Effect of salinity and temperature on the growth of yearling Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea

The growth of 1-year-old Arctic cisco ( Coregonus autumnalis ) was monitored under laboratory conditions for fish acclimated to one of two temperatures (5 and 10° C) and one of five salinities (6, 12, 18,24, 30‰). Fish were maintained for 43 days at rations of 3% wet body weight per day at 5° C and 5% wet body weight per day at 10° C, with rations adjusted for weight gain every 7–12 days. Fish increased 9–11% in length and 55–71% in weight at 5° C, and 23–27% in length and 141–161% in weight at 10° C. Length and weight increased linearly over 43 days. There was a statistically significant effect of temperature on growth but no statistically significant effect of salinity. Higher growth rates at 10° C were partially attributable to significantly greater gross conversion efficiency at the higher temperature. Over the course of the experiment, the condition (weight per unit length) of all fish increased by 3·2 to 63·6% at 5° C and by 5·6 to 46·0% at 10° C. There was no discernible effect of salinity on condition at either temperature. These results demonstrate that, with salinity acclimation and high food ration, 1-year-old Arctic cisco can grow at equivalent rates across salinities ranging from 6 to 30‰. The ecological implications of the results are discussed.     

Comparative morphology and histology of the ovaries of the spined loach Cobitis taenia L. and natural allopolyploids of Cobitis (Cobitidae)

The maturity of ovaries, gonado-somatic index and size of oocytes in particular developmental stages during the reproductive period of spined loach Cobitis taenia and allotriploid and allotetraploid Cobitis were examined. The ploidy levels of all the loaches were determined according to karyotypes. All the investigated females spawned multiple times and the spawning period was from the end of May (water temperature c. 18·5° C) to mid- or the end of July. Some of the triploids had a longer spawning period which lasted until the end of August. Each female could lay several portions of eggs which differed in size and number during the spawning season. The relative proportion of oocytes of each stage in the ovaries during the reproductive period changed. The sizes of oocytes at the particular stages of triploids were statistically significantly larger than oocytes in the respective stages in C. taenia (diploid). The sizes of the oocytes (each stage) of C. taenia from both populations were not significantly different.     

Microhabitat selection in the early juvenile mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (L.)

Using laboratory choice experiments, behavioural preferences of the early juvenile mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris for temperature, salinity and sediment were observed. The temperature preference experiments were conducted in an annular chamber with a thermal gradient of 27 to 34° C, and the fish selected a mean ± s . d . temperature of 31·2 ± 0·5° C. The salinity preference experiments were conducted in an aquarium with decreasing salinity from 20 to 15, 10, 5 and 0·5, and significantly more ( P < 0·05) fish were found in water with a salinity of 5. The sediment preference experiments were tested in circular tanks which contained four types of sediment (medium sand, fine sand, muddy sand and sandy mud), and the fish showed a clear preference for sandy mud. These results indicated that early juvenile B. pectinirostris showed behavioural preference for microhabitats. Temperature and salinity probably set large-scale boundaries on distribution, but sediment should be a critical factor for determining the distribution of the mudskipper.     

Molecular differentiation of three loach species (Pisces, Cobitidae) based on the nuclear 5S rDNA marker

The diversity of the 5S rDNA fragment among three loach species: Cobitis taenia, C. elongatoides and Sabanejewia aurata was investigated using universal PCR primers for this gene. Three amplification products were obtained: 220 bp length for C. taenia and C. elongatoides, and 330 bp for S. aurata. Two amplicons with the same length (in Cobitis) were digested with TaqI restriction endonuclease. This enzyme found one restriction site T/CGA in the C. elongatoides fragment, while in the case of C. taenia no cleavage effect was observed. On this basis we constructed an easy and cheap method for loach species discrimination. It seems adequate for effective support of conservation initiatives for endangered loaches.     

