Energetics during hatchling dispersal of the olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea using doubly labeled water

Studies of metabolism are central to the understanding of the ecology, behavior, and evolution of reptiles. This study focuses on one phase of the sea turtle life cycle, hatchling dispersal, and gives insight into energetic constraints that dispersal imposes on hatchlings. Hatchling dispersal is an energetically expensive phase in the life cycle of the olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea. Field metabolic rates (FMRs), determined using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, for L. olivacea hatchlings digging out of their nest chamber, crawling at the sand surface, and swimming were five, four, and seven times, respectively, the resting metabolic rate (RMR). The cost of swimming was 1.5 and 1.8 times the cost of the digging and crawling phases, respectively, and we estimated that if L. olivacea hatchlings swim at frenzy levels, they can rely on yolk reserves to supply energy for only 3-6 d once they reach the ocean. We compared our RMR and FMR values by establishing an interspecific RMR mass-scaling relationship for a wide range of species in the order Testudines and found a scaling exponent of 1.06. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using the DLW method to estimate energetic costs of free-living sea turtle hatchlings and emphasizes the need for metabolic studies in various life-history stages.     

Development and characterization of novel microsatellite markers from the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Olive ridley turtles, although widely distributed globally and in Indian coastal waters, have undergone declines in recent years due to anthropogenic factors, particularly fishery‐related mortality. Assessment of genetic variability in existing populations is critical to the development of effective conservation strategies. Here we describe the development of six highly polymorphic microsatellite loci from a simple sequence repeat‐enriched genomic DNA library of olive ridley turtle. Characterization of five of these loci using 83 individual olive ridley turtles revealed eight to 24 alleles per locus, high observed and expected heterozygosity values and broad cross‐species amplifications. The sixth microsatellite was found to be monomorphic in the olive ridley samples but was polymorphic in two related marine turtle species. These microsatellites thus provide efficient genetic markers to understand the population structure, phylogeography and species relationships of olive ridley and other marine turtle species.     

Development and characterization of ten novel microsatellite markers from olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Olive ridleys, one of the widely distributed marine turtle species has undergone declines in recent years due to multiple anthropogenic factors warranting conservation efforts for which assessment of genetic variability in existing populations become critical. Here we describe development of ten new microsatellite markers from a short sequence repeat-enriched partial genomic DNA library, which are found to be highly informative for genetic studies. Eight of these markers when tested on 83 olive ridley turtles revealed high allelic diversity (4–27 alleles per marker), and high observed and expected heterozygosity estimates that ranged from 0.29 to 0.82 and 0.62 to 0.94, respectively. Two microsatellites were monomorphic in the tested olive ridley samples, but were found to be informative/polymorphic when tested on related marine turtle species. More importantly, nine of the new markers showed robust cross-species amplifications in three related species Dermochelys coriacea, Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata. Thus, this study describes ten new microsatellite markers and also demonstrates their potential as efficient genetic markers in studies related to parentage analysis, population structure, phylogeography and species relationships of olive ridleys and other marine turtle species.     

Multiple paternity and female-biased mutation at a microsatellite locus in the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Multiple paternity in the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) population nesting in Suriname was demonstrated using two microsatellite loci, viz., Ei8 and Cm84. The large number of offspring sampled per clutch (70 on average, ranging from 15 to 103) and the number of alleles found at the two loci (18 and eight alleles, respectively) enabled unambiguous assessment of the occurrence of multiple paternity. In two out of 10 clutches analysed, the offspring had been sired by at least two males, which was confirmed at both loci. In both clutches, unequal paternity occurred: 73% and 92% of the offspring had been sired by the primary male. The probability of detecting multiple paternity was 0.903, and therefore there is a small chance that multiple paternity occurred but remained undetected in some of the eight clutches that appeared to be singly sired. Analysis of 703 offspring revealed a high mutation rate for locus Ei8 (micro = 2.3 x 10(-2)) with all 33 mutations occurring in maternal alleles. In particular, one allele of 274 bp mutated at a high frequency in a clutch to which the mother contributed the allele, but in another clutch where the father contributed the same allele, no such mutations were observed. Inferred allele-specific mutation rates for Ei8 and expected numbers of mutations per clutch confirmed that maternal alleles for Ei8 are more likely to mutate in the olive ridley sea turtle than paternal alleles. Possible explanations are discussed.     

