Direct Age Determination of a Subtropical Freshwater Crayfish (Redclaw,Cherax quadricarinatus) Using Ossicular Growth Marks

Recent studies have reported that crustacean age determination is possible. We applied a direct ageing method (i.e. transverse cross sectioning of gastric ossicles) to a subtropical freshwater crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) sourced from an aquaculture population. Growth mark periodicity and the potential for chronological depositions were investigated by staining C. quadricarinatus with calcein and examining their ossicles a year later. Pterocardiac ossicles were superior to other ageing structures (i.e. other ossicles and eyestalks) and produced repeatable between-reader counts (87% were corroborated and 13% varied by ±1). C. quadricarinatus size-at-age data (for an aquaculture population) was described by a von Bertalanffy growth equation (L _∞ = 32 mm occipital carapace length; K = 0.64; t ₀ = –0.18; R² = 0.81). Ossicular growth marks did not correspond to moult history. The calcein stain was retained over an annual cycle comprising multiple moults, demonstrating that pterocardiac ossicles retain chronological information. The maximum age (3+) corroborated other indirectly-obtained longevity estimates for C. quadricarinatus. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the growth marks in C. quadricarinatus ossicles are probably deposited annually during winter. The ability to extract age information from subtropical decapods provides substantial opportunities for advancing fisheries and conservation research globally, but further research is needed to provide a definitive validation and elucidate the mechanism governing the accrual of ossicular growth marks.     

Relationships between four novel ceratomyxid parasites from the gall bladders of labrid fishes from Heron Island, Queensland, Australia

Ceratomyxid parasites from the gall bladder of fishes from the family Labridae were examined for their taxonomic identity and their relatedness to other species of myxozoans. This paper describes four novel species Ceratomyxa choerodonae n. sp. from Choerodon cyanodus; Ceratomyxa cheilinae n. sp. from Cheilinus chlorourus; Ceratomyxa oxycheilinae n. sp. from Oxycheilinus digramma; and Ceratomyxa thalassomae n. sp. from Thalassoma lunare. Each species is characterised morphologically and small subunit (18 S) rDNA sequences were used in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Comparison of the small subunit rDNA sequences revealed four distinct species even though morphological differences indicated the presence of only two morphologically distinctive spore types. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the ceratomyxids from labrid fishes did not form a clade to the exclusion of all other myxosporeans and provides evidence that host relatedness is not a good character to discriminate between species within the genus Ceratomyxa.     

周口店直立人头骨创伤与人工切割痕迹辨析

自20世纪40年代魏敦瑞提出北京猿人（周口店直立人）可能存在“暴力争斗”和“同类残食”的观点之后,引发了一些学者和科普大众对北京猿人是否为“食人族”的争论。由于原始化石标本在第二次世界大战期间丢失,本文以保存下来的周口店（ZKD）直立人头骨原始模型和素描图为研究材料,对魏敦瑞提出的具有创伤和人工切割痕迹的5件标本（ZKD II、ZKD VI、ZKD X、ZKD XI和ZKD XII）进行辨析。结果显示：1）ZKD X、ZKD XI、ZKD XII这3件标本的头盖部,有7处可以确定为生前遭受非致死性撞击导致的局部创伤;2）ZKD VI头盖骨残片周边的及中央区域的断痕,为个体生前遭受致死性的暴力打击导致;3）ZKD II和ZKD VI顶骨位置疑似人工切割痕迹的沟槽实际上是动物啃咬或自然因素导致的,北京猿人“同类残食”的观点在本文研究中没有得到证实。北京猿人头骨的创伤痕迹都位于头盖部,以顶骨居多,其次为额骨,符合人群之间暴力冲突产生创伤的位置。     

马鞍列岛海洋牧场褐菖鲉的摄食习性

海洋牧场是近岸渔业资源保护和恢复的有效途径,为评估海洋牧场建设对岩礁性鱼类的影响,本文基于马鞍列岛海洋牧场建设前后资源调查数据,利用胃含物分析和稳定同位素测试,研究了褐菖鲉的摄食习性.结果表明:海洋牧场建设前褐菖鲉主要摄食端足类、蟹类和头足类,优势饵料生物种类为麦秆虫、日本枪乌贼、日本蟳、日本岩瓷蟹和滩栖阳遂足等.随体长的增大,蟹类的比例增加,而端足类的比例减少.洋牧场建设后褐菖鲉主要摄食蟹类、端足类和鱼类,优势饵料生物种类为双斑蟳、日本蟳、麦秆虫和赤鼻棱鳀等.随体长的增大,鱼类和蟹类的比例增加,而端足类的比例先增加后减少.根据稳定同位素分析结果,海洋牧场区褐菖鲉可以划分为体长<10.0 cm、10.0～13.9.0 cm和≥14.0 cm 3个摄食群体,平均营养级为3.40级.     

