Molecular detection of sugarcane striate virus and sugarcane white streak virus and their prevalence in the Miami World Collection of sugarcane and related grasses

Viruses in the genus Mastrevirus (family Geminiviridae), including those infecting sugarcane, have natural geographical ranges almost exclusively restricted to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands off the African coast. Only sugarcane white streak virus (SWSV) in Barbados and sugarcane striate virus (SStrV) in Florida and Guadeloupe are known to infect a few sugarcane varieties in the Western Hemisphere. In this study, PCR assays were developed to detect these two viruses in sugarcane. Five hundred and seventy-one DNA samples from Saccharum species and interspecific hybrids from the Miami World Collection of sugarcane and related grasses were tested for the presence of SStrV and SWSV by PCR. No variety was found infected by SWSV but SStrV was detected in 19 varieties. PCR data were confirmed by sequencing amplified fragments (248 bp). These fragments shared 93%–100% nucleotide identity with SStrV sequences from the GenBank database. SStrV isolates were distributed in six phylogenetic groups, including the four strains of the virus. Most varieties infected by SStrV originated from Asia, thus confirming a previous hypothesis stating that this virus originated from this continent. Absence of SStrV in commercial sugarcane in Florida also suggested that this virus has not been spread in this location, while infected plants have been present for several decades.     

Influence of larval and juvenile life history on age at first maturity in two tropical amphidromous fish species

This study investigates how age at first maturity of two tropical amphidromous species Sicyopterus lagocephalus (Pallas, 1770) and Cotylopus acutipinnis (Guichenot, 1863) varies in relation to their larval and juvenile life history. Reproductive stage was estimated based on histological observation of ovaries of more than 200 females of each species caught monthly over 1 year. The age of fish was estimated by interpreting the daily increments deposited on otoliths during the oceanic larval phase, and the juvenile phase in the river. The age at first maturity was approximately 9 months for S. lagocephalus and 7 months for C. acutipinnis, corresponding to approximately 70–130 and 90–130 days after they returned to freshwater respectively. For both species, the time spent in freshwater before maturity was significantly influenced by the duration of the pelagic larval stage at sea (PLD) and the season of return in freshwater. Individuals with a long PLD, or returning in freshwater during the warmer season, maturated faster once in freshwater. This reproductive advantage may minimise the risk of extirpation due to catastrophic events at each generation and thus probably benefits amphidromous species living in very unpredictable tropical rivers.     

Phenotypic indicators for cultured pearl size improvement in the black‐lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera): towards selection for the recipient growth performance

The black‐lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, is the most important farmed species in French Polynesia and the basis of the most valuable export industry. Mass production of black pearls relies on a surgical operation requiring tissue from a donor pearl oyster to be grafted, together with a nucleus made of shell, into the gonad of a recipient oyster. Improving pearl size through family selection remains one of the main challenges for future aquaculture development. This study analyses the relative contribution of donor and recipient oysters to pearl size. To this end, hatchery‐produced donor oysters of two batches, large and small (based on shell height), were used to supply grafts for recipients, which were then monitored individually for their growth performance by recording shell height, width, and thickness, and total live weight (flesh + shells) every 6 months (four biometric measurement times) over 20 months of culture. Pearls issued from the two batches of donors showed no significant differences in nacre weight or thickness. In contrast, recipient oyster shell height and total weight were increasingly positively correlated with these pearl size parameters over the culture period, becoming significant at 8 months post‐grafting. Potential therefore exists to use shell height and oyster weight as phenotypic indicators for selective breeding of recipient oysters with high growth performance to increase pearl size in P. margaritifera.     

An unexpected host for the endangered giant freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera auricularia (Spengler, 1793) as a conservation tool

1. The giant freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera auricularia (GFPM) is one of the most endangered bivalve species in the world. Originally occurring in many European rivers, the GFPM is a relict now restricted to a few ageing populations in France and Spain in which natural reproduction is almost absent.
2. Like most unionoid mussels, the GFPM needs host fish for the development of their parasitic larvae (glochidia). The European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), the only known native host fish of the GFPM in France, is essentially extinct. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify other hosts that could be responsible for the few cases of recent recruitment.
3. Natural infestation of wild fishes in three French rivers was assessed to identify potential hosts of M. auricularia, while artificial infestation experiments were conducted on the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and the wels catfish (Silurus glanis) to determine their compatibility as hosts.
4. Among the 29 fish species assessed for natural infestation, only the three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) carried M. auricularia glochidia. In the artificial infestation experiments, living juvenile mussels were collected from both P. marinus and S. glanis. The number of juveniles collected from a single P. marinus specimen (13,827) suggests that this species is a highly efficient host. As with previously known hosts, newly identified ones also appear to have a relationship with marine environments.
5. The present findings suggest that P. marinus has played a key role in preventing the total extinction of M. auricularia in France, and indicate the potential use of P. marinus in conservation strategies aimed at reintroducing or stabilizing populations of this rare mollusc.

