Intraspecific variation of photosynthesis,respiration and photoprotective carotenoids in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Gracilaria birdiae</Emphasis> (Gracilariales: Rhodophyta)

In most rhodophytes, the quenchers zeaxanthin or lutein seem to be used for carotenoid photoprotection next to β-carotene. However, our study shows that the tropical intertidal alga Gracilaria birdiae possesses high concentrations of antheraxanthin, as well as lower concentrations of both zeaxanthin and violaxanthin. In higher plants and some algal groups, these three oxygenated carotenoids are known to protect photosystem II in a xanthophyll cycle. We were able to manipulate the carotenoid concentrations in G. birdiae by varying irradiance and temperature in laboratory experiments. Higher concentrations of violaxanthin were found in dark incubations and higher concentrations of zeaxanthin in light incubations, which is an indication that a xanthophyll cycle is active in G. birdiae. Our results also suggest a biosynthesis pathway from lycopene to β,β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin in the light and synthesis of new lycopene in darkness. This would imply that the production of functional carotenoids is regulated by their need in photoprotection. Despite cultivation in the laboratory under the same conditions for at least 6 years, there were differences in photosynthetic properties and carotenoid dynamics between algae obtained from a population close to the Equator and another population close to the Tropic of Capricorn. These differences most probably have their origin in genetic differentiation mediated by ambient irradiance and temperature regimes. Four phycoerythrin-deficient mutant strains of G. birdiae were studied as well. Photosynthetic properties and carotenoid dynamics were basically the same in the mutants and the wild strains, but two green strains had remarkably low dark respiratory rates. This is an indication of low production of metabolites, which may be a competitive disadvantage.     

Modelling the influence of demographic parameters on group structure in social species with dispersal asymmetry and group fission

Female philopatry characterizes many mammal populations subdivided into social groups. Fission of these social groups is a relatively discrete event in the life of groups or of individuals, leading to the distribution of females among several newly formed groups. Fission is an important event because it can be a way for females to disperse. Group fissions have rarely been observed and their modalities generally remain poorly known, the best-documented species being primates. Most group fissions occur along lines of maternal relatedness, but the death of a matriarch may disrupt the cohesion within a matriline, inducing separation of sisters, accompanied by their descendants, when a group splits. Our model shows that the numbers and sizes of matrilines within groups depend on the precise demographic parameters and age structure of a population and not only on its rate of increase. For comparable population-growth periods, high survival rates of adult females induce an increase in the sizes of matrilines, whereas high survival rates of immature individuals induce an increase in the numbers of matrilines. Following fission, groups of a given size included, in the first case, only a few large matrilines, whereas in the second case, they consisted mainly of many small matrilines. The present study constitutes a preliminary stage, before modelling consequences of demographic structure of groups or populations on their genetic structure.     

Diel and seasonal changes in the distribution of fish on a southeast Brazil sandy beach

The effect of diel and seasonal changes in the distribution of fishes on a subtropical sandy beach on the southeastern coast of Brazil were studied. Seine netting was carried out on both seasonal and diel scales between July 1998 and June 1999. A total of 46 fish species was recorded, six being numerically dominant: Anchoa tricolor, Gerres aprion, Harengula clupeola, Atherinella brasiliensis, Mugil liza and Diapterus rhombeus. Seasonal changes in abundance of dominant species were detected. Species dominant in winter were Anchoa tricolor, H. clupeola and Atherinella brasiliensis; in spring, Anchoa tricolor and G. aprion; in summer G. aprion and D. rhombeus; and in autumn M. liza and H. clupeola. Overall, diel patterns did not reveal any significant trends; however, if we consider each season separately, an increase in A. tricolor abundance was recorded during the day in winter/spring, being replaced at night by H. clupeola in winter, and by G. aprion in spring. Increases in number of individuals and biomass at sunset, and decreases during the night were recorded. The winter/spring inshore/offshore movements at diel scale performed by the three most abundant species demonstrate that diel fluctuation acts more at a species-specific level than at a structural one; in summer there was no evidence of diel movements due to a heavy influx of G. aprion and D. rhombeus, which use the area throughout day and night, increasing overall abundance. Seasonal movements seems to be related to ontogenetic change in species, while diel movements in the fish assemblage seem to be more related to physiological requirements, such feeding activity of each particular species, than to physico-chemical conditions.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Genetic differentiation in three Sepia species (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) from Galician waters (north-west Iberian Peninsula)

