Role of isovaleroyl lipids in channeling of sound in the porpoise melon

Physical properties (e.g. specific gravity, adiabatic compressibility and sound velocity) of lipids isolated from tissues from contiguous areas of the fatty melon of an echo-locating porpoise (Delphinus delphis) were determined to elucidate relations between lipid composition and structure, and sound transmission in the head. Lipid content varied greatly within the melon (13.6–77.6% of the tissue weight) and triacylglycerols (80–100%) were the major lipid components. This lipid class was composed of diisovaleroylglycerides (triacylglycerols containing two isovaleroyl moieties and a long-chain acyl moiety), monoisovaleroyldiacylglycerols and triacylglycerols consisting of long-chain acids. The lipid-rich (>45%) areas in the melon contained a high proportion (>45% of total triacylglycerols) of diisovaleroylglycerides. There were gradations of sound velocities within the melon; the lowest sound velocities were associated with high concentrations of diisovaleroylglycerides (<1400 m/s) and the highest with high concentrations of long-chain triacylglycerols. Assuming an average sound frequency of 75 kHz, and considering dimensions of melon (path length and width of 12–14 cm and 5 cm, respectively), a forward radiating lobe of 15–25 degrees is produced. Thus, the deposition of lipids of different acoustic properties in a three-dimensional matrix within the porpoise melon results in a lens for the projection of sound into the marine environment.     

DEVELOPMENT, SEXUAL DIMORPHISM, and INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN THE SKELETON OF THE FINLESS PORPOISE, NEOPHOCAENA PHOCAENOIDES, IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF WESTERN KYUSHU, JAPAN

Development, sexual dimorphism, and individual variation were examined in the skeleton of the finless porpoise in the coastal waters of western Kyushu, Japan. Skulls ceased growing by 4 yr. Postcranial skeletons ceased increasing in size at an age older than 11 yr. The finless porpoise was estimated to attain cranial maturity by 4 yr and physical maturity at 14–23 yr. Sexual dimorphism was not detectable in most of the cranial characters but was detected in more than half of the postcranial characters. Females tended to show larger values of postcranial characters. The shape of the pelvic bone was obviously different between males and females. Thus, a discriminant function was proposed to determine sex using measurements of this bone. Individual variation was greatest in the feeding apparatus such as length of the rostrum, and least in the braincase.     

长江中下游江豚种群现状评价

作者根据近年在长江中下游对江豚进行考察的资料和收集到的标本,系统分析评价了长江中下游江豚的种群现状,主要结果如下:1.长江江豚上至宜昌(距河口1669公里),下至长江口,以及洞庭湖、鄱阳湖均有分布。分布型式是沿长江纵向呈集群性分布,横向呈趋岸性分布;2.长江中下游江豚种群数量估计为2700头。其数量冬季最高,夏季最低。夏季的SPUE值仅为冬季的48.7％—58.6％;3.长江中下游江豚群体以1—5头最为常见,占88％;4.理论推算长江中下游每年新产生个体为539头,年出生率为20％;5.通过分析比较长江中下游和中国沿海以及日本Inland Sea江豚种群数量变动趋势,推测长江中下游江豚很可能进行“江—海”、“海—江”长距离大规模的迁移,这种迁移与生殖有关。     

AGE, GROWTH, AND REPRODUCTION OF THE FINLESS PORPOISE, NEOPHOCAENA PHOCAENOIDES, IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF WESTERN KYUSHU, JAPAN

Abstract: In the coastal waters of western Kyushu, Japan, a total of 97 incidentally taken or stranded finless porpoises, Neophocaena phocaenoides , was collected for studying age, growth and reproduction. An additional 17 specimens from the Inland Sea were used for a comparison of life history. Mean neonatal body length was 78.2 cm. Both males and females grew to around 140 cm by 5 yr of age. The maximum body lengths of males and females in western Kyushu were 174.5 cm and 165.0 cm, respectively, which were smaller than those recorded in other Japanese waters. Females probably attain sexual maturity at ages of 6–9 yr and at body lengths of 135–145 cm. Males probably mature sexually at ages of 4–6 yr, at body lengths of 135–140 cm and at weight of testis of 40–150 g. The lack of females aged 5–6 yr and males aged 4–5 yr precluded firm conclusions on ages at sexual maturity. Parturition in western Kyushu was estimated to be prolonged from autumn to spring, whereas in the Inland Sea and Pacific waters it was restricted from spring to summer with a peak in April. These geographical differences and available information on distribution implies that the finless porpoises in western Kyushu constitute a local population.     

