黄海浮游动物功能群的研究

浮游动物在海洋生态系统物质循环和能量流动中起着至关重要的作用。浮游动物物种组成、生物量和次级生产力的变化会改变生态系统的结构和功能。在黄海生态系统中如何描述这个过程，并使它易于模拟是本论文的研究目的。生物量和生产力是海洋生态系统食物网的基础。谁是浮游动物生物量和次级生产力的基础？哪些种类在生态系统中起关键作用？这些问题在黄海这样的温带陆架边缘海区很难回答，原因是物种组成、生物量和生产力的季节变化显著。因此，在对黄海食物产出的关键过程进行模拟时，需要应用既准确又简便的方法来对浮游动物群落的生态过程进行模拟。在对黄海浮游动物群落结构和物理海洋学特征进行充分的分析之后，浮游动物功能群的方法被确定用来进行黄海生态系统结构和功能的模拟。 根据浮游动物的粒径、摄食习性和营养功能，黄海浮游动物被分为6个功能群：大型浮游甲壳动物功能群（Giant crustacean，GC）、大型桡足类功能群（Large copepods, LC）、小型桡足类功能群（Small copepods，SC）、毛颚类功能群（Chaetognaths）、水母类功能群（Medusae）和海樽类功能群（Salps）。GC、LC和SC是按照粒径大小而划分的功能群，他们是高营养层次的主要食物资源。毛颚类和水母类是两类胶质性的肉食性浮游动物功能群，他们与高营养层次竞争摄食饵料浮游动物；海樽类与其他浮游动物种类竞争摄食浮游植物，而本身的物质和能量却不能有效的传递到高营养层次。本文研究报道了浮游动物各功能群的时空分布、基于浮游动物动能群的黄海生态区划分、饵料浮游动物功能群的生产力、毛颚类对浮游动物的摄食压力以及中华哲水蚤（Calanus sinicus）的摄食生态学。 春季，浮游动物生物量为2.1 g m–2，GC、LC和SC对生物量的贡献率分别为19, 44 和 26%。高生物量的LC和SC功能群主要分布于山东半岛南岸的近岸海域，而GC主要分布在远岸站位。夏季，浮游动物的生物量为3.1 g m–2，GC贡献了73%。GC、LC和SC主要分布在黄海的中部海域。秋季，浮游动物生物量为1.8 g m–2，GC、LC和SC的贡献率相似，分别为36, 33和23%，高生物量的GC和LC分布在黄海中部，而SC主要分布在远岸站位。GC和LC是冬季浮游动物生物量（2.9 g m–2）的优势功能群，分别贡献率了57%和27%，高生物量的GC、LC和SC都分布在黄海的中部海域。与GC、LC和SC相比，毛颚类生物量较低，主要分布于黄海的中北部海域。水母类（本文中指小型水母类）和海樽类斑块分布明显，主要分布于黄海沿岸和北部海域。属于不同功能群的约10个种类为浮游动物的优势种，控制着浮游动物群落的动态。 春季，黄海可以被分成4个浮游动物生态区，浮游动物生物量的分布中心位于山东半岛南岸近岸海域，与第一个生态区相对应，LC和SC在分布中心起主要的控制作用；夏、秋和冬季，黄海分别被分成3、4和3个生态区，浮游动物生物量的分布中心均位于黄海的中部海域，均与各季节的第一个生态区相对应，GC和LC是分布中心生态区的优势功能群，对分布中心起主要的控制作用。黄海冷水团（YSCBW）在GC、LC和SC的空间分布模式中起着重要的作用。黄海不同季节浮游动物生态区的空间分布模式及生态区中起控制作用的优势功能群类别有着重要的生态学意义。 我们将饵料浮游动物功能群细化为0.16–0.25 mm、0.25–0.5 mm、0.5–1 mm、1–2 mm和 >2 mm5个粒径组。应用生物能量学的方法研究了不同粒径浮游动物的生产力。