Medication management reviews for people from the former Yugoslavia now resident in Australia

Aim: The objective of this prospective study was to conduct medication management reviews (MMR) in people from a non-English speaking background (NESB) (Bosnian/Serbian/ Croatian, from former Yugoslavia, currently residing in Australia) in their native language in order to identify medication-related problems (needs analysis) and implement appropriate therapeutic interventions, in collaboration with their general practitioners (GPs). Methods: Twenty-five participants entered the study. Each was interviewed and medication-related issues were identified by the health care team. Results: Various interventions (over 150 for the whole group, an average of 6 per participant), based on actual and potentia medication-related problems, were designed to improve the use of medicines. The MMRs introduced effective changes into the participants' health care. Psychological (e.g., feeling depressed) and sociological factors (e.g., costs of medicines, not understanding labels written in English) were identified having significant impacts on medication management. Conclusions: These data confirmed there are avoidable medication-related problems in people from a NESB. GPs and pharmacists working in health care teams with a trained interpreter could greatly improve medication use through regular review and a team approach to problem identification and solving.

The ecological significance of the combtoothed blenny in a coral reef ecosystem

At Heron Island reef, Great Barrier Reef Australia, biomass densities and mean wet mass of Ward's damselfish Pomacentrus wardi and the jewelled blenny Salarias fasciatus were not significantly different at 2-37 v. 2-95 g m(-2) and 8-7 v. 7-9 g, respectively. Whereas S. fasciatus significantly exceeded P. wardi in (1) total number of bites per day (3427 v. 1155), (2) the mass of epilithic algal community consumed per bite (2-19 1,. 0-14mg) and (3) total organic carbon consumed per day (487-31 v. 35-46 mg C m(-2) day(-1)). Territorial behaviour differed also between the two species. Pomacentrus wardi chased from their territories a smaller proportion of blennies than roving grazers (i.e. scarids, acanthurids, siganids and pomacentrids) relative to S. fasciatus. Salarias fasciatus chased c. 90% of other blennies from their territories, while chasing only c. 20% of all damsels that entered. Both P. wardi and S. fasciatus rarely chased non-grazers. The chasing behaviour of S. fascialus was size dependent, with resident fish chasing only individuals of its own family (i.e. Blenniidae) that were the same or smaller size. Pomacentrus wardi may have tolerated S. fasciatus grazing within its territory, as it contributes to territory defence from other blennies. The possibility that the interaction between the two species is facilitative, rather than competitive, is discussed. It was concluded that salariine blennies play an important, and previously underestimated role in coral reef trophodynamics. (C) 2004 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Spatial and temporal variability in somatic growth of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) resident in the Hawaiian Archipelago

The somatic growth dynamics of green turtles ( Chelonia mydas) resident in five separate foraging grounds within the Hawaiian Archipelago were assessed using a robust non-parametric regression modelling approach. The foraging grounds range from coral reef habitats at the north-western end of the archipelago, to coastal habitats around the main islands at the southeastern end of the archipelago. Pelagic juveniles recruit to these neritic foraging grounds from ca. 35 cm SCL or 5 kg ( similar to 6 years of age), but grow at foraging-ground-specific rates, which results in quite different size- and age-specific growth rate functions. Growth rates were estimated for the five populations as change in straight carapace length ( cm SCL year) 1) and, for two of the populations, also as change in body mass ( kg year) 1). Expected growth rates varied from ca. 0 - 2.5 cm SCL year) 1, depending on the foraging-ground population, which is indicative of slow growth and decades to sexual maturity, since expected size of first-time nesters is greater than or equal to 80 cm SCL. The expected size- specific growth rate functions for four populations sampled in the southeastern archipelago displayed a non-monotonic function, with an immature growth spurt at ca. 50 - 53 cm SCL ( similar to 18 - 23 kg) or ca. 13 - 19 years of age. The growth spurt for the Midway atoll population in the northwestern archipelago occurs at a much larger size ( ca. 65 cm SCL or 36 kg), because of slower immature growth rates that might be due to a limited food stock and cooler sea surface temperature. Expected age-at-maturity was estimated to be ca. 35 - 40 years for the four populations sampled at the south-eastern end of the archipelago, but it might well be > 50 years for the Midway population. The Hawaiian stock comprises mainly the same mtDNA haplotype, with no differences in mtDNA stock composition between foraging-ground populations, so that the geographic variability in somatic growth rates within the archipelago is more likely due to local environmental factors rather than genetic factors. Significant temporal variability was also evident, with expected growth rates declining over the last 10 - 20 years, while green turtle abundance within the archipelago has increased significantly since the mid-1970s. This inverse relationship between somatic growth rates and population abundance suggests a density-dependent effect on somatic growth dynamics that has also been reported recently for a Caribbean green turtle stock. The Hawaiian green turtle stock is characterised by slow growth rates displaying significant spatial and temporal variation and an immature growth spurt. This is consistent with similar findings for a Great Barrier Reef green turtle stock that also comprises many foraging-ground populations spanning a wide geographic range.

