The feeding behaviour of a deep-sea holothurian, Stichopus tremulus (Gunnerus) based on in situ observations and experiments using a Remotely Operated Vehicle

Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to deploy an in situ cage experiment incorporating fluorescent Luminophore particle tracers, the gut throughput time of the deposit feeding holothurian, Stichopus tremulus (Gunnerus) was determined as 23.73 h (S.D.±2.3). For a range of individuals examined at different depths (350-500 m) and locations, throughput times varied between 19 and 26 h irrespective of animal size or gut tract length. In situ video observations of feeding behaviour showed that this species uses fine oral papillae in a ‘sweeping’ motion to target particles on the seafloor. Following detection of a food source fine-branched digitate tentacles collect a large range of sediment fragments from the seabed. The main types of particles ingested include silica fragments (<20 >500 μm), pelagic foraminifera, benthic foraminifera, fine phytodetrital remains and occasional larger rock fragments (∼1 cm). Ingested sediment consisted mainly of very fine silica fragments (∼50 μm) accounting for over 50% of the total gut contents. Frame-by-frame video analysis revealed that the particle handling time (i.e. the time taken for a tentacle insertion and the subsequent collection of food) was found to be ∼54 s. Only 10 of the 20 feeding tentacles were simultaneously employed during feeding. Use of tentacles appeared to be in sequence, alternating between the reserve and active tentacles. Estimating the rate of movement over the seabed and the total effective capture area of each tentacle, the impact of this animal on the turnover and quality of surface sediment at this deepwater site is potentially substantial. The in situ experiments provided a significant improvement over previous methods used to investigate deep-sea deposit feeders and represent a useful concept for further in situ deep-sea research using an industrial ROV.     

海参精囊提取物对环磷酰胺诱导生殖系统受损小鼠 生精功能的影响*海参精囊提取物对环磷酰胺诱导生殖系统受损小鼠 生精功能的影响*

目的：本文旨在探讨海参精囊提取物对环磷酰胺诱导的生殖系统受损小鼠生精功能的保护作用。方法：昆明小白鼠随机分组,除正常组用生理盐水外其他各组均腹腔注射环磷酰胺（CP,28mg／kg）,每天1次,连续5天,复制生殖系统受损、雄激素部分缺乏模型;同时治疗组每天灌胃不同剂量的药物1次,连续4周,记录小鼠的体重并观察其精神状态。计算精子总数、运动率、畸形率及睾丸组织中T-S0D酶活力,并与模型组进行比较。结果：相较于模型组小鼠,虽海参精囊提取物高低剂量间无明显差异（P〉0．05）,但治疗组小鼠的精子总数、运动率、畸形率和T-SOD酶活力均有明显的改善（P〈0．01）,甚至接近或高于正常水平。结论：海参精囊提取物对环磷酰胺导致的生殖系统受损小鼠的生精功能具有一定的保护作用。     

Population genetics of the fissiparous holothurian Stichopus chloronotus (Aspidochirotida) on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

 Population genetic structure was studied in one nearshore and two offshore populations of Stichopus chloronotus, a common holothurian species on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Genetic variation at five polymorphic loci was examined using allozyme electrophoresis. The nearshore population consisted almost exclusively of male individuals, and more males than females were found in all populations studied. Deviations of heterozygosity from that predicted under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium indicated that asexual reproduction occurred in all populations. Estimates of the level of asexual reproduction using the ratios of the number of sexually produced individuals to sample size, observed genotypic diversity to expected genotypic diversity, and number of genotypes to sample size confirmed that this reproductive mode was more important at the nearshore reef compared to the two offshore reefs. There were large differences in genotypic frequencies between males and females. F-statistics on clonal genotypic frequencies were not statistically significant between populations for neither females or males, suggesting high dispersal of larvae between reefs. A higher mortality of females during larval or early post-settlement stages, or reduced dispersal capability of female larvae are the most likely reasons for biased sex ratios. Accepted: 23 November 1998     

刺参糖胺聚糖的亚分级和各级分的理化特征与抗凝性质

刺参糖胺聚糖及其解聚物在水溶液中可通过逐步提高所加入的醋酸钾浓度引起的沉淀作用进行亚分级。本文对有关级分的理化特征、抗凝活性及诱导血小板聚集的副作用进行了比较。原聚糖平均分子量为50000,所得各级分的分子量分别为55000,48000,41000,23000和9000,它们在不连续琼脂糖凝胶电泳中显示不同特点。化学分析表明,除两个分子量较低级分中葡糖醛酸和岩藻糖含量略低外,各級分组成糖基和硫酸酯基的分子比值与原聚糖相近似。其红外、核磁谱与原聚糖一致。各级分体外抗凝活性随分子量变小而程度不同地减弱,其中分子量对聚糖延长凝血酶时间的影响较其对部分凝血活酶时间的影响为著。分子量最小的级分无明显诱导人血小板聚集副作用。     

Sexual and asexual reproduction of the holothurian Stichopus chloronotus (Echinodermata): a comparison between La Réunion (Indian Ocean) and east Australia (Pacific Ocean)

