Lipid classes and fatty acid composition of rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) fed two algal diets

Rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis), maintained on baker's yeast, were fed for 24h upon two algal diets, Isochrysis galbana (diet A) and Isochrysis galbana + Nannochloropsis gaditana (diet B). (These algal diets were selected for their potential use as essential fatty acid (EFA) boosters, taking into account the requirements of fish larvae). The effect of these algal diets on total lipid content, lipid classes and fatty acid composition was studied. The total lipid content increased after feeding upon both diets but no significant differences were found between the two types. Neutral lipid and polar lipid contents increased and a positive correlation was observed between the neutral lipids content of rotifers and that of the food supplied. However, the content of polar lipids in rotifers did not depend upon that of the diet. The increase in neutral lipid content was found to be higher in rotifers fed upon diet B, compared to diet A which increased the phospholipid content. Non-enriched rotifers contained only small amounts of polyenoic fatty acids, i.e. 18:3n-6, 18:3n-3, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3, the contents of which increased significantly by feeding both diets. The EFA composition (20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3) of neutral lipids and phopholipids in rotifers reflected the EFA composition of each diet. Diet B-fed rotifers had the highest content in 20:4n-6 and 20:5n-3, whereas rotifers fed diet A and the highest 22:6n-3 content. The mixed diet I. galbana + N. gaditana enhanced substantially the composition of lipid classes i.e. neutral lipids and of n-3 PUFA of rotifers in comparison with Isochrysis or yeast diets.     

Effects of reduced salinity on the biochemical composition (lipid, protein) of zoea 1 decapod crustacean larvae

Effects of reduced salinities on dry weight (DW) and biochemical composition (total lipid and protein contents) of zoea 1 larvae were evaluated in four decapod crustacean species differing in salinity tolerance (Cancer pagurus, Homarus gammarus, Carcinus maenas, Chasmagnathus granulata). The larvae were exposed to two different reduced salinities (15‰ and 25‰ in C. granulata, 20‰ and 25‰ in the other species) for a long (ca. 50% of the zoea 1 moulting cycle) or a short period (16 h, starting at ca. 40% of the moulting cycle), while a control group was continually maintained in seawater (32‰).In general, the increments in dry weight, lipid and protein content were lower at the reduced salinities than in the control groups. In the zoea 1 of H. gammarus (stenohaline) and C. pagurus (most probably also stenohaline), the lipid and protein contents varied greatly among treatments: larvae exposed to low salinities exhibited very low lipid and protein contents at the end of the experiments compared to the controls. In some cases, there were negative growth increments, i.e. the larvae had, after the experimental exposure, lower lipid and protein contents than at the beginning of the experiment. C. maenas (moderately euryhaline) showed a lower variation in protein and lipid content than the above species. The zoea 1 of C. granulata (fairly euryhaline) showed the lowest variability in dry weight, protein and lipid content. Since salinity tolerance (eury- v. stenohalinity) is associated with the osmoregulatory capacity, our results suggest a relationship between the capability for osmoregulation and the degree of change in the biochemical composition of larvae exposed to variable salinities.Besides larval growth of these species should be affected by natural reductions of salinity occurring in coastal areas at different time scales. These effects may be potentially important for population dynamics since they should influence the number and quality of larvae reaching metamorphosis.     

A light trap to collect krill and other micronektonic and planktonic animals under the Antarctic coastal fast ice

Summary Under the Antarctic coastal fast ice a light trap proved to be promising device for collecting not only planktonic animals, but also micronektonic animals like krill which have been rarely collected with tow nets. Sampling was conducted at night from May through November, 1984 in Kitano-ura Cove off the East Ongul Island in Lützow-Holm Bay. Design of the gear and the sampling procedure are described. A total of 37 samplings were made that resulted in the collection of seven species of copepods, eight species of amphipods, three forms of notothenid fish larvae, two species each of euphausiids and polychaetes, and one species each of mysid, cumacean, isopod and tanaid crustaceans. All were collected in satisfactory condition for laboratory experiments. During the winter Euphasia superba was found to be benthopelagic and it probably feeds on detritus on the sea floor at about 40 m depth under the ice.JARE-25 Biology Contribution No.1     

