Two new hemiurine species (Digenea : Hemiuridae) from Spratelloides robustus Ogilby (Clupeiformes : Clupeidae) off south-western Australia and records of Parahemiurus merus (Linton, 1910) from Australian and New Caledonian waters

Two new species of hemiurine hemiurid are described from Spratelloides robustus off Woodman Point in southern Western Australia. Hemiurus lignator n. sp. differs from its congeners by a combination of similar-sized suckers, long sinus-sac, tandem testes, relatively elongate shape and unthickened seminal vesicle wall. Parahemiurus xylokopos n. sp. differs from its congeners in a combination of its squat form, its distinctly lobed vitellarium and the proximity of the gonads to the ventral sucker. P. merus (Linton, 1910) is reported from Acanthopagrus australis, Pomatomus saltatrix and Trachinotus coppingeri off northern New South Wales, Caranx sexfasciatus, Scorpis lineolata, Siganus nebulosus, Thunnus tonggol and T. coppingeri off southern Queensland, Cephalopholis boenak and Euthynnus affinis off Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, P. saltatrix off southern Western Australia and Priacanthus hamrur off New Caledonia.

Evaluación de la palatabilidad de Eugenia myrtifolia, justicia carnea y monstera deliciosa con potencial para la alimentación de marimonda (Ateles fusciceps robustus), en la fundación zoológico Santacruz, Cundinamarca

Tesis (Zootecnista). -- Universidad de La Salle. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Programa de Zootecnia, 2013

Using harvest statistics to monitor temporal variation in kangaroo density and harvest rate

Management of the commercial harvest of kangaroos relies on quotas set annually as a proportion of regular estimates of population size. Surveys to generate these estimates are expensive and, in the larger states, logistically difficult; a cheaper alternative is desirable. Rainfall is a disappointingly poor predictor of kangaroo rate of increase in many areas, but harvest statistics (sex ratio, carcass weight, skin size and animals shot per unit time) potentially offer cost-effective indirect monitoring of population abundance (and therefore trend) and status (i.e. under-or overharvest). Furthermore, because harvest data are collected continuously and throughout the harvested areas, they offer the promise of more intensive and more representative coverage of harvest areas than aerial surveys do. To be useful, harvest statistics would need to have a close and known relationship with either population size or harvest rate. We assessed this using longterm (11-22 years) data for three kangaroo species (Macropus rufus, M. giganteus and M. fuliginosus) and common wallaroos (M. robustus) across South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Regional variation in kangaroo body size, population composition, shooter efficiency and selectivity required separate analyses in different regions. Two approaches were taken. First, monthly harvest statistics were modelled as a function of a number of explanatory variables, including kangaroo density, harvest rate and rainfall. Second, density and harvest rate were modelled as a function of harvest statistics. Both approaches incorporated a correlated error structure. Many but not all regions had relationships with sufficient precision to be useful for indirect monitoring. However, there was no single relationship that could be applied across an entire state or across species. Combined with rainfall-driven population models and applied at a regional level, these relationships could be used to reduce the frequency of aerial surveys without compromising decisions about harvest management.

Reassessing spatial and temporal dynamics of kangaroo populations

Long-running datasets from aerial surveys of kangaroos (Macropus giganteus, Macropus [uliginosus, Macropus robustus and Macropus rufus) across Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia have been analysed, seeking better predictors of rates of increase which would allow aerial surveys to be undertaken less frequently than annually. Early models of changes in kangaroo numbers in response to rainfall had shown great promise, but much variability. We used normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) instead, reasoning that changes in pasture condition would provide a better predictor than rainfall. However, except at a fine scale, NDVI proved no better; although two linked periods of rainfall proved useful predictors of rates of increase, this was only in some areas for some species. The good correlations reported in earlier studies were a consequence of data dominated by large droughtinduced adult mortality, whereas over a longer time frame and where changes between years are less dramatic, juvenile survival has the strongest influence on dynamics. Further, harvesting, density dependence and competition with domestic stock are additional and important influences and it is now clear that kangaroo movement has a greater influence on population dynamics than had been assumed. Accordingly, previous conclusions about kangaroo populations as simple systems driven by rainfall need to be reassessed. Examination of this large dataset has permitted descriptions of shifts in distribution of three species across eastern Australia, changes in dispersion in response to rainfall, and an evaluation of using harvest statistics as an index of density and harvest rate. These results have been combined into a risk assessment and decision theory framework to identify optimal monitoring strategies.

