Effect of variable food levels on reproductive performance of breeding female three-spined sticklebacks

The study examined the response to variation in food ration within a breeding season on components of the reproductive performance of mature female three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus , a batch spawner. The main effect of food availability was on the duration of the inter-spawning interval (ISI). Low ration resulted in an increase in the number of days until the next spawning. A low ration during one inter-spawning interval increased the length of the next ISI, even if there was a high ration in the latter. Females that experienced high rations for two successive ISIs showed an increase in batch fecundity over the successive spawnings. There was no tendency for fish on low rations to produce bigger eggs or eggs with higher lipid concentration. Females on low ration had a lower carcass dry matter concentration and a lower liver dry weight immediately after their third spawning. Female sticklebacks responded to a low ration with little change in egg number or size, but a slight reduction in physiological condition. Egg characteristics and, to a lesser extent, batch fecundity are insensitive to current rate of food consumption, but the interval between spawnings is sensitive to both current and previous rates of consumption.     

Major changes in fecundity and the effect on population egg production for three species of north-west Atlantic flatfishes

Temporal and spatial variability in fecundity was investigated for three species of north-west Atlantic flatfishes: American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides , yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea and witch flounder Glyptocephalus cynoglossus . Significant log₁₀ linear relationships existed between fecundity and total length ( L _T) for all three species and for all combinations of area (NAFO regulatory areas) and year. Fecundity differed between areas for yellowtail flounder and witch flounder and changed significantly for all three species since the last reported fecundity studies in the region 30–40 years ago. Three populations experienced decreases in fecundity (3LNO American plaice and yellowtail flounder, 3Ps witch flounder), one experienced an increase (3NO witch flounder) and one did not change (3L witch flounder). Significant yearly variability in fecundity at length and relative fecundity existed for all three species within the 6 year sampling period (1993–1998). Estimates of population egg production based on new and historic fecundity data revealed that using the old, invariant fecundity and L _T relationship resulted in overestimation of total annual egg production by up to 24% for 3LNO American plaice and as high as 41% for 3LNO yellowtail flounder. These results clearly demonstrate the variable nature of fecundity for flatfishes in Newfoundland waters and suggest that the use of an invariant fecundity and L _T relationship may result in inaccurate estimates of stock reproductive potential.     

Costs of resistance in the Drosophila-macrocheles system: a negative genetic correlation between ectoparasite resistance and reproduction

Genetic variation for parasite resistance occurs in most host populations. Costs of resistance, manifested as reduced fitness of resistant genotypes in the absence of parasitism, can be an important factor contributing to the maintenance of this variation. One powerful tool for detecting costs of resistance is the study of correlated responses to artificial selection. Provided that experimental lines are recently derived from large outbreeding populations, and that inbreeding is minimized during the experiment, correlated responses to selection are expected to be strong indicators of pleiotropy. We artificially selected for elevated behavioral resistance against an ectoparasitic mite (Macrocheles subbadius) in replicate populations of the fly Drosophila nigrospiracula. Resistance was modeled as a threshold trait, and the realized heritability of resistance was estimated to be 12.3% (1.4% SE) across three replicate lines recently derived from nature. We contrasted the longevity and fecundity of resistant and control (unselected) flies under a variable thermal environment. We report that reduced fecundity is a correlated response to artificial selection for increased resistance, and that the strength of this effect increases from 25 degrees to 29 degrees C. In contrast, longevity differences were not detected between resistant and control lines at either temperature. These findings are robust as they were confirmed with an independent set of experimental lines. Thus, our results identify a negative genetic correlation between ectoparasite resistance and an important life-history trait. That a correlated response was only detected for fecundity, and not longevity, suggests that the genetic correlation is attributable to pleiotropic effects with narrower effects than reallocation of a general resource pool within the organism, although other interpretations are discussed. Combined with fluctuating parasite-mediated selection and temperature, the presence of this trade-off may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation for resistance in natural populations.     