Salinity tolerance of the mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard)

Experiments were conducted to determine the adaptability of mosquito fish to various salt concentrations. Mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis , (total length (T.L.) 27–37 mm) were subjected to abrupt and gradual changes from fresh water to various salinities (S). Low mortality (10%) occurred when the fish were transferred from fresh water (S = 0·5‰) to 50% sea water (S = 19·5‰ Through gradual adaptation 65·0% of the fish were able to tolerate 100% sea water for 7 days. After a 7 -day stay in sea water, fish were readapted to fresh water during a 3-h period. The results indicate that they were well able to tolerate the abrupt change. Through a gradual adaptation fish were also able to tolerate salinities ranging from 39·0‰ (100% sea water) to 58·8‰     

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen as indicators of diet and trophic structure of the fish community in a shallow hypereutrophic lake

Stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopes were employed to elucidate energy flows and trophic interactions in Lake Apopka, a hypereutrophic lake in central Florida, U.S.A. Isotope compositions of lake biota ranged from −27·1 to −3·0‰ for δ¹³C, and from 3·7 to 13·9‰ for δ¹⁵N. The food web was based primarily on plankton production with diatoms, Microcystis and zooplankton dominating the diet of fish. Carbon isotope evidence showed that pico- and nano-phytoplankton were not a direct carbon source for fish, but were important to zooplankton. δ¹⁵N mass balance estimates indicated that planktivorous fish obtained 48–85% of their diets from zooplankton. The ∼3‰ range of δ¹⁵N in gizzard shad reflected increasing dependence on zooplankton as fish grew whereas the positive relationship between total length and δ¹⁵N of largemouth bass reflected increasing predation on larger planktivorous fish with growth. The broad ranges of δ¹³C (−25·9 to −9·5‰) and δ¹⁵N (5·8 to 14·4‰) of blue tilapia were indicators of diet diversity. Two presumed omnivores (brown bullhead and white catfish) and piscivores (black crappie, largemouth bass and Florida gar) were found to depend on planktivorous fish. However, stable isotope data revealed no trophic links between blue tilapia, an abundant fish in the near-shore area, and piscivores.     

The effects of environmental factors on rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax embryos and larvae

Experiments were conducted to identify environmental factors that influence the survival of rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax during their early life stages. Developing rainbow smelt embryos and yolk-sac larvae were cultured under controlled conditions with different dissolved oxygen (DO; 1·09, 2·18, 4·37 and 6·55 mg l⁻¹, pH (4·0, 4·5, 5·0, 5·5, 6·0 and 7·0), nitrate ( 0·7, 3·6, 7·3, 14·6 and 29·2 mg l⁻¹), phosphate (0·04, 0·21, 0·42, 2·08 and 4·17 mg l⁻¹) and salinity (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30) levels. Rainbow smelt embryos were also incubated with simulated tidal salinity fluctuations (2–28), ultraviolet radiation (irradiances of 2·8, 6·2 and 5·1 W m⁻²) and under natural conditions in two rainbow smelt spawning rivers. In the laboratory, hatch was only impaired under the lowest DO and pH conditions (0 and 13% hatch, respectively) and at highest constant salinity levels (0% hatch). Larval survival was only affected by pH levels ≤5·0. The experiment that compared hatch under natural conditions was terminated when embryos became covered with silt and fungus. These results suggest that water acidification, sediment and fungal growth may affect rainbow smelt survival during their early life stages.     

Age, reproduction and fecundity of the spined loach Cobitis taenia L. (Pisces, Cobitidae) from Lake Klawój (Poland)

This is the first study concerning the features of the reproduction process of the karyologically identified spined loach C. taenia (2n=48). The histology of 71 ovaries, and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of karyologically identified spined loach Cobitis taenia L. from Lake Klawój (Northern Poland) were examined. The absolute and relative fecundity of 25 females was estimated by gravimetric method. The age of fish was determined according to the annual increments of otholits. The spawning of C. taenia from Lake Klawój took place from May to July, at a water temperature exceeding 18.5 degrees C. The GSI values at the beginning of the reproduction period ranged from 7 to 19%. The average absolute fecundity of females was 2078 eggs, with the number ranging from 869 to 3371 eggs. High individual variability in the gonad histology and the GSI values during the reproductive period was observed. Such variability could be the result of beginning the reproduction process in the fish at various times and, probably, due to the various numbers of batches laid and various numbers of eggs per batch.     

