Life history of Japanese Stypocaulon durum (Sphacelariales, Phaeophyceae)

Phenology, morphology, life history and responses to different temperature and photoperiod conditions were studied in Japanese Stypocaulon durum (Ruprecht) Okamura. Erect thalli of the species were collected year-round, but the mature thalli forming either uniloc-ular sporangia or two different types of plurilocular structures (evidently gametangia) on separate thalli were found only in winter. ln culture, an isomorphic life history is suggested for the species, alternating between a sporophyte forming unilocular sporangia and gam-etophytes forming plurilocular macro- (female) and micro- (male) gametangia. Contents of unilocular sporangia were not released, but germinated in situ, developing into erect thalli forming plurilocular gametangia. Macrogametangia released aplanogametes (oospores), but male gametangia appeared to be non-functional, although flagellated cells were once formed in the loc-uli. This is the first report of plurilocular gametangia in the species. Although the species grew well and matured under considerably lower temperature conditions than European Stypocaulon scoparium (L.) Sauvageau, its temperature requirements showed similarity to northwestern Atlantic Stypocaulon species. This supports the notion that northwestern Atlantic Stypocaulon is conspecific with S. durum.     

Life histories of Colpomenia sinuosa and Hydroclathrus clathratus (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) in culture

Life-history studies in culture were carried out on Colpomenia sinuosa (Mertens ex Roth) Derbès et Solier and Hydroclathrus clathratus (C. Agardh) Howe (Scytosiphonales, Phaeophyceae) from Japan. These species showed a heteromorphic life-history pattern with an alternation between erect thalli bearing plurilocular zoidangia and prostrate thalli bearing ectocarpoid plurilocular and unilocular zoidangia. Plurizoids released from erect and prostrate thalli developed into prostrate thalli. Unizoids, however, developed into erect thalli. Prostrate thalli produced plurilocular zoidangia in long-day conditions and unilocular zoidangia in short-day conditions at 10-20°C. Prostrate thalli of C. sinuosa formed ascocysts. Germlings of both species did not grow at 5°C.     

Morphology and life history of Scytosiphon canaliculatus comb. nov. (Scytosiphonales,Phaeophyceae) from Japan*

Morphology of field material and life history in culture were studied in Scytosiphon canaliculatus (Setchell et Gardner) comb. nov. from northern Japan. Erect gametophytes of S. canaliculatus are cylindrical, tubular, up to 7 mm wide and 40 cm long, and without regular constrictions. S. canaliculatus has pronounced anisogamy and ascocysts accompanied with plurilocular gametangia. The life history of S. canaliculatus showed an alternation between erect gametophytes and crustose prostrate sporophytes bearing unilocular sporangia. Since field sporophytes of S. canaliculatus were found to be identical with Hapterophycus canaliculatus Setchell et Gardner (Ralfsiaceae, Phaeophyceae), it is proposed to transfer H. canaliculatus to the genus Scytosiphon. In the field, gametophytes with plurilocular gametangia appeared in spring and disappeared in summer. Sporophytes with unilocular sporangia were collected in late autumn and winter. Unilocular sporangia were produced at 15°C in short-day culture conditions and unispores developed into erect gametophytes at 5–15°C. It is suggested that the seasonal Occurrence of gametophytes in the field is due to the seasonal formation of unilocular sporangia, which is regulated by temperature and photoperiod.     

Morphology and life history of Halopteris filicina (Sphacelariales, Phaeophyceae) from Korea

The vegetative morphology and life history of Halopteris filicina (Grateloup) Kutzing, collected from Korea, were examined in laboratory culture. Field plants attaining 3–5 cm in height were epilithic, tufted, yellowish-brown, and produced numerous erect axes with alternately distichous branches from compact basal discs. They were cultured under a 12:12 h LD photoperiod at 10°-C, 15°C and 20°C to observe the influence of temperature on reproduction. At 10°C plants grew only vegetatively, whereas at 15°C and 20°C they produced unilocular sporangia. Unispores released from sporangia developed into monoecious, anisogamous gametophytes that formed plurilocular female and male gametangia on the same lateral branches. The zygotes, by fusion of female macrogametes and male microgametes, developed into sporophytes bearing unilocular sporangia, whereas the unfused female gametes germinated parthenogenetically. This species was confirmed to have an isomorphic life history, basically similar to the other species of Sphacelariales.     