Shedding Light on the Microbial Community of the Macropod Foregut Using 454-Amplicon Pyrosequencing

Twenty macropods from five locations in Queensland, Australia, grazing on a variety of native pastures were surveyed and the bacterial community of the foregut was examined using 454-amplicon pyrosequencing. Specifically, the V3/V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was examined. A total of 5040 OTUs were identified in the data set (post filtering). Thirty-two OTUs were identified as 'shared' OTUS (i.e. present in all samples) belonging to either Firmicutes or Bacteroidetes (Clostridiales/Bacteroidales). These phyla predominated the general microbial community in all macropods. Genera represented within the shared OTUs included: unclassified Ruminococcaceae, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, unclassified Clostridiales, Peptococcus sp. Coprococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Blautia sp., Ruminoccocus sp., Eubacterium sp., Dorea sp., Oscillospira sp. and Butyrivibrio sp. The composition of the bacterial community of the foregut samples of each the host species (Macropus rufus, Macropus giganteus and Macropus robustus) was significantly different allowing differentiation between the host species based on alpha and beta diversity measures. Specifically, eleven dominant OTUs that separated the three host species were identified and classified as: unclassified Ruminococcaceae, unclassified Bacteroidales, Prevotella spp. and a Syntrophococcus sucromutans. Putative reductive acetogens and fibrolytic bacteria were also identified in samples. Future work will investigate the presence and role of fibrolytics and acetogens in these ecosystems. Ideally, the isolation and characterization of these organisms will be used for enhanced feed efficiency in cattle, methane mitigation and potentially for other industries such as the biofuel industry.

Descripción de la morfología externa e interna del langostino con algunas aplicaciones de indole taxonómica y biológica

In the present paper the external and internal morphology of the shrimp Pleoticus muelleri (Bate), is described in detail. Special attention is given to those features which are of diagnostic value or which are significant for a fuller understanding of the biology of this species. The major portion of the paper deals with the description of the cephalopereion, pleon and telson and its appendages, as well as the nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory and reproductive systems. Special attention is given to the digestive system, the stomodaeal apparatus and sexual dimorphism. The relations between form and function of several organs and systems are pointed out. A study is made of the development of the gonads, the sexual cycle in males and females; the variations found in relative weight and size are described. The phylogenetical jposition of the Penaeidae, the genera of the subfamily Solenoceridae and of P. muelleri are discussed. (PDF contains 72 pages)

Ecotypic variation and predatory behavior among killer whales (Orcinus orca) off the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska

From 2001 to 2004 in the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska, killer whales (Orcinus orca) were encountered 250 times during 421 days of surveys that covered a total of 22,491 miles. Three killer whale groups (resident, transient, and offshore) were identified acoustically and genetically. Resident killer whales were found 12 times more frequently than transient killer whales, and offshore killer whales were encountered only once. A minimum of 901 photographically identified resident whales used the region during our study. A total of 165 mammal-eating transient killer whales were identified, and the majority (70%) were encountered during spring (May and June). The diet of transient killer whales in spring was primarily gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), and in summer primarily northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) did not appear to be a preferred prey or major prey item during spring and summer. The majority of killer whales in the eastern Aleutian Islands are the resident ecotype, which does not consume marine mammals.

Estimates of Marine Mammal, Sea Turtle, and Seabird Mortality in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery for Swordfish and Thresher Shark, 1996–2002