Effects of temperature experienced during embryonic development on biomass and C and N composition at hatching in Palaemon serratus (Pennant, 1777)

In decapod crustaceans, the conditions experienced during embryonic development trigger phenotypic plasticity of the larvae at hatching. The objective of this study was to test the effects of temperature during embryonic development of Palaemon serratus on the phenotypic plasticity of hatching larvae. We incubated egg-bearing females from eggs laying to hatching at four temperatures (10, 15, 18 and 20°C). Weight, carbon and nitrogen contents were measured on newly laid eggs and on freshly hatched larvae. The duration of embryonic development was negatively correlated with incubation temperature. At 20°C, all females abandoned their eggs during development. Incubation temperature had no effect on the weight and the percentage of N of the larvae at hatching, while it did affect their percentage of C and their C/N ratio. Embryos incubated at 10°C seemed to produce larvae with fewer lipid reserves than those incubated at 15 and 18°C. They probably overconsumed their lipid reserves to compensate for the metabolic losses due to the low temperature. These results provide information on the link between maternal investment per egg and larval development in P. serratus.     

Observations on the incidence and seasonal fluctuations of certain crustacean larvae in the plankton of the South-West Coast of India

The seasonal fluctuations in the incidence of planktonic organisms and the larval forms of certain crustaceans such as crabs, barnacles and post larvae of prawns in the plankton of the south-west coast of India have been followed for a period of three years from 1963. South-west monsoon period is the least productive period for zooplankton in this area. Brachyuran zoeae, post larvae of prawns and barnacle nauplii occur in the plankton throughout the year with distinct peaks for different groups. The zoeae ofUca annulipes occur in the plankton from September to May with a peak during November–December. The zoeae ofPortunus pelagicus are present in the plankton from September to June and their abundance is in February–March. The post larvae ofMetapenaeus affinis are found in the inshore plankton from November to June with the peak in March. The nauplii ofBalanus amphitrite communis occur in the plankton in all the months of the year, the peak incidence has been during November January. The zoeae ofU. annulipes are found to tolerate better the medium saline conditions. Of the ecological factors, salinity of the ambient water and the availability of planktonic food for the larvae seem to influence the seasonal fluctuations of these crustacean larvae in this locality.     

麦红吸浆虫滞育发生和解除过程中总脂和甘油三酯含量变化

【目的】脂类与昆虫滞育密切相关。本研究旨在明确麦红吸浆虫Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin)滞育过程中脂类物质含量的变化规律,探讨麦红吸浆虫滞育与脂类物质变化的关系。【方法】采用香兰素硫酸显色法测定了2008年5月－2010年1月不同时间陕西杨凌养虫圃内麦红吸浆虫滞育前、滞育期及滞育解除后幼虫和蛹体内总脂和甘油三酯含量。【结果】 滞育前幼虫总脂和甘油三酯含量分别为378.12和291.67 μg/mg,显著高于整个滞育期（P<0.05）。滞育年周期中,冬季总脂和甘油三酯含量最高,翌年1月结茧幼虫二者含量分别为335.29 和275.72 μg/mg,显著高于其他季节（P<0.05）;整个滞育期间,裸露幼虫和结茧幼虫总脂和甘油三酯随季节变化趋势相同,但同期结茧幼虫含量高于裸露幼虫;滞育当年与第2年同期幼虫总脂和甘油三酯含量差异不显著（P>0.05）。滞育解除后,总脂和甘油三酯含量随着幼虫的发育和变态逐渐降低,其中中蛹和后蛹显著低于活动幼虫（P<0.05）。【结论】麦红吸浆虫滞育不同时期幼虫及蛹总脂和甘油三酯含量存在明显差异,其滞育与脂类物质的含量密切相关。     

