Behavioural response of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita (L.) upon contact with the predatory jellyfish Cyanea capillata (L.)

Underwater manipulative experiments were carried out in situ to investigate the sensibility of the jellyfish Amelia aurita (L.) to contact with the tentacles of Cyanea capillata (L), commonly known as a predator on A. aurita. Movements of individual medusae touched by tentacles of C. capillata and other objects were video‐recorded during SCUBA dives. The behavioural variable studied was change in swim pulse frequency. The results showed that A. aurita was highly susceptible to the tentacles of C. capillata and responded with an increased swim pulse frequency when touched at the umbrellar margin but not at the central exumbrella. Contact with other objects also induced a behavioural response in A. aurita.     

Modeling and predicting potential spawning habitat of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) based on satellite environmental information

Anchovy and round sardinella are two important small pelagic species in the Mediterranean that spawn during the summer period. This is a first attempt to model and predict the two species’ potential spawning habitats in this area. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were constructed based on satellite environmental variables and presence/absence egg data, available from ichthyoplankton surveys conducted in the North Aegean Sea during early summer (June 2003–2006). These models were subsequently used to predict the probability of anchovy and round sardinella spawning in the Greek Seas as well as the entire Mediterranean and Black Sea during the same month of the year. The interaction of bottom depth and chlorophyll explained most of the deviance in the presence/absence GAMs of both species, indicating spawning over continental shelf areas with increased surface chlorophyll values. Round sardinella spawned closer to coast than anchovy. Predicted potential spawning areas for anchovy and round sardinella in unsampled areas of the Greek Seas and the entire Mediterranean and Black Sea were in good agreement with existing information on the distribution and extent of the spawning grounds, especially for anchovy. Modeling the species’ reproductive activity in relation to easily accessible environmental information and applying the models in a predictive way could be an initial, low-cost step to designate potential spawning fish habitats. Guest editor: V. D. Valavanis Essential Fish Habitat Mapping in the Mediterranean     

Induction of metamorphosis from the larval to the polyp stage is similar in Hydrozoa and a subgroup of Scyphozoa (Cnidaria, Semaeostomeae)

Larvae of cnidarians need an external cue for metamorphosis to start. The larvae of various hydrozoa, in particular of Hydractinia echinata, respond to Cs⁺, Li⁺, NH₄ ⁺ and seawater in which the concentration of Mg²⁺ ions is reduced. They further respond to the phorbolester, tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the diacylglycerol (DAG) diC8, which both are argued to stimulate a protein kinase C. The only well-studied scyphozoa, Cassiopea spp., respond differently, i.e. to TPA and diC8 only. We found that larvae of the scyphozoa Aurelia aurita, Chrysaora hysoscella and Cyanea lamarckii respond to all the compounds mentioned. Trigonelline (N-methylnicotinic acid), a metamorphosis inhibitor found in Hydractinia larvae, is assumed to act by delivering a methyl group for transmethylation processes antagonising metamorphosis induction in Chrysaora hysoscella and Cyanea lamarckii. The three species tested are scyphozoa belonging to the subgroup of semaeostomeae, while Cassiopea spp. belong to the rhizostomeae. The results obtained may contribute to the discussion concerning the evolution of cnidarians and may help to clarify whether the way metamorphosis can be induced in rhizostomeae as a whole is different from that in hydrozoa and those scyphozoa belonging to the subgroup semaeostomeae. Electronic Publication     

广东省穿山甲种群数量调查与资源蕴藏量

20 0 0年 1 2月至 2 0 0 1年 3月 ,利用“洞口记数法”对大雾岭自然保护区穿山甲华南亚种的种群密度与种群数量进行了调查 ,结果表明 :保护区内穿山甲的种群数量为 65 2 7～1 5 6 5 9头 ,平均密度为 1 85～ 4 43ind /km2 ;不同栖息生境穿山甲的种群平均密度为 2 46～ 5 90ind /km2 ,密度大小依次为针阔混交林 >阔叶林 >灌木林 >针叶林。各栖息生境的洞口密度平均为 5 1 39± 1 8 31个 /km2 ,以针阔混交林的洞口密度最大 ,其次是阔叶林和灌木林 ,最小的是针叶林 ,且洞口密度大小存在极显著差异 (F =1 6 96>F0 0 1 ,3/30 =4 5 1>F0 0 1 ,3/36)。根据保护区内穿山甲的密度值 ,估计广东全省穿山甲的资源量为 1 42 73 0 9± 5 863 79头。     

On natural metamorphosis inducers of the cnidarians Hydractinia echinata (Hydrozoa) and Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa)

 Hydractinia echinata and Aurelia aurita produce motile larvae which undergo metamorphosis to sessile polyps when induced by external cues. The polyps are found at restricted sites, A. aurita predominantly on rocks close to the shore, H. echinata on shells inhabited by hermit crabs. It has been argued that the differential distribution of the polyps in their natural environment largely reflects the distribution of the natural metamorphosis-inducing cues. In the case of H. echinata, bacteria of the genus Alteromonas were argued to meet these conditions. We found that almost all substrates collected in the littoral to induce metamorphosis in H. echinata, and several bacterial strains isolated from the sea, including the common E. coli, induce metamorphosis efficiently. In A. aurita metamorphosis may be induced by the water–air interface, whereby metamorphosis precedes (final) settlement. Received: 7 December 1998 / Accepted: 8 July 1999     

