Adrenerge Innervation im Hoden und Nebenhoden vom Schwan (Cygnus olor)

Zusammenfassung Hoden und Nebenhoden vom Schwan wurden mit der von Falck und Hillarp entwickelten Methode zum fluoreszenzmikroskopischen Nachweis von Catechol- und Tryptaminen untersucht.Im Hoden findet sich ein engmaschiges Geflecht fluoreszierender Nervenfasern zwischen den Tubuli seminiferi, das vorwiegend die Leydig-Zellen umhüllt. Im Elektronenmikroskop beobachtet man zahlreiche nackte Axone mit granulären Vesikeln zwischen einzelnen Leydig-Zellen. Aus diesem Befund wird gefolgert, daß das Zwischenzellsystem beim Schwan im Gegensatz zu den Verhältnissen bei den meisten Mammaliern eine direkte sympathische Innervation besitzt.In den ableitenden Samenwegen verhält sich die noradrenerge Innervation ebenfalls anders als bei Mammaliern: Die proximalen Ductuli efferentes sind die am stärksten innervierten Gangabschnitte. Auf Grund mikrospektrofluorimetrischer Befunde wird angenommen, daß der Transmitter in den fluoreszierenden Nervenfasern Noradrenalin ist. Fluorimetrische Bestimmungen des Catecholamingehaltes zeigen die Anwesenheit großer Mengen von Noradrenalin im Hoden und Nebenhoden (5,16–5,50 g/g).

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Adrenergic innervation in the testis and epididymis of the swan (Cygnus olor)

Summary The testis and epididymis of the swan were investigated by means of Falck's and Hillarp's method for fluorescence microscopical detection of catechol- and tryptamines.In the testis a dense plexus of green fluorescent nerve fibres was found to course between the tubuli seminiferi and to surround clusters of Leydig-cells. Electronmicroscopically numerous bare axons containing dense core vesicles were observed between individual Leydig-cells. These results favour the assumption that in contrast to what has been found in most mammals the testicular interstitial cell system of the swan is supplied by sympathetic nerve fibres.The adrenergic innervation of the excretory ducts was also found to behave different from that in mammals: The innervation is most dense in the proximal portions of the ductuli efferentes. From the results of microspectrofluorimetric measurements it is concluded that the transmitter is most likely noradrenaline. Fluorimetric determinations reveal the presence of high amounts of noradrenaline (5,16–5,50 g/g).

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Mit dankenswerter Unterstützung durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft und die Joachim Jungius-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften, Hamburg.     

Winter territoriality of Mute Swans Cygnus olor

There was considerable variation in winter territoriality among Mute Swan pairs around Oxford, though most pairs maintained their territories for at least half the winter. Variation was associated with temperature and with territory quality pairs left their territories most commonly during the coldest months of the winter, and pairs on good territories, with abundant vegetation and accessible pasture. stayed longer on territory than those on poor territories with sparse vegetation and little pasture. As in other species, exclusive territorial defence was maintained at intermediate levels of resource availability, and flocks were able to settle on a few particularly good territories. Circumstantial evidence suggested that winter territories may be maintained not only to provide an adequate food supply for the owners but also to ensure access to a brerding site by preventing other individuals from taking over the area.     

Resources and reproductive performance in Mute swans Cygnus olor

Around Oxford, breeding pairs of mute swans maintained territories throughout most of the year and these territories varied considerably in potential food availability in the form of aquatic vegetation, bread supplied by the public and pasture for grazing. On territories with abundant aquatic vegetation females laid earlier larger clutches than on those with little aquatic vegetation. Clutches were also larger on territories with a high potential bread supply. In addition, adult females were heavier on territories with a high diversity of aquatic vegetation. However, contrary to expectation, there were no direct relationships between territory quality measures and other aspects of reproductive performance including number of young fledged, egg volume, cygnet weight or size, or adult male weight. Instead, the number of young fledged was related to clutch size; egg volume was related to laying date; and cygnet weight was related to age and egg volume. Adult male weight was positively related to age.     