Lipid characterization of Pleuragramma antarcticum (Nothoteniidae) larvae off East Antarctica (139°E–145.10°E) during summer

Pleuragramma antarcticum (Antarctic silverfish) larvae are a key component of the neritic assemblages in the Antarctic coastal waters and can be considered as an indicator of the future changes that may occur in this area. Lipid class and fatty acid composition was studied to assess the nutritional status and evaluate the type of dominant trophic interactions of P. antarcticum larvae collected between Terre Adélie and the Mertz Glacier Tongue (139°E–145.10°E) during summer 2007. P. antarcticum larvae exhibit moderate lipid levels (11.9–15.0% dry weight). Lipid class analyses showed a similar pattern over the study area consisting mainly of polar lipids (61–75% of total lipids). During their first summer, larvae started to accumulate small amount of lipid reserves in the form of triacylglycerols (10–16% of total lipids). Polar lipids were dominated by phosphatidylcholine (55–59%) followed by phosphatidylethanolamine (19–21%). Fatty acid signature of triacylglycerols indicates (1) a dominance of copepod of the Oithona type in the trophic pattern of P. antarcticum larvae and (2) a significant contribution of phytoplankton. In the same way, the analysis of gut content shows that 70% of larvae fed on various assemblages of phytoplankton and zooplankton (mainly copepods) and 30% of larvae fed exclusively on phytoplankton. Although a carnivorous diet is commonly described, our results suggest that P. antarcticum larvae showed an opportunistic feeding strategy (i.e. high degree of omnivory) and that dietary energy seems to be mainly directed towards fast growth rather than energy storage for periods of starvation.     

Functional morphology of the mandibles of the larvae of Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer, 1776) (Diptera : Syrphidae)

Aphidophagous syrphid (Diptera : Syrphidae) larvae have no structures for seizing and killing such as prehensile legs and strongly sclerotized external mouthparts enabling them to capture and feed on their prey. Nevertheless they are considered to be efficient predators. In order to understand this paradox in Episyrphus balteatus, 2 complementary approaches were followed. These consisted of, first, a careful analysis of the morphology of mouthparts of the larvae, and second, an investigation of their feeding behaviour. The mouthparts were found to be composed of 2 groups of dental sclerites, corresponding to the 2 inner elements of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton. The exterior elements or triangular sclerites are absent in the first-instar larvae. These elements appeared close to the mouth in the second and the third-instar larvae, were oriented in the opposite direction to the other elements, and were positioned laterally. This structure probably serves to anchor the anterior part of the predator within the prey, thus preventing it from escaping. During the feeding activity, the seizing process occurred immediately after the recognition. The lifting-up behaviour of the first-instar larvae is probably due to the absence of the triangular sclerites. The suction was marked by an active movement of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton and a peristaltic movement of the abdomen. The feeding time was inversely proportional to the larval development.     

Larval feeding of Chionodraco hamatus (Pisces, Channichthyidae) in the Ross Sea and its relation to environmental conditions

Feeding habits of early life stages of the channichthyid Chionodraco hamatus were investigated on samples collected in the western Ross Sea in early summer of 1996 and 2004. The stomach content analysis was carried out on larval and postlarval specimens ranging from 14 to 39 mm SL. Unlike larvae and juveniles of other channichthyids, which elsewhere largely rely on early life stages of Antarctic krill or ice krill, no euphausiids were found in the stomach contents of C. hamatus, except for a single large individual of Thysanoessa macrura. In both years, dietary composition consisted almost exclusively of notothenioid fish larvae. Early larvae of Pleuragramma antarcticum overwhelmingly dominated the diet in terms of abundance, biomass and frequency of occurrence, accounting for 98.4% of the index of relative importance (IRI). Other fish larvae consumed occasionally in small amount were Trematomus lepidorhinus, T. scotti and C. hamatus itself. As a result, the feeding strategy of C. hamatus was considerably shifted toward specialization, relying on relatively few taxa of prey, each of them showing a high prey-specific abundance. Comparing both dietary composition and feeding strategy of C. hamatus in the two different sampling years, several differences were observed, probably due to different environmental conditions, mainly linked to a significant delay of ice retreat and formation of the Ross Sea polynya verified in the 2003–2004 summer season.     

