KHAWIA SAUROGOBII N. SP (CESTODA: CARYOPHYLLIDEA) FROM FRESHWATER FISH SAUROGOBIO SPP. (CYPRINIDAE) IN CHINA

Khawia saurogobii n. sp. is described from the intestine of the cyprinid fishes Saurogobio dabryi and Saurogobio dumerili in China. The new species belongs to the Lytocestidae and is placed in Khawia because of its afossate scolex, vitelline follicles in the cortical parenchyma, uterus not looping anterior to the cirrus sac, gonopores separate but close together in distinct genital atrium, external seminal vesicle absent, and postovarian follicles present. The new species differs from other congeneric species by the shape of the body markedly tapering posteriorly from the end of the anterior third, the shape of the scolex that is very short and markedly wider than the neck, spatulate without incisions, but shallow superficial grooves, vitelline follicles and testes starting immediately posterior to the scolex, and an ovary with long, posterior arms bent medially, thus giving the shape of an inverted A.

Two spawning stocks of icefish Neosalanx taihuensis revealed from annual reproductive cycle analyses

Neosalanx taihuensis were sampled from the Tian-e-zhou Oxbow from March 2006 through November 2007. Two separate spawning seasons were identified based on the annual reproductive cycles of the females, designated as the autumn-spawning season and the spring-spawning season. Lifespan of the offspring of the spring-spawning fish was 1 year, with them dying after the subsequent spring spawning. Autumn-spawned females seem to be the offspring of the spring-spawning fish, based on monthly changes in the length-frequency distributions. Spring-mature females had higher absolute fecundity, gonadosomatic index, and relative condition factor in 2007 than in 2006. Relative condition factor of the immature female offspring of spring-spawning fish was higher in 2007 than in 2006, portending a further increase in reproductive investment during the spring spawning of 2008. The increasing reproductive investment suggests that the population of N. taihuensis in the Tian-e-zhou Oxbow may be recovering from its recent decline.

Gonad development of an anadromous fish Coilia ectenes (Engraulidae) in lower reach of Yangtze River, China

Anadromous Coilia ectenes was sampled from the Yangtze estuary at Chongming and two of the primary upstream spawning grounds at Jingjiang and Anqing in April, May, June and August 2006. Gonad development was analyzed for females. In April, fish were collected in the estuary and at Jingjiang, but not at Anqing. No female was mature (gonad at stages IV or V) at either location. In May, 45% of the females were mature in the estuary, 9% at Jingjiang and 5% at Anqing. In June, 86% were mature in the estuary, 83% at Jingjiang and 7% at Anqing. In August, C. ectenes was absent at Jingjiang. No female was mature in the estuary, and all females were mature at Anqing. Absolute fecundity (AF) increased significantly with standard length (SL) by a power function AF = 2.27 x 10(-6) x SL2.67 (r(2) = 0.57, n = 48, P < 0.05). Mature females in the estuary were smaller than those at Jingjiang and Anqing. Conservation of spawners in the upstream spawning grounds is important because they have a size-related fecundity advantage over the smaller spawners in the estuary.

Genetic structure of Chinese sucker population Myxocyprinus asiaticus in the Yangtze River based on mitochondrial DNA marker

The sequencing analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region (mtCR DNA) was performed to assess the genetic divergence and population structure of the Chinese sucker Myxocyprinus asiaticus (Cypriniformes Catostomidae) using four sample lots from natural populations of the Yangtze River. The mtCR DNA sequences of approximately 920 base pairs were obtained. A total of 223 nucleotide positions were polymorphic, and these defined 39 haplotypes. Of the 39 haplotypes, 37 (90%) were not shared, and among the populations as a whole there was little sharing of haplotypes. The average haplotype diversity (0.958) and the average nucleotide diversity (0.052) indicated a higher level of genetic diversity of Chinese sucker through the river. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) of data revealed significant partitioning of variance (P<0.001) among populations (60.29%), and within populations (39.71%). The topology according to the neighbor joining and maximum parsimony methods showed mosaic composition of the 39 haplotypes, suggesting that the populations wore not completely divergent. The pairwise F statistic values, however, indicated that the population structuring existed to some extent among the geographic populations. There was a positive relationship between the aquatic distance and the genetic distance (Fst) among the populations (P<0.05). Based on our data, it is suggested that genetic drift, gene flow, and stochastic events are the possible factors influencing the population structure and genetic variation.

Effects of doubled atmospheric CO2 concentration on the photosynthesis and growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultured at varied levels of light

Chlorella pyrenoidosa was cultured with 350 and 700 p.p.m.v. CO2 at varied levels of light to see the impacts of doubled atmospheric CO2 concentration on its growth and photosynthesis. The CO2 enrichment did not affect the growth rate (mu), but significantly increased the cell density when light was sufficiently supplied. The CO2 enrichment significantly depressed light-saturated photosynthesis and dark respiration in the cells grown under a high-light regime, but not those under a low-light regime. The light-saturating point for photosynthesis and photosynthetic efficiency was not affected by the CO2 enrichment under either the high-light or low-light conditions.

