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.     

南美白对虾淡水养殖试验报告

采取人工调兑淡水盐度，定点投喂颗粒饲料，调节水质及病害预防措施，在667m^2淡水池塘中养殖南美白对虾，经107天的饲养管理，共产南美白对虾160．2kg，平均体长达13．5cm/尾，体重20g/尾，成活率达到80．1％，共获利润5732．5元，投入产出比1：2．47。     

The role of geomorphology in substratum patch selection by freshwater mussels in the Hawkesbury–Nepean River (New South Wales) Australia

• 1. Microhabitat preferences of freshwater mussels and associated substrate characteristics were investigated across a range of geomorphic reaches in the Hawkesbury–Nepean River, Australia.
• 2. The structure of substratum patches available was strongly influenced by geomorphic reach type. In each reach type, mussel distribution was most frequently correlated with coarse sand and a roughness element characteristic for that reach. Roughness elements such as boulders and cobbles create a flow refuge and were linked with mussel size.
• 3. Small mussels tended to be associated with boulder‐stabilized habitats and medium sized mussels with cobble habitats. Large mussels rarely co‐occurred with any particular roughness element. Individual species were strongly linked to geomorphic reach type. This association may be due to species' differences in ability to colonize available microhabitat types.
• 4. The highly tolerant Velesunio ambiguus dominated shale reaches, characterized by fine sediments and human impacts. In contrast, Hyridella depressa dominated in gorges, utilizing small flow refuges among boulders, while H. australis were present in low densities across a range of substrate conditions.
• 5. The persistence of multispecies assemblages in mussel beds throughout the Hawkesbury–Nepean River implies similar niche utilization among species. Partitioning of habitats across species on the basis of size suggests some degree of habitat selection, or differential survival. At the local scale, microhabitat characteristics influenced the size distribution and densities of mussel assemblages. Continuing declines in mussel densities are likely to result from ongoing channel modification and increased siltation resulting from changes to riparian vegetation.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracking change in a human‐dominated landscape: developing conservation guidelines using freshwater fish

• 1. To conserve biodiversity in a human‐dominated landscape, a science‐based inventory and monitoring plan is needed that quantifies existing resources, isolates drivers that maintain natural communities, determines harmful stressors, and links ecological drivers and human stressors. A tactical approach is proposed for conservation planning using freshwater fish at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
• 2. Freshwater fish are well studied and occur across environmental gradients. The lentic systems at the national park are relatively pristine yet are enveloped by a region of high population density. Using fish community data, three steps were taken for tracking anthropogenic impacts in a human dominated landscape. First, fish and potential drivers were sampled intensively along a gradient to determine which fish metrics reflect natural communities and which abiotic and biotic factors structure them. Second, emerging and existing regional human threats were identified. Third, these human threats were linked to the potential drivers that maintain natural communities to identify the most informative metrics to monitor and track change.
• 3. Fish communities, water quality, habitat, and food resources were sampled concurrently in 18 ponds in 1999 and 2000. Three common fish species explained 98% of variation in numbers across systems. Based on ecological relationships, pH, depth, vegetation, prey, and community complexity were determined to maintain biodiversity of freshwater fish communities.
• 4. The primary human threats here included: development‐related, land‐use changes; non‐point source pollution; eutrophication from septic systems; and introduced species that are a byproduct of high human visitation. These are common threats in many rapidly urbanized areas and are likely to have relevance to many sites.
• 5. To track the impact of emerging threats to freshwater ponds related to increased human population, monitoring changes in water quality, vegetated habitat, fish diversity, and trophic interactions are recommended.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selection of taxa as indicators of river and freshwater wetland quality in the UK

• 1. To assess the efficacy of environmental management policies and practices, there is a progressive transition from monitoring of activities towards assessment of their outcomes for the environment.
• 2. Population trends of key taxonomic groups can serve as useful indicators of broader environmental integrity and health. Several necessary and desirable criteria for selecting meaningful and suitable indicators are discussed. The attributes of a range of taxa and survey methods used for their assessment are discussed with reference to these criteria.
• 3. Survey methods, data holdings and analytical methods for populations of wild birds at present provide a good basis for developing indicators of the quality of fresh waters at a landscape scale. Other taxa are not necessarily any less appropriate; however, survey design and data representativeness are often limiting factors to the use of other taxa for assessing geographic and temporal trends.
• 4. Taxonomic science and ecological monitoring are necessary for determining society' progress with sustainable development and for informing appropriate enhancements to policy and management practice, particularly so for fresh waters.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Allometric and ontogenetic patterns related to feeding of a neotropical fish, Satanoperca pappaterra (Perciformes, Cichlidae)

Abstract –  This study aims to analyse whether Satanoperca pappaterra changes its feeding habit throughout ontogenetic development, and whether morphological ontogenetic patterns are related to its feeding habit and food capture. We collected 258 individuals in the Cuiabá river basin (Brazil) for analyses. There was a weak relationship between diet and body size, as evidenced by size class and multivariate analyses, and niche breadth did not vary strongly during ontogenetic development. Eight morphometric variables were measured in each individual. We found an isometric relationship for mouth height and width, and for head length. We found positive allometry for snout length and body height in relation to body length, whereas this relationship for intestine length and eye diameter showed negative allometry. These results suggest that morphology and consequently diet vary weakly during ontogenetic development of S. pappaterra .     

我国五大湖日本沼虾线粒体COI基因部分片段序列比较

对我国五大湖日本沼虾100个野生个体的线粒体细胞色素氧化酶亚基I（COI）部分序列进行了测定和分析,经比对获得578bp核苷酸片段,发现49个变异位点,得到35个单倍型,包括7个共享单倍型,各群体都具有较好的单倍型多态性和核苷酸多态性,其中鄱阳湖群体遗传多样性相对最高。AMOVA分析表明,五群体间总遗传分化系数F_st＝0.31873 （P<0.05）, 群体间具有较高的遗传分化。MEGA3.1软件计算五群体的Kimura 2-paramter遗传距离,洞庭湖群体和巢湖群体之间的遗传距离最远为0.0191,巢湖群体和洪泽湖群体之间的遗传距离最近为0.0051。以同属胖掌沼虾（Macrobrachium inflatum）为外群分别构建了NJ和UPGMA系统树,结果显示洞庭湖和鄱阳湖为一族群,太湖、巢湖和洪泽湖为一族群。     

单品种淡水活鱼数量的被动声学估计

针对单品种淡水活鱼数量估计问题,以鲫鱼和鳊鱼为研究对象,采用不同数量淡水鱼的被动水声信号作为样本,通过4~6层小波包分解算法,对比分析了样本的若干特征提取方案,明确了鲫鱼水声信号特征的提取方案为短时平均过零率+6层小波包分解频段能量,而鳊鱼只需提取6层小波包分解频段能量作为其信号特征。根据不同样本集划分方法比较结果,确定了鲫鱼样本集划分方法为Rank-SPXY(m=10),鳊鱼为Rank-SPXY(m=5)。利用竞争自适应重加权采样,筛选出样本的关键特征,并使用多元线性回归和偏最小二乘回归建立了若干淡水活鱼的数量估计模型,结果表明:多元线性回归模型的性能较好,鲫鱼和鳊鱼数量估计模型的复相关系数分别为0.835和0.893,相对分析误差分别为1.79和2.01。