Estimates of incidental marine mammal, sea turtle, and seabird mortality in the California drift gillnet fishery for broadbill swordfish, Xiphias gladius, and common thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus, are summarized for the 7-year period, 1996 to 2002. Fishery observer coverage was 19% over the period (3,369 days observed/17,649 days fished). An experiment to test the effectiveness of acoustic pingers on reducing marine mammal entanglements in this fishery began in 1996 and resulted in statistically significant reductions in marine mammal bycatch. The most commonly entangled marine mammal species were the short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis; California sea lion, Zalophus californianus; and northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis. Estimated mortality by species (CV and observed mortality in parentheses) from 1996 to 2002 is 861 (0.11, 133) short-beaked common dolphins; 553 (0.16, 103) California sea lions; 151 (0.25, 31) northern right whale dolphins; 150 (0.21, 27) northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris; 54 (0.41, 10) long-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus capensis; 44 (0.53, 6) Dall’s porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli; 19 (0.60, 5) Risso’s dolphins, Grampus griseus; 11 (0.71, 2) gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus; 7 (0.83, 2) sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus; 7 (0.96, 1) short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhychus; 12 (1.06, 1) minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata; 5 (1.05, 1) fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus; 11 (0.68, 2) unidentified pinnipeds; 33 (0.52, 4) leatherback turtles, Dermochelys coriacea; 18 (0.57, 3) loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta; 13 (0.73, 3) northern fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis; and 6 (0.86, 2) unidentified birds.

The Great Whales: History and Status of Six Species Listed as Endangered Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973

In the history of whaling from prehistoric to modern times, the large whales, sometimes called the “great whales,” were hunted most heavily owing in part to their corresponding value in oil, meat, and baleen. Regional populations of North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis glacialis, were already decimated by 1700, and the North Atlantic gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, was hunted to extinction by the early 1700’s (Mitchell and Mead1).

Revision of the cyprinid genus Placocheilus Wu, 1977 in China, with description of a new species from Yunnan

Placocheilus is re-diagnosed on the basis of oromandibular structures compared to those of closely related groups. It is represented in China by three species restricted to Yunnan, namely P. caudofasciatus from the Tengtiaohe River (Nam Na), P. cryptonemus from the Nujiang Rive ( upper Salween River basin), and P. robustus, herein described as a new species from the Yuanjiang River ( Red River basin). P. robustus n. sp. is differentiated from its congeners in having a stout caudal peduncle ( depth 72.4-82.5% of its length) and the medium-sized scaleless midventral region of belly extended slightly beyond halfway from the pectoral- to pelvic-fin origin. It is further distinguished from P. caudofasciatus in having a coarsely crenulated rostral fold with 18-23 indentations on its distal margin and a smaller mental adhesive disc ( length 66.7-71.4% of its width and 37.0-43.1% of the head length).

昆虫假死性及建巢行为系列研究

本研究是围绕昆虫的假死行为及建巢相关行为两个方面进行的。首先通过对昆虫假死行为的研究历史和现状的综述，作者提出了假死行为是一种特殊拟态的观点。对长壮蝎蝽Laccotrephes robustus Stål成虫在不同的活动空间下(水体内外)的假死行为以及控制假死行为的关键部位的研究结果表明：(1)水体外假死时长明显高于水体中；(2)蝎蝽在水体内外假死行为的差别是对不同捕食压力的适应，能够提高自身的适合度；(3) 头部不是蝎蝽假死发生所必需的，控制胸部各对足完成假死动作的神经节可能是不同的。胡蜂类昆虫的建巢行为直接关系到其蜂群的发展和存活。平唇原胡蜂Prevespa barthelemy (Buysson)隶属于胡蜂科，是一种社会性昆虫。为研究已建造蜂巢的相关生物学特征，对其越冬后蜂巢进行了解剖观察。结果表明：(1)蜂巢中部较大的巢脾为主要的繁殖区；(2)幼虫和工蜂所占比率最高，占全巢各虫态总数的70%左右；(3)巢中成熟个体,除蜂后外其余全部为雌性工蜂；(4)由于当地气候适宜，越冬期的低温虽使其活动能力下降，但不会引起大量死亡，该胡蜂可以在原巢址内越冬。胡蜂类昆虫雌蜂单母建群的过程可以视为是昆虫社群生活起源的短暂重现，对单母建群行为的研究有助于理解昆虫群居生活的发生和发展。通过对焰马蜂Polistis adustus Birgham单母建群过程的观察，结果表明：(1)第一批工蜂羽化前，雌蜂同时担任蜂王和工蜂的职责；(2)各虫态发育历期卵为5-7 d；幼虫13-15 d；蛹为24-28 d；(3) 单母建群时期是决定未来蜂群发展的重要阶段，也是对马蜂类天敌昆虫进行保护和利用的关键时期。

