Comparison of growth characteristics of New Zealand isolates of the prymnesiophytes Chrysochromulina quadrikonta and C.camella with those of the ichthyotoxic species C.polylepis

Chrysochromulina quadrikonta (Prymnesiophyceae), a quadriflagellatespecies previously unrecorded in New Zealand, was isolated fromNelson Harbour, New Zealand, in autumn 1991. It bears unmineralizedplate and spine scales, which morphologically are most likethose of Chrysochromulina ericina. Chrysochromulina quadrikonta,Chrysochromulina camella (isolated from the Marlborough Sounds,New Zealand) and Chrysochromulina polylepis (an ichthyotoxicspecies originally isolated from Scandinavia) grew most rapidly(growth rates, or divisions per day, of 1.41, 1.49 and 1.43,respectively) when cultured in a seawater-based general-purposenutrient medium at a salinity of 24% and pH 7.9, with only C.camellastill growing at 42% Chrysochromulina quadrikonta and C.camellagrew optimally at 25°C. and C.polylepis between 15 and 20°C;only C.polylepis grew at 10°C. Chrysochromulina quadrikontagrew optimally with potassium nitrate and ammonium chlorideas nitrogen source, whereas C.camella and C.polylepis grew equallywell with urea as nitrogen source. Only C.quadrikonta and C.polylepishad a selenium requirement. Unlike C.polylepis, neither of theNew Zealand isolates was phagotrophic nor ichthyotoxic.     

Vegetative Anatomy of Uncinia (Cyperaceae)

The vegetative anatomy of 18 (19) Uncinia spp. (Cyperaceae-Cariceae)including representatives of most taxonomic subdivisions wasstudied to determine the range of variation in certain anatomicaland morphological characters of the vegetative organs withinthe genus. The two South American species U. erinacea and U. kingii differfrom all others, the former in having a closed cylinder of sclerenchymain the culm, and the latter a grooved culm. The three tall SouthAmerican spp., U. brevicaulis, U. hamata, and U. phleoides var.trichocarpa, are characterized by adaxial intercostal fibrestrands in the leaves, and in this respect show affinities withtall New Zealand species, U. sinclairii and U. uncinata. Thelast species does not have the intercostal strands. The muchsmaller U. tenuis from S. America resembles, in the size andshape of transverse sections of leaf and culm, a group of speciesfrom New Zealand comprising U. angustifolia, U. egmontiana,and U. rupestris. To these could be added U. banksii, U. hookeri,and perhaps also U. tenella, although the last two spp. exhibitsome distinctive characters in the transverse section of theleaf and also in the leaf epidermis in surface view. No exactcounterpart to the Australian and New Zealand spp. U. divaricata,U. riparia, U. rubra and U. scabra was found amongst the S.American material. This group of spp. is distinctive, for example,because of the triangular or irregularly triangular shape oftransverse sections of the culm and the large amount of sclerenchymain transverse sections of the leaf. The range of structural variation appears to be particularlywide in the S. American spp., which represent two extreme typesin the shape of the leaf in transverse section. The other talland small species have their respective counterparts in eacharea, although they are more profusely represented in New Zealandthan in America, and therefore show a correspondingly greaterrange of structure.     

Breeding Systems in New Zealand Plants: I. Fuchsia

The three New Zealand Fuchsia species have heteromorphic flowerspreviously described as heterostyled. F. excorticata and F.perscandens are shown to be gynodioecious and F. procumbenstrioecious. The frequencies of the two forms in several populationsof F. excorticata are given.     

The combined effects of temperature and salinity on the survival of Euterpina acutifrons (Dana) (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the New Zealand and Brazilian coasts

The combined effects of temperature and salinity on the survivalof non ovigerous female Euterpina acutifrons from the south-easternNew Zealand and southern Brazilian coasts were studied. Sixsalinities (6, 20, 34, 48, 62 and 76 ) and five temperatures(5, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C) were used for New Zealand specimenswhile six temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C) andthe same salinities were employed for the Brazilian specimens.The mortality data were analysed statistically using multipleregression techniques. Animals from New Zealand showed greatertolerance to cold, less to high temperatures and more resistanceto both high and low salinities than those from Brazil, Animalsfrom both areas were slightly more tolerant of low temperaturein high salinities and of high temperature in low salinities.These striking differences observed between New Zealand andBrazilian populations of E. acutifrons imply the existence ofdifferent physiological races in this species.     

