Zoology

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

The true bug infraorder Nepomorpha contains 11 families with classifications mostly using morphological features and not based on phylogenetic analyses. Presented here is the first molecular-based phylogeny for a family of Nepomorpha including more than half of the constituent taxa. Two nuclear (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA) and two mitochondrial (COI and COII) genes were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships with both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses. Ingroup taxa included all six subfamilies, 41 of the 43 genera, and 221 species and subspecies. Results of the analyses were mostly congruent and revealed Naucoridae to be monophyletic, but two of the subfamilies (Cheirochelinae and Naucorinae) and three genera (Heleocoris, Laccocoris and Naucoris) as polyphyletic. Two clades formerly in Naucorinae were recovered as distinct subfamily-level clades: Macrocorinae subfam. nov. contains the African Macrocoris and Neomacrocoris, and Ilyocorinae stat. nov. contains the Palaearctic Ilyocoris and Neotropical Placomerus. Laccocorinae is unchanged in its constituent membership, but its organization now includes four tribe-level groups. Limnocorinae and the recently revised Cryphocricinae and Ambrysinae are unchanged. An annotated list of all subfamily-, tribe-and genus-group taxa is presented, including new taxa descriptions, synonymies and new combinations.

The increased rate of outbreaks of infectious diseases in ecosystems is a dramatic consequence of global change, particularly when outbreaks affect important resources such as freshwater fish. However, the links between disease-inducing epizootics and widespread human impacts, including nutrient pollution and high water conductivity, in freshwater organisms are largely unexplored. We used data from extensive surveys in northeastern Spain (99,700 km 2 , 15 river catchments, n = 530 sites) to explore the environmental factors that singly, or in combination, are likely to influence the occurrence of the invasive parasite, Lernaea cyprinacea, after accounting for host fish characteristics. Smaller fish, lower altitudes, higher water conductivity and nutrient pollution were associated with higher probabilities of infection in 19 endemic and widely distributed fish species. We found no evidence that interactive effects among riverine stressors related to water and physical habitat quality better explained the probability of occurrence of L. cyprinacea in fish than did additive-stressor combinations. Nutrient pollution and high water conductivity were two of the major factors contributing to the increased occurrence of L. cyprinacea. Therefore, the improvement of wastewater treatment processes and agricultural practices probably would help to reduce the occurrence of this parasite among native fish.

During a study of the helminth parasites of carangid fish of the Gulf of Mexico, Protomicrocotyle mirabilis and a new member of that genus were found. The aim of the present study is to provide new morphological and sequences of 28s rDNA and CO1 mtDNA for P. mirabilis and describe the new species. Between 2005-2022, 73 specimens of Caranx spp. were purchased from local fishermen of the littoral waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Protomicrocotyle veracruzensis sp. nov. is most similar to P. mirabilis than to P. ivoriensis, the only members of the genus known from the Greater Atlantic Ocean Basin. Protomicrocotyle veracruzensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from those two species by the arrangement and number of testes. Measurement data on the haptoral armature for the new species is provided and the potential value and need for comparative data from these structures of other members of the genus is discussed. The results of the molecular analysis and the morphometric analysis of 91 characters confirmed that this new species belongs to Protomicrocotyle.

Unlike the vast majority of organisms in which mitochondrial DNA is transmitted maternally (standard mitochondrial inheritance, SMI), some marine or freshwater bivalves exhibit a different pattern of mtDNA transmission, named doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI). In this case there are two types of mtDNA, i.e. the female-transmitted (F-type) and the male-transmitted (M-type), the latter being present only in the male gonads of Unionidae bivalves. Current knowledge on DUI does not cover any freshwater mussels that are found in Poland. This study confirms DUI of mtDNA in A. woodiana, a Chinese mussel discovered in Poland in 1993. The sequence divergence in the COI gene region for the F-type ranged between 0% (separately for Polish and Japanese mussels) and 8.1% (between Polish and Japanese specimens). On the other hand, this parameter was higher for the M-type, reaching 9.7% between Polish and Japanese specimens. Sequence divergence between the F-and M-types reached 34-35% and, although very high, was still characteristic for the bivalves in which DUI had been found.

In humans, cleft palate (CP) is one of the most common malformations. Although surgeons use palatoplasty to close CP defects in children, its consequences for subsequent facial growth have prompted investigations into other novel surgical alternatives. The animal models of CP used to evaluate new surgical treatments are frequently obtained by creating surgically induced clefts in adult dogs. This procedure has been ethically criticized due to its severity and questionable value as an animal model for human CP. Dogs born with a congenital CP would be much better for this purpose, provided they developed CP at a sufficient rate and could be fed. Up until now, feeding these pups carried the risk of aspiration pneumonia, while impeding normal suckling and chewing, and thus compromising orofacial growth. We developed a technique for feeding dog pups with CP from birth to the time of surgery using two old Spanish pointer dog pups bearing a complete CP. This dog strain develops CP in 15–20...

Preliminary sampling in Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, with bottom trawls and larval fish nets indicate<i that larval Bear Lake sculpin (Cottus extensus) occupy the benthic region during the day and migrate into the water column at night. Densitiej in the water column after dusk ~veraged only 0.01 larvae/m. The larval diet (n=29) reflected the diel migration pattern. as gOt of the food items were copepods (Epischura sp.) and lOt benthic ostracods. In contrast, the diet of adult sculpin (0=18) was dominated by benthic prey (ostracods 68t; chironomids 5~; fish eggs 4t). Adaptive advantages for the observed migration and feeding patterns are di scussed.

