Filial Cannibalism in the Swordtail Xiphophorus Helleri (Poeciliidae)

To understand behaviour during filial cannibalism in swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri), the parturition behaviour of eight individually kept females was recorded on videotape. Three levels of female activity (low, medium and high) were quantified by measuring the duration of each. Four additional behavioural events (non-cannibalistic feeding, as well as the birth, attack and cannibalism of juveniles) were quantified by determining the frequency of each. Females gave birth most frequently at a low level of activity and at this level of activity they most often gave birth at the top of the tank. Of all the attacks by females on the young, 84.4% occurred in the light. Most attacks were recorded at the bottom of the tank and 84.0% of all cannibalism occurred at the bottom. Cannibalism was most successful at the bottom of the tank with a cannibalism:attack ratio of 1:2.2 and least successful in the middle where no cannibalism was recorded. In the light, females spent more time at the top of the tank, whereas in the dark they spent more time at the bottom. It was suggested that the rate of cannibalism might be reduced if parts of the tank were kept constantly dark and if females were restricted from reaching those areas in the tank where the frequency of cannibalism was highest, namely the top and the bottom of the tank. Experimental designs and working hypotheses for future studies are discussed.     

Comparative survival and growth performance of European lobster larvae,Homarus gammarus,reared on dry feed and conspecifics

A bottleneck of crustacean larval culture concerns nutrition and associated cannibalism in communal rearing systems, which impact on larval survival, development and growth. For early‐stage European lobster, Homarus gammarus larvae, feeding ecology and body composition are largely unknown. We initiated four progressive feeding experiments (novel feed types, feeding regime and feed size and cannibalism effects) on growth and survival, to inform and update husbandry protocols. Performance of larvae offered a dry commercial feed was not significantly different compared with a conventional wet plankton feed of the same ration and size grade (both within 600–1,000 μm). Further experiments found that the same ration of dry feed offered six times daily improved development and growth, over the conventional regime of three times daily. Small‐grade dry feed (particles: 250–360 μm) improved larval performance compared with a larger feed (360–650 μm). Larvae were also fed different proportions of dry feed and/or conspecifics in both communal and individual rearing systems (the latter preventing cannibalism via segregation). Individually reared larvae, fed only dead conspecifics, displayed the greatest survival (80%) to postlarvae. This underlines the impact of cannibalism on survival and nutrition in H. gammarus larviculture. A final experiment analysed H. gammarus zoea 1 composition, identifying deficiencies in ash and carbohydrate in lobster feeds. This suggests a need for a species‐specific, formulated dry feed for H. gammarus larviculture. Our research represents the first investigation of H. gammarus larval composition and dietary requirements and highlights decreased growth potential associated with providing nutrition solely from generic commercial feed.     

A first step towards improving copepod cultivation using modelling: the effects of density,crowding, cannibalism,tank design and strain selection on copepod egg production yields

Copepods are the optimal live feed for hatcheries and improvement of cultivation techniques, to provide a constant food source, is crucial for the expansion of the industry. However, studies based on experimental work and real observations can be labour intensive and expensive. A simple model was developed based on the well‐known life history traits of Acartia tonsa to describe batch cultures and their productivity. Model results were compared to observations from real cultures. For maximizing egg production yields, the optimal stocking density of copepods should be adapted to the design (depth) of the culture tanks. At high densities, stress due to encountering conspecifics, as well as cannibalism of eggs by adults, limits egg production yields. Using this model, the potential selection efficacy of copepod strains was also evaluated in order to increase production yields. Selecting larger copepods increases the egg production per litre of culture, but decreases the optimal stocking density and the range of densities at which egg production yield is high, and vice‐versa. Selecting copepods that are less affected by stress due to conspecifics only affect production yields at very high adult densities. However, selecting copepods with a high Specific Growth Rate (SGR), or improving their SGR, was found to be an alternative which did not affect the optimal cultivation densities but improved egg production yields.     

克氏原螯虾自相残食特性及人工繁育中的关键技术研究

研究了不同体长、密度、雌雄配比条件下克氏原螯虾自相残食的情况。结果表明:克氏原螯虾自相残食特性与体长、群体密度、性别配比等因素之间存在明显相关性。虾苗饲养密度提高,自相残食率相应提高。在相同密度条件下,体长越大的虾苗其自相残食率越高。体长1.0~1.5、2.0~2.5、3.0~3.5 cm的虾苗,培育密度分别为667万、400万和267万只/hm2时,其自相残食率均在7%左右,人工培育虾苗时可以此为参照;在不同规格虾苗混养情况下,个体间体长相差越大,体长小的个体被残食的概率越高。人工培育虾苗时,应根据虾苗大小分群培育;成虾饲养密度小于16只/m2时,其自相残食率低于5%。人工养殖成虾时,养殖密度以15万只/hm2为宜。在雌雄比为(2~3)∶1时,克氏原螯虾自相残食率为5%左右。在克氏原螯虾人工繁育配种时,适宜雌雄比应为(2~3)∶1。     

