Food habits of Sowerby's beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens) taken in the pelagic drift gillnet fishery of the western North Atlantic

We describe the food habits of the Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) from observations of 10 individuals taken as bycatch in the pelagic drift gillnet fishery for Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the western North Atlantic and 1 stranded individual from Kennebunk, Maine. The stomachs of 8 bycaught whales were intact and contained prey. The diet of these 8 whales was dominated by meso- and benthopelagic fishes that composed 98.5% of the prey items found in their stomachs and cephalopods that accounted for only 1.5% of the number of prey. Otoliths and jaws representing at least 31 fish taxa from 15 families were present in the stomach contents. Fishes, primarily from the families Moridae (37.9% of prey), Myctophidae (22.9%), Macrouridae (11.2%), and Phycidae (7.2%), were present in all 8 stomachs. Most prey were from 5 fish taxa: Shortbeard Codling (Laemonema barbatulum) accounted for 35.3% of otoliths, Cocco’s Lanternfish (Lobianchia gemellarii) contributed 12.9%, Marlin-spike (Nezumia bairdii) composed 10.8%, lanternfishes (Lampanyctus spp.) accounted for 8.4%; and Longfin Hake (Phycis chesteri) contributed 6.7%. The mean number of otoliths per stomach was 1196 (range: 327–3452). Most of the fish prey found in the stomachs was quite small, ranging in length from 4.0 to 27.7 cm. We conclude that the Sowerby’s beaked whales that we examined in this study fed on large numbers of relatively small meso- and benthopelagic fishes that are abundant along the slope and shelf break of the western North Atlantic.

Larval development of a mangrove crab (Perisesarma bidens De Haan) (Crustacea: Brachyura: Sesarminae)

Larval development of Perisesarma bidens (De Haan) was investigated in laboratory conditions. Morphology of all larval stages and 1st crab stage was described and illustrated in detail, and compared with other species of sesarmid crabs. The zoeae morphological features of P. bidens are almost similar to other species of Sesarma in lacking a pair of lateral spines on carapace.

Feeding habits of the sesarmid crab Perisesarma bidens (De Haan) in the mangroves of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Feeding habits of the sesarmid crab Perisesarma bidens (De Haan) was investigated in the mangroves of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Stomach content analysis showed that their diet consists mainly of mangrove leaves fragments, with small amounts of animal, algae and sediment matters, indicating that P. bidens is primarily detritivorous. The consumption rate of P. bidens was investigated under laboratory conditions by offering three different types of Kandelia candel mangrove leaves. Crab survived by eating green, yellow or brown leaves, preferring brown to either green or yellow leaves. Consumption rate of brown leaves was significantly higher when crabs were provided with green, yellow and brown leaves together, than when provided separately. It is considered that the brown leaves have a soft tissue, which is easily torn by the crab chelae and have apparently low C/N ratio. The C/N ratio of faeces, which indicated lower value than that of burrow leaves or sediments, derived from the symbiosis of bacteria in the stomach. The C/N ratio showed that sediments had C/N ratios 2/3 times lower than leaves sequestered in the burrow, indicating that mangrove sediments could have higher nutritional value than mangrove leaves. Perisesarma bidens showed significant consumption rates of mangrove detritus, therefore, it may have the important role as the grazer of mangrove detritus in view of the nutrient cycle in the mangroves.

Speciation and Phylogeography of Opsariichthys bidens (Pisces: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in China: Analysis of the Cytochrome b Gene of mtDNA from Diverse Populations

Gao-Yan Li, Xu-Zhen Wang, Ya-Hui Zhao, Jie Zhang, Chun-Guang Zhang, and Shun-Ping He (2009) Speciation and phylogeography of Opsariichthys bidens (Pisces: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in China: analysis of the cytochrome b gene of mtDNA from diverse populations. Zoological Studies 48(4): 569-583. The cyprinid fish Opsariichthys bidens Gunther is distributed in all major river systems of continental East Asia, and represents an attractive model for phylogeographic studies among cyprinid species or within a given species. In this study, we investigated the phylogeographic and demographic history of this species, using partial sequences of the cytochrome (cyt) b gene in mitochondrial (mt)DNA. Fish samples were collected from almost all major river systems where O. bidens is distributed in China. Sequence analysis showed remarkably high polymorphism, with 125 haplotypes in the 234 specimens examined, and with 89.8% of haplotypes occurring in only 1 specimen. A neutrality test indicated that some groups were not at mutation-drift equilibrium, suggesting a past population expansion. These results were supported by a mismatch distribution analysis. Based on our analysis, O. bidens consists of 4 groups belonging to 2 clades. The divergence time of the 2 clades was estimated to be 11.06-8.04 my. This value corresponds to the time of the 2nd uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the emergence of the East Asian monsoon, and the Epoch-6 Event. A two species scheme is proposed. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/48.4/569.pdf

