Allozyme differentiation within and between red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean

Nine polymorphic nuclear-gene (allozyme) loci were surveyed among 491 red drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus ) sampled in 1988 and 1989 from nearshore localities in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States (Atlantic). Data were combined with those from a previous study to generate a data set of 762 individuals representing 11 sample localities in the Gulf and 175 individuals representing five sample localities in the Atlantic. The combined data set included individuals from the 1986 and 1987 year classes and permitted rigorous testing of both temporal and spatial genetic heterogeneity. Average heterozygosity-per-locus values (estimated using 33 assumed monomorphic loci) were 0·048 (Gulf red drum) and 0·046 (Atlantic red drum). Tests of heterogeneity in allele frequencies between year classes at individual localities and across regions (Gulf and Atlantic) were non-significant. Tests of spatial (geographic) heterogeneity indicated that red drum are weakly subdivided: genetically-differentiated subpopulations occur in the northern Gulf and along the south-eastern Atlantic coast. Genetic data were consistent with the hypothesis that red drum within the Gulf and along the Atlantic coast comprise singie subpopulalions. Genetic differences between Gulf and Atlantic red drum seem likeiy to stem from historical or recent interactions between dispersal and impediments to gene flow.     

Effect of carbide sludge (lime) on bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals during rotary drum composting of water hyacinth

Abstract

The bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals play a major role in the toxicity of heavy metals in the compost applied for soil conditioning. A rotary drum composter was used for the study of heavy metal bioavailability and leachability during water hyacinth composting with a mixture of cattle manure, sawdust and lime. Lime was added in 1, 2 and 3% to the mixture of water hyacinth, cattle manure and sawdust at a ratio of 6:3:1 respectively. Influences of physico-chemical parameters on heavy metal bioavailability and leachability were studied during the process. The bioavailability of heavy metals solubility and diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid extractability was examined. The toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test was performed for assessing the hazardous properties of compost. The nutrients and the total concentration of heavy metals were increased during the composting process. The lime was very effective in reducing water solubility, plant availability and leachability of the selected heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr) during the process. The addition of lime provided a buffer against the decrease in pH and a sufficient amount of Ca that would improve the metabolic activity during composting. The addition of an excess amount of lime slowed the metabolic activity of the microbes due to its high alkalinity. The TCLP test confirms that the heavy metals concentrations in the control and in the lime-amended compost were below the threshold limits.     

Significant fish predation on zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha in Lake Champlain,U.S.A.

The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine which fishes were consistently eating zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha in Lake Champlain and document their feeding behaviour and (2) quantify the diet composition of the fish predators that were found to consume zebra mussels. From 2002 to 2005, freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens, pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus, yellow perch Perca flavescens and rock bass Ambloplites rupestris all consumed zebra mussels at varying frequencies and amounts. Aplodinotusgrunniens and L. gibbosus chewed clumps of zebra mussels, expelling shells, whereas P. flavescens and A. rupestris swallowed small individuals whole. Lepomis gibbosus consumed zebra mussels at the highest frequency (65–89% of prey consumed) and zebra mussels comprised a large part of this fish’s diet (up to 40% by dry mass). Zebra mussels were also an important component of the diet of A. grunniens (up to 59% of the diet by dry mass, 40–63% frequency of consumption). The percentage of the diet comprising zebra mussels in P. flavescens and A. rupestris varied significantly from year to year but never exceeded 10%. Because A. grunniens and L. gibbosus crushed zebra mussels, the nutritional return from consuming zebra mussels would be similar to other prey; for P. flavescens and A. rupestris zebra mussels were only partially digested and the nutritional return would probably be low. As predation on zebra mussels is widespread and significant, it is possible that fish predators could contribute to regulating the population of zebra mussels in Lake Champlain.     

