Influence of temperature and salinity fluctuations on propagation behaviour of partially coherent beams in oceanic turbulence

A theoretical study of the behaviour of partially coherent beams propagating through oceanic turbulence has been performed. Based on the previously developed knowledge of beam spreading of a partially coherent beam in the atmosphere and the spatial power spectrum of the refractive index of ocean water, we study the normalized root-mean-square width of a partially coherent beam on propagation through oceanic turbulence and its turbulence distance which may be a measure of turbulence resistance. Our analysis indicates that the behaviour of partially coherent beams on propagation may be described by the rate of dissipation of the mean-squared temperature chi(T) and that of salinity chi(S). In terms of a quantity w that defines the contributions of the temperature and salinity distributions to the distribution of the refractive index, chi(S) could be written as a function of chi(T) and w. Therefore, the behaviour of partially coherent beams on propagation can be characterized only by chi(T) for a given w. The results are shown for curved surfaces, from which one can see that partially coherent beams exhibit robust turbulence resistance when the water volume has a smaller chi(T).

Feeding, metabolism and growth of brown trout

A short review of the work carried out by the FBA on feeding and growth of brown trout is presented in this article. Since the amount of work done on this subject is quite extensive, this review has to be very selective. The work has been previously described in 10 papers, 9 of which were written by the author (J.M.Elliott) and 1 written by the author and W.Davison- references for these, and the pioneer work of M.E.Brown and F.T.K.Pentelow, are supplied at the end of the article.

Propagation and polarization properties of hollow Gaussian beams in uniaxial crystals

Based on the paraxial vectorial theory of beams propagating in uniaxially anisotropic media, we have derived the analytical propagation equations of hollow Gaussian beams (HGBs) in uniaxial crystals, and given the typical numerical example to illustrate our analytical results. Due to the anisotropy crystals, the ordinary and extraordinary beams originated by incident HGBs propagate with different diffraction lengths, thus the linear polarization state and axial symmetry of incident HGBs do not remain during propagating in crystals. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Growth and maturity of salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) in the eastern and western North Pacific, and comments on back-calculation methods

Age and growth estimates for salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) in the eastern North Pacific were derived from 182 vertebral centra collected from sharks ranging in length from 62.2 to 213.4 cm pre-caudal length (PCL) and compared to previously published age and growth data for salmon sharks in the western North Pacific. Eastern North Pacific female and male salmon sharks were aged up to 20 and 17 years, respectively. Relative marginal increment (RMI) analysis showed that postnatal rings form annually between January and March. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters derived from vertebral length-at-age data are L∞ =207.4 cm PCL, k=0.17/yr, and t0=−2.3 years for females (n=166), and L∞ =182.8 cm PCL, k=0.23/yr , and t0=−1.9 years for males (n=16). Age at maturity was estimated to range from six to nine years for females (median pre-caudal length of 164.7 cm PCL) and from three to five years old for males (median precaudal length of 124.0 cm PCL). Weight-length relationships for females and males in the eastern North Pacific are W=8.2 × 10_05 × L2.759 –06 × L3.383 (r2 =0.99) and W=3.2 × 10 (r2 =0.99), respectively. Our results show that female and male salmon sharks in the eastern North Pacific possess a faster growth rate, reach sexual maturity earlier, and attain greater weight-at-length than their same-sex counterparts living in the western North Pacific.

Distribution and biology of prowfish (Zaprora silenus) in the northeast Pacific

The prowfish (Zaprora silenus) is an infrequent component of bottom trawl catches collected on stock assessment surveys. Based on presence or absence in over 40,000 trawl catches taken throughout Alaskan waters southward to southern California, prowfish are most frequently encountered in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands at the edge of the continental shelf. Based on data from two trawl surveys, relative abundance indicated by catch per swept area reaches a maximum between 100 m and 200 m depth and is much higher in the Aleutian Islands than in the Gulf of Alaska. Females weigh 3.7% more than males of the same length. Weight-length functions are W (g) = 0.0164 L2.92 (males) and W = 0.0170 L2.92 (females). Length at age does not differ between sexes and is described by L = 89.3(1 – e–0.181(t+0.554)), where L is total length in cm and t is age in years. Females reached 50% maturity at a length of 57.0 cm and an age of 5.1 years. Prowfish diet is almost entirely composed of gelatinous zooplankton, primarily scyphozoa and salps.

