The accumulation of amino-acids and humic substances in media conditioned by axenic and non-axenic duckweed (Lemna minor L.) and their possible ecological significance

The concentrations of total free amino acids (TFAA) and humic substances (HS) accumulating in media conditioned by axenic and non-axenic duckweed fronds (Lemna minor L.) were analyzed at various time intervals over a 21-day incubation period with the aid of a Shimadzu HPLC system. In the non-axenic Lemna cultures, the concentrations of both TFAA and HS continued to increase throughout the incubation period, although the rate of increase was higher in the initial stages. In contrast, the concentrations of both TFAA and HS reached asymptotic values in media conditioned by non-axenic Lemna after 10–12 days. As a result, the concentrations of both FAA and HS became significantly higher in media conditioned by axenic Lemna fronds than in those conditioned by non-axenic Lemna from days 10–12 until the end of the experiment. The possible reasons for the differences in the accumulation patterns of TFAA and HS in media conditioned by axenic and non-axenic Lemna and their ecological significance are discussed.     

TAXONOMIC CONFUSION CONCERNING CERTAIN FILAMENTOUS BLUE-GREEN ALGAE1

Throughout a long history many filamentous bacteria may have been identified in natural collections as blue-green algae. This problem has been especially acute regarding the thermophilic species of hot springs, especially at the higher temperatures. It is suggested that in the absence of pure cultures, the minimal criteria for distinguishing filamentous bacteria from blue-green algae microscopically should be: (1) observation of the chlorophyll fluorescence with a fluorescent microscope and (2) demonstration of light-dependent ¹⁴CO₂ fixation autoradiographically. Pure cultures of a number of filamentous thermophiles have been obtained from habitats at temperatures above 60 C. These cultures resemble microscopically the natural material, grow only heterot rophically, and do not contain chlorophyll.     

Marine macroalgae as foods for fishes: an evaluation of potential food quality

Synopsis A revitalized view of feeding by herbivorous marine fishes is sought through two questions. First, What characteristics of major taxa of algae identify them as predictably high or low quality foods? Second, are marine algae valuable foods for fishes which do not mechanically disrupt cell walls and do not harbor specialized enzymes or microbes capable of lysing cell walls? Energy, ash and nutrient content of 16 species of marine algae were employed to assess food quality of fleshy red, green, brown and calcareous red algae. On the basis of ash, calories, total protein and total lipid content, fleshy algae should be superior to calcareous algae as foods for fishes; in addition, green algae should be superior to brown algae and brown algae superior to red algae. When the probable digestibility of storage and extracellular carbohydrates is considered, green and red algae are predicted superior to brown algae as food. Two species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) from the Gulf of California,Eupomacentrus rectifraenum andMicrospathodon dorsalis, eat red and green algae and ignore brown and calcareous algae. They feed, therefore, in a fashion consistent with predictions based only on algal chemistry. These fishes absorb at least 20–24% of the biomass, 57–67% of the protein, 46–56% of the lipid and 37–44% of the carbohydrate contained in algae eaten in the wild. Since these damselfishes do not masticate their food, it appears that herbivorous fishes can digest major fractions of algal nutrients without mechanical destruction of algal cells.     

The macroinvertebrate fauna of the drainage channels of the Gwent Levels, South Wales

SUMMARY. From a survey of the fauna at sixty sites in permanent drainage channels of the Gwent Levels during the spring of 1976 and at some of these sites (thirty-three) during the autumn, speeies and site associations were identified using classification and ordination techniques. Sites in some groups had identifiahly similar environmental characteristics and grouping seemed particularly related to the vegetational stage in the hydrosere, water How and the incidence of salt contamination from the Severn Estuary. Characteristics which were common within particular species groups and whieh, in part, explained their distributions were: adaptation to low oxygen concentrations, food preferences and dispersal mechanisms. Whilst there was some temporal stability in site groups between the spring and autumn surveys, such associations were not idenlical. The oxygen status of channels appeared a major factor determining faunal distribution. Twelve sites, representing a range of channel types, were sampled six times in a 12-month period. Far more species were colleeled within the water column and on plants than in the benthos. Several oligochaetes, e.g. Aulodrilus pluriseta, Dero digitata, Limnodrilus claparedeanus, were not recorded at most sites during the summer probably because of the SUStained lack of oxygen at these sites. Three contiguous reaches of channel were maintained during the period March—October 1977 with different plant cover (no Lemnu; complete Lemna cover: control with partial Lemna cover). The oxygen status of the reaches was different, that with complete Lemna cover being continuously anaerobic near the channel bed for several months, the control reach which had partial Lemna cover being anaerobic for a shorter period and that with no Lemna being only anaerobic at night. Whilst the distribution of macroinvertebrate species was prineipally related to this oxygen status, the control reach whieh was strueturally the most complex, having both submerged and floating plants, contained about twiee as many species as the other reaches during the summer (colleeted in the water column and on plants): benthic samples in this and the reach with complete Lemna cover contained only between zero and two species during the period May- September.     

