Pleopod Cuticular Morphology as an Index of Moult Stage in the Ornate Rock Lobster, Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius 1789)

Seven discrete stages and substages of moulting in the ornate rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus, have been distinguished by microscopic examination of the cuticle and setae of the pleopods . The diagnostic features and the duration of each of the stages are described. Freezing did not visually alter the tissue features used to identify each moult stage. Pleopod morphology can reliably indicate whether a lobster has moulted within the previous 24 h or is within 72 h of the next ecdysis.

Validation of a Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Babesia bigemina Antibodies in Cattle

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) based on a broadly conserved, species-specific, B-cell epitope within the C terminus of Babesia bigemina rhoptry-associated protein 1a was validated for international use. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed 16% inhibition as the threshold for a negative result, with an associated specificity of 98.3% and sensitivity of 94.7%. Increasing the threshold to 21% increased the specificity to 100% but modestly decreased the sensitivity to 87.2%. By using 21% inhibition, the positive predictive values ranged from 90.7% (10% prevalence) to 100% (95% prevalence) and the negative predictive values ranged from 97.0% (10% prevalence) to 48.2% (95% prevalence). The assay was able to detect serum antibody as early as 7 days after intravenous inoculation. The cELISA was distributed to five different laboratories along with a reference set of 100 defined bovine serum samples, including known positive, known negative, and field samples. The pairwise concordance among the five laboratories ranged from 100% to 97%, and all kappa values were above 0.8, indicating a high degree of reliability. Overall, the cELISA appears to have the attributes necessary for international application.

Developments in controlled green-water larval culture technologies for estuarine fishes in Queensland, Australia and elsewhere

Since 1989, researchers with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) in Queensland, Australia, have successfully used controlled low-water exchange green-water cultures to rear the larvae of estuarine fishes and crustaceans through to metamorphosis. High survivals and excellent fry condition have been achieved for several commercially important endemic species produced for various projects. They include barramundi or sea bass, Lates calcarifer, Australian bass, Macquaria novemaculeata, dusky flathead, Platycephalus fuscus, sand whiting, Sillago ciliata, red sea bream or snapper, Pagrus auratus, banana prawn, Fenneropenaeus merguiensis, and others. The consistent success of our standardised and relatively simple approach at different localities has led to it being incorporated into general fingerling production practices at several establishments in Australia. Although post-metamorphosis rearing methods have differed for each species investigated, due to various biological and behavioural traits and project requirements, these larval rearing methods have been successful with few species-specific modifications. Initially modelled on the Taiwanese approach to rearing Penaeids in aerated low-water exchange cultures, the approach similarly appears to rely on a beneficial assemblage of micro-organisms. Conceptually, these micro-organisms may include a mixture of the air-borne primary invaders of pure phytoplankton cultures when exposed to outdoor conditions. Whilst this would vary with different sites, our experiences with these methods have consistently been favourable. Mass microalgal cultures with eco-physiological youth are used to regularly augment larval fish cultures so that rearing conditions simulate an exponential growth-phase microalgal bloom. Moderate to heavy aeration prevents settlement of particulate matter and encourages aerobic bacterial decomposition of wastes. The green-water larval rearing approach described herein has demonstrated high practical utility in research and commercial applications, and has greatly simplified marine finfish hatchery operations whilst generally lifting production capacities for metamorphosed fry in Australia. Its potential uses in areas of aquaculture other than larviculture are also discussed.

The introduction and release of Chiasmia inconspicua and C. assimilis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) for the biological control of Acacia nilotica in Australia

Two geometrid moths Chiasmia inconspicua and Chiasmia assimilis, identified as potential biological control agents for prickly acacia Acacia nilotica subsp. indica, were collected in Kenya and imported into quarantine facilities in Australia where laboratory cultures were established. Aspects of the biologies of both insects were studied and CLIMEX® models indicating the climatically favourable areas of Australia were developed. Host range tests were conducted using an approved test list of 74 plant species and no-choice tests of neonate larvae placed on both cut foliage and potted plants. C. inconspicua developed through to adult on prickly acacia and, in small numbers, Acacia pulchella. C. assimilis developed through to adult on prickly acacia and also in very small numbers on A. pulchella, A. deanei, A. decurrens, and A. mearnsii. In all experiments, the response on prickly acacia could be clearly differentiated from the responses on the non-target species. Both insects were approved for release in Australia. Over a three-year period releases were made at multiple sites in north Queensland, almost all in inland areas. There was no evidence of either insect's establishment and both colonies were terminated. A new colony of C. assimilis was subsequently established from insects collected in South Africa and releases of C. assimilis from this new colony were made into coastal and inland infestations of prickly acacia. Establishment was rapid at one coastal site and the insect quickly spread to other infestations. Establishment at one inland area was also confirmed in early 2006. The establishment in coastal areas supported a CLIMEX model that indicated that the climate of coastal areas was more suitable than inland areas.

