Early development of johnny darter,Etheostoma nigrum,and fantail darter,E. flabellare,with a discussion of its ecological and evolutionary aspects

Synopsis Fantail darters,Etheostoma flabellare, have larger eggs with greater yolk volume than johnny darters,E. nigrum, and have a longer embryo period. This longer embryo period is associated with accelerated finfold differentiation, producing a larger, better formed individual at the onset of exogenous feeding. Developmental differences among these two species and the rainbow darter,Etheostoma caeruleum, primarily in timing of ontogenetic events, are described in detail. These differences in timing are considered largely early developmental phenomena as they affect embryos, larvae, and aievins but apparently not juveniles or adults. Demographic aspects of early life history were assessed using data from studies of Ontario streams. Differences in early survival among species appear to play an important role in recruitment of mature females, but cannot be attributed to parental care or egg size differences.     

Temperature selection and critical thermal maxima of the fantail darter,Etheostoma flabellare,and johnny darter,E. nigrum,related to habitat and season

Synopsis Riffle dwelling fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare) selected lower temperatures in winter (19.3°C) compared to pool dwelling johnny darters (E. nigrum; 22.0°C. A similar trend was evident in summer tests (fantail darters, 20.3°C; johnny darters, 22.9°C). Summer tested animals selected higher temperatures than winter tested animals maintained at the same acclimation temperature and photoperiod. When tested together in the same gradient, both species appeared not to thermoregulate, but tended to avoid each other. Critical thermal maxima (CTMax) did not differ between seasons for either species (fantail darters, 31.1°C winter, 31.3°C summer; johnny darters, 30.9°C winter, 30.5°C summer). Differences in the thermal responses of these darters correlated with differences in their respective habitats.     

Impacts of a tertiary treated municipal wastewater effluent on the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures of two darter species (Etheostoma blennioides and E. caeruleum) in a small receiving environment

This study contrasted the influence of tertiary treated municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) exposure on the abundance, food selection (stomach contents), and carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) stable isotope signatures of Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) and Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blennioides) in a small receiving stream in southern Ontario, Canada. Despite tertiary treatment resulting in relatively high effluent quality, there is continued concern for environmental degradation downstream of the effluent outfall because of the relatively small size of the receiving environment and recent studies that have indicated changes occurring in relative fish abundance and stable isotope signatures. In July and August of 2009 fish and benthic invertebrate communities were examined along with analysis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of the most common species to determine the effects of effluent exposure on the food web. Rainbow Darter increased in abundance and their δ¹⁵N values were enriched immediately downstream of the effluent outfall throughout the summer (July and August). In contrast, while δ¹⁵N of Greenside Darter followed a similar pattern in July, they were not enriched in August. The benthic community was changed immediately downstream of the outfall and the δ¹⁵N of invertebrates was enriched, similar to that observed in Rainbow Darter. Stomach contents of the two darter species diverged the most in the summer possibly explaining some of the changes in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N among sites. It is possible that Greenside Darter fed on less enriched food downstream of the outfall, or fed outside of the effluent plume during the summer. Rainbow Darter may be able to exploit the changes in habitat and prey composition, resulting in differences in relative abundance of darters immediately downstream of the effluent outfall.     

Comparison of low oxygen avoidance in a bimodal breather,Erpetoichthys calabaricus and an obligate water breather,Percina caprodes

Synopsis Behavioral responses of the African reedfish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, (Polypteridae), a bimodal breather, and the logperch, Percina caprodes, (Percidae), an obligate water breather, to low concentrations of dissolved oxygen were examined in a two-choice experimental design. In contrast to logperch, which consistently avoided dissolved oxygen concentrations of about 2.0 mg 1⁻¹, reedfish did not exhibit strong avoidance to dissolve oxygen concentrations of 0.5 mg 1⁻¹ and less.     

