Extensive intraspecific genetic diversity of a freshwater crayfish in a biodiversity hotspot

1. The freshwater crayfish Cherax dispar (Decapoda: Parastacidae) inhabits coastal regions and islands of South East Queensland, Australia. We hypothesised that populations of C. dispar on different islands would be more genetically divergent from each other than populations from different drainages within the same island or on the mainland. 2. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses were conducted on two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase subunit I & 16S ribosomal DNA) and one nuclear gene (Internal Transcribed Spacer region 2). Phylogeographic patterns were compared with those for other freshwater organisms in the area. 3. Deep genetic divergences were found within C. dispar, including four highly divergent (up to 20%) clades. The geographic distribution of each of the clades revealed strong latitudinal structuring along the coast rather than structuring among the islands. The high genetic divergence observed among the C. dispar clades was estimated to have pre‐dated island formation and may represent ancient river drainage patterns. 4. A restricted distribution was observed for the most divergent clade, which was discovered only on two of the sand islands (North Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island). Furthermore, strong phylogeographic structuring was observed within this clade on North Stradbroke Island, where no haplotypes were shared between samples from opposite sides of the island. This low connectivity within the island supports the idea that C. dispar rarely disperse terrestrially (i.e. across watersheds).     

New Methods for Cultivating,Harvesting, and Purifying Mass Cultures of the Hypotrich Ciliate Euplotes aediculatus1

A new method is described for mass cultivation of Euplotes aediculatus, a hypotrich ciliate containing omikron-symbionts. The ciliate cultures, continuously aerated in Erlenmeyer flasks (5000 ml) with 4500 ml medium, yield densities of 2300 cells/ml which are four to five times higher than cell densities of cultures grown in unaerated Fernbach flasks. Harvesting such cultures involves the application of 25-μm mesh sieves. Cells so concentrated can be purified by using columns or special chambers in which Euplotes migrates towards the cathodes in an electric field (field strength 7 V/cm).     

Effects of Concentration and Time of Exposure on the Phytotoxicity of Linuron

When seedlings of lettuce and turnip were grown in nutrientsolutions containing different concentrations of linuron, theconcentration in the shoot at the time when toxicity symptomsappeared was related to the solution concentration. With lettuce,for example, symptoms were recorded after 7 d at 0.15 µg/mland the shoot concentration was 2.7 µg/g fresh wt. At0.06 µg/ml, symptoms appeared after 10 d and the shootconcentration was then 1.1 µg/g fresh wt. If grown fordifferent periods in solutions containing linuron and then transferredto fresh nutrient solutions containing no herbicide, turnipor lettuce seedlings which had accumulated 0.7–0.8 µglinuron/g fresh wt developed toxicity symptoms 4 to 6 d later.Seedlings were also treated with linuron after they had grownfor different periods in control nutrient solutions. The shootconcentrations attained before toxicity symptoms appeared werehigher in those seedlings which were larger when herbicide treatmentbegan. These results show that the herbicide concentration insolution, time of exposure, and age of seedling are interrelatedin determining linuron phytotoxicity.