Improved Methods of Hatching Heterodera schachtii Larvae for Screening Chemicals

The rate of hatching of Heterodera schachtii larvae was greatly increased by placing cysts in sieves enclosed by small disposable cups. An apparatus that permitted rapid storage of second-stage larvae at 10 C prolonged the viability of the larvae.     

Development of cortical vesicles in Sicyonia ingentis ova: their heterogeneity and role in elaboration of the hatching envelope

In the marine shrimp Sicyonia ingentis, ova lack cortical vesicles at spawning. Previous ultrastructural studies suggested that two different populations of cortical vesicles (dense vesicles and the ring vesicles) appear within 30 min post-spawning. These vesicles undergo sequential exocytosis (exocytosis of the dense vesicles followed by exocytosis of the ring vesicles) that leads to the formation of a hatching envelope around the ovum (see Pillai and Clark: Tissue & Cell 20:941-52, 1988). In the present study, lectins were used as molecular probes to study the development of cortical vesicles subsequent to spawning and the role of these vesicles in formation and elaboration of the hatching envelope. Isolated envelopes were screened with 11 different lectins to determine what group(s) were specific to the envelope glycoconjugates; Concanavalin A (Con A), Griffonia simplicifolia (GS II), Lens culinaris (LCA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) bound to the envelopes. FITC-lectin studies of sectioned ova (fixed at various time points after spawning) utilizing WGA and LCA showed different labelling patterns. Data obtained at the light microscopical level indicated that WGA was specific to the dense vesicles and the outer portion of the envelope, while LCA exhibited specificity for the ring vesicles and the inner portion of the envelope. At the ultrastructural level, gold-LCA labelling was seen associated with the cisternal elements (containing ring-shaped structures), ring vesicles, and the inner layer of the fully formed envelope. These data demonstrated that 1) the ring vesicles are formed by fusion of cisternal elements containing ring-shaped structures; 2) the two species of cortical vesicles are chemically heterogeneous; and 3) the components of each type of vesicle contribute to different integral parts (the outer and inner layers) of the hatching envelope.     

Breeding antarctic krill in captivity

Antarctic krill were maintained in large aquaria at Port of Nagoya Aquarium, Japan, under controlled photoperiod and were fed on phytoplankton and enriched animal feed. Maturation and spawning were induced after the light : dark (L : D) cycle was increased from 8 : 16 or 12 : 12 to 24 : 0, or when the L : D cycle was held constant at 14 : 10. This study is one of the first studies that demonstrate initiation of maturation and spawning events of krill under controlled photoperiod. Out of three experimental batches of krill, a total of 28 spawning events were observed. The mean number of eggs per event was 1424 with a range between 139 and 3458. The mean hatching success per batch was 19.1%. The relation between photoperiod and maturity/spawning is discussed. Furthermore, hatching is compared to previous studies and the reason for the low success is discussed.     

Do temperature fluctuations during incubation always play an important role in shaping the phenotype of hatchling reptiles?

Fluctuating temperatures (FTs) influence hatchling phenotypes differently from constant temperatures (CTs) in some reptiles, but not in others. This inconsistency raises a question of whether thermal fluctuations during incubation always play an important role in shaping the phenotype of hatchlings. To answer this question, we incubated eggs of Naja atra under one CT (28 °C, CT), two temperature-shift [cold first (CF) and hot first (HF) in which eggs were first incubated at 24 or 32 °C and then at the other, each for 20 days, and finally at 28 °C until hatching], and one FT thermal regimes. Female hatchlings were larger in snout–vent length but smaller in tail length, head size than male hatchlings from the same-sized egg; female hatchlings had more ventral scales than did male hatchlings. The FT and HF treatments resulted in shorter incubation lengths. Tail length was greatest in the CT treatment and smallest in the FT treatment, with the CF and HF treatments in between; head width was greater in the CT treatment than in the other three treatments. Other examined hatchling traits did not differ among treatments. The observed morphological modifications cannot be attributed to the effect of thermal fluctuations but to the effect of temperatures close to the upper and lower viable limits for the species. Our results therefore support the hypothesis that hatchling phenotype is not altered by thermal fluctuation in species with no phenotypic response to incubation temperature within some thresholds.     

文县疣螈繁殖初探

2006年4～9月、2007年4～9月,在四川青川初步观察了文县疣螈(Tylototriton wenxianensis)的繁殖习性,并研究了其主要特点,包括繁殖期雌雄差异、繁殖迁徙、交配与产卵、幼体发育等,同时在甘肃文县观察了其幼体的生长发育过程.结果表明,文县疣螈的繁殖期一般为4月上旬至9月上旬,繁殖期成体性比不断变化.该螈具有繁殖迁徙现象,迁徙及求偶行为由雄性占主动.求偶、交配及产卵均在水塘周围岸边的陆地上进行,产卵集中在5月初至7月末,雌螈平均产卵数为42.8枚(n=6),卵的平均孵化期为26.8 d(n=119).卵群的平均孵化率为46.3%(n=6).随着气温的升高、相对湿度和降水量的增加,雌螈产卵量和孵化率升高,卵的平均孵化期缩短.     