THYSANODONTINAE: A NEW SUBFAMILY OF THE TROCHIDAE (GASTROPODA)

New genera Thysanodonta, Carinastele and Herbertina are referredto a new subfamily of the Troch-idae, Thysanodontinae, on thebasis of extremely distinctive jaw and radula. At up to 1400times longer than broad, the teeth are the most slender of anyknown gastropod, and they are unique among archae-ogastropodsin having harpoon-like tips with back-wardly inclined barbs.While food and feeding mode are unknown, it is suggested thatthey feed suctorially, perhaps on cnidarians. New species describedare Thysanodonta aucklandica, T. wairua, Carinastele kristelleae,C. jugosa, and C. coronata from New Zealand, T. boucheti fromNew Caledonia, and Herbertina eos and H. cognata from SouthAfrica. The Tasmanian Basilissa nicetarium Hedley & Mayis tentatively referred to Carinastele (Received 23 September 1987;     

THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF LAROCHEA FINLAY, 1927, AND INTRODUCTION OF A NEW GENUS AND TWO NEW SPECIES (GASTROPODA: SCISSURELLIDAE)

Species of the gastropod genus Larochea Finlay, 1927 are shownto be scissurellids without an anal shell slit or foramen. TheNew Zealand species, L. miranda Finlay, 1927 and L. secundaPowell, 1937, brood their young in the right subpallial cavityagainst a modified inner lip that is set well behind the aperturalplane. Larochea scitula n.sp. is based on shells from WanganellaBank, southern Norfolk Ridge. Larocheopsis n. gen. is introducedfor a minute species from off northern New Zealand that lacksa shell brood chamber. Larochea miranda and Larocheopsis amplexan.sp. are either gonochoristic with smaller males or consecutivehermaphrodites, while Larochea secunda and L. scitula are evidentlygonochoristic, having mature males and females of similar size. (Received 23 July 1992; accepted 10 December 1992)     

Relative impacts of copepods, cladocerans and nutrients on the microbial food web of a mesotrophic lake

Calanoid copepods, rather than cladocerans, frequently dominatethe zooplankton of lakes in New Zealand. The potential consequencesof this domination for the microbial community of mesotrophicLake Mahinerangi, New Zealand, were determined by field experimentsin which Boeckella and Daphnia were added to in situ enclosuresin the presence and absence of added nutrients. Boeckella hamataat ambient densities (2 and 81^–1) rapidly and severelysuppressed ciliate population growth over 4 days, even whenmicrobial growth was enhanced by added nutrients, but effectsof copepods on other components of the microbial community (bacteria,photosynthetic picoplankton, heterotrophic nano-flagellates,algae) were slight. In contrast, Daphnia carinata at the samedensities (but 3-fold higher biomasses per litre) had a relativelyweak effect on ciliates, suppressing ciliate abundance onlyafter 4 days at 8 Daphnia 1^–1 (330 µg 1^–1);this daphniid density also depressed abundances of large bacterialrods, some photosynthetic picoplankton and the dominant alga,Cyclotella. These results highlight the relative importanceof specific trophic linkages in a microbial food web; they alsosuggest that the dominance of Boeckella in many southern hemispherelakes may account for relatively low ciliate abundances in theselakes.     

OSTEOPELTIDAE (MOLLUSCA:GASTROPODA): A NEW FAMILY OF LIMPETS ASSOCIATED WITH WHALE BONE IN THE DEEP-SEA

Osteopeltidae n. fam. is proposed for Osteopelta mirabilis n.gen. & sp., a limpet from whale skulls trawled on the ChathamRise and off the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Osteopelta mirabiliscombines a pseudococculinid-like shell and radula with an add-isoniid-likeanimal. Apparent homologies in lepe-telloidean and cocculinoideanradulae are discussed. (Received 27 August 1986;     

PARTHENOGENESIS, SEX AND CHROMOSOMES IN POTAMOPYRGUS

Widely different sex ratios in certain New Zealand populationsof the hydrobiid gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray) weregenerally found to vary little though in one stream a high-male/low-maleboundary moved steadily upstream over 20 years. Laboratory breeding and chromosome studies indicated that NewZealand high-male populations are diploid with 2n = 34 and reproducesexually, while New Zealand low-male populations and all thosefrom Europe and Australia have 2n = 52 or 46 and reproductionis largely parthenogenetic. (Received 15 July 1991; accepted 30 August 1991)     