Homology of fin lepidotrichia in osteichthyan fishes

Lepidotrichia are dermal elements located at the distal margin of osteichthyan fins. In sarcopterygians and actinopterygians, the term has been used to denote the most distal bony hemisegments and also the more proximal, scale-covered segments which overlie endochondral bones of the fin. In certain sarcopterygian fishes, including the Rhizodontida, these more proximal, basal segments are very long, extending at least half the length of the fin. The basal segments have a subcircular cross section, rather than the crescentic cross section of the distal lepidotrichial hemisegments, which lack a scale cover and comprise short, generally regular, elements. In rhizodonts and other sarcopterygians, e.g. Eusthenopteron, the basal elements are the first to appear during fin development, followed by the endochondral bones and then the distal lepidotrichia. This sequence contradicts the 'clock-face model' of fin development proposed by Thorogood in which the formation of endochondral bones is followed by development of lepidotrichia. However, if elongate basal 'lepidotrichia' are not homologous with more distal, jointed lepidotrichia and if the latter form within a distal fin-fold and the former outside this fold, then Thorogood's 'clock-face' model remains valid. This interpretation might indicate that the fin-fold has been lost in early digited stem-tetrapods such as Acanthostega and Ichthyostega and elongate basal elements, but not true lepidotrichia, occur in the caudal fins of these taxa.

The functional roles of passive electroreception in non-electric fishes

Passive electroreception is a complex and specialised sense found in a large range of aquatic vertebrates primarily designed for the detection of weak bioelectric fields. Particular attention has traditionally focused on cartilaginous fishes, but a range of teleost and non-teleost fishes from a diversity of habitats have also been examined. As more species are investigated, it has become apparent that the role of electroreception in fishes is not restricted to locating prey, but is utilised in other complex behaviours. This paper presents the various functional roles of passive electroreception in non-electric fishes, by reviewing much of the recent research on the detection of prey in the context of differences in species' habitat (shallow water, deep-sea, freshwater and saltwater). A special case study on the distribution and neural groupings of ampullary organs in the omnihaline bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, is also presented and reveals that prey-capture, rather than navigation, may be an important determinant of pore distribution. The discrimination between potential predators and conspecifics and the role of bioelectric stimuli in social behaviour is discussed, as is the ability to migrate over short or long distances in order to locate environmentally favourable conditions. The various theories proposed regarding the importance and mediation of geomagnetic orientation by either an electroreceptive and/or a magnetite-based sensory system receives particular attention. The importance of electroreception to many species is emphasised by highlighting what still remains to be investigated, especially with respect to the physical, biochemical and neural properties of the ampullary organs and the signals that give rise to the large range of observed behaviours.