The reproduction strategy of oyster ostrea edulis L. from the biochemical point of view

• 1.1. Influence of the biochemical composition of food (four species of micro-algae and one mixture) on the biochemical composition of gonads and larvae of O. edulis (total protein, lipid, carbohydrate, ash content, neutral and polar lipid class composition, amino acid composition and fatty acid composition of total, neutral and polar lipids) and the size of newly released larvae have been investigated.
• 2.2. Precentage of total lipids and triacylglycerols in gonads depends on that in algae (r = 0.52 and 0.69 accordingly).
• 3.3. Gonads rich in lipids had a higher level of triacylglycerols, phospholipids, polar lipids and a lower value of the ratio phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidylcholine (PE/PC) than gonads with a low lipid content.
• 4.4. Amino acid composition of gonads depends on that of food, in this case, essential acids are preferentially accumulated (Asp acid, Ser, Ala, Cys, Tyr and Pro) and two non-essential (Thr and Lys).
• 5.5. Fatty acid composition of total lipids of gonads was rather stable; except for the two essential acids 20:523 and 22:6w3, their percentage depends on that of food r = 0.65 and 0.65 accordingly). Fatty acid composition of neutral lipids was more diverse (in number and degree of variety) as compared to polar lipids.
• 6.6. Larvae released from oysters with gonads rich in lipids had a higher percentage of lipids, triacylglycerols, size and a lower ash percentage and value of ratio PE/PC, as compared to larvae from gonads with low lipid content. Total lipid and triacylglycerol contents in gonads correlate rather well with those in larvae (r = 0.77 and 0.47 accordingly).
• 7.7. Phospholipid class composition of larvae strongly depends on that of gonads. All the correlations are high and positive in character (except for phosphatidylinositol).
• 8.8. Amino acid composition of larvae depends on that of gonads and, as in the case with gonads, the same essential acids are accumulated in the first place.
• 9.9. Fatty acid composition of total lipids of newly released larvae was rather stable and independent on that of gonads except for total polyunsaturated acids (r = 0.70) and 20:5w3 (r = 0.65). Fatty acid composition of neutral lipids was lesser diverse (in number and degree of variation) as compared to polar lipids.

     

Prevalence of Colacium vesiculosum (Colaciales: Euglenophyceae) on planktonic crustaceans in a subtropical shallow lake of Argentina

Colacium vesiculosum (Euglenophyceae) is an epibiont common on planktonic microcrustaceans of continental waters. The interaction between epibionts and substrate organisms is not very well known, particularly in subtropical environments of South America. In the present work, we analyzed the prevalence, density, biomass and attachment sites of C. vesiculosum on planktonic microcrustaceans from Paiva Lake, a subtropical lake of Argentina. With the aim to evaluate whether epibionts affect the filtering rates of Notodiaptomus spiniger, the dominant planktonic crustacean, we carried out bioassays using phytoplankton < 53 microm. Crustaceans were sampled using a PVC tube (1.2m long and 10cm in diameter), filtering 50L of water through a 53 microm-mesh. Microcrustaceans were counted in Bogorov chambers under a stereoscopic microscope. The infested organisms were separated and observed with a photonic microscope to determine density and biovolume of epibionts, by analyzing their distribution on the exoskeleton. The prevalence of C. vesiculosum was higher in adult crustaceans than in their larvae and juveniles. The most infested group was that of calanoid copepods, related to their high density. The attachment sites on the exoskeleton were found to be the portions of the body which have a higher probability of encounter with epibionts during locomotion and feeding, i.e., antennae and thoracic legs in copepods, and thoracic legs and postabdomen in cladocerans. The similar values found in the filtering rate of infested and uninfested individuals of N. spiniger and the constant prevalence (< 40%) of epibiont algae, suggest that C. vesiculosum does not condition the life of planktonic crustaceans of Paiva Lake.     

