Hatch date‐dependent differences in early growth and development recorded in the otolith microstructure of Trachurus japonicus

Otolith microstructure of 308 juvenile jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus sampled in the southern Sea of Japan between June and September 2002 were examined by light microscopy. Hatch‐date distribution indicated a protracted spawning season from 16 January to 30 May 2002. The first secondary primordium (SP) was formed at ages 19–54 days, with a mean ±  s . d . of 30·4 ± 6·1. The number of SP in an otolith ranged from two to 15, with a mean of 6·1 ± 1·7. Age of the first SP formation, number of SP and increment width varied with hatch date. In general, late‐hatched fish were younger when the first SP formed, and had a higher number of SP and wider increments, than early‐hatched fish. As increment width is a linear function of somatic growth and formation of the first SP is associated with metamorphosis in jack mackerel, these variations in otolith microstructure indicated that rates of growth (as inferred from wider increments) and development (as inferred by younger age of first SP formation) were higher in late‐hatched fish relative to early‐hatched fish. Higher temperature experienced by late‐hatched fish during early life stages may contribute critically to their higher growth and development rates compared to early‐hatched fish.     

Validation of daily otolith increment formation in the larval myctophid fish Diaphus slender‐type spp.

The marginal increment growth in sagittal otoliths of the myctophid larvae Diaphus slender‐type spp. collected in the north‐eastern East China Sea was examined based on specimens collected at different times of the day. The calcification of the incremental zone began after midnight and took place throughout the day, and the discontinuous zone was formed only around midnight. These results indicate that otolith increments are formed daily.     

Age and growth of Saurenchelys (Nettastomatidae) and Dysomma (Synaphobranchidae) leptocephali in the East China Sea

The otolith microstructures of the leptocephali of Saurenchelys stylura and Dysomma sp., collected in November and December 2000 in the East China Sea, were examined to determine their larval ages and growth rates, and the spawning times of these two species of outer shelf and slope marine eels. Leptocephali ranging in size from 8 to 48 mm total length were examined, and the nettastomatid, S. stylura , and the synaphobranchid, Dysomma sp., had estimated ages that ranged from 16 to 75 days and 17 to 66 days, respectively. The overall growth rate of S. stylura was 0·68 mm day⁻¹( n  = 21), and of Dysomma sp. was 0·44 mm day⁻¹( n  = 22). These growth rates were similar or slightly faster than those observed for anguillid leptocephali in offshore areas of the western Pacific. The backcalculated hatching dates for these two species were from September to November. The otolith increment widths of S. stylura showed an increase before 20 to 30 days that were similar to those in anguillid species, but in Dysomma sp. there were no remarkable increases.     

The use of haematoxylin stain to improve contrast of growth increments in otoliths of larval whitemouth croaker

Otoliths of larval whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri , treated with haematoxylin, exhibited a clearer pattern of incremental and discontinuous zones than untreated otoliths. Precision of age estimates was better after the staining procedure.     

Effect of diet on otolith composition in Pomatomus saltatrix, an estuarine piscivore

To test the hypothesis that elemental composition of otoliths (sagittae) could be influenced by differences in natural prey type, young‐of‐the‐year bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix were captured immediately after their migration from oceanic waters into mid‐Atlantic Bight estuaries and fed either shrimp, Crangon septemspinosa and Palaemonetes spp. or fish Menidia menidia under similar temperature and salinity regimes in two separate 60 day experiments. Unlimited rations of fish and shrimp prey were provided in the first experiment which led to differences in bluefish growth rate between the two prey treatments; fish prey was limited in the second experiment to ensure that growth rates of bluefish in the two prey treatments were similar. Concentrations of seven elements in bluefish otoliths were determined using solution‐based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). There was no significant effect of diet on five of the seven elements examined (Na, Mg, K, Ca and Mn). The levels of Sr and Ba in the otoliths of shrimp‐fed bluefish, however, were significantly higher than fish‐fed bluefish in both experiments. Concentrations of Ba in shrimp‐fed bluefish otoliths were double that found in fish‐fed bluefish. The results suggest that diet can explain some of the variation in otolith chemistry previously attributed to physical and chemical properties of the water.     

