Establishment of anaerobic,reducing conditions in lake sediment after deposition of acidic,aerobic sediment by a major storm

Hurricane Danny resulted in the rapid deposition of 10cm of oxidized, acidic sediment in the Contrary Creek arm of Lake Anna, Virginia. Several biological and geochemical parameters were monitored with time to ascertain how long it took the newly-deposited lake sediments to attain the anaerobic, circumneutral, actively sulfate-reducing state normally observed in this portion of the lake. The sediment platinum-electrode potential dropped from 350 mV to 100 mV within the first week after the storm. The pH of the pore water increased from 4.5 to 5.8 within three weeks, and titratable alkalinity was detected within two weeks and three weeks at 3 cm and 1 cm depths, respectively. Accumulation of reduced products of sulfate reduction (acid volatile sulfide) began by three to four weeks after the storm event. Both methanogens and sulfate reducers were present in high and approximately equal numbers in the freshly deposited material. The rapid neutralization of the acidity in the fresh sediment prior to the onset of sulfate reduction suggests that reactions other than sulfate reduction caused the initial increase in pH and alkalinity in this system.     

灯光诱虫在森林—鱼塘复合生态系统中的作用

昆虫是森林生态系统中的重要组成部分。由于森林中枯枝落叶较多,生境复杂,为昆虫提供了良好的繁殖和栖息场所;因而在森林中昆虫的种类多,数量大。大多数昆虫都以森林     

Muscle development in the tambaqui, an important Amazonian food fish

Eggs of the tambaqui Colossoma macropomum were incubated at 28 and 31) C. Somitogenesis started shortly after the formation of the neural plate and notochord. New somites were added at the rate of one every 13 min at 28) C and one every 11 min at 31) C. Myogenesis started in the most rostral myotomes at the 9-somite stage and proceeded in a caudal direction. Mononuclear myotubes with the morphological characteristic of muscle pioneer cells were observed lateral to the notochord. The majority of myotubes were formed from the fusion of 3–6 spindle-shaped myoblasts. Myofibril synthesis started soon after cell fusion at the periphery of myotubes. Close membrane contacts and 'gap'-type junctions were observed between myotubes, immature muscle fibres and at the inter-somite boundary, suggesting that the cells were electrically coupled. Embryos exhibited rhythmic movements at the 20-somite stage, and hatched at the 29–30-somite stage 15–18 h post-fertilisation (PFT) at 28° C and 11 h PFT at 31° C. Larvae hatched at a comparatively early stage of development prior to the completion of somitogenesis and the formation of eye pigment, pectoral fins and jaws. The myotomes comprised a single superficial layer of well-differentiated muscle fibres which contained abundant mitochondria, overlying an inner core of myotubes (presumptive white muscle layer). Differentiation and growth during the larval stages was extremely rapid, and the juvenile stage was reached after little more than 6 days at 28° C.     

How feeding performance and energy intake change with a small increase in the body size of the three-spined stickleback

Changes in the foraging behaviour due to variation in the body size of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus were investigated. All sizes of fish had a high probability of attacking prey whenever encountered. The probability of eating the prey increased with the size of the fish, as the larger fish had larger jaws and a greater stomach capacity. Therefore, as fish increased in size there was an increase in the probability of successful prey capture. The level of satiation did not have an effect on the prey handling time, which is contrary to other studies and is probably a result of the large prey sizes. The physical size of the prey meant that the handling times were long regardless of the motivational level of the fish. The larger fish took in more energy and at a faster rate, although the time to reach satiation was similar for all fish sizes. The advantage that large fish appear to have in successfully gaining large prey is negated by their greater metabolic requirement. The changes in feeding performance induced by small increases in body size could have important consequences for intraspecific competition, habitat Use and risk of predation.     

Sperm motility initiation factor is a minor component of the Pacific herring egg chorion

Polyclonal antibodies were generated to the 105 kDa herring sperm motility initiation factor (SMIF) and used to explore the role of SMIF in sperm-egg interaction. Using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with SMIF antibodies, it was demonstrated that SMIF is present as a minor (4–7% of total chorion protein) component of the chorion. The major polypeptides in the chorion migrated at 117 kDa and in a grouping between 48–54 kDa, with other minor bands above and below. The only detectable glycosylated component was the 105 kDa band, which was resolved at two isoelectric points (8.22 and 8.31) after isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis. Using antibodies to SMIF, fertilization was blocked, sperm motility was inhibited in vitro in the presence of solubilized SMIF and SMIF binding sites on sperm were localized. Lastly, SMIF was localized to the region of the herring egg that encircles the micropyle.     

Hormonal induction of all stages of spermatogenesis in germ-somatic cell coculture from immature Japanese eel testis

In cultivated male eel, spermatogonia are the only germ cells present in testis. Our previous studies using an organ culture system have shown that gonadotropin and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT, a potent androgen in teleost fishes) can induce all stages of spermatogenesis in vitro. for detailed investigation of the control mechanisms of spermatogenesis, especially of the interaction between germ cells and testicular somatic cells during 11-KT-induced spermatogenesis in vitro, we have established a new culture system in which germ cells and somatic cells are cocultured after they are aggregated into pellets by centrifugation. Germ cells (spermatogonia) and somatic cells (mainly Sertoli cells) were isolated from immature eel testis. Coculture of the isolated germ cells and somatic cells without forming aggregation did not induce spermatogenesis, even in the presence of 11-KT. In contrast, when isolated germ cells and somatic cells were formed into pellets by centrifugation and were then cultured with 11-KT for 30 days, the entire process of spermatogenesis from premitotic spermatogonia to spermatozoa was induced. However, in the absence of 11-KT in the culture medium spermatogenesis was not induced, even when germ cell and somatic cells were aggregated. These results demonstrate that physical contact of germ cells to Sertoli cells is required for inducing spermatogenesis in response to 11-KT.     

