Variability in the performance of juvenile Chinook salmon is explained primarily by when and where they resided in estuarine habitats

Estuarine habitats provide rearing opportunities for the juvenile life stage of anadromous fishes. Because survival is positively correlated with juvenile performance, these estuarine habitats play an important role in population abundance and productivity. To provide information for the recovery of several depressed stocks of Chinook salmon in the Columbia River Basin, we sought to identify the factors that explain variability in performance. Using otolith‐derived estimates of juvenile somatic growth rate as an index of recent performance, we observed a negative nonlinear relationship between growth rate and day of year, and a decreasing and increasing trend of growth rate over the 8 years of this study and distance from the river mouth respectively. Using a generalised linear modelling approach, we found that variability in juvenile somatic growth rate was best explained by where and when individuals were collected, their body size, contaminant loads, stock of origin, and whether a fish was hatchery produced or unmarked. Lastly, we argue that a considerable improvement to the growth rate of juveniles in estuarine habitats is physiologically possible. The results of this 8‐year study provide a baseline of the performance of juvenile Chinook salmon to evaluate habitat restoration programs and to compare against future anthropogenic conditions.     

Validation of the otoliths for age determination in Barbus sclateri (Günth.)

Abstract – Otoliths were used to explore the timing of annulus formation in Barbus sclateri. Lapillus exhibited opaque and translucent zones whose combination was formed once a year. Opaque zones appeared formed from July and January, and the translucent ones from February to June. We describe a procedure to assess age by using the number of annulii, the condition of the otolith's edge and the capture date. The use of otoliths for age determination in this cyprinid endemic to the Iberian Peninsula provides a useful alternative to the traditional methods of scale reading. ^Note     

Establishing climate–growth relationships for yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) in the northeast Pacific using a dendrochronological approach

We applied dendrochronology (tree‐ring) methods to develop multidecadal growth chronologies from the increment widths of yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) otoliths. Chronologies were developed for the central California coast, a site just north of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and at Bowie Seamount west of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. At each site, synchronous growth patterns were matched among otoliths via the process of cross‐dating, ensuring that the correct calendar year was assigned to all increments. Each time series of growth‐increment measurements was divided by the values predicted by a best‐fit negative exponential function, thereby removing age‐related trends. These detrended time series were averaged into a master chronology for each site, and chronologies were correlated with monthly averages of sea surface temperatures, upwelling, the Northern Oscillation Index, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The two northern growth chronologies positively correlated with indices of warm ocean conditions, especially from the prior summer through the spring of the current year. During the same period, the California chronology positively correlated with indices of cool ocean conditions, indicating an opposing productivity regime for yelloweye rockfish between the California Current and the Gulf of Alaska. Overall, this study demonstrates how tree‐ring techniques can be applied to quickly develop annually resolved chronologies and establish climate–growth relationships across various temporal and spatial scales.     

东南太平洋公海智利竹(荚)鱼年龄与生长研究

智利竹筴鱼是一种重要的中上层经济鱼类,对其生活史关键过程的认识还相当有限。根据2006年5-8月在智利公海采集的智利竹筴鱼样本,利用其中963尾智利竹筴鱼耳石对其年龄进行了鉴定,估算了智利竹筴鱼叉长体重关系以及von Bertalanffy生长方程参数,并分析了智利竹筴鱼耳石重量(OW)与年龄的关系。研究结果表明,样本最大年龄9龄,最小年龄2龄,样本年龄组成以4龄为主(71.5%)。智利竹筴鱼叉长体重方程参数a、b分别为0.000 03和2.801 9,von Bertalanffy生长方程参数L∞为738.4 mm,k为0.107,t0为-1.08。耳石重量与年龄呈显著线性关系(r=0.74,P<0.001),表明耳石重量可用于智利竹筴鱼年龄鉴定。     

西北印度洋丝尾红钻鱼耳石生长形态学的初步研究

根据2005年10月至2006年1月在印度洋公海撒雅德玛哈浅滩(Saya de Malha Bank)进行底层渔业资源调查期间,随机采集的208尾丝尾红钻鱼Etelis coruscans(叉长383~866 mm)样本,进行了耳石质量(WO)及其耳石长(长轴,OTL)、耳石宽(短轴,OW)、背长(ODL)、背高(DH)、背喙长(DRL)和腹喙长(VRL)等形态指标参数的测定,初步研究了该种群耳石形态指标的生长特征。结果表明:丝尾红钻鱼左右矢耳石的长度和质量均无显著性差异或一致性偏差(P0.05),耳石呈缺刻卵圆形,凸面有沟裂,凹面核心区表面平坦;背部和腹部边缘有不规则的齿轮缺刻;腹喙比背喙长且粗壮;耳石长轴(OTL)为9.85~20.76 mm,短轴(OW)为5.03~10.88 mm;叉长540 mm时,耳石形态长度指标(OTL、ODL、VRL)相对尺寸变化较大,而宽度指标(OW、DH)相对尺寸变化较小;叉长540 mm时,耳石形态长度指标(OTL、ODL)相对尺寸变化趋势不稳定,而宽度指标相对尺寸变化趋势平缓;整个生长过程中,耳石短轴生长比其长轴生长稳定,短轴与耳石质量的回归关系最高,并且与鱼体叉长的关系基本符合正相关关系。因此,丝尾红钻鱼的耳石短轴更适合用于耳石形态生长与耳石质量及鱼体生长关系的研究。     

中华倒刺鲃仔、稚鱼的耳石微结构与日轮形成特征

以中华倒刺鲃(Spinibarbus sinensis)亲鱼为材料,在实验室养殖条件下以人工孵化的丰年虫(Eubranchipus vernalis)为仔、稚鱼饵料,通过已知日龄法观察其耳石的微结构,分析其日轮形成特征。结果表明,仔、稚鱼的微耳石和矢耳石一般由1个中心核和1个耳石原基组成,少数存在多个中心核或原基现象,星耳石中心核和原基区分不明显。微耳石和矢耳石中心核直径分别为(37.73±5.34)μm和(39.78±7.11)μm,耳石原基直径分别为(16.29±3.46)μm和(17.09±3.88)μm。矢耳石和星耳石轮纹清晰度、规律性、周期性和完整性不及微耳石;微耳石第1条日轮在仔鱼出膜后第2天形成,以后每天沉积1轮。30日龄稚鱼微耳石轮纹数(N)与日龄(T)的关系符合直线模型,相关关系式为:N=1.0016T-0.8753(R2=0.9961,P<0.01,n=197),线性方程斜率与1无显著性差异(P>0.05)。在微耳石和矢耳石样本中共观察到孵化标记轮和转移标记轮2种,其中孵化标记轮的出现率分别为78.68%和83.33%,转移标记轮的出现率分别为29.95%和48.98%。60尾33日龄稚鱼微耳石的生长轮宽度变化范围0.522~2.244μm,平均为(1.087±0.231)μm。     

长江口凤鲚幼鱼的耳石微结构、日龄与生长

2007年7月、8月和9月在长江口区域从小型拖网和张网渔获物中获取凤鲚幼鱼,摘取矢耳石进行耳石微结构分析,确定凤鲚幼鱼的日龄和孵化日期,分析个体早期生长过程.凤鲚幼鱼的体长范围为25.6～63.2 mm,矢耳石形状与成鱼耳石相似,为不规则扁椭球形,只有—个翼状突起.耳石横截面磨片上具有一个核和一个原基.耳石原基的直径为12.5 ～ 22.8μm,平均为(14.3±4.8) μm(n =111).耳石核中心到第一个生长轮的距离为(24.9±6.4)μm(n=44).生长轮在耳石长轴上排列较疏且不清晰,短轴上较密但清晰.凤鲚幼鱼的日龄为54～128 d,对应的孵化日期为2007年4月10日至7月23日,高峰期为2007年5月1 1日至6月26日.耳石半径(R)与标准体长(LS)间呈显著的线性相关关系,回归方程为LS=6.68 +0.065R.凤鲚幼鱼前20个生长轮宽度较窄,并有逐渐变窄的趋势,第20日轮之后,生长轮宽度逐渐变宽,至第50日轮后生长轮宽度趋于稳定.     

鱼类耳石研究和应用进展

鱼类耳石研究是鱼类生长和早期生活史研究的基础。文章阐述了鱼类耳石形态的研究方法及其在鱼类种类识别中的应用、耳石微结构在鱼类年龄鉴定、早期生长研究、产卵期、孵化期和产卵场的推算以及早期生活史中特殊事件的研究等方面的进展,探讨了耳石研究的存在问题并提出了进一步研究的建议。     

中华鳖群体间编码MHCⅠ类分子α2结构域基因的克隆及序列分析

2004年1月至2005年4月在江苏靖江市的长江沿岸用定置张网采集刀鲚261尾。清洗后的矢耳石在60℃烤箱中烘烤24h，干燥冷却后用电子天平称重，精确到0．01mg。成对t检验显示，左右矢耳石间的重量无显著差异（P〉0．05），选用左矢耳石为研究对象。用直线、幂函数和多项式等确定各类参数间的最佳拟合公式。结果表明，长江口刀鲚的耳石重量在不同年龄组间的重叠相对较少，大小相近的个体，年龄大即生长慢的比年龄小即生长快的耳石重量大，不同龄组间耳石重量有显著的差异（P〈0．05）。按年龄组以耳石重量与相应的体长作图，可初步判断所观测年龄的可靠性。分析耳石重量的频率分布，能分离出体长相近但年龄不同的个体，其结果与依据耳石年轮观测的基本一致，耳石重量与年龄呈显著的线性相关性（P〈0．05）。用该相关性估算年龄，与从耳石上直接读取的年龄并无显著差异（P〉0．05）。因此，矢耳石重量可以作为直接确定长江口刀鲚年龄或作为验证依据钙化组织判断年龄准确性的有效手段。