Distribución horizontal de los Amphipoda (crustacea) en el mar peruano durante el fenómeno "El niño" verano 1983

Los anfípodos hepéridos son microcrustáceos marinos que tienen un rol importante en la ecología trófica de especies pesqueras, se caracterizan por su voraz comportamiento predador sobre otros componentes del zooplancton (NELSON, 1979) y debido a su abundancia constituyen una fuente de alimento para niveles tróficos superiores (ALVAREZ y VIÑAS, 1994). El área de estudio comprende desde 03°29.80´S hasta los 12°54.50´S, abarcando los perfiles de Puerto Pizarro, Cabo Blanco, Talara, Paita, Punta Falsa, Pimentel, Chicama, Salaverry, Chimbote, Huarmey, Supe, Guacho, Chancay, Callao, Pucusana y Cerro Azul, cubriendo de esta manera la parte norte y centro del litoral peruano hasta las 100 millas náuticas de la costa y 50 metros de profundidad. Se determinan 34 especies de anfípodos, con 26 nuevos registros para el país y 2 especies nuevas. La familia Hyperridae es la que registra mayor representatividad a nivel específico destacando por su abundancia las especies Hyperioides sibaginis e Hyperietta vossleri. El presente trabajo, contribuye principalmente a ampliar el conocimiento de especies de anfípodos y asociarlas con las características ambientales, así las especies Vibilia chuni, Partaphronima gracilis, Hemithiphys tenuimanuss, Euscelus robustus y Schizoscelus ornatus, se encuentran relacionados con salinidades que fluctuan entre 34.8 y 35.1‰ y temperaturas de 25.4 hasta 28.2°C, rangos correspondientes a aguas de mezcla de Aguas Ecuatoriales Superficiales (AES) y Aguas Subtropicales superficiales (ASS).

The relationship between environmental variation and species abundance in shrimp community (Crustacea : Decapoda : Penaeoidea) in south-eastern Brazil

The impact of shrimp fisheries in tropical regions has become comparable to the world's most intensively exploited temperate shed ecosystems. The increase in the fishing fleet in south-eastern Brazil and the decrease in landings of profitable shrimp species have contributed to the incorporation of additional species into those fisheries. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of environmental factors on the abundance patterns of shrimp communities on the south-eastern coast of Brazil, over a period of two years. Monthly collections were conducted in the Ubatuba and Caraguatatuba regions using a commercial shrimp fishing boat equipped with 'double-rig' nets. Each region was divided into 7 sampling stations up to 35 m deep. The relationship between the environmental factors and the abundance patterns in the shrimp communities was assessed using a canonical correlation analysis (CCorrA). The first set of variables used during the CCorrA included environmental characteristics and the second set of variables the abundance of the studied species. A total of 374,915 individuals were collected during the present study. Xiphopenaeus kroyeri showed the highest abundance (273,127), followed by Artemesia longinaris (73,422), and Pleoticus muelleri (15,262). In the first root, depth and temperature showed the highest factor loadings (0.9 and -0.7) and canonical weights (0.6 and -0.4). These environmental factors were strongly associated with the abundance of X. kroyeri (factor loading = - 0.9 and canonical weight = - 0.9). The second root demonstrated a positive relationship between abundance of P. muelleri and depth, and an inverse association with bottom temperature. The abundance patterns of X. kroyeri and P. muelleri were strongly affected by the water mass South Atlantic Central Water (cold waters =15 degrees C), which can lead to a temperature decrease in deeper areas (> 15 m). Thus, the opposite abundance trend for depth of these species might reflect bathymetric variation in temperature, a clear example of distinct behavioural differences of species of different origins, either tropical (X. kroyeri) or subantarctic (P. muelleri). The low overall association between environmental parameters and shrimp abundance patterns indicates that each studied species might have responded idiosyncratically to environmental variation, such that a general community-level response was not apparent. However, other confounding factors such as intraspecific migration patterns might have also played a role in generating the observed patterns.

Marine anomurans (Decapoda) from the non-consolidated sublittoral bottom at the southeastern coast of Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)