Effect of low rhizosphere oxygen on growth, nitrogen fixation and nodule morphology in lucerne

Oxygen shortage in soils can occur following a wide range of natural circumstances, affecting the plant's physiology. In this paper the performance of nodulated lucerne plants under severe hypoxia is examined and the mechanisms involved to achieve this adaptation are discussed. Nodulated lucerne plants ( Medicago sativa L.) were grown with their rooting medium exposed to 1 or 21 kPa oxygen. Final yield, as expressed on a shoot dry weight basis, was unaffected but root and nodule dry weights were reduced by 50%. Water content in roots and nodules was higher at 1 kPa as a result of the formation of aerenchyma. Specific acetylene reduction activity was higher in hypoxic nodules as a consequence of modified nodule structure, although they were more sensitive to the presence of acetylene or nitrate. Root respiration was insensitive to changes in external oxygen supply, therefore providing adequate support for mineral uptake. Nodule respiration rates were 5 times higher in control plants when measured as CO₂ evolution, whereas no differences were observed in O₂ uptake. It is suggested that adaptation of nodulated lucerne to low oxygen concentrations involves changes in photosynthate allocation and nodule morphology, which provide a more efficient nitrogen fixation.     

Effect of controlled redox potential and dissolved oxygen on the in vitro refolding of an E. coli alkaline phosphatase and chicken lysozyme

The development of efficient purification strategies of recombinant active protein derived from inclusion bodies requires the knowledge of the effect of environmental variables, such as redox potential (RP) and dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), in order to control the protein folding process. However, that information is scarce and only few in vitro studies of the impact of such variables have been reported under constant controlled conditions. In this work, the effect of controlled RP and DOT on the refolding of E. coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) and chicken lysozyme (CL) enzymes were studied. Disulphide bonds of both enzymes were reduced in an instrumented vessel using 2-mercaptoethanol and nitrogen. In the latter case, guanidine hydrochloride was also used to denature the protein. Such conditions caused protein conformational changes, as determined by the intrinsic fluorescence spectra that correlated with a decrease on the activity in both cases. Reduced enzymes were then oxidized, under different constant and predetermined RP or DOT, by manipulating the gas composition in the vessel. Folding kinetics were followed as the recovery of enzyme activity. Results showed that the percentage of recovery and rate of increase of enzymatic activity directly depended on the RP and DOT. A higher folding efficiency was found under controlled DOT compared to controlled RP conditions. These results are useful for establishing protein folding strategies to improve the recovery of active protein from inclusion bodies.     

Distribution of fish in the Virgin River,a tributary of the lower Colorado River

Synopsis The Virgin River, a major tributary of the lower Colorado River, contains a unique, though impoverished, native ichthyofauna (six species) that is largely intact despite the introduction of exotic fishes (13 species) and alterations of the river. The main conclusions of the study are: (1) The longitudinal distribution pattern of the native species does not follow theoretical expectations of a downstream increase in species richness; (2) for the size of the basin (>15,000 km²), the native ichthyofauna is extremely depauperate; and (3) most of the exotic fish are not established in the river, but persist through repeated invasions from downstream reservoirs.     

西藏慈巴沟自然保护区鬣羚生境选择的季节性变化

2001 年12 月至2002 年8 月, 在西藏察隅慈巴沟国家级自然保护区采用设立固定样方的方法, 调查鬣羚对植被类型, 海拔、坡度、郁闭度、隐蔽度以及水源距离等指标的选择利用情况。通过计算Ivlev 的选择性指数,对鬣羚植被类型选择及其季节性变化进行了研究。研究发现, 鬣羚冬季主要选择箭竹—针叶林型, 到春季向下迁移, 对针阔混交林的选择性最大, 而夏季向上迁移, 利用范围扩大, 选择类型包括针阔混交林、箭竹—针叶林、杜鹃—针叶林。鬣羚对植被与对海拔高度选择趋势呈极显著相关( P < 0.01) , 表明海拔高度和植被类型对鬣羚活动分布有着相似的影响。食物的季节性变化可能是鬣羚对植被类型和垂直高度选择变化的主要原因。鬣羚在春季和冬季对平缓坡利用最大, 夏季对急陡坡利用最大, 这可能是因为随坡位变化而表现出的冬春与夏季差异。但鬣羚对隐蔽度、郁闭度和水源距离这3 个因子的选择并没有表现出明显的季节变化, 仅表现为利用中隐蔽度、高郁闭度和距离水源较近的地方。     