Effects of Ufra Disease on Yield Loss of Deepwater Rice in Bangladesh

Abstract

Ufra, caused by the stem nematode, Ditylenchus angustus (Butler, 1913) Filipjev, 1936, is a serious disease of deepwater rice in southern Bangladesh. It was studied between 1977 and 1979 as part of a joint project with the Overseas Development Administration at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Three symptom types are distinguished according to the extent of panicle emergence: Ufra1 (none), Ufra2 (partial) and Ufra3 (complete). All three represent total loss from that panicle. The number of Ufra2 as a percentage of the total number of panicles present in a specified area is selected as a disease index (UfraII). A function relating yield to the level of UfraII is proposed on the basis of selective samples from a field with a well-defined ufra patch. This function is compared with another derived from random samples in different fields along a linear transect through an area where ufra is endemic. Loss of panicle density, i.e. panicles/m², is identified as a major component of yield loss, approximately equal to the loss associated with all three symptom types added together. Although severe and widely distributed throughout the southern part of the deepwater rice region in 1977 and 1978, it was very difficult to find in 1979 when there was a spring drought. Ufra is worse in wet years, in areas which flood early, and where the crop is harvested late. The length of the over-winter decay phase appears to be a critical factor regulating the survival of the pathogen from one season to the next. This suggests an approach for ufra control.     

汉江上游翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼摄食特性的初步研究

为了提高汉江上游翘嘴鳜(Siniperca chuasti)苗种培育效率,本研究以鲢(Hypophthalmichehys molitrix)和麦穗鱼(Pseudorasbora parva)作为翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼饵料,对翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼昼夜摄食节律、日摄食强度、其规格与最大可摄食饵料规格的相关性以及翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼同类相残等摄食特性进行了研究。结果表明:(1)翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼属于晨昏摄食型;(2)翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼对饵料鲢日均摄食范围为48.75%~53.75%;(3)翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼规格与摄食麦穗鱼规格呈显著线性正相关:y=0.4146x+0.9256(R^2=0.9869);(4)在饵料缺乏情况下,不同规格翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼均进行同类相残,小规格翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼(1.5~2.0 cm)的相残率为3.33%,大规格翘嘴鳜仔稚鱼(3.0~6.5 cm)的相残率达到15.83%。     

龟纹瓢虫残食同种卵行为的研究

本文初次研究了龟纹瓢虫残食同种卵的行为。结果表明:龟纹瓢虫幼虫和成虫均有明显的残食同种卵行为。初孵幼虫取食2粒卵即可完成一龄发育,但生存时间明显延长。以其卵作食料可完成幼虫发育,但发育历期较慢;成虫残食同种卵则无生殖能力。因此认为,当自然界缺乏猎物时,龟纹瓢虫卵可作为增加它的生存机会及种群延续的一种替换食料。这种残食同种卵行为对于种群自我调节和繁衍有着重要的生物学意义。     

Ration of 20:3 (n-9) to 20:5 (n-3) in Phospholipids as an Indicators of Dietary Essential Fatty Acid Sufficiency in Striped Bass,Morone saxarilis,and Palmetto Bass,M. saxatilis x M. chrysops

The effects of feeding different sources of brine shrimp nauplii with different fatty acid compositions on growth, survival, and fatty acid composition of striped bass, Morone saxarilis and palmetto bass (M. saxatilis x M. chrysops) were determined. The sources of brine shrimp were Chinese (CH), with a high percentage of 20:5(n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and Colombian (COL), San Francisco Bay (SFB), and Great Salt Lake (GSL), with low percentages of EPA but high percentages of 18:3(n-3), linoienic acid. None of the brine shrimp sources contained a measurable amount of 22:6(n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). After enrichment with menhaden oil to increase the content of EPA and DHA, the GSL brine shrimp nauplii were also fed to hybrid striped bass.Growth and survival of fish larvae fed brine shrimp nauplii with high percentages of EPA and DHA (CH and GSLE) were higher (P < 0.05) than those of fish fed brine shrimp with a low percentage of EPA (COL, SFB, and GSL). The ratio of 20:3(n-9) eicosatrienoic acid (ETA), to DHA in polar lipids (phospholipids) of fish, traditionally used as an indicator of essential fatty acid (EFA) sufficiency of the diet, was not a reliable indicator of essential fatty acid sufficiency of diets for larval striped bass and hybrid striped bass. However, the ratio of ETA to EPA appears to be an appropriate indicator. An ETA-to-EPA ratio in phospholipids of less than 0.10 is consistent with an EFA sufficient diet.     

短蛸幼体同类相残行为的观察

在不同条件下,对短蛸幼体（平均体重0.03～0.66 g）进行同类相残研究。结果表明：①相同规格的小规格幼体较大规格幼体日相残率高,相残最严重的时期是在平均体重0.03～0.08 g阶段,当平均体重0.23 g以上时,相残行为较弱,当平均体重0.66 g时,幼体基本不再相残。②放养密度高低、饵料是否适口和有无遮蔽物对日相残率影响显著。③温度对短蛸幼体的相残行为有影响。④幼体间个体大小存在差异,尤其是小规格幼体间出现个体大小差异时,小个体更易受到攻击,相残行为严重。基于以上研究结果,饵料不适口和无遮蔽物是导致短蛸幼体发生同类相残的主要原因,高密度养殖、养殖温度高和个体大小的差异会诱发和促进同类相残的发生。