We used stationary hydroacoustics and measures of environmental conditions (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, light levels, and zooplankton) to determine what factors, foraging or predation risk, influenced diel vertical migrations of Oncorhynchus nerka during winter in three high-mountain lakes. The Sawtooth Valley lakes are deep, oligotrophic, glacial lakes located in central Idaho, U.S.A., and historically contained populations of anadromous O. nerka. In general, low light intensities limited foraging opportunities of O. nerka under ice, especially at night. In Stanley Lake, O. nerka underwent diel vertical migrations to exploit available light to feed. Oncorhynchus nerka occupied shallow water at night, where there was still sufficient light to feed, but were found in deep water during the day. It is unknown whether O. nerka occupied deep depths during the day to feed on high densities of zooplankton or to avoid predators. In Alturas Lake, O. nerka remained in the top 25 m both day and night to feed high densities of zooplankton found near the surface. In Redfish Lake, O. nerka also showed little migration: O. nerka stayed in shallow water both day and night and occupied the same depths with the highest zooplankton densities. The vertical distribution of O. nerka during the winter appears to be determined by available food and light, but the deep daytime distribution found in Stanley Lake is still unexplained. Résumé : Les auteurs ont utilisé des senseurs hydroacoustiques stationnaires et mesuré divers paramètres environnementaux (température de l'eau, oxygène dissous, luminosité et zooplancton) pour déterminer quels facteurs, à savoir la quête de nourriture ou le risque de prédation, expliquaient les migrations verticales journalières d'Oncorhynchus nerka en hiver dans trois lacs alpins de la vallée Sawtooth, en Idaho (États-Unis). Ces lacs glaciaires, profonds et oligotrophes, abritent depuis des temps immémoriaux des populations anadromes d'O. nerka. En général, la quête de nourriture était inhibée par la faible luminosité, en particulier la nuit. Dans le lac Stanley, O. nerka effectuait des migrations journalières afin d'exploiter la lumière disponible pour se nourrir. Il demeurait en eau peu profonde durant la nuit, y trouvant suffisamment de lumière pour se nourrir, mais regagnait les eaux plus profondes durant la journée. Les auteurs n'ont pas été en mesure de déterminer si O. nerka migrait vers les eaux profondes durant le jour pour exploiter les fortes densités de zooplancton ou pour échapper à ses prédateurs. Dans le lac Alturas, O. nerka demeurait tant le jour que la nuit dans la couche superficielle formée par les premiers 25 m d'eau afin de se nourrir des fortes densités de zooplancton observées près de la surface. Dans le lac Redfish, O. nerka effectuait des migrations limitées, demeurant en eaux peu profondes tant la nuit que le jour et occupant les strates les plus riches en zooplancton. La distribution verticale de O. nerka en hiver semble dictée par la disponibilité de la nourriture et de la lumière. Toutefois, dans le lac Stanley, la présence de O. nerka en eaux profondes durant le jour demeure inexpliquée.

Wurtsbaugh, W.A. and A.M. Marcarelli. 2005. Analysis of Phytoplankton Nutrient Limitation in Farmington Bay and the Great Salt Lake. Report to the Central Davis County Sewer Improvement District. 27 pp. Farmington Bay is a nutrient-enriched, highly eutrophic embayment of the Great Salt Lake. The highly variable salinity of the bay influences what species of plankton can survive there. Previous analyses suggested that cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) may not be able to survive or fix atmospheric nitrogen at high salinities, thus maintaining the lake in a nitrogen-limited state. To determine the interacting influence of nutrients and salinity on the growth and nitrogen fixation of plankton we performed a 28-day bioassay with water from Farmington and Gilbert Bays in October 2004. We tested the response of the plankton to additions of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) at salinities of 3%, 5%, 7%, 9% or 11%. Algal inocula from a variety of salinities were added to provide colonists for the cultures. The plankton from Gilbert Bay were clearly N limited, and chlorophyll levels in N enriched treatments increased ca. 500% above control treatments in nearly all salinity treatments. Phosphorus additions had no effect or were slightly inhibitory to algal growth. In the Farmington Bay water, nitrogen additions also stimulated algal growth, but only at the 9 and 11% salinities. In all of the salinity treatments of Farmington Bay water, algal growth was very high at the start of the experiment, even in the control treatments, suggesting that nutrients were not limiting at the time the water was collected. In contrast to previous experiments, nitrogen fixation rates were low in most treatments. However, phosphorus stimulated N-fixation in Farmington Bay water when the salinity was 3%. Cyanobacterial biomass was highest at salinities less than 7%. The different responses in this experiment than in previous bioassays was likely due to the limnological conditions in the lake immediately prior to collection of water used in the bioassay. High winds the night before mixed the water column of Farmington Bay and entrained hydrogen sulfide. The water column in Farmington Bay was anoxic when the water was collected, and hydrogen sulfide persisted in the experimental flasks for at least one week. Hydrogen sulfide is toxic to most aquatic organisms, including nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, but it can promote the growth of non-oxygenic purple-sulfur bacteria. Oxygen levels in Gilbert Bay were only 1 mg L-1 , suggesting that hydrogen sulfide had also been entrained into the upper water column and stripped much of the oxygen from the water. The wind-induced mixing likely also entrained nutrients from the deep brine layer, and these may have provided sufficient nutrients to the microbes so that the response to added nutrients was muted. Nevertheless, the results of the assay, when combined with those of three previous experiments, indicate that at salinities <7%, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria provide adequate nitrogen for algal growth, and the community will thus be limited by phosphorus or by light. At higher salinities such as those that occur in Gilbert Bay or in Farmington Bay during droughts, nitrogen fixation cannot occur, leading to persistent nitrogen limitation of those communities. If nutrients were to be controlled to reduce eutrophication in Farmington Bay, the expected salinity levels would thus need to be incorporated into the decision process. However, if nutrient controls are deemed to be warranted, field experiments that incorporate both pelagic (open water) and benthic (sediment) processes are needed to better understand nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling under more natural conditions.