PHD2基因在鲸类低氧信号通路中的功能

为研究鲸类低氧适应的分子机制,文章克隆了不同低氧耐受能力的3个鲸类物种,抹香鲸(Physeter macrocephalus)、白鲸(Delphinapterus leucas)和长江江豚(Neophocaena phocaenoids asiaeorientalis)的脯氨酸羟化酶2(PHD2)。通过对其序列进行分析,发现3个物种PHD2的氨基酸序列非常保守。通过对这3个物种的PHD2的功能进行探究发现:3个物种的PHD2在常氧情况下均可以降解3个物种的HIF-α(包括HIF-1α和HIF-2α)蛋白,而在低氧(O₂浓度小于2%)情况下,PHD2则无法明显降解HIF-α蛋白。在常氧下,鲸类的PHD2降解HIF-α是依赖于识别鲸类的HIF-1α上LTLLAP和LEMLAP,HIF-2α的LAQLAP和LETLAP氨基酸片段,推测PHD2是通过对HIF-α序列中的脯氨酸位点进行羟基化修饰后,被VHL-E3泛素连接酶复合体所识别,发生泛素化降解。而在低氧条件下,PHD2的活性受到抑制HIF-α不能被VHL-E3泛素连接酶复合体识别,发生降解。研究对3种不同低氧耐受能力...     

DIET OF HARBOR PORPOISES IN THE KATTEGAT AND SKAGERRAK SEAS: ACCOUNTING FOR INDIVIDUAL VARIATION AND SAMPLE SIZE

Stomach contents of 112 bycaught harbor porpoises ( Phocoena phocoena ) collected between 1989 and 1996 in the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas were analyzed to describe diet composition and estimate prey size, to examine sample size requirements, and to compare juvenile and adult diets. Although porpoises preyed on a variety of species, only a few contributed substantially to the diet. Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus ) was the dominating prey species for both juveniles and adults. Our results, in combination with those from previous studies, suggest that where herring is a dominant food source, porpoises prey primarily on size classes containing mature or maturing individuals. Further, we also show that Atlantic hagfish ( Myxine glutinosa ) may be an important food resource, at least for adult porpoises. Examination of sample size requirement showed that, depending on the taxonomic level used to describe the diet, a minimum of 35–71 stomachs are needed to be confident that all common prey species will be found.     

长江江豚重要栖息地清节洲水域鱼类群落结构

长江清节洲水域是长江江豚的重要栖息地之一,为了解该水域鱼类群落结构特征,于2017年4月、7月、10月和2018年2月对该水域鱼类群落进行了季节性调查。调查共采集鱼类38种,隶属于5目8科29属,其中鲤科鱼类占优势,占总种类数的68.4%。相对重要性指数结果显示鱼类群落优势种为贝氏?（Hemiculter bleekeri）、似鳊（Pseudobrama simony）、银鲴（Xenocypris argentea）和刀鲚（Coilia nasus）。按生活习性划分,定居性鱼类占绝对优势,占总种数的78.9%;在空间上,中上、中下和底层鱼类分布较为均衡,占总种数的比例依次为36.8%,28.9%和34.2%;从食性上划分,杂食性和肉食性鱼类较多,分别占总种数的44.7%和39.5%。Shannon-Weiner指数、Simpson指数、Margalef指数和Pielou均匀度指数依次分别为0.820~1.711,0.601~0.981,1.640~3.423和0.249~0.592。单因素方差分析表明,除春夏季与秋冬季的Margalef指数存在显著性差异（P<0.05）,各指数在时间和空间均无显著性差异（P>0.05）。与历史资料相比,该区域鱼类群落呈现物种多样性降低和群落结构小型化的趋势。因此,建议加强该水域鱼类资源的监测和保护,以维护长江生态系统的稳定与江豚栖息地的适合度。     