结果表明：浮游动物次级生产力5月份最高，为91.9 mg C m–2 d–1，其次是6月和9月，分别为75.6 mg C m–2 d–1和65.5 mg C m–2 d–1，8月、3月和12月较低，仅为42.3 mg C m–2 d–1、35.9 mg C m–2 d–1和27.9 mg C m–2 d–1。根据这些结果，黄海浮游动物年次级生产力为18.9 g C m–2 year–1。0.16–0.25 mm和 0.25–0.5 mm 两个粒径组对浮游动物次级生产力的贡献率为58–79%，即相对应的SC功能群的周转率（P/B, 0.091–0.193 d–1）要高于GC和LC。 黄海毛颚类功能群的优势种类为强壮箭虫（Sagitta crassa）、纳嘎箭虫（S. nagae）、肥胖箭虫（S. enflata）和百陶箭虫（S. bedoti）。我们对这四种箭虫的生产力和对浮游动物生物量和生产力的摄食压力进行了研究。结果表明：黄海毛颚类总的生物量为98–217 mg m–2，总的生产力为1.22–2.36 mg C m–2 d–1。黄海毛颚类的生物量占浮游动物总生物量的6.35–14.47%，而生产力仅占浮游动物总生产力的2.54–6.04%。强壮箭虫和纳嘎箭虫是黄海毛颚类功能群的绝对优势种，控制着黄海毛颚类群落的动态。黄海毛颚类总的摄食率为4.24–8.18 mg C m–2d–1，对浮游动物现存量和生产力总的摄食压力分别为为0.94%和12.56%。黄海冬季，浮游动物的现存量和生产力为0.4 g C m–2和0.026 g C m–2d–1，而毛颚类的摄食压力却达到了全年的最大值，为1.4%和20.94%。因此，毛颚类的摄食可能对冬季浮游动物群落结构造成重要的影响。通过不同体长组箭虫的摄食率可以推断，黄海毛颚类全年主要摄食小型桡足类，对SC功能群的摄食压力最大。但是在夏季黄海冷水团形成的月份，毛颚类对前体长为2 mm的LC功能群中的种类摄食压力也较大，但此时，由于优势种中华哲水蚤进入滞育阶段，因此毛颚类的摄食会对其种群数量造成严重的影响。 中华哲水蚤在春、秋季的摄食率分别为2.08–11.46和0.26–3.70 µg C female–1 day–1，与微型浮游生物的现存量呈显著的正相关。春季，在黄海的北部，中华哲水蚤通过摄食微型浮游生物吸收的碳量能够满足其代谢和繁殖需求，而在黄海的南部和秋季黄海冷水团锋区附近，中华哲水蚤必须通过摄食其他类型的食物资源来维持其代谢和生殖需求。较低的摄食率、无产卵以及种群中CV期桡足幼体占优势表明，秋季中华哲水蚤在黄海冷水团区域内处于滞育状态。中华哲水蚤优先摄食微型原生动物，并且春季中华哲水蚤总的生长效率（GGE, 3–39%）与食物中微型原生动物的比例呈显著的正相关，表明微型原生动物具有较高的营养价值。但是，因较低的产卵率（0.16–12.6 eggs female–1 day–1）而导致的中华哲水蚤较低的总生长效率（13.4%），可能就是由于其食物中的必需营养成分含量不足（或缺乏）造成的。 本文从生物量的角度，对黄海浮游动物各功能群的时空分布、生态区划分进行了研究报道，对GC、LC和SC功能群的生产力、毛颚类对浮游动物的摄食压力和中华哲水蚤的摄食生态学进行了较为深入的研究，这些结果为黄海食物产出的关键过程的模拟提供了基础资料。今后的研究重点应搞清楚黄海水母类对浮游动物次级生产力的摄食压力和海樽类在食物产出模型中产生的负效应的程度，浮游动物各功能群的组成、季节变化和空间分布模式的长期变化，尤其是在气候变化和人类活动的影响下，将是今后研究的重点。