To examine how salinity and nutrient supply interact to control phytoplankton community composition, nutrient limitation, and dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates in the Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA), we conducted a series of bioassay experiments with plankton from both Gilbert Bay, where salinities are near 160 g·L–1, and Farmington Bay, where salinities range from 10 to 90 g·L–1. Six-day nutrient addition bioassay experiments showed that the extant phyto plankton communities in both bays were limited by nitrogen (N). However, in 28- to 30-day factorial bioassay experiments in which both salinities and nutrient supply were manipulated, phosphorus stimulated chlorophyll a as much as 500% when salinities were less than 70 g·L–1and N2-fixing cyanobacteria were present. At salinities greater than 70 g·L–1, or with additions of combined N, N2fixation ceased. When N2-fixing cyanobacteria were absent, the plankton community was routinely N-limited regardless of salinity. The results of these expe...

Wurtsbaugh, W.A. and A. Marcarelli. 2004. Analysis of Phytoplankton Nutrient Limitation in Farmington Bay and the Great Salt Lake. Report to the Central Davis County Sewer Improvement District. 57 pp. The Great Salt Lake is bordered to the south and east by a growing metropolitan area that contributes high nutrients to Farmington Bay. This large bay is eutrophic, and there is concern that continued increases in effluents from the Salt Lake City area could extend to impact the much larger, and currently less productive, Gilbert Bay. This study focused on determining how nutrient supplies might limit, and therefore control, algal populations in Farmington Bay and Gilbert Bay at different salinities. We tested both short and long-term responses of algal growth using laboratory nutrient addition bioassays in the summer and fall of 2003. Because some phytoplankton can alleviate nitrogen deficiency by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, we also determined how nutrients and salinity influenced nitrogen fixation. Two types of assays were used in the analysis. To determine what nutrients currently control algal growth in Farmington Bay, four, week-long Simple Bioassays were used to measure how chlorophyll 8, nitrogen fixation and algal biovolume responded to additions of nitrogen, phosphorus, or nitrogen+phosphorus. All four of these assays indicated that the algal population was stimulated by nitrogen and not by phosphorus. Additionally, nitrogen fixation rates by these N-limited populations were negligible. These results were consistent with earlier studies that showed nitrogen limitation of Great Salt Lake algae. To understand how changes in nutrient loading and salinity might interact to control the algal population, particularly nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, two Factorial Bioassays were conducted. In these experiments salinities were varied from 1 % to 10%, and nitrogen or phosphorus was added. Algal inocula from water bodies of varying salinity were introduced at the start of the experiments. In both of these assays, the algal populations were initially stimulated by nitrogen and not by phosphorus, as observed in the Simple Bioassays. However, at lower salinities, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial communities developed after 2-3 weeks, allowing the communities to overcome nitrogen limitation and become phosphorus limited. The two experiments differed, however, because in the first experiment, nitrogen-fixing communities developed in salinities up to 7%, whereas in the second experiment significant nitrogen fixation occurred only in the 1 % salinity treatment. The upper limit for nitrogen fixation for the Great Salt Lake plankton community appears to be near 7%. Nutrients and salinity thus appear to interact to control whether nitrogen of phosphorus ultimately limits the abundance of phytoplankton in the lake. More experiments are needed to more precisely define the salinity range over which this interaction occurs, and to determine if these relationships hold under environmental conditions that more closely approximate those in the Great Salt Lake.

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Resveratrol is a naturally occurring antioxidant that has been widely studied in mammals due to its potential to extend lifespan. However, antioxidants may also limit protein damage and therefore reduce rates of protein degradation, providing a potential avenue for enhancing growth in an aquaculture setting. The present study tested the hypotheses that in Southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, resveratrol would decrease protein carbonylation and 4-HNE (indicators of protein and lipid oxidative damage, respectively), levels of ubiquitinylation and LC3 (indicators of non-lysosomal and lysosomal protein degradation, respectively), while having no effect on S6K activation (indicator of protein synthesis). These effects were predicted to increase growth rate. Mitochondrial volume density was also examined since resveratrol may lead to the proliferation of mitochondria, which are the principal source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative damage. Juvenile fish (n = 142) were fed a control diet or a diet supplemented with 600 μg resveratrol per g of food for 16 weeks. Fish treated with resveratrol had a 9% greater length and 33% greater body mass than control fish after 16 weeks. Additionally, there was lower protein carbonylation and lipid 4-HNE within the muscle tissues of treated fish, indicating decreased oxidative damage, and reduced protein ubiquitinylation in the resveratrol fed flounder, indicating less protein degradation. However, there was not a significant difference in LC3, S6K activation, or mitochondrial volume density. These results suggest that resveratrol has positive effects on growth due to its antioxidant properties that reduce non-lysosomal protein degradation.

Dietary arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) supplementation on larval performance, tissue fatty acid profiles, resistance to hypersaline stress and expression of Na + /K + ATPase mRNA was studied in black sea bass Centropristis striata from the first feeding through metamorphosis at 24 days post-hatching (d24ph). Thirty 15-L aquaria were stocked with d1ph yolksac stage larvae at 100 ind/L. Salinity (34 g/L), temperature (22°C), photoperiod (18L:6D), light intensity (1000 lx), diffused aeration (100 mL/min) and D.O. (N5 mg/L) were held constant. Non-viable microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata was maintained at 300,000 cells/mL as background. To evaluate the effects of dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) supplementation, live prey, rotifers Brachionus rotundiformis and Artemia sp., was enriched with emulsions containing 10% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and five different levels of ARA (0, 6, 8, 10 and 12% total fatty acids, TFA). In a sixth treatment, live prey was enriched with a premium commercial fatty acid booster (26% DHA, 0% ARA). Rotifers were fed from d2 to d20ph at 10-23 ind/mL, while Artemia were fed from d18 to d22ph at 0.5-3 ind/mL. On d24ph, larval fatty acid profiles reflected dietary levels, and no significant (P N 0.05) differences in larval growth (notochord length, wet and dry wt.), survival (range = 24.3-32.7%), or hypersaline stress resistance (ST-50 = 27.1-31.8 min) among treatments were evident. However, larvae fed diets supplemented with ARA (6-12% TFA) demonstrated a significant (P b 0.05) increase in Na + /K + ATPase mRNA 24 h after a sublethal salinity (43 g/L) challenge, whereas larvae fed 0% ARA and the commercial diet (devoid of ARA) showed no significant increase. The results suggested that dietary supplementation with ARA at 6-12% promoted the adaptive physiological responses to hypersalinity stress and hypo-osmoregulatory ability in black sea bass larvae.