Ontogeny of energetics in leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtle hatchlings

Changes in activity related oxygen consumption were measured in leatherback and olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings over their first month after emergence from the nest. Leatherbacks emerged with 75-90 KJ of energy in the residual yolk for growth and activity whereas olive ridleys emerged with 45 KJ. In leatherbacks (n=8), resting mass-specific oxygen consumption rates decreased by 53% over the first post-hatching month (0.34+0.03 mL O(2) h(-1) g(-1) to 0.16+0.01 mL O(2) h(-1) g(-1), respectively), while for ridleys (n=8) the fall was 35% (0.20+0.03 mL O(2) h(-1) g(-1) to 0.13+0.01 mL O(2) h(-1) g(-1), respectively). Olive ridley factorial aerobic scope doubled (1.93+0.30 to 3.97+0.51) over the first month but there was no significant increase in leatherback factorial aerobic scope (1.39+0.21 to 1.60+0.13). Leatherback hatchlings gained on average 20% initial body mass (7.68+1.66 g) over the first week, with 70 to 80% of this increase due to water accumulation. Olive ridleys gained 14% (1.83+0.16 g) in initial mass over the first week of age. We propose that the differences in aerobic scope and energy reserves are related to differences in early life ecological stratagems of these species.     

Phylogeography of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) on the east coast of India: implications for conservation theory

Orissa, on the east coast of India, is one of the three mass nesting sites in the world for olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea). This population is currently under threat as a result of fishery-related mortality; more than 100 000 olive ridleys have been counted dead in the last 10 years in Orissa. In general, the globally distributed olive ridley turtle has received significantly less conservation attention than its congener, the Kemp's ridley turtle (L. kempi), because the latter is recognized as a distinct species consisting of a single endangered population. Our study of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes suggests that the ridley population on the east coast of India is panmictic, but distinct from all other populations including Sri Lanka. About 96% of the Indian population consisted of a distinct 'K' clade with haplotypes not found in any other population. Nested clade analysis and conventional analysis both supported range expansions and/or long-distance colonization from the Indian Ocean clades to other oceanic basins, which suggested that these are the ancestral source for contemporary global populations of olive ridley turtles. These data support the distinctiveness of the Indian Ocean ridleys, suggesting that conservation prioritization should be based on appropriate data and not solely on species designations.     

Evidence of olive ridley mitochondrial genome introgression into loggerhead turtle rookeries of Sergipe, Brazil

The coastline of Sergipe state hosts the main Brazilian nesting sites of Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829). The second most abundant species of turtles in Sergipe is Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758). Both sea turtle species, respectively known as olive ridley and loggerhead, are currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The genetic diversity of the Sergipe loggerhead population (N = 51) was assayed by analyzing 627 bp from the control region of mitochondrial DNA in nesting females. Three haplotypes were identified: CC-A4, CC-A24 and CC × LO. The last one was recorded for specimens considered hybrids because they represent L. olivacea’s mtDNA, but had the external morphology of C. caretta or of a mixture of both species. Based on the two types of hybrids, it was hypothesized that at least two hybridization events had occurred: a more ancient hybridization event, accompanied by introgression (F2 or later backcrosses), and a recent one (F1), both of which involving the same L. olivacea haplotype. The incidence of L. olivacea mitochondrial genome introgression into the C. caretta rookeries was only observed in Sergipe, which could be related to the large numbers of L. olivacea in this region and an overlap of reproduction periods and distribution areas of both species. This may also be associated to global warming since it might alter the sex ratio of sea turtles, thus facilitating interspecific mating. Awareness of gene flow between these species will significantly influence the development and implementation of adequate management strategies.     

Effect of temperature on metabolic rate of the mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)

Temperature plays an important role in various aspects of the life history and physiology of ectotherms. We examined the effect of temperature on standard metabolic rate in the mud turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum. We measured O₂ consumption and CO₂ production at 20°C and 30°C using a flow through respirometery system. Standard metabolic rate was significantly higher at 30°C (9.25 ml O₂/h, 6.35 ml CO₂/h) compared to 20°C (2.10 ml O₂/h, 1.96 ml CO₂/h). The Q₁₀ value for O₂ was 5.10, and for CO₂ was 3.40. Our findings generally agree with those of other studies of metabolism in vertebrate ectotherms.     

First record of the Olive Ridley Turtle,Lepidochelys olivacea,in Iranian coastal waters (Testudines,Cheloniidae)

Abstract

Three specimens of the Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) were collected in Guader (Gwatar) Bay in the Sea of Oman on 6 January, 1997. Two of them have been preserved for the Zoological Museum of Gorgan University. This is the first report of the Olive Ridley Turtle in Iranian coastal waters.     

Detection of multiple paternity in the Kemp's ridley sea turtle with limited sampling

An important question in sea turtle biology is the number of males that contribute to the fertilization of a clutch of eggs. Previous studies on other sea turtle species have indicated little to no multiple paternity. We conclude here that female Kemp's ridleys, Lepidochelys kempi , are polyandrous. DNA from 26 mother and offspring groups was analysed at three microsatellite loci to identify paternal alleles. Three paternal alleles were observed among 14 of the clutches; four paternal alleles were observed among the offspring of an additional female. A maximum likelihood analysis not only rejects the model of single paternity, but also rejects the model of equal paternal contribution to the clutch. By explicitly addressing the high mutation rate of microsatellite markers, our analysis rejected mutation as the sole cause of multiple paternal alleles.     