Signs of predation in the Middle Jurassic of south-central Poland: evidence from echinoderm taphonomy

Distinct faunal aggregates are described from the Middle Jurassic (uppermost Bajocian/lowermost Bathonian and Middle Bathonian) clay deposits of Częstochowa area, south-central Poland. These aggregates are composed of molluscs (scaphopods, gastropods, bivalves, ammonites and belemnites), articulate brachiopods and echinoderms (asteroids, crinoids and echinoids). A large percentage of the fossils, especially bivalves, are fragmented, but some fossils are complete. Although most of the fossils are crushed and fragmented, they are still identifiable to at least the genus level. Thorough statistical analysis of taphonomic features indicates that the preservation of asteroid marginal plates is distinct from the ossicles derived from the host clays. The high frequency of bite marks and the good state of preservation suggest that the accumulations are the products of predation activities and most probably are the effect of regurgitation. Taking into account the rich and diverse fauna, the predator was a bottom-feeding generalist. Possible predators include palaeospinacid sharks, a tooth of which was collected from the same bedding surface, but not associated with regurgitated remains. Although the bite marks on the asteroid ossicles point to sharks as potential producers of regurgitates, other vertebrates, like durophagous pycnodontiform fish, cannot be excluded.     

The foregut-ossicle system of Dromia wilsoni, Dromia personata and Lauridromia intermedia (Decapoda, Brachyura, Dromiidae), studied with a new staining method

The ossicles of the cardiac and pyloric foregut of three species of decapods: Dromia wilsoni [Fulton and Grant, 1902], Dromia personata [Linnè, 1758] and Lauridromia intermedia [Lauri, 1906] are described and illustrated in detail. Five new ossicles are recognized based on a specific staining-method with Alizarin-Red. The ossicle terminology of the brachyuran foregut is revised now to include 37 ossicles. All described ossicles are documented by drawings and photographs. The two new cardiac ossicles, the prepterocardiac and the postpterocardiac ossicles are narrow ossicles associated with the pterocardiac ossicles at the antero-dorsal margin of the cardiac foregut. The pyloric foregut includes the newly described lateral mesopyloric- and the posterior uropyloric ossicles. These pyloric ossicles are clearly recognizable only in the stained condition. Based on our data we provide new additional evidence for brachyuran monophyly and the paraphyletic status of the podotrematan crabs.     

长江常熟江段渔业群落结构及物种多样性初步研究

对2000～2006年长江常熟江段渔业群落及物种多样性进行了研究。该江段共有鱼、虾蟹类66种,分别隶属于13目29科。鲤形目鱼类最多,其次是鲈形目。按迁徙习性可分为江湖半洄游性鱼类、洄游性鱼类、河口鱼类和定居性鱼类4大类型。经济鱼类占优势,群落优势种为鳊、鲫、刀鲚、铜鱼、翘嘴红鲌和条。多样性特征值年间平均指标为:Margalef指数(R)1.68,Wilhm改进指数(H")2.50,McNaughton指数(Dw)0.37,Pielou指数(J')0.76。鱼类群落优势度较低,丰富度、均匀度、多样性处于较高水平。探讨了水利工程、水域污染及水利调度对该江段渔业资源的不利影响,提出了开发和保护该江段渔业资源的建议。     

