Impact Scenario for an Introduced Decapod on Arctic Epibenthic Communities

The intentional introduction of a species for the enhancement of stock or establishment of new fisheries, often has unforeseen effects. The red king crabs, Paralithodes camtschaticus, which was introduced into the Barents Sea by Russian scientists, has established a self-sustaining population that has expanded into Norwegian waters. As top benthic predators, the introduced red king crabs may have possible effects upon native epifaunal scallop (Chlamys islandica) communities. These benthic communities may be a source of prey species in late spring, when the red king crabs feed most intensively. Foraging rates (consumption, killing or severely damaging) of red king crab on native prey organisms were measured by factorial manipulation of crab density (0.5, 1.5 and 3 per m ²), size classes (immature, small mature, and large mature crabs), and by evaluating prey consumption after 48 h, in order to extrapolate a scenario of the likely impacts. Foraging rates of the red king crab on scallops ranged between 150 and 335 g per m² within 48 h. These rates did not change when crab density was altered, though an increased amount of crushed scallops left uneaten at the tank floor, were correlated with high density of small mature crabs. Foraging rate changed significantly with crab size. Consequently, the susceptibility of native, shallow water epibenthic communities to red king crab predation in the early life history stages, and during the post-mating/molting spring period, must be considered significant when foraging rates are contrasted with natural scallop biomass between 400 and 1200 g scallops per m².     

Gastric processing and evacuation during emersion in the red rock crab, Cancer productus

The passage of a radio-opaque meal was followed through the digestive system of the red rock crab, Cancer productus, using a fluoroscope. When the crabs were maintained in seawater, the food was apparent in the foregut as soon as the animals had fed. Release of food from the foregut was routinely slow and digesta appeared in the midgut only in small amounts at any one time. The foregut was emptied between 24 and 36 h, digesta was cleared from the midgut region at 36 h and by 48 h only a small amount of residual digesta was left in the posterior part of the hindgut. Contractions of the cardiac region of the foregut were somewhat sporadic and ranged between 6 and 11 min^-1. Contractions of the pyloric region were more stable, varying between 45-65 min^-1. In both cases, there was no change in rate during 18 h period in seawater. When crabs were subjected to both short- and long-term aerial exposure, release of food from the foregut was halted for the first 4-6 h of emersion. Although, small amounts of digesta appeared in the midgut and hindgut, there was no significant change in the amount in each region during emersion. There was a trend towards a depression of cardiac stomach contraction rates, but this was only significant in 3 h postprandial crabs during short-term emersion. A pronounced decrease in pyloric stomach contraction rate was maintained for the duration of the aerial exposure. When crabs were returned to seawater, contraction rates took 3-5 h to return to normal, but no significant change in gastric evacuation was observed during this period. During re-immersion, over 65% of the animals regurgitated the stomach contents. This regurgitation may act as a protective mechanism to avoid digestion and the subsequent specific dynamic action. The decrease in gastric processing in C. productus is probably part of an overall metabolic depression occurring during emersion.     

The genetic variability of the red king crab, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralithodes camtschatica</Emphasis> (Tilesius, 1815) (Anomura,Lithodidae) introduced into the Barents Sea compared with samples from the Bering Sea and Kamchatka region using eleven microsatellite loci

The intentional introduction of red king crab, Paralithodes camtschatica (Tilesius, 1815) in the Barents Sea represent one of a few successful cases and one that now supports a commercial fishery. Introductions of alien species into new environments are often associated with genetic bottlenecks, which cause a reduction in the genetic variation, and this could be important for the spreading potential of the species in the Atlantic Ocean. Red king crab samples collected in the Varangerfjord located on the Barents Sea (northern Norway) were compared with reference crab samples collected from the Bering Sea and Kamchatka regions in the Pacific Ocean. All samples were screened for eleven microsatellite loci, based on the development of species-specific primers. The observed number of alleles per locus was similar, and no reduction in genetic variation, including gene diversity and allelic richness, was detected between the Varangerfjord sample and the reference sample from Okhotsk Sea near Kamchatka, indicating no genetic bottlenecking at least for the microsatellite loci investigated. The same results were found in comparison with the sample from Bering Sea. The level of genetic differentiation among the samples, measured as overall F _ST across all loci, was relatively low (0.0238) with a range of 0.0035–0.1000 for the various loci investigated. The largest pairwise F _ST values were found between the Bering Sea and Varangerfjord/Barents Sea samples, with a value of 0.0194 across all loci tested. The lowest value (0.0101) was found between the Varangerfjord and Kamchatka samples. Genetic differentiation based on exact tests on allele frequencies revealed highly significant differences between all pairwise comparisons. The high level of genetic variation found in the Varangerfjord/Barents Sea sample could be of significance with respect to further spreading of the species to other regions in the North Atlantic Ocean.     

黄河口邻近海域生态系统能量流动与三疣梭子蟹增殖容量估算

增殖放流是渔业资源养护的重要手段, 生态系统与放流种类能流格局的变化研究,是进行增殖容量评估的研究基础.根据2012和2013年黄河口邻近海域的资源调查数据,构建了黄河口邻近海域6、8、10月的Ecopath模型,比较分析了3个月份该海域生态系统能量流动的变化,初步评估了三疣梭子蟹的增殖容量.结果表明： 黄河口邻近海域生态系统的能量流动主要在营养级I～III之间进行,营养级IV以及以上的能量流动较小.6月第I营养级整合系统流动的比例最高,8月最低.第II营养级整合系统流动的比例8月最高,6月最低.三疣梭子蟹相对能量流动和绝对能量流动均是第III营养级最高,三疣梭子蟹的营养级3月平均为3.28.黄河口邻近海域生态系统有较高的剩余生产量,6月最高、8月最低,系统的总初级生产量/总呼吸(TPP/TR) 3个月份分别为5.49、2.47、3.01,总初级生产量/总生物量(TPP/B)分别为47.61、33.30、29.78,同时具有较低的循环指数(FCI：0.03～0.06),黄河口邻近海域生态系统处于脆弱的不稳定期.系统的能量转换效率为7.3%～11.5%;渔获物的平均营养级8月和10月有所下降,3个月份分别为3.23、2.97和2.82;总捕捞效率8月最高,6月最低.在黄河口邻近海域8月Ecopath模型基础上,初步评估三疣梭子蟹的增殖容量为1.5115 t·km^-2.     

