Comparison of five cladoceran species in short- and long-term copper exposure

The study was carried out to assess the effect of both short-and long-term copper exposure on five cladoceran species differing in body size and habitat, i.e. Daphnia magna, D. pulex, D. galeata, Bosmina longirostris, and Chydorus sphaericus. The species-specific 48 h EC₅₀ values for fed neonates were used to determine the chronic exposure levels (52% and 65% of the EC₅₀ values). The experiment was run at two food levels. Long-term copper exposure retarded growth in each of the species studied. However, the copper treatments did not affect the clutch sizes of the experimental animals. At a low food level, copper exposure increased mortality in every species studied. The intrinsic rate of increase, r, was reduced in the copper-exposed populations. The sensitivity to copper was higher in the small lake species, compared to D. magna and D. pulex that are commonly used in standard toxicity tests. Of the species studied, B. longirostris had the highest sensitivity to both acute and chronic copper stress. The different sensitivities of the species studied are discussed in an ecological context.     

Comparisons of life-history traits between clonal and sexual fish (Poeciliopsis:Poeciliidae) raised in monoculture and mixed treatments

Summary Clonal and sexual co-existence is common in a number of vertebrate taxa, even though the cost of sex makes such co-existence theoretically unlikely. The frozen niche-variation (FNV) model explains this co-existence on the basis of differences in overall niche breadth and competition between clones and sexuals. In the present study I examined two predictions of the FNV model. First, I examined the prediction that genetically variable populations have higher relative fitness when compared with monoclonal populations by comparing the performances of clonal and outcrossed sexual strains ofPoeciliopsis in monocultures at two densities. The prediction of increased overall productivity for the sexuals was verified, with net reproductive rates for the sexuals being between two and four times as high as the clones. Second, I tested the prediction that derived clones will successfully compete with their sexual progenitor(s) in the narrow range to which the clones are adapted, while the sexuals should co-exist because of their ability to use a wider range of resources than any single clone. I examined this prediction by comparing performance variables (e.g. growth, fecundity and survival) of each strain in pure culture with their partitioned performance from the mixed treatments. Clonal performance increased in mixtures compared to monocultures, as expected. However, the expectation that the sexual's performance would be less affected by mixtures than the clones' performance, was not met. The sexuals had reduced growth and fecundity on a par with the increase in both variables in the clones. Therefore, support for the FNV model was mixed. Although the performance in monocultures suggests that the sexuals have a wider niche breadth than the clones, performances in mixtures do not indicate such a relationship. Switching of behaviours or resource-use patterns between mixed and pure cultures may have caused the equivocal results.     

Notes on the life history of the clam shrimp,Eulimnadia texana

Several life history measures (growth rate, egg production, molt frequency, age at maturity and lifespan) were measured on several clam shrimp hermaphrodites (Eulimnadia texana Packard) grown in a laboratory setting under optimal growth conditions. Growth rates were high early in life, and then dropped dramatically when egg production began (day 5–6). Early egg production was low, and increased until approximately day 7, after which production leveled off for several days. Reproductive senescence was noted after day 17, with clutch sizes continuously dropping until death. Average molts per day was approximately 1.1, and molting seemed to be more closely associated with egg production than with growth. Growth and egg production were negatively correlated, indicating a possible trade-off between these two traits. No other trade-offs were detected. These shrimp show typical early-colonist life history traits, displaying high initial growth, early reproduction at a high rate, and then early senescence and death. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of temperature on growth,reproduction and survival of the freshwater planorbid snail,Gyraulus convexiusculus,vector of echinostomiasis

Studies were carried out to investigate the effects of 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40° and 45°C on growth, sexual maturity, reproduction and survival of the freshwater planorbid snail, Gyraulus convexiusculus, vector of echinostomiasis, under laboratory conditions. The growth rate of juvenile and sexually mature snails was at minimum at 15°C and was maximum at 35°C. Sexual maturation time was minimum at 35°C and maximum at 20°C. Fecundity was minimum at 15°C and maximum at 35°C. The minimum average and maximum number of eggs per egg capsule was reached at 35°C and lowest at 15°C. 30°C was the optimum temperature for survival of juvenile snails, while sexually mature snails reached maximum survival time at 20°C.     

塔玛亚历山大藻对黑褐新糠虾存活、生长以及种群繁殖的影响

通过塔玛亚历山大藻 ( Alexandrium tamarense)对黑褐新糠虾 ( N eomysis awatschensis)的急性和慢性毒性作用研究 ,发现塔玛亚历山大藻对黑褐新糠虾的存活、生殖、生长等有不利影响 ,影响程度随塔玛亚历山大藻藻细胞密度的增加而增加。在 96 h急性毒性实验中 ,塔玛亚历山大藻对黑褐新糠虾的半致死密度为 70 0 0 cells/ml,去藻过滤液中糠虾的死亡率为 2 5 %。在 6 2 d的慢性毒性实验中 ,密度为 90 0 cells/ml的塔玛亚历山大藻对黑褐新糠虾的繁殖有严重影响 ,在此影响下的实验组亲虾产幼虾总数只有 2 7尾 ,仅为对照组产幼虾数目的 1 6 .4 % ;其总产幼虾天数、日最高产幼数分别只有对照的 32 %、4 1 % ,其初次产虾日期也推迟了 3d,并出现了 3次生殖中断。塔玛亚历山大藻对黑褐新糠虾亲虾的存活、生长也有一定的影响 ,处在密度为 90 0 cells/ml塔玛亚历山大藻中的黑褐新糠虾亲虾的存活率只有对照的 6 3% ,糠虾亲虾的体长和体重分别为对照组亲虾的 95 .6 %和 81 .9% ,但差异尚不显著 ( P>0 .0 5 )     

不同藻密度下布洛芬浓度对萼花臂尾轮虫生命表统计学参数的影响

在不同斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)密度(1.0×10~6、2.0×10~6个细胞/m L和4.0×10~6个细胞/m L)下,研究了不同浓度的(0、1、10、100、1000μg/L和5000μg/L)布洛芬对萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionus calyciflorus)生命表统计学参数的影响。结果表明,与各藻密度下的对照组相比,当藻密度为1.0×106个细胞/m L时,100—5000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的生命期望和平均寿命显著缩短,100μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的世代时间显著缩短,1.0μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的净生殖率显著提高,10—5000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的后代混交率显著提高。当藻密度为2.0×10~6个细胞/mL时,10—5000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的生命期望和平均寿命显著缩短,1000μg/L和5000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的世代时间显著缩短,1、10、1000μg/L和5000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的种群内禀增长率显著提高,1μg/L和1000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的后代混交率显著提高。当藻密度为4.0×10~6个细胞/mL时,10—5000μg/L布洛芬处理组中轮虫的生命期望、平均寿命和世代时间显著缩短。藻密度对轮虫的世代时间、净生殖率和种群内禀增长率有显著性影响(P0.05),布洛芬浓度对轮虫的生命期望、平均寿命、世代时间、净生殖率和种群内禀增长率有显著性影响(P0.05),藻密度和布洛芬浓度的交互作用对轮虫的生命期望、平均寿命和后代混交率有显著性影响(P0.05)。在实验设置的布洛芬浓度范围内,2.0×10~6个细胞/m L藻密度下,轮虫的生命期望、平均寿命和世代时间与布洛芬浓度之间均具有显著的剂量—效应关系(P0.05); 4.0×10~6个细胞/m L藻密度下,轮虫的生命期望、平均寿命和净生殖率与布洛芬浓度之间均具有显著的剂量—效应关系(P0.05)。     

不同斜生栅藻密度下布洛芬浓度对多刺裸腹溞生命表统计学参数的影响

以多刺裸腹溞为受试生物,在较低(0.5×10⁶ cells·mL^-1)、中等(1.0×10⁶ cells·mL^-1)和较高(2.0×10⁶ cells·mL^-1)的斜生栅藻密度下研究了不同浓度(0、0.45、0.9、1.8、3.6、7.2 和14.4 mg·L^-1)的布洛芬对多刺裸腹溞生命表统计学参数的影响.结果表明: 在较低和较高的食物密度下,布洛芬浓度分别对多刺裸腹溞的种群内禀增长率和生命期望具有显著性影响;但在3个食物密度下,布洛芬浓度对多刺裸腹溞的世代时间、净生殖率和总生殖率均无显著性影响.与对照组相比,在较低的食物密度下,暴露于0.45、0.9、3.6和14.4 mg·L^-1布洛芬溶液中的多刺裸腹溞的种群内禀增长率显著降低;在较高的食物密度下,暴露于3.6 和14.4 mg·L^-1布洛芬溶液中的多刺裸腹溞的生命期望显著延长.表明在较低的食物密度下,布洛芬对多刺裸腹溞的种群增长具有不利的影响;但在中等和较高的食物密度下其不利影响消失.在较高的食物密度下,布洛芬对多刺裸腹溞的存活具有促进作用;但在较低和中等食物密度下其促进作用并未出现.布洛芬对多刺裸腹溞部分生命表统计学参数的影响因食物密度的不同而异.     

Effects of intermittent starvation on mature Biomphalaria glabrata (Gastropoda: Planorbidae)

Mature Biomphalaria glabrata, submitted to four weeks of varied starvation times (0, 1, 3, 5, 6 & 7 d.week^–1, were thereafter refed during four weeks. The different intermittent starvation times had no significant effect on snails survival. As weekly starvation increased, the rate of change in body weight and fecundity decreased. In snails fed one or two d.week^–1, the rate of change in body weight was negative, while fecundity remained at a low level. Continuous hunger stopped oviposition.Starvation had no further effect on body growth after the first week of refeeding; however, its effect on fecundity remained significant over the two first weeks.