ADELACERITHIINAE: A NEW SUBFAMILY OF THE TRIPHORIDAE (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA)

Adelacerithiinae is proposed for the Pliocene Adelacerithiummerulatum Ludbrook, 1941, from Abattoirs Bore, South Australia,and the Recent A. mirabilis n.sp., from off northern New Zealand,Adelacerithium species have a dextral cerithiform shell, distinctiveshell sculpture, a columellar plait, and rhinioglossate dentitionwith reversed radular cross-row configuration. Relationshipsbetween the major triphorid groups and the possibilities forcommon origin for the Triphoroidea, Ccrithiopsoidea, Cerithioidea,and the Neogastropods are discussed. (Received 21 January 1983;     

POTAMOPYRGUS ANTIPODARUM--A MOLLUSCAN COLONISER OF EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA

The hydrobiid gastropod genus Potamopyrgus is shown to be representedin Australia by the New Zealand species P. antipodarum (Gray).It is widely distributed in south eastern Australia and Tasmaniafollowing its introduction about the middle of the last century.The Australian populations of Potamopyrgus were known, incorrectly,as P. niger, because of a misinterpretation of Paludina nigraQuoy & Gai-mard, 1835. Paludina nigra, here placed in thegenus Fluvidona, is redescribed and a neotype designated. Potamopyrgusantipodarum has also been introduced to Europe, where it isknown as P. jenkinsi (Smith) (Received 19 August 1987; accepted 16 December 1987)     

NEW SPECIES OF SMEAGOL FROM AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, WITH A DISCUSSION OF THEAFFINITIES OF THE GENUS (GASTROPODA: PULMONATA)

Five species of the marine pulmonate genus Smeagol (family Smeagolidae)are described from upper littoral shingle habitats from southeastern Australia and New Zealand. The systematic position ofthe family is discussed. (Received 24 June 1991; accepted 2 October 1991)     

Trophic structure in the pelagial of 25 shallow New Zealand lakes: changes along nutrient and fish gradients

To gain better insight into the importance of predator and resourcecontrol in New Zealand lakes we surveyed the late summer trophicstructure of 25 shallow South Island lakes with contrastingnutrient levels (6–603 µg TP l^–1) and fishdensities. Total catch of fish per net (CPUE) in multi-meshgillnets placed in the open water and the littoral zones waspositively related with the nutrient level. Trout CPUE was negativelycorrelated with total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN).Zooplankton seemed largely influenced by fish, as high fishCPUE coincided with low zooplankton and Daphnia biomass, lowaverage weight of cladocerans, low contribution of Daphnia tototal cladoceran biomass, low ratio of calanoids to total copepodbiomass and low ratio of zooplankton biomass to phytoplanktonbiomass. However, chlorophyll a was only slightly negativelyrelated to Daphnia biomass and not to zooplankton biomass ina multiple regression that included TN and TP. Ciliate abundancewas positively related to chlorophyll a and negatively to Daphniabiomass, but not to total zooplankton biomass, while no relationshipswere found between heterotrophic nanoflagellates and zooplankton.The relationships between fish abundance and nutrients and fishabundance and zooplankton:phytoplankton ratio and between chlorophylla and TP largely followed the pattern obtained for 42 northtemperate Danish lakes. We conclude that fish, including trout,have a major effect on the zooplankton community structure andbiomass in the pelagial of the shallow oligotrophic to slightlyeutrophic New Zealand lakes, but that the cascading effectson phytoplankton and protist are apparently modest.     

NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF MALES IN POPULATIONS OF POTAMOPYRGUS JENKINSI

Freshwater prosobranch snails of the genus Potamopyrgus arerenowned for being extremely variable and for reproducing parthenogenetically;in addition they are among the very few animals which appearto have successfully colonized Europe from the Antipodes (seeFretter & Graham, 1978, and Winterbourn, 1972 for reviewsand references). During investigations into the genetics and sex ratios of P.antipodum (or antipodarum) (Gray) in New Zealand, a period ofleave allowed some comparisons to be made with the AustralianP. nigra (Quoy & Gaimard), which is the subject of a separatenote (Wallace, 1978) and the European P. jenkinsi(Smith) discussedhere. (Received 10 March 1978;     