Altered reproductive success in rat pairs after environmental-like exposure to xenoestrogen

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) have the capacity of altering the normal function of the endocrine system. EDCs have shown dramatic effects on the reproductive biology of aquatic wildlife and may affect human reproduction as well. Studies on EDCs in mammalian species have often investigated the effects of short-term, high doses on male and female reproductive physiology. However, it is difficult to predict from such studies the effects of EDC on populations that are exposed to very low doses throughout their life via contaminated food and water. We studied the effects of EDC on mammalian reproduction with an environmental-like protocol where the endpoint is the reproductive success of exposed pairs. We focused on a subclass of EDC, the xenoestrogens, which mimic the action of natural oestrogen hormones. Male and female rats were exposed to low doses of the pure oestrogen, ethynyloestradiol, during development, by oral administration to their mothers during pregnancy and lactation, and to them until puberty. We evaluated the effects of the exposure on development and reproductive physiology of individuals, and on fertility and fecundity of pairs in which both members had been exposed to the same treatment. We found that low doses caused major reproductive deficits in the experimental animals. Very low, environmentally relevant doses did not have evident effects on exposed animals; however, the fecundity of exposed pairs was substantially altered. Environmentally relevant doses of xenoestrogens which have no evident physiological effects can alter the reproductive success of exposed pairs in natural populations.     

淮河水系沙塘鳢形态生物学和繁殖力

分析了淮河水系沙塘鳢(Odontobutis obscura)的外部形态特征和框架特征及其繁殖力,为其形态种质标准和系统分类研究提供参考。结果表明可数性状,背鳍Ⅶ,Ⅰ-9~10,尾鳍14~15,臀鳍Ⅰ-7~8,腹鳍Ⅰ-5,胸鳍14~15,纵列鳞36~41,横列鳞14~18,体侧感觉乳突线鳞28~30,第一鳃弓鳃耙数9~11,脊椎骨数28~29;可量性状,平均全长是体长1.23倍,体长分别是体高、头长、尾柄长、消化道长和肠长的3.82倍、3.08倍、5.19倍、1.86倍和6.99倍,头长分别是吻长、眼径、眼间距和口裂宽2.94倍、6.09倍、3.86倍和1.94倍,体高是体宽0.96倍,尾柄长是尾柄高1.66倍。肥满度系数K=2.90;平均个体绝对繁殖力3288粒,体质量相对繁殖力102.3粒.g-1,体长相对繁殖力308.7粒.cm-1。平均成熟系数雌鱼为12.87%,雄鱼为1.13%。     

7种内共生病毒对柑橘木虱生殖力的影响

[目的]柑橘木虱吸食柑橘和九里香等芸香科植物,更是柑橘黄龙病的主要传播媒介。了解柑橘木虱共生微生物对虫体产卵量的影响,可为该虫的生态调控提供理论依据。[材料]应用Illumina HiSeq技术对柑橘木虱进行转录组和小RNA (siRNA)高通量测序,对拼接的序列进行功能注释。通过单雌单苗的饲养方法,分析通过测序揭晓的7种内共生病毒对柑橘木虱的影响,包括单雌总产卵量、单雌日产卵量和单雌寿命的变化。[结果]通过高通量测序共获得unigenes序列22429条,共有17673条unigenes注释至NR、NT、Pfam等数据库。根据siRNA分析数据,获得了多条柑橘木虱内共生病毒的序列。生物学验证试验发现,柑橘木虱呼肠孤病毒、Hubei tick virus 2、褐飞虱呼肠孤病毒、Mal de Rio Cuarto virus、Synechococcus phage S-RSM4、Tokyovirus A1 DNA和Diaphorina citri picorna-like virus isolate BR1 7种内共生病毒显著降低了雌虫群体总产卵量,但是对单雌日产卵量和单雌寿命无显著影响。[结论]研究结果为柑橘木虱的共生微生物多样性提供证据,也为进一步探索内共生病毒对宿主昆虫的意义提供了思路和理论基础,为后续柑橘木虱-内共生微生物的互作研究提供数据支持。     

基于精荚数量对鸢乌贼中型群雄性 个体有效繁殖力的研究

根据2017年和2018年在我国南海海域采集到的鸢乌贼（Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis）中型群雄性样本,利用生物统计分析和线性模型拟合等方法研究其有效繁殖力特性及其在性腺发育过程中的变化规律。结果表明,南海鸢乌贼中型群雄性胴长分布范围为114 ~ 153 mm,体重分布范围为55.2 ~ 174.7 g。个体精荚囊的长度为22 ~ 124 mm,精荚囊重量为0.03 ~ 3.07 g,两者呈幂函数关系,且均随着性腺发育而逐步增大。精荚囊长度及其重量与胴长和体重均呈线性函数关系。精荚囊长度及其重量均在性腺成熟度Ⅵ期时达到最大值,分别为（94.33 ± 21.64）mm和（1.57 ± 1.07）g。有效繁殖力为1 ~ 144条,胴长相对有效繁殖力为0.02 ~ 1.62 条/mm。随着个体生长发育,有效繁殖力在Ⅵ期达到最大值,相对有效繁殖力则在Ⅵ ~ Ⅶ期时趋于稳定。有效繁殖力与胴长、体重均呈线性函数关系,相对有效繁殖力与胴长、体重均呈幂函数关系。精荚长度为4.79 ~ 36.60 mm,精荚重量为0.000 2 ~ 0.020 0 g,两者符合幂函数关系,且均在Ⅵ期达到最大值。同时,精荚长度及其重量与胴长、体重均呈线性函数关系。研究表明,南海鸢乌贼中型群雄性个体的精荚囊、精荚和有效繁殖力均随着性腺发育而不断增大,且三者均与个体胴长、体重呈显著的函数关系。     

