Trait‐related variation in the reproductive characteristics of female pikeperch (Sander lucioperca)

Maternal characteristics typically affect the recruitment of an exploited fish population. The size and age at maturity, as well as the effects of maternal traits on relative fecundity and egg dry weight, were studied in six exploited pikeperch populations in Finnish lakes. The among‐lake variation in the maternal characteristics was substantial. The estimated total length at maturity (L₁₀, L₅₀, L₉₀) varied between 318–444, 403–423 and 444–527 mm, respectively, largely depending on the average growth rate and body condition of pikeperch. The estimated L₅₀ was generally close to the recently imposed national minimum size limit (42 cm). The estimated age at maturity (A₅₀) ranged from 4.2 to 6.9 year. Both relative fecundity and egg dry weight significantly increased with female size and age, indicating size‐ and age‐dependent maternal effects on egg characteristics and quantity, and emphasising the importance of large individuals for reproduction. The observed among‐population differences in the size‐dependent maternal influences highlight the need for stock‐specific management of pikeperch fisheries. The conservation of large females should be promoted to increase recruitment and reduce its variability.     

Predation risk allocation or direct vigilance response in the predator interaction between perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and pike (Esox lucius L.)?

Abstract –  Predation risk allocation hypothesis predicts that a prey's response to predator depends on prey's previous experience on predator. Here we tested whether the group of three perch respond differentially to pike, predator of perch, depending on the timing of high constant (HC) and high unpredictable (HU) risk periods within low constant risk periods in short-term (10 h) experiments, and whether the response is stronger during a HU risk period than during a HC risk period. Perch clearly erected the dorsal fin in response to predation risk treatments (pike odour only, odour and visible pike). Decrease in activity and increase in shoaling behaviour were observed mainly during high risk periods. However, the perch's responses to pike did not differ statistically between periods of various levels of predation risk or depending on the timing of high risk situations within constant low risk periods, and thus, suggesting that perch respond mainly to changes in the current predation risk.     

Evolutionary impact assessment: accounting for evolutionary consequences of fishing in an ecosystem approach to fisheries management

Managing fisheries resources to maintain healthy ecosystems is one of the main goals of the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). While a number of international treaties call for the implementation of EAF, there are still gaps in the underlying methodology. One aspect that has received substantial scientific attention recently is fisheries‐induced evolution (FIE). Increasing evidence indicates that intensive fishing has the potential to exert strong directional selection on life‐history traits, behaviour, physiology, and morphology of exploited fish. Of particular concern is that reversing evolutionary responses to fishing can be much more difficult than reversing demographic or phenotypically plastic responses. Furthermore, like climate change, multiple agents cause FIE, with effects accumulating over time. Consequently, FIE may alter the utility derived from fish stocks, which in turn can modify the monetary value living aquatic resources provide to society. Quantifying and predicting the evolutionary effects of fishing is therefore important for both ecological and economic reasons. An important reason this is not happening is the lack of an appropriate assessment framework. We therefore describe the evolutionary impact assessment (EvoIA) as a structured approach for assessing the evolutionary consequences of fishing and evaluating the predicted evolutionary outcomes of alternative management options. EvoIA can contribute to EAF by clarifying how evolution may alter stock properties and ecological relations, support the precautionary approach to fisheries management by addressing a previously overlooked source of uncertainty and risk, and thus contribute to sustainable fisheries.     

Size‐dependent stress response in juvenile Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) under prolonged predator conditioning

Predator conditioning can be used to improve post‐release antipredator recognition of hatchery‐reared salmonids. However, possible negative stress‐related effects of prolonged predator conditioning on juvenile fish physiology are poorly understood. We studied the effects of prolonged (91 days) predator odour exposure on whole‐body cortisol level and spleen size in six full‐sib families of juvenile hatchery‐bred Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). Chemical cues from water containing charr‐fed pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) were used as the predator exposure stimuli and lakewater was used as a chemical control. Our study revealed that juvenile body cortisol levels post‐predator conditioning were affected by treatment, fish size and their interaction. Importantly, among the smaller (i.e. slowest growing) charr, the predator‐exposed fish had higher cortisol levels than control fish, while the opposite pattern was true for the larger fish. These results suggest that chemical cues from charr‐fed predators induce a prolonged stress response in juvenile charr. As prolonged predation exposure seems to elevate stress levels in a size‐dependent manner, the larger, faster growing fish could possibly have intrinsically lower stress responses to predation threats than smaller, slower growing fish. Possible coupling between stress sensitivity and growth requires further attention due to the likely implications for the management of unintended domestication among captive‐reared salmonids.     

Factors affecting between-lake variation in the occurrence of epidermal papillomatosis in roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.)

The theory of island biogeography predicts that the probability of a species occupying an island depends on a dynamic equilibrium between extinction and colonization. Epidermal papillomatosis is a disease manifesting as skin tumours on fish. We studied the factors affecting the occurrence of the disease in roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), in 34 lakes. The results of discrimination analysis suggest that maximum depth, percentage of the drainage area of the lake covered by lakes in the vicinity and altitude best identified diseased lakes. Comparison of diseased and non-diseased lakes revealed that lake area could also be regarded as a variable contributing to the occurrence of the disease. The sampling date, proportion of males and mean length of fish did not discriminate between the lakes. The probability of the disease occurring was highest in large, deep, low-altitude lakes which had a high percentage of lakes in their vicinity. Thus, the results indicate that the colonization and extinction processes probably contribute to the occurrence of papillomatosis in roach, as predicted by the theory. Furthermore, the large natural variation in the occurrence of the disease could mask possible environmental effects and between-lake comparisons should be interpreted with caution when using the fish-papillomatosis system as an indicator of environmental stress.     