Summary

Stichopus chloronotus (Brandt, 1835) is one among nine aspidochirotide holothurian species known to reproduce both sexually by broadcast spawning and asexually by transverse fission. New data on the sexual cycle of this species in La Réunion are presented here and information available on sexual and asexual reproduction in this species is summarised. Sexual reproduction on La Réunion shows a distinct seasonality with a main spawning period in the warm season (November-February). The spawning period the Great Barrier Reef appears to be at the same time. Some intriguing deviations from unity in sex-ratio, usually biased towards more male individuals, have been observed in both geographic regions (sex ratio at La Reunion 31:1). New data on the asexual reproduction of this species in La Réunion confirm the high rates of fission. The peak of asexual reproduction in both the Indian and Pacific Ocean was observed in winter (June-July). Thus, asexual reproduction in this species occurs outside the season for sexual reproduction. The rate of asexual reproduction appears to vary between sample locations. However, results of population genetic studies on S. chloronotus (Uthicke et al., 1999; Uthicke et al., 2001) indicated that in most populations investigated a maximum of about 60% of all individuals may be derived from sexual recruitment. Cluster analyses on genetic distances between populations grouped populations within Oceans together, with the exception of one sample from a nearshore reef of the GBR. Although genetic differences between the two regions exist, these are relatively small regarding the large geographic distance. We conclude that asexual reproduction in S. chloronotus is important to maintain local population sizes, but that larval exchange between populations mediated by sexual reproduction is important for colonisation of new areas and to provide connectivity between populations. Here, we present the first synthesis of these phenomena for a holothurian species.     

西藏申扎县木纠错地区晚三叠世海参骨片化石的发现及其地质意义

本文描述的海参骨片化石采自西藏申扎县木纠错西的多布日一带,主要有Theelia planorbicula Mostler,Theelia uariabilis alouakensis Kzour et Mock等晚三叠世诺利期标准分子。充分显示了海参骨片化石的重要的生物地层意义。该动物群的发现首次确定了西藏自治区北部冈底斯一腾冲地层区永珠蛇绿岩带以南晚三叠世海相地层的存在,并为中特提斯海的演化历史,古地理轮廓的确定,以及青藏高原的形成演变历史提供了新的资料。     

Post-autotomy regeneration of respiratory trees in the holothurian Apostichopus japonicus (Holothuroidea, Aspidochirotida)

Specialised respiratory organs, viz. the respiratory trees attached to the dorsal part of the cloaca, are present in most holothurians. These organs evolved within the class Holothuroidea and are absent in other echinoderms. Some holothurian species can regenerate their respiratory trees but others lack this ability. Respiratory trees therefore provide a model for investigating the origin and evolution of repair mechanisms in animals. We conducted a detailed morphological study of the regeneration of respiratory trees after their evisceration in the holothurian Apostichopus japonicus. Regeneration of the respiratory trees occurred rapidly and, on the 15th day after evisceration, their length reached 15–20 mm. Repair involved cells of the coelomic and luminal epithelia of the cloaca. Peritoneocytes and myoepithelial cells behaved differently during regeneration: the peritoneocytes kept their intercellular junctions and migrated as a united layer, whereas groups of myoepithelial cells disaggregated and migrated as individual cells. Although myoepithelial cells did not divide during regeneration, the peritoneocytes proliferated actively. The contractile system of the respiratory trees was assumed to develop during regeneration by the migration of myoepithelial cells from the coelomic epithelium of the cloaca. The luminal epithelium of the respiratory trees formed as a result of dedifferentiation, migration and transformation of cells of the cloaca lining. The mode of regeneration of holothurian respiratory trees is discussed. This work was funded by a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 08–04–00284) to I.Y.D. and by a grant from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 09–04–98547) to T.T.G.     

Deposit- and suspension-feeding sea cucumbers (Echinodermata) ingest plastic fragments

Weathering of plastic bottles, bags, fishing line, and other products discarded in the ocean causes tiny fragments to break off. These plastic fragments may accumulate biofilms, sink, and become mixed with sediment, where benthic invertebrates may encounter and ingest them. Here we show that four species of deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding sea cucumbers (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) not only ingest small (0.25 mm < maximum dimension < 15 mm) nylon and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fragments along with sediment, but also ingest significantly more plastic fragments than predicted given the ratio of plastic to sand grains in the sediment. During four-hour feeding trials, holothurians ingested between 2- and 20-fold more plastic per individual than expected for PVC fragments, and between 2- and 138-fold more for nylon line. In addition, two species ingested 4 mm diameter PVC pellets. The ecological relevance of plastic ingestion was assessed in the laboratory by counting and characterizing small plastic particles discovered in sediment samples from the same field sites where our holothurians were collected. Substantial numbers of plastic fragments (105 to 214 fragments per liter of sediment) were found in samples from three different locations along the east coast of the U.S.A. In addition, plastic collected from the sediment from two of our field sites was analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Plastic from one site tested positive for Aroclor 1254 at a concentration of 0.0106 μg g^-1. While the negative effects of macroscopic marine plastic debris on a host of organisms are well documented, ingestion of small plastic debris by a wide range of benthic organisms, including both primary and secondary consumers, has received little attention. Given that plastics readily adsorb PCBs and other organic pollutants in marine environments, ingestion of plastic from sediment may provide a heretofore-undescribed pathway of exposure for benthic marine invertebrates.     

A maturity index for holothurians exhibiting asynchronous development of gonad tubules

The gonad morphology of the sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus, collected during the months of May to November 1996 in Morrocoy Bay on the northwestern Venezuelan coast, was analyzed. The gonadal cycle was characterized by five stages of development: post-spawning, recovery, growth, advanced growth and maturity. Maturation did not proceed at the same pace in all gonad tubules of any one animal. Due to this asynchronous gonad development an Individual Weighted Maturity Index (IWMI) was devised to determine reproductive state. It was calculated from the proportion of the different tubule stages observed in each specimen. The maximum value attainable is 5 if all tubules are in the mature stage. Towards the months of July and August, most, but not all, of the ovarian and testicular tubules had reached maturity as indicated by IWMI values of 4.32 and 4, respectively. IWMI represents a quantitative estimation of gonad maturation in holothurians exhibiting asynchronous development as it revealed the maturation pattern underlying gonadal chronological development.