Respiratory metabolism of mosquitofish,Gambusia affinis: effects of temperature,dissolved oxygen,and sex difference

Synopsis Routine respiratory metabolic rates of mosquitofish (0.2 g live weight) were determined at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C at normoxic, hypoxic (= 40 torr P_O2), and extreme hypoxic (= 25 torr P_O2) conditions. Rates generally increased with increases in temperature (overall Q₁₀ = 2.11 at normoxia). Significant depressions (P<0.05) in rates were measured at 30 and 35°C at extreme hypoxic conditions. Males exhibited higher mortality at extreme hypoxia than females, especially at 35°C. Metabolic rates were significantly elevated at hyperoxic conditions (= 300 torr P_O2) at 25 and 30°C, but not at 35°C. Resting routine rates of less-confined fish were determined at 20, 25, and 30°C at normoxia and were significantly lower than the routine rates at the same temperatures. Behavioral experiments showed that aquatic surface respiration is initiated by mosquitofish at 20–65 torr P_O2 and is obligatory below 20 torr at 20° C. Overall, respiratory metabolic rates provide a quantitative metabolic basis from which predation rates of mosquitofish in various environments can be estimated.     

Seasonal changes of blood values in Rufous-collared sparrows from high and low altitude

Haematocrit, red blood cell (RBC) count, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, and plasma solids concentration, were measured in populations ofZonotrichia capensis captured during different seasons of the year at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3500 m. Winter blood values of birds from high and low altitude proved not to be significantly different. Similar results were obtained during summertime, with the exception of cell Hb content and concentration, which were about 10% higher in low-altitude birds. Seasonal changes in RBC size and number appear to be better correlated with the prevailing summer and winter conditions than with the particular altitudinal distribution of the examined populations.     

Trade-offs in the response of mayflies to low oxygen and fish predation

Summary We examined how mayfly larvae (Ephemeroptera,Callibaetis montanus) balance the conflicting demands of avoiding both benthic hypoxia and fish predators. Using vertical oxygen and temperature gradients typical of ice-covered lakes, we observed the behavior of mayflies in the presence and absence of fish. In the absence of fish and with adequate oxygen, mayflies spent most of the time on the bottom substrate. As benthic oxygen concentration declined, mayflies increased their activity and moved up in the water column. In the presence of fish and with adequate oxygen, mayflies spent even more time associated with the bottom substrate and reduced their activity levels. As benthic oxygen concentrations declined, mayflies increased their activity and moved up in the water column, but to a lesser extent than when fish were absent. Because of this depression in activity and reluctance to leave the bottom substrate, mayflies endured lower oxygen concentrations in the face of predation threat relative to when fish were absent. Despite this trade-off, benthic hypoxia resulted in increased mortality due to fish predation. Because benthic invertebrates vary in their ability to tolerate hypoxia and in their vulnerability to fish predators, periods of benthic hypoxia could lead to selective predation on some taxa and be an important force structuring benthic invertebrate assemblages.     

Summer daytime habitat and population density of the torrent catfish, Liobagrus reini, in the Urano River

The population density and summer daytime habitat characteristics of the endangered torrent catfish, Liobagrus reini, in the Urano River, a tributary of the Chikuma River in Nagano, central Japan, were investigated. A total of 105 individuals were captured in 2001–2003, and the estimated population density 100m^–2 in the whole study area ranged from 0.20 to 2.96. Liobagrus reini were captured from under cobbles and boulders, interstices in bedrock, and in clumps of roots of terrestrial vegetation along banks. Compared with the distribution of physical factors in the study area, the fish selected shallow habitats with the riverbed covered by cobbles and boulders. Boulders and larger cobbles were chosen by larger individuals as a habitat. Habitat selection was not correlated with current velocity, and some individuals were sampled near (<1m) the riverbank with no current. For the conservation of L. reini, the preservation of natural riverbanks and areas with boulders and large cobbles in the riverbed is concluded to be important.     