Spawning performance and egg quality were compared in wild-caught and F1 generation southern flounder broodstock following induction with mammalian mLHRHa or piscine sGnRHa at different doses. Forty F1 and 33 wild vitellogenic females (mean oocyte diameter ≥ 0.385 mm) were implanted with an 80% cholesterol-20% cellulose pellet at doses (μg/kg bw) of 0 (control), 5 (low), 25 (mid) and 50 (high) mLHRHa, or with similar doses of sGnRHa. Ovulated females (N = 5-8 per treatment) were strip-spawned and eggs were fertilized in vitro with sperm from two males. Egg quality was categorized according to fertilization and hatching success: 75-100% (high), 50-75% (medium-high), 25-50% (medium-low), and 0-25% (low). Egg production (number of eggs/kg female bw × 10 3) was highest at the low dose of mLHRHa in F1 females (146.4) and sGnRHa in wild females (128) and was lowest at the intermediate dose sGnRHa in F1 females (61.9) and the high dose sGnRHa in wild females (40.6). Number of fertilized eggs produced per kg bw (× 10 3) was highest at the low dose mLHRHa in F1 females (113.5) and sGnRHa in wild females (95.4) and lowest at the high dose sGnRHa in F1 females (18.7) and sGnRHa in wild females (7.8). Number of yolksac larvae produced per kg bw (× 10 3) was highest at the low dose of mLHRHa in F1 females (74) and sGnRHa in wild females (73.5) and was lowest at the high dose of sGnRHa in F1 females (2.0) and in wild females (1.2). Number of larvae per kg bw (× 10 3) surviving to 96 h post-hatching was highest at the low dose mLHRHa in F1 females (67.5) and sGnRHa in wild females (66.5) and was lowest at the high dose sGnRHa in F1 (0.72) and sGnRHa in wild females (0.68). In F1 females, larval production was significantly greater (P < .01) at lower doses and greater (P < .01) for mLHRHa than for sGnRHa at all doses. For wild females, larval production was greater at lower doses of sGnRHa, with the inverse trend observed for mLHRHa (hormone dose × type interaction, P < .05). Taurine concentrations (nmol/mg dw) were higher (P < .05) in ovulated eggs of high quality (27.4) than in eggs of med-low (14.8) and low (17.5) quality, supporting an important role in broodstock nutrition and in early development. The results help standardize GnRHa therapies for spawning of wild and F1 southern flounder.

Food is fundamental for the survival of organisms, governing growth, maintenance, and reproduction through the provision of essential macronutrients. However, access to food with optimum macronutrient composition, which will maximize the evolutionary fitness of an organism, is not always guaranteed. This leads to dietary mismatches with potential impacts on organismal performance. To understand the consequences of such dietary mismatches, we examined the effects of isocaloric diets varying in macronutrient composition on eight key organismal traits spanning across the lifespan of a large outbred Drosophila melanogaster population (n ~ 2100). Our findings reveal that carbohydrate-reduced isocaloric diets correlates to accelerated pre-adult development and boosts reproductive output without impacting pre-adult viability and body size. Conversely, an elevated dietary carbohydrate content correlated to reduced lifespan in flies, evidenced by accelerated functional senescence including c...

Habitat fragmentation has raised concerns that populations of generalist predators have increased and are affecting a diverse group of prey. Previous research has included the use of artificial nests to investigate the role of predation on birds that nest on or near the ground. Because predation also is a major factor limiting populations of freshwater turtles, we examined the potential of using artificial nests in identifying factors that limit recruitment. We buried eggs of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) to simulate turtle nests and placed remotely triggered cameras at a sample of nests to identify predators. Twenty-two percent of all nests were either depredated or disturbed within 7 days of placement. The proportion of nests depredated decreased with increasing distance from the edge of ponds. Predation was greater on nests within 50 m of pond edges than nests farther from pond edges. Clumped nests were depredated at a greater rate than scattered nests. Remotely trigge...

To understand large scale animal—habitat associations, biologists often rely on intensive home‐range based studies, where a large number of locations are obtained from relatively few individuals equipped with radio transmitters and then extrapolate patterns of habitat use to much larger areas. Alternatively, extensive methods (e.g. incidental observations) that provide few observations per individual can be effectively used to sample large areas. Both methods have advantages, limitations, and potential sources of bias. We used these different approaches in an effort to identify habitat features that may be important to expanding populations of bobcats Lynx rufus in New Hampshire, USA. Twelve adult bobcats with GPS‐equipped transmitters provided detailed summaries of movement patterns within a 2300‐km2 study area. We also solicited incidental observations from citizens throughout the state (24 200 km2). Using locations from both methods, we developed logistic models based on a compar...

