Variability in spawning frequency and reproductive development of the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) along the west coast of Australia

The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific region. This study describes the reproductive biology of S. commerson along the west coast of Australia, where it is targeted for food consumption and sports fishing. Development of testes occurred at a smaller body size than for ovaries, and more than 90% of males were sexually mature by the minimum legal length of 900 mm TL compared to 50% of females. Females dominated overall catches although sex ratios within daily catches vary considerably and females were rarely caught when spaw n ing. Scomberomorus commerson are seasonally abundant in coastal waters and most of the commercial catch is taken prior to the reproductive season. Spawning occurs between about August and November in the Kimberley region and between October and January in the Pilbara region. No spawning activity was recorded in the more southerly West Coast region, and only in the north Kimberley region were large numbers of fish with spawning gonads collected. Catches dropped to a minimum when spawning began in the Pilbara region, when fish became less abundant in inshore waters and inclement weather conditions limited fishing on still productive offshore reefs. Final maturation and ovulation of oocytes took place within a 24-hour period, and females spawned in the afternoon-evening every three days. A third of these spawning females released batches of eggs on consecutive days. Relationships between length, weight, and batch fecundity are presented.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico Pink Shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, Fishery: 50 Years of Commercial Catch Statistics

U.S. Gulf of Mexico, pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, catch statistics have been collected by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, or its predecessor agency, for over 50 years. Recent events, including hurricanes and oil spills within the ecosystem of the fishery, have shown that documentation of these catch data is of primary importance. Fishing effort for this stock has fluctuated over the 50-year period analyzed, ranging from 3,376 to 31,900 days fished, with the most recent years on record, 2008 and 2009, exhibiting declines up to 90% relative to the high levels recorded in the mid 1990’s. Our quantification of F. duorarum landings and catch rates (CPUE) indicates catch have been below the long-term average of about 12 million lb for all of the last 10 years on record. In contrast to catch and effort, catch rates have increased in recent years, with record CPUE levels measured in 2008 and 2009, of 1,340 and 1,144 lb per day fished, respectively. Our regression results revealed catch was dependent upon fishing effort (F=98.48df=1, 48, p<0.001, r2=0.67), (Catch=1,623,378 + (520) × (effort)). High CPUE’s measured indicate stocks were not in decline prior to 2009, despite the decline in catch. The decrease in catch is attributed in large part to low effort levels caused by economical and not biological or habitat related conditions. Future stock assessments using these baseline data will provide further insights and management advice concerning the Gulf of Mexic

A riqueza e diversidade de anfíbios anuros da Serra do Mendanha, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ: grau de conservação da floresta, variação altitudinal e uso de recursos hídricos

Os anfíbios anuros que habitam o bioma Mata Atlântica, especialmente em sua floresta ombrófila densa, são pouco conhecidos sob diversos aspectos de sua ecologia, existindo poucas informações disponíveis na literatura científica. Estes dados estão limitados a poucas localidades, geralmente estudos realizados em fragmentos remanescentes do sudeste brasileiro. A mata bem conservada que recobre os 3300 ha da Serra do Mendanha, apesar de localizada na região metropolitana do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, ainda não tinha sua anurofauna conhecida. No presente estudo, recolhemos informações ecológicas sobre as espécies que habitam a região, especialmente da assembléia encontrada no folhiço que recobre o solo, com o uso de diferentes metodologias: armadilhas de queda; parcelas cercadas; procura visual e auditiva em transecções e encontros ocasionais; assim como dados abióticos do ambiente regional (profundidade do folhiço; níveis de pH; taxa de oxigênio dissolvido; temperaturas do ar e da água; umidade do ar). Exemplares-testemunho foram fixados e depositados na coleção de anfíbios do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. A anurofauna da Serra do Mendanha é composta por pelo menos 44 espécies que estão distribuídas em 12 famílias, sendo a família Hylidae com o maior número de espécies (50%, n = 22), enquanto que Physalaemus signifer foi a espécie mais abundante (18%, n = 272), sendo habitante do folhiço. A espécie Rhinella ornata contribuiu com a maior biomassa (m = 548 g). Identificamos uma nova espécie de anuro (Brachycephalidae), que também habita o folhiço das cotas altimétricas acima de 700 m. Biogeograficamente a comunidade de anuros da área estudada indicou ser mais similar (68%) com a comunidade da região da Serra da Tiririca e arredores. Comparando-se os três tipo de fisionomias, ou mesohábitats, existentes na Serra do Mendanha, em termos de riqueza e diversidade, a floresta secundária indicou ter os mais elevados índices, seguido pela floresta pouco perturbada e pela monocultura de bananeiras. A assembléia de anuros que habita o folhiço da Serra do Mendanha é composta por nove espécies, que pouco diferiu ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal (0 a 900 m), com o registro das espécies Euparkerella brasiliensis, H. binotatus, Leptodactylus marmoratus e Zachaenus parvulus na maioria das cotas altimétricas. A altitude, a declividade e profundidade do folhiço foram as variáveis abióticas que mais influenciaram na distribuição de abundância e de riqueza de espécies do folhiço. Na estação úmida (setembro a março) a densidade de anuros no folhiço foi de 10,4 ind./100m2, enquanto que na estação seca (abril a agosto) houve uma redução de 34,6% (6,8 ind./100m2). As assembléias de anuros utilizam os recursos hídricos disponíveis na Serra do Mendanha (água da chuva, córregos, fitotelmas, rios e umidade do ar), de diferentes formas, associadas diretamente ao modo reprodutivo de cada espécie. A altitude, a temperatura da água e o pH afetaram a distribuição de espécies de girinos nos diferentes sítios reprodutivos. O modo reprodutivo 1 foi o mais freqüente (n = 18) entre os 14 modos identificados. O estudo de 12 poças (lênticas e lóticas) indicou que estas diferiram consistentemente entre si, seja nas suas dimensões, na composição de suas assembléias de girinos e nos seus componentes abióticos. Diversos predadores de girinos foram encontrados em algumas poças. A assembléia de girinos de cada poça indicou ser moldada pela interação de diferentes fatores ambientais, ecológicos e filogenéticos de cada espécie