Cell wall breakdown during the formation of syncytia induced in plants by root knot nematodes

Bird Alan F. 1972. Cell wall breakdown during the formation of syncytia induced in plants by root knot nematodes. International Journal for Parasitology, 2: 431–432. Examination under the light muscope of thin (2 μm) serial sections of syncytia embedded in epoxy resin reveals a close association between these structures and adjacent cells. Sometimes these cells protrude into the cytoplasm of a syncytium but at other times their walls and those of syncytia break down and permit cytoplasmic contact. These results support the hypothesis that syncytia are formed partly by incorporation of cells whose walls have dissolved rather than by expansion of a single cell. They also provide an explanation for the observed variability in nucleic acid content of syncytial nuclei.     

The relative merits of direct morphometry of reconstructions of whole cells,and statistical morphometry by stereology of random sections of cells

Stereology, or the derivation of quantitative, three-dimensional (3-D) data about cells by statistical analysis of the structures of random sections, is widely used in cytology and pathology. However, there are situations where this approach is inadequate, and only an analysis of a homogeneous population of whole cells will give the required results. This involved 3-D reconstruction from physical or optical sections, or tomography or photogrammetry of whole-cell mounts. Use of stereo views of individual sections or projections adds considerably to the information available for both contouring and reconstruction. Recent image-processing advances in clinical radiography have shown, for the first time, that rapid, high-resolution digitization and contrast enhancement enable nearly all structural details to be routinely extracted from the micrographs and adequately portrayed. Three-D whole-cell reconstructions provide the digital data for many kinds of morphometric measurements on both whole cells and their individual organelles and membranes. Rapid fixation or freezing allows improved quantitative structure/function correlations of organelles with disturbances in cell metabolism or gene expression.     

Historical changes in juvenile southern bluefin tuna Thunnus maccoyii growth rates based on otolith measurements

Suspected historic changes in juvenile southern bluefin tuna Thunnus maccoyii growth rates were investigated using otolith increment width data. Four hundred and ninety otoliths were selected from fish estimated to be between 1 and 41 years-old. The distance between the first five annuli were measured on the otoliths, giving estimates of otolith growth for age classes 1+ to 4+ years for fish spawned from the early 1960s to mid 1990s. The data showed that growth rates of juveniles (age 1+ and 2+ years) started to increase at around 1979–1980, and that growth continued to increase throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Lee's phenomenon was not observed in the data. Correlation tests did not reveal clear relationships between annual otolith growth and regional environmental variables such as sea surface temperature or Southern Oscillation Index. The increase in otolith growth, however, was consistent with juvenile growth estimates obtained from other sources, and correlated with large-scale trends in population size and environmental conditions.     

Application of otolith mass and shape for discriminating scabbardfishes Aphanopus spp. in the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean

The otolith was used to investigate the variability between Aphanopus carbo and Aphanopus intermedius inhabiting the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean. The results indicate a high degree of morphological affinity between species and areas; a noticeable metabolic change in the otolith shape was noted in the specimens of A. carbo, which may be related to migrations of individuals from shallow water (closer to the continental coast) to deeper water (archipelagos of Madeira and the Canary Islands). The results suggest a single population for both species in the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean, although not conclusively.     

Fine structure of crystalline inclusions in B-cells of the islets of Langerhans in the alligator

Summary The ultrastructure of crystalline beta granules of the islets of Langerhans in the alligator has been investigated. From optical diffraction analysis and serial sectioning, the existence of four distinct types of crystalline inclusions was established in ultrathin sections. The first type is the most frequent and is interpreted as a rhombohedroni with a base, the ortho-hexagonal unit-cell edges being a=18.9 nm, c=23.0 nm. The second type of crystal (not observed in serial sections) is found compatible with a rhomb-dodecahedron which indexes on a cubic cell with a=9.6 nm. The third type of crystal was assigned to dipyramids. Dipyramids are extremely rare, and only two diffraction patterns were obtained; their crystal system could not be determined. Prisms, which are second in abundance, represent the fourth type of crystal. Spacings as well as the symmetry differ from those of the above three crystal types and indicate a tetragonal cell with a=4.2 nm, c=14.2 nm. The data for the prismatic crystals are strikingly similar to those of proinsulin and may represent the first case of agreement between crystals (i) formed in vitro and studied by X-ray diffraction and (ii) those investigated in situ by electron microscopy.