Variability in conspecific predation among longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox in the western Indian Ocean

ABSTRACT:   Conspecific predation among longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox was investigated in four spatio-temporal strata of the western Indian Ocean. The cannibalism level varied from 0 to 45.5% by frequency of occurrence and was negatively related with abundance of non-evasive prey (such as crustaceans Charybdis smithii and Natosquilla investigatoris ) and foraging success. Predation by lancetfish is often described as a non-selective process, constrained by local prey availability and by its feeding speed during an attack of prey. Our results show that lancetfish may adapt its opportunistic foraging behavior, feeding on non-conspecific abundant prey such as crustaceans when available, and switching to a high level of conspecific predation in poor waters.     

饥饿情况下蠋蝽种内互残行为发生时期及影响

为明确饥饿情况下蠋蝽种内残杀行为的发生时期和影响因素,指导蠋蝽规模化繁育和释放,本文研究了不同发育时期和密度下的蠋蝽种内残杀行为。研究发现：蠋蝽对卵粒的种内互残行为主要发生在饥饿24 h以内,雌性蠋蝽对卵粒的取食行为显著强于雄性蠋蝽,取食比例是雄性的2.80～3.25倍、取食量是雄性的18.75～21.20倍,雌性取食下的卵粒羽化率为70.66%,显著低于雄性和对照的86.59%和87.88%。发育时期和饲养密度均显著影响蠋蝽的种内残杀行为,主要发生在饥饿后的19.63～36.00 h,并且1、2、3龄若虫没有表现出种内残杀行为,4龄以后种内残杀行为显著;低密度下蠋蝽种内互残行为不显著,但高密度会增强种内互残行为,且随密度的增加,种内互残行为显著增强。     

草地贪夜蛾幼虫龄期对自相残杀行为的影响

对群体饲养下草地贪夜蛾幼虫在不同龄期的自相残杀行为进行了比较研究,结果表明:在4种密度(5、10、20头/瓶和30头/瓶)下,不同龄期的幼虫自相残杀率差异显著,不同密度下的自相残杀行为主要集中在5龄幼虫,其自相残杀率均在5龄第2天时最高,在5、10、20和30头/瓶中分别为(14.34±3.28)%、(17.94±3.26)%、(18.21±3.47)%和(27.05±5.52)%,幼虫在5龄前的自相残杀行为并不明显。进一步测定发现,相同数量的4龄和5龄幼虫混合后在3种密度(4、10和20头/瓶)下的自相残杀率无显著差异(F=2.29,df=2,P>0.05),但随着幼虫密度的增加,死亡的4龄幼虫占总死亡个体的比例升高,而死亡的5龄幼虫所占比例下降。这说明草地贪夜蛾同一龄期的幼虫自相残杀行为具有明显的龄期依赖性,自相残杀行为主要发生在高龄幼虫间。低龄和高龄幼虫同时存在时低龄幼虫被残杀的比例较高。试验结果对于草地贪夜蛾的室内大量饲养具有一定借鉴作用。     

怀头鲶仔稚鱼自残行为影响因素的分析

对影响怀头鲶(Silurus soldatovi)自残行为的因素进行了研究.以怀头鲶仔稚鱼作为研究对象,分别考察饲养密度、饥饿、光照周期、容器颜色、个体大小5种因素对其自残行为的影响.结果发现,饲养密度、饥饿、光照周期、个体大小对怀头鲶仔稚鱼自残行为影响显著,其中饥饿对其自残行为影响最大,24 h后自残死亡率最高可达70.0％;容器颜色对其影响不显著,投饵可以缓解仔稚鱼的死亡,但不能从根本上解决怀头鲶仔稚鱼自残行为,建议生产上适时下塘、及时投饵,并积极探索新的养殖方法.     

Intercohort cannibalism and parturition-associated behaviour of adult swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri Heckel (Pisces: Poeciliidae)

The post‐parturition behavioural patterns of adult Xiphophorus helleri (Heckel) were described and quantified by recording their duration and/or frequency in glass tanks. All births occurred in the dark. Female behaviour might increase the chance of newborn juvenile survival: at the top of the tank, where juveniles are more vulnerable to predation, the females gave birth in the artificial refuge, while no parturition took place in the refuge at the bottom. Birth‐giving females were no less cannibalistic than males and other females. There was a reduction in cannibalism and the frequency of secondary attacks with time, even though the number of juveniles in the tank continued to increase due to ongoing parturition. Most adults were found at the bottom of the water column during the first 500 min of parturition, after which they were distributed equally in the water column. The movement of adults, away from the bottom and consequently away from the juveniles corresponded with an increase in feeding on alternative food and a reduction in cannibalism. Thus, cannibalism in swordtail might be opportunistic predation.     

Development of nursery culture techniques for the mud crab Scylla paramamosain (Estampador)

Cannibalism is one of the main causes of mortality in the culture of the mud crab Scylla paramamosain, particularly in the early post‐larval and juvenile stages when the densities of hatchery‐reared crabs may be very high before stocking into ponds or release into the wild for stock enhancement. In a series of experiments investigating cannibalism mitigation, the influence of stocking density, the effectiveness of sand substrate, brick and shell shelters and feed type were compared in culture of crabs from instar 1 for short nursery periods of 15–30 days. Inclusion of brick and shell shelters significantly increased survival over sand substrate alone. However, inclusion of shelters did not affect growth rates. In scaled‐up nursery production in lined‐ponds, with shelters, live Artemia biomass and fresh chopped shrimp or tilapia were found to be equally effective feeds for juvenile crabs stocked at a density of 70 m⁻² from instar 1 and grown for 30 days [52–66% survival, 21.6–24.6 mm carapace width (CW)]. In an extended nursery period for a further 30 days, crabs of 22 mm CW, stocked at 30 m⁻² in the same ponds, attained a final size of 34.5–36.2 mm CW with a survival of 64.3–67.0% using the same feeds.     

Stocking density and artificial habitat influence stock structure and yield from intensive nursery systems for mud crabs Scylla serrata (Forsskål 1775)

Intensive nursery systems are designed to culture mud crab postlarvae through a critical phase in preparation for stocking into growout systems. This study investigated the influence of stocking density and provision of artificial habitat on the yield of a cage culture system. For each of three batches of postlarvae, survival, growth and claw loss were assessed after each of three nursery phases ending at crab instars C1/C2, C4/C5 and C7/C8. Survival through the first phase was highly variable among batches with a maximum survival of 80% from megalops to a mean crab instar of 1.5. Stocking density between 625 and 2300 m⁻² did not influence survival or growth in this first phase. Stocking densities tested in phases 2 and 3 were 62.5, 125 and 250 m⁻². At the end of phases 2 and 3, there were five instar stages present, representing a more than 20‐fold size disparity within the populations. Survival became increasingly density‐sensitive following the first phase, with higher densities resulting in significantly lower survival (phase 2: 63% vs. 79%; phase 3: 57% vs. 64%). The addition of artificial habitat in the form of pleated netting significantly improved survival at all densities. The mean instar attained by the end of phase 2 was significantly larger at a lower stocking density and without artificial habitat. No significant effect of density or habitat on harvest size was detected in phase 3. The highest incidence of claw loss was 36% but was reduced by lowering stocking densities and addition of habitat. For intensive commercial production, yield can be significantly increased by addition of a simple net structure but rapidly decreases the longer crablets remain in the nursery.