Larval photoresponses of the polyclad flatworm Maritigrella crozieri (Platyhelminthes,Polycladida) (Hyman)

Phototaxis by larvae of the flatworm Maritigrella crozieri was used to determine spectral sensitivity, the ontogeny of the phototactic pattern, and the lowest light intensity to induce a directional response (intensity threshold). Adult M. crozieri live in shallow water with the tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata and have a planktonic larval phase lasting longer than 3 weeks. The primary spectral sensitivity maximum was at 500 nm, which is probably an adaptation to the spectrum available underwater at twilight. The phototactic threshold changed with age, as dark-adapted, 1-week-old larvae had a threshold (1.84×10¹⁷ photons m⁻² s⁻¹) an order of magnitude higher than that of 3-week-old larvae. Flatworm larvae are relatively insensitive to light as compared to other invertebrate larvae. Young larvae were positively phototactic at high light intensities and negative at low, a pattern typical of a predator avoidance shadow response. In contrast, older larvae were only positively phototactic, which would be useful for transport to shallow-water adult habitats.     

草地贪夜蛾在不同小麦品种上的取食选择性和适应性及其与叶片生化物质含量的关系

[目的]测定草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda在不同小麦品种上的取食选择性及适应性,探索害虫为害与小麦品种间的关系,明确黄淮海麦区主栽小麦品种对草地贪夜蛾的抗性水平,为麦田抗虫品种布局和害虫综合防治提供理论依据.[方法]比较了草地贪夜蛾1和3龄幼虫对15个小麦品种的取食选择性,初步筛选出1和3龄幼虫取...     

Influence of food quality on lipids and essential fatty acids in the body of the Black Sea sprat <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sprattus sprattus phalericus</Emphasis> (Clupeidae)

The food supply of the Black Sea sprat Sprattus sprattus phalericus off the Crimea coast in the feeding periods of 2006–2013 was studied. The level of accumulation of storage lipids in the fish body and the content of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic) served as criteria of food supply. It is shown that the average annual content of sprat total lipids varies over a wide range (4.5–9.5% of wet body weight) due to changes in the storage lipid content (58–71% of total lipids). The content of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (101–451 and 123–622 mg/100 g wet weight, respectively) is positively correlated with the level of storage lipid accumulation in the body. The interannual variability in the content of lipids and fatty acids is determined not only by the quantity but also the qualitative composition of consumed food (namely, the proportion of planktonic organisms of the cold-water and warm-water complexes). The possible influence of the interannual variability in the composition of forage mesoplankton on the condition of the Black Sea sprat off the Crimea coast is discussed.     

Lipid dynamics in the embryos of Patiriella species (Asteroidea) with divergent modes of development