Effects of increased phosphorus loading on dissolved oxygen in a subtropical wetland, the Florida Everglades

The Florida Everglades is an oligotrophic, phosphorus (P)-limited wetland that is experiencing eutrophication as a result of P-enriched agricultural runoff. Effects of P enrichment on diel water-column dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) profiles were measured along nutrient gradients downstream of agricultural discharges in two northern Everglades marshes and in field enclosures (mesocosms) exposed to different P loading rates. Reference (i.e., water-column TP < 10 g/L) areas in the marsh interior were characterized by strong diel fluctuations in DO, and aerobic conditions generally were maintained throughout the diel cycle. Enriched stations (water-column TP elevated to between 12 and 131 g/L) were characterized by dampened diel fluctuations and reduced DO, and the extent of these changes was correlated strongly with marsh P concentrations. Mean DO declined from between 1.81 and 7.52 mg/L at reference stations to between 0.04 and 3.18 mg/L in highly enriched areas. Similarly, minimum DO declined from between 0.33 and 5.86 mg/L to between 0 and 0.84 mg/L with increasing enrichment, and the frequency of extremely low DO (< 1 mg/L) increased from between 0 and 20% to as high as 100% in the most enriched areas. Diel oxygen profiles in P-enriched mesocosms declined progressively with time; all loading treatments exhibited similar DO during the 1^st year of P loading, but concentrations declined significantly at higher loads by year 3. Reductions in water-column DO with increased P enrichment were associated with reduced oxygen production by submersed periphyton and macrophytes and increased sediment oxygen demand. Increased emergent macrophyte cover in enriched areas likely contributed to these changes by shading the water-column, which inhibited submerged productivity, and by providing inputs of nutrient-rich detritus, which increased oxygen demand. Declines in marsh DO are associated with other ecological changes such as increased anaerobic metabolism and an increase in invertebrate taxa that tolerate low DO. While background oxygen concentrations in wetlands can be lower than those in lakes and rivers, declines in water-column DO caused by eutrophication can result in biological impacts similar to those in other aquatic ecosystems.     

Direct and indirect effects of hypoxia on benthos in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, U.S.A.

Hypoxia (low oxygen conditions) has been found in the southeastern region of Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, U.S.A. every summer since 1988. The objectives of the current study were to determine direct and indirect effects of hypoxia on macrofauna. Direct physiological effects of hypoxia include reduction of benthic abundance, biomass, diversity, species richness and species evenness because of physiological intolerance. Indirect ecological effects of hypoxia include predation of emerging benthic fauna from the sediment. Macrofaunal community characteristics were compared vertically within sediments in caged and uncaged sediment samples in hypoxic and normoxic areas. Cage effects were determined with partial cages, which had reduced flow and no predator exclusion. Dissolved oxygen concentrations during the experiment was monitored in water column profiles and continuous measurement of bottom water in the hypoxic and normoxic areas. Hypoxia in Corpus Christi Bay in 1999 occurred as transient events, many of which were of short duration (less than 1 h) and moderate intensity (around 2 mg l^− 1). The macrobenthic community characteristics (i.e., abundance, biomass, species richness, diversity, and evenness) were directly affected by hypoxia as indicated by depressed levels and few deeper-dwelling organisms in the hypoxic area. Community structure was also different between the hypoxic and normoxic areas because of loss of species (presumably due to intolerance to low oxygen) in the hypoxic areas. Benthic invertebrates were found primarily in the surface in the hypoxic area, but there was no significant indication of indirect effects, i.e., increased predation pressure in the hypoxic area. The increased exposure to predation risk may be mitigated by predator avoidance of hypoxic areas. In conclusion, hypoxia in Corpus Christi Bay has negative direct effects on benthic organisms, but no indirect effects, such as increased predation pressure. The most significant finding is the interaction between hypoxia and vertical distributions of infauna, which drive hypoxia intolerant organisms to the surface and out of sediments.     