The systematics of the genus Sepia is not yet clear. Morphological evidence has led to S. officinalis Linnaeus, 1758 being considered as belonging to the subgenus Sepia sensu stricto, and S. orbignyana Férussac, 1826 and S. elegans Blainville, 1827 as belonging to the subgenus Rhombosepion. Samples of 30 individuals of S. officinalis and S. orbignyana from both sides of an oceanographic boundary off the north-west Iberian Peninsula, and a sample of S. elegans from the northern side, were collected in 1993–1994. Allozyme electrophoresis for 32 presumptive loci revealed low levels of genetic variability for the three Sepia species (mean expected heterozygosity estimates were <0.052). No significant differences in allozyme frequencies were detected among populations of either S. officinalis or S. orbignyana. The genetic identities (I) of S. officinalis and S. orbignyana (I=0.12) and of S. elegans (I=0.13) were significantly different from that of S. orbignyana and S. elegans (I=0.49). The former are typical of values for confamilial genera, and a new generic status is proposed for the latter two species, which become Rhombosepion orbignyana (Férussac, 1826) and R. elegans (Blainville, 1827).     

玉米联合固氮耐铵工程菌Enterobacter gergoviae-7(E7)在不同载体及玉米根际的存活规律

以草炭、腐植酸和水为载体接种玉米联合固氮耐铵工程菌Enterobactergergoviae -7(以下简称E7)制备菌剂 ,在常温条件下放置 5dE7菌数在载体内明显增加 ,1mo后E7菌数略有下降 ,2mo后E7菌数急剧下降 ,半年后E7活菌数降至n(CFU) =5 .0× 10 6～ 93.0× 10 6g- 1 ,3种菌剂中菌数的变化趋势一致 ,E7菌数残留量 :草炭菌剂 >液体菌剂 >腐植酸菌剂 ;用草炭菌剂拌种在生长 2 0d的玉米根区 (包括根系和根际土壤 ) ,E7菌数达到最大值 ,以后E7菌数下降 ,至灌浆期玉米根际未能检测到E7;不同接种方法试验结果表明 ,以草炭菌剂拌种 +种下 2cm穴施使玉米获得最高增产率 .(表 3)     

Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water in The Province of Soria (Central Spain) and Caries in Children

The fluoride content in the water supply of the Soria province is not normally above 0.2mg L^–1 and its geographical distribution is related to the lithological and geological features of the zone, the highest concentration being associated with the Miocene clay formation of the Almazán Basin.A statistical analysis confirms a connection between this fluoride content and tooth decay among children in rural areas. However, other factors such as oral hygiene and diet have been found to affect tooth decay.     

Comparative growth and mortality of Bonamia ostreae -resistant and wild flat oysters, Ostrea edulis, in an intensive system. I. First year of experiment