Effects of reduced salinities on growth, food conversion efficiency and osmoregulatory status in the spotted wolffish

No significant differences in mean mass between groups were found at any time in spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor , mean (±S.D.) initial mass 76 (±21) g, reared at salinities of 12, 17, 25 and 34‰ for 12 weeks at 8° C. Salinity did not have a significant effect on daily feeding rates, total food consumption, food conversion efficiency and protein efficiency ratio. Growth trajectories varied between groups, but no overall difference in growth was found. Plasma osmolality and plasma chloride levels decreased with salinity in a 48 h abrupt exposure trial, and in the growth experiment the low salinity groups (12 and 17‰) exhibited significantly lower values compared with 25 and 34‰. The decrease was moderate and concentrations were well within the range described for other marine species. The results indicate that the spotted wolffish is a strong osmoregulator which could be reared at various salinity levels.     

Stable isotope profiles of partially migratory salmonid populations in Atlantic rivers of Patagonia

In the present study, profiles of stable isotope composition were characterized for two species with partially migratory populations in rivers along the latitudinal gradient of Patagonia, brown trout Salmo trutta and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss . The effects of factors ( e.g. ontogeny of fishes, location, species and fasting) that may influence the stable isotope analysis (SIA) were evaluated, as was SIA evaluated as a tool to assign individual fish to their corresponding ecotype. Anadromous fishes exhibited enriched δ¹⁵N (15·2 ± 1·0‰; mean ± s . d .) and δ¹³C (−19·2 ± 1·3‰) relative to resident fishes'δ¹⁵N (8·8 ± 1·1‰) and δ¹³C (−23·2 ± 2·5‰). For both species, the difference in δ¹⁵N was larger between resident (range 6·8–10·7‰) and anadromous (range 14·3–17·8‰) fishes than that in δ¹³C. Values of δ¹³C, while not as dramatically contrasting in rainbow trout, provided a powerful anadromy marker for brown trout in the region. Increases were found in both δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C during the spawning migration of anadromous rainbow trout, most likely due to fasting. Differences in stable isotopes between location, size and species were found, suggesting different stable isotopes base levels in freshwater environments and different trophic levels and feeding location of anadromous populations. The SIA was demonstrated as a powerful tool for ecotype discrimination in Patagonian Rivers, overriding any effect of sampling location, size or species.     

Laboratory simulation of the effects of environmental salinity on wild‐caught juveniles of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax and gilthead seabream Sparus aurata

Gilthead seabream Sparus aurata and European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax , are two important species in Mediterranean aquaculture. In the wild, their juveniles occur in brackish areas such as lagoons and river deltas. Even though the juveniles seem to favour brackish environments, low salinity incurs an energy cost for osmoregulation. This paper presents the results of a series of laboratory experiments exploring the effects of salinity on growth, feeding, food conversion, survival and maintenance energy requirements of wild‐caught juveniles. The fish were kept in the laboratory, divided in groups of 20 in small tanks of 50 l each, and supplied with biologically filtered seawater of four salinity levels (8, 18, 28‰ and natural seawater) and fixed temperature (20 ± 1·4° C). The fish were fed pelleted feed throughout the experiment. Both species showed great similarity in their responses to lower salinities. Satiation time for both species increased with decreasing salinity, while maintenance requirements (required daily ration and energy) increased as with increasing salinity. Growth and feed conversion is highest for salinities around 28‰ and lower for salinities above and below. Both species share common physiological features, and intermediate salinities are optimal for their performance in nature and in captivity.     

