients decreased with increase in soil ESP. The results showed that groundnut is a relatively sensitive crop to soil sodicity.     

Gnathia gurjanovae sp. n., a new species of Gnathiids (Isopoda: Gnathiidae) from Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

A new species of isopods of the suborder Gnathiidae, Gnathia gurjanovae sp. n. has been described from Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan. The new species is most similar to G. derzhavini Gurjanova, 1933, but differs from the latter in a series of morphological characteristics of the male: frontal margin of the head bears a well-pronounced mediofrontal process; each mandible has an unarmed carina and an obscure tooth; pereopod 6 is relatively smooth; the basis, ischium, and merus of pereopod 4 bear strong spurlike processes.