Evolution of lecithotrophic development in sea stars involved a modification in maternal provisioning from the production of yolk-dominated to lipid-dominated eggs. The dynamics of lipid reserves in the embryos of four Patiriella species differing in their lipid provisions were examined. Patiriella regularis had small yolk protein-dominated eggs (150 microm in diameter) and an ancestral mode of development through planktotrophic larvae. Patiriella calcar, Patiriella exigua and Patiriella pseudoexigua had large eggs (390-440 microm in diameter) and lecithotrophic planktonic, benthic and intragonadal larvae, respectively. Patiriella exigua deposited negatively buoyant eggs containing substantial yolk protein and lipid reserves onto the substratum. In contrast, the planktonic eggs of P. calcar and the intragonadal eggs of P. pseudoexigua were dominated by lipid and were neutrally and positively buoyant, respectively. By the blastula stage there was little trace of lipid in P. regularis embryos. Blastulae of the lecithotrophic developers, by contrast, had conspicuous lipid droplets distributed through their cells. In parallel with the change from cuboidal to columnar epithelium during the blastula to gastrula transition, lipid reserves became redistributed into the basal cytoplasm. The extent of lipid transport reflected the amount of lipid reserves. In P. pseudoexigua embryos with the greatest lipid load, basal shunting was followed by secretion of lipid into the blastocoele where it was stored for the perimetamorphic period. Evolution of lecithotrophy in Patiriella appears to reflect selection to provide metamorphic stages with nutrients normally accrued by feeding larvae with the consequence that early development is burdened by voluminous, potentially inert nutritive stores. Lipid redistribution coincident with a major developmental stage transition may be required to facilitate unimpeded morphogenesis. This phenomenon may be characteristic of lecithotrophic development in echinoderms and appears pre-adaptive for extrusion of lipid in species like P. pseudoexigua with particularly extensive lipid reserves.     

Larval biomass and chemical composition at hatching in two geographically isolated clades of the shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum: intra- or interspecific variation?

The shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller 1862) has an extremely large geographic range (>4000?km across) in northern and central South America, comprising estuarine and fully limnic inland populations, which are hydrologically isolated from each other. Significant variations in ecology, physiology, reproduction, and larval development suggest an at least incipient allopatric speciation due to limited genetic exchange. In a comparative experimental investigation with shrimps from the Pantanal (upper Paraguay River basin) and the Amazon delta, respectively, we measured larval body size, dry weight (W), biochemical (total protein; lipid; fatty acids, FA), and elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen; collectively CHN) at hatching. All these early larval traits are relevant for the degree of developmental dependence on planktonic food sources. Various consistent differences were observed between the two populations: Newly hatched larvae produced by shrimps from the Amazon delta were significantly smaller and showed lower values of W, CHN, protein, and unsaturated FA compared to those from the Pantanal. On the other hand, they contained significantly higher quantities of total lipid and saturated FA and, in consequence, higher ratios of lipid:protein, C:N, and saturated:unsaturated FA. All these differences in biomass and chemical composition suggest that the larvae of the Amazon population are energetically better adapted to planktonic food limitation, which likely occurs during riverine downstream transport toward coastal marine waters, also explaining previous observations of much stronger initial starvation tolerance in larvae from the Amazon versus those from the Pantanal. The latter develop in highly productive lentic inland waters, where large body size, an early onset of feeding, and a strong musculature (indicated by a high protein content) should facilitate their role as planktonic predators and allow for fast growth. An initial independence from food (lecithotrophy in the zoea I stage) as well as a preference for oligohaline rather than fully limnic conditions observed in the Pantanal larvae are interpreted as traits that have persisted from an ancestral coastal marine clade. Altogether, consistent ontogenetic differences between shrimps from the Pantanal and the Amazon estuary support the hypothesis that the taxon M. amazonicum comprises a complex of closely related but separate species.     

Jellyfish as Prey: Frequency of Predation and Selective Foraging of Boops boops (Vertebrata,Actinopterygii) on the Mauve Stinger Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria,Scyphozoa)