The responsive expression of heat shock protein 22 gene in zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri against a bacterial challenge

HSP22 is a member of a small HSP subfamily contributing to the growth, transformation and apoptosis of the cell as well as acting as a molecular chaperone. In the present study, CfHSP22 cDNA was cloned from Chlamys farreri by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. The full-length cDNA of CfHSP22 was of 1279 bp, consisting of a 5'-terminal untranslated region (5'UTR) of 122 bp, a 3'UTR of 581 bp with a canonical polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA and a poly( A) tail, and an open reading frame of 576 bp encoding a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 22.21 kDa and a predicted isoelectric point of 9.69. There was an alpha-crystallin domain, a hallmark of the sHSP subfamily, in the C-terminus, and the deduced amino acid sequence of CfHSP22 showed high similarity to previously identified HSP22s. CfHSP22 was constitutively expressed in the haemocyte, muscle, kidney, gonad, gill, heart and hepatopancreas, and the expression level in the hepatopancreas was higher than that in the other tissues. CfHSP22 transcription was up-regulated and reached a maximal level at 12 h after the bacterial challenge, and then declined progressively to the original level at 48 h. These results suggested that CfHSP22 perhaps play a critical role in response to the bacterial challenge in haemocytes of scallop C. farreri.

Application of Neomysis awatschensis as a standard marine toxicity test organism in China

The small mysid crustacean Neomysis awatschensis was collected in the west coast of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China in 1992 and acclimated and cultured in laboratory conditions since then. Standard acute toxicity tests using 4-6 d juvenile mysids of this species were conducted and the results were compared with Mysidopsis bahia, a standard toxicity test organism used in the US in terms of their sensitivities to reference toxins, as well as their taxonomy, morphology and geographic distributions. Because of its wide distribution along the Chinese coast, similar sensitivity to pollutants as M. bahia, short life history, small size and the case of handling, this study intended to use N. awatschensis as one of the standard marine organisms for toxicity testing in China. The species were applied to acute toxicity evaluations of drilling fluid and its additives I organotin TPT and toxic algae, and to chronic ( life cycle) toxicity assays of organotin TPT and a toxic dinofalgellate Alexandrium tamarense, respectively. Using N, awatschensis as a standard toxicity testing organism in marine pollution assessment in China is suggested.

Food utilization of adult flatfishes co-occurring in the Bohai Sea of China

Stomach contents were examined of 4527 adult individuals of 12 flatfish species collected during the 1982 - 1983 Bohai Sea Fisheries Resources Investigation. Their food habits, diet diversity, similarity of prey taxa, trophic niche breadth and diet overlap were systematically analysed. Ninety-seven prey species belonging to the Coelenterata, Nemertinea, Polychaeta, Mollusca, Crustacea, Echinodermata, Hemichordata and fish were found and five of them were considered to be principal prey for flatfishes: Alpheus japonicus, Oratosquilla oratoria, Alpheus distinguendus, Loligo japonicus and Crangon affinis. Among the flatfishes, Paralichthys olivaceus was piscivorous, whereas Pseodopleuronectes yokohamae and Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini both had polychaetes and molluscs as their main prey groups. Pleuronichthys cornutus was classified as a polychaete-mollusc eater, with a strong preference for crustaceans. Verasper variegatus, Cynoglossus semilaevis, Eopsetta grigorjewi and Cleisthenes herzensteini ate crustaceans. Kareius bicoloratus was classified as a mollusc-crustacean eater: Cynoglossus abbreviatus, Cynoglossus joyneri and Zebrias zebra were grouped as crustacean-fish eaters. However, Z. zebra also took polychaetes and C. abbreviatus and C. joyneri preyed on some molluscs. Trophic relationships among the flatfishes were complicated, but they occupied distinctive microhabitats in different seasons and selected their specific prey items, which was favourable to the stability of the flatfish community in the Bohai Sea.

Immune condition of Chlamys farreri in response to acute temperature challenge

The effects of acute temperature challenge on some immune parameters of haemocyte in Zhikong scallop, Chlamys farreri, recognised as a temperature sensitive bivalve species, were evaluated over a short period of time. Scallops were suddenly transferred from 17 degrees C to 11 degrees C, 23 degrees C and 28 degrees C for a period of 72 h. Total haemocyte count (THC), percentage of phagocytic haemocytes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, acid phosphatase (ACP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities (in both haemocyte lysate and cell-free haemolymph) were chosen as biomarkers of temperature stress. Results demonstrated that the percentage of phagocytic haemocytes and ACP activity in cell-free haemolymph of scallops challenged at 28 degrees C for 72 h significantly decreased. By contrast, reactive oxygen species production by haemocytes increased when compared to the initial values. It is concluded that haemocyte activities of C. farreri appear to be compromised when scallops were transferred from 17 degrees C to 28 degrees C. Meanwhile, no obvious negative effect of acute temperature stress was detected on haemocyte activities of C. farreri challenged at 11 degrees C, which highlighted the high tolerance of scallops to acute decrease of seawater temperatures. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immune responses of the scallop Chlamys farreri after air exposure to different temperatures