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Chinese hook snout carp Opsariichthys bidens (Actinopterygii : Cyprinifonnes) and an altemative pattem of mitogenomic evolution in vertebrate

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Chinese hook snout carp, Opsariichthys bidens, was newly determined using the long and accurate polymerase chain reaction method. The 16,611-nucleotide mitogenome contains 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes (12S, 16S) 22 tRNA genes, and a noncoding control region. We use these data and homologous sequence data from multiple other ostariophysan fishes in a phylogenetic evaluation to test hypothesis pertaining to codon usage pattern of O. bidens mitochondrial protein genes as well as to re-examine the ostariophysan phylogeny. The mitochondrial genome of O. bidens reveals an alternative pattern of vertebrate mitochondrial evolution. For the mitochondrial protein genes of O. bidens, the most frequently used codon generally ends with either A or C, with C preferred over A for most fourfold degenerate codon families; the relative synonymous codon usage of G-ending codons is greatly elevated in all categories. The codon usage pattern of O. bidens mitochondrial protein genes is remarkably different from the general pattern found previously in the relatively closely 9 related zebrafish and most other vertebrate mitochondria. Nucleotide bias at third codon positions is the main cause of codon bias in the mitochondrial protein genes of O. bidens, as it is biased particularly in favor of C over A. Bayesian analysis of 12 concatenated mitochondrial protein sequences for O. bidens and 46 other teleostean taxa supports the monophyly of Cypriniformes and Otophysi and results in a robust estimate of the otophysan phylogeny. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Population dynamics and maturation cycle of Camallanus cotti (Nematoda : Camallanidae) in the Chinese hooksnout carp Opsariichthys bidens (Osteichthyes : Cyprinidae) from a reservoir in China

The seasonal population dynamics and maturation cycle of the nematode Camallanus cotti in the posterior intestine of Chinese hooksnout carp Opsariichthys bidens have been studied in the Danjiangkou Reservoir of the Hubei Province in central China from September 2004 to November, 2005. The overall prevalence, mean abundance and intensity of C cotti among fish sampled (n = 700 fish) were 47%, 2.29 +/- 12.38 ( +/- S.D.) and 1-307 (average 4.89 +/- 17.74), respectively. The overall sexual ratio of female to male nematodes (excluding L3 and L4 juveniles) was 1.17:1. Statistical results showed weakly positive correlations betweerl fish length and the number of nematodes per host. The dynamics of infection of the nematode exhibited significant seasonal pattern in changes in mean abundance. A similar pattern was found for changes in nematode prevalence, although this was not statistically significant. Higher levels of infection were observed among fish sampled in summer months and the lower in the winter. Neither the prevalence nor the abundance of the parasite was significantly different between male and female hosts. The pattern of frequency distribution of the parasite in the host was found to be over-dispersed throughout the sampling period. In addition, studies on the development and maturation of the parasite in O. bidens revealed that development (maturation), recruitment of the next generation, and reproduction may be continuous year-round, although reproduction may peak during the winter. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Propagation of Bidens laevis : a native Asteraceae from freshwater wetlands to be used as ornamental plant

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Propagation of Bidens laevis : a native Asteraceae from freshwater wetlands to be used as ornamental plant

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Atividade alelopática de extratos aquosos de plantas medicinais na germinação de Lactuca sativa L. e Bidens pilosa L.

O potencial alelopático de quatro diferentes extratos de plantas medicinais (Eclipta alba, Gomphrena globosa, Tabernaemontana catharinensis e Tithonia diversifolia) foi avaliado na germinação de Bidens pilosa e Lactuca sativa. Dentre os resultados obtidos no teste de germinação, notou-se um maior poder inibitório do extrato de G. globosa sobre sementes e plântulas de Bidens pilosa e Lactuca sativa independente da concentração utilizada e aumento da atividade inibitória de extratos T. catharinensis e de T. diversifolia com aumento da concentração destes. Quanto ao Índice de Velocidade de Germinação, os dados demonstraram redução do índice devido a elevada mortalidade das plântulas submetidas aos extratos de G. globosa e de T. catharinensis e a germinação tardia das sementes submetidas ao extrato de T. diversifolia. Quanto ao vigor das sementes, as menores porcentagens de sobrevivência ocorreram extratos à 2,5% para B. pilosa e 10% para L. sativa.