影响暗黑鳃金龟成虫取食、寿命及生殖力的植物叶片营养成分分析

【目的】分析植物叶片中主要营养成分与暗黑鳃金龟Holotrichia parallela成虫取食偏好关系,明确影响其成虫取食、寿命及生殖力的主要营养成分。【方法】测定室内5种植物(花生、核桃、榆树、金叶女贞和毛白杨)叶片饲养的暗黑鳃金龟成虫寿命、取食量和产卵量,分析植物叶片中4种主要营养成分(氨基酸、脂肪酸、粗纤维和总磷)含量与暗黑鳃金龟成虫取食、寿命和生殖力之间的相关性。【结果】暗黑鳃金龟成虫对5种植物叶片的日均取食量由高到低依次为：花生>核桃>榆树>金叶女贞>毛白杨;取食核桃、花生和榆树叶片的成虫总取食量和单雌总产卵量与取食金叶女贞和毛白杨的成虫间均差异极显著(P<0.01)。成虫总取食量与植物叶片中氨基酸含量显著相关(P<0.05; r=0.515);成虫单雌总产卵量与植物叶片中脂肪酸及氨基酸含量间极显著相关(P<0.01)(分别为：r=0.698和r=0.746)。植物叶片中必需氨基酸含量与成虫取食量和产卵量相关性与植物叶片中总氨基酸含量与成虫取食量和产卵量的相关性基本一致;成虫取食量与植物叶片中赖氨酸含量最相关,而成虫单雌总产卵量与植物叶片中各种必需氨基酸含量均相关。成虫寿命与植物叶片营养成分含量不相关。【结论】植物叶片中的赖氨酸含量是影响暗黑鳃金龟成虫取食偏好的关键因子,植物叶片中必需氨基酸含量和脂肪酸含量影响暗黑鳃金龟生殖力。     

Breeding patterns in the pre-desert oniscid isopod Porcellio buddelundi of Matmata (Gabès,Tunisia)

Porcellio buddelundi inhabits arid areas in Tunisia. The reproductive pattern of a population at Oued El Jir, Matmata (Tunisia) was studied from July 2005 to June 2006. Monthly samples were taken during the study period. The overall sex ratio was biased toward females. Males, females, and newborns all had greater body-mass in autumn than in spring and their lowest mean body-mass was in June and July. Ovigerous females greater than 41.1 mg in body-mass, were collected from March through May and from September through October, suggesting seasonal reproduction with two breeding seasons: the longer one in spring (3 months) and another in the fall (2 months). Fecundity, which was positively correlated with the body-mass of females, varied between breeding seasons with a large number in spring and a small number in autumn. Seasonal variation of fecundity could be explained by the growth rate of ovigerous females affecting the fecundity more in spring than in autumn. The onset of breeding, in P. buddelundi, takes place when the day-length exceeds 12 h and the soil moisture decreases.     

Infection of the fittest: devil facial tumour disease has greatest effect on individuals with highest reproductive output

Emerging infectious diseases rarely affect all members of a population equally and determining how individuals’ susceptibility to infection is related to other components of their fitness is critical to understanding disease impacts at a population level and for predicting evolutionary trajectories. We introduce a novel state‐space model framework to investigate survival and fecundity of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) affected by a transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease. We show that those devils that become host to tumours have otherwise greater fitness, with higher survival and fecundity rates prior to disease‐induced death than non‐host individuals that do not become infected, although high tumour loads lead to high mortality. Our finding that individuals with the greatest reproductive value are those most affected by the cancer demonstrates the need to quantify both survival and fecundity in context of disease progression for understanding the impact of disease on wildlife populations.