International Society for Applied Ethology. Special issue: a selection of papers from the 39th International Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE), Tokyo, Japan, August 2005

Welcome to the latest collection of papers selected from the International Society for Applied Ethology's (ISAE's) annual congress. The ISAE is a multi-faceted scientific society that supports applied research on animals that are managed by humans. Every year, we aim to invite congress participants who have submitted papers, plenary talks, run workshops, or presented the memorial lecture on theoretical, review or discussion papers of topical interest to contribute to the Special Issue. These papers are peer-reviewed before being published here in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. This year, we have a variety of papers to bring to your attention. The David Wood-Gush Memorial lecture, the keynote address of the congress, was given by Shigeru Watanabe on animal cognition and welfare. His paper highlights how animal's sensory capabilities relate to their welfare. On the topic of human–animal bonds, Stine Christiansen and Björn Forkman explore how animal welfare is assessed in a veterinary context, and how those assessments might be improved by ethologists. Yoshie Kakuma and co-authors report on the discussions from a workshop on the welfare of working and companion dogs in five different countries. Based on their plenary lectures, Michael Cockram discusses the factors that affect farmed animals during road transport and how these might contribute in making decisions to restrict journey times, while Clive Phillips and co-author Danica Peck examine how personality influences the behaviour and interactions between zoo-housed tigers and their keepers. We hope you enjoy these papers. Our sincere thanks go to both the authors and referees, without whom these special issues would not be possible. A selection of papers from the 39th International Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE), Tokyo, Japan, August 2005.

Agonosoma trilineatum (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) a biological control agent of the weed bellyache bush, Jatropha gossypiifolia (Euphorbiaceae)

Bellyache bush, Jatropha gossypiifolia L., is a serious weed of northern Australia. Agonosoma trilineatum (F.) is an insect from tropical America released in Australia in 2003 as a biological control agent against bellyache bush. It feeds on seeds and has the potential to reduce seed production, thereby potentially reducing the rate of spread and recruitment. To test the host specificity of A. trilineatum, four biological responses to host plant species were determined: development of nymphs, oviposition preferences, adult feeding and frequency of mating. Development of nymphs to adults and adult feeding only occurred on three Jatropha spp. These species also supported mating and oogenesis but only J. gossypiifolia was accepted for oviposition. Mating did not occur in the presence of other plant species. The evidence indicates that there is little risk associated with the release of this insect species in Australia and probably other countries where this weed is a problem. The probability of this insect expanding its host range is low because multiple aspects of the biology would need to change simultaneously. A. trilineatum was released in Australia between 2003 and 2007. A Climex model indicated that coastal areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory would be climatically most suitable for this insect.

Evaluation of Ustilago sporoboli-indici as a classical biological control agent for invasive Sporobolus grasses in Australia

Sporobolus pyramidalis, S. africanus, S. natalensis, S. fertilis and S. jacquemontii, known collectively as the weedy Sporobolus grasses, are exotic weeds causing serious economic losses in grazing areas along Australia's entire eastern coast. In one of the first attempts to provide biological control for a grass, the potential of a smut, Ustilago sporoboli-indici, as a biological control agent for all five weedy Sporobolus spp. found in Australia was evaluated in glasshouse studies. Application of basidiospores to 21-day-old Sporobolus seedlings and subsequent incubation in a moist chamber (26 °C, 90% RH, 48 h) resulted in infection of S. pyramidalis, S. africanus, S. natalensis and S. fertilis but not S. jacquemontii. Host-range trials with 13 native Australian Sporobolus spp. resulted in infection of four native species. Evaluation of damage caused by the smut on two Australian native and two weedy Sporobolus spp. showed that the total numbers of flowers infected for the four grasses were in the following order: S. creber > S. fertilis > S. elongatus > S. natalensis with percentage flower infections of 21%, 14%, 12% and 3%, respectively. Significant differences (P = 0.001) were found when the numbers of infected flowers caused by each treatment were compared. The infection of the four native Sporobolus spp. by the smut indicated that it was not sufficiently host specific for release in Australia and the organism was rejected as a potential biological control agent. The implications of these results are discussed.

Prospects for the biological control of the weedy sporobolus grasses in Australia.

Bill Palmer and colleagues recently published their paper 'Prospects for the biological control of the weedy sporobolus grasses in Australia' in Proceedings of the 16th Australian Weeds Conference. The paper gives a summary of a recent project to find a biological control for the weedy sporobolus grasses, which include giant rat's tail grass. Southern Africa was surveyed for potential agents and two, a leaf smut and a stem wasp, were selected for follow up studies. Unfortunately, they could not rear the stem wasp in the laboratory and the leaf smut infected four of the Australian native Sporobolus spp. and was therefore rejected. This project was one of the first attempts at biological control of a grass.

Applications of CLIMEX modelling leading to improved biological control

Wilmot Senaratne, Bill Palmer and Bob Sutherst recently published their paper 'Applications of CLIMEX modelling leading to improved biological control' in Proceedings of the 16th Australian Weeds Conference. They looked at three examples where modern climate matching techniques using computer software produces decisions and results than might happen using previous techniques such as climadiagrams. Assessment of climatic suitability is important at various stages of a biological control project; from initial foreign exploration, to risk assessment in preparation for the release of a particular agent, through to selection of release sites that maximise the agent´s chances of initial establishment. It is now also necessary to predict potential future distributions of both target weeds and agents under climate change.

