南海主要珊瑚礁水域的鱼类物种多样性研究

根据2004年5–7月和2005年3–4月采用深水三重刺网在南海的羚羊礁、华光礁、银砾滩、东岛、滨湄滩、排洪滩、本固暗沙、比微暗沙、武勇暗沙、海鸠暗沙、双子群礁、中业群礁、鲎藤礁、美济礁、仁爱礁、仙宾礁、南方浅滩、棕滩、大渊滩、永署礁、南薰礁、牛轭礁、道明群礁等23座主要珊瑚礁过渡性水域进行的2个航次专业调查资料, 分析了南海主要珊瑚礁水域的鱼类种类组成和群落特征。结果表明, 在珊瑚礁水域软骨鱼类以真鲨目和鲼目的种类数占优势, 硬骨鱼类以鲈形目和鲀形目的种类数占优势。相对重要指数(IRI)大于500的鱼类定为优势种, 西沙群岛有5种, 分别为迈氏条尾魟(Taeniura meyeni)、长吻裸颊鲷(Lethrinus miniatus)、胡椒鲷(Plectorhinchus pictus)、黄斑胡椒鲷(P. flavomaculatus)和灰六鳃鲨(Hexanchus griseus); 中沙群岛有6种, 分别为黄斑胡椒鲷、迈氏条尾魟、圆燕鱼(Platax orbicularis)、密斑刺鲀(Dioson hystrix)、红裸颊鲷(Lethrinus rubrioperculatus)和胡椒鲷; 南沙群岛有3种, 分别为黑梢真鲨(Carcharhinus limbatus)、灰三齿鲨(Triaenodon obesus)和星点鲹(Caranx stellatus)。针对南海珊瑚礁水域鱼类个体大小悬殊的特点, 本文分别以个体数和生物量为基础计算该水域的Margalef丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数。物种组成的区域差异分析结果表明, 各珊瑚礁水域的鱼类物种无论与南海北部陆架海域还是与南沙西南陆架区相比都有明显的差异, 而属于相同生境类型水域的鱼类物种相似性较高。     

北部湾中部海域底质沉积物中的有孔虫

本文对北部湾中部海域水深2.4m到61m、共计184个站位表层沉积物中的有孔虫进行研究。结果显示浮游有孔虫丰度非常低,种类也较稀少,仅在南侧水深较大的少数站位有发现,且含量不超过5%;而底栖有孔虫则较丰富,多数样品中以含有螺旋式与平旋式的玻璃质壳类型为主,暖水或大型底栖有孔虫分子常见。和其它海区相较而言,该海域底栖有孔虫中胶结壳类含量偏高,可能与沉积物底质颗粒较粗及海水盐度较低有关。该研究详细报道了底栖有孔虫主要属种在北部湾的分布特征。与海洋环境对比显示,水深和沉积物底质类型是影响这些属种平面分布的主要因素,而湾外温暖水团则是控制暖水种分子分布的另一重要因素。     

A new genus of soft coral of the family Alcyoniidae (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) with re-description of a new combination and description of a new species

A new genus, Aldersladum (family Alcyoniidae), is established to accommodate a previously described species, Efflatounaria sodwanae Benayahu, 1993 (family Xeniidae) from Sodwana Bay, South Africa that was wrongly assigned to the latter genus. This species is redescribed and a second new species, Aldersladum jengi from Penghu Is., Taiwan, is described. The diagnostic features of the new genus include the presence of only figure-eight shaped platelets in all parts of the colony, thus differentiating it from all known genera of the Alcyoniidae. Based on examination of additional material from other localities, the zoogeographical distribution of the genus is confirmed to include the coral reefs of South Africa, Kenya, Gulf of Oman, Taiwan and Japan. Phylogenetic analyses of two mitochondrial genes strongly support its placement in the family Alcyoniidae.     