Temperature variation through 2000 years in China: An uncertainty analysis of reconstruction and regional difference

Chinese Academy of Sciences [KZCX2-YW-315, KZCX2-YW-Q1-01]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [40625002, 90502009, 200905006]; Office of Science (BER), U. S. Department of Energy ; EU/FP7 [212250]

Necessity of dietary lecithin and eicosapentaenoic acid for growth, survival, stress resistance and lipoprotein formation in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata

The substitution of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) reduces larval growth in gilthead sea bream. However, the value of EPA when dietary DHA is able to meet the requirements of the larvae has not been sufficiently studied. Dietary phosphoacylgliceride levels also affect fish growth and it has been suggested that they enhance lipid transport in developing larvae. The present experiment was carried out to further study the effect of dietary lecithin and eicosapentaenoic acid on growth, survival, stress resistance,. larval fatty acid composition and lipid transport, when DHA is present in the microdiets of gilthead:sea bream. Eighteen thousand gilt-head sea bream larvae of 4.99+/-0.53 mm total length were fed three microdiets tested by triplicate: a control diet [2% soybean lecithin (SBL) and 2.89% EPA], a low EPA diet,(2% SBL and 1.63% EPA) and a no SBL diet (0% SBL and 2.71% EPA). Handling, temperature and salinity tests determined larval resistance to stress. The results show that when dietary DHA levels are high, but dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) levels are about 0.2%, EPA is necessary to improve larval growth, and survival. Larval EPA content, but not DHA or ARA, was affected by dietary EPA levels. Increased dietary EPA improved larval stress resistance to handling and temperature tests, which could be related to its possible role as a regulator of cortisol production whereas it did not affect stress resistance after salinity shock. Larvae fed the no SBL diet showed a lower lipid content characterized by a low proportion of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, together with a significant reduction in the appearance of lipoprotein particles in the lamina propria and in the size of such particles, denoting a critical reduction in dietary lipid transport and utilization, and lower larval growth and survival rates.