Morphology and life history of Coelocladia arctica (Dictyosiphonales,Phaeophyceae), new to Japan*

The occurrence of Coelocladia arctica Rosenvinge (Dictyosiphonales, Phaeophyceae) is reported for the first time in the Pacific Ocean, from Oshoro, Hokkaido, Japan. The field material was approximately 30 mm in height, up to 300 M-μn in diameter, 2-3 times irregularly branched and provided with phaeophycean hairs and plurilocular sporangia. The thallus was composed of several (usually four) large, hyaline, rounded, isodiametric inner cells, with smaller sub-cortical and pigmented cortical cells. The plurilocular sporangia were 3-4 celled, often branched, and protruded from the cortical cells, arranged in a crown-shaped complex. In culture, the plurispores germinated unipolarly leaving an emptied original spore wall, and developed into a branched protonema. Cells of the protonema as well as the erect thallus contained several disc-shaped chloroplasts with pyrenoids. Uniseriate erect filaments arose from the protonema, then became polystichous and formed branches. Unilocular sporangia were never observed in the field or in cultured material. Erect thalli were formed under culture conditions of 5-15°C, and developed a thick parenchyma at 5-10°C, irrespective of the day length.     

First record of Asteronema rhodochortonoides (Phaeophyceae) for the Pacific Ocean

Morphological observations of a minute, filamentous, branched brown alga epiphytic on Sargassum thun‐bergii (Mertens ex Roth) Kuntze were made on material collected at Tsuyazaki (33°48′N, 130°27′E), Fukuoka Prefecture, southern Japan. This alga was assignable to Asteronema rhodochortonoides (Børgesen) Möller et Parodi in having stellately arranged chloroplasts with several pyrenoids grouped in the center, predominantly apical growth, narrow filaments, and elliptical or broadly elliptical plurilocular zoidangia that are apically or laterally formed on upright filaments. A comparison of partial nuclear small subunit rDNA sequences between the Japanese material and A. rhodochortonoides from the Canary Islands showed only two or three nucleotide differences. This supports our assignment of the Japanese material to this species as a first report for the Pacific Ocean. In laboratory cultures, zoids released from plurilocular zoidangia developed into plants with morphology similar to the field‐collected plants. This cycle repeated without production of unilocular zoidangia in our cultures.     

Tissue culture of Ecklonia radiata (Phaeophyceae,Laminariales): effects on growth of light,organic carbon source and vitamins

The effects of light quality and irradiance, and supply of organic carbon and vitamins on the growth of two forms of Ecklonia radiata in tissue culture were examined. A callus of unpigmented cells developed over the cut surface of newly excised explants of stipe. This growth was best in the dark but stopped after 10 weeks. Pigmented, mainly filamentous clumps of cells developed from explants after several weeks in culture. These required light for growth, with growth being enhanced by increasing photon flux density up to 30 μmol photon m^-2 s^-1, with the active spectral component being red light (> 600 nm). The addition to the medium of a range of organic carbon sources or vitamins did not stimulate growth of either culture type in the dark. author for correspondence     

The life history and culturing of Xestoleberis hanaii (Crustacea,Ostracoda)

Xestoleberis hanaii Ishizaki, 1968 is one of the most abundant species on the Japanese coast and can be collected in all seasons from intertidal calcareous algae on rocky shores. Several characteristics make this species a suitable `experimental animal' in the laboratory: (1) adaptability to artificial environments (room temperature, petri dish, artificial seawater, single cultured food-type), (2) high fertility (active copulatory behaviour, egg brooding within the carapace, high egg productivity) and (3) rapid growth rate. Females mate after the final moult (when the reach sexual maturity); oviposition of fertilized eggs takes place over a period of four days after the final moult. Eggs (about 40 in total) are laid a few at a time in the postero-dorsal brood space of the carapace; they hatch in about 9 d as A-7 instars which are then discharged from the brood space within a day or two. Seven moults take place within the next approx. 33 (female) or 39 (male) days to reach adulthood. Adult females live for about 18 weeks and may repeat the reproductive cycle three times; adult males live for about 14 weeks.     

Effect of laboratory culture conditions on population growth of Proisotoma minuta (Tullberg) (Collembola: Isotomidae)

The collembolan Proisotoma minuta (Tullberg) was successfully maintained in a laboratory culture that could be used to produce large numbers of P. minuta of standard size and physiological condition. The general life history of P. minuta was studied using a substrate comprising a mixture of plaster of Paris and charcoal with baker's yeast as food. The mean time taken for eggs to hatch following oviposition was 10.6 ± 1.3 days at 17.5°C and 6 ± 0.5 days at 23°C. Conditions in the culture were very important for the production of large insect populations. Growth of the cultures was limited by the increasing population size and was probably affected by contamination of the habitat by the deposition of excretory materials. Proisotoma minuta from a population that had ceased egg production started oviposition after individuals were transferred to a fresh plaster of Paris and charcoal habitat.     

Assessment of photosynthetic performance in the two life history stages of Alaria crassifolia (Laminariales,Phaeophyceae)

Understanding of the physiological responses of kelp to environmental parameters is crucial, especially in the context of environmental change that may have contributed to the decline of kelp forests all over the world. The current study presents the photosynthetic characteristics of the macroscopic sporophyte and microscopic gametophyte stages of the brown alga Alaria crassifolia from Hokkaido, Japan, as determined by examining their photosynthetic responses over a range of temperature and irradiance using dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Net photosynthetic rates of the sporophyte were consistently higher than those of gametophyte across temperature gradients and irradiance levels. Photosynthesis–irradiance curves at 8°C, 16°C, and 20°C revealed similar initial slopes (α = 0.4–0.9) on the two life history stages, but higher compensation (E _c = 4–7 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1) and saturation irradiances (E _k = 53–103 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1) for the sporophyte than for the gametophyte (E _c = 0–7 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1; E _k = 7–10 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1). Both stages exhibited chronic photoinhibition, as shown by the failure of recovery in their maximum quantum yields (F _v/F _m) following high irradiance stress, with greater possibility of photodamage at low temperature. Gametophytes were less sensitive to low temperatures than sporophytes, given their relatively stable F _v/F _m response. Nevertheless, temperature optima for photosynthesis of both stages coincide with each other at 20–23°C, which correspond to the growth and maturation periods of A. crassifolia in Japan. This species is also likely to suffer from thermal inhibition as both GP rates and F _v/F _m decreased above 24°C.     

Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)

We present life history data on wild Sumatran orangutans gleaned from a 32-year and a 5.5-year study. Estimated age at first reproduction was 15.4 years. At 9.3 years, the average interbirth interval for this population is the longest ever recorded for any great ape population, significantly longer than that of a Bornean orangutan population. We find that age-specific mortality of Sumatran orangutans does not differ between sexes and is significantly lower than that of wild chimpanzees. We conclude that orangutan life history is the slowest among extant great apes. In accordance with their slow life history, longevity in the wild is estimated to be at least 58 years for males and at least 53 for females. We find no evidence for menopause. These data suggest that compared to the ancestral state, humans have undergone less of an increase in longevity than commonly assumed, and have experienced selection on earlier cessation of reproduction.     

Life history and male intertroop mobility among Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

Male intertroop transfer among Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) often coincides with the mating season. However, no necessary connection exists between mating by newly arrived males and whether they join a troop—visitors often mate, and males that join troops may show little mating success. On the other hand, intertroop transfer often coincides with major events in the developmental and social life history of males, such as the attainment of sexual maturity and full adult body size or rise in dominance rank. Thus, intertroop transfer may reflect age-specific behavioral patterns in which males maintain a position in the age-rank structure of troops, where the rank acquired in a new troop is partially determined by age.     

新侵入害虫蔗扁蛾生活史

蔗扁蛾Opogona sacchari (Bojer)是一种新传入我国的危险性外来害虫。在温度25.71±2.71℃和相对湿度(74.95±5.02)%的条件下,完成一个世代需要66～135天,全年约可发生4代。幼虫期是历史时最长的虫态,需要37～75天,共7龄,是该虫的为害虫期。成虫的交配和产卵需要一定的空间,产卵量为253.05±65.18 (n=20) 。     

优化灰木相思组培苗蛋白质组的提取与分离技术

针对木本植物灰木相思(Acacia implexa Benth.)蛋白质分离过程中含有大量色素和酚等干扰物质的现象,本实验优化了各步实验条件。结果表明,在蛋白提取液中加入10%PVP,同时提高离心力、延长离心时间能提高可溶性蛋白得率,第一向等电聚焦24cm长的固相pH梯度胶条的最适蛋白上样量为1000μg,第二向SDS聚丙烯酰胺凝胶最适浓度为12.5%。优化后的实验配置体系提高了灰木相思组培苗总蛋白双向电泳的分辨率和重复性,建立一套适用于灰木相思组培苗蛋白质组提取与分离的方法。     

萧氏松茎象的生活史、产卵和取食习性

萧氏松茎象Hylobitelus xiaoi是严重蛀害国外松的新害虫。在江西赣南地区两年发生一代,以幼虫在蛀道、成虫在蛹室或土中越冬。卵和蛹的发育起点温度分别为8.4℃和7.5℃,有效积温分别为215.9和345.3日·度。各虫态历期：13～28℃间,卵为52.9～11.4天;13～30℃间,蛹为60.1～16.4天; 25℃恒温下,幼虫128.9天。成虫靠爬行活动,极少飞翔。成虫具夜出性活动节律：即傍晚上树行取食、交配和扩散等活动,早晨回到树干基部或土缝中。成虫需取食松枝作为补充营养,产卵前期46.3天,产卵期 105.3天,卵产于近表土的寄主树皮内,每雌产卵35.7粒。幼虫5～7龄,以幼树危害最烈。     