盐度变化条件下芦苇对互花米草的化感效应

以芦苇凋落物为试材,采用溶液浸提法和厌氧腐解法,获得水提物和腐解产物两种浸提物母液;在5‰和10‰盐浓度下以两种浸提物母液和25%母液分别处理互花米草种子、刚萌发的幼苗以及互花米草滩涂中特有的互花米草益生菌,考察盐度变化对互花米草种子的萌发、幼苗生长以及菌落生长的影响.结果表明：盐处理能够显著促进互花米草种子的萌发、幼根以及互花米草益生菌的生长(P＜0.05).较高的盐浓度(10‰)下,芦苇水提物对互花米草的萌发、生长和互花米草益生菌的生长呈促进作用;当盐浓度降低至5‰时,该促进作用消失.在较低的盐浓度(5‰)下,芦苇腐解产物对互花米草萌发产生显著的抑制作用;在较高盐浓度(10‰)时,则对互花米草益生菌产生显著促进作用(P＜0.05);在试验的任一盐浓度下,芦苇腐解产物对互花米草幼苗和幼根的生长均存在显著的抑制效果(P＜0.05).     

δ13C of wood in growth-rings indicates cambial activity of drought-stressed trees of Eucalyptus globulus

1. Growth, density and δ¹³C of wood and leaf area were measured in two adjacent stands of 6 year-old Eucalyptus globulus growing in the 600–700 mm year^–1 rainfall region of south-western Australia. Study sites were identical except for differences in the availability of water owing to physical properties of soil profiles and location of sites within the landscape.
2. Abundance of ¹³C (expressed as δ¹³C) in wood of trees growing on the drought-prone site (– 24·8‰±1·4) was greater than in other trees (– 25·8‰±1·2, P <0·001) throughout the 6 years and, with further development, the δ¹³C signatures of wood may become useful indices of drought-susceptibility in plantations within a few years of establishment. The seasonal pattern of δ¹³C of wood appeared to reflect seasonal variation in water availability and duration of cambial activity.
3. Basic density of wood of trees growing on the more drought-prone site (496±14·0 kg m^–3) was reduced compared to other trees (554±5·3 kg m^–3, P <0·001). δ¹³C of wood across boundaries of growth-rings suggested that drought stopped cambial activity resulting in less production of late wood and less dense wood.
4. The stand growing on the drought-prone site had reduced growth, wood yield and leaf area but identical specific leaf area. Annual growth was correlated with the previous season's rainfall. Together, these results suggested that within the same evaporative climate, drought reduces growth primarily by reducing leaf area and that there is a lag between onset of drought and reduced productivity.     

Life history strategies of four small-size fishes in the Suez Canal, Egypt

Of 35 species collected from the shores of the Suez Canal and its lakes, five were abundant year round. Sihouettea aegyptia and Aphanius dispar are of Red Sea (warm water) origin, whereas Pomatoschistus marmoratus, Aphanius fasciatus and Atherina boyeri are Mediterranean species. S. aegyptia and A. dispar are distributed throughout the Suez system whereas A. fasciatus is restricted to the northern canal. P. marmoratus and A. boyeri have not spread southward beyond the Bitter Lakes. Salinity is the main limiting factor for the distribution of Mediterranean species. S. aegyptia and A. dispar are dominant in the Bitter Lakes (salinity 44‰), whereas P. marmoratus and A. boyeri are abundant in Timsah Lake (salinity 7·8–41·6‰). There was considerable interannual and monthly variation in the relative abundance of each species. The populations were dominated by a single age group, and life spans were no more than 2 years. Rapid growth was evident during the first spring in P. marmoratus and A. boyeri and during the first summer, early autumn in S. aegyptia and A. dispar . The relative abundance of each food item in the diet varied with fish size and season. S. aegyptia, P. marmoratus and A. dispar fed mostly on harpacticoid copepods, polychaetes, demersal eggs, diatoms and blue-green algae whereas A. boyeri fed mostly on planktonic copepods. The warm water species are summer spawners, whereas the temperate species are autumn-winter spawners.     