Das anatomische und das physiologische Sehfeld der Ommatidien im Komplexauge von Musca

Summary The sensitivity distribution of visual elements in the front region of the compound eye of Musca is investigated by means of intracellular micropipette recording. This distribution approximates a Gauss-function of 7.7 degree half-value in the horizontal plane. Using a bleaching effect of the Musca compound eye as an indicator, the angular distances between the optical axes of adjacent ommatidia are measured and found to vary between 2.3 and 3.9 degrees. Thus the visual fields of adjacent ommatidia strongly overlap. Based on these findings a calculation reveals that less than 12% of the mean efficient light flux is received from the anatomically determined visual field of the ommatidium. Similar percentages for Calliphora (less than 20%) and Limulus (less than 19%) result from evaluation of data collected by other investigators. — Light entering the visual element from different directions (more than 5° apart) is demonstrated to be 1.2 to 1.4 times more effective than light received from the same direction. — Consequences of the overlap of visual fields of adjacent ommatidia for perception of motions and patterns by the compound eye are discussed.

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Mit Unterstützung durch die Stiftung Volkswagenwerk. Kybernetik, Band 2     

Das Bindegewebe im Schwanz von Anurenlarven

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Some sub-lethal effects of lead on mute swan Cygnus olor

Tissue and blood lead levels in mute swans Cygnus olor (Gmelin) were used to investigate sublethal effects of lead. Three categories of swan mortality were defined: (1) acute lead poisoning; (2) collisions; and (3) other reasons. In most tissues, lead concentrations were highest according to the cause of death in order: lead poisoning < collisions < other causes. Elevated blood levels and haematological disorders were detected in swans which had collided with objects. The possible role of elevated lead in causing collisions in mute swans is discussed.     

An analysis of weight changes in the Mute Swan Cygnus olor

The weights of Mute Swans contain useful information on individuals' prospects for survival and breeding but to interpret them one needs to know what 'typical' weights would be. This paper uses multiple linear regression to predict such 'typical' weights: 1968 zveighings of 957 Mute Swans, from south Staffordshire, England, are analysed with respect to sex, age, moultstage, month of capture and breeding status. Because of marked sexual dimorphism, knowing a swan's sex is fundamental to interpreting its weight; age from hatching and stage of primary feather growth affect cygnets' weights near fledging; weights of young swans change with age during their first years of life; primary feather moult significantly depresses the weights of first year males but not, in this study area, of older males or females; monthly, seasonal changes are generally small; breeding adults are significantly heavier. The results and their biological implications agree well with other, less comprehensive, analyses. The method described could facilitate both the identification of other factors that should be investigated and comparisons between different study areas.     

Das Auge von Platynereis dumerilii (Polychaeta) Sein Feinbau im ontogenetischen und adaptiven Wandel

Zusammenfassung Der Feinbau des Auges von Platynereis dumerilii wurde auf drei Entwicklungsstadien untersucht: beim Jungwurm, beim ausgewachsenen atoken und beim epitoken Wurm.Das Juvenilauge besteht aus zwei Sehzellen mit Receptorkeulen und aus zwei Pigmentbecherzellen, welche den Pigmentbecher und die Füllmasse bilden.Im ausgewachsenen Auge entsprechen den Pigmentbecherzellen des Juvenilauges die Stützzellen. Cytoplasmatische Fortsätze der Stützzellen bilden im Augeninnern die Füllmasse (Linse); sie bleiben mit den Leibern der Stützzellen durch schmale Cytoplasmatische Säulen verbunden, welche den Receptorsaum durchqueren. Die Stützzellen werden der Länge nach von Stützfibrillen durchzogen. — Die Receptorkeule (Stäbchen) der Sehzelle ist mit vielen unregelmäßig angeordneten Mikrovilli besetzt und enthält Vesikel, paarige Membranen und ein Basalkorn mit einer Wimperwurzel. — Der Becher aus Stützzellpigment wird von Pigmentgranula in den Sehzellen vervollständigt.Die epidermale Umgebung des Auges wird beschrieben; sie ist frei von Interzellularlücken.Die Pupillenregionen hell- und dunkel-adaptierter Tiere werden miteinander verglichen. Mögliche Mechanismen des Pupillenspiels werden diskutiert.