Mesogleal cells of the jellyfish Aurelia aurita are involved in the formation of mesogleal fibres

The extracellular matrix of the jellyfish Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa, Cnidaria), known as the mesoglea, is populated by numerous mesogleal cells (Mc). We determined the pattern of the Mc and the mesoglea, raised polyclonal antibodies (RA47) against the major mesogleal protein pA47 (47 kDa) and checked their specificity. In the mesoglea, RA47 stains pA47 itself. In immunoblots of Mc, RA47 stains bands of 120 kDa and 80 kDa; weaker staining is observed at pA47. The same staining pattern is seen on blots of jellyfish epidermal cells and of whole Hydra (Hydrozoa) or isolated mesoglea of Hydra. Our data indicate that pA47 is synthesized by Mc and epidermal cells as high molecular precursors. Using immunostaining techniques, we showed Mc to be involved in the formation of mesogleal non-collagenous (called "elastic" in classic morphological studies) fibres. The biochemical and morphological data suggest that Mc originate from the epidermis.     

An investigation of the Common Jellyfish,Aurelia aurita,in the harbour of Trabzon

Summary

Some allometric relationships of the Common Jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, a common species along the Turkish Eastern Black Sea coast, were studied in the harbour of Trabzon. Log bell diameter was linearly related to log wet weight: wet weight = 0.61 . diameter^1.88. Some physico-chemical parameters of the sea water in the harbour are also given.     

不同缺氮营养水平对金色奥杜藻生长及光合生理的影响

采用了Φ6 cm柱状光生物反应器,在不同氮素营养条件(17.6 mmol/L N、8.8 mmol/L N、5.87 mmol/L N、0 mmol/L N)下通气培养硅藻金色奥杜藻[Odontella aurita(Bacillariophyceae;Centricae)],分析探讨藻细胞的光合生理及生长状况与氮素营养水平的关系。结果表明,不同氮素实验组藻细胞达到最大生长的时间明显差异,与对照组(17.6 mmol/L)相比,氮限制(5.87mmol/L N、8.8 mmol/L N)在培养的前期对金色奥杜藻的生长具有促进作用,氮饥饿(0 mmol/L)显著抑制藻细胞生长(P<0.05)。氮限制实验组藻细胞总碳水化合物的含量显著增加(P<0.05),而总蛋白含量明显下降(P<0.05)。藻细胞叶绿素a、c及总类胡萝卜素含量与培养液的氮素营养水平呈正相关。藻细胞最大光合放氧速率Pm随氮浓度下降而降低,呼吸速率Rd呈现相反趋势,PSⅡ最大光能转化效率(Fv/Fm)、实际光能转化效率(Yield)、潜在活性(Fv/Fo)以及相对电子传递效率(ETR)均随氮素限制而显著下降(P<0.05),说明藻细胞的表观光合生理状况与氮素营养水平直接相关。     

Food habits of sympatric opossums coexisting in small Atlantic Forest fragments in Brazil

The diets of sympatric species of opossums coexisting in small (<10 ha) Atlantic Forest fragments were studied at Poço das Antas Biological Reserve, southeastern Brazil. Food items consumed by Caluromys philander and Didelphis aurita were investigated through the analysis of faecal contents, and compared with the diet of Micoureus demerarae analysed in a previous study. The major diet components for all three species were arthropods and fruits, with a high richness of items of both feeding categories; feathers were also found in the diet of D. aurita. The most frequent insect orders overall were Hymenoptera and Coleoptera, and most seeds were from plants of secondary vegetation such as Cecropia and Piper. The diets showed little variation along time and space for all three species. Diets were also similar among species, except for a larger consumption of Arachnida and Diplopoda and a smaller consumption of Lepidoptera by D. aurita when compared to M. demerarae. Diversity of food items was lower for C. philander when compared with either other species. There was a high feeding niche overlap between species, suggesting that differentiation in diet composition would not be enough to allow coexistence of the three species in small fragments. Coexistence may rather be allowed by vertical segregation and/or by differences in prey size.     

Molecular characterization of aspartylglucosaminidase,a lysosomal hydrolase upregulated during strobilation in the moon jellyfish,Aurelia aurita

The life cycle of the moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, alternates between a benthic asexual polyp stage and a planktonic sexual medusa (jellyfish) stage. Transition from polyp to medusa is called strobilation. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of strobilation, we screened for genes that are upregulated during strobilation using the differential display method and we identified aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA), which encodes a lysosomal hydrolase. Similar to AGAs from other species, Aurelia AGA possessed an N-terminal signal peptide and potential N-glycosylation sites. The genomic region of Aurelia AGA was approximately 9.8 kb in length and contained 12 exons and 11 introns. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that AGA expression increased during strobilation, and was then decreased in medusae. To inhibit AGA function, we administered the lysosomal acidification inhibitors, chloroquine or bafilomycin A1, to animals during strobilation. Both inhibitors disturbed medusa morphogenesis at the oral end, suggesting involvement of lysosomal hydrolases in strobilation.