水铁矿对土壤溶解性有机质的吸附固持作用

基于水解法将氯化铁和氢氧化钠合成了一种水铁矿,通过不同浓度水铁矿与土壤溶解性有机质（DOM）的混合避光培养实验,研究了水铁矿对土壤DOM的吸附固持作用。结果表明：在水铁矿浓度为10~30 g·L^-1范围内,水铁矿对土壤DOM的吸附能力与其浓度呈正相关。随着培养时间的延长,DOM的光谱斜率（S_275-295）显著降低,表明水铁矿优先吸附土壤DOM中的大分子芳香族化合物。三维荧光光谱耦合平行因子模型（EEM-PARAFAC）分析表明,土壤DOM包含类腐殖质组分（C1）（Ex/Em=240/410）、类色氨酸组分（C2）[Ex/Em=290（240）/350]及类酪氨酸组分（C3）（Ex/Em=270/300）3种荧光组分。3种组分荧光强度均随着培养时间延长呈现明显降低趋势,且类腐殖质组分的下降最为明显。被水铁矿吸附后,土壤DOM的腐殖化指数（HIX）显著降低且生物源指数（BIX）明显升高,表明随着吸附作用的进行,土壤DOM的腐殖质组分相对占比下降,而自生源组分相对占比上升。研究表明,水铁矿对土壤DOM有显著的吸附固持作用,且对大分子腐殖质物质吸附作用强于对小分子类蛋白组分,水铁矿对土壤DOM分子的固持作用能够提高土壤有机质的生物可利用度,改善土壤环境。     

Ice fishing reveals size structure but not abundance of Eurasian perch in small boreal lakes

Management of inland recreational fisheries would benefit from stock abundance and size structure data. Feasibly standardised angling methods such as ice fishing could produce representative catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) information on the abundance of different-sized fish in small lakes. Here, we first used standard Nordic multimesh gillnets to obtain number-per-unit-effort (NPUE), biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE) and size structure data on Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) stocks in 11 small boreal lakes in summer. Second, the same lakes were ice-fished by voluntary anglers using a pre-defined, loosely standardised protocol to obtain angling-based NPUE, BPUE, and length frequency distributions. Effects of environmental variables such as water oxygen concentration and light penetration on angling catch rates were controlled statistically. Neither perch Nordic gillnet NPUE nor BPUE corresponded to ice-fishing CPUEs. However, the length distribution of the catch did not differ between methods. Our results imply that traditional ice fishing applying natural baits is relatively unselective for fish size and could produce valid length-based indicators for management purposes while angling CPUE was poorly related to Nordic gillnet CPUE.     

Diet and movements of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in a large oligotrophic lake with an exceptionally high pikeperch yield

Through the recent increases in abundance, pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) has not only become a valuable target for recreational and commercial fishing, but also the most important top predator in many lakes. Generally oligotrophic Lake Höytiäinen (283 km²) sustains one of the most economically valuable pikeperch stocks in Finland, and its annual fisheries yield (up to 5.5 kg/ha) is exceptionally high among Finnish lakes. Here, we followed seasonal movements of fish using conventional tagging, and studied short‐term and long‐term diet of pikeperch by stomach content and stable isotope analyses to examine if the movements were motivated by prey availability. A clear seasonal migration pattern was observed: in summer, 80% of the tag recoveries were obtained from the shallow and mesotrophic northern and western areas, whereas in autumn and winter, the deep and oligotrophic southern area dominated in the recaptures. The diet of pikeperch consisted of the most abundant fish species in the lake, perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus), as well as insects. Stable isotope analysis indicated a shift from a dominance of pelagic food sources to littoral food sources during the growing season of pikeperch. Our results suggest that the pikeperch migrations facilitate efficient material transfer from the mesotrophic part while the deeper and oligotrophic part offers a favourable overwintering environment.     

Clonal diversity and morphometry in the parthenogenetic earthworm Eiseniella tetraedra (Sav.) as affected by habitat characteristics including radioactive pollution

Eiseniella tetraedra (Sav.) is a cosmopolitan earthworm reproducing by obligate parthenogenesis. Here, we examined whether habitat characteristics affected the clone pool diversities and morphometric variability of the stenotopic riparian species E. tetraedra along a west–east transect from the Scandinavian mountains to lowland habitats of the Swedish east coast through Finland and to Russia (the Komi Republic) near the Ural Mountains. The transect comprised a geographical distance that cuts through the maritime to continental climatological zones within the boreal forest belt. It terminated in the Komi Republic, thus adding habitat (soil) characteristics to the factor of radioactive pollution. We found that mountain brooks in Sweden hosted the lowest numbers of clones, but in the lowland samples the clone pool diversities decreased in general from Sweden through Finland and Russia, i.e. from west to east. Nevertheless, high levels of clonal variability were observed within the countries, so that even monomorphic pools were found. However, no clones were shared between the countries. The fresh body weights and posterior body lengths of adult earthworms decreased from west to east. The numbers of posterior segments did not, however, differ between the countries, due to decreased segment size. The location of the clitellum, tubercula pubertatis and male pores showed no clear-cut morphometric clines along the W–E gradient, but the tubercula pubertatis and male pores were more clearly demarcated in adults of the Russian material than in those from the West. Eiseniella adults from the Swedish mountains carried spermatophores considerably more often than those from the other localities. E. tetraedra from localities with radioactive pollution in Russia (the Komi Republic) showed no clear-cut clone pool diversities in comparison to the clone pools of the other sites within the area. Monomorphic clone pools were recorded in localities with low as well as high levels of long-term ionizing radiation and exposure to heavy metals. We found no morphological malformations, such as dislocations of characters, in comparison to individuals from sites with lower levels of environmental radiation.