Food, density, and microhabitat: factors affecting growth and recruitment potential of juvenile saltmarsh fishes

The relationships among microhabitat use, food habits, conspecific density and recent growth rate for estuarine-dependent juvenile spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, and red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, were studied to determine how nursery habitat influences early growth. Juvenile spotted seatrout and red drum were quantified along the marsh-edge ecotone from multiple drop samples, and their immediate environments characterized by a suite of physical and chemical variables along with substrate type and Spartina stem density. Recent daily growth of individual fish was modeled in a series of multiple regression analyses that considered the relative contributions of food, microhabitat, and conspecific density. The spotted seatrout model (p < 0.0001) included four independent variables, otolith radius, prey diversity, salinity, and a salinity-DO interaction term, and explained 67.9% of the variation in daily growth. All variables were significant (p < 0.05), and regression slopes were positive for all variables except salinity. The red drum model (p > 0.0001) included five independent variables, otolith radius, temperature, salinity, depth and substrate, and explained 63.3% of the variation in daily growth. All variables were significant (p > 0.05), and all regression slopes were positive. Fish size (as estimated by otolith radius) accounted for most of the variance in the spotted seatrout (60.2%) and red drum (44.8%) models, while the remaining environmental variables were significant and responsible for 7.7 and 18.5%, respectively. Density variables were not selected for either model, suggesting that density-dependence was not an important influence on recent daily growth. Generally, physico-chemical variables such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen contributed more to growth than diet or extrinsic factors such as grass stem density.     

Development and ossification of the feeding apparatus in the larvae of two co‐occurring species of kob (Sciaenidae), Argyrosomus japonicus and Argyrosomus inodorus,in South Africa

The teeth of the oral jaws of two sympatric species of Argyrosomus, Argyrosomus japonicus and Argyrosomus inodorus, found along the South African coast developed first on the premaxilla and then on the dentary of the lower jaw. Teeth were observed on the premaxilla of A. inodorus [head length (L_H) = 1·0 mm; notochord length (L_N) = 2·7 mm] at a smaller size than in A. japonicus (L_H = 1·2 mm; L_N = 4·7 mm). The ventral elements of the gill arches (hypo‐ and basibranchials) were not ossified by the end of preflexion. The fifth ceratobranchial began ossifying and possessed pharyngeal teeth by 1·2 mm L_H (L_N = 4·7 mm) in A. japonicus and 1·1 mm L_H (L_N = 3·2 mm) in A. inodorus. To complement the osteological data, stomach contents were also analysed as a proxy for feeding apparatus functionality. Prey were first present in the stomach of A. japonicus at 1·2 mm L_H (L_N = 4·7 mm) and only 22% of the stomachs contained no prey suggesting that A. japonicus is already actively foraging by preflexion. In comparison, 83% of the stomachs of A. inodorus contained no prey and a single prey item was present in the largest examined specimen (L_H = 1·6 mm; L_N = 5·4 mm). Elements of the feeding apparatus begin to ossify early during ontogeny. While the overall pattern of ossification is similar between the two species, A. japonicus may be able to begin feeding at smaller head lengths relative to A. inodorus in their nursery habitats.     

Determination of fungal succession during municipal solid waste composting using a cloning‐based analysis

Aims: The microbiota at industrial full‐scale composting plants has earlier been fragmentarily studied with molecular methods. Here, fungal communities from different stages of a full‐scale and a pilot‐scale composting reactors were studied before and after wood ash amendment. Methods and Result: The portion of fungal biomass, determined using phospholipid fatty acid analysis, varied between 6·3% and 38·5% in different composting phases. The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) area was cloned and sequenced from 19 samples representing different stages of the composting processes. Altogether 2986 sequenced clones were grouped into 166 phylotypes from which 35% had a close match in the sequence databases. The fungal communities of the samples were related with the measured environmental variables in order to identify phylotypes typical of certain composting conditions. The fungal phylotypes could be grouped into those that dominated the mesophilic low pH initial phases (sequences similar to genera Candida, Pichia and Dipodascaceae) and those found mostly or exclusively in the thermophilic phase (sequences clustering to Thermomyces, Candida and Rhizomucor), but a few were also present throughout the whole process. Conclusions: The community composition was found to vary between suboptimally and optimally operating processes. In addition, there were differences in fungal communities between processes of industrial and pilot scale. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results of this study reveal the fungal diversity with molecular methods in industrial composting process. This is also one of the first studies conducted with samples from an industrial biowaste composting process.     

