Quantifying Fish Swimming Behavior in Response to Acute Exposure of Aqueous Copper Using Computer Assisted Video and Digital Image Analysis

Behavioral responses of aquatic organisms to environmental contaminants can be precursors of other effects such as survival, growth, or reproduction. However, these responses may be subtle, and measurement can be challenging. Using juvenile white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) with copper exposures, this paper illustrates techniques used for quantifying behavioral responses using computer assisted video and digital image analysis. In previous studies severe impairments in swimming behavior were observed among early life stage white sturgeon during acute and chronic exposures to copper. Sturgeon behavior was rapidly impaired and to the extent that survival in the field would be jeopardized, as fish would be swept downstream, or readily captured by predators. The objectives of this investigation were to illustrate protocols to quantify swimming activity during a series of acute copper exposures to determine time to effect during early lifestage development, and to understand the significance of these responses relative to survival of these vulnerable early lifestage fish. With mortality being on a time continuum, determining when copper first affects swimming ability helps us to understand the implications for population level effects. The techniques used are readily adaptable to experimental designs with other organisms and stressors.     

葛洲坝下游中华鲟产卵场的水文状况及其与繁殖活动的关系

国家一级保护动物中华鲟为江海溯河产卵的洄游性鱼类,1981年即葛洲坝截流前,其产卵场分布在金沙江下游和长江上游的约600km江段。葛洲坝水电工程阻断了其产卵洄游通道,调查发现自1982年以来,中华鲟在葛洲坝下游江段的狭小范围成功产卵。对中华鲟繁殖季节葛洲坝下中华鲟产卵场的水温、流速、流量、含沙量和水位等水文数据进行了分析,并对其与中华鲟产卵的关系进行了探讨。结果表明,葛洲坝截流后,宜昌中华鲟产卵场江段10～11月份的月平均流速及11月份的月平均含沙量发生明显变化（P〈0．001）,而月平均水位、流量及水温的变化不明显。多年观察结果显示,中华鲟产卵时,5种水文因子的参数均有一定的变动范围。1983～2004年期问,37次中华鲟产卵时的日平均水温范围为16．10～20．60℃,平均为18．63℃;日平均水位范围为40．69～47．32m（黄海高程）,平均为43．91m;日平均流量范围为7170～26000m^3／s,平均为13908m^3／s;1983～2000年31次中华鲟产卵时的日平均含沙量范围为0．10～1．32kg／m。,平均为0．46kg／m。;日平均流速为0．81～1．98m／s,平均为1．30m／s。分析得到较适宜中华鲟产卵的水温是18．0～20．0℃,流量是14100m^3／s,水位是42．0～45．0m,含沙量是0．2～0．3kg／m^3,底层流速是1．0～1．7m／s。水温是中华鲟产卵的必备条件,水温适宜的情况下,水位、流速和含沙量出现逐渐从高位下降的趋势、而且各水文要素值均达到其适宜范围时,中华鲟即产卵繁殖。三峡工程运行后,下游江段水温的变化可能会对中华鲟的性腺发育和产卵繁殖产生不利影响,而江水含沙量下降对其产卵繁殖较有利。     

Genetic effects of habitat restoration in the Laurentian Great Lakes: an assessment of lake sturgeon origin and genetic diversity

Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) have experienced significant habitat loss, resulting in reduced population sizes. Three artificial reefs were built in the Huron‐Erie corridor in the Great Lakes to replace lost spawning habitat. Genetic data were collected to determine the source and numbers of adult lake sturgeon spawning on the reefs and to determine if the founder effect resulted in reduced genetic diversity. DNA was extracted from larval tail clips and 12 microsatellite loci were amplified. Larval genotypes were then compared to 22 previously studied spawning lake sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes to determine the source of the parental population. The effective number of breeders (N_b) was calculated for each reef cohort. The larval genotypes were then compared to the source population to determine if there were any losses in genetic diversity that are indicative of the founder effect. The St. Clair and Detroit River adult populations were found to be the source parental population for the larvae collected on all three artificial reefs. There were large numbers of contributing adults relative to the number of sampled larvae. There was no significant difference between levels of genetic diversity in the source population and larval samples from the artificial reefs; however, there is some evidence for a genetic bottleneck in the reef populations likely due to the founder effect. Habitat restoration in the Huron‐Erie corridor is likely resulting in increased habitat for the large lake sturgeon population in the system and in maintenance of the population's genetic diversity.     