Changes in Coral Reef Communities and an Associated Reef Fish Species, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cephalopholis cruentata</Emphasis> (Lacépède), After 30 years on Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles)

Using the same methodology and identical sites, we repeat a study dating from 1973 and quantify cover of hard coral species, soft corals, sponges, hard substratum and soft substratum, and density of a commercially important reef fish species, the graysby Cephalopholis cruentata, along a depth-gradient of 3–36 m on the coral reefs of Curaçao. The objective was to determine the multi-decade change in benthic coral reef cover and structural complexity, and their effect on densities of an associated reef fish species. Total hard coral cover decreased on average from 52% in 1973 to 22% in 2003, representing a relative decline of 58%. During this time span, the cover of hard substratum increased considerably (from 11 to 58%), as did that of soft corals (from 0.1 to 2.2%), whereas the cover of sponges showed no significant change. Relative decline of hard coral cover and of reef complexity was greatest in shallow waters (near the coast), which is indicative of a combination of anthropogenic influences from shore and recent storm damage. Cover of main reef builder coral species (Agaricia spp., Siderastrea siderea, Montastrea annularis) decreased more than that of other species, and resulted in a significant decrease in reef complexity. Although density of C. cruentata was highly correlated to cover of Montastrea and Agaricia in 1973, the loss of coral cover did not show any effect on the total density of C. cruentata in 2003. However, C. cruentata showed a clear shift in density distribution from shallow water in 1973 to deep water in 2003. It can be concluded that the reefs of Curaçao have degraded considerably in the last three decades, but that this has had no major effect on the population size of one commercially important coral-associated fish species.     

南沙群岛珊瑚礁浮游动物多样性与群落结构

珊瑚礁是地球上已知的海洋生物多样性最高的生态系统,为了深入分析珊瑚礁的浮游动物多样性和群落结构,2004年5月5-15日在南沙群岛渚碧礁布设10个大面站(漏湖、礁坪各5个)和1个连续站(位于礁坪),使用网目孔径分别为169 μm和505 μm的两种浮游生物网进行垂直拖网采样.结果表明:共鉴定浮游动物种类96种和幼虫17个类群(或类型),其中桡足类最多,达65种,其次是幼虫;浮游动物数量丰富-根据169 μm网具样品的数据,平均丰度高达926.0±1,155.8 inds./m3,优势类群依次是桡足类、被囊类和幼虫,优势种为奥氏胸刺水蚤(Centropages orsinii)、珍妮纺锤水蚤(Acartia shuzheni)、长尾住囊虫(Oikopleura longicauda)、梭形住囊虫(O.fusifornis)和腹足类面盘幼虫(Gastropoda veliger);渚碧礁浮游动物空间分布差异相当显著,漏湖区形成与礁坪区不同的群落,前者种类多、丰度高、优势种突出、均匀度低,而后者则完全相反,浮游动物群落的空间变化是由珊瑚礁礁盘的空间异质性所造成.浮游动物昼夜变化明显,夜间出现的种数和平均丰度分别是日间的4.6和46.2倍.浮游动物群落以终生浮游生物的种类和数量占多数,它们来源于礁外海水,有的也属于礁栖类型.在珊瑚礁中,中小型浮游动物无论在种类还是丰度方面都占有非常重要的位置.     

Postsettlement movement patterns and homing in a coral-associated fish

Coral-associated gobies are highly specialized reef fishes withhigh host-coral fidelity. Flexibility in habitat choice, however,is important to compensate for potential habitat alterationor loss, but detailed information about the postsettlement movementbehavior of such gobies is lacking. We examined movement patternsin Gobiodon histrio, both under natural conditions and duringsubsequent field experiments, involving breeding pair or partnerremoval from 3 of the 4 investigation plots. Additionally, weinvestigated homing behavior, and 2 aquaria experiments weredesigned to assess home coral and partner recognition of adultfish taken from breeding pairs. Under natural conditions, themovement rate was high for single adults, whereas breeding pairsshowed high home-coral fidelity. Manipulations revealed littlechange of natural patterns except in single adults, which slightlydecreased their movement rate in the breeding pair removal plot.In the homing experiment, 17% of tested fish returned to theirhome coral even after displacement of 4 m, and homing successwas much higher at shorter distances (100% at 0.5 m, 53% at2.25 m). In the aquarium, G. histrio exhibited higher recognitionof its home-coral colony (75%) than of its breeding pair partner(60%). Our study shows that G. histrio frequently moves betweencorals, although this depends on the social status (juvenile,single adult, breeding pair) of the individuals. The high proportionand movement rate of single adults indicate low sensitivityto habitat alteration but also limited high-quality habitatsin which breeding pairs could be established. Hence, vulnerabilityto habitat loss increases when individuals breed.     