The food habits of an herbivorous fish (Oreochromis niloticus Linn.) in Lake Awasa,Ethiopia

The natural food ofOreochromis niloticus in Lake Awasa was studied from the stomach contents of 10 fish measuring 18–32 cm (standard length) monthly from August 1984 to April 1986.Chroococcus, Oscillatoria andBotryococcus were found to be important food items in the diet. Animal foods were observed on rare occasions and these were mainly Rotifera. Blue-green algae as a group contribute about 28.1% of the ash free dry weight (AFDW) whereas diatoms and green algae (excludingBotryococcus) make 2.31% and 2.39% of AFDW, respectively.Botryococcus, detritus and other algae comprised 67.2% of AFDW and it was suspected that more than half of this was contributed byBotryococcus. Blue-green algae, which were especially abundant in the diet during the dry season, November–February, are nutritionally most important. Seasonal variation in algal species composition could influence the quality of food ingested by the fish.     

Setal variability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hydrozetes lemnae</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">H. thienemanni</Emphasis> (Acari: Oribatida: Hydrozetidae)

Setal variability and the other morphological characters of juvenile stages and adult of Hydrozetes lemnae (Coggi, 1897) and H. thienemanni Strenzke, 1943 were investigated. In the juveniles of both species the length and shape of some setae vary, especially in the gastronotic region, more so in H. lemnae, which is parthenogenetic and reproduces by thelytoky, than in H. thienemanni, which is dioecious. The former species usually has more thick setae in the anterior and medial regions of the gastronotum, especially in the larva, compared to the latter. In the juveniles of H. lemnae the prodorsal setae le and in are longer, and in the nymphs the gastronotal setae of the l-series are usually longer than in H. thienemanni. These species differ distinctly by the number of long setae in the posterior part of the nymphs; in H. lemnae three pairs of long setae occur, while in H. thienemanni only two pairs; the respective juvenile stages of H. lemnae are also smaller than those of H. thienemanni. In the adults the number of c-series setae varies, as seta c ₁ is lost, and in some individuals also seta c ₃, and only seta c ₂ remains.     

IDENTIFICATION OF GREEN ALGAL ENDOPHYTES AS THE ALTERNATE PHASE OF ACROSIPHONIA (CODIOLALES, CHLOROPHYTA) USING ITS1 AND ITS2 RIBOSOMAL DNA SEQUENCE DATA

The internal transcribed spacer regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA cistron of green algal endophytes, previously identified as Chlorochytrium inclusum Kjellman and Codiolum petrocelidis Kuckuck, were sequenced. Culture studies have implicated marine Chlorochytrium and Codiolum -like cells in the life histories of a number of macrophytic green algae. The identity of the endophytes was resolved by comparing DNA sequences from unicells endophytic in the foliose red alga Mazzaella splendens (Setchell et Gardner) Hommersand and in the crustose phase of Mastocarpus papillatus (J. Agardh) Kylin, with sequences from species of Acrosiphonia, Urospora, Ulothrix, and Monostroma. All endophyte isolates were more closely related to species of Acrosiphonia than to those of Urospora, Ulothrix, or Monostroma. The results support previous culture studies, and conclusively identify the endophytes obtained in the field as alternate life history phases of one or more Acrosiphonia species in southern British Columbia, Canada.     

