Getting cosy in freshwater: Assumed to be brackish pike are not so brackish after all

Pike (Esox lucius) occupy coastal streams and rivers of the Baltic Sea, where they attain large sizes (>5 kg). These large sizes are perhaps due to the fact that they can tolerate relatively high salinities and can thus forage in the nearby more productive brackish environments. In an attempt to quantify the extent to which pike utilise brackish environments, and to provide some insight into the underlying causes for brackish water migrations, we tagged 30 pike from a western Baltic river with acoustic transmitters and were able to track 21 individuals for 1 year. Based on experienced from local anglers, this population was assumed to be brackish in nature, where individuals underwent freshwater migrations to spawn. Our findings however suggest that the smallest and most active individuals make short exits into brackish waters and do so on rare occasions. Our results further indicate that neither sex nor size is related to activity level. We suggest that these patterns reflect two distinct behaviours—active and passive—and that large pike can be supported by the food availability in the river, without the need to venture into coastal zones, thus defying the conventional view that Baltic pike are all brackish in nature.     

Turbidity‐induced changes in emergent effects of multiple predators with different foraging strategies

Abstract – In natural systems, prey frequently interact with multiple predators and the outcome often cannot be predicted by summing the effects of individual predator species. Multiple predator interactions can create emergent effects for prey, but how those change across environmental gradients is poorly understood. Turbidity is an environmental factor in aquatic systems that may influence multiple predator effects on prey. Interactions between a cruising predator (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides) and an ambush predator (muskellunge Esox masquinongy) and their combination foraging on a shared prey (bluegill Lepomis macrochirus) were examined across a turbidity gradient. Turbidity modified multiple predator effects on prey. In clear water, combined predators consumed in total more prey than expected from individual predator treatments, suggesting risk enhancement for prey. In moderately turbid water, the predators consumed fewer prey together than expected, suggesting a risk reduction for prey. At high turbidity, there were no apparent emergent effects; however, the cruising predator consumed more prey than the ambush predator, suggesting an advantage for this predator. Understanding multiple predator traits across a gradient of turbidity increases our understanding of how complex natural systems function.     

新疆额尔齐斯河流域白斑狗鱼的染色体核型分析

采用PHA和秋水仙素胸腔体内注射法,以头肾组织为材料,低渗-空气干燥法制片,对取自新疆额尔齐斯河流域白斑狗鱼的染色体核型进行了分析。经对5尾白斑狗鱼的45个中期分裂相进行显微分析和测量,结果显示:白斑狗鱼的25对染色体均为端部着丝粒染色体,其核型公式为2n=50 t,NF=50。白斑狗鱼染色体大小的绝对值为0.96~1.36μm,平均长度为1.20μm。25对染色体相对长度大小依次递减,大小差异较显著,平均值为5.68。目前,对新疆额尔齐斯白斑狗鱼的染色体组型研究尚未见报道。     

Changing of fat content and fatty acid profile of reared pike (Esox lucius) fed two different diets

Fat content and fatty acid profile of two pike yearling groups grown on two different diets were compared. The groups originated from culture on artificial feed. One group (cultured pike fed first pellet then prey‐fish (PF)) was fed with natural food, live prey‐fish, while the other one (cultured pike fed exclusively pellet (PP)) by trout feed through a 3‐month experimental period. Growth of pike was lower with PP than with PF. The trout feed resulted in an increase of the fat content of fillet and the formation of abdominal fat depots. Feeding of natural food decreased the fat content. The proportion of the saturated fatty acids in fillet was higher in the (PF) group. The n‐6 fatty acids (arachidonic C20:4n‐6 and docosatetraenic C22:4n‐6 acids) were lowest in PP‐fed pike. Regarding total n‐3 fatty acids ratio there was no significant difference between the groups, but the level of α‐linolenic (C:18:3n‐3) acid showed significant difference among groups.     

温度对白斑狗鱼胚胎发育的影响

研究了不同梯度的孵化温度对白斑狗鱼(Esox lucius)胚胎发育的影响,并对其孵化率和畸形率等指标进行了统计分析。结果显示:在各温度梯度组中,16℃温度组的孵化率和正常仔鱼孵出率均最高,分别为61.5%和59.75%,其次为14℃温度组,其孵化率和正常仔鱼孵出率分别为59.75%和56.25%;白斑狗鱼胚胎发育的适温范围为14~16℃;水温和发育时间呈显著负线性相关,其相关方程为:Y=-20.133X+469.8,R2=0.9678;在8~18℃范围,总积温为2130.19~2825.96℃.h。     