Some aspects of the biology of Trypauchen vagina Bloch and Schneider of Bombay coast

Morphometrics of 14 metric and 6 meristic characters of Trypauchen vagina of Bombay coast is presented. Number of spines and rays of dorsal, anal and pectoral fins differ with earlier studies. Sexual dimorphism in the length of caudal and anal fins was observed. Length weight relationship of males and females have been worked out to be W = 0.00000 687L super(2.8440) and W = 0.00000 2747L super(3.0274) respectively. The fish is a prolific breeder and peak breeding activity occurs in December. The growth rate was found to be 15.20 mm/month.

Fishery and biology of white sardine, Escualosa thoracata (Valenciennes) at Versova, Bombay

Gill net fishery exclusively for the white sardine, Escualosa thoracata, which started in mid-eighties at Versova, is described. During 1987-88 to 1991-92 periods, the annual average landing of the species was 202.2 tons with year to year fluctuations. The peak fishing season was during April-May. The size range of the species in the gill net was 41-105 mm and the von Bertalanffy growth parameters, L. and K, estimated by the ELEFAN program were 110 mm and 1.8 per year. The length-weight relationship was W=0.000001508 L(super 3.3946) for the males and W=0.000002561 L(super 3.2706) for the females. The food consisted of copepods, cladocerans and crustacean larvae. The size at maturity for the females was 82 mm and spawning took place during October - February period. The sex-ratio showed equal proportion except during January, July and October when females dominated in the catch.

Population dynamics of two jewfishes Jhonius argentatus and Johnieops vogleri) in the coastal waters of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Population parameters of Jhonius argentatus and Johnieops vogleri in coastal waters of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh were estimated by using FiSAT programme. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters, extreme length (cm) and growth constant K (year ·1) were found to be 46.50 and 0.59 for J. argentatus, and 33.50 and 0.85 for J.vogleri The Loc(cm) and Z/K estimates provided by Wetherall plot were 46.694 and 1.791 for J. argentatus, and 31.25 and 2.623 for J. vogleri. The annual rate of natural (M) and fishing mortality (F) were estimated as 1.12 and 0.78 for J. argentatus, and 1.56 and 1.28 for J. vogleri. Rate of exploitation (E) was estimated as 0.41 for J. argentatus and 0.45 for J. vogleri. About 80.04% of J. argentatus were found to be recruited during peak pulses (April-May) and 19.96% during lean pulses (October-November) and 85.75% J. vogleri during peak pulses (May-July) and 14.25% during lean pulses (September-October). The growth performance index(') was 3.11 for J. argentatus and 1.93 for J. vogleri. The total length and body weight relationship was found to be W = 0.0403 TL25723 for J. argentatus and W = 0.0907 TV3482 for J. vogleri.

Diffusive coevolution and mutualism maintenance mechanisms in a fig-fig wasp system