We investigated the distribution and habitat associations of New England cottontails (Sylvilagus transitionalis; NEC) at the northern edge of their historic range (state of Maine) during the winters of 1999–2000 and 2000–2001. We compared features of regions ([Formula: see text]100 km2), landscapes (multiple home ranges of NEC within 1 km of suitable habitat), and patches (usually &lt;0.1 km2) among sites that were occupied by NEC, occupied by a potential competitor (snowshoe hares, Lepus americanus), or vacant. The current range of NEC in Maine is approximately 1600 km2 versus a recent historic range of 9400 km2 (83% decline). Loss of early-successional forests may explain the decline in abundance but does not explain the pattern of range contraction. Patches occupied by NEC were larger, had a greater density of understory vegetation, and were more frequently associated with idle agricultural lands than vacant patches. Habitats occupied by snowshoe hares were characterized by a gre...

standing inattentive, i.e. engaged in no activity (45.5% in Isle Royale, 29.8% in Denali). This implies that a constrained time budget did not eliminate foraging opportunities. Hypophagia is more likely mediated through a physiological mechanism. At Denali the median date of feeding cessation was 11 days earlier then the median date of breeding behavior (large males resumed feeding during the peak of breeding), indicating that feeding cessation did not coincide with the peak of the rut. The lack of coincidence between appetite suppression and breeding suggests that hypophagia did not evolve in order to provide bulls more time to engage in rutting activities. Hypophagia coincided with the period of scent-urination, raising the possibility that appetite suppression may be a by-product of physiological processes associated with chemical communication.

South Australia is a large Australian state (~1,000,000 km2) with diverse aquatic habitats spread across temperate to arid environments. The knowledge of freshwater fishes in this jurisdiction has advanced considerably since the last detailed catalogue of native and alien species was published in 2004 owing to significant survey and research effort, spatial analysis of museum data, and incidental records. The updated list includes 60 native and 35 alien species. New additions to the native fauna include cryptic species of Retropinna semoni s.l. (Weber) and Galaxias olidus s.l. (Günther). Two others have been rediscovered after long absences, namely Neochanna cleaveri (Scott) and Mogurnda adspersa (Castelnau). Range extensions are reported for native populations of Galaxias brevipinnis Günther, Leiopotherapon unicolour (Günther), Hypseleotris spp. (hybridogenetic forms) and Philypnodon macrostomus Hoese and Reader. There are five new alien species records (all aquarium species) inclu...

The Magpie Fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina melaleuca Scott 1954, is presently South Australia's (SA) rarest fish, represented by only three museum specimens collected near Adelaide over the past 60 years and listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, there is some doubt as to whether the Magpie Fiddler Ray is a different species from the widespread and common Southern Fiddler Ray, Trygonorrhina dumerilii (Castelnau 1873), resulting in two very contrasting scenarios for marine conservation. If the Magpie Fiddler Ray is a black and white patterned variant of the Southern Fiddler Ray then it will be removed from the Red List and appear as a synonym of T. dumerilii. Conversely, if it proves to be a different species then it remains SA's rarest fish species and highly data deficient. We analysed mtDNA and the largest ever nuclear gene dataset (>4,000 loci) applied to chondrichthyan species level systematics from the most recently collected Magpie Fiddler Ray specimens and a geographically representative selection of Southern Fiddler Rays to determine the species status of this enigmatic ray. We found that the Magpie Fiddler Rays share a mitochondrial haplotype with 23 Southern Fiddler Rays and are not differentiated from 35 Southern Fiddler Rays at more than 4000 SNPs derived from DArTseq data. The morphological trait values that are putatively diagnostic for the Magpie Fiddler Ray fall within the range of variation observed among Southern Fiddler Rays. Our analyses are consistent with the notion that the Magpie Fiddler Ray is a rare colour and pattern variant of the widespread and abundant Southern Fiddler Ray. We also identified two hybrids between the Eastern and Southern Fiddler Rays, only the third time that hybrids have been identified in nature in chondrichthyans. Our results provide critical guidance in the assessment of its conservation status and an ending to a 60 year old conundrum for marine conservation.

The lizards of the Egernia group of Australia and Melanesia include some of the most distinctive members of the family Scincidae in morphology (including giant size, spinose scalation), ecology and behaviour. Social behaviour, including long-term recognition of individuals and kin, mate fidelity and home site fidelity, is amongst the most complex known in squamate reptiles and is the subject of an expanding number of studies. Lack of a sound phylogeny for the Egernia group has limited our ability to understand the evolution and patterns of variation in social behaviour within this group, and evidence for the monophyly of the largest genus, Egernia (64% of the species), has been lacking. We present data derived from nucleotide sequences that establish a phylogenetic framework for the Egernia group. We used two mitochondrial sequences, the protein-encoding ND4 gene and a ribosomal gene, 12s rRNA, and two nuclear sequences, the protein-encoding c-mos, and non-encoding intron 7 of b-fibrinogen. Our phylogenetic analyses show that Corucia of the Solomon Islands is the sister group of the rest of the Egernia group. The genus Egernia is paraphyletic, including four well-supported monophyletic units, one of which is the sister lineage of the Tiliqua lineage (Tiliqua plus Cyclodomorphus). We suggest a revised taxonomic scheme that recognizes the major monophyletic lineages in Egernia (s.l.) as distinct genera.

One of the most prolific radiations of venomous snakes, the Australo‐Melanesian Hydrophiinae includes ∼100 species of Australasian terrestrial elapids plus all ∼60 species of viviparous sea snakes. Here, we estimate hydrophiine relationships based on a large data set comprising 5800 bp drawn from seven genes (mitochondrial: ND4, cytb, 12S, 16S; nuclear: rag1, cmos, myh). These data were analysed using parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian methods to better resolve hydrophiine phylogeny and provide a timescale for the terrestrial and marine radiations. Among oviparous forms, Cacophis, Furina and Demansia are basal to other Australian elapids (core oxyuranines). The Melanesian Toxicocalamus and Aspidomorphus group with Demansia, indicating multiple dispersal events between New Guinea and Australia. Oxyuranus and Pseudonaja form a robust clade. The small burrowing taxa form two separate clades, one consisting of Vermicella and Neelaps calanotus, and the other including Simoselaps, Brachyu...