In recent years, jellyfish blooms have attracted considerable scientific interest for their potential impacts on human activities and ecosystem functioning, with much attention paid to jellyfish as predators and to gelatinous biomass as a carbon sink. Other than qualitative data and observations, few studies have quantified direct predation of fish on jellyfish to clarify whether they may represent a seasonally abundant food source. Here we estimate predation frequency by the commercially valuable Mediterranean bogue, Boops boops on the mauve stinger jellyfish, Pelagia noctiluca, in the Strait of Messina (NE Sicily). A total of 1054 jellyfish were sampled throughout one year to quantify predation by B. boops from bite marks on partially eaten jellyfish and energy density of the jellyfish. Predation by B. boops in summer was almost twice that in winter, and they selectively fed according to medusa gender and body part. Calorimetric analysis and biochemical composition showed that female jellyfish gonads had significantly higher energy content than male gonads due to more lipids and that gonads had six-fold higher energy content than the somatic tissues due to higher lipid and protein concentrations. Energetically, jellyfish gonads represent a highly rewarding food source, largely available to B. boops throughout spring and summer. During the remainder of the year, when gonads were not very evident, fish predation switched towards less-selective foraging on the somatic gelatinous biomass. P. noctiluca, the most abundant jellyfish species in the Mediterranean Sea and a key planktonic predator, may represent not only a nuisance for human leisure activities and a source of mortality for fish eggs and larvae, but also an important resource for fish species of commercial value, such as B. boops.     

Biochemical composition during growth and starvation of early larval stages of cultured spiny lobster (Jasus edwardsii) phyllosoma

We examined biochemical changes accompanying feeding and starvation from hatch to Stage VI (day 74 after hatch) in spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii, phyllosoma larvae. Larval dry weights (dw) increased 17-fold from hatch (80+/-1 microg) to Stage VI (1415+/-44 microg). Larvae starved for 6-11 days at Stages II, IV and VI were 14-40% lighter than their fed counterparts fed enriched Artemia. The increases and losses in total dry weight during feeding and starvation were associated with changes in the content of protein (constituting 31.4-41.7% of dw) and carbohydrate (constituting 2.6-5.3% of dw), while larger changes in lipid content indicated its greater importance as an energy substrate. Lipid content increased from 7.9% of dw at hatch to its highest of 12.5% at Stage IV, but declined by 50% or more during starvation. This suggests that protein, carbohydrate and lipid are all important energy stores, although lipids are catabolized at a greater rate during food deprivation. The principal lipid class was polar lipid (PL; 79-92% of total lipid), followed by sterol (ST; 6-20%), with triacylglycerol and other lipid classes at <2%. PL were catabolized and ST were conserved during starvation. Changes in the fatty acid (FA) profile had mostly occurred before the first moult at day 8 after hatch, with gradual changes thereafter to Stage VI, reflecting their abundance in the Artemia diet. There was some conservation of the major essential FAs, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and the FA profile showed large gains in the C(18) polyunsaturated FA, 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6. Ascorbic acid content increased 10-fold from hatch to the end of Stage I (36 and 333 microgg(-1) dw, respectively), while the content at the end of Stage II was higher in fed than that in starved larvae (439 and 174 microgg(-1) dw, respectively). Our study will assist in the development of alternatives to nutritionally incomplete diets, such as live ongrown Artemia, to meet the requirements of phyllosoma in culture.     

Diet and feeding habits of monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis) in a newly invaded area

The monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis) is one of the Ponto-Caspian species that in recent decades made substantial East-to-West invasions in European inland waters. Now the species is present in the Danube as far as its Slovakian section. In the last decade the species also invaded the Western Bug and Vistula rivers, in the latter it is numerous nearly as far as its delta. The purpose of our study was to define the diet spectrum, feeding preferences, spatial and size related changes in diet and diurnal feeding activity of this goby. Another goal was to predict which groups of native prey would be most affected by the presence of this exotic predator in newly invaded areas. The study was carried out at three sampling locations in the Vistula River system. The food spectrum of the monkey goby was broad. The fish consumed insect larvae and pupae, crustaceans, annelids, gastropods and fish. Chironomid larvae were a prevalent food category in all sampling sites, followed by amphipod crustaceans at one site and by trichopteran larvae and chironomid pupae at another. At the third site, there was no distinct subdominant food category. According to the values of the Ivlev’s selectivity index, the preferred food category were chironomid larvae. No significant differences in diet were found over the 24-h cycle. There was no variation among different fish size groups. From our studies and from the available literature data it can be concluded that the species, due to its ability to use locally available food resources, displays a generalistic and highly flexible feeding strategy.