北部湾近海珊瑚礁区系沉积物抗菌活性放线菌类群

通过对大肠埃希菌和枯草芽胞杆菌抗菌活性初步筛选,从北部湾近海珊瑚礁区5个沉积物样品中成功分离得到51株具有不同抗菌活性的放线菌,其中9株具有较强抗菌能力。根据这9株放线菌的菌落和孢子形态,可确定它们都属于链霉菌属。 RAPD-PCR分析表明这9株放线菌为6种不同类型,16S rDNA序列和系统发生树分析表明,9株放线菌可划分到4个大的类群6种不同类型,且结果显示RAPD-PCR聚类分析与16S rDNA序列聚类分析的结果具有较大的一致性。生理生化鉴定结果表明,分离株与亲缘关系最近的放线菌模式菌株的生理生化特征均存在差异,这说明分离株为放线菌新种的可能性比较大。这6种放线菌具有较为广谱的抑菌活性,并且抑菌活性均存在一定的差异,说明其可能分泌出多种结构功能不同的活性次生代谢产物。研究结果表明,广西北部湾近海珊瑚礁区系沉积物蕴藏着丰富的可供药物开发的放线菌资源。     

大亚湾大型底栖动物的群落结构

利用2004年3月、5月、9月和12月的大型底栖动物定量采样数据,对大亚湾大型底栖动物的群落结构进行研究.结果表明,大亚湾大型底栖动物大致可分为3个群落,分别分布于湾顶及湾中大部分海域、湾中部和湾口海域,湾中部海域群落的变化较为显著.大型底栖动物整体群落结构的季节变化总体较小,但雨季对大型底栖动物群落的影响较大,存在较明显的干湿季差异.大亚湾海域生态环境受到明显的扰动,处于扰动状态中的大型底栖动物群落稳定性较差;湾顶和湾中大部分海域内的群落Ⅰ,为大亚湾的主体群落,以软体动物为主,种类组成单一、季节变化小,以小鳞帘蛤Veremolpa micra和粗帝汶蛤Timoclea scabra 为特征种.该群落的稳定性最差,处于较强烈的扰动之中;稳定分布于湾口的群落Ⅲ稳定性最好,未受到扰动,以多毛类为主,种类组成较为复杂、变化较大;湾中部海域大型底栖动物群落结构变化较为复杂,主要变化区域为马鞭州附近海域.该群落系经强烈的人为扰动后,经次生演替而形成的新群落,其种类组成的季节变化非常显著,各季的种类几乎完全不同,群落的独立性和抗干扰能力均较弱;与1980's相比,大亚湾大部分区域内大型底栖动物基本保持了原有的群落,但群落稳定性大幅下降,群落的分布范围和种类组成发生较大程度的改变,主体群落组成呈明显的简单化趋势.在人类活动影响下,湾内同一区域内群落完全演替、湾中部海域出现新的群落.     