The herpetofauna of Mutawintji (previously Mootwingee) National Park (31°17' S, 142°15' E) was surveyed on five occasions from 1994 to 1996. From these surveys and other sources, a total of 49 reptile species and 5 amphibian species were recorded, or probably occur in the region. Five species, now listed under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, were recorded during the surveys. Two of these species, Egernia margaretae (endangered) and Ramphotyphlops endoterus (endangered), were confirmed in NSW for the first time. Egernia margaretae and Antaresia stimsoni (vulnerable) were recorded only from the rocky gorges, which are a feature of the Bynguano Range in the Park, and the agamid species Ctenophorus decresii (endangered) and varanid Varanus tristis tristis were also restricted to this habitat type. Five species (Diplodactylus steindachneri, Nephrurus levis, Lerista labialis, Ramphotyphlops endoterus and Brachyurophis fasciolatus (vulnerable)) were recorded only from the adjacent red soil grasslands and shrublands, and did not occur in the gorges or on the rocky ridges.

A variety of macroelement and microelement compounds were tested against the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glicines, in vitro and in vivo on soybean. In vitro, KH 2 PO 4 was the best compound to reduce the number of surviving J2 and achieve the lowest value of LC50 (0.01M) and LC90 (0.03M) among the macroelement treatments. Almost all the tested compounds significantly inhibited the hatching of SCN, except for ZnSO 4 •7H 2 O. Among the microelement treatments, FeCl 3 •6H 2 O was the best one to inhibit J2 survival with the lowest value of LC50 (0.0004M) and LC90 (0.001M). All the tested compounds significantly inhibited the hatching of SCN and all inhibitions were over 90%. All treatments improved the growth of root and the application of (NH 4) 2 HPO 4 gave the best root growth (dry and fresh weighs). In glasshouse, all treatments were significantly effective in reducing the reproduction of SCN. FeCl 3 •6H 2 O was the best treatment for suppressing cyst production and achieving the highest percentage of nematode inhibition (72.54%).

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of egg age and pre-colonization of cysts by a saprophytic or parasitic fungus on parasitism of Heterodera glycines eggs by other parasitic fungi. In agar and in soil tests, fungi generally parasitized more eggs in early developmental stages than eggs containing a juvenile. The effect of pre-colonization of cysts by a fungus on parasitism of eggs by other fungi depended on the fungi involved. In most cases, pre-colonization of cysts by an unidentified, saprophytic fungal isolate (A-1-24) did not affect parasitism of eggs in the cysts subsequently treated with other fungi. However, pre-colonization of cysts by A-1-24 reduced fungal parasitism of eggs in cysts subsequently treated with Cylindrocarpon destructans isolate 3. In agar tests, pre-colonization of cysts by Chaetomium cochliodes, a saprophytic or weakly parasitic fungus, reduced parasitism of eggs in cysts subsequently treated with Verticillium chlamydosporium Florida isolate, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, ARF18, and another sterile fungus. However, in soil tests, pre-colonization of cysts by C. cochliodes had no effect on parasitism of eggs by subsequent fungal parasites. In another test, parasitism of eggs by V. chlamydosporium in cysts was not affected by pre-colonizing fungi C. destructans, F. oxysporum, and F. solani but was reduced by Mortierella sp., Pyrenochaeta terrestris, and C. cochliodes. Parasitism of eggs in cysts by ARF18 was reduced by pre-colonizing fungi C. destructans, F. oxysporum, F. solani, P. terrestris, and C. cochliodes but not Mortierella sp.

Fungal colonization was determined for females and cysts of Heterodera glycines on soybean roots or in rhizosphere soil from a Florida soybean field. A total of 1,620 females and cysts were examined in 1991, and 1,303 were examined in 1992. More than 35 species of fungi were isolated from females and cysts. The frequency of fungi colonizing white and yellow females was low, but a high frequency of fungi was encountered in brown cysts, which increased with time of exposure of the cysts to the soil. No single fungal species predominated in the nematode females or cysts in this field. Rarely was a female or cyst colonized by more than one fungus. The common fungi isolated from the females and cysts were Neocosmospora vasinfecta, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Dictyochaeta coffeae, Dictyochaeta heteroderae, Pyrenochaeta terrestris, Exophiala pisciphila, Gliocladium catenulatum, Stagonospora heteroderae, and a black yeast-like fungus. The communities of common fungal species isolated from cysts in several regions in the southeastern United States appear to be similar.

The response of a mixed population of Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica to three cultural practices, tobacco cultivars (two cultivars, differing in resistance to M. incognita), cover treatments (three treatments), and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer (two treatments), Pasteuria penetrans, and soil-borne fungi was investigated in a tobacco field in 1991. On all sampling dates, higher densities of root-knot nematodes were observed on tobacco cv. Coker 371 Gold than on K-326. Initially, forage sorghum decreased the number of Meloidogyne spp. on tobacco, compared with weeds and hairy indigo, but had little effect on the density of second-stage juveniles (J2) in soil at mid-season or final harvest. The density of P. penetrans endospores also decreased in soil in forage sorghum plots. On one of four sampling dates, high levels of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer increased the number of P. penetrans endospores produced per nematode female, and decreased the density of Meloidogyne spp. on tobacco. The density of P. penetrans endospores increased in these high-N plots after harvest, especially in the plots planted with K-326. The density of J2 in soil was negatively correlated with both the numbers of endospores attached per J2 and the proportion of J2 with attached endospores in midseason soil samples. No correlation was observed between the nematode density and frequency of fungi colonizing the egg masses of Meloidogyne spp.

Trap crops that stimulate nematode egg hatching but not reproduction have been reported as an effective means for managing certain nematodes. Studies were carried out at two field sites each year in 1998 and 1999 to evaluate the potential of trapping the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) with soybean and pea in the corn year to manage the nematode in Minnesota. The trap crops were planted on the same day as corn at each site and later killed with the herbicide glyphosate. Nematode egg densities were determined at planting, 1 and 2 months after planting, and at harvest. Treatments included four seeding rates (0, 124,000, 247,000, and 494,000 seeds/ha) of resistant soybean as a trap crop and four kill dates (3, 4, 5, and 6 weeks after planting). No effects of the trap-crop and kill-date treatments on H. glycines population density, corn yield, and the followingyear soybean yield were observed at the two locations. In a second study, the experiment included four trap-crop com...