华南下寒武统层序框架的初步构建―以遵义松林地区为例

华南下寒武统保存着国际著名的生物群（如澄江生物群），同时蕴藏着磷块岩、重晶石、稀土及Ni-Mo-PGE等丰富的矿产资源，因此，它一直为地质科学家们持续关注的热点之一。关于华南下寒武统的研究，前人在古生物学方面已经取得了卓著的成就，主要表现在国际权威期刊上（如期刊《Science》和《Nature》）已发表大量的关于澄江生物群的研究成果，对早期生命演化研究具有重要而广泛的影响。然而，华南下寒武统年代学及国际对比研究方面已明显滞后，公开发表的华南下寒武统的高精度、可靠的锆石U-Pb年龄数据至本研究论文截稿时止仍然仅有唯一的一个，即Jenkins et al. (2002)报道的国际前寒武系-寒武系界线层型候选剖面―云南晋宁梅树村剖面的朱家菁组中谊村段中部（第5层）钾质斑脱岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄（538.2 ± 1.5 Ma）。因而，华南下寒武统中的重要生物群、矿床及具全球对比意义的C同位素漂移事件缺乏地层精确年龄的约束，进而制约了早期生命演化理论、矿床成因解释及地层国际对比等方面研究的发展。 近来，发现华南下寒武统赋存独特的钾质斑脱岩层，它们在横向上广泛分布于云南东部、四川峨眉麦地坪、贵州西部（如织金和金沙岩孔）及北部（如遵义松林）、湖北宜昌泰山庙和湖南张家界等地区，在地层序列垂向上主要产出于朱家菁组中谊村段中部、石岩头组底部以及它们的相当层位。这些钾质斑脱岩既是建立地层框架等时层潜在的物质基础，亦是获取地层精确锆石U-Pb年龄的具重要意义的研究对象之一。因此，对它们进行系统研究可望改观华南下寒武统年代学及国际对比研究方面的落后现状。 同时，华南下寒武统广泛产出的磷块岩既具有重要的资源价值，另一方面，任一磷块岩层代表着一次独立的成磷事件，因而将华南地区下寒武统磷块岩进行区域上的对比研究，从而以磷块岩层作为等时层，对构建华南下寒武统地层框架具有重要的地层学意义。 此外，华南下寒武统产出的Ni-Mo多元素富集层广泛分布于扬子地台范围，西起云南东部，东部延至浙江诸暨地区，在NE-SW向延伸近1600 km，它既代 表了重要的成矿事件，亦为关键的地球化学异常层位。因此，对Ni-Mo多元素富集层进行区域上的对比研究，明确它在华南下寒武统各重要剖面的产出位置，对于构建华南下寒武统层序框架具有重要意义。 遵义松林地区的下寒武统因赋存Ni-Mo-PGE矿床及与滇东地区澄江生物群相当的遵义生物群而日益受到国内外地质学家们的广泛关注。该区牛蹄塘组底部产出磷块岩、钾质斑脱岩及Ni-Mo多元素富集层，与滇东地区梅树村剖面出露的地层具有潜在的可对比性。因此，本研究选取近年来日益受科学家们关注的遵义松林地区下寒武统作为研究对象，重点对该区牛蹄塘组底部的钾质斑脱岩开展矿物学、地球化学和年代学研究。同时，将遵义松林地区下寒武统剖面上磷块岩、钾质斑脱岩、Ni-Mo多元素富集层主要与滇东地区梅树村剖面的相应岩层进行地球化学对比研究。研究的目的在于通过对华南地区上述两条代表性的下寒武统剖面进行地层对比研究，初步构建华南下寒武统具时间、空间涵义的层序框架，从而约束华南下寒武统中的重要生物群、矿床及具全球对比意义的C同位素漂移事件的时间，进一步促进华南下寒武统的划分和全球对比。论文获得以下主要结论性认识： （1）滇东地区朱家菁组中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩及其邻近的磷块岩可构成华南下寒武统层序框架的第一个标志层。这一标志层在贵州大部分地区（或华南地区的多数下寒武统剖面）缺失。该标志层的磷块岩稀土元素总量和Y含量高于新元古代陡山沱期磷块岩，低于遵义松林地区牛蹄塘组底部及其华南其它地区相当层位（石岩头组底部及戈仲伍组）的磷块岩。第一个标志层的钾质斑脱岩的原始岩浆为亚碱性系列的酸性岩浆，其典型特征为具有较低的Zr（变化范围144×10-6~291×10-6，平均196.4×10-6）、Nb（变化范围10×10-6~13×10-6，平均11.86×10-6）含量和较高的Zr/Nb比值（变化范围为12.63~24.24，平均值为16.55）。这一层钾质斑脱岩的锆石U-Pb年龄为538.2±1.5 Ma（Jenkins et al., 2002）。 （2）遵义松林地区牛蹄塘组底部钾质斑脱岩和磷块岩分别相当于滇东地区石岩头组底部钾质斑脱岩和磷块岩，它们构成华南下寒武统层序框架的第二个标志层。该标志层中钾质斑脱岩的原始岩浆性质为中性岩浆，其碱性程度高于朱家菁组中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩的原始岩浆。相对于中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩，该层位的钾质斑脱岩具有高的Zr(变化范围187.0910-6~391.5710-6，平均值318.4010-6)、Nb（49.6910-6~140.0010-6，平均值90.6810-6）含量和低的Zr/Nb（2.60~4.32，平均值3.61）比值。该钾质斑脱岩的年龄为518 ± 5 Ma。该标志层的磷块岩以极其富REE和Y为特征，其稀土元素总量平均值为636.01×10-6，Y含量平均值262.43×10-6，明显高于滇东地区中谊村段磷块岩（∑REE平均值为195.45×10-6，Y含量平均值为91.2310-6），它们代表早寒武世时期一次特殊的以极其富REE和Y为特征的成磷事件。 （3）Ni-Mo多元素富集层可以作为构建华南下寒武统层序框架中的第三个等时标志层。滇东地区梅树村剖面的Ni-Mo多元素富集层被重新校正在玉案山组底部（即13层，Ni、Mo含量分别为135×10-6和583×10-6）。Ni-Mo多元素地球化学标志层的典型特征为在剖面上具Ni、Mo等多种微量元素及贵金属元素的最高异常。该标志层的Re-Os年龄为537~542 Ma，可能代表的不是地层层序的年龄。 （4）初步建立华南下寒武统时间框架。约束了华南地区下寒武统Ni-Mo-PGE矿床的下限年龄应为518 ± 5 Ma。同时，该时间框架亦约束了滇东地区澄江生物群及最古老三叶虫的下限年龄（518 ± 5 Ma），考虑到石岩头组底部钾质斑脱岩的产出位置与玉案山组中部澄江生物群的产出层位存在相当的距离（大于80 m），因此，前人对澄江生物群的推测年龄（525~530 Ma）可能有些偏老。此外，初步约束了华南地区具全球对比意义的C同位素正漂移事件的年龄（538~518 Ma）。该时间框架是建立在两个相互支持的地层高精度锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄的基础之上，而国际前寒武系-寒武系界线年龄的最新研究成果为542 Ma，因此，它支持将华南地区的前寒武系-寒武系界线置于朱家菁组中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩层（第5层）的下伏地层的方案。结合华南地区最新的地层古生物学研究成果（朱茂炎等，2001；Zhu et al., 2003），将这一界线置于朱家菁组中谊村段底界可作为一种合理的选择。