In reciprocal mutualism systems, the exploitation events by exploiters might disrupt the reciprocal mutualism, wherein one exploiter species might even exclude other coexisting exploiter species over an evolutionary time frame. What remains unclear is how such a community is maintained. Niche partitioning, or spatial heterogeneity among the mutualists and exploiters, is generally believed to enable stability within a mutualistic system. However, our examination of a reciprocal mutualism between a fig species (Ficus racemosa) and its pollinator wasp (Ceratosolen fusciceps) shows that spatial niche partitioning does not sufficiently prevent exploiters from overexploiting the common resource (i.e., the female flowers), because of the considerable niche overlap between the mutualists and exploiters. In response to an exploiter, our experiment shows that the fig can (1) abort syconia-containing flowers that have been galled by the exploiter, Apocryptophagus testacea, which oviposits before the pollinators do; and (2) retain syconia-containing flowers galled by Apocryptophagus mayri, which oviposit later than pollinators. However, as a result of (2), there is decreased development of adult non-pollinators or pollinator species in syconia that have not been sufficiently pollinated, but not aborted. Such discriminative abortion of figs or reduction in offspring development of exploiters while rewarding cooperative individuals with higher offspring development by the fig will increase the fitness of cooperative pollinating wasps, but decrease the fitness of exploiters. The fig fig wasp interactions are diffusively coevolved, a case in which fig wasps diversify their genotype, phenotype, or behavior as a result of competition between wasps, while figs diverge their strategies to facilitate the evolution of cooperative fig waps or lessen the detrimental behavior by associated fig wasps. In habitats or syconia that suffer overexploitation, discriminative abortion of figs or reduction in the offspring development of exploiters in syconia that are not or not sufficiently pollinated will decrease exploiter fitness and perhaps even drive the population of exploiters to local extinction, enabling the evolution and maintenance of cooperative pollinators through the movement between habitats or syconia (i.e., the metapopulations).

Age structure, growth and mortality estimates of an endemic Ptychobarbus dipogon (Regan, 1905) (Cyprinidae: Schizothoracinae) in the Lhasa River, Tibet

Ptychobarbus dipogon is an endemic fish in the Yarlung Tsangpo River, but its biology is poorly known. We sampled 582 specimens (total length, TL, between 70.6 and 593.0 mm) from April 2004 to August 2006 in the Lhasa River, Tibet. We estimated ages based on the counts of alternating opaque and translucent zones (annuli) in thin transverse sections of lapilli otoliths. Ages ranged from 1(+) to 23(+) years for males and 1(+) to 44(+) for females. The observed 44(+) years was the oldest reported for schizothoracine fishes. Females attained a larger size than males. The TL weight relationship was W=7.12 x 10(-6)TL(3.006) for combined sexes. The growth parameters fitted von Bertalanffy growth functions were L-infinity = 598.66 mm, k=0.0898 year(-1), t(0)=-0.7261 year and W-infinity = 1585.38 g for females and L-infinity = 494.23mm, k=0.1197 year(-1), t(0)=-0.7296 year and W-infinity = 904.88g for males. The longevities of 32.7 year for females and 24.3 year for males were similar to the observed ages. Using an empirical model we estimated the instantaneous rate of total mortality (Z) at 0.28 per year in the lower reaches. Z in the upper and middle stocks was close to the M because of unexploited or lightly exploited stock. Protracted longevity, slow growth, low natural mortality and large body size were typical characteristics of P. dipogon. The current declining trend of P. dipogon could be prevented by altering fishing regulations.

Age and growth of Schizopygopsis younghusbandi younghusbandi in the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, China

Schizopygopsis younghusbandi younghusbandi is an endemic species whose distribution is restricted to the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, being one of the most important commercial fishes in this area. Age and growth of 606 specimens captured between October 2002 and April 2005 were studied. The range in standard length (L) was 65.7-387.3 mm and total weight (W) was 3.3-772.0 g. The relationship between L and W was W=0.000909L(2.2493) for males and W=0.000259L(2.4781) for females. Age, determined from anal scales and lapillus otoliths, ranged from 3 to 18 years. The parameters of von Bertalanffy growth functions, estimated by back-calculated length, were L-infinity = 442.7mm L, k=0.0738 year(-1) and t(0)=-1.4 year for males, and L-infinity = 471.4mm L, k=0.0789 year(-1) and t(0)=0.2 year for females. Males and females exhibited statistically significant differences in growth. chi(2)-test indicated that von Bertalanffy growth functions could well describe the growth of S. y. younghusbandi. The longevities were 39.2 and 38.2 years for males and females, respectively. Growth inflexion points were 10.2 and 12.0 years for males and females, respectively, but 84.8% of the captures were at the smaller ages. So conservation and management schemes for this population should be considered urgently. In addition, we found that populations from the upstream of the Lhasa River, the downstream of the Lhasa River and the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River showed statistically significant differences in growth patterns.