The denitrification potential and density of denitrifying bacteria in the bottom sediments of Matupi Harbor (Papua New Guinea)

The denitrification potential and density of denitrifying bacteria were determined in suboxidized sediments of Matupi Harbor (Papua New Guinea). The sediments were characterized by low denitrification potentials, not exceeding 0.8 nM/(g h). The maximum density of denitrifying bacteria was recorded in the upper sediment horizons and was 10⁴ cells/g of wet ground.     

One‐Step Fabrication of Ultrathin Porous Nickel Hydroxide‐Manganese Dioxide Hybrid Nanosheets for Supercapacitor Electrodes with Excellent Capacitive Performance

A facile one‐step hydrothermal co‐deposition method for growth of ultrathin Ni(OH)₂‐MnO₂ hybrid nanosheet arrays on three dimensional (3D) macroporous nickel foam is presented. Due to the highly hydrophilic and ultrathin nature of hybrid nanosheets, as well as the synergetic effects of Ni(OH)₂ and MnO₂, the as‐fabricated Ni(OH)₂‐MnO₂ hybrid electrode exhibits an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2628 F g^?1. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor with the as‐obtained Ni(OH)₂‐MnO₂ hybrid film as the positive electrode and the reduced graphene oxide as the negative electrode has a high energy density (186 Wh kg^?1 at 778 W kg^?1), based on the total mass of active materials.     

Diet of Anguilla mossambica (Teleostei,Anguillidae) elvers in the Sundays River,Eastern Cape,South Africa

The southern African crab Hymenosoma orbiculare was recently split into five distinct species, of which three are estuarine/coastal and have peripatric distributions that are linked to temperature-defined marine bioregions. This suggests that the species’ ranges may be limited by physiological adaptations to their thermal environment. We explored this hypothesis by rearing the larvae of the warm-temperate lineage of H. orbiculare and the warm-temperate/subtropical H. longicrure at a range of water temperatures, and found clear temperature-dependent differences in the duration of larval development. Our study contributes to the growing body of evidence that stresses the importance of adaptation to regional environmental conditions, rather than physical dispersal barriers on their own, in limiting the mixing of marine species between temperature-defined biogeographic regions.     

Functional genomics and sexual differentiation in amphibians

To succeed on land rather than in water, crabs require a suite of physiological and morphological changes, and ultimately the ability to reproduce without access open water. Some species have modified gills to assist in gas exchange but accessory gas exchange organs, usually lungs, occur in many species. In accomplished air-breathers the lung becomes larger and more vascularised with pulmonary vessels directing oxygenated haemolymph to the heart. The relative abundance of O₂ in air promotes relative hypoventilation and thus an internal hypercapnia to drive CO₂ excretion. Land crabs have a dual circulation via either lungs or gills and shunting between the two may depend on respiratory media or exercise state. During their breeding migration on Christmas Island Gecarcoidea natalis maintained arterial Po₂ by branchial O₂ uptake, while pulmonary O₂ pressure was reduced; partly because exercise doubled relative haemolymph flow through the gills. Related species rely on elevated haemocyanin concentration and affinity for O₂ to assist uptake but this compromises unloading at the tissues and thus the aerobic scope of tissues. Aquatic crabs exchange salt and ammonia with water via the gills but in land crabs this is not possible. Birgus latro has adopted uricotelism but other species excrete ammonia in either the urine or as gas. Land crabs minimise urinary salt loss using a filtration-reabsorption system analogous to the kidney. Urine is redirected across the gills where salt reabsorption occurs in systems under hormonal control, although in G. natalis this is stimulatory and in B. latro inhibitory. While crabs occupy a range of habitats from aquatic to terrestrial, these species do not comprise a physiological continuum but across the crab taxa individual species possess appropriate and specific physiological features to survive in their individual habitat.     

Auditory stimulation dishabituates anti-predator escape behavior in hermit crabs (Coenobita clypeatus)

Responses to innocuous stimuli often habituate with repeated stimulation, but the mechanisms involved in dishabituation are less well studied. Chan et al. (2010b) found that hermit crabs were quicker to perform an anti-predator withdrawal response in the presence of a short-duration white noise relative to a longer noise stimulus. In two experiments, we examined whether this effect could be explicable in terms of a non-associative learning process. We delivered repeated presentations of a simulated visual predator to hermit crabs, which initially caused the crabs to withdraw into their shells. After a number of trials, the visual stimulus lost the ability to elicit the withdrawal response. We then presented the crabs with an auditory stimulus prior to an additional presentation of the visual predator. In Experiment 1, the presentation of a 10-s, 89-dB SPL noise produced no significant dishabituation of the response. In Experiment 2 we increased the duration (50 s) and intensity (95 dB) of the noise, and found that the crabs recovered their withdrawal response to the visual predator. This finding illustrates dishabituation of an antipredator response and suggests two distinct processes—distraction and sensitization—are influenced by the same stimulus parameters, and interact to modulate the strength of the anti-predator response.