X-ray microtomography of 410 million-year-old optic capsules from placoderm fishes

The structure of two small ossified optic capsules from mid-Palaeozoic placoderm fishes has been revealed in fine detail, by the use of Xray microtomography analysis and 3D visualisation software. These two specimens are 410 million-year-old; they were collected from an Early Devonian (Lochkovian) limestone in central New South Wales, and are the oldest known optic capsules from jawed fishes. The capsules show attachment areas for seven extrinsic eye muscles, rather than the six until recently deemed universal for gnathostomes. The analysis also revealed structures within the ossified cartilage which covered the medial surface of the eyeball, including nerve tracts, vascular canals, and possibly a choroid rete mirabile. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A falsification of the thermal specialization paradigm: compensation for elevated temperatures in Antarctic fishes

Specialization to a particular environment is one of the main factors used to explain species distributions. Antarctic fishes are often cited as a classic example to illustrate the specialization process and are regarded as the archetypal stenotherms. Here we show that the Antarctic fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki has retained the capacity to compensate for chronic temperature change. By displaying astounding plasticity in cardiovascular response and metabolic control, the fishes maintained locomotory performance at elevated temperatures. Our falsification of the specialization paradigm indicates that the effect of climate change on species distribution and extinction may be overestimated by current models of global warming.

Trichodinids (Ciliophora : Trichodinidae) from native and exotic Australian freshwater fishes

There are very few data on trichodinids of freshwater fishes in Australia. 2003 fishes were surveyed across Eastern Australia to investigate the diversity of trichodinids present, to determine which species have been introduced with exotic fishes and to determine the extent to which these species have crossed into native fish Populations. Twenty-one putative trichodinid species were recovered from the 33 fish species examined. Trichodina heterodentata, T. mutabilis and T. reticulata were the exotic species recovered regularly; a single specimen matched a fourth exotic species, T acuta. All four exotic species are redescribed from Australian material. Trichodina heterodentata was recorded from 17 species of fishes, 15 of which were new host records; this species is identified as one of emerging importance in fish parasitology and a list of its known hosts is presented. Two new native species are also described based on silver stained specimens: T cribbi sp. n. from Hypseleotris galii, H. klunzingeri, and Hypseleotris sp. 5; and T. bassonae sp. n. from Selenotoca multifasciata. Trichodina cribbi is characterised by a large circular central inclusion and approximately 28 denticles, which have a blade length slightly greater than the ray length. Trichodina bassonae is characterised by a small, round, central inclusion and approximately 25 denticles, which have straight, non tapering rays that are in line with the leading edge of the denticle blade. It is estimated that the Australian trichodinid fauna may include up to 150 as yet undescribed species and represents a major source of unexplored biodiversity.

Brain morphology in large pelagic fishes: A comparison between sharks and teleosts

A quantitative comparison was made of both relative brain size (encephalization) and the relative development of five brain area of pelagic sharks and teleosts. Two integration areas (the telencephalon and the corpus cerebellum) and three sensory brain areas (the olfactory bulbs, optic tectum and octavolateralis area, which receive primary projections from the olfactory epithelium, eye and octavolateralis senses, respectively), in four species of pelagic shark and six species of pelagic teleost were investigated. The relative proportions of the three sensory brain areas were assessed as a proportion of the total 'sensory brain', while the two integration areas were assessed relative to the sensory brain. The allometric analysis of relative brain size revealed that pelagic sharks had larger brains than pelagic teleosts. The volume of the telencephalon was significantly larger in the sharks, while the corpus cerebellum was also larger and more heavily foliated in these animals. There were also significant differences in the relative development of the sensory brain areas between the two groups, with the sharks having larger olfactory bulbs and octavolateralis areas, whilst the teleosts had larger optic tecta. Cluster analysis performed on the sensory brain areas data confirmed the differences in the composition of the sensory brain in sharks and teleosts and indicated that these two groups of pelagic fishes had evolved different sensory strategies to cope with the demands of life in the open ocean.

Cardicola Short, 1953 and Braya n. gen. (Digenea : Sanguinicolidae) from five families of tropical Indo-Pacific fishes