The Distribution and Evolution of Terrestrial Nemertines

The occurrence of terrestrial nemertines on widely separatedoceanic islands is described: there are three groups of species(in Australia, New Zealand and the Indopacific islands) andthree separate species on Atlantic islands. Parallel evolutionfrom separate marine ancestors is indicated. The evolutionaryrelationship between different species is established on securemorphological grounds, with particular reference to the genusPantinonemertes which comprises marine, semi-terrestrial andfully terrestrial species. The distribution of terrestrial nemertinesis discussed. Most species are extremely localised but a fewhave become widely dispersed, notably Argonemertes dendyi butalso Geonemertes pelaensis and to a lesser extent Leptonemerteschalicophora. At least two of these widespread species are hermaphrodite.     

Avian Olfaction

The literature and status of knowledge concerning olfactionin birds is reviewed, and the general anatomical plan of theavian olfactory chamber is discussed. Birds that show olfactoryability through the possession and utilization of well-developedolfactory equipment, or are suspect of olfactory perceptionbecause of behavioral patterns or olfactory equipment are discussed.These are: (1) the kiwi (Apteryx) of New Zealand, (2) procellariiformbirds, such as albatrosses, shearwaters, and petrels, (3) thecathartine vultures, particularly the turkey vulture (Cathartesaura), (4) the oilbird (Steatornis caripensis) of the islandof Trinidad, and northern South America, and (5) the honey guidesof the family Indicatoridae. Some new data suggesting a well-developedsense of smell in the honey guides (Indicatoridae) are alsopresented.     

Vegetative Architecture of Elaeocarpus hookerianus. Transition from Juvenile to Adult

Elaeocarpus hookerianus Raoul is a profoundly heteroblastictree native to New Zealand. We describe and quantify changesin leaf morphology and anatomy, and in branching pattern atdifferent levels of insertion. Discrete juvenile, adolescentand adult phases were identified. The divaricating juvenilebore small leaves with thin laminae and an anatomy typical ofshade-plants. Juveniles had dense canopies, many thin horizontaland vertical axes, wide branch angles and highly variable branchingpatterns. Adolescents had larger leaves, fewer horizontal axeson a single, leading vertical axis, and a more consistent branchingpattern. Adults were arborescent, producing the largest, mostdifferentiated leaves on the stoutest and longest horizontalbranches. Data indicate a three-phased strategy for: (a ) providingresponsive, energy-efficient shoot systems under low-light regimes;(b ) growing rapidly to the forest canopy; and (c ) exploitingfor the forest canopy environment. Elaeocarpus hookerianus Raoul; heteroblasty; leaf morphology; leaf anatomy; branching pattern     

THE GENUS TRAPANIA (NUDIBRANCHIA: GONIODORIDIDAE) IN THE INDO-WEST PACIFIC

Seven new species of the nudibranch genus Trapania Pruvot-Fol,1931 (Goniodorididae) are described from the Indo-West Pacificand an eighth species, T. japonica (Baba, 1935), originallydescribed from one preserved specimen from Japan, is redescribedfrom specimens collected in Hong Kong and tropical eastern Australia.Three of the new species are from temperate south-eastern Australiaand one from tropical eastern Australia. Two species are knownonly from Hong Kong and a third is recorded from the SudaneseRed Sea as well as Hong Kong. Only ten other species of Trapania have been described, sixof those from Europe, and one each from Brazil, California,Japan and New Zealand. The anatomy and external colour patternof these species is compared with that of the seven new species. (Received 12 December 1986;     

Combined Effects of Auxin Transport Inhibitors and Cytokinin: Alterations of Organ Development in Tobacco

We have examined the effects of the auxin transport inhibitors1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid(TIBA) on leaf morphogenesis of transgenic Nicotiana tabacum(cv. Xanthi) plants expressing the Agrobacterium tumefacienscytokinin biosynthetic gene, ipt. We have observed the formationof saucer-shaped leaf-like organs at the shoot apex and at lateralbuds. The formation of apical saucer-shaped leaf-like organscan be duplicated by the application of exogenous NPA and cytokininto wild-type tobacco seedlings. We have also observed adventitiousleaf-like organs with altered petiole and blade morphology inthe transgenic plants treated with auxin transport inhibitors.These results suggest that the combination of diminished auxintransport and elevated cytokinin can lead to alterations inleaf development in tobacco. ⁴Present address: Genesis Research and Development Corporation,P.O. Box 50, Auckland, New Zealand