Since the early nineteen-seventies, the parasitic protozoans Marteilia refringens and Bonamia ostreae have consistently deleteriously affected the French production of Ostrea edulis (Linné). Purification and inoculation of B. ostreae that were achieved in the late nineteen-eighties allowed a selection program to be initiated. Two O. edulis strains, S85 and S89, were raised that displayed significant resistance to B. ostreae in the field. Growth was monitored to ensure that the resistant strains grew at a rate comparable to that of controls, using two crosses between the first generation of S89 and the second generation of S85 (G1G2), and between the first generation of S89 and wild oysters (G0G1). Growth and mortality were monitored for seven consecutive months in an intensive open circulating system at the IFREMER station of Bouin (Vendée, France). A Chapman-Richards model of growth revealed that the two “resistant” crosses grew significantly better than two controls from Quiberon Bay (Brittany), an area in which B. ostreae is endemic, and Palavas (Mediterranean Sea), where oysters are less infested by this parasite. The asymptotic values for growth curves ranged between 27.2 and 28.2 g for G1G2 and G0G1 vs 21.0 and 22.8 g for the controls. There was a similar trend in mortality, with G1G2 (11.8%) surviving better than the three other populations (from 28.7 to 57.5%). B. ostreae was not detected during the experiments and mortalities were attributed to feeding conditions that were not optimal, reinforced by gametogenesis and high temperatures during the summer. It is suggested that the better performance of G1G2 and G0G1 resulted from their increased resistance to stress. Received: 10 March 1997 / Accepted: 4 August 1997     

Determination of canthaxanthin in the red coral (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Corallium rubrum</Emphasis>) from Marseille by HPLC combined with UV and MS detection

Corallium rubrum is the most famous and precious coral due to the intense characteristic red colour of its skeleton. We have determined the presence of carotenoids in natural samples of C. rubrum from Marseille, Riou, and investigated their chemical composition. Analysis was performed both on soft tissues and hard tissues including spicules and skeleton. Since hard tissues are made of a mineral fraction and an organic fraction obtained after demineralization, extraction was performed both with and without demineralization by EDTA. The extracts were analyzed by complementary methods of TLC, HPLC/DAD and HPLC/MS. The components were separated by RP-18 chromatography column using acetonitrile/methanol for HPLC/DAD and acetonitrile/water gradient for HPLC/MS analysis. Our results give the first evidence of the presence of canthaxanthin, 4,4′-diketo-β-carotene, as the major carotenoid in all samples. Spicules exhibited higher content in carotenoids than skeleton. Demineralization treatment improved the efficiency of carotenoid extraction by an average factor of 5 and showed that organic matrix contains canthaxanthin.     

Larval fish assemblages in Independencia Bay,Pisco, Peru: temporal and spatial relationships

The structure of the larval fish assemblages in Independencia Bay on the coast of Peru was examined using a combination of univariate and multivariate techniques. The plankton of Independencia Bay was sampled during 2000, to ascertain ichthyoplankton composition, abundance, and seasonality. These data were used to assess the function of the bay as spawning and nursery grounds and were related to the regional oceanography. In total, 16,156 fish larvae, representing 34 families, 48 genera, and 48 species were collected. Engraulidae, Normanichthyidae, Blenniidae, Gobiesocidae, Haemulidae, Labrisomidae, Pinguipedidae, and Atherinidae comprised 96.8% of the larvae captured; the remaining 3.2% included 26 families. Greatest mean larval fish densities, 319–1,381 per 100 m³, were recorded between September and November, suggesting a major spring spawning period. The most abundant fish larvae during this period were preflexion stage mote sculpins (Normanichthyidae) and newly hatched and preflexion stage anchovies (Engraulidae). A second, smaller summer peak was dominated by preflexion stage anchovies, followed by preflexion stage mote sculpins. The occurrence of high larval fish densities and the wide range of larval stages suggest that Independencia Bay is a regionally important spawning and nursery ground for marine fish. The principal component analysis showed that temperature and salinity were the dominant variables within the first two principal components, which accounted for 74.4% of the variation in environmental conditions. These conditions varied over time, station, and depth; however, interaction terms could not clearly be identified. Fitting a multinomial logistic model showed that larval fish assemblages and environmental conditions were associated in a complex way. The spring and summer ichthyoplankton abundance peaks in Independencia Bay coincided with high zooplankton standing stock and also coincided approximately with the periods of increased upwelling in the area.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe