Variation in prey selection and foraging success associated with early‐life ontogeny and habitat use of American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)

Many fishes are planktivorous during early life and switch to piscivory or consume larger food items as ontogeny progresses. In contrast, paddlefish start as particulate feeders and later become filter feeders. Few studies have identified food items essential for paddlefish growth, survival and recruitment surrounding this ontogenetic diet shift. The objectives of this study were to investigate (i) prey types consumed by paddlefish, (ii) variability in prey selection surrounding an ontogenetic diet shift and (iii) whether habitat affected paddlefish prey selection or foraging success. We analysed gut contents of 189 wild age‐0 paddlefish from the middle Mississippi River (MMR) and also conducted a laboratory experiment to address these objectives. We found that paddlefish primarily foraged on benthic macroinvertebrates in the MMR, which differed from previous studies in lentic systems, suggesting young paddlefish prey selection may be labile depending on habitat (i.e., lotic versus lentic). Dominant prey of wild‐caught and experimental age‐0 paddlefish were caddisfly larvae (Trichoptera), followed by hemipterans and amphipods. We found little evidence that habitat attributes affected foraging success, but the most common prey items consumed were associated with wing dike habitat and the upstream and downstream tips of alluvial islands. Our experimental study revealed that if provided a mixture of organisms, age‐0 paddlefish will primarily consume macroinvertebrates while age‐1 paddlefish will mainly filter zooplankton. Overall results suggest young paddlefish prey selection can be highly variable, but also heavily reliant on a narrow group of prey resources.     

Putting the pieces together: Recent growth,nutritional condition,and mortality of Engraulis anchoita larvae in the Southwest Atlantic

Dynamics of clupeiform fish populations such as anchovy are frequently impacted by environmental variations which can affect the success of the species recruitment. Herein, we have analyzed recent otolith growth rate, RNA/DNA nutritional condition index (sRD), and mortality rate of argentine anchovy larvae Engraulis anchoita from three different nursery areas in the Southwest Atlantic. We have evaluated the relationship between the environmental variables (abundance of copepod nauplii, temperature, chlorophyll‐a concentration, and abundance of E. anchoita larvae) and larval endogenous variables (size, weight, age, and otolith radius) to sRD and recent growth rate. Fast larval growth rates were observed toward the northern sector of the studied area, characterized by higher temperature. High values of sRD were associated with higher nauplii abundance in the proximity of coastal fronts. The larvae with the lowest growths and lowest minimum values of nutritional condition coincided with the area where there was less abundance of nauplii and higher larval mortality. Larval size and nauplii abundance were positive explanatory factors for both recent growth rate and sRD index. Temperature had a positive effect on recent growth rate and a negative effect on sRD index. This condition index was poorly explained in terms of model fit in comparison with the growth model. The results herein provided could be significant to better understand the recruitment of the species, as to determining favorable areas for the growth and survival of anchovy larvae.     

长兴岛沿岸春季和夏季的浮游动物群落结构

2005年8月(夏季)的大、小潮期间和2006年3月(春季)的大、小潮期间对长兴岛沿岸进行了4个航次的浮游生物调查,共检出浮游动物47种,其中春季32种,夏季44种。浮游动物的优势类群为桡足类和浮游幼虫。小拟哲水蚤、双毛纺锤水蚤、拟长腹剑水蚤、无节幼虫为春季优势种。小拟哲水蚤、双毛纺锤水蚤、近缘大眼剑水蚤、桡足类幼体、太平洋纺锤水蚤为夏季优势种。春季浮游动物的丰度、生物量及种类数均低于夏季。小潮期间浮游动物的丰度、生物量高于大潮期间。浮游动物的丰度、生物量及优势种受潮周期的影响。北部沿岸和南部沿岸浮游动物丰度、生物量较高。小型桡足类在长兴岛沿岸浮游动物群落结构中扮演重要角色,长兴岛沿岸浮游动物群落结构较为成熟稳定。     

浮游动物在生物操纵法除藻中的作用研究

采用室外现场实验和室内受控生态系统实验相结合的方法,研究了富营养化水体中浮游动物对藻类生长的控制作用。对浮游动物与藻类的计数与测量数据,利用SPSS统计软件进行了方差分析（LSD多重比较法）和相关性分析。实验结果显示,总磷含量比总氮含量对浮游动物生长的影响更大。浮游动物与藻类之间呈现显著或极显著相关关系,说明浮游动物群体,尤其甲壳类群体,在适当条件下对藻类群体以及其中的蓝藻有一定的控制作用。适当的鱼类密度下,浮游动物能够起有效的控藻作用,但鱼类密度过高会抑制该作用。底泥在生态系统中起重要作用,能够影响浮游动物对藻类的摄食力。     

Responses of phyto- and zooplankton to liming in a small acidified humic lake

Liming resulted in an immediate and transitory decrease of plankton biomass and phytoplankton primary production in the limed part of an acidified humic lake. In the longer term liming has changed species composition and dominance of phyto- and zooplankton. Due to increased transparency and improved oxygen conditions plankton biomass peaked deeper in the water column after liming. During the three years post-liming period phyto- and zooplankton communities have changed less than reported in several other studies. This is largely because liming was carried out well before the collapse of perch population, which has controlled zooplankton both in the pre- and post-treatment period.     