A survey of Pacific coral reef fishes for sanguinicolids revealed that two species of Lutjanidae (Lutjanus argentimaculatus, L. bohar), six species of Siganidae (Siganus corallinus, S. fuscescens, S. lineatus, S. margaritiferus, S. punctatus, S. vulpinus), seven species of Chaetodontidae (Chaetodon aureofasciatus, C. citrinellus, C. flavirostris, C. lineolatus, C. reticulatus, C. ulietensis, C. unimaculatus), three species of Scombridae (Euthynnus affinis, Scomberomorus commerson, S. munroi) and three species of Scaridae (Chlorurus microrhinos, Scarus frenatus, S. ghobban) were infected with morphologically similar sanguinicolids. These flukes have a flat elliptical body, a vestigial oral sucker, a single testis, separate genital pores and a post-ovarian uterus. However, these species clearly belong in two genera based on the position of the testis and genital pores. Sanguinicolids from Lutjanidae, Siganidae, Chaetodontidae and Scombridae belong in Cardicola Short, 1953; the testis originates anteriorly to, or at the anterior end of, the intercaecal field and does not extend posteriorly to it, the male genital pore opens laterally to the sinistral lateral nerve chord and the female pore opens near the level of the ootype ( may be anterior, lateral or posterior to it) antero-dextral to the male pore. Those from Scaridae are placed in a new genus, Braya; the testis originates near the posterior end of the intercaecal field and extends posteriorly to it, the male pore opens medially at the posterior end of the body and the female pore opens posterior to the ootype, antero-sinistral to the male pore. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA from these sanguinicolids and a known species, Cardicola forsteri Cribb, Daintith & Munday, 2000, were sequenced, aligned and analysed to test the distinctness of the putative new species. Results from morphological comparisons and molecular analyses suggest the presence of 18 putative species; 11 are described on the basis of combined morphological and molecular data and seven are not because they are characterised solely by molecular sequences or to few morphological specimens (n= one). There was usually a correlation between levels of morphological and genetic distinction in that pairs of species with the greatest genetic separation were also the least morphologically similar. The exception in this regard was the combination of Cardicola tantabiddii n. sp. from S. fuscescens from Ningaloo Reef ( Western Australia) and Cardicola sp. 2 from the same host from Heron Island ( Great Barrier Reef). These two parasite/ host/location combinations had identical ITS2 sequences but appeared to differ morphologically ( however, this could simply be due to a lack of morphological material for Cardicola sp. 2). Only one putative species ( Cardicola sp. 1) was found in more than one location; most host species harboured distinct species in each geographical location surveyed ( for example, S. corallinus from Heron and Lizard Islands) and some ( for example, S. punctatus, S. fuscescens and Chlorurus microrhinos) harboured two species at a single location. Distance analysis of ITS2 showed that nine species from siganids, three from scombrids and five from scarids formed monophyletic clades to the exclusion of sanguinicolids from the other host families. Cardicola milleri n. sp. and C. chaetodontis Yamaguti, 1970 from lutjanids and chaetodontids, respectively, were the only representatives from those families that were sequenced. Within the clade formed by sanguinicolids from Siganidae there wasa further division of species; species from the morphologically similar S. fuscescens and S. margaritiferus formed a monophyletic group to the exclusion of sanguinicolids from all other siganid species.

The stability of P in coral reef fishes

The constancy of phenotypic variation and covariation is an assumption that underlies most recent investigations of past selective regimes and attempts to predict future responses to selection. Few studies have tested this assumption of constancy despite good reasons to expect that the pattern of phenotypic variation and covariation may vary in space and time. We compared phenotypic variance-covariance matrices (P) estimated for Populations of six species of distantly related coral reef fishes sampled at two locations on Australia's Great Barrier Reef separated by more than 1000 km. The intraspecific similarity between these matrices was estimated using two methods: matrix correlation and common principal component analysis. Although there was no evidence of equality between pairs of P, both statistical approaches indicated a high degree of similarity in morphology between the two populations for each species. In general, the hierarchical decomposition of the variance-covariance structure of these populations indicated that all principal components of phenotypic variance-covariance were shared but that they differed in the degree of variation associated with each of these components. The consistency of this pattern is remarkable given the diversity of morphologies and life histories encompassed by these species. Although some phenotypic instability was indicated, these results were consistent with a generally conserved pattern of multivariate selection between populations.

Communication in Fishes

Fishes, the most abundant and diverse group among all vertebrates, exploit the largest number of communication channels. These two volumes explore how fishes use hearing and vision, as well as the vibrational, electric and chemical modalities in their interactions with one another.