     

The influence of environmental factors on the upstream movements of rheophilic cyprinids according to their position in a river basin

Throughout their lives, fish accomplish frequent movements between functional habitats that are often triggered by environmental signals. We aimed to determine if rheophilic cyprinids (barbel, Barbus barbus and chub Squalius cephalus), living in different places of the same river basin, may develop similar movement periodicities and react identically to environmental cues to carry out their spawning migration. We used the capture data of three modern fish passes that were monitored continuously during three consecutive years (2010 to 2012) in three rivers of the Meuse basin in Belgium. We captured 418 individuals at adult stage, and the capture number per species was greater (80%) in spring (during the spawning migration period). The spawning migration of the barbel occurred earlier (median = 122nd day of the year) and at lower temperatures (median = 14.5°C) in the lowland rivers compared to the upland river (140th day of the year and 18.4°C). For the barbel, migration initiation differed depending on the river but finished under similar environmental conditions. In contrast, for the chub, no significant difference between rivers was observed regarding spawning migration periodicity and environmental cues. Within the same river basin, rheophilic cyprinids demonstrate flexibility in their responses to environmental variables and may optimise the start date of migration to spawning grounds depending on their local environment and individual experiences. This phenomenon was more pronounced in the barbel, which has more specific ecological requirements.     

Evidence of diadromy in the French Polynesian Kuhlia malo (Teleostei: Percoidei) inferred from otolith microchemistry analysis

Abstract – Strontium/Calcium (Sr/Ca) and Barium/Calcium (Ba/Ca) ratios were measured in 60 otoliths of the French Polynesian flagtail Kuhlia malo. Both elemental ratios were needed to correctly distinguish residence in marine, brackish and fresh water. High Sr/Ca and low Ba/Ca around the nucleus of all otoliths provided evidence of marine residency during the early life of all individuals. At about 0.5 mm from the core, Ba/Ca increased rapidly and remained high in all otoliths. High and unstable Sr/Ca ratios were attributed to estuarine residency, whereas low and stable Sr/Ca ratios were attributed to freshwater residency. These chemical signatures inferred that following recruitment to rivers, some fish remained in the estuary, while others moved upstream. Some individuals shared their time between fresh and brackish waters later in life. The findings of this study have important implications for the protection of nearshore, brackish and freshwater environments for the conservation of this French Polynesian diadromous species.     

Isoflucypram,the first representative of a new succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicide subclass: Its chemical discovery and unusual binding mode

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) have played a crucial role in disease control to protect cereals as well as fruit and vegetables for more than a decade. Isoflucypram, the first representative of a newly installed subclass of SDHIs inside the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) family of complex II inhibitors, offers unparalleled long‐lasting efficacy against major foliar diseases in cereals. Herein we report the chemical optimization from early discovery towards isoflucypram and the first hypothesis of its altered binding mode in the ubiquinone binding site of succinate dehydrogenase. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Environmental correlates of body size distribution in Cyprinidae (Actinopterygians) depend on phylogenetic scale

The pattern of increasing species body size with increasing latitude has been noticed in different groups of animals. Here, we used seven key environmental factors and independent contrasts to assess body size latitudinal clines in Cyprinidae at two phylogenetic levels (inter‐ and intragenera), which were defined using a genus‐level supertree. Model selection procedures revealed that environmental factors shaping body size variation in Cyprinidae differed according to the phylogenetic scale considered. At the higher phylogenetic level, we found that both temperature (negative effect) and habitat availability (positive effect of drainage basin surface area) constituted mechanistic explanations of large‐scale body size distribution. No temperature‐related body size cline was observed at the intragenus level. Instead, competitive interaction (negative effect of species richness), habitat availability (positive effect of drainage basin surface area), migration ability and available energy (positive effects of glacial coverage and actual evapotranspiration) constitute alternative explanations at this lower phylogenetic scale. We conclude that (i) at the intergenus level, cyprinids do show a tendency to be smaller at high temperatures and larger at low temperatures, (ii) this tendency no longer exists at the intragenus level, (iii) latitude per se is a weak predictor of body size clines whatever the taxonomic level analysed, (iv) generalising geographical body size patterns may be rendered difficult by the superimposition of a series of mechanisms across different taxonomic scales, and (v) habitat size, here acting positively at both taxonomic scales, may play a major role in shaping riverine species body size clines.     

Larval traits of the Caribbean amphidromous goby Sicydium punctatum (Gobioidei: Sicydiinae) in Guadeloupe

Amphidromous fish are the biggest contributor to the diversity of fish communities in river systems of Caribbean islands. Among them, Sicydium punctatum Perugia, 1896, which is endemic to the West Indies, represents the vast majority of fish in these rivers. The otolith microstructure and the biometry of S. punctatum postlarvae from Guadeloupe were investigated to explore the dispersal modalities of this species through an appreciation of the growth pattern, the pelagic larval duration (PLD) and the size‐at‐recruitment. The study was made on one cohort of 83 recruited postlarvae, fished at the Capesterre River's mouth on 2 November 2011. The mean (±SD) size‐at‐recruitment of the postlarvae was 24.6 ± 1.3 mm (range of 20.5–28.1 mm, n = 83). We found a mean (±SD) PLD of 72.2 ± 10.5 days (range of 54–101.5 days, n = 67). The growth rate estimated from the otolith increments showed a globally decreasing pattern during the marine larval phase. Growth rates at the beginning of the larval stage were significantly different between hatching periods, suggesting a relation between the hatching period and the growth rate in S. punctatum. This study adds on to the general understanding of the life cycle of S. punctatum in Guadeloupe that will help implement strategies to manage amphidromous fish populations in the Caribbean region.