Yellowfin Sole, Pleuronectes asper, of the Eastern Bering Sea: Biological Characteristics, History of Exploitation, and Management

Yellowfin sole, Pleuronectes asper, is the second most abundant flatfish in the North Pacific Ocean and is most highly concentrated in the eastern Bering Sea. It has been a target species in the eastern Bering Sea since the mid-1950's, initially by foreign distant-water fisheries but more recently by U.S. fisheries. Annual commercial catches since 1959 have ranged from 42,000 to 554,000 metric tons (t). Yellowfin sole is a relatively small flatfish averaging about 26 cm in length and 200 g in weight in commercial catches. It is distributed from nearshore waters to depths of about 100 m in the eastern Bering Sea in summer, but moves to deeper water in winter to escape sea ice. Yellowfin sole is a benthopelagic feeder. It is a longlived species (>20 years) with a correspondingly low natural mortality rate estimated at 0.12. After being overexploited during the early years of the fishery and suffering a substantial decline in stock abundance, the resource has recovered and is currently in excellent condition. The biomass during the 1980's may have been as high as, if not higher than, that at the beginning of the fishery. Based on results of demersal trawl surveys and two age structured models, the current exploitable biomass has been estimated to range between 1.9 and 2.6 million t. Appropriate harvest strategies were investigated under a range of possible recruitment levels. The recommended harvest level was calculated by multiplying the yield derived from the FOI harvest level (161 g at F = 0.14) hy an average recruitment value resulting in a commercial harvest of 276,900 t, or about 14% of the estimated exploitable biomass.

On the Distribution and Fishery Potential of the Japanese Red Crab Chaceon granulatus in the Palauan Archipelago, Western Caroline Islands

A deep-water trapping survey in the Palauan archipelago, Western Caroline Islands, has revealed an abundance of the Japanese red crab, Chaceon granulatus. The recorded depth range (250-900 m) is similar to that of other geryonids, but the large numbers of females caught below 700 m is atypical. Mean yields in excess of 5 kg crabs plus 1 kg shrimp, Heterocarpus laevigatus, by-catch per trap-night were attainable at optimum depths. Chaceon granulatus is apparently a very large geryonid, with maximum weights of 2.02 kg and 1.51 kg recorded for male and female specimens, respectively. A range of body colors was observed: Orange-red shades appear to dominate the deeper waters (below 500 m) while yellow-tan colors are more abundant in the upper reaches. Preliminary evidence suggests that Chaceon granulatus is highly marketable, and the infrastructure in Palau is such that crabs could either be marketed fresh locally or airfreighted to Japan as a quick-frozen product. The high post-trapping survival rates observed indicate that maintaining crabs in live-holding tanks may be a feasible option. The large catches and quality of deep-water crabs taken suggests that the Palauan population of Chaceon granulatus may be able to support a small-scale fishery. It is not yet known whether this population is unusually large or whether these findings typify the deep forereef fauna of the region.

