Is scuba sampling a relevant method to study fish microhabitat in lakes? Examples and comparisons for three European species

Abstract – We compared fish microhabitat use patterns in the littoral zone of a lake using a new direct method (point abundance sampling by scuba, PASS) and the widely used point abundance sampling by electrofishing technique (PASE). We collected microhabitat data for age 0+ roach ( Rutilus rutilus L.), perch ( Perca fluviatilis L.), and pike ( Esox lucius L.). The two methods yielded different results for fish assemblage structure and microhabitat patterns. Using PASE, fish were mainly found in "shelter habitats" such as shallow waters and dense vegetation. It is likely that this behavior is caused by the disturbance of the observer stamping around. Using PASS, fish escapement behavior was rarely observed. Therefore, we concluded that this direct and nondestructive sampling technique can be used to provide an accurate microhabitat estimation of a fish community and is assumed to be more suitable than PASE for fish habitat studies.     

Introduced northern pike consumption of salmonids in Southcentral Alaska

The impacts of introduced northern pike (Esox lucius) on salmonid populations have attracted much attention because salmonids are popular subsistence, sport and commercial fish. Concern over the predatory effects of introduced pike on salmonids is especially high in Southcentral Alaska, where pike were illegally introduced to the Susitna River basin in the 1950s. We used pike abundance, growth, and diet estimates and bioenergetics models to characterise the realised and potential consumptive impacts that introduced pike (age 2 and older) have on salmonids in Alexander Creek, a tributary to the Susitna River. We found that juvenile salmonids were the dominant prey item in pike diets and that pike could consume up to 1.10 metric tons (realised consumption) and 1.66 metric tons (potential consumption) of juvenile salmonids in a summer. Age 3–4 pike had the highest per capita consumption of juvenile salmonids, and age 2 and age 3–4 pike had the highest overall consumption of juvenile salmonid biomass. Using historical data on Chinook salmon and pike potential consumption of juvenile salmonids, we found that pike consumption of juvenile salmonids may lead to collapsed salmon stocks in Alexander Creek. Taken together, our results indicate that pike consume a substantial biomass of juvenile salmonids in Alexander Creek and that coexistence of pike and salmon is unlikely without management actions to reduce or eliminate introduced pike.     

Annual movement of adult pike (Esox lucius L.) in a lowland river

Abstract –  The movement of ten radio-tagged adult pikes (57–113 cm) in the River Gudenå, Denmark, was investigated from September 1998 to September 1999. The movements of pike were characterised by long resident periods in the submergent vegetation, interrupted by short excursions to nearby areas. Two periods with more intense movement were observed; one period during early winter; and one period during spring from mid-March to mid-May. The increased movement during early winter may have been initiated by a slight temperature increase at this time, whereas the increased movement during spring coincided with the spawning of pike. Despite suitable spawning areas nearby the areas where pike resided most of the year, several pike, mainly females, migrated to distant localities during spring.     

Northern pike (Esox lucius) growth and mortality in a northern Ontario river compared with that in lakes: influence of flow

Abstract –  We measured the growth and mortality characteristics of northern pike ( Esox lucius ) in a northern Ontario river and examined the influence of flow on these characteristics by comparing our measurements with those estimated for a lake at the same latitude based on published studies. Pike ranged in total length from 229 to 784 mm, in mass from 70 to 4250 g, and in age from 1 to 10 years. The population showed a preponderance of 2–5-year olds, with few fish surviving beyond 7 years of age. Growth, in terms of length increase, was similar to that reported for circumpolar populations. Mean total length at 5 years of age was 577 mm, growth rate of young adults was 62.5 mm year⁻¹, growth was isometric, longevity was 10 years of age, and the adult annual mortality rate was 49%. Growth and mortality characteristics of this riverine population were similar to those estimated for a lacustrine population at the same latitude. Flow thus had little measurable effect on the growth or mortality of pike possibly because of the overwhelming effect of other abiotic variables such as temperature, length of growing season and productivity. Consequently, growth characteristics of lacustrine populations can be used to assess the health and condition of riverine populations.     

Meta‐analysis of growth rates for a circumpolar fish,the northern pike ( Esox lucius), with emphasis on effects of continent,climate and latitude

For circumpolar species, little is known on how somatic growth rates can vary at large, transcontinental spatial scales. In this study, a meta‐analysis of growth rates was conducted for northern pike ( Esox lucius) across North America and Eurasia. Growth rates of northern pike did not differ between North American and ‘coastal Eurasian’ pike (e.g., UK, Ireland, Sweden), while growth rates for both of these groups were significantly higher compared to ‘inland Eurasian’ pike (mainly in Russia). There was no difference in growth between lentic and lotic habitats on either continent. In North America, pike growth was positively correlated with temperature, but in Eurasia, pike growth correlated poorly with most climatic variables. Similarly, maximum longevity in pike populations was significantly predicted by latitude in North America, but not in Eurasia. After standardising annual pike growth by the thermal opportunity for growth, a highly significant countergradient growth relationship was found for North American pike, while a significant, but considerably less predictive countergradient growth relationship was found for Eurasian pike. This study provides novel insights into the ecology of a circumpolar species and how populations function at extraordinarily large spatial scales. First, pike appear to be cosmopolitan across hydrologic habitats having fast or slow growth in either lentic or lotic environments. Secondly, continental‐scale differences in pike growth rates are suggestive of major genetic and life‐history differences. Finally, variable climate–growth relationships and countergradient growth patterns indicate that global climate change is likely to affect circumpolar fishes like pike in complex, nonlinear ways.     

