Mass mortality and recolonization of Pyura stolonifera (Heller) on the south coast of South Africa     

《African Journal of Marine Science》2013,35(1):117-137

The fauna and flora of two sublittoral communities situated in close proximity on the west coast of South Africa are described and shown to be radically different, despite the fact that both experience similar physical conditions. One of these communities, at Marcus Island, has prolific beds of the black mussel Choromytilus meridionalis (35 954 g wet weight·m^?2) accompanied by a large number of other species, notably sea urchins, holothurians, brittle stars, whelks and barnacles. In contrast, the other site, Malgas Island, is dominated by a large population of rock lobsters Jasus lalandii together with a dense seaweed flora (3 866 and 4 402 g wet weight·m^?2 respectively). The numbers of species are similar at both sites (102 at Malgas Island and 107 at Marcus Island) but only 34 per cent are common to both localities. Although preliminary research indicates that the two sites have fairly similar physical conditions and bottom topography, they maintained their contrasting communities for the whole research period (1983–1986) and have probably done so for at least nine years, suggesting that they represent two stable alternative states of the same ecosystem. In the absence of rock lobsters at Marcus Island, wave action and inter/intraspecific competition are the main forces structuring the benthic community. Stability is maintained here by the resilience and rapid recovery of the mussel population after disturbance by storms. Where rock lobsters are abundant, as at Malgas Island, intense predation pressure is the main force controlling the structure of the benthos, and it is continually maintained because the rock lobsters are resistant to the effect of storms. Therefore, the presence or absence of high densities of rock lobsters is fundamental to the maintenance of these two contrasting communities.  相似文献   

A condition index for African penguin Spheniscus demersus chicks     

《African Journal of Marine Science》2013,35(2):143-154

The body condition of altricial seabird chicks is directly related to the amount of food received from their parents, which depends on feeding conditions at sea. An index of body condition is therefore a useful tool for assessing variation in food availability between different breeding colonies. Quantile regression techniques were used to develop a body condition index for African penguin Spheniscus demersus chicks, based on maximum and minimum growth relative to structural size. This is considered the most appropriate index for comparing the body condition of groups of chicks, varying in size and of unknown age, between breeding colonies. Based on this study, recommendations are made with regard to morphometric measurements, sample size and the sampling interval required to compare effectively the condition of African penguin chicks between breeding colonies throughout their distributional range.  相似文献   

Culture environment and hatchery of origin influence growth,condition and feeding organ morphology in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in South Africa     

《African Journal of Marine Science》2013,35(4):481-491

South Africa lacks a commercial oyster hatchery. To inform the sourcing of seed for future hatchery establishments, we compared half-sib Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas cohorts from hatcheries in Namibia and Chile. We measured oyster growth, mortality, condition and feeding organ morphology in Algoa Bay (AB, Eastern Cape) and Saldanha Bay (SB, Western Cape), South Africa, from July 2011 to June 2012. Within SB, 14.3% of mean daily sea temperatures exceeded this species’ thermal optimum of 19 °C, compared to 50.5% in AB. Food abundance (mean daily chlorophyll a concentration) in SB (7.8 mg m^–3) was double that in AB (3.9 mg m^–3) where, presumably to increase particle clearance rates in a relatively phytoplankton-poor environment, oysters had larger gill:palp surface area ratios. Plankton fatty acid profiles (indicators of food quality) differed between locations. In AB, instantaneous growth rates differed between cohorts, and trends varied seasonally. Within both locations, condition index was usually higher in Chilean oysters, whereas shell density was higher in Namibian oysters. In AB only, Chilean seed suffered substantially higher summer mortalities than Namibian seed, suggesting that the latter are more suited to temperatures in AB. AB should also be assessed for culture of the indigenous oyster species that occur there.  相似文献   

Variations in the spores of Myxidium zealandicum Hine, 1975 (Protozoa: Myxosporidea)     

P. M. Hine 《新西兰海洋与淡水研究杂志》2013,47(2):189-195

Myxidium zealandicum Hine, 1975 was recorded from several tissues in New Zealand freshwater eels. The gills were the most frequent site of infection, but spores also matured on the gill arch, in the skin, and occasionally in the urinary and swim bladders. Thus M. zealandicum is a histozoic species that may have evolved from a coelozoic form.