Agar yield and quality of Gracilaria chilensis (Gigartinales,Rhodophyta) in tank culture using fish effluents

Tank cultivation of Gracilaria using fish effluents has permitted a production of 48 kg m^–2 yr^–1 and can reduce the dissolved nitrogen loads in the seawater. We report the yield, gel strength, gelling and melting point of agar from Gracilaria cultivated in tanks with seawater previously utilized in intensive, land-based salmon cultures and compared to a control using directly pumped seawater, over a study period of 22 months. The results show that the highest agar yield (20 to 22%) was obtained when Gracilaria was cultivated with pure seawater as compared to the fish effluents. The gel strength, gelling and melting point were higher in the agar obtained from algae cultured with fish effluents. During the spring, the gel strength, gelling and melting point increased in tanks with fish effluents and decreased in tanks with a supply of pure seawater.     

Predator-induced bottom-up effects in oligotrophic systems

Five treatments (replication n=2) were applied to mesocosms in an oligotrophic lake (TP=6–10 µg 1^-1) to assess the effects of fish on planktonic communities. The treatments were: (1) high fish (30 kg ha^–1 Lepomis auritus, Linnaeus), (2) low fish (10 kg ha^–1), (3) high removal of zooplankton, (4) low removal of zooplankton and (5) control. Total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, zooplankton biomass, and species richness decreased from high fish > low fish > control > low removal > high removal treatments. The fish treatments were dominated by crustacean zooplankton, while rotifers outnumbered the other zooplankters in the removal treatments. Calculations of zooplankton grazing rates suggested that clearance rates seldom exceeded 2% of the enclosure volume d^–1 and were unlikely to have had much influence on phytoplankton biomass. Calculations from a phosphorus bioenergetics model revealed that when fish were present, their excretion rates were higher than the rates ascribed to zooplankton. Diet analysis showed that the fish derived most of their energy from the benthos and periphyton, and that fish excretion and egestion made significant contributions to the very oligotrophic pelagic phosphorus pool. In the absence of fish, zooplankton excretion was highest in the control treatments and lowest in the zooplankton removal treatments. Our results suggest that in oligotrophic systems, planktivorous fish can be significant sources of phosphorus and that fish and zooplankton induced nutrient cycling have significant impacts on planktonic community structure.     

Effect of larval fish and nutrient enrichment on plankton dynamics in experimental ponds

The hypotheses that larval fish density may potentially affect phytoplankton abundance through regulating zooplankton community structure, and that fish effect may also depend on nutrient levels were tested experimentally in ponds with three densities of larval walleye, Stizostedion vitreum (0, 25, and 50 fish m^–3), and two fertilizer types (inorganic vs organic fertilizer). A significant negative relationship between larval fish density and large zooplankton abundance was observed despite fertilizer types. Larval walleye significantly reduced the abundances of Daphnia, Bosmina, and Diaptomus but enhanced the abundance of various rotifer species (Brachionus, Polyarthra, and Keratella). When fish predation was excluded, Daphnia became dominant, but Daphnia grazing did not significantly suppress blue-green algae. Clearly, larval fish can be an important regulator for zooplankton community. Algal composition and abundance were affected more by fertilizer type than by fish density. Inorganic fertilizer with a high N:P ratio (20:1) enhanced blue-green algal blooms, while organic fertilizer with a lower N:P ratio (10:1) suppressed the abundance of blue-green algae. This result may be attributed to the high density of blue-green algae at the beginning of the experiment and the fertilizer type. Our data suggest that continuous release of nutrients from suspended organic fertilizer at a low rate may discourage the development of blue-green algae. Nutrient inputs at a low N:P ratio do not necessarily result in the dominance of blue-green algae.     

Relationships between mesohabitats, ichthyological communities and IBI metrics adapted to a European river basin (The Meuse, Belgium)

We investigated the influence of mesohabitats on fish communities and on attributes of a multimetric index of fish integrity in the River Meuse basin. Three consecutive 150 m sectors in a Meuse tributary (Ourthe, Belgium), each divided in two or three sub-sections presenting various percentages of mesohabitats (riffles, runs and pools), were sampled by electrofishing. In each sub-section, relative and absolute biomasses of each fish species were estimated. The presence of limnophilic cyprinids was inversely correlated (r ² = 0.70 and 0.56 for absolute and relative biomass, respectively) with the percentage of riffles. Salmonids preferred runs and their absolute biomass was highly dependent (r ² = 0.71) on the proportion of this mesohabitat, whereas biomass of limnophilic cyprinids was highly correlated (r ² = 0.75 and r ² = 0.82 for absolute and relative biomass, respectively) with pools. A positive correlation (r ² = 0.58) was established between relative biomass of predators and the percentage of this mesohabitat. An IBI was calculated for the three sectors on the basis of results from the entire Meuse catchment. Scores of most metrics showed low variation among sectors but values of two metrics (% of individuals as tolerant, % of individuals as ubiquitous spawners) were greatest in sector 2, where pools predominated. Further, the lowest IBI score (51/65, integrity class: fair to good) was recorded in sector 2 where pools dominated, while sector 1 (where runs dominated) obtained the highest score (63/65, integrity class: excellent). Sector 3 which has a balanced proportion of riffles and runs obtained an intermediate score (57/65). Considering the response of IBI to the natural variation of mesohabitat proportions, it appears that an accurate sampling requires the prospection of a variety of mesohabitats (with a majority of runs) for the evaluation of river quality.