白斑狗鱼(Esox lucius)致病性嗜水气单胞菌的分离与鉴定

近些年来,新疆许多养殖场发生白斑狗鱼暴发性疾病而死亡。为鉴定病因,本研究对乌鲁木齐周边地区的自然患病白斑狗鱼(Esox lucius)的肝脏、肾脏等组织进行分离,经形态观察、生理生化试验、16S r DNA序列分析进行细菌鉴定。并通过人工回归感染白斑狗鱼和鲫,来验证分离菌株的致病性。结果表明,分离出的9株优势菌为致病性嗜水气单胞菌,命名为PK001-PK009。经PCR特异性检测发现,所得的9个菌株分别含有丝氨酸蛋白酶基因(ahp A)、溶血素基因(hly A)和气溶素基因(aer A)中的0-3个,从而导致了菌株间致病性的差异。通过人工回归感染实验发现,白斑狗鱼患病症状与自然病例相似,并重新分离得到原感染菌,经细菌学鉴定,其性状与原菌株一致,为嗜水气单胞菌。     

白斑狗鱼胚胎和卵黄囊期仔鱼的发育

连续观察了7批白斑狗鱼胚胎及卵黄囊期仔鱼的发育状况并进行比较分析。结果显示:(1)白斑狗鱼在水温7～13℃时,胚胎期需248h,有效积温100～120℃·d;水温11～13℃时,卵黄囊期需10d,有效积温110～130℃·d。(2)白斑狗鱼出膜前期可见眼球色素、出膜期可见体色素。白斑狗鱼胚胎卵黄囊表面有许多小油滴分布。白斑狗鱼出膜前期胚体头尾绕卵黄囊超过一周。(3)白斑狗鱼胚胎颜色随着发育进程由起始的淡黄色转为绿黄色,最终出膜前转变为棕褐色。胚胎发育不同步,仔鱼出膜数百分比第1天、第2天、第3天、第4天分别是20%、50%、20%、10%,为避免互相残食,对分批出膜的仔鱼即使是同批受精卵也应分开饲养。     

野生黑斑狗鱼血液学常值的研究

对野生黑斑狗鱼血液生理、生化和流变学指标进行比较研究。结果表明,红细胞平均体积、甘油三酯、碱性磷酸酶和阴离子间隙等指标呈显著性差异(P0.05),血小板分布宽度和尿素氮差异极显著(P0.01),其余生理生化指标差异均不显著(P0.05),雌性个体全血粘度值均明显高于雄性个体,且雌雄个体全血粘度均随切变率增加呈典型的对数模式降低,方程分别为Y=-2.711ln(x)+19.966,R2=0.9672;Y=-0.755ln(x)+7.4088,R2=0.9524。这些血液生理学数据表明,未成熟前黑斑狗鱼雌雄个体血液主要指标值已存在差异,雌性个体体内脂肪含量要高于雄性,雄性黑斑狗鱼耐低氧能力要高于雌性个体,所得检测指标除谷丙转氨酶、谷草转氨酶/谷丙转氨酶、总胆红素、直接胆红素、间接胆红素、总胆汁酸、低密度脂蛋白和肌酸激酶个体变异系数较大外,其余血液指标均可作为野生健康黑斑狗鱼基础血液指标参数,为黑斑狗鱼在自然资源监测和人工养殖鱼病防治提供重要理论参考。     

白斑狗鱼和黑斑狗鱼遗传关系初步研究

运用RAPD技术,研究了分布于额尔齐斯河流域的白斑狗鱼(Esox lucius)和黑龙江流域的黑斑狗鱼(Esox reicherti)的遗传关系。结果表明:(1)运用筛选的34个有效引物,在自斑狗鱼群体内共扩增出谱带257条,其中多态性带130条,平均每个引物扩增谱带7.56条,多态座位比例为50.58％;在黑斑狗鱼群体内共扩增出谱带267条,其中多态性带135条,平均每个引物扩增谱带7.85条,多态座位比例为50.56％。两种狗鱼间多态座位比例差异不显著(P>0.05)。(2)引物S68在黑斑狗鱼群体内扩增出1943bp单态片段,但在白斑狗鱼群体内没有出现,故认为引物S68扩增的1943bp片段可作为区别这两种狗鱼的遗传标记。(3)在两种狗鱼间,遗传相似度是0.8090,遗传距离是0.0125;在种内个体间,遗传相似度白斑狗鱼是0.8171,黑斑狗鱼是0.8213,遗传距离分别是0.1829和0.1787,香农氏遗传多样性指数分别是0.1236和0.1241,三个指标的种间差异均不显著(P>0.05)。     

乌伦古湖白斑狗鱼的生物学研究

白斑狗鱼(Esox lucius linnaeus)属鲑形目狗鱼科,是新疆渔业基地--乌伦古湖的主要经济鱼类之一.在2000～2001年乌伦古湖与吉力湖渔业资源调查期间,发现白斑狗鱼个体生长大,渔获量较其它鱼类多;但自身的捕捞规格偏小,资源仅依靠自然繁衍来补充.为此,进行本项针对性的研究,提出合理开发利用和保护本水域白斑狗鱼资源的科学思路.