EFFECTS of MINERAL NUTRITION on INTER- and INTRASPECIFIC INTERFERENCE of PEANUT (Arachis hypogaea L.) and HAIRY BEGGARTICKS (Bidens pilosa L.)

The present work was carried out to study the effects of mineral nutrition on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) cv. IAC Runner-886 and hairy beggarticks (Bidens pilosa L) growth, when submitted to inter- and intraspecific competition. The treatments consisted of two peanut plants per pot, two hairy beggarticks per pot and one plant of each species per pot. The plants were nourished with Hoagland and Arnon (1950) complete solution, or without potassium, or without phosphorus or without nitrogen. Sixty days after planting, no inter- or intraspecific competition effect on growth characteristics of peanut was verified and nutrition was not a limiting factor to the culture. No interaction between competition and nutrition effects was observed for both species. The weed suffered more negative effects from intraspecific competition and nutrition. The absence of N had a pronounced effect compared to the other elements, resulting in a reduction in all the evaluated characteristics. The deficiency of nutrients and competition affected the weed more than the crop, showing that peanut was more competitive than hairy beggarticks.

Emergência de Bidens pilosa em diferentes profundidades de semeadura

Bidens pilosa é uma das mais importantes plantas daninhas que ocorrem em lavouras anuais e perenes da região Centro-Sul do Brasil. A grande capacidade de produção de aquênios é uma das suas principais estratégias de sobrevivência, e o conhecimento das condições fundamentais para germinação e emergência das plântulas é essencial para predição do crescimento populacional e para a elaboração de plano de manejo de suas infestações e de seus biótipos resistentes aos herbicidas. Foram conduzidos ensaios em condições de casa de vegetação, onde foi avaliada a emergência de aquênios de B. pilosa em diferentes profundidades (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 e 5 cm). Os experimentos foram conduzidos nos meses de maio, agosto e novembro de 2006 e em março de 2007. Os resultados mostraram que a emergência de plântulas de picão-preto foi bastante afetada pela localização do aquênio no perfil do solo, ocorrendo expressiva redução a partir de 2 cm de profundidade. Essa característica da biologia reprodutiva do picão-preto é importante para a formação de densos bancos de sementes em solos submetidos ao preparo convencional, onde grande parte da chuva de sementes é nele incorporada.

Variáveis qualitativas da pulverização em feijão, Bidens pilosa E Brachiaria plantaginea

Conduziu-se este trabalho, com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade da deposição da calda de pulverização em plantas de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Bidens pilosa L. e de Brachiaria plantaginea (Link) Hitchc. presentes na linha e entrelinha da cultura. Foi utilizado como traçador o corante Azul Brilhante FDC-1 (500 ppm). Utilizaram-se cinco pontas de pulverização: jato plano (XR 110015 VS e XR 11002 VS), jato plano duplo (TJ60 11002 VS) e jato cônico (TX-6 VS e TX-8 VS) e dois volumes de aplicação 150 e 200 L ha-1. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso, com 4 repetições. Foram amostradas 25 plantas em cada parcela/repetição, de plantas de feijão e plantas daninhas presentes na linha e na entrelinha da cultura. Após a aplicação, as plantas foram coletadas e lavadas em água destilada para quantificação do traçador em espectrofotômetro. Os dados ajustaram-se à curva de regressão pelo modelo de Gompertz. Os resultados evidenciaram que: para as plantas de feijão as pontas XR 110015 e TJ60 proporcionaram as deposições mais uniformes, nos volumes de 150 e 200 L ha-1, respectivamente; a ponta TX-6 no volume de 150 L ha-1 apresentou melhor uniformidade de distribuição para ambas as espécies de plantas daninhas presentes na linha da cultura; para as plantas daninhas presentes na entrelinha, no volume de 150 L ha-1, destacaram-se as pontas XR 110015 e TJ60 11002 para B. pilosa e B. plantaginea, respectivamente, no volume de 200 L ha-1 destacou-se a ponta TX-8 para ambas as espécies.

Caracterização de um isolado de Bidens mosaic virus proveniente de alface

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

Bidens mosaic virus: detecção via RT-PCR e identificação de Galinsoga parviflora como um novo hospedeiro natural do vírus

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