Gas-phase production of gold-decorated silica nanoparticles.

Gold-decorated silica nanoparticles were synthesized in a two-step process in which silica nanoparticles were produced by chemical vapor synthesis using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and subsequently decorated using two different gas-phase evaporative techniques. Both evaporative processes resulted in gold decoration of the silica particles. This study compares the mechanisms of particle decoration for a production method in which the gas and particles remain cool to a method in which the entire aerosol is heated. Results of transmission electron microscopy and visible spectroscopy studies indicate that both methods produce particles with similar morphologies and nearly identical absorption spectra, with peak absorption at 500-550 nm. A study of the thermal stability of the particles using heated-TEM indicates that the gold decoration on the particle surface remains stable at temperatures below 900 °C, above which the gold decoration begins to both evaporate and coalesce.

水稻颖花开裂突变体的鉴定及颖花开裂基因srs-1的定位

　　水稻(Oryza sativa L.) 颖花开裂 (split rice spikelet，SRS) 突变体是从水稻品系 8902s 花药培养得到的双单倍体群体中筛选出的同源异型突变体。以窄叶青8号为母本，SRS突变体为父本配制杂交组合，其F2群体中正常植株和突变植株的分离比例符合3:1，说明颖花突变性状是由单隐性基因决定的。 利用扫描电镜观察 SRS突变体花器官形态发生过程。其性状表现为内外稃变软变长，不抱合，在外稃基部又着生一朵花，两浆片基部融合，质地呈稃片状，雄蕊和雌蕊形态正常，且可育。该突变体的突变性状与拟南芥APETALA1的突变表现相似，说明两者在形态建成方面具有相似之处。由于 SRS 突变体第一轮和第二轮花器官发生了变化，根据 ABC 模型，srs-l基因应属于同源异型 A 组基因。 采用BSA法在F2群体中建立DNA正常池和突变池，利用RAPD技术筛选与突变基因srs-l连锁的分子标记。从520条随机引物中筛选出了引物S465能在两池间扩增出分子量为900 bp的差异片段，并证明其在F2群体中表现共分离。将此DNA片段克隆后作为RFLP探针pS465A，该探针与srs-l基因紧密连锁，在DH群体的RFLP分子连锁图谱上成功地将它们定位于第三染色体上。 本研究是利用水稻同源异型突变体为材料，研究水稻花器官发育基因的首例报道。

Temporal changes in population density, fecundity, and egg size of the Hawaiian spiny lobster (Panulirus marginatus) at Necker Bank, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Fecundity (F, number of brooded eggs) and egg size were estimated for Hawaiian spiny lobster (Panulirus marginatus) at Necker Bank, North-western Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), in June 1999, and compared with previous (1978–81, 1991) estimates. Fecundity in 1999 was best described by the power equations F = 7.995 CL 2.4017, where CL is carapace length in mm (r2=0.900), and F = 5.174 TW 2.758, where TW is tail width in mm (r2=0.889) (both n=40; P< 0.001). Based on a log-linear model ANCOVA, size-specific fecundity in 1999 was 18% greater than in 1991, which in turn was 16% greater than during 1978–81. The additional increase in size-specific fecundity observed in 1999 is interpreted as evidence for further compensatory response to decreased lobster densities and increased per capita food resources that have resulted either from natural cyclic declines in productivity, high levels of harvest by the commercial lobster trap fishery, or both.