通过红色名录评估研究中国内陆鱼类受威胁现状及其成因

根据已有的基础资料, 采用IUCN评估等级和标准, 对中国目前已鉴定的1,443种内陆鱼类受威胁现状进行了评估。评估结果显示, 1,443种内陆鱼类中, 灭绝3种、区域灭绝1种、极危65种、濒危101种、易危129种、近危101种、无危454种和数据缺乏589种。同已有的IUCN评估结果相比, 本次被评估的物种数目多, 受威胁物种大幅度增加, 其数目达295种, 占已知中国内陆鱼类总数的20.44%, 低于全球平均值(29%)。属于灭绝等级的鱼类是大鳞白鱼(Anabarilius macrolepis)、异龙鲤(Cyprinus yilongensis)和茶卡高原鳅(Triplophysa cakaensis); 属于区域灭绝等级的鱼类是长颌北鲑(Stenodus nelma)。鲤科是受威胁物种数最多的科, 其中裂腹鱼亚科和鲤亚科的种类受威胁程度最高。长江上游和珠江上游受威胁物种最多, 是受威胁最严重的地区。中国内陆鱼类受威胁的主要因素为河流筑坝、生境退化或丧失、酷渔滥捕和引进外来种。列入数据缺乏等级的鱼类较多, 占中国内陆鱼类的40.82%, 表明对中国内陆鱼类物种多样性了解不充分, 需要加强野外调查以积累基础资料。     

Activation of chemical defenses in the tropical green algae Halimeda spp.

Halimeda spp. are among the most common seaweeds on tropical reefs where herbivory is intense. These calcified seaweeds produce diterpenoid feeding deterrents; the major metabolites are halimedatetraacetate and halimedatrial. We found that most species of Halimeda on Guam immediately convert the less-deterrent secondary metabolite halimedatetraacetate to the more potent feeding deterrent halimedatrial when plants are injured by grinding or crushing. This conversion would therefore occur when fishes bite or chew Halimeda plants. We term this process of rapid conversion “activation”. Extracts from injured plants contained higher amounts of halimedatrial and were more deterrent toward herbivorous fishes than extracts from control plants. Herbivore-activated defenses are common in many families of terrestrial plants: however, this is the first example of an activated defense in a marine plant.     

The ontogeny and homology of the Weberian apparatus in the zebrafish Danio rerio (Ostariophysi: Cypriniformes)

The ontogeny of the Weberian apparatus was examined in the zebrafish, Danio rerio , using both cleared and stained specimens and histology. Over 300 individuals from four independent zebrafish lineages, ranging in size from 3 to 28 mm TL, were examined for this study. Results provide a basic understanding of the development of the Weberian apparatus in the wild-type zebrafish. Our results, in conjunction with those already published, point to substantial variation in the development of the Weberian apparatus among otophysans and new interpretations of the homology of certain ossicles (e.g. tripus and claustrum). Hypotheses of homology among various Weberian ossicles are considered and represent an important step in understanding the evolution of sound transmission in ostariophysan fishes.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 140 , 241–254.     

Determination of age and growth in stream fishes of northern Borneo

Synopsis In mildly seasonal tropical climates, the pattern of marks on hard body parts of fishes may be difficult to interpret and unreliable for age determination. Many tropical fishes are now known to have annual peaks in spawning activity which are reflected in their length-frequency distributions. Although scales from freshwater stream fishes in the Baram River system of Sarawak, Malaysia revealed no clearly discernable pattern of annual marks, age classes could be identified from the length-frequency histograms with sufficient accuracy for production to be calculated. For management of the numerous and relatively unknown species present in rapidly developing tropical fisheries, serial quantitative samples at the same localities and inter-locality comparisons of length-frequency histograms may offer a fast and effective method of establishing the necessary age structures.     

Identical digeneans in coral reef fishes from French Polynesia and the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) demonstrated by morphology and molecules

Three coral reef fish species, Zanclus cornutus, Chaetodon vagabundus and Naso lituratus, were collected in French Polynesia and on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. These fish species were each infected by one morphologically similar digenean species in both localities; Schistorchis zancli Hanson, 1953 was found in Zanclus cornutus, Preptetos laguncula Bray and Cribb, 1996 in Naso lituratus and Neohypocreadium dorsoporum Machida and Uchida, 1987 in Chaetodon vagabundus. In addition, on the Great Barrier Reef P. laguncula was also found in Naso unicornis and N. dorsoporum in Chaetodon ephippium and Chaetodon flavirostris. Morphometric differences between the species from the two sites were only slight. Sequences from the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA of each worm revealed total homology or negligible divergence between samples from hosts caught in French Polynesia and on the Great Barrier Reef. These results show that across more than 6000 km these digeneans are similar in morphology and genotype. Some species of fishes and molluscs are considered to have distributions that encompass the entire tropical Indo-West Pacific. These findings suggest that at least some of their parasites have similarly broad distributions.     

Brain gangliosides and cold-adaptation in high-antarctic fish

The concentration and composition of gangliosides from the brain of eight species of Antarctic Notothenioid fishes belonging to the class of perciformes and two species of boreal fishes (tropic cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus; Codfish Gadus morhua) were investigated. The concentration of whole brain gangliosides in Notothenioid fishes (between 1622 and 2183 μg NeuAc/g dry wt.) was slightly lower than that in the brains of fish species, which live in warm, temperate habitats (2483 μg NeuAc/g dry wt.). The composition of brain gangliosides was completely different from that of warm adapted fish species (e.g. the tropic cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus). The relative concentration of polysialogangliosides (GT1b-GH) is strongly increased in all the investigated Antarctic species. They were found to have the most complex and most polar brain ganglioside pattern (high degree of sialylation and alkali-lability) within the teleosts. This may be one of the mechanisms, beside antifreeze proteins, to keep the neuronal membranes functional even below the freezing point.     

Life cycle of Coitocoecum plagiorchis (Trematoda: Digenea: Opecoelidae)

The life cycle of Coitocoecum plagiorchis Ozaki, 1926 (Coitocaecum is an incorrect subsequent spelling) was studied in the field and laboratory. The study was conducted at the Futatsu River and the Chikugo River, Kyushu, Japan. Adults of C. plagiorchis were obtained from fishes Coreoperca kawamebari, Rhinogobius spp. and Odontobutis obscura. Cotylomicrocercous cercariae with a two-point stylet (= Cercaria distyloides Faust, 1924) were detected in pleurocerid snails (Semisulcospira spp.). Metacercariae with a cyclocoel were obtained from shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata). The cercariae were experimentally exposed to the shrimp, and subsequently metacercariae with a cyclocoel were recovered from the shrimp within 24 days after exposure. These metacercariae were identified as C. plagiorchis. The sporocysts, cercariae, metacercariae and adults are briefly described.     

长山列岛邻近海域鱼类群落种类组成和多样性时空变化

为了解黄、渤海生态系统交错带长山列岛邻近水域鱼类群落种类组成和多样性,根据2016年10月,2017年1月、5月及8月进行的鱼类资源底拖网调查数据,应用相对重要性指数、物种多样性指数、k优势度曲线等方法,研究了长山列岛邻近海域鱼类群落种类组成、物种多样性时空变化及其与环境因子的关系。结果表明: 该海域共计捕获鱼类77种,以温水性、底层、洄游性鱼类为主,优势种组成季节变化明显,春季、冬季主要优势种为黄鮟鱇,夏季以日本鲭、鳀等中上层鱼类为主。全年共计出现洄游性鱼类46种,季节间物种迁移指数均在100以上,其中秋季物种迁移指数最大。鱼类群落物种丰富度指数在春季最高、Shannon多样性指数和均匀度指数在秋季最高。夏季物种丰富度指数与表层水温呈显著负相关;冬季物种丰富度指数与水深、底层水温呈极显著正相关,Shannon多样性指数与底层水温呈极显著正相关。长山列岛邻近海域作为黄、渤海两大生态系统的交错带,鱼类群落表现出高物种多样性、洄游种多以及明显的时空异质性。     

Patterns of habitat and food utilization in two coral-reef sandperches (Mugiloididae): competitive or noncompetitive coexistence?

Use of food and habitat of the two sympatric, territorial mugiloidid fishes Parapercis polyophthalma (Cuvier) and P. clathrata Ogilby, which have similar body size and morphology, were examined in the fringing coral reef area at Iriomote Island, one of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Both species preyed mainly on decapod crustaceans, and the dietary overlap value was intermediate (0.528). Differences in resource utilization between the two species were conspicuous in habitat rather than in food. ≈60% of the P. polyophthalma population was found on sandy flats of the reef flat zone, while > 90 % of the P. clathrata population occurred at channel areas. In addition to this macrohabitat segregation, both species showed a substantial microhabitat separation at channels where they coexisted with nearly the same densities: P. polyophthalma was numerically dominant on a sandy rubble substratum, whereas P. clathrata was abundant on a rubble substratum. A reciprocal removal experiment demonstrated that this microhabitat separation was an outcome of current competitive interactions between them. P. polyophthalma is an aggressively dominant species and so can predominantly occupy its optimal microhabitat i.e., sandy rubble substratum, at channels, while the subordinate P. clathrata is constrained to shift its microhabitat to a rubble substratum unsuitable for the dominant. Although a density-manipulation experiment for the macrohabitat segregation was not carried out in this study, circumstantial evidence suggested that the segregation is probably attributable to differences in habitat adaptation between the species which need not be the consequence of competition. These results indicate that the structure of the two-species guild may be determined by both competitive and noncompetitive mechanisms.     