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Summary The fine structure of the eye of Platynereis dumerilii was examined in the juvenile worm, in the atokal adult, and in the epitokal polychaete.The juvenile eye consists of two visual cells with receptor clubs and of two pigment cells forming the Füllmasse and the pigment cup.In the adult worm the supporting cells correspond to the pigment cells in the juvenile eye. The central processes of the supporting cells build up the Füllmasse (lens); they remain connected with the supporting cells by narrow cytoplasmic stalks which pass the photoreceptor region. Fibrils run through the entire length of the supporting cells. — The receptor club (rod) of the visual cell shows irregularly arranged microvilli; it contains vesicles and paired membranes and a basal body with a striated rootlet. — The pigment granules of both visual and supporting cells form the pigment cup of the eye.The epidermal surroundings of the eye are described, there are no intercellular gaps.The pupillar region of light and dark-adapted specimens was examined and the kinetics of pupillar movements are discussed.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. W. Bakgrann zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet. — Die Untersuchung wurde mit dankenswerter Hilfe der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft durchgeführt.     

Das Zusammenleben von Riffanemonen und Anemonenfischen

Fünf Anemonenarten, Actinia quatricolor, Discosoma giganteum, Antheopsis koseirensis conspera, Antheopsis koseirensis maculata und Antheopsis crispa, die mit zwei Anemonenfischarten, Amphiprion bicinctus und Dascyllus trimaculatus vergesellschaftet sein können, wurden an den Riffen um die “Marine Biological Station Hurgada”, Ägypten, studiert. Ihre Ökologie und ihre Ethologie unter natürlichen Bedingungen wird beschrieben. Die Anemonenfische besitzen keinen angeborenen Nesselschutz; er muß erworben werden. Der Ablauf der Anpassung eines A. bicinctus an eine der Anemonenarten wurde analysiert. Die Anemonen bestimmen die Nesselschutzstufe, die die Fische nach vollzogener Anpassung besitzen. Austauschversuche ergaben 3 Stufen des Nesselschutzes. Nesselschutzstufe 1 besitzen Fische, die sich in A. quatricolor und D. giganteum aufhalten; Fische der Nesselschutzstufe 2 können sich zusätzlich in A. k. conspera aufhalten. Fische der Nesselschutzstufe 3 werden von sämtlichen 5 Anemonenarten nicht genesselt. Der Nesselschutz angepaßter Anemonenfische ist zeitlich begrenzt und klingt nach Trennung der Fische von den Anemonen innerhalb von 2–10 Tagen — je nach Anemonenart — ab. Der Grüße und dem Bewegungsmuster der Fische kommen bei dem Zustandekommen der Vergesellschaftung keine Bedeutung zu. Die Nesselbereitschaft von Anemonen, die mit Fischen vergesellschaftet sind, unterscheidet sich von der isoliert gehaltener nicht. Auch das Verhalten der Anemonen wird durch die Anpassung nicht verändert. Der Nesselschutz entsteht nicht durch die Bildung oder Aktivierung eines Schutzstoffes in der Fischhaut, sondern durch Imprägnierung der Fischhaut mit spezifischen Schutzstoffen die von den Anemonen stammen, durch welche der Fisch sozusagen zu einem Stück Anemonenoberfläche wird. Künstlich mit Anemonenstoffen beladene, normalerweise nicht mit Anemonen vergesellschaftete Fischarten sind gleichfalls gegen Nesselung geschützt. Der Nesselschutz kann auch auf leblose Gegenstände übertragen werden. Das Verhalten von Anemonenfischen unterscheidet sich von dem anderer Riffische nur durch das wiederholte Aufsuchen der Anemone trotz anfänglicher Nesselung. Das Zusammenleben von Riffanemonen und Anemonenfischen erfüllt nicht den Tatbestand der Symbiose, sondern den der Synökie.     