DNA barcoding as a tool for early warning and monitoring alien duckweeds (Lemna sp.pl.): the case of Central Italy

Aquatic habitats are vulnerable to the invasion of alien species, so early warning protocols are necessary for eradication. The presence in Italy of two alien duckweeds in freshwaters has been documented: Lemna minuta, that showed high invasivity, and L. valdiviana, still confined to south Lazio. These two species may be mistaken for each other and for the domestic L. minor and L. gibba due to morphological variation. Here, we assess the applicability of DNA barcoding as a complement to morphological analysis for monitoring the spread of alien Lemna. We chose two chloroplast genome sequences for their ability to discriminate all Lemna species: the 5’ intron of the trnK gene and the matK gene. Among 48 samples of Lemna collected at 20 sites in Central Italy, 20 were identified as L. minor, 19 as L. minuta, five as L. trisulca and four as L. gibba. L. minuta was present at most sampling sites; in particular, at six locations of Lake Trasimeno, eight L. minuta samples were found. We demonstrate that DNA sequence analyses with cost-effective barcoding techniques can effectively support expert efforts in species determination for an early alert system of invasive Lemna species.     

Influence of phytoplankton fractions on growth and reproduction of tropical cladocerans

The influence of two seston fractions, < 20 µm (nanoplankton) and 20 µm (microplankton), on growth and reproduction of cladoceran species with different sizes, from Lake Monte Alegre, was evaluated through individual growth and life table experiments. Size, shape and other features of the algae in the fractions were described. The procedure of filtering lake water through a 20 µm net for seston fractionation caused mutual contamination. The smallest cladoceran species, Ceriodaphnia cornuta Sars and Moina micrura Kurz, produced larger clutch sizes and exhibited higher intrinsic rates of population growth (r) in the nanoplankton, despite contamination of their food by inedible algae. The largest species, Simocephalus mixtus Sars, produced larger clutch sizes in the microplankton. There were no differences in juvenile biomass growth between treatments for M. micrura and Daphnia gessneri Herbst, but lower value of the exponential growth rate (g) in the microplankton was significant for M. micrura. Fecundity (eggs/total female) of M. micrura was significantly lower in the microplankton, while D. gessneri did not reproduce in this fraction, at the end of growth experiments. Spines, colonies, cenobium, filaments, hard cell wall, and gelatinous sheaths, represented constraints to cladoceran reproductive performance, besides algae size. Microplankton contamination by nanoplanktonic algae, in the experiments, probably minimized the negative effect of inedible algae. Nanoplankton was more suitable for the smallest species and microplankton for the largest one.     

THE IN VITRO SECRETION OF GROWTH REGULATORS BY ISOLATED CALLUS TISSUES

Tissues from a wide variety of plants were surface sterilized, isolated, and grown on different media. These isolated tissues were bioassayed for growth regulatory activity. The secretions from four of the 20 callus tissues inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis. An aseptic method for measuring the growth of Lemna was developed and used to detect inhibitory materials in medium which had supported the growth of five isolated callus tissues. In the seed (Lycopersicon esculentum) germination test five callus tissues had an inhibitory influence while two callus tissues showed a stimulatory effect. The study also included expressed juices and extracts of callus tissues which secreted regulatory materials. The expressed juice of five callus tissues contained materials which inhibited the growth of Lemna. Two expressed juices inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis. The water extract of two callus tissues inhibited the growth of Lemna. Fifty percent of the plants which have been reported to produce growth regulatory materials in nature also produced callus tissue which was capable of regulating growth of assay organisms.     

Receptor modifiers indicate that 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a potential modulator of ion transport in plants

GABA (4-aminobutyric acid) is a ubiquitousnon-protein amino acid that accumulates rapidly inplants in response to stress. GABA was firstidentified in plants (potato tubers) and animals(brain tissue) 50 years ago. Although GABA is nowrecognized as the most important inhibitoryneurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervoussystem (CNS), the role of GABA in plants remainsunclear. Studies were performed using Lemna toinvestigate the possibility that GABA elicits aresponse in plants that may be related to that of asignaling molecule as described for GABA effects onthe CNS. Lemna growth was increased 2 to 3-foldby 5 mM GABA, but growth was strongly inhibited by 0.5mM of the isomers 3-aminobutyric acid and2-aminobutyric acid. Growth promotion by GABA wasrapidly terminated by addition of 2-aminobutyric acidto the culture medium, but inhibitory effects of2-aminobutyric acid were not reversed by GABAregardless of amounts added. Promotion of Lemnagrowth by GABA was associated with an increase inmineral content of treated plants in a dose dependentmanner. Results support the hypothesis that GABAactivity in plants involves an effect on ion transportand an interaction with a receptor. Evidence for GABAreceptors in Lemna was obtained from experimentswith pharmacological agents that have been used toidentify GABA receptors in animals. GABA mediatedpromotion of Lemna growth was inhibited bybicuculline and picrotoxin, which are respectivelycompetitive and non-competitive antagonists of GABAreceptors in the CNS. Growth inhibition bybicuculline was not relieved by increasing the amountsof GABA in the medium, indicating that the alkaloid isnot acting, as in the CNS, by competitive antagonismof GABA at GABA receptor sites. Baclofen, a GABAagonist that promotes GABA activity in animalssignificantly increased GABA mediated promotion ofLemna growth. These findings and the knownaction of GABA in regulating ion channels in animalssuggests a way that GABA could amplify the stressresponse in plants.     