Comparative electrophoretic studies of muscle, eye lens and heart protein in fishes from the Arabian Gulf

Muscle myogen, eye lens and heart protein have been studied in 31 species of fishes from Kuwait, Arabian Gulf. The electrophoretic analysis revealed that muscle myogen can be considered a good taxonomic criterion to differentiate the families Ariidae, Belonidae and Lutjanidae from the other fish families studied. Within the Lutjanidae and Pomadasyidae the muscle myogens can be used to differentiate Lutjanus kasmira and Pomadasys argenteus, respectively. The muscle myogens can also be used to differentiate Sardinella perforata, Platycephalus inducus, Drepane longemana and Psethodes erumei. Eye lens protein can be considered a good taxonomic criterion to differentiate between the fish species studied and especially among the families Belonidae, Lutjanidae, Pomadsyidae, Sparidae and Scaenidae. Within the Lutjanidae and Sparidae, the eye lens protein can be used to differentiate Lutjanus kasmira and Acanthopagrus berda, respectively. Heart protein is not considered a good taxonomic criterion to differentiate the species of fishes studied, but can distinguish Lutjanus coccineus from the remaining species studied.     

斑鳠细胞色素b基因的初步研究

斑鳠是珠江四大名鱼之一,目前资源量急剧下降,种质资源的保护迫在眉睫。测定了斑鳠线粒体细胞色素b基因的全序列,该序列全长1137bp,其中T、C、A、G四种碱基含量分别为31.6%、25.7%、29.6%、13.1%,A+T的含量(61.2%)显著高于G+C的含量(38.8%)。将测定序列(序列自编号:MGGD)与GenBank中的2个斑鳠序列(序列自编号:MGZJ、MGFJ)进行了比较,3个序列之间的序列差异为0.005-0.017,转换后的氨基酸序列间差异位点都仅为2个,反应出细胞色素b基因作为功能蛋白质编码基因序列相对比较保守。鳠属鱼类线粒体Cytb基因的转换大于颠换。研究为斑鳠渔业种质资源保护和品种选育提供了遗传方面的资料,斑鳠的群体结构有待进一步深入研究。     

尖塘鳢属鱼类线粒体12SrRNA基因序列分析

利用PCR技术扩增和测序了线纹尖塘鳢、云斑尖塘鳢和海丰沙塘鳢线粒体12SrRNA基因,结合从GenBank中下载的部分同源序列,共分析了5种鱼类的系统发育关系。在Kimura2-parameter模型构建的邻接树中,原产泰国的云斑尖塘鳢与原产澳州线纹尖塘鳢均为单系类群,二者为亲缘关系最为密切的姐妹群,海丰沙塘鳢与其它群体的亲缘关系较远,支持将尖塘鳢属从塘鳢属中分出的传统分类处理。尖塘鳢属内云斑尖塘鳢和线纹尖塘鳢鱼类种内DNA序列无差异,而种间差异明显,表明线粒体12SrRNA基因可作为塘鳢科鱼类种类鉴定的良好分子标记。     

Monogenea of Arabian Gulf fishes. 1. Descriptions of three Capsala spp. (Capsalidae) including Capsala naffari n. sp. infecting mackerel tuna Euthynnus affinis from coasts of Emirates

Three species of the genus Capsala including Capsala naffari n. sp., C. neothunni (Yamaguti, 1968) and C. nozawae (Goto, 1894) are recorded and described from the buccal cavity of mackerel tuna Euthynnus affinis caught from Emirate coasts. Capsala naffari can be differentiated by its lateral spiniform teeth, which extend posteriorly, small measurements compared with the closely resembled C. gotoi and relatively large testes. This is the first record of the genus Capsala from Arabian Gulf fishes and E. affinis is a new host record.