羊草繁殖生物学特性的研究

羊草(Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. )又称碱草，隶属禾本科，赖草属，因其营养价值高，富含蛋白质，适口性好，抗旱，耐盐碱，耐贫瘠，抗逆性强，适应性广等优点，对我国发展草原畜牧业和退化草地、荒漠化治理方面具有举足轻重的作用。近年来，由于自然环境变劣，荒漠化加剧，以及过度放牧等不利影响，加之羊草本身固有的“三低”问题（即结实率低、出苗率低、产草量低）已对羊草生物多样性维持构成了严重的威胁，严重限制了我国人工草地建设和天然草地的改良和沙化治理的步伐。加强羊草生物学研究，开展羊草种质生物多样性保护，成为当前研究的紧迫课题。经对国内外相关文献的查新发现：国外发表的文献匮乏，国内的报导大多集中在草原生态等宏观领域，在羊草繁殖生物学方面缺乏系统的研究。本文以本课题组从国内外收集的羊草资源为材料，从以下几个方面进行了初步探索： 一、羊草繁殖性状与遗传多样性分子标记指标的相关分析。利用分子标记与形态标记对随机抽取的17份羊草种质进行了种质评估的比较研究。结果表明：两种方法均在17份供试材料中鉴别出9份羊草种质,说明分子标记方法用于羊草种质资源鉴定是可行的，并具有快速、准确、不受环境条件限制等优点。在40个10 Mer的随机引物当中筛选出21个有效引物，以之对9份羊草材料进行RAPD 分析，共扩增出115条带，其中95条带表现出多态性，多态比率82.61%，并筛选出S1213-900，S1213-1700，S1215-5500， S1396-1370，S1384-900，S1202-5180，S1220-2200，S1381-1580，S1211-1300，S1211-800为羊草种质所具有的10个特异性标记，据此可将羊草种质与披肩草、赖草加以区分。同时在羊草种内亦发现13条可区分供试羊草种质的特有标记。形态标记与分子标记相关性分析结果显示：羊草种质的小穗数，种子千粒重，叶色，有性繁殖量和结实率5个形态学指标与遗传多样性指标---特有带百分率及遗传距离之间，存在一定相关性。同时对羊草种质资源在收集和评价过程中存在的问题进行了探讨。 二、羊草不同基因型无性繁殖特性比较研究。以本课题组从吉林、内蒙古等省份收集的10个基因型羊草为供试材料，在相同的生态因子作用下，以吉生1号羊草为对照，对10个基因型羊草的叶数增量、芽数增量、芽高度、芽间距、芽重量、根量六个无性系形态性状指标进行测评。结果表明：基因型的差异也是影响羊草无性系生长发育的重要影响因子。因此，在今后的羊草无性繁殖生物学研究中，应综合考虑环境因子和基因型因子对羊草无性繁殖生长发育的影响。在所测评的10个基因型中，各基因型的形态性状指标差异很大，栽3基因型较其他基因型优于对照吉生1号，此结论可为今后培育羊草新种提供重要资料。 三、羊草幼穗离体培养方法的建立。其方法是取羊草幼穗为外植体，经0.1%升汞溶液表面消毒后，接种到含2mg/L的2,4-D的MS培养基上，置于恒温25℃条件下诱导愈伤组织。在加有1mg/L2,4-D的MS培养基上继代2次后，转移到含1mg/L KT和0.5mg/LNAA的MS培养基上分化培养得到再生芽。在除去激素后的基本培养基上获得了生根的试管苗。试管苗移栽到温室后生长正常。羊草试管苗的分化因基因型和外源激素条件的不同而异。 四、羊草有性生殖特性的研究。在自然条件下进行了羊草自交、异交结实性实验，采用FDA染色法检测羊草小孢子活性，并观测羊草雌蕊、雄蕊发育的时空特点。结果表明：在大田中羊草异交结实率远大于其自交结实率;成熟花药中有活性的花粉达到92.2%以上;同时，在发育时间顺序和空间结构上，羊草的雌蕊、雄蕊并不妨碍自体授粉。因此，初步结论认为羊草具自交不和性。

Quantitative determination of the timing of otolith ring formation from marginal increments in four marine teleost species from northwestern Australia

The sectioned otoliths of four fish species from a tropical demersal trawl fishery in Western Australia revealed a series of alternating trans-lucent and opaque zones in reflected light. The translucent zones, referred to as growth rings, were counted to determine fish ages. The width of the opaque zone on the periphery of the otolith section as a proportion of the width of the previous opaque zone (index of completion) was used to determine the periodicity of growth-ring formation. This article describes a method for modeling changes in the index of ring completion over time, from which a parameter for the most probable time of growth-ring formation (with confidence intervals) can be determined. The parameter estimate for the timing of new growth-ring formation for Lethrinus sp. 3 was from mid July to mid September, for Lutjanus vitta from early July to the end of August, for Nemipterus furcosus from mid July to late September, and for Lutjanus sebae from mid July to mid November. The confidence intervals for the timing of formation of growth rings was variable between species, being smallest for L. vitta, and variable between fish of the same species with different numbers of growth rings. The stock assessments of these commercially important species relies on aging information for all the age classes used in the assessment. This study demonstrated that growth rings on sectioned otoliths were laid down annually, irrespective of the number of growth rings, and also demonstrated that the timing of ring formation for these tropical species can be determined quantitatively (with confidence intervals.