Pasteuria is a genus of obligate endoparasite, spore-forming bacteria with specific isolates antagonistic towards different genera of plant-parasitic nematodes. Pasteuria nishizawae, which parasitizes Heterodera glycines was first reported in North America in 1994. However, poor understanding of basic biology about lifecycle, ideal soil conditions for sporulation, and host preferences of the bacterium make it difficult to culture sufficient endospores for research purposes. Establishment of homogenous spore populations is an essential first step to efforts to optimize conditions for endospore augmentation. Previous reports found heterogeneity in P. penetrans genotypes within a single nematode. In order to elucidate the potential diversity of spore lines, an 800 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene with a 200 bp highly variable region was amplified from endospores. This region is reportedly able to segregate Pasteuria penetrans on an intrapopulation level. Spores from ten different H. glycines cysts were isolated and the genomic DNA was extracted from each sample. The variable region of 16srRNA was amplified and cloned from each sample. Ten clones from each of the ten samples were sequenced. The presence of multiple genotypes from within a single nematode will be discussed.

Diploscapter coronata is a free-living soil bacterial-feeding nematode found in compost, sewage or agricultural soil and as a facultative parasite of insects and vertebrates, even humans. The clinical symptoms include epigastric tenderness, diarrhea, crampy abdominal pain, weakness and nauseas. Also, they have been considered as potential carriers of bacteria pathogenic to the surface of preharvest fruits and vegetables in contact with soil. In this note, we reported the presence of D. coronata in the framework of diverse soil nematodes samplings in orchards of Abasto town, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Soil samples taken from tomato growing (Lycopersicon esculentum) were processed in the laboratory by the centrifugation method, while collected roots were observed directly under stereomicroscope in order to isolate nematodes. Specimens were identified by morphological and morphometric characteristics. Results showed the presence of D. coronata in agricultural soil and in associa...

Leidynema saltense n. sp. (Nematoda, Thelastomatidae), a parasite of larvae of Cyclocephala modesta (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) from Salta province, Argentina, is described and illustrated. This species is characterised by the presence of an intestinal caecum in the female, and four pairs of genital papillae in the male, one pair of which is large, ventral and pre-anal and three pairs are subventral and postanal.

Abstract: This study presents the monthly and annual diet composition and variability of an otter population living at Peri Lagoon, Santa Catarina Island, South Brazil. Food item proportion through the years and months reveals that fish and crustacean are the main food items, followed by birds and mammals. The results reveal no significant difference in the item fish and crustacean in the diet composition among years. However a difference is found through months for fish abundance in the diet and number of feces, with lowest averages for the month of April. Fish in the family Cichlidae is the main prey in the otter’s diet.

Developmental profile of the female reproductive apparatus (the externa) of Polyascus planus parasitizing the thukuhar shore-crab Metopograpsus thukuhar is described. The development is divided into 4 stages, which are named based on the distinct color of the externa at each stage. The effects of parasitism on the gonad and hepatopancreas of the host were then examined. The ovary was heavily infiltrated by the rootlet of the parasite, with the oocytes being arrested at the pre-vitellogenic state, whereas the testis, not being infiltrated, still contained abundant amounts of spermatozoa. The hepatopancreas of the hosts of both sexes was heavily infiltrated by the rootlets. Regarding the synthesis of vitellogenin (Vg), the hemolymph precursor of the major yolk protein (vitellin, Vn), expression of host Vg gene was detected in the ovary and hepatopancreas of both non-parasitized and parasitized females, and, importantly, its expression found to be induced in the hepatopancreas of parasitized males. Furthermore, results of quantitative gene expression assays showed that expression levels of the host Vg in the ovary and hepatopancreas did not change significantly among the various parasitization status (i.e., host bearing externa of different developmental stages), nor did those of the parasite Vg in the externa among the developmental stage of the Frontiers in Marine Science frontiersin.org 01

Summary In this survey of 2003, 600 samples were collected from 96 forest blocks in the counties of AustAgder and Vest-Agder in southern Norway. The sampling activity involved 19 municipalities situated mainly within the two zone sites D and E close to Kristiansand and Arendal. Samples from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) formed 92%, while samples of Norway spruce (Picea abies) made up 8% of the total sample volume. Timber and forest debris was the most common objects sampled. Ninety-eight percent of the samples, regardless of tree species, showed signs of Monochamus activity. Nematodes were common and occurred in 90% of the samples analysed. Eight samples of pinewood were positive for the genus Bursaphelenchus. This genus did not occur in spruce. Bursaphelenchus mucronatus was detected in 6 samples of forest debris of pine attacked by Monochamus and collected in the county of Aust-Agder. In the municipality of Evje and Hornes B. mucronatus was detected at Skjerkelia and Sutestad. In ...

1. Due to globalisation, trade and transport, the spread of alien species is increasing dramatically. Some alien species become ecologically harmful by threatening native biota. This can lead to irreversible changes in local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and, ultimately, to biotic homogenisation.2. We risk‐assessed all alien plants, animals, fungi and algae, within certain delimitations, that are known to reproduce in Norway. Mainland Norway and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard plus Jan Mayen were treated as separate assessment areas. Assessments followed the Generic Ecological Impact Assessment of Alien Species (GEIAA) protocol, which uses a fully quantitative set of criteria.3. A total of 1,519 species were risk‐assessed, of which 1,183 were species reproducing in mainland Norway. Among these, 9% were assessed to have a severe impact, 7% high impact, 7% potentially high impact, and 49% low impact, whereas 29% had no known impact. In Svalbard, 16 alien species were repr...