黑斑狗鱼形态性状对体重的影响效果分析

选取0^＋龄～4^＋龄黑斑狗鱼332尾,对其体长、体高、体宽、尾柄长、尾柄高、头长、头高、头宽、吻长、眼间距、口裂宽、口裂长和体重等13个性状进行测量。采用多元分析法分析体重和形态形状的关系。结果表明,黑斑狗鱼除0^＋龄头长与体重之间的相关系数未达到显著水平（P〉0．05）外,其它各形态性状与体重的相关系数均达到显著水平（P〈0．05）或极显著水平（P〈0．01）;经通径分析,不同年龄阶段各形态性状对体重的通径系数存在一定的差异,但体长和头高对体重的通径系数均达到显著水平,而且体长对体重的直接作用均最大,其余各性状均是通过体长间接的影响体重;决定系数分析结果表明,体长对体重的决定系数最大,其它性状主要通过体长影响体重;通径分析结果与决定系数分析结果的变化趋势一致;所选形态性状与体重的相关指数R2〉0．85,说明所选性状是影响体重的主要性状。应用逐步多元回归分析,经偏回归系数的显著性检验,建立以体重为因变量（Y）,各形态性状为自变量的多元回归方程,0^＋龄～4^＋龄黑斑狗鱼体重（Y）与形态性状参数的多元叵归方程分别为：LgY=-1．411＋0．395LgX8＋0．576LgX1＋0．092LgX1n＋0．538LgX7＋0．35LgX6;LgY=-4．132＋0．866LgX1＋0．102LgX】2＋0．083LgX7;LgY=一4．186＋0．772LgX1＋0．195LgX7;LgY=-2．542＋0．372LgX1＋0．185LgX3＋0．256LgX8＋0．23LgX7,;LgY=-4．585＋0．816LgX1＋0．178LgX7。经回归预测估计值与实际值间的差异不显著（P〉0．05）,该方程可用于黑斑狗鱼实际生产中,为黑斑狗鱼选种提供了理论依据和理想的测量指标。     

不同饥饿时间对白斑狗鱼恢复投喂期间生长性能的影响

在水温22~26℃条件下,研究了在不同饥饿时间处理后再投喂对白斑狗鱼(Esox lucius)生长性能的影响,试验设置饥饿14、21、28、35、42 d组和正常投喂对照组,各组饥饿结束后恢复正常投饵,在投喂后以7 d为一个生长阶段,比较各处理组的增重率、特定生长率、摄食率、饲料系数,试验周期为56 d。结果显示,随着饥饿时间的延长,白斑狗鱼的总体重损失率呈逐渐升高的趋势,而各饥饿阶段体重损失率呈下降的趋势;各饥饿处理组恢复投喂后的增重率和特定生长率均显著高于对照组(P<0.05),且随饥饿时间的延长而逐渐升高,但在恢复投喂后的第35天,S14组(饥饿14 d组)与对照组无显著性差异(P>0.05);各饥饿处理组恢复投喂后的摄食率随饥饿时间的延长而显著性升高(P<0.05);饵料系数随饥饿时间的延长而逐渐下降,其中在第14天时,S42组(饥饿42 d组)的饵料系数显著高于其他饥饿处理组(P<0.05),与对照组无显著性差异(P>0.05)。在同一饥饿处理组,随着投喂时间的延长,增重率、特定生长率和摄食率均呈显著性下降的趋势(P<0.05),饵料系数呈升高的趋势,其中S14组在第35天时恢复到对照组水平。结果表明:摄食率升高和饵料系数下降是饥饿再投喂白斑狗鱼增重率显著上升的原因,且这种生长倾向随着恢复投喂时间的延长而不断减弱。     

β-1,3-葡聚糖及其羧甲基衍生物对海湾扇贝免疫功能的影响

2003年3月和2004年4月，新疆某养殖场和西安灞桥区某养殖场的白斑狗鱼（Esox lucius Linnaeus）相继爆发“败血症”。从具有明显症状的濒死病鱼体表病灶和内脏组织分离得到12株优势菌株，经人工感染试验表明：其中10株分离菌为致病菌。对分离菌株进行形态、培养特征、生理生化试验鉴定，认为该病原菌为杀鲑气单胞菌史氏亚种（Aeromonas salmonida subsp．smith）。血清学试验表明各分离菌株具有相同的保护性抗原。组织病理学研究表明：患病狗鱼病灶肌纤维明显肿胀断裂，肌纤维束之间出现间隙；肝胰组织严重坏死，细胞核溶解消失，细胞浆崩解；肾小管绝大部分均已坏死，细胞破裂，胞浆呈红色团块状流失于管腔。脾脏细胞大量坏死，髓质内含铁血黄素沉积。代表菌株EL0304-1药敏试验结果为：对供试24种抗菌药物中的磺胺二甲嘧啶钠、磺胺二甲嚯唑钠等不敏感；庆大霉素、卡那霉素等中度敏感；对氧氟沙星、培氟沙星、新霉素等高度敏感。     

Effect of brown trout body size on post-stocking survival and pike predation

Abstract –  A total of 40 (20 age-3 + 20 age-4) radio-tagged hatchery-reared brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) and 40 wild radio-tagged northern pike ( Esox lucius L.) were released into a regulated river. Age-3 brown trout were predicted and observed to be highly vulnerable to predation by pike (50% mortality), whereas age-4 brown trout were predicted and observed to enjoy an almost absolute size refuge from predation (5% mortality). Almost half of the fish from both age groups similarly emigrated and survived from the river within 3 days of the release. However, there was a considerable difference in survival between age groups for fish that remained in the river for a longer period. Of these, all except one age-3 brown trout were eaten by pike, whereas all but one age-4 fish survived predation.     

Extinction of a weakly armoured threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population in Prator Lake, Alaska

Abstract –  Threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) samples from Prator Lake in southcentral Alaska consist of the relatively rare form of weakly armoured individuals with few lateral plates and no pelvic spines. Prator Lake has been sampled for threespine stickleback since 1983. Exotic northern pike ( Esox lucius ) were first observed in this lake in 1996. The appearance of pike corresponds with a dramatic decrease in stickleback numbers and apparent local extinction. The stickleback population may have been vulnerable to an exotic predator because Prator Lake lacks native piscivorous fishes, and this population had extreme armour reduction.