Gametogenesis and chromosome number in Postelsia palmaeformis (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae)

Gametophytes of the ‘sea palm’, the kelp Postelsia palmaeformis Ruprecht, produced gametes whether or not chelated iron was supplied in the culture medium, in contrast to the inhibition of gametogenesis seen with the absence of iron in many other kelps. As gametogenesis proceeded, every cell of the gametophytes was converted into a gamete so that the gametophytes did not continue to grow vegetatively. The portion of the life history from spore release through germination, gametophyte growth, gametogenesis, fertilization and growth of the young sporophyte was completed in 9–10 days under laboratory conditions. Chromosome counts showed that sporophytes had a diploid number of 26–34 chromosomes while sporangia and gametophytes had a haploid number of 14–17 chromosomes, indicating a typical haplodiplophasic life history as seen in other Laminariales.     

LIFE HISTORY OF COLPOMENIA SINUOSA (SYCTOSIPHONACEAE,PHAEOPHYCEAE) IN THE AZORES1

Colpomenia sinuosa (Mertens ex Roth) Derbès and Solier (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) is a common species on the rocky intertidal shores of the Azores, where reproductive gametophytes occur throughout the year. Life‐history studies of this species were carried out in culture, and both sexual and asexual reproduction were observed. Anisogamous gametes fused to form zygotes. The zygotes gave rise to a filamentous prostrate sporophyte generation bearing unilocular sporangia, under both short‐day and long‐day conditions at 15 and 22°C, and to both unilocular and plurilocular sporangia, under the lower temperature condition. Unispores developed into gametophytes, and plurispores gave rise to filamentous sporophytes. Asexual reproduction was carried out by unfused female gametes and asexual plurispores produced from the same gametophyte. Unfused gametes developed into filamentous prostrate sporophytes producing unilocular sporangia in both culture conditions, and unispores released from the sporangia gave rise to gametophytes. Asexual plurispores from field gametophytes, under both culture conditions, developed directly into new gametophytes. The species exhibited three types of life history: a heteromorphic, diplohaplontic; a heteromorphic, monophasic (both with alternation between the erect and filamentous prostrate thalli); and a monomorphic, monophasic.     

Laminarionema elsbetiae gen. et sp. nov. (Ectocarpales, Phaeophyceae), a new endophyte in Laminaria sporophytes

Laminarionema elsbetiae gen. et sp, nov, (Ectocarpaceae, Ectocarpales. Phaeophyceae), a new endophyte of Laminaria japonica Areschoug (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae), is described from Muroran. Hokkaido, Japan. Laminarionema elsbetiae grows in the host tissues forming networks in the epidermal and subcortical layers as well as penetrating into the cortical and medullary layers. Only phaeophycean hairs emerge from the surface of the host tissue. No reproductive cells were found in field material. However, under host-free culture the species formed three morphologically different reproductive structures. Macrosporangia containing a single large motile spore were formed under long and short day conditions below 20°C, transformed from vegetative cells, conical to elongated in shape, 50–75 μm in length and ca. 10 μm in diameter. Microsporangia were linear to lanceolate, sometimes branched, formed under long and short day conditions below 15°C. Unilocular sporangia were more or less irregular in shape, formed under short day conditions of 5–15°C, 60–75 μm in length and 40–45 μm in diameter. Sexual fusion between macro- and microspores was not seen. In mixed cultures of L. elsbetiae with young sporophytes of L Japonica Areschoug as well as Saccorhiza dermatodea (de la Pylaie) J. Agardh, L elsbetiae infected both hosts, grew in the same manner as in natural hosts, and formed macrosporangia between host epidermal cells.     

Life history,ecology and longevity in bats

The evolutionary theory of aging predicts that life span should decrease in response to the amount of mortality caused by extrinsic sources. Using this prediction, we selected six life history and ecological factors to use in a comparative analysis of longevity among 64 bat species. On average, the maximum recorded life span of a bat is 3.5 times greater than a non-flying placental mammal of similar size. Records of individuals surviving more than 30 years in the wild now exist for five species. Univariate and multivariate analyses of species data, as well as of phylogenetically independent contrasts obtained using a supertree of Chiroptera, reveal that bat life span significantly increases with hibernation, body mass and occasional cave use, but decreases with reproductive rate and is not influenced by diet, colony size or the source of the record. These results are largely consistent with extrinsic mortality risk acting as a determinant of bat longevity. Nevertheless, the strong association between life span and both reproductive rate and hibernation also suggests that bat longevity is strongly influenced by seasonal allocation of non-renewable resources to reproduction. We speculate that hibernation may provide a natural example of caloric restriction, which is known to increase longevity in other mammals.