Variation in spore size (8.0–11.5 jam) was found in relation to site of infection; variation in the number and arrangement of valve striations was also observed. Deposition of fibro‐blasts occurred at all sites of sporogony, except among the goblet cells of the epidermis.

The small size (6.0–10.5μm) of unstriated spores occurring with normal spores in the gills of eels from Lake Otomangakau appeared to be related to the size of the cysts in which they occurred, and to the host Anguilla dieffenbachii.  相似文献   

Seasonal variation in the reproductive activity and biochemical composition of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) from the Marlborough Sounds,New Zealand     

Jeffrey S. Ren  Islay D. Marsden  Alex H. Ross  David R. Schiel 《新西兰海洋与淡水研究杂志》2013,47(1):171-182

Reproductive cycles of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg) from the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, were followed between June 1998 and January 2000. Histological examination of the gonad confirms an annual cycle with a winter inactive period followed by rapid gonad development and a single short spawning period. The population gonad index correlated with seawater temperature and changes in tissue dry weight, condition index, and biochemical components. In winter, few individuals with early gametogenic stages were present and rapid development of primary oocytes (diam. 11 μm) occurred during spring (September‐November). The developmental rate and the diameter of mature oocytes (37 μm) was similar for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. For a standard 110‐mm‐length oyster, maximal tissue body weight and condition index were recorded in December. Rapid weight loss in January was length dependent and was attributed to spawning. Temperature was the environmental variable which best correlated with the timing of gametogenesis. Food availability (phytoplankton biomass) may have been responsible for inter‐annual variations. The biochemical composition (% glycogen, lipid, protein) of separated gonad and somatic tissues were variable seasonally and annually. Gametogenesis (oocyte diameter) was associated with increased gonad protein and glycogen and a decrease in lipid concentrations. These changes are similar to those in Pacific oyster populations from other parts of the world.  相似文献   

Foraging across ecosystems: diet diversity and social foraging spanning aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by an invertebrate     

Mark E. Laidre 《Marine Ecology》2013,34(1):80-89

Ecosystems are fundamentally connected to one another, although empirical documentation of the links between them, especially the links between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, has been limited. This study examined the foraging behavior and ecology of an understudied invertebrate, the hermit crab Coenobita compressus, which is remarkably abundant at the nexus of marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems. Data collected between 2008 and 2011 in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica revealed that C. compressus plays a generalist scavenger role across ecosystems. Beach almond fruits (Terminalia catappa) were a staple of the crabs’ diet, but the crabs also commonly consumed a variety of other fruit species and various parts of plants (nuts, seeds, flowers, husk, stems, buds) as well as algae, fungus, animal feces, and the carcasses of insects, jellyfish, conspecifics, other crustacean species, freshwater and saltwater fish, sea turtles (eggs and adults), and mammals. The crabs fed on these resources in prominent social aggregations, also forming such aggregations as they exchanged the aquatically derived gastropod shells that they use as homes while roaming the land. The size of the crabs’ aggregations around plant versus animal resources and around terrestrial versus aquatic resources did not differ, underscoring the species’ generalist foraging behavior. Broadly, these results suggest that C. compressus has one of the most diverse diets of any crustacean and plays a critical role in recycling organic matter and nutrients. This species might also mediate the passage of resources across different ecosystems, although further research is needed to explore this possibility.  相似文献   

Trophic ecology of black scabbardfish,Aphanopus carbo in the NE Atlantic—Assessment through stomach content and stable isotope analyses     

《Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers》2013

The black scabbardfish is a deep water species of high commercial interest in the NE Atlantic. Specimens were collected from commercial trawls to the west of the British Isles and from longliners operating near Madeira between September 2008 and May 2010. Stomach content analysis was confined to samples from the northern area, because of a high number of empty stomachs from Madeira. Stable isotope analyses identified that black scabbardfish feeds on species with epipelagic and benthopelagic affinities. For the west of British Isles, the δN values were significantly different between seasons suggesting a change in the diet throughout the year. Black scabbardfish have higher δN and δC values compared with other co-occurring benthopelagic feeders and lower nitrogen values than the true benthic predators and/or scavengers. Comparison with stable isotope analysis in samples from Madeira indicated that black scabbardfish feed at a similar trophic level and has the same trophic niche width in both areas, assuming similar baseline isotope compositions. The diet in the northern area comprised fish (68% N), crustaceans (22% N) and cephalopods (15% N) with blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) constituting 40% of the prey. Seasonal shift in diet was observed, with a predominance of blue whiting (70%) in the first quarter of the year, shifting to a more diverse diet in the remainder of the year. These results indicate that the diet of black scabbardfish is closely linked with the seasonal migration of blue whiting and that they likely select prey in proportion to availability. This study demonstrates that the combined used of both methods can elucidate the trophic ecology of black scabbardfish, in situations where conventional methods alone provide insufficient data.  相似文献   

Myctophid fish recorded from New Zealand as Lampanyctus Guentheri reidentified as L. austraus (note)     

John R. Paxton 《新西兰海洋与淡水研究杂志》2013,47(4):711-712

The myctophid fish Lampanyctus guentheri ( = Lcpidophanes guenlheri) recently recorded from New Zealand is reindentified as Lampanyctus australis. The genus Lepidophanes is known only from the Atlantic Ocean.  相似文献   

2010年秋季黄河口及其邻近海域中小型浮游动物的群落特征   总被引：3，自引：1，他引：2  

王文杰  刘光兴 《海洋科学》2013,37(11):9-15

为掌握黄河口邻近水域中小型浮游动物的现状并弥补此类重要浮游生物类群在以往调查研究中的欠缺, 于2010 年9 月在黄河口及其邻近海域用浅水Ⅱ型浮游生物网采集了浮游动物样品, 分析了中小型浮游动物的种类组成、丰度分布、优势种、生物多样性及群落结构。本次调查共鉴定浮游动物成体48 种, 浮游幼虫21 类, 桡足类和水螅水母为最主要的浮游动物类群, 分别占浮游动物成体种数的37.5%和20.8%。浮游动物丰度为2 300.1～266 232.0 个/m³, 平均丰度为37 074.3 个/m³。优势种(类)8种, 分别为夜光虫、强额拟哲水蚤、小拟哲水蚤、背针胸刺水蚤、异体住囊虫、桡足类无节幼虫、双壳类幼体以及腹足类幼体, 其中夜光虫为研究水域最主要优势种。对各站位物种组成和丰度进行分析,调查水域中小型浮游动物可划分为4 个组群, 各组群的分布格局受到水温、盐度和海流的共同影响。该研究为此水域生态系统的长期变化研究提供了重要基础资料和参考依据。  相似文献   

2009年春季九龙江口水体沉降颗粒物组分的类型与分布     

方建勇  陈坚  刘志飞  李云海  李东义  朱亚超 《台湾海峡》2013,32(3)

对2009年3月28 ～ 29日利用沉积物捕获器在九龙江河口区分层收集的沉降颗粒物分别进行了激光粒度、X射线衍射、扫描电镜和能谱分析,分析了沉降颗粒物的粒度特征和粘土矿物组成特征,并探讨了九龙江河口水体沉降颗粒物类型及其絮凝沉积作用.结果表明:各站各层沉降颗粒物有不同的粒度组成和粘土矿物组成特征,单颗粒沉降颗粒物类型主要有3种类型(生物、矿物和其他颗粒);沉降颗粒物絮凝体类型则有5种主要类型,包括被囊类、硅藻等生物形成的絮凝体,粪球、矿物碎屑等形成的絮凝体以及由生物和有机质等形成的混杂絮凝体.研究区沉降颗粒物的类型受到地形、径流、潮流的影响,影响研究区沉积颗粒物分布的主要原因包括陆源碎屑物质的输入和人类活动的影响.颗粒物絮凝还受到河口区水体的盐度、有机物的吸附等诸多因素的影响.  相似文献