Spatial distribution of fifty ornamental fish species on coral reefs in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

The spatial distribution of 50 ornamental fish species from shallow water habitats on coral reefs were investigated using visual census techniques, between latitudes 11−29°N in the Red Sea, in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, and in the adjacent Gulf of Aden in Djibouti. One hundred eighteen transects (each 100×5 m) were examined in 29 sites (3−8 sites per country). A total of 522,523 fish individuals were counted during this survey, with mean abundance of 4428.2 ± 87.26 individual per 500 m² transect. In terms of relative abundance (RA), the most abundant species were Blue green damselfish, Chromis viridis (RA=54.4%),followed bySea goldie, Pseudanthias squamipinnis (RA= 34.7), Whitetail dascyllus, Dascyllus aruanus (RA= 2.6%), Marginate dascyllus, Dascyllus marginatus (RA= 2.0),Red Sea eightline flasher Paracheilinus octotaenia (RA=1.0),andKlunzinger’s wrasse, Thalassoma rueppellii (0.7%). The highest number of species (S) per 500 m² transect was found on reefs at the latitude 20° in Saudi Arabia (S=21.8), and the lowest number of species was found at the latitude 15° in Djibouti (S=11.11). The highest mean abundance (8565.8) was found on reefs at latitude 20° in Saudi Arabia and the lowest mean abundance (230) was found on reefs at latitude 22°, also in Saudi Arabia. Whereas, the highest Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index was found in reefs at the latitude 22° (H`=2.4) and the lowest was found in reefs at the latitude 20° (H`=0.6). This study revealed marked differences in the structure of ornamental fish assemblages with latitudinal distribution. The data support the presence of two major biogeographic groups of fishes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden group and the group in the northern and central Red Sea. Strong correlations were found between live coral cover and the number of fish species, abundance and Shannon-Wiener Diversity indices, and the strength of these correlations varied among the reefs. A conclusion was done that environmental differences among the reefs and the habitats investigated were important components of abundance variations and species diversity of ornamental fish along latitudinal gradients in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.     

Low genetic diversity of symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium) in scleractinian corals from tropical reefs in southern Hainan Island, China

Endosymbiotic dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium are among the most abundant and important group of photosynthetic protists found in coral reef ecosystems.In order to further characterize this diversity and compare with other regions of the Pacific,samples from 44 species of scleractinian corals representing 20 genera and 9 families,were collected from tropical reefs in southern Hainan Island,China.Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 identified 11 genetically distinct Symbiodinium types that have been reported previously.The majority of reef-building coral species (88.6％) harbored only one subcladal type of symbiont,dominated by host-generalist C1 and C3,and was influenced little by the host’s apparent mode of symbiont acquisition.Some species harbored more than one clade of Symbiodinium (clades C,D) concurrently.Although geographically isolated from the rest of the Pacific,the symbiont diversity in southern Hainan Island was relatively low and similar to both the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii symbiont assemblages (dominated by clade C Symbiodinium).These results indicate that a specialist symbiont is not a prerequisite for existence in remote and isolated areas,but additional work in other geographic regions is necessary to test this idea.     

Cannabinoids inhibit zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) byssal attachment: a potentially green antifouling technology

Man-made submerged structures, including shipwrecks, offering substrata for fouling organisms and fish, have been classified secondarily as artificial reefs (ARs). The current approach in AR design is that of low-profile structures placed on the seabed and attempting to mimic natural reef (NR) communities with the aim of mitigating degraded marine ecosystems. To examine the validity of this concept, a long-term comparison of the developing AR fouling communities to those of nearby NRs is required. A survey of the fouling reefal organisms was conducted on seven shipwrecks (Red Sea, Egypt), comprising three young (ca 20 years old) and four old (?>?100 years old) unplanned ARs, in comparison to nearby NR communities. The hypothesis tested was that the age of the ARs shapes the structure of their fouling coral communities. The results demonstrated distinct differences between ARs and NRs and between young and old ARs. While the species composition on ARs may resemble that of NRs after approximately 20 years, obtaining a similar extent of coral cover may require a full century. Moreover, differences in structural features between ARs and NRs may lead to differences in species composition that persist even after 100 years.     

Vertical zonation of coral reef fishes in the Sudanese Red Sea

The vertical zonation of 38 species of fish inhabiting coral reefs in the Sudanese Red Sea is described. A marked degree of vertical zonation of the fishes is shown to exist. The usefulness of a depth oriented survey method for studying reef fish is discussed in relation to these results.General relationships between vertical zonation and species diversity are noted.