Effect of starvation and refeeding on digestive enzyme activities in sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The digestive enzyme activities were determined in Adriatic sturgeon and rainbow trout during starvation and refeeding period. Overall, the digestive enzyme activities are affected in the same sense in both species. The protease and lipase activities were decreased later than amylase activity. Even after 1 month of starvation, both species would be prepared to digest protein and lipids in an effective way. After 72 days of starvation, the digestive machinery of the sturgeon and of the trout shows an altered capacity to digest macronutrients. The capacity to digest proteins and lipids, after 60 days of refeeding, begins to become re-established in sturgeon and trout. In contrast, in this period, the capacity to digest carbohydrates remains depressed in both species.     

Characterization and inhibition studies of carbonic anhydrase from gill of Russian Sturgeon Fish (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

An α-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) was purified and characterized kinetically from gill of Acipenser gueldenstaedtii as an endangered sturgeon species. The carbonic anhydrase was purified 66-folds with yield 20.7% by Sepharose-4B-l-tyrosine-sulfanilamide affinity column and the specific activity was determined as 222.2?EU/mg protein. K_m and V_max kinetic values for gill carbonic anhydrase were calculated by a Lineweaver–Burk graph using p-nitrophenol acetate (p-NPA) as a substrate, and was defined as 2.5?mM and 5?×?10^6?μM/min, respectively. It was observed that CA from the sturgeon gill in the presence of the sulfanilamide and acetazolamide as an inhibitor had very low IC₅₀ values such as 13.0 and 0.1?μM, respectively. In addition, it was determined that the enzyme was inhibited by Fe^2+, Co^2+, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺–Ba²⁺ with the IC₅₀ values of 0.2, 1.7, 1.2, and 1.1?mM, respectively.     

Past and current status of sturgeons in the upper and middle Danube River

Of the six species of sturgeons native to the Danube basin, five occurred in the upper and middle Danube. Among anadromous sturgeons were the large winter races of beluga, Huso huso, Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, and stellate sturgeon, A. stellatus, which ascended the middle, and sometimes also the upper Danube, to spawn. Due to overfishing, followed by severe habitat alteration including damming and pollution, these anadromous sturgeons are critically endangered or extirpated from the upper and middle Danube. Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and A. nudiventris are represented only as resident non-migratory races with very small populations. The most abundant and widely distributed species is the sterlet, A. ruthenus, although it is presently limited to the middle Danube. Its population increased in some sections of the middle Danube during the past 15 years, presumably because of improving water quality, but this species remains at risk because of continuing habitat degradation.     

Acclimation trials of juvenile Italian sturgeon to different salinities: morpho-physiological descriptors

In this study the first experimental trials of acclimation to salinities of the Italian sturgeon Acipenser naccarii are described. Preliminary observations regarding some morphological features of the gut, kidney and gills following exposure to 20 and 30% salinity are reported, and compared with those displayed by many teleosts in hyper- and hypoosmoregulation. Results are discussed with regard to the osmoregulatory mechanisms and to the physiological limits of adaptability of this species in the second year of its life cycle. Within the Acipenseridae, Acipenser naccarii is generally considered a euryhaline species, but nothing is known about its mechanisms of osmotic homeostasis. This species could be a good candidate for aquaculture in fresh and brackish waters owing to the recent success obtained in artificial reproduction.     

Use of Washington Estuaries by Subadult and Adult Green Sturgeon

Green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, are the most marine-oriented of North American sturgeons. However, their estuarine/marine distribution and the seasonality of estuarine use are largely unknown. We used acoustic telemetry to document the timing of green sturgeon use of Washington estuaries. In the summers of 2003 and 2004, uniquely coded acoustic transmitters were surgically implanted in green sturgeon captured using commercial gillnets. All sturgeon tagged were greater than 1.2 m total length. They were caught, tagged, and released in both Willapa Bay (n = 49) and Columbia River (n = 11) estuaries. We deployed an array of four fixed- site acoustic receivers in Willapa Bay to detect the estuarine entry and exit of these and any of over 100 additional green sturgeon tagged in other systems during 2003 and 2004. Green sturgeon occurred in Willapa Bay in summer when estuarine water temperatures exceeded coastal water temperatures by at least 2°C. They exhibited rapid and extensive intra- and inter- estuary movements and green sturgeon from all known spawning populations were detected in Willapa Bay. We hypothesize that green sturgeon optimize their growth potential in summer by foraging in the relatively warm, saline waters of Willapa Bay and we caution that altering the quality of estuarine habitats could negatively affect this species throughout its range.     

A validation of intracellular pH measurements in fish exposed to hypercarbia: the effect of duration of tissue storage and efficacy of the metabolic inhibitor tissue homogenate method

This study assessed the effect of tissue storage duration and accuracy of the metabolic inhibitor tissue homogenate (MITH) method on intracellular pH (pHi) values of tissues of white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus during hypercarbia. No effect of storage in liquid nitrogen of up to 30 days was observed and MITH appears appropriate for measurement of pH in fish exposed to up to 10% CO₂ (10000 Pa p CO₂).