Development of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci in the spined loach, Cobitis taenia, and cross-species amplification in the related species C. elongatoides, C. taurica and C. tanaitica

Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for the spined loach, Cobitis taenia (Teleostei: Cobitidae). The loci were validated using 50 individuals from a population in Belgium. Moderate to high levels of polymorphism were detected (two to 11 alleles). In addition, most markers amplified successfully in three closely related taxa that are known to hybridize with C. taenia: C. elongatoides, C. taurica and C. tanaitica. Some of the loci are most likely diagnostic among species. These markers will be valuable for the study of the historical and contemporary interactions within C. taenia and the Cobitis species complex.     

Euryhaline adaptations in the fat sleeper, Dormitator maculatus

Salinity tolerances and plasma osmotic concentrations were determined in the fat sleeper, Dormitator maculatus , a common species in estuarine and coastal fresh waters along the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts of North, Central and South America. Analyses followed sequential laboratory acclimations to a series of ambient salinities at a constant temperature of 20 ± 1° C and photoperiod of 12L: 12D. These fish tolerated a range of ambient salinities from fresh water through a salinity of 75‰. Plasma osmotic concentrations were regulated at an essentially constant level in the salinity range from fresh water through a salinity of 50‰, beyond which plasma concentrations trended upward with increased ambient salinity. We conclude that D. maculatus , while truly euryhaline, docs not show the extreme euryhalme capabilities of several teleost fishes that are 'full-time' estuarine inhabitants.     

Osmoregulation during the development of glass eels and elvers

Drinking rates in glass eels and elvers of the European eel increased with environmental acclimation salinity from 0·07±0·02 (FW) to 0·70±0·09 μl g-¹ h-¹ (SW) at month 1 and from 1·12±0·42 (FW) to 12·85±1·05 ± l g-¹ h-¹ (SW) at month 5. Drinking rates increased with time in both FW and SW groups. FW acclimated eels when challenged acutely with SW increased drinking rate rapidly immediately upon transfer (0–15 min) and the magnitude of this response increased with developmental time from month 1 to month 5.     

Influence of salinity on the migration of postlarval and juvenile flounder Pleuronectes flesus L. in a gradient experiment

The behaviour of the flounder Pleuronectes flesus was observed in an experimental aquarium that consisted of five connected units with decreasing salinity from 20 to 15, 10, 5 and 0·5. This experimental aquarium was highly effective for studying behaviour in salinity gradients, because the gradient was relatively stable. After 4 days of observation, significantly more flounder were found in water with a salinity of 0·5, indicating a preference for fresh water. The total length of the flounders ranged from 7·5 to 21 mm. The majority of larvae had already started eye‐migration, however, the longer specimens had completed metamorphosis. The migration towards low salinities was observed to increase with ontogenetic development.     

The effects of salinity and temperature on the development and survival of fish parasites

In brackish water the variety of marine and freshwater parasite species is considerably reduced. The distribution in brackish water of most marine endoparasites is restricted by the salinity tolerance of their hosts, most of the parasite species are more tolerant than their hosts. The influence of salinity and temperature on nine species has been examined; first stage larvae of Contracaecum aduncum develop in 0-32‰ salinity; Cryptocotyle lingua proved to be infective at salinities down to 4‰. The greatest resistance was found in Anisakis larvae from herring Clupea harengus , which survived for more than half a year. Parasites in the fish intestines appear to be unaffected by changing water salinities, as the osmolarity in the intestines stays nearly constant. Marine ectoparasites ( Acanthochondria depressa, Lepeophtheirus pectoralis ) survive about three times longer than freshwater species ( Piscicola geometra, Argulus foliaceus ) when salinity is 16‰. High temperature increases the effects of adverse salinities on parasites. There is evidence that none of these ecto-parasitic species can develop within the range of 7-20‰ salinity.