The influence of wetlands, decaying organic matter, and stirring by wildlife on the dissolved oxygen concentration in eutrophicated water holes in the Seronera River, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) was sampled during a diurnal cycle in three water holes heavily used by wildlife and with distinctive biological features along the Seronera River. The DO fluctuated widely (by up to 11.5 mg l⁻¹) as a function of time, mechanical stirring and aeration by animals, and the presence of fringing wetlands. The DO cycle was successfully modeled (within 0.3 mg l⁻¹) by assuming that the four dominant processes were photosynthesis and respiration by algae near the surface, trapping by wetlands, decomposition of dead organic matter on the bottom, and stirring/aeration by hippos. The rate of DO decline from the decay of dead organic matter was equal to the rate of DO removal by algal respiration at night.     

Respiratory and hematological responses of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, to acute changes in dissolved oxygen

Behavioral and physiological responses to acute changes in dissolved oxygen were examined in the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo. In two sets of respirometry experiments, sharks were randomly exposed to seawater in oxygen contents of 6.0, 5.0, 4.0 and 3.0 mg l⁻¹. During exposure, bonnetheads increased mouth gape from 0.8 cm at 6.0 mg l⁻¹ to 2.2 cm at 3.0 mg l⁻¹, while ventilation volume increased from 0.61 to 5.28 l min⁻¹ kg⁻¹. Standard oxygen consumption remained unchanged (163-181 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) throughout all treatments and was not significantly different. Utilization (%) declined from 52.3% at 6.0 mg l⁻¹ to 21.3% when oxygen levels reached 3.0 mg l⁻¹. Changes in oxygen content of ambient water also caused no significant change in either blood oxygen content or hematocrit. Using cellulose acetate electrophoresis, a single hemoglobin profile was identified at seawater of 6.0 mg l⁻¹ and hypoxic conditions. Results suggest bonnetheads are physiologically able to tolerate moderate levels of hypoxia.     

Seasonal changes in cold tolerance,water relations and accumulation of cations and compatible solutes in Atriplex halimus L.

We determined the cold (freezing) tolerance for field-grown plants of Atriplex halimus L. (Chenopodiaceae) in relation to plant ploidy level, leaf water relations and accumulation of osmolytes. Plants were grown at two sites in Murcia (Spain), having average minimum temperatures in the coldest month of 0.6 and 12.1 °C, respectively. LT₅₀ values derived from laboratory freezing tests, using leaves taken from the plants in early winter and in spring, showed greater tolerance for winter-harvested leaves; the acclimation was more pronounced at the cold-winter site. Cold tolerance was related positively with leaf K and/or Na accumulation. Analysis of compatible organic solutes (soluble sugars, total amino acids and quaternary ammonium compounds) showed that cold tolerance (measured both as LT₅₀ and as winter freezing damage in situ) was related most closely with leaf concentrations of soluble sugars. The leaf percentage dry matter content was related to both in vitro and in vivo tolerance, while tolerance in vitro was correlated also with the osmotic (potential ψ_s) and the relative water content. The two diploid (2n = 2x = 18) populations, from Spain, showed greater cold tolerance than the three tetraploid (2n = 4x = 36) populations, from North Africa and Syria, which may be related to the latter's greater cell size and consequent dilution of osmolytes. In this halophytic species, cold tolerance, like salinity and drought tolerance, seems to depend on osmotic adjustment, driven by vacuolar accumulation of K and Na and cytoplasmic accumulation of compatible solutes.