Environmental effects on egg development and hatching success in Jordanella floridae, a species with parental care

Male flagfish Jordanella floridae provide parental care in the form of nest guarding, cleaning and fanning. Patterns of egg development, hatching success and disease in the absence of parental care across a range of physical environments that flagfish naturally experience were observed. Egg hatching success increased with salinity but was unaffected by temperature. Egg development rate, on the other hand, increased with temperature but was unaffected by salinity. Furthermore, disease (most likely fungus on the eggs) was the primary source of mortality. Thus, the results suggest that, in this species, parental care of the eggs can only significantly increase offspring fitness by reducing disease and that the value of care will overall be reduced in saline environments because eggs hatch readily there, in the absence of care.     

Spatial differences in breeding success in the pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta: effects of habitat on hatching success and chick survival

I studied the breeding biology of pied avocets Recurvirostra avosetta in natural habitats (alkaline lakes), and in semi-natural sites (dry fishpond, reconstructed wetlands) in Hungary to relate habitat selection patterns to spatial and temporal variation in breeding success. Colonies were initiated earlier in semi-natural sites than in natural habitats, and earlier on islands than on the mainland. Hatching success was higher on islands than on the mainland, in semi-natural sites than in natural habitats, in colonies of at least 15 pairs than in smaller colonies, and for nests initiated earlier than later within a colony. Fledging success was higher in the wet years (1999–2000) than in the dry year (1998), decreased strongly by season in both habitats and increased with average daily temperature in the first week post-hatch in 1999–2000. Most pairs hatching young in semi-natural sites attempted to lead their chicks to feeding areas in natural habitats, whereas no such movement occurred in the opposite direction. Chick mortality due to predation was high during brood movements and only 23% of the pairs moving their young produced fledglings, compared to 43% for pairs remaining in semi-natural sites and 68% for pairs hatching and rearing young in natural habitats (total n=192 broods). These results suggest that semi-natural sites were more suitable for nesting, whereas natural habitats were more suitable for chick-rearing. The opposing trends in habitat-related breeding success between nesting and chick-rearing suggest sub-optimal habitat selection by Pied Avocets due to an incorrect assessment of the potential for successful reproduction of semi-natural sites, which may thus function as ecological traps.     

Endogenous levels of oxygen,carbon dioxide and ethylene in stems of Norway spruce trees during one growing season

Summary The trees sampled in this study came from two stands of Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karst., near Stockholm, Sweden, differing in mean age and height. Holes were bored perpendicular to the stem surface, and gas samples were taken from the outer part of the sapwood throughout one growing season. Endogenous levels of molecular oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ethylene in the outer sapwood were determined by combined gas chromatography — mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC. O₂ concentrations began to decrease as growth started in spring. The lowest levels (<5%) were recorded around mid-summer. In the younger stand concentrations remained below 5% until September. In October, O₂ concentrations in the sapwood were similar to those of air. Concentrations of CO₂ were below 1% in spring, but began to rise in May, peaking a month later at approximately 10%. Thereafter a slow decrease occurred until October, by which time levels had returned to those recorded in spring. Ethylene concentrations in the older stand reached 75 ppm early in May, while levels in the younger stand peaked at around 30 ppm later in May. Thereafter ethylene levels in both stands started to decrease down to ppb levels. The correlation between determined gas levels and physiological events associated with the seasonal growth cycle in temperate zones is discussed.     

The impact of different water gas levels on cataract formation, muscle and lens free amino acids, and lens antioxidant enzymes and heat shock protein mRNA abundance in smolting Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

The present experiment was conducted to examine if freshwater (FW) oxygen and carbon dioxide regimes cause physiological responses that lead to cataract formation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) smolt. Duplicate groups of 50 g Atlantic salmon smolts were exposed to three freshwater oxygen saturation regimes (95, 112 or 125% saturation), with or without addition of carbon dioxide (measured 17–18 and 2–3 mg L^− 1, respectively), for six weeks before transfer to seawater (SW). The FW exposure groups were followed up for another six weeks under a common SW regime. Fish were screened for cataract and sampled accordingly, at start, after 6 weeks in FW and after 6 weeks in SW. Increased growth related cataract incidences and severities were recorded in SW, mainly in the groups previously exposed to normoxic and hyperoxic conditions in FW, as compared to the respective groups added carbon dioxide. The concentration of histidine compounds (imidazoles) in muscle and lens tissue, used as quantitative risk markers of cataract, were lower than observed in earlier studies, however, neither were affected by the present water gas regimes in FW nor after follow up in SW. Independently of water oxygenation in FW, muscle free amino acid profiles in salmon groups concomitantly exposed to elevated carbon dioxide indicated use of selected free amino acids for energy purposes. Significantly lower abundance of heat shock protein 70 mRNA and trends towards stepwise reduction of antioxidant enzymes mRNA in the lens from fish exposed to increased water oxygenation were recorded, probably linked to increased growth and/or external stress during smoltification. This represents a first communication on using early molecular markers to express reduced protection of the fish lens against external stress to explain cataract development.     