Structural fiber reinforcement of keel blubber in harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

This study investigated the functional morphology of the blubber that forms the caudal keels of the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Blubber is a pliant biocomposite formed by adipocytes and structural fibers composed of collagen and elastic fibers. Caudal keels are dorsally and ventrally placed triangular wedges of blubber that define the hydrodynamic profile of the porpoise tailstock. Mechanical tests on carcasses demonstrate that when keels are bent, they strain nonuniformly along their lengths, with highest strains just caudal to the dorsal fin and lowest at the insertion of the flukes. Therefore, caudal keels undergo nonuniform longitudinal deformation while maintaining a stable, triangular cross-sectional shape. Polarizing and transmitted light microscopy techniques were used to investigate blubber's 3D fiber architecture along the length of the dorsal keel. The triangular cross-sectional shape of the keel appears to be maintained by structural fibers oriented to act as tensile stays. The construction of the blubber composite is regionally specific :structural fiber densities and diameters are higher in the relatively stiff caudal region of the keel than in the more deformable cranial keel region. The orientations of structural fibers also change along the length of the keel. Cranially, no fibers are oriented along the long axis, whereas a novel population of longitudinally oriented fibers reinforces the keel at the insertion of the flukes. Thus, differences in the distribution and orientation of structural fibers contribute to the regionally specific mechanical properties of the dorsal keel.     

长江江豚感染铜绿假单胞菌肺炎的诊治

本文记录了一例患急性铜绿假单胞菌肺炎的长江江豚诊断、治疗和预后观察过程。病原学鉴定采用鲜血琼脂平板对该江豚鼻腔拭子,在37℃下进行细菌需氧、厌氧培养和分离,并对所分离的细菌种类进行细菌学鉴定,结合血常规和血生化的检测结果,判定病原为铜绿假单胞菌（Pseudomonas aeruginosa,PA）。依据病原菌的药敏试验结果对患病江豚进行治疗,预后良好。通过对整个过程的资料分析以及预后观察,得到如下提示：1）应做好饲养环境的消毒措施,防止江豚出现获得性PA感染;2）对江豚日常呼吸道和粪便中PA的检测,有利于疾病的早期预防和控制;3）江豚呼吸系统疾病的治愈依赖于准确的病原鉴定和及时的治疗,药敏试验对于PA感染的治疗非常必要;4）行为学的改变在江豚呼吸道疾病发病初期以及预后有重要的指示作用。     

Inferring trackline detection probabilities,g(0), for cetaceans from apparent densities in different survey conditions

Visual line‐transect surveys are commonly used to estimate cetacean abundance. A key parameter in such studies is g(0), the probability of detecting an animal that is directly on the transect line. This is typically considered to be constant for a species across survey conditions. A method is developed to estimate the relative values of g(0) in different survey conditions (Beaufort state) by comparing Beaufort‐specific density estimates. The approach is based on fitting generalized additive models, with the presence of a sighting on a survey segment as the dependent variable, Beaufort state as the key explanatory variable, and year, latitude, and longitude as nuisance variables to control for real differences in density over time and space. Values of relative g(0) are estimated for 20 cetacean taxa using 175,000 km of line‐transect survey data from the eastern and central Pacific Ocean from 1986 to 2010. Results show that g(0) decreases as Beaufort state increases, even for visually conspicuous species. This effect is greatest for the least conspicuous species (rough‐toothed dolphins, beaked whales, minke whales, and dwarf and pygmy sperm whales). Ignoring these large effects results in a nontrivial bias in cetacean abundance estimates.