Summary Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is an important starch staple crop, cultivated primarily in south and southwestern Ethiopia. Enset is the main crop of a sustainable indigenous African system that ensures food security in a country that is food deficient. Related to the banana family, enset is similarly affected by plant-parasitic nematodes. Plant-parasitic nematodes impose a huge constraint on agriculture. The distribution, population density and incidence of plant-parasitic nematodes of enset was determined during August 2018. A total of 308 fields were sampled from major enset-growing zones of Ethiopia. Eleven plant-parasitic nematode taxa were identified, with Pratylenchus (lesion nematode) being the most prominent genus present with a prominence value of 1460. It was present in each sample, with a highest mean population density per growing zone of 16 050 (10 g root)−1, although densities as high as 25 000 were observed in fields at higher altitudes in Guraghe (2200-3000 m a....

The short-lived males of ants and other highly eusocial Hymenoptera are essentially 27 ejaculates with compound eyes, brains and wings to vector sperm to its destination. 28 Males compete for lifetime ejaculate storage by females to produce the equivalent of 29 somatic cells (sterile workers) and new seed-propagules (gynes; males are haploid and 30 have no father) after the colony has become sexually mature. Hymenopteran queens 31 never re-mate later in life, which makes partner commitment between queen and male-32 ejaculate analogous to a sperm and egg committing when forming a zygote that 33 subsequently sequesters a germ line and produces somatic tissues. This semelparous 34 commitment remains unchanged when queens store ejaculates from multiple males and 35 colonies become chimeras of patrilines. The soma of eusocial hymenopteran males may 36 thus not be under selection for more than minimal independent life, but eusocial male 37 ejaculates are unusually long-lived and sperm cells may not be used until years after 38 storage. Somatic repair and immune defence in males should thus be minimal, 39 particularly in response to challenges late in adult life. We tested this idea using males 40 of Atta and Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants and show that lethal infections with the fungal 41 pathogen Metarhizium brunneum affect male sperm quality, but fail to induce an 42 encapsulation immune response. This result is consistent with expectation because 43 fungal infections are highly unlikely to ever reach immature ant males while they are 44 nursed by their sister workers, and because males will die natural deaths after leaving 45 their colonies to mate before new infections can kill them. 46 47 48

Innovative evolutionary developments are often related to gene or genome duplications. The crop fungi of attine fungus-growing ants are suspected to have enhanced genetic variation reminiscent of polyploidy, but this has never been quantified with cytological data and genetic markers. We estimated the number of nuclei per fungal cell for 42 symbionts reared by 14 species of Panamanian fungus-growing ants. This showed that domesticated symbionts of higher attine ants are polykaryotic with 7-17 nuclei per cell, whereas nonspecialized crops of lower attines are dikaryotic similar to most free-living basidiomycete fungi. We then investigated how putative higher genetic diversity is distributed across polykaryotic mycelia, using microsatellite loci and evaluating models assuming that all nuclei are either heterogeneously haploid or homogeneously polyploid. Genetic variation in the polykaryotic symbionts of the basal higher attine genera Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex was only slightly enhanced, but the evolutionarily derived crop fungi of Atta and Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants had much higher genetic variation. Our opposite ploidy models indicated that the symbionts of Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex are likely to be lowly and facultatively polyploid (just over two haplotypes on average), whereas Atta and Acromyrmex symbionts are highly and obligatorily polyploid (ca. 5-7 haplotypes on average). This stepwise transition appears analogous to ploidy variation in plants and fungi domesticated by humans and in fungi domesticated by termites and plants, where gene or genome duplications were typically associated with selection for higher productivity, but allopolyploid chimerism was incompatible with sexual reproduction.

The eusocial ants are unique in that females (queens) acquire and store sperm on a single mating flight early in adult life. This event largely determines the size (possibly millions of workers), longevity (possibly decades) and genetic variation of the colonies that queens found, but our understanding of the fundamental biology of ejaculate production, transfer and physiological function remains extremely limited. We studied the ejaculation process in the leafcutter ant Atta colombica and found that it starts with the appearance of a clear pre-ejaculatory fluid (PEF) at the tip of the endophallus that is followed by the joint expulsion of the remainder of accessory gland (AG) secretion, sperm, accessory testes (AT) secretion, and a small mating plug. PEF, AG secretion and AT secretion all contribute to sperm survival, but PEF and AG secretion also reduce the survival of sperm from other males. We show that PEF is produced in the AGs and is likely identical to AG secretion because p...

In many species, females store sperm between copulation and egg fertilization, but the consequences of sperm storage and patterns of sperm use for female life history and reproductive success have not been investigated in great detail. In hymenopteran insect societies (ants, bees, wasps), reproduction is usually monopolized by one or relatively few queens, who mate only during a brief period early in life and store sperm for later use. The queens of some ants are particularly long-lived and have the potential to produce millions of offspring during their life. To do so, queens store many sperm cells, and this sperm must remain viable throughout the years of storage. Queens should also be under strong selection to use stored sperm prudently when fertilizing eggs. We used the leaf-cutter ant Atta colombica to investigate the dynamics of sperm use during egg fertilization. We show that queens are able to fertilize close to 100 per cent of the eggs and that the average sperm use per egg is very low, but increases with queen age. The robustness of stored sperm was found to decrease with years of storage, signifying that senescence affects sperm either directly or indirectly via the declining glandular secretions or deteriorating sperm-storage organs. We evaluate our findings with a heuristic model, which suggests that the average queen has sperm for almost 9 years of normal colony development. We discuss the extent to which leaf-cutter ant queens have been able to optimize their sperm expenditure and infer that our observed averages of sperm number, sperm robustness and sperm use are consistent with sperm depletion being a significant cause of mortality of mature colonies of Atta leaf-cutter ants.