Effects of algivorous minnows (Campostoma) on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of stream periphyton

The effect of grazing minnows (Campostoma) on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the vertical height of attached filamentous algae (Spirogyra and Rhizoclonium) was measured in natural and artificial streams. Measurements were made at 1-m intervals across natural-stream pools during April–May, and at 0.3-m intervals longitudinally in smaller artificial streams during February–May. Spatial heterogeneity was calculated weekly, as the mean standardized difference in algal height (spatial MDH) between adjacent fixed points. Temporal MDH was calculated as the mean standardized difference in algal height at fixed points between adjacent weeks. Reduction in spatial and temporal MDH, detected only in artificial streams, suggested that grazing by Campostoma promoted and maintained more uniform algal height in contrast to ungrazed algae. Heterogeneity of algal export was greater for ungrazed algae, and decreased over time after sloughing, but that for grazed algae was lower and increased after sloughing. The contrasting experimental systems suggested that Campostoma can reduce spatial and temporal heterogeneity of algae, but that additional variation in depth, substratum characteristics, or presence of other biota may modify effects in natural streams. Received: 30 May 1995 / Accepted: 30 June 1997     

PHOTOPERIODISM IN SEEDLING STRAINS OF LEMNA PERPUSILLA: JUVENILITY WITHOUT OBVIOUS MORPHOLOGICAL CORRELATES?

Strains derived from seeds of L. perpusilla 6746 were tested for flowering on several media under 8-hr days at various times after germination, always in comparison with the parent strain. They flowered slowly in experiments started 2 wk after germination and more rapidly 7 wk after and later, with many eventually approaching parental values. Juvenility as measured in this way was not associated with any obvious morphological difference between younger and older strains, or from the parent. A system based jointly on this effect and what is already known of vegetative senescence in Lemna should prove valuable for a general study of aging in plants.     

Characterization of microalgae and associated bacteria collected from shellfish harvesting areas

Marine algal toxins are an important cause of seafood-associated outbreaks. Some marine bacteria living in association with algae are able to produce channel-blocking substances similar to PSP and TTX toxins and a role of these bacteria in the toxicity of dinoflagellates has been hypothesized. The aim of this study was to monitor, over a period of 2 years, areas used in shellfish production in the northern Adriatic Sea, through the determination of phytoplankton and the characterization of bacteria isolated from algae. Toxicity tests on bacterial extracts were performed using in vivo (mouse) and in vitro (cell culture) tests and by HPLC. The Dinophysis genus was detected throughout the year, while the Alexandrium genus was present in winter and spring. Sixteen bacteria isolated from algae, out of 61 bacterial strains tested by in vitro assay, were found to be producers of toxic substances that could block sodium channels in cells. HPLC analysis for the detection of PSP and TTX toxins always gave negative results, but their presence in concentrations undetectable by HPLC, and/or the production of chemically different substances with similar biological action, could not be excluded.     

A long-term comparison of the benthic algal flora of Clare Island, County Mayo, western Ireland