红拟石首鱼海豚链球菌分离、鉴定及致病性研究

2001年9月-12月,浙江舟山部分网箱养殖红拟石首鱼发生了陆续死鱼,发病鱼表现为眼球突出、浑浊,失去方向性,皮肤溃疡等症状。从病鱼的肾脏和肝脏中分离到菌株SO-2和SO-3,对两分离株进行了致病性试验,发现两者对红拟石首鱼、罗非鱼及小白鼠均有致病力,SO-2和SO-3对红拟石首鱼、罗非鱼及小白鼠的LD50分别为4.8×108CFU/尾和1.9×107CFU/尾2、.8×108CFU/尾和8.3×107CFU/尾及9.6×106CFU/只和4.2×106CFU/只,试验感染鱼出现眼球突出、浑浊及失去方向性等与自然发病相似症状,确定该两株菌为致病菌。两分离株为革兰氏染色阳性,呈链状球菌,β溶血,10℃生长,45℃不生长;接触酶阴性,水解七叶灵、精氨酸;VP试验、脲酶和马脲酸试验阴性,发酵葡萄糖、水杨苷、蔗糖和淀粉,不发醇阿拉伯糖、菊糖、乳糖、蜜二糖、棉子糖和山梨醇。分离株对氨卞青霉素、万古霉素和先锋Ⅴ等高度敏感,对庆大霉素、复方新诺明、林可霉素、氟哌酸等不敏感。应用16SrRNA基因进行的菌株PCR鉴定,确定该两株菌为海豚链球菌。       

Using porphyritic andesite as a new additive for improving hydrolysis and acidogenesis of solid organic wastes

The effects of porphyritic andesite on the hydrolysis and acidogenesis of solid organic wastes were investigated by batch and continuous experiments using a rotational drum fermentation system. The results of the batch experiment show that if porphyritic andesite (1%, 3%, and 5% reactants) is added initially, the pH level increases and hydrolysis and acidogenesis are accelerated. The highest surface based hydrolysis constant (26.4 × 10⁻³ kg m⁻² d⁻¹) and volatile solid degradation ratio (43.3%) were obtained at a 1% porphyritic andesite addition. In the continuous experiment, porphyritic andesite elevated the first order hydrolysis constant from 13.10 × 10⁻³ d⁻¹ to 18.82 × 10⁻³ d⁻¹. A particle mean diameter reduction rate of 33.05 μm/d and a volatile solid degradation rate of 3.53 g/L d⁻¹ were obtained under the hydraulic retention time of 4, 8, 12 and 16 d.     

Characterization of the 5′-to-5′linked adult α- and β-globin genes from three sciaenid fish species (Pseudosciaena crocea, Sciaenops ocellatus, Nibea miichthioides)

Recently, we cloned the adult α-globin genes from large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea, cuneate drum Nibea miichthioides and red drum Sciaenops ocellatus. All these α-globins have a unique Gly insertion at the 47th residue. In this paper, the three sciaenid globin complexes were identified and compared in detail. Linkage analysis indicated that the sciaenid α- and β-globin genes were oriented head-to-head relative to each other. The sciaenid intergenic regions between the linked α- and β-globin genes were the smallest in reported fish globin gene complexes to date. Classical promoter elements were condensed and the CCAAT box unstable duplication was found in these regions. The promoter function of the intergenic region from large yellow croaker was tested by transient expression of EGFP in Vero cells. We also described a method for studying luciferase reporter gene transient expression in primary fish erythrocytes. We used the method to assess the promoter strength of the three intergenic regions between the sciaenid α- and β-globin genes.     

Oxygen transfer to slurries treated in a rotating drum operated at atmospheric pressure

The objective of this work was to determine (1) the effect of rotational speed (N) and lifters on the oxygen transfer coefficient (k _L) of a mineral solution and (2) the effect of solids concentration of a slurry soil-mineral solution on k _L, at a fixed value N (0.25 s⁻¹); in both cases the treatment was carried out in an aerated rotating drum reactor (RDR) operated at atmospheric pressure. First, the k _L for the mineral solution was in the range 6.38 × 10⁻⁴–7.69 × 10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹, which was of the same order of magnitude as those calculated for closed rotating drums supplied with air flow. In general, k _L of RDR implemented with lifters was superior or equal to that of RDR without lifters. For RDR implemented with lifters, k _L increased with N in the range 6.65 × 10⁻⁴–10.51 × 10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹, whereas k _L of RDR without lifters first increased with N up to N = 0.102 s⁻¹, and decreased beyond this point. Second, regarding soil slurry experiments, an abrupt fall of k _L (ca. 50%) at low values of the solid concentration (C _v) and an asymptotic pattern at high C _v were observed at N = 0.25 s⁻¹. These results suggest that mass transfer phenomena were commanded by the slurry properties and a semi-empirical equation of the form Sh = f(Re, Sc) seems to corroborate this finding.