Human and natural drivers of changing macrophyte community dynamics over 12 years in a Neotropical riverine floodplain system

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Trophic niche overlap between native freshwater mussels (Order: Unionida) and the invasive Corbicula fluminea

1. Freshwater mussels (Order Unionida) are highly threatened. Interspecific competition for food sources with invasive alien species is considered to be one of the factors responsible for their decline because successful invaders are expected to have wider trophic niches and more flexible feeding strategies than their native counterparts.
2. In this study, carbon (δ¹³C: ¹³C/¹²C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N: ¹⁵N/¹⁴N) stable isotopes were used to investigate the trophic niche overlap between the native freshwater mussel species, Anodonta anatina, Potomida littoralis, and Unio delphinus, and the invasive bivalve Corbicula fluminea living in sympatry in the Tua basin (south-west Europe).
3. The species presenting the widest trophic niches were C. fluminea and A. anatina, which indicate that they have broader diets than U. delphinus and P. littoralis. Nonetheless, all the species assimilated microphytobenthos, sediment organic matter, and detritus derived from vascular plants, although with interspecific variability in the assimilated proportions of each source. The trophic niche of the invasive species overlapped with the trophic niche of all the native species, with the extent varying between sites and according to the species.
4. From the three native species analysed, Potomida littoralis may be at a higher risk for competition for food with C. fluminea in the Tua basin, if food sources become limited, because this native mussel presented the narrowest trophic niche across sites and the highest probability of overlapping with the trophic niche of C. fluminea.
5. Given the global widespread distribution of C. fluminea, the implementation of management measures devoted to the control or even eradication of this invasive alien species should be a conservation priority given its potential for competition with highly threatened native freshwater mussels.

     

Lack of essential fatty acids in live feed during larval and post-larval rearing: effect on the performance of juvenile <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solea senegalensis</Emphasis>

Despite the large progress obtained in recent years, Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) production of high quality juveniles is still a bottleneck. This paper examines the effect of larval and post-larval lipid nutrition on juvenile performance and quality. Four dietary treatments were tested: A—enriched Artemia spp. (EA); B—non-enriched Artemia spp. (NEA); C—EA during the pelagic larval period and NEA after larval settlement; D—50% EA and 50% NEA. Juvenile fatty acid profile at 60 days after hatching (DAH) clearly reflected the larval and post-larval diet composition. Feeding sole larvae on NEA (poor in lipids and essential fatty acids-EFA) had a negative effect, reducing growth (total length and dry weight) after 30 DAH and decreasing digestive enzyme activity at the end of the rearing period (60 DAH). However, relatively good performance compared to the EFA-richest treatment (A) was obtained when larvae were fed 50% EA and 50% NEA (D) or even EA only during the pelagic larval period followed by NEA after larval settlement (C). Malpigmentation was not affected by the dietary regimes and its incidence was very low. However, skeletal deformities were prevalent, particularly in the caudal complex, independently of diet. The results confirm that Senegalese sole appear to have lower larval EFA requirements than most cultured marine species and potentially even lower requirements during the post-larval stage. The importance of studying the impact of early nutrition on later juvenile stages was clearly highlighted in this study.     

Effect of an experimental microparticulate diet on the growth, survival and fatty acid profile of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) larvae

In recent years, a great deal of interest has emerged in the development of microdiets as an economic alternative to live food, in the larval culture of marine fish species. The ability to grow Sparus aurata larvae on a prototype microparticulate diet was examined. To achieve this objective, four feeding regimes differing in the time when the microdiet was introduced (3, 7 or 12 days) and one based exclusively on an inert diet were tested, during the first 22 days of larval life. Significant differences in larval growth were found between the experimental feeding regimes and their corresponding controls (enriched rotifers during the whole experimental period); the larvae in the co-feeding regimes and with an exclusive microparticulate diet were always significantly smaller than larvae fed on rotifers alone. However, the difference was minimised by introducing the inert diet at a later date. A lower survival was found in larvae with a co-feeding regime, in comparison with the control treatments and the survival was significantly lower in larvae fed exclusively on a microparticulate diet. The fatty acid analysis revealed that the experimental microencapsulated diet and the rotifers enriched with Protein Selco® presented relatively similar fatty acid content. In spite of the slightly higher (n?3)/(n?6) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)/Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratios and somewhat lower highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) content found in the inert diet, the fatty acid composition of the diets cannot explain the differences found in larval performance. The results revealed that the complete replacement of live prey with the tested microparticulate diet is still not possible in S. aurata larval rearing. Nevertheless, better growth and survival results and a substantial reduction in the daily supply of live food can be achieved with a combination of microdiet and live prey.     

Potential ship strikes and density of humpback whales in the Abrolhos Bank breeding ground,Brazil

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Feed management and stocking density of the endangered wild zebra pleco: Implications for captive breeding

Due to the economic potential of Hypancistrus zebra in the ornamental fish market and its current classification as an endangered species in its natural occurrence sites, the present study sought to determine a suitable feed management strategy and stocking density to allow for an adequate captivity maintenance of this fish species. Three experiments were conducted as follows: (1) feed preference (artemia Artemia sp., shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, fish Cynoscion spp. or mussel Perna perna); (2) determination of feeding rate (5% and 10% live weight day^?1) and frequency (1, 2 or 3 meals. Day^?1); and (3) evaluation of stocking density (0.25, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 g/L). Zebra pleco did not present the characteristic buccal scraping behaviour on the feed, commonly seen in other Loricariids. Artemia was the preferred diet followed by fish, shrimp and mussels. The frequency of two daily meals and the feeding rate of 10% live weight day^?1 allowed for an improved zootechnical performance. Zebra pleco showed enhanced specific growth rate at the density of 2 g/L. Our results suggest that, to improve the zebra pleco rearing conditions, it should be maintained at a density of 2 g/L, fed two daily meals at a feeding rate of 10% live weight day^?1. These findings correspond to useful information for an adequate management of this species and could assist in the supply of healthy specimens to the ornamental fish market as well for the restocking of declining wild populations.     

Use of shrimp protein hydrolysate in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L.) feeds

A 45-day feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the use of shrimp protein hydrolysate (SPH) in diets for Oreochromis niloticus, L. SPH was included in isonitrogenous diets replacing fish meal protein by 0, 5, 10, and 20% and offered to Nile tilapia juveniles (1.7 ± 0.4 g) stocked in 40-L glass aquaria. The inclusion of SPH produced no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in final weight, survival, weight gain, average daily gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, or apparent net protein utilization. The inclusion of SPH Nile tilapia diets significantly affected (P < 0.05) the final fish body composition. Protein and ash contents decreased and fat content increased slightly with the increase in SPH. This study has demonstrated that SPH is a promising protein feedstuff and could account for as much as 6% of Nile tilapia diets with no adverse effects on growth and nutrient utilization.     

Strategies for improving fuel efficiency in the Portuguese trawl fishery

The recent rise in oil prices has brought renewed attention to energy savings in the fishing industry, and particularly in trawling. Coastal trawlers spend most of their time on fishing grounds near the coast. In such cases, the most successful energy-saving modifications ought to result from changes in the fishing gear and towing conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify the energy-economy potential for Portuguese fish trawlers after altering a vessel's operating conditions and improving its trawl gear performance. Two trawlers, named Tricana de Aveiro and João Macedo were selected as subjects in this project. Both vessels work with gear of similar design and size. Experimental sea trials were carried out to elucidate the actual vessel and gear performance. A model trawl was then built and tested in a flume tank, which provided the basis for improving the gear design. Full-scale trials were then carried out with both vessels using the modified trawls in order to assess changes in gear performance. The new trawls maintained their previous ability to catch species of different ecological groups and consumed less fuel at the same commercial trawling speed. An economic study showed potential increases in the net cash flow (NCF) of up to 27% over the range of operational navigation and trawling speeds. Having demonstrated the performance of the new trawls, the skippers of both vessels subsequently adopted the new design for commercial fishing.