The present study examined the influence of air exposure at different temperatures: a common perturbation associated with aquaculture handling practices, on immune responses in zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri. Scallops were exposed to air for 2 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h at 5 degrees C, 17 degrees C and 25 degrees C respectively. Thereafter, a recovery period of 24 h at 17 degrees C was applied. Haemocyte mortality, phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of haemocytes, acid phosphatase (ACP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in haemocyte lysates were chosen as immumomarkers of anoxic stress. The results showed that an increase of haemocyte mortality and a decrease of phagocytosis and ACP activity were observed after 2 h of air exposure for all temperatures tested. Moreover, a significant increase of ROS production occurred following 2 h of air exposure at 25 degrees C and 24 h of air exposure at 17 degrees C. Significant differences were also observed in haemocyte mortality, percentage of phagocytic cells and ACP and SOD activity depending on the temperature of air exposure. Finally, after 24 h of recovery at 17 degrees C, percentage of phagocytic haemocytes and ACP activity did not return to initial values. ROS production was significantly higher than before the recovery period and initial values for scallops subjected to air exposure at 5 degrees C. In our study, scallops showed a relative low anoxia tolerance under a high temperature. All the scallops air exposed to 25 degrees C died after the 6 h sampling. In conclusion, air exposure associated to aquaculture practices was demonstrated to strongly affect functional immune activities of scallop haemocytes, and high temperature air exposure caused reduced survival of scallops. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

REPORT ON SOME SPECIES OF PALAEMONIDAE (DECAPODA: CARIDEA) FROM CLIPPERTON ISLAND

The present paper reports six genera nine species of Palaemonidae collected from Clipperton Island, eastern tropical Pacific, including three new species of the pontoniine genus Chacella: C. bicornuta, C. quadricornuta, and C. sexicornuta. We provide a key to identify all the six known species of Chacella.

Deep-sea pontoniines (Decapoda : Palaemonidae) from the philippine "PANGLAO 2005" expedition, with descriptions of four new species

Ten species belonging to three genera of the subfamily Pontoniinae were colleted by the deep-sea expedition "PANGLAO 2005" in the Philippines, including four new species of the genus Periclimenes, i.e., P. boucheti n. sp., P. leptunguis n. sp., P. ngi n. sp., and P. panglaonis sp. nov., and one newly recorded species from the Philippines, Periclimenes laccadivensis. They are reported with color photographs except one species, Plesiopontonia monodi. The possible synonymy of Periclimenes foresti and P. granuloides is discussed.

Cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of extracellular copper/zinc superoxide dismutase gene from bay scallop Argopecten irradians

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ECSOD) is a major extracellular antioxidant enzyme that protects organs from damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS). We cloned a novel ECSOD from the bay scallop Argopecten irradians (AiECSOD) by 3' and 5' RACE. The full-length cDNA of AiECSOD was 893 bp with a 657 bp open reading frame encoding 218 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contained a putative signal peptide of 20 amino acids, and sequence comparison showed that AiECSOD had low degree of homology to ECSODs of other organisms. The genomic length of the AiECSOD gene was about 5276 bp containing five exons and six introns. The promoter region contained many putative transcription factor binding sites such as c-Myb, Oct-1, Sp1, Kruppel-like, c-ETS, NF kappa B, GATA-1, AP-1, and Ubx binding sites. Furthermore, tissue-specific expressions of AiECSOD and temporal expressions of AiECSOD in haemocytes of bay scallops challenged with bacteria Vibrio anguillarum were quantified using qRT-PCR. High levels of expression were detected in haemocytes, but not in gonad and mantle. The expression of AiECSOD reached the highest level at 12 h post-injection with V. anguillarum and then returned to normal between 24 h and 48 h post-injection. These results indicated that AiECSOD was an inducible protein and that it may play an important role in the immune responses against V anguillarum. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The manganese superoxide dismutase gene in bay scallop Argopecten irradians: Cloning, 3D modelling and mRNA expression

A novel manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) was cloned from bay scallop Argopecten irradians by 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The full-length cDNA of MnSOD was of 1207 bp with a 678 bp open reading frame encoding 226 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contained a putative signal peptide of 26 amino acids. Sequence comparison showed that the MnSOD of A. irradians shared high identity with MnSOD in invertebrates and vertebrates, such as MnSOD from abalone Haliotis discus discus (ABG88843) and frog Xenopus laevis (AAQ63483). Furthermore, the 3D structure of bay scallop MnSOD was predicted by SWISS-MODEL Protein Modelling Server and compared with those of other MnSODs. The overall structure of bay scallop MnSOD was similar to those of zebrafish Danio rerio, fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis, human Homo sapiens, and had the highest similarity to scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis and abalone H. discus discus. A quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was developed to detect the mRNA expression of MnSOD in different tissues and the temporal expression in haemocytes following challenge with the bacterium Vibrio anguillarum. A higher-level of mRNA expression of MnSOD was detected in gill and mantle. The expression of MnSOD reached the highest level at 3 h post-injection with V. anguillarum and then slightly recovered from 6 to 48 h. The results indicated that bay scallop MnSOD was a constitutive and inducible protein and thus could play an important role in the immune responses against V anguillarum infection. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental evidence that phenotypic divergence in predators drives community divergence in prey.

