Population ecology and prey consumption by fathead minnows in prairie wetlands: importance of detritus and larval fish

Abstract –  The fathead minnow Pimephales promelas occurs in high densities in wetlands of the prairie pothole region (PPR) of North America, but food resources sustaining these populations are poorly known. We assessed population dynamics and prey consumption of fathead minnow populations in three PPR wetlands for 2 years. Fish density peaked at 107 fish per m² for all age classes combined. Larval and juvenile fish dominated these populations in terms of abundance and accounted for 83% of total prey consumption. Detritus dominated fish diets, representing 53%, 40% and 79% of diet mass for larval, juvenile and adult fish respectively. Detritus consumption was positively related to minnow density and negatively related to invertebrate abundance, but only for adult fish. Seasonal production:biomass ratios were unrelated to proportions of detritus in the diet for all ages of fish, indicating that detritus is an important food resource capable of meeting metabolic demands and sustaining fish growth in high-density populations. Detritus consumption may also weaken links between abundance of invertebrate prey and minnows, promoting dense fish populations with strong, consistent influences on wetland ecosystems.     

Observations on the reproductive performance of three mouth-brooding tilapia species in low-salinity underground water

The reproductive performance and seed production of three mouth‐brooding tilapia species, Oreochromis spilurus (Günther), Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner) and Taiwanese red tilapia hybrid, were compared in low‐salinity underground water (3–5 g L^?1) to select species with the highest reproductive rate. Two‐year‐old males and females having average body weights of 454 and 259 g, respectively, were stocked in 2‐m³ fibreglass breeding tanks (two tanks per species) at 1:3 male to female sex ratio and at average density of three fish m^?2. Seeds (unhatched eggs; yolk‐sac fry and the swim‐up fry) were collected weekly for 112 days. The results showed O. spilurus to have significantly higher (P<0.05) mean spawning parameters expressed as total seed tank^?1 (84 154), seed kg female^?1 day^?1 (284), seed m^?2 day^?1 (190.3) and seed female^?1 day^?1 (76.3), than O. aureus and red tilapia. Monthly seed production in O. spilurus and red tilapia gradually increased from May, peaked in July and declined in August, while in O. aureus, it continued to decrease from May to August. In this study, the observed production levels of seed in O. spilurus were among the highest levels reported for tilapia; therefore, O. spilurus could be selected as a potential candidate for mass seed production in commercial tilapia hatcheries.     

牛体外授精技术的研究与展望

本文阐述了体外受精技术在牛胚胎工程和育种研究中的意义,介绍了牛体外受精技术的研究历史和目前的研究进展,并就牛的体外受精技术当前研究存在的问题作了评述,对其前景做了展望。     

帆式张网渔船渔业经营状态的实证研究

帆式张网是东海渔业区的主要捕捞作业渔具。本论文根据37艘不同功率帆式张网渔船1999－2000年的渔业生产实态，按功率大小分类汇总了不同渔船生产成本，非生产成本，产值和利润等经济指标，比较分析了不同功率渔船的成本和效益。同时，还讨论了税费和资金成本对渔船经济效益的影响，比较分析了不同功率渔船的经营效果。     

Characterization of serum and mucosal antibody responses and relative per cent survival in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), following immunization and challenge with Flavobacterium psychrophilum

Serum and mucosal antibody responses of juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, were characterized by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) following immunization with various preparations of formalin‐killed Flavobacterium psychrophilum cells. The protective nature of these preparations was then determined by immunizing rainbow trout fry and challenging with the bacterium. Juvenile rainbow trout immunized intraperitoneally (i.p.) with formalin‐killed F. psychrophilum emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), and i.p. with formalin‐killed F. psychrophilum either with or without culture supernatant generated significant serum antibody responses by 6 and 9 weeks, respectively. Significant mucosal antibody responses were detected by 9 weeks only in fish immunized i.p. with killed F. psychrophilum/FCA. Following immunization and bacterial challenge of rainbow trout fry, protective immunity was conferred in F. psychrophilum/FCA and saline/FCA groups with relative per cent survival values of up to 83 and 51, respectively. Significant protection was not observed in treatment groups immunized by immersion or i.p. without adjuvant at the challenge doses tested. Results suggest that stimulation of non‐specific immune factors enhances the ability of fish to mount a protective immune response, but specific antibody appears necessary to provide near complete protection. In this study, an ELISA was developed to monitor anti‐F. psychrophilum antibody production in trout. The relationship of such responses to protective immunity suggests that future vaccination strategies against coldwater disease may require stimulation of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune response.     

Aerobic muscle function during steady swimming in fish

Axial swimming in fish varies across a range of body forms and swimming modes. Swimming by eels, tunas, mackerels, scup, rainbow trout and bass span this range from high curvature anguilliform swimmers to rigid body thunniform swimmers. Recent work on these and other species has elucidated an impressive array of solutions to the problem of how to use the red (aerobic, slow‐twitch) muscle to power steady or sustained swimming. This review will use a comparative approach to understand the generalities of aerobic muscle function during steady swimming in fish and determine possible rules for the relationships between muscle contractile kinetics, in vivo muscle activity and power output during swimming. Beyond an exploration of the diversity in muscle activity and swimming kinematics, I suggest that analysis of the molecular basis for longitudinal variations in muscle function is needed to complement morphological and physiological research on fish muscle. This will permit both a general understanding of the integrative function of the fish myotome and, perhaps, predictive tools for muscle activity and swimming performance in fish.     

Possible mechanisms underlying fluctuations in the Far Eastern sardine population inferred from time series of two biological traits

A cycle of fluctuation in the Far Eastern sardine, Sardinops sagax, population is accompanied by an abrupt drop and recovery of fish size and lipid content of parent fish, which may reflect a phase variation from coastal to oceanic and its reverse. The cycle begins with the survival success of a smaller number of eggs produced by high-quality parents, which is triggered by a global climate change (density-independent process), and finally ends in the survival failure resulting from an overexpansion of an enormous number of fish produced by low-quality parents (density-dependent process).     

种茎大小对山药产量影响研究

为了弄清山药种茎大小对产量的影响,按大小把山药种茎分成9个等级种植,分别编号为A:10～25 g/个、B:25～50 g/个、C:50～100 g/个、D:150～200 g/个、E:250～300 g/个、F:350～400 g/个、G:450～500 g/个、H:550～600 g/个、I:650～700 g/个。结果表明:种茎越大,总产量越高。当种茎重量达到一定值后,总产量增加趋缓,可供出售的商品产量则下降。通过比较,认为种茎重量在350～600 g/个范围内比较合理。     

湖南蔬菜产业集群式发展现状、问题及对策分析

蔬菜产业是湖南农业的重要组成部分,是集经济效益、社会效益和生态效益为一体的产业。蔬菜产业集群式发展有利于提高资源利用效率,提升蔬菜产业的整体竞争力。新形势下为保持湖南省蔬菜产业集群的良好发展态势和促使其健康发展,通过产业集群理论联系实际分析了湖南蔬菜产业集群发展现状,并针对产业集群式发展中面临的问题提出了有利于产业集群稳健发展的新思路。     

3种不同规模化培养模式对湛江等鞭金藻生产力及色素含量的影响

为进一步提高湛江等鞭金藻室外规模化培养效率,对管道式光生物反应器、聚乙烯桶和水泥池3种微藻室外规模化培养模式下湛江等鞭金藻的藻密度进行了评估比较.试验将接种藻密度控制为10.0×104 cells/mL,培养周期为16 d.结果显示:管道式光生物反应器培养模式下,生产力相对最高为0.0543 g/L/d、比生长速率为0...