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.     

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）。     

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。     

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.     

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.     

洋山港海域海水压载后浮游动物群落的演变

通过压载模拟实验,研究分析压载0、1、5、10、15和30 d压载水体中浮游动物的数量和种类的动态变化特征,探讨其生态适应机制。结果显示,连续压载30 d后,浮游动物种类数由11种减少至5种,种类数显著下降。压载期间,浮游动物出现的频率和持续的时间不尽相同,不同类群对于压载环境的适应性有所不同,各物种之间对于各压载阶段的适应能力存在较大差异。实验舱内浮游动物丰度经过30 d模拟压载呈现明显的下降趋势。5 d时由于轮虫和浮游幼虫数量的大幅度增加,浮游动物整体丰度显著上升,随后迅速下降,压载至30 d时仍有浮游动物存活。MDS分析结果显示,压载条件下各水龄阶段之间的浮游动物群落结构变化明显。CCA分析表明:在本次模拟压载实验中,总氮、总磷、悬浮物、浊度以及温度等环境因子对浮游动物群落结构变化产生影响。     

水体光照强度的变化对浮游甲壳动物群落结构的影响

近年来,我国淡水湖泊富营养化现象日益严重,藻类大量生长导致水体光照强度减弱,水生植物严重衰退。为了解水体光照强度减弱对生活在沿岸带草丛中的浮游甲壳动物分布情况的影响,本研究于2015年5月至2015年11月在水族箱中通过移植苦草并覆盖不同层黑色遮阳布来建立4个光照梯度（L1- L4）,其透光率分别是40.5%、17.1%、7.1%和2.8%,来模拟自然条件下沿岸带浮游甲壳动物群落对低光压力的响应,分析了水体理化指标、苦草和浮游甲壳动物群落结构变化。结果表明：（1）从不同的光照处理来看,浮游甲壳动物生物量随光照强度减弱而减少,其平均值分别是1.27 mg/L、0.99 mg/L、0.95 mg/L和0.45 mg/L,丰度和多样性也随光照强度减弱逐渐降低;（2）与其他3个处理组相比,L4组中除了锯缘真剑水蚤相对生物量百分比从5%升高到25%,其他种类都有所下降,其中晶莹仙达溞从50%降至9%;（3）浮游甲壳动物的平均生物量在秋季（1.28 mg/L）大于夏季（0.54 mg/L）,而夏季（83.79 ind./L）平均丰度大于秋季（53.59 ind./L）。统计分析表明浮游甲壳动物群落结构变化与光照强度和苦草生长引起的水体理化的变化显著正相关,主要是溶解氧和pH值。     

乐清湾浮游动物现状调查研究

依据2011年5月和9月对温州乐清湾湾口附近海域浮游动物现状调查结果,分析和研究了浮游动物的种类组成、数量分布、多样性、群落结构及其与环境因子的相关性。5月份和9月份分别采获大型浮游动物13大类47种和16大类70种,调查海域附近浮游动物主要以近岸低盐类群为主,同时还有少量的半咸水河口类群。5月份浮游动物优势种为中华哲水蚤、球形侧腕水母、百陶箭虫等。9月份浮游动物优势种为背针胸刺水蚤、拿卡箭虫、汤氏长足水蚤、磷虾幼体等。5月份平均个体丰度为91个/m3,9月份平均个体丰度为115个/m3。5月份平均生物量为0.209 g/m3,9月份平均生物量为0.222 g/m3。9月份的丰富度指数、均匀度指数、多样性指数和优势度均高于5月份的各项群落结构指数。     

七里海浮游生物及底栖动物的初步调查研究

2011年5月,通过对七里海水域(北纬38.60°-39.00°,东经118.15°-118.17°)浮游生物和底栖动物的调查,结果表明,该区域存在浮游植物2门,9属,13种,平均数量为80.8万个/m3,波动范围为77.3万～84.3万个/m3,优势种为硅藻门的美丽曲舟藻;浮游动物3类4种,平均数量为0.62万个/m3,波动范围为0.50万～0.74万个/m3,优势种为被囊类的长尾住囊虫和毛颚类的强壮箭虫;底栖动物6种,隶属于2门,3属,平均生物量为2.638kg/m3,波动范围为1.405～3.650kg/m3,优势种为双齿围沙蚕和日本沙蚕。该海域叶绿素a平均含量为0.005 6mg/L。综合分析说明,本水域水体有一定程度的污染,采取必要的措施治理恢复其生态环境迫在眉睫。