The marine benthic algal flora of Clare Island, off County Mayo, western shore of Ireland, was investigated; collections of intertidal and subtidal marine algae were made at 16 sites along the eastern and southern shores in the years 1990, 1993 and 2000–2002. The data and observations obtained were compared with the results of a similar survey conducted by Arthur Disbrowe Cotton in 1910–1911. Considering the results of the original survey and the new survey together, the marine algal flora of the island currently totals 293 species; 224 species were recorded by Cotton in the original survey, whereas 223 species were identified in the present study. Most species are common to the original and the new list and the main differences are easily explainable; the new survey used SCUBA diving, which allowed the collection of several subtidal species not collected in 1910, and Cotton reported several microscopic green and brown algae, usually difficult to recognise in the field, which were not rediscovered. The most remarkable differences consist in the current presence of some large intertidal brown algae (Bifurcaria bifurcata, Cystoseira foeniculacea and Cystoseira nodicaulis) that were not reported in the survey of 1910. Two algae, Codium fragile subsp. tomentosoides and Asparagopsis armata, were introduced in Europe after the original survey. At present, the benthic algal assemblages of Clare Island still have basically the same structure and distribution as in 1910 and, if compared with other coastal areas of Europe, the intertidal marine environment of Clare Island appears remarkably well conserved.     

Zur Biologie vonSpongomorpha aeruginosa (Linnaeus) van den Hoek

Zusammenfassung 1. Durch wiederholte Versuchsserien während des Winters 1963/64 wurde bestätigt, daßChlorochytrium inclusum undCodiolum petrocelidis Sporophyten vonSpongomorpha aeruginosa sind.2. Unter den ökologischen Gegebenheiten von Helgoland ist der jahreszeitliche Rhythmus der heteromorphen Generationen durch die Reife des Gametophyten im Mai bis Juni, des Sporophyten im Dezember bis Januar bestimmt.3. Nur ein kleiner Teil der Sporophyten wird im Alter von etwa 8 Monaten fertil, die meisten benötigen etwa 18 Monate. Zu jeder Jahreszeit sind Endophyten in vegetativem Zustand vorhanden.

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On the biology ofSpongomorpha aeruginosa (Linnaeus) van den Hoek

The results of my formerly published investigation on the life-cycle ofSpongomorpha aeruginosa (= Sp. lanosa) are confirmed:Codiolum petrocelidis from Helgoland as type-locality is the sporophytic stage of the above mentioned alga. The development of the gametophyte both from zoospores ofCodiolum petrocelidis and ofChlorochytrium inclusum is quite identical. This was proved by numerous series of cultures during the period of fertility of these two endophytes in the winter 1963/64. There is no relation betweenCodiolum petrocelidis andAcrosiphonia arcta, as stated byJónsson on the basis of his experiments performed at Roscoff. Unfortunately, he did not observe the complete life-history of these algae in culture. It is possible, however, thatCodiolum petrocelidis from Roscoff represents the sporophytic stage of anotherSpongomorpha-species.

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Herrn Professor Dr.Adolf Bückmann zum 65. Geburtstag in Verehrung gewidmet.     

五种典型藻类对C，N，P吸收动力学分析及种间竞争模拟

目的:获得五种典型藻类(甲藻属微小亚历山大藻(Alexandrium minutum)和锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea),赤潮硅藻中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)以及绿藻属杜氏藻(Dunaliella salina)和青岛大扁藻(Platymonas helgolandica tsingtaoensis))对C,N,P营养的吸收动力学参数,并利用经典藻类种间竞争模型,构建一个藻类混合共存的生态平衡体系,揭示藻类种间竞争规律,为赤潮爆发机制和预测的研究提供一个新思路。方法:监测批次培养过程中藻体的生长规律以及培养基中C,N,P营养的消耗,计算出藻类营养吸收动力学参数,将参数代入Huisman-Weissing竞争模型,模拟藻类种间竞争。结果:(1)在单独培养条件下,杜氏藻具有最高的比生长率(0.834 d~(-1))和最大细胞浓度(3.4×10~6 cells/mL),锥状斯氏藻和微小亚历山大藻的比生长率μ和最大细胞浓度与其它三种藻相比均明显偏低,p0.01;(2)随着环境总碳浓度从5 mM提高到20 mM,五种藻的比生长率和最大细胞浓度均显著上升,其中杜氏藻和青岛大扁藻对C浓度改变的响应更加敏感;(3)杜氏藻和中肋骨条藻理论最大比生长率(μmax)明显高于其它三种藻类,锥状斯氏藻和微小亚历山大藻对C,N,P营养盐的需求量相比于其它三种藻明显偏高,p0.01;(4)藻类共生平衡系统中,N营养添加有利于杜氏藻和中肋骨条藻发挥更好的种间竞争优势,P营养添加有利于微小亚历山大藻和锥状斯氏藻发挥种间竞争优势;结论:不同环境条件下,五种藻类最大比生长速率μmax和营养吸收半饱和常数Ks直接影响它们的种间竞争能力,基于藻类动力学参数的种间竞争模型为赤潮爆发机制和预测的研究提供一个新思路。     