镜湖不同湖区沉积物中轮虫休眠卵萌发的比较研究

实验室内对镜湖沉积物中的轮虫休眠卵进行了萌发,共孵出轮虫47种,隶属于10科19属;其中大湖区沉积物中萌发出的轮虫40种,小湖区41种,两湖区共同种类34种.每毫升大湖区沉积物中休眠卵萌发出的轮虫平均数量为(1.1±0.1)个,显著高于小湖区的(0.4±0.0)个.在两湖区沉积物中,以3种孵化方式所萌发出的平均密度超过4.0ind./200mL的轮虫种类总计有6种,它们是多须伪前翼轮虫(Proalides tentaculates)、裂痕龟纹轮虫(Anuraeopsis fissa)、螺形龟甲轮虫(Keratella cochlearis)、裂足臂尾轮虫(Brachionus diversicornis)、臂三肢轮虫(Filinia brachiata)和萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionus calyciflorus);其中前三种轮虫为两湖区所共有.共有的3种轮虫的孵出情况在两湖区沉积物间也存在着差异.在小湖区沉积物中,3种孵化方式下孵出的平均密度大于0.05ind./200mL的轮虫属是臂尾轮属、伪前翼轮属、龟甲轮属和龟纹轮属,而大湖区沉积物中孵出的平均密度较高的轮虫属还包括三肢轮属、巨头轮属(Cephalodella)和异尾轮属(Trichocerca);水体营养程度较高的大湖区沉积物中孵出的臂尾轮属、伪前翼轮属和龟甲轮属轮虫的密度均高于营养程度较低的小湖区.     

不同培养条件下萼花臂尾轮虫休眠卵的萌发

为确定萼花臂尾轮虫休眠卵的最适形成条件 ,或为提高特定培养条件下形成的休眠卵的萌发率 ,对不同温度、食物、光照和 pH条件下萼花臂尾轮虫形成的休眠卵进行了萌发研究。发现不同培养条件下形成的休眠卵在不同萌发条件下的萌发历时均为实验开始后的第 1～ 7天 ,萌发率高峰均出现在第 1～ 3天。在萌发温度为15℃～ 30℃范围内 ,2 0℃下形成的休眠卵在 2 0℃的萌发温度下累积萌发率最高 ,为 5 2 5 0± 6 89% ;母体以小球藻为食物时 ,其所产休眠卵的平均累积萌发率为 2 7 92 % ,显著大于以斜生栅藻或蛋白核小球藻和斜生栅藻所组成的混合藻为食物时 ;休眠卵形成和萌发时的光照条件对其累积萌发率无显著的影响 ;pH6 5和 7 5条件下形成的休眠卵的累积萌发率较高 ,分别为 32 5 0± 7 0 7%和 38 75± 15 5 3%。本研究和已报道的研究结果表明 :不同培养条件下形成的休眠卵在不同条件下萌发时均呈同步萌发型式 ;2 0℃和pH7 5分别是武汉东湖萼花臂尾轮虫休眠卵形成的最适温度和最适 pH条件。     

Asian medaka fishes offer new models for studying mechanisms of seawater adaptation

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) is a freshwater (FW) teleost that is popular throughout the world for laboratory use. In this paper, we discuss the utility of Japanese medaka and related species for studying mechanisms of seawater (SW) adaptation. In addition to general advantages as an experimental animal such as their daily spawning activity, transparency of embryos, short generation time and established transgenic techniques, Japanese medaka have some adaptability to SW unlike the strictly stenohaline zebrafish (Danio rerio). Since other species in the genus Oryzias exhibit different degrees of adaptability to SW, comparative studies between Japanese medaka, where molecular-biological and genetic information is abundant, and other Oryzias species are expected to present varying approaches to solving the problems of SW adaptation. We introduce some examples of interspecies comparison for SW adaptabilities both in adult fish and in embryos. Oryzias species are good models for evolutionary, ecological and zoogeographical studies and a relationship between SW adaptability and geographic distribution has been suggested. Medaka fishes may thus deliver new insights into our understanding of how fish have expanded their distribution to a wide variety of osmotic environments.     

Consequences of sex-specific growth on sibling competition in black-headed gulls: a sexually-size dimorphic species with scramble competition

Biased mortality of the larger sex during the early developmental period has been reported for a number of size-dimorphic bird species. This can partly be explained by the fact that growing to larger size renders the larger sex more vulnerable to food shortage. However, since sibling rivalry is often size-dependent, chicks of the larger sex should have a competitive advantage. This raises the question as to why the larger sex does not always benefit from its size in sibling competition. We studied sibling competition in the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), a sexually-size dimorphic species with male-biased mortality. We manipulated the natural brood sex ratio and placed one male chick in direct competition with one female chick while concurrently controlling for differences in age, size and laying order. Male chicks outgrew their female siblings by 15% in asymptotic body mass and did not suffer from enhanced mortality. Female chicks tended to be more alert when the parents returned to the nest and were more persistent in gull-typical begging displays. Females were more likely to get the first food item, but they did not get more food, possibly due to a size-mediated dominance over the non-monopolizable regurgitated food. Thus, it is unlikely that sex differences in competitiveness significantly contribute to male-biased mortality in black-headed gulls. The previously reported male-biased mortality is more likely due to a disadvantage of a higher food demand and a higher sensitivity towards low egg quality, as has been shown in previous studies.