Lead levels in the blood of Mute swans Cygnus olor on the River thames

In this paper blood lead levels in three categories of Mute swan are examined, (i) flock birds (ii) breeding birds and (iii) cygnets. From these regional, seasonal and sex variation for both 1980 and 1981 was examined. In addition a portable haematofluorometer was assessed to determine its possible use as an alternative to atomic absorption and spectrophotometry for determining a measure of lead exposure.
Very few swans on the River Thames had blood lead levels below the maximum acceptable level of 40 mgg/100 ml. In general lead levels increased with proximity to London and the swans on the tributaries consistently had the lowest levels which were always below the maximum acceptable level. Blood lead levels in flock birds were shown to be highest during the coarse fishing season and it was only during the close season that levels dropped to around 40 g/1OO ml. Breeding females had significantly higher lead levels than males and females with lead levels in excess of 200 g/1OO ml seemed to have a poor chance of producing cygnets or surviving to the next breeding season. Cygnet mortality was significantly higher on the lower Thames where blood lead levels were also known to be at their highest.     

Causes of mortality in the Mute swan Cygnus olor on the River Thames

Over the last 20 years there has been an unprecedented decline of the Mute swan on the River Thames. Between August 1979 and October 1981 a systematic attempt was made to collect as many swan corpses as possible. Of 94 swan corpses examined at post-mortem 57% died from lead poisoning due to ingestion of anglers' weights. Birds dying from lead poisoning had significantly higher liver and kidney lead levels. Kidney proved to be the most useful indicator tissue, the median lead level in birds with lead weights in their gizzard was 908 μg/g DM compared to 8 μg/g DM in birds without weights. More immature birds die from lead poisoning than other factors and significantly more corpses were found between the months of July-October.
Ultra-structure examinations revealed electron dense intra-nuclear inclusions in the cells of proximal convulated tubules of the kidney and X-ray analysis confirmed that these structures consisted of lead.     

Prefledging survival of Mute Swan Cygnus olor cygnets in the Lothians,UK

Capsule Survival rates 1981–98 were quantified between four growth stages, and related to habitat type and altitude

Aims To investigate variability in Mute Swan productivity in relation to habitat type and altitude.

Methods Cygnets were studied and categorized as they developed from small size through medium and large to fledged. Natal territory was classed as river, canal or still water, and altitude of each site established.

Results Of 2576 cygnets studied, 69% fledged. Fledging rate varied from 57% on low altitude still waters to 78% on mid-altitude still waters, and from 72% on rivers to 82% on canals. Survival was lower between the early growth stages. Of the pairs that bred, 72% produced at least one small cygnet and 61% fledged at least one cygnet. Pairs that nested on rivers suffered the greatest loss of complete clutches or broods of newly hatched cygnets and 41% failed to raise at least one small cygnet. The breeding population increased annually by 7% from 15 pairs to 69 pairs between 1978 and 1998 and consequently the number of cygnets fledged increased annually by 7%. Productivity was higher than in other populations at 2.6 cygnets fledged per breeding pair; ranging from 2.1 on rivers to 3.6 on mid-altitude still waters.

Conclusions Cygnet survival was lower during the early growth stages across all habitats. Survival was consistently poorer on low altitude still waters, probably due to inadequate diet. Although survival in the Lothians varied with habitat type and altitude, productivity was higher than in other areas of Britain.     

Nachweis und Wertbestimmung von Hormonen und Vitaminen im Tierexperiment

Ohne Zusammenfassung