The costs of intersexuality: a crustacean perspective

Increasing concerns over rising intersexuality in the animal kingdom and the ability of certain chemicals to disrupt the endocrine system have demanded a better understanding of the costs associated with such conditions. Whilst intersexuality appears relatively widespread throughout gonochoristic crustaceans, i.e. those crustacean species with two separate sexes, the fitness costs have rarely been reported. Through comparable investigation of normal and intersex specimens of the highly abundant marine/estuarine amphipod Echinogammarus marinus (Leach) these fitness costs were determined. Measurements taken to assess fitness costs included fecundity, fertility and embryonic development, maturation period, and any morphological deformities that might result in reduced pairing success. Results from this study suggest that intersex E. marinus suffer from reduced fecundity and fertility, and mature at a larger size than normal specimens. These fitness costs can also, to a certain extent, be related to the degree of intersexuality. It is suggested that the increased size and morphological abnormalities observed in intersexes may result in reduced pairing success. Investigations into intersex organisms, i.e. those organisms with known dysfunctional endocrine systems, and the costs associated with such conditions, should aid researchers in assessing effects at the population and community level.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Ultrastructural,biochemical, and immunological characterization of two populations of the mytilid mussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathymodiolus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">azoricus</Emphasis> from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: evidence for a dual symbiosis

A recently described species of mytilid mussel, Bathymodiolus azoricus Von Cosel et al., 1999, was observed to be the dominant organism at the hydrothermal vents off the Azores, at both the Lucky Strike and Menez Gwen sites. Evidence suggests this species of Bathymodiolus represents yet another example of the intriguing dual symbiosis known in three other species of deep-sea mytilid mussels. Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) show the majority of gill bacteriocytes in mussels sampled from both populations to contain two distinct symbiont morphotypes. One morphotype is characterized by large size (mean diameter, 1.25 µm), coccoid shape, and stacked intracytoplasmic membranes that are consistent with the morphology of type I methanotrophs. The second morphotype is smaller (mean diameter, 0.35 µm) and was observed in coccoid or rod shapes. Immunoblots revealed the presence of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) and methanol dehydrogenase (MeDH) in both populations of mussels. Activities of these enzymes, as well as sulfate adenylyl transferase (ATP sulfurylase) and adenylyl sulfate reductase (APS reductase), were detected in gill extracts. The activities measured for the two populations were highly variable, though the population sampled from Lucky Strike showed higher RubisCO activity. Stable carbon isotope values (Lucky Strike, '¹³C=-32.6ǂ.3‰; Menez Gwen, '¹³C=-22.8ǂ.4‰) are in the range of previously reported stable carbon isotope measurements for mytilid mussels hosting a dual symbiosis. Collectively, these results provide evidence for the activity of both sulfur-oxidizing and methane-oxidizing metabolic pathways in B. azoricus. Furthermore, evidence for a greater dependence on methanotrophy in the Menez Gwen mussel population is offered by analysis of cell counts from TEMs. Higher methanotroph numbers, and putatively activity, in this population of mussels are further supported by published geochemical data indicating higher methane concentrations in the vent fluids at Menez Gwen. This finding suggests that environmental conditions may regulate a balance between the physiological activities of different symbiont populations associated with these mussels. The existence of a dual symbiosis could thus confer greater environmental tolerance and increased niche space to the mytilid host in the stochastic hydrothermal vent habitat.     

Ants can sort their brood without a gaseous template

A fundamental issue of collective intelligence is whether the collective pattern or process is based on environmental information that explicitly codes for it or arises through self-organization of the individuals. Sometimes, these alternatives occur together. Adaptive systems may also be capable of utilizing different types of mechanism under different conditions. Sendova-Franks et al. (Anim Behav 68:1095–1106, 2004) demonstrated evidence for a self-organization mechanism of brood sorting in the ant Temnothorax albipennis, where the brood are sorted in a series of bands or concentric annuli that increase in size with distance from the colony centre. The work by Cox and Blanchard (J Theor Biol 204:223-238, 2000) suggests an alternative or complementary mechanism whereby the brood pattern is specified by the template of a CO₂ gradient. Here, we test for a gaseous template as a necessary condition for brood sorting. Under the experimental condition, we pumped the air out of the nest continuously to prevent the accumulation of any gaseous substances. We compared the brood pattern between the experimental and control conditions according to four characteristics: mean distance from centre, mean nearest-neighbour distance, shape and area. Under the experimental condition, the order of brood types according to the first two characteristics was the same as in the control. The area of the brood pattern was smaller, and its shape elongated under the experimental condition. As expected on the basis of these differences, mean distance from centre was greater and mean nearest-neighbour distance was smaller under the experimental condition (although not statistically significantly) and by the expected amount. We found evidence that ants avoid placing brood in the strongest airflow stream. This could explain the reduced area and elongated shape of the brood pattern under the experimental condition. We conclude that a gaseous template is not a necessary condition for brood sorting. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Forest Restoration on a Closed Landfill: Rapid Addition of New Species by Bird Dispersal