2008年黄骅港夏季浮游动物多样性调查评价

2008年夏季用浅海Ⅰ型标准浮游生物网在河北黄骅港海域进行了浮游动物调查。共采集到浮游动物24种,其中原生动物2种、桡足类11种、糠虾类2种、毛虾类1种、钩虾类1种、糖虾类2种、毛颚类1种、被囊类1种、幼体类2种、水母类1种。平均生物量320.6mg.m-3,生物量的波动范围75.2~1310.6mg.m-3。近岸海域的浮游动物多样性指数（H′）明显高于远岸;优势种为强壮箭虫Sagitta crassa（0.33）、小拟哲水蚤Pa-racalanus Parvus（0.31）、太平洋纺锤蚤Acartia pacifica（0.12）、中华哲水蚤Calanus sinicus（0.038）、真刺唇角水蚤Labidocera euchaeta（0.34）和刺尾歪水蚤Tortanus Spinicaudatus（0.04）。     

Threadfin shad impacts phytoplankton and zooplankton community structures in channel catfish ponds

Plankton community structure and chlorophyll a concentration were compared in twelve 0.1 ha earthen ponds co‐stocked with channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque, 1818) in a multiple‐batch culture (initial biomass=5458 kg ha^?1) and a planktivore, threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense Güther, 1867; initial biomass=449 kg ha^?1), during the April–November growing season. We used a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to test the planktivore level (presence or absence of threadfin shad) and channel catfish feeding frequency (daily or every third day). Channel catfish were fed a 32% protein feed to apparent satiation on days fed. The presence of threadfin shad affected phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure more than did feeding frequency, and the impact in ponds was more pronounced after 1 July. The numbers of all major groups of zooplankton were lower in ponds with threadfin shad, but were unaffected by the feeding frequency. Chlorophyll a concentration before 1 July was higher in ponds with threadfin shad and unaffected by the feeding frequency, whereas after 1 July it was higher in ponds without threadfin shad and that were fed daily. Phytoplankton community structure after 1 July was dominated by nuisance algal bloom genera of cyanobacteria in ponds without threadfin shad and by Bacillariophyceae in ponds with threadfin shad.     

Ontogenetic diet shift in the June sucker Chasmistes liorus (Cypriniformes,Catostomidae) in the early juvenile stage

Kreitzer JD, Belk MC, Gonzalez DB, Tuckfield RC, Shiozawa DK, Rasmussen JE. Ontogenetic diet shift in the June sucker Chasmistes liorus (Cypriniformes, Catostomidae) in the early juvenile stage.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 433–438. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Ontogenetic diet shifts are common in fishes and often occur during early life stages. The larval and early juvenile period is critical in the life cycle of the endangered June sucker, Chasmistes liorus (Teleostei: Catostomidae). High larval and juvenile mortality leads to low recruitment to the breeding population and hence a declining natural population. To understand diet composition and dynamics in June sucker at early life stages, diet was quantified and compared to available food items in the natural environment during the early juvenile stage. Rotifers (Brachionus sp.) were the primary diet item at week 10, but by week 12 a small cyclopoid copepod (Microcyclops rubellus) became predominant. Availability of diet items varied little across the experimental period. The increase in size of young suckers may explain this rapid dietary shift, but there are some inconsistencies with the size selection argument. This diet shift represents an important nutritional change that should be considered in development of diets for young June sucker and in assessing suitability of nursery habitats.     

南海北部浮游动物多样性研究

1997～1999年,对南海北部浮游动物进行了4个季节的专项调查,结果表明,调查海区共出现浮游动物8门20大类709种。优势种的组成各海域显示明显差异,调查期间共有8种优势种,即:异尾宽水蚤(Temoradiscaudata)、普通波水蚤(Undinulavulgaris)、微刺哲水蚤(Canthocalanuspauper)、叉胸刺水蚤(Centropagesfurcatus)、亚强真哲水蚤(Eu calanussubcrassus)、精致真刺水蚤(Euchaetaconcinna)、肥胖箭虫(Sagittaenflata)和中型莹虾(Luciferintermedius)。浮游动物4季总生物量变化范围为18.08～38.27mg/m3,平均25.27mg/m3,以冬季最高,夏、春季次之,秋季最低。平面分布呈斑块状,并随季节的变化发生漂移,春、秋季密集区主要分布于台湾浅滩上升流区和北部湾北部近海区;夏季,自台湾浅滩至粤西近海一带水域密集度较高;冬季分布则相对较为均匀。栖息密度范围为0.24～621.13ind/m3,4季平均27.52ind/m3,平面分布总体以近岸水域最高,不同季节,分布趋势发生一定变化,高密集区主要分布在台湾浅滩、北部湾北部和粤西近海。生物多样性指数范围为1.63～5.55,平均3.90,自北向南递增。季节变化以夏、春季较高,秋、冬季较低。多样性阈值变化范围为0.02～4.63,平均2.93,多样性水平Ⅱ级,显示南海北部浮游动物多样性丰富。     

Annual weather variability and its influence on the population dynamics of Calanus finmarchicus

The reaction of the population of Calanus finmarchicus to relatively extreme annual cycles of weather in the North Sea was investigated by one-dimensional model simulations. A population dynamics model for C. finmarchicus was coupled with a physical and a biological upper-layer model for phosphate, phytoplankton and detritus to simulate the development of the successive stages of C. finmarchicus. Observed annual weather cycles were used to drive the physical water column model, the results of which were then input to the plankton model. The simulations yielded the temporal development of all stages of C. finmarchicus over an annual cycle in terms of numbers and weights. Compared with the results reported for 1984 by Carlotti and Radach (1996; Limnol . Oceanogr . 41: 522–539), it appears that the temporal range for the occurrence of the peak concentration of C. finmarchicus may be 2 weeks in the northern North Sea. The simulated variability is in accordance with observations. Years with more continuous primary production such as the year 1984, which was cloudy and windy during the summer, may then provide the optimum conditions with respect to producing an abundance of zooplankton during the following year.