The influence of body size on the diving behaviour and physiology of the bimodally respiring turtle, Elseya albagula

In aquatic vertebrates that acquire oxygen aerially dive duration scales positively with body mass, i.e. larger animals can dive for longer periods, however in bimodally respiring animals the relationship between dive duration and body mass is unclear. In this study we investigated the relationships between body size, aquatic respiration, and dive duration in the bimodally respiring turtle, Elseya albagula. Under normoxic conditions, dive duration was found to be independent of body mass. The dive durations of smaller turtles were equivalent to that of larger individuals despite their relatively smaller oxygen stores and higher mass specific metabolic rates. Smaller turtles were able to increase their dive duration through the use of aquatic respiration. Smaller turtles had a relatively higher cloacal bursae surface area than larger turtles, which allowed them to extract a relatively larger amount of oxygen from the water. By removing the ability to respire aquatically (hypoxic conditions), the dive duration of the smaller turtles significantly decreased restoring the normal positive relationship between body size and dive duration that is seen in other air-breathing vertebrates.     

Pathways to fitness: carry‐over effects of late hatching and urbanisation on lifetime mating success

Life history theory and most empirical studies assume carry‐over effects of larval ­conditions to shape adult fitness through their impact on metamorphic traits (age and mass at metamorphosis). Yet, very few formal tests of this connection across metamorphosis exist, because this entails longitudinal studies from the egg stage and requires measuring fitness in (semi)natural conditions. In a longitudinal one‐year common‐garden rearing experiment consisting of an outdoor microcosm part for the larval stage and a large outdoor insectary part for the adult stage, we studied the effects of two factors related to time constraints in the larval stage (egg hatching period and urbanisation) on life history traits and lifetime mating success in the males of the damselfly Coenagrion puella. We reared early‐ and late‐hatched larvae from each of three rural and three urban populations from the egg stage throughout their adult life. Key findings were that both the hatching period and urbanisation shaped adult fitness, yet through different pathways. As expected, the more time‐constrained late‐hatched individuals accelerated their larval life history and this was associated with a lower lifetime mating success. A path analysis revealed this carry‐over effect was mediated by the changes in the two metamorphic traits (reduced age and lower mass at emergence). Notably, urban males had a 50% lower lifetime mating success, which was not mediated by age and mass at emergence, and possibly driven by their shorter lifespan. Our results point to long‐term carry‐over effects of the usually ignored natural variation in egg hatching dates, and further contribute to the limited evidence showing fitness costs of adjusting to an urban lifestyle.     

Effects of ambient Lake Mohave temperatures on development,oxygen consumption,and hatching success of the razorback sucker

Synopsis Spawning of razorback suckers,Xyrauchen texanus, in Lake Mohave occurred from 10–22°C and larvae were collected at water temperatures from 10–15°C in 1982 and 1983. In the laboratory, hatching success was similar from 12–20°C, but reduced hatching success was found at 10°C while none hatched a 8°C. Development rate and oxygen consumption were positively related to incubation temperature. Direct effects of ambient Lake Mohave water temperatures on hatching success of razorback sucker embryos are considered minimal. Historical spawning temperatures for the species are hypothesized based upon successful incubation temperatures and comparison to the white sucker,Catostomus commersoni.     

Effects of sodium chloride, formalin and iodine on the hatching success of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, eggs

Saprolegniales are ubiquitous in natural water supplies of fish hatcheries, and often cause serious disease problems. Sodium chloride, formalin and iodine, administered twice a day as a flush at different concentrations, were tested on infected eggs of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, to evaluate their antifungal activity and effect on hatching rates. Sodium chloride at 35 000 mg L^?1 and formalin at 400 mg L^?1 were found to be most effective in controlling Saprolegnia sp., with 85.4 and 91.8% hatching rates, respectively. Iodine increased the hatching rate by 27% at 200 mg L^?1 (P < 0.05). There were infections on eggs exposed to all levels of iodine, but not on eggs treated with sodium chloride and formalin. Sodium chloride and formalin were more effective than iodine in controlling Saprolegnia. Sodium chloride is a safe, efficacious and economical treatment of Saprolegniosis and is therefore recommended for treating common carp eggs.