Urban areas often contain sizeable pockets of degraded land, such as inactive landfills, that could be reclaimed as wildlife habitat and as connecting links to enhance remnant natural areas. In the northeastern U.S., many such lands fail to undergo natural succession to woodland, instead retaining a weedy, herbaceous cover for many years. We hypothesize that seed dispersal is a limiting factor, and that a form of secondary succession could be stimulated by introducing clusters of trees and shrubs to attract avian seed dispersers. As a direct test, we censused a 1.5-ha experimental plantation on the Fresh Kills Landfill (Staten Island, New York) one year after installation, in search of evidence that the plantation was spreading or increasing in diversity. The 17 planted species, many from coastal scrub forests native to this region, were surviving well but contributed almost no seedlings to the area, in part because only 20% of the installed trees or shrubs were reproductive. Of the 1079 woody seedlings found, 95% came from sources outside the plantation; most (71%) were from fleshy-fruited, bird-dispersed plants from nearby woodland fringes. Although the restoration planting itself had not begun to produce seedlings, it did function as a site for attracting dispersers, who enriched the young community with 20 new species. One-fourth of all new recruits were from nine additional wind-dispersed species. Locations with a high ratio of trees to shrubs had proportionately more recruits, indicating that plant size contributed to disperser attraction. The density of new recruits of each species was dependent on distance from the nearest potential seed source. Introducing native species with the capacity to attract avian dispersers may be the key to success of many restoration programs.     

A Bayesian strategy for combining predictions from empirical and process-based models

We present a strategy for using an empirical forest growth model to reduce uncertainty in predictions made with a physiological process-based forest ecosystem model. The uncertainty reduction is carried out via Bayesian melding, in which information from prior knowledge and a deterministic computer model is conditioned on a likelihood function. We used predictions from an empirical forest growth model G-HAT in place of field observations of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in a deciduous temperate forest ecosystem. Using Bayesian melding, priors for the inputs of the process-based forest ecosystem PnET-II were propagated through the model, and likelihoods for the PnET-II output ANPP were calculated using the G-HAT predictions. Posterior distributions for ANPP and many PnET-II inputs obtained using the G-HAT predictions largely matched posteriors obtained using field data. Since empirical growth models are often more readily available than extensive field data sets, the method represents a potential gain in efficiency for reducing the uncertainty of process-based model predictions when reliable empirical models are available but high-quality data are not.     

Open Corridors Appear to Facilitate Dispersal by Ringlet Butterflies (Aphantopus hyperantus) between Woodland Clearings

We studied the ringlet butterfly (Aphantopus hyperantus) in an area of woodland in eastern England. A. hyperantus occurs in open fields, rides (grassy tracks), and glades within the woodland. Mark-recapture methods showed that exchange rates of adult A. hyperantus between fields and glades can be predicted better by distance-via-rides than by direct distance. Behavioral observations showed that A. hyperantus readily moved from glades into rides but rarely moved from glades into dense woodland. The rides are likely to be corridors that act as conduits between fields and glades. In the A. hyperantus system, connectivity could reduce local extinctions and increase rates of recolonization in the event of local extinction.     

Development and characterization of complex particles for delivery of amino acids to early marine fish larvae

Complex particles (CP), zein microbound particles and lipid-spray beads (LSB) were prepared and their performances were compared for delivering glycine and a mixture of free amino acids (FAA; alanine, glycine, leucine, serine and tyrosine) to early fish larvae. Measures of performances of microparticles included inclusion, encapsulation, retention and delivery efficiencies in addition to T50 (time to 50% retention) values. CP were prepared containing LSB and a defined dietary mixture that were bound together with zein. CP had significantly higher retention and delivery efficiencies for FAA compared to those of zein microbound particles. Free LSB had higher retention efficiencies for particulate glycine compared with CP, possibly due to differences in suspension characteristics. Free LSB clumped and floated when suspended in water, negatively affecting their acceptability by fish larvae; therefore, LSB should be incorporated into CP for more effective delivery of amino acids. There was a significant inverse correlation between retention efficiencies and solubilities of FAA encapsulated in CP. After 1 h of aqueous suspension, highest retention (44%) and delivery efficiencies (20.3 mg tyrosine g^–1 particle) were achieved with tyrosine. T50 values indicated 50% of the initial tyrosine in CP was still available after 36.7 min of suspension in water. Furthermore, CP can deliver FAA to marine fish larvae based on the results of feeding studies in which CP were digested by 3-day-old clownfish larvae; therefore, this particle type could be a valuable tool in studies of larval fish nutrition.Communicated by R.J. Thompson, St. Johns     

pH dependence of ferrous sorption onto two smectite clays

This work examines the abilities of two smectite minerals (SWa-1 and Wyoming montmorillonite) to adsorb ferrous iron at concentrations from 0.037 mM (2 ppm) to 2.5 mM (240 ppm) over a range of pHs from 4.0 to 8.0. Both sorption isotherm and sorption edge data are presented. Ferrous sorption (Fe(aq)2+ = 0.1 mM) to both SWa-1 and Wyoming montmorillonite over the pH range 4.0-6.75 is relatively constant at approximately 1000 l kg(-1) for both minerals. Sorption in this pH range is attributed to the cation exchange capacity of the clay along the basal surfaces. At pH values above 6.75 the amount of ferrous iron sorbed increases dramatically. At pH 8, sorption (Fe(aq)+ = 0.1 mM) reaches 6600 l kg(-1) and 8000 l kg(-1) for Swa-1 and Wyoming montmorillonite respectively. This is attributed to the specific interaction between ferrous ions and surface sites along mineral edges. The overriding geochemical implication is that in reduced sediments containing more than a few percent clay, the pool of sorbed ferrous iron is vast. This pool of reduced iron is both redox labile and bio-available and is not readily indicated by simple measurement of dissolved Fe2+.