Interannual variation in summer habitat utilization by juvenile southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) in southern Western Australia

The spatial habitat utilization of juvenile southern bluefin tuna in southern Western Australia was investigated using automated acoustic receivers with acoustic transmitters implanted in tagged fish during three austral summers (2004/2005, N = 79 fish, 2005/2006, N = 81, 2006/2007, N = 84). Seventy acoustic receivers were deployed at three cross-shelf lines and three coastal topographic features (lumps) between December and May. We observed markedly different patterns of habitat utilization between the three seasons: (i) aggregation at lumps in 2004/2005 and 2006/2007, and (ii) wide distribution over the continental shelf (i.e., few occurring at lumps) in 2005/2006. Vertical profile by conductivity-temperature-depth casts showed these spatial shifts were caused by interannual changes in the presence of sub-Antarctic water. The sub-Antarctic water was present in the subsurface layer close to the continental slope only during 2005/2006, and the area had higher chlorophyll-a concentrations than the coastal areas, including at the lumps. These environmental characters, related to the nutrient rich sub-Antarctic water, appear to have a strong influence on fish distributions in 2005/2006, and may occur generally during La Niña events. Interannual fluctuations in habitat utilization will influence detection of fish in recruitment monitoring surveys and thus bias the resulting juvenile abundance indices.     

Heat-induced structural changes and aggregation of walleye pollack myosin in the light meromyosin region

Heat-induced structural changes and aggregation properties of walleye pollack myosin, light meromyosin (LMM) and heavy meromyosin (HMM) were investigated. According to the circular dichroism (CD) measurement, the α-helix content of the pollack myosin and LMM were estimated to be 72% and 90% at 5°C but decreased to 22% and 21% by increasing the temperature to 60°C with two transitions at 35°C and 50°C, respectively. In contrast, that of HMM decreased gradually from 37% to 33% by increasing the temperature from 5°C to 40°C, and decreased steeply to 20% above 50°C. These results indicate that the decrease in the α-helix content in the myosin molecule upon heating was attributable mainly to the decrease in the α-helix content in the LMM region. In contrast, 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) fluorescence and light scattering intensity of both myosin and HMM were remarkably increased above 25°C and 35°C, respectively, while those of LMM showed only a slight change even above 60°C. Although LMM alone formed no aggregates detectable by the light scattering measurement, it formed coprecipitates with myosin but not with HMM upon heating at 40°C for 10 min. These facts suggest that LMM bind to the LMM region of the myosin. Further, it was found that myosin gel formed in a test tube by the same heating conditions was significantly weakened by coexistence of LMM. These results suggest that the association of the LMM region of myosin molecules is essential for the heat-induced gelation of myosin.     

Gustatory receptor responses in marbled rockfish Sebastiscus marmoratus

Gustatory response of marbled rockfish Sebastiscus marmoratus was recorded from the facial nerve supplying the anterior palate. In amino acids, the lowest threshold was for L -proline at 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁵ M; in ATP-related substances, the value for inosine was approximately 10⁻⁵ M and in organic acids, the value for L -lactic acid was approximately 10⁻⁶ M. An almost complete self-adaptation was observed for stimulants after 5 s application. While a weak solution of L -lactic acid as adapting stimulus depressed the response to it completely, it did not appreciably affect the response to 10-times or more concentrated L -lactic acid solution. In contrast to a weak solution, a moderate solution caused a severe depression of the response to stronger solutions, resulting in a shift of the dose–response curve towards a high concentration range. Time for recovery from adaptation differed depending on chemicals and stimulus duration: for 10⁻⁴ M L -lactic acid, it took about 2.3 and 4.5 s for 1/2 recovery of response magnitude under unadapted condition from the adaptation after 1 s- and 5 s-stimulation, respectively. L -Lactic acid and L -alanine strongly depressed the response to each other, yielding a rightward shift of the dose–response curve. A similar profound cross-adaptation was also observed between inosine and 5'-inosinic acid. The possible role of gustation is discussed.     

Departure behaviour of juvenile southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) from southern Western Australia temperate waters in relation to the Leeuwin Current

The arrival of the warm tropical Leeuwin Current (LC) into southern Western Australia (SWA) may influence the movement timing and foraging habitat of juvenile southern bluefin tuna (SBT). Seasonal and interannual changes in the strength of the LC lead to thermal differences and potential changes in food availability between tropical and temperate waters in SWA. This phenomenon could influence the habitat utilization of SBT in these summer grounds. Movement characteristics determined from SBT tagged with acoustic transmitters (N = 244) using cross‐shelf lines of automated receivers for three summer‐autumn seasons (2004/2005, 2005/2006, 2006/2007) in SWA revealed interannual variability. Each year, the eastward movements of tagged fish increased as temperatures increased, and fish left the region when temperatures exceeded 20.0°C, a temperature indicative of the leading edge of the LC in SWA waters. Interannual fluctuations in the timing of movements were detected. When the LC was narrow and restricted to the shelf edge in 2004/2005, the distribution of SBT in shelf waters did not change before or after LC intrusion. In contrast, long distance eastward movements frequently occurred when the LC intrusion was spread wide over the continental shelf in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. This suggests that, off SWA, juvenile SBT move quickly out of local foraging habitats defined by cool sub‐tropical temperate waters ahead of the tropical LC intrusion, despite these waters not being physiologically limiting. These results suggest that the behavioural response of SBT may be related to changes in prey availability as a result of changes in oceanographic conditions.