Studies of adaptive divergence have traditionally focused on the ecological causes of trait diversification, while the ecological consequences of phenotypic divergence remain relatively unexplored. Divergence in predator foraging traits, in particular, has the potential to impact the structure and dynamics of ecological communities. To examine the effects of predator trait divergence on prey communities, we exposed zooplankton communities in lake mesocosms to predation from either anadromous or landlocked (freshwater resident) alewives, which have undergone recent and rapid phenotypic differentiation in foraging traits (gape width, gill raker spacing, and prey size-selectivity). Anadromous alewives, which exploit large prey items, significantly reduced the mean body size, total biomass, species richness, and diversity of crustacean zooplankton relative to landlocked alewives, which exploit smaller prey. The zooplankton responses observed in this experiment are consistent with patterns observed in lakes. This study provides direct evidence that phenotypic divergence in predators, even in its early stages, can play a critical role in determining prey community structure.

Is the Species Flock Concept Operational? The Antarctic Shelf Case

There has been a significant body of literature on species flock definition but not so much about practical means to appraise them. We here apply the five criteria of Eastman and McCune for detecting species flocks in four taxonomic components of the benthic fauna of the Antarctic shelf: teleost fishes, crinoids (feather stars), echinoids (sea urchins) and crustacean arthropods. Practical limitations led us to prioritize the three historical criteria (endemicity, monophyly, species richness) over the two ecological ones (ecological diversity and habitat dominance). We propose a new protocol which includes an iterative fine-tuning of the monophyly and endemicity criteria in order to discover unsuspected flocks. As a result nine « full » species flocks (fulfilling the five criteria) are briefly described. Eight other flocks fit the three historical criteria but need to be further investigated from the ecological point of view (here called « core flocks »). The approach also shows that some candidate taxonomic components are no species flocks at all. The present study contradicts the paradigm that marine species flocks are rare. The hypothesis according to which the Antarctic shelf acts as a species flocks generator is supported, and the approach indicates paths for further ecological studies and may serve as a starting point to investigate the processes leading to flock-like patterning of biodiversity. © 2013 Lecointre et al.

Digestion of natural food by larval and post-larval turbot Scophthalmus maximus

The digestion of natural, mainly crustacean zooplankton, by different age groups of turbot Scophthalmus maximus larvae was evaluated by comparisons of visual appearance, dry weight and carbon and nitrogen content of fresh food organisms with material recovered from faeces. Visually, the degree of digestion of food particles ranged from no discernible change of lamellibranch larvae, copepod eggs, intact copepod faecal pellets and some phytoplankton species, to varying degrees of removal of body constituents in copepods, cladocerans and decapod zoea. For crustaceans, the proportion of body constituents removed was related to the size and construction of their apparently indigestible exoskeleton. Uppon defaecation larger organisms showed the greatest percentage loss in dry weight and carbon. A high percentage of nitrogen was extracted from all organisms.

Biological impacts of enhanced alkalinity in Carcinus maenas

Further steps are needed to establish feasible alleviation strategies that are able to reduce the impacts of ocean acidification, whilst ensuring minimal biological side-effects in the process. Whilst there is a growing body of literature on the biological impacts of many other carbon dioxide reduction techniques, seemingly little is known about enhanced alkalinity. For this reason, we investigated the potential physiological impacts of using chemical sequestration as an alleviation strategy. In a controlled experiment, Carcinus maenas were acutely exposed to concentrations of Ca(OH)2 that would be required to reverse the decline in ocean surface pH and return it to pre-industrial levels. Acute exposure significantly affected all individuals' acid-base balance resulting in slight respiratory alkalosis and hyperkalemia, which was strongest in mature females. Although the trigger for both of these responses is currently unclear, this study has shown that alkalinity addition does alter acid-base balance in this comparatively robust crustacean species.