The host range and biology of Cometaster pyrula; a biocontrol agent for Acacia nilotica subsp. indica in Australia

Prickly acacia, Acacia nilotica subsp. indica (Benth.) Brenan, a major weed of the Mitchell Grass Downs of northern Queensland, Australia, has been the target of biological control projects since the 1980s. The leaf-feeding caterpillar Cometaster pyrula (Hopffer) was collected from Acacia nilotica subsp. kraussiana (Benth.) Brenan during surveys in South Africa to find suitable biological control agents, recognised as a potential agent, and shipped into a quarantine facility in Australia. Cometaster pyrula has a life cycle of approximately 2 months during which time the larvae feed voraciously and reach 6 cm in length. Female moths oviposit a mean of 339 eggs. When presented with cut foliage of 77 plant species, unfed neonates survived for 7 days on only Acacia nilotica subsp. indica and Acacia nilotica subsp. kraussiana. When unfed neonates were placed on potted plants of 14 plant species, all larvae except those on Acacia nilotica subsp. indica and Acacia nilotica subsp. kraussiana died within 10 days of placement. Cometaster pyrula was considered to be highly host specific and safe to release in Australia. Permission to release C. pyrula in Australia was obtained and the insect was first released in north Queensland in October 2004. The ecoclimatic model CLIMEX indicated that coastal Queensland was climatically suitable for this insect but that inland areas were only marginally suitable.

Maximising the contribution of native-range studies towards the identification and prioritisation of weed biocontrol agents

Effective study in the native range to identify potential agents underpins all efforts in classical biological control of weeds. Good agents that demonstrate both a high degree of host specificity and the potential to be damaging are a very limited resource and must therefore be carefully studied and considered. The overseas component is often operationally difficult and expensive but can contribute considerably more than a list of herbivores attacking a particular target. While the principles underlying this foreign component have been understood for some time, recently developed technologies and methods can make very significant contributions to foreign studies. Molecular and genetic characterisations of both target weed and agent organism can be increasingly employed to more accurately define the identity and phylogeny of them. Climate matching and modelling software is now available and can be utilised to better select agents for particular regions of concern. Relational databases can store collection information for analysis and future enquiry while quantification of sampling effort, employment of statistical survey methods and analysis by techniques such as rarefaction curves contribute to efficient and effective searching. Obtaining good and timely identifications for discovered agent organisms is perhaps the most serious issue confronting the modern explorer. The diminishing numbers of specialist taxonomists employed at the major museums while international and national protocols demand higher standards of identity exacerbates the issue. Genetic barcoding may provide a very useful tool to overcome this problem. Native-range work also offers under-exploited opportunities for contributing towards predicting safety, abundance and efficacy of potential agents in their target environment.

The host range of Isturgia deeraria, an insect considered for the biological control of Acacia nilotica in Australia

The geometrid caterpillar Isturgia deerraria was imported from Kenya into quarantine facilities in Australia as a potential biological control agent for prickly acacia, Acacia nilotica subsp. indica (Benth.) Brenan (family Mimosaceae). The insect was then tested on 30 plant species presented to neonate larvae as a no-choice cut foliage test and 13 plant species presented as a no-choice potted plant test. In these tests the insect was able to complete its life cycle on 13 native Acacia spp. and also on Acacia farnesiana and the exotic ornamental Delonix regia (family Caesalpiniaceae). The tests supported field observations that the insect has a host range spanning many leguminous species and as such the insect could not be considered for release in Australia.

Use of CLIMEX modelling to identify prospective areas for exploration to find new biological control agents for prickly acacia

Selection of biocontrol agents that are adapted to the climates in areas of intended release demands a thorough analysis of the climates of the source and release sites. We present a case study that demonstrates how use of the CLIMEX software can improve decision making in relation to the identification of prospective areas for exploration for agents to control the woody weed, prickly acacia Acacia nilotica ssp. indica in the arid areas of north Queensland.

Towards Ecologically Sustainable Management of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery. CRC Torres Strait Task T1.5 – Final Report

This publication, which is the final report to the Torres Strait Cooperative Research Centre, provides an overview of all the research that was conducted as part of the Torres Strait CRC Task 1.5 - Towards Ecologically Sustainable Management of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery The objectives of the task were: To develop cost-effective protocols to monitor and quantify the bycatch and environmental impacts of commercial prawn trawling. To monitor the status of target species using both fishery dependent and fishery independent data. To develop biological reference points for target species and undertake management strategy evaluation, in particular a risk assessment of fishing at various levels of fishing mortality. This report focuses on the second component of objective 1 and details a comparative analysis of bycatch samples collected from areas of the Torres Strait that were both closed and open to prawn trawl fishing. The report also reviews the research conducted in relation to objectives 2 and 3 which are detailed in a separate report, Stock Assessment of the Torres Strait Tiger Prawn Fishery (Penaeus esculentus).