Quantification of algal biofilms colonising building materials: chlorophyll a measured by PAM-fluorometry as a biomass parameter

Abstract

The aim of this study was to quantify algal colonisation on anthropogenic surfaces (viz. building facades and roof tiles) using chlorophyll a (chl a) as a specific biomarker. Chl a was estimated as the initial fluorescence F₀ of ‘dark adapted’ algae using a pulse-modulated fluorometer (PAM-2000). Four isolates of aeroterrestrial green algae and one aquatic isolate were included in this study. The chl a concentration and F₀ showed an exponential relationship in the tested range between 0 and 400 mg chl a m^?2. The relationship was linear at chl a concentrations <20 mg m^?2. Exponential and linear models are presented for the single isolates with large coefficients of determination (exponential: r² > 0.94, linear: r² > 0.92). The specific power of this fluorometric method is the detection of initial algal colonisation on surfaces in thin or young biofilms down to 3.5 mg chl a m^?2, which corresponds to an abundances of the investigated isolates between 0.2 and 1.5 million cells cm^?2.     

Enhanced growth and total fatty acid production of microalgae under various lighting conditions induced by flashing light

Microalgae are gaining importance as a source of high‐value bioproducts. However, data regarding optimization of algal productivity via variation of environmental factors are lacking. Here, we evaluated a novel lighting method for the enhancement of biomass and total fatty acid (TFA) productivities during algal cultivation. We cultivated six different algal strains (Chlorella vulgaris KCTC AG10002, Acutodesmus obliquus KGE18, Uronema sp. KGE03, Micractinium reisseri KGE19, Fragilaria sp., and Spirogyra sp.) under various lighting conditions—continuous light (CL), light‐dark cycle (LD), and continuous dark (CD)—with or without additional flashing light. We monitored dry cell weight (DCW) and TFA concentrations during cultivation. For each algal strain, the growth rate showed markedly different responses to the various lighting modes. The growth rates of C. vulgaris KCTC AG10002 (1.34‐fold DCW increase, LD with flash), A. obliquus KGE18 (5.16‐fold DCW increase, LD with flash), Uronema sp. KGE03 (2.77‐fold DCW increase, CL with flash), and M. reisseri KGE19 (1.52‐fold DCW increase, CL with flash) markedly increased in response to flashing light. Additionally, in some algal strains cultivated under the LD mode, the flashing light treatment induced increased TFA concentrations (C. vulgaris, 1.19‐fold increase; A. obliquus, 2.59‐fold increase; and M. reisseri, 3.31‐fold increase). Phytohormone analysis of M. reisseri revealed increases in growth rate and TFA concentrations, associated with phytohormone induction via flashing light (e.g. 2.93‐fold increase in gibberellic acid); hence, flashing light can promote substantial alterations in algal metabolism.     

Diet composition influences the fitness of the herbivorous crab Grapsus albolineatus

The tropical rocky shore crab Grapsus albolineatus feeds primarily on filamentous algae but eats animal matter whenever it is available. During the summer the crab's diet switches to encrusting algae due to a die-off of filamentous algae. As a result of the switch the nutrients in the diet of the crab vary seasonally and may influence the fitness of the crab. Maintenance, growth, reproductive performance and nutrient storage of crabs were examined under four dietary regimes of increasing nutritional value ranging from low organic to high protein content. The nutritional quality of these diets significantly affected crab survival and moulting. Crabs fed on the nutritionally superior diet of algae and meat exhibited enhanced growth, higher levels of energy in the reproductive organs and stored more energy in the hepatopancreas than did individuals on the shore and crabs fed only on algal diets in the laboratory. Filamentous algae were a better food source than other algae, resulting in fewer deaths and superior levels of maintenance and growth. Growth and maintenance can occur on a pure algal diet, but reproductive performance and nutrient storage require some degree of added nutrients in the form of animal matter in the diet. Crabs fed coralline or foliose algae had higher mortality and fewer successful moults than crabs fed the other two diets. The fitness of G. albolineatus appears to be limited by the amount of extra nutrients obtained from animal matter. The opportunistic consumption of animal material in the form of carrion, or of animals associated with dietary algae, could be a key factor in the reproductive success of this crab.