Consequences of shell-species preferences for female reproductive success in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus

Littoral hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, show a strong preference for Littorina obtusata shells rather than those of Gibbula species. The fitness consequences, in terms of fecundity, for this shell preference is examined for female crabs. Females in the preferred species produced eggs earlier in the season, produced more eggs in the first brood, and produced a second brood more often than did females in the less preferred species. The smaller brood for Gibbula spp. was not a consequence of egg loss from the pleopods due to an unfavourable shape of shell, but rather reflected lower egg production. It is not clear, however, if this differential reproduction is due to direct costs of carrying an unfavourable shell, i.e. the shell impedes reproduction, or whether crabs compete aggressively for favoured shells so that only crabs of low quality inhabit lowquality shells.     

Genetic divergence of Maldivian and Micronesian demes of the damselfishes Stegastes nigricans,Chrysiptera biocellata,C. glauca and C. leucopoma (Pomacentridae)

Samples representing the damselfishes (Perciformes: Pomacentridae) Stegastes nigricans, Chrysiptera biocellata, C. glauca, and C. leucopoma from North Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives, and Guam, Southern Marianas, were surveyed electrophoretically. A sample representing C. leucopoma from Ngemelis Island, Republic of Palau, was included in the analysis to provide a within-Micronesia comparison. On average, products of 23 presumptive protein-coding loci were examined in each sample. In comparisons of Maldivian and Guamanian samples, absolute or virtually fixed allelic differences were detected at: (1) ADA ^* and PEPS ^* for Stegastes nigricans; (2) ADA ^*, AAT-1 ^*, AAT-2 ^*, and mMDH ^* for C. biocellata, and; (3) ADA ^*, AAT-1 ^*, and AAT-2 ^* for C. glauca. At three polymorphic loci, ADA ^*, sMDH-1 ^*, and sMDH-2 ^*, similar allele frequencies were found in Palauan and Guamanian samples representing C. leucopoma, suggesting that these samples share a gene pool. Significantly different allele frequencies at ADA ^* and sMDH-1 ^* and a virtually fixed allelic difference at sMDH-2 ^* were detected between the Maldivian samples and each of the Micronesian samples representing C. leucopoma. The observed patterns of allele frequency differentiation suggest that Maldivian and Micronesian samples of each of the four study species represent separate demes.     

Induction of metamorphosis in larvae of the oyster Crassostrea gigas using neuroactive compounds

Chemical (neuroactive compounds at different concentrations and exposure times) and physical (water agitation, light) factors with potential effects on the metamorphosis of larvae of the oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg) larvae have been studied. The neurotransmitters l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DO), epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NE), and acetylcholine (AC) have been identified as very active inducers of metamorphosis, whilst serotonin (SE), dopamine (DA) and potassium (K) were less effective inducers. The -aminobutyric acid (GA) and ammonium (AM) were found ineffective at the concentrations tested. Exposure to 10^-4 M EP for 15 min was sufficient to promote >80% metamorphosis within 48 h, whereas NE required 2 h to exert comparable induction. Maximum induction by DO (>50%) was achieved after 2 h exposure to 10^-4 M. However, unlike EP and NE, DO was lethal at that concentration in the long term. Maximum induction by AC (30% metamorphosis) was achieved at a concentration of 10^-4 M. In contrast to other neurotransmitters, AC induced settlement behaviour, cementation and eventual metamorphosis, yielding postlarvae which were all attached to the substratum. EP and NE triggered the morphogenetic changes, by-passing settlement and leading to postlarvae not cemented to the substratum. DO induced mostly attached spat at low concentrations (10^-5 M) and unattached spat at high concentrations (10^-4 M), and a similar pattern was apparent for the weaker inducers SE and DA. Regarding physical factors, a highly reflectant surface significantly increased the percentage of attached spat obtained, compared to a dark bottom. No consistent effect of water current or light was detected on the production of unattached spat. The three different forms of induction are discussed in relation to different regulatory pathways of settlement and metamorphosis.     

垃圾堆肥微生物接种实验

从２２个垃圾堆肥、畜粪、土壤等样品中分离获得纤维分解菌１９８株，选其中２株生长快、粗纤维分解能力强的菌株制成菌剂，以０．０５％～０．１％的接种量加入二次发酵的垃圾堆肥中。结果，接菌堆肥比不接菌堆肥升温快且高，高温维持时间长，真菌和纤维分解菌数量多，腐植质含量提高２１％～２６％。肥效试验证明，施接菌堆肥比施不接菌堆肥的可使青莱增产９．９％。     

单甲脒动物代谢的研究

采用气相色谱／傅立叶红外光谱和气相色谱／质谱仪分析大鼠肝脏中单甲脒的代谢产物，证明大鼠经口摄入单甲脒后，在肝脏中迅速代谢，其代谢中间产物为２，４－二甲基苯胺和含酰胺基的化全物。     

利用浮游动物群落结构与功能特征监测乐安江－鄱阳湖口重金属污染

１９９３年５月和１９９４年１０月两次对江西乐安江－鄱阳湖湖口的浮游动物进行了生态调查．分析了浮游动物群落结构与功能特征及其与水质的相互关系，并结合丰水期和枯水期的资料进行了水质的综合评价．结果表明：６个采样站浮游动物结构与功能参数的变化与重金属的含量关系密切．上游受铜矿废水污染严重的采样站，种类数、个体数量、生物量、多样性指数ｄ值和ＰＦＵ原生动物的群集速度都很低．至中、下游采样站，重金属浓度明显下降，浮游动物的各项监测指标均呈上升趋势．群落多样性指数ｄ值与水体中Ｃｕ的含量存在一定的回归关系，其关系式为Ｙ＝１６．４１－１．７７ｌｎＸ．     

Comparison of liver mitochondrial membranes from an agnathan (Myxine glutinosa), an elasmobranch (Raja erinacea) and a teleost fish (Pleuronectes americanus)

The membranes of elasmobranch liver mitochondria differ substantially from those of other marine fish. Although the proportions of the major phospholipids in elasmobranch mitochondria are similar to those of other marine fish, there are considerable differences in the fatty acid content of the phospholipids. Specifically, the percentage of saturated fatty acids is much higher, the polyunsaturated fatty acid content is much lower and the chain length is shorter than is typical of other non-urea retaining fishes. The tissues of elasmobranch fishes are unusual in that they contain the chaotropic agent urea at levels that are capable of disrupting the hydrophobic interactions responsible for membrane integrity. The mitochondrial membrane properties of the elasmobranch are consistent with those needed to maintain membrane integrity in the presence of physiological amounts of urea and indicate membrane adaptation to urea. Present address: INRS eau 2800 Rue Einstein, suite 105 Case Postale, 7500, Sainte Foy, Quebec G1V 4C7 Canada     

The application of geographic information systems to geochemical studies in Jamaica

The Centre for Nuclear Sciences (CNS) uses a raster based geographic information system (GIS), integrated with a relational database to store information on point sampled data, including concentrations of over 50 elements and/or ions in a variety of sample materials. These data are filtered in the GIS to create surface layers and are assigned colours according to percentile ranges allowing visual inspection to be used to identify significant features and trends. The database currently contains raster map layers for soils and geologic features, point site data for water and air, and vector data for roads, rivers and streams. While data are still being added to the database interesting results are already being obtained and a few instances where the GIS was used to assist in the data interpretation are reported.     

Stable lead isotope profiles in smelter and general urban communities: a comparison of environmental and blood measures

High-precision lead isotope ratios and lead concentrations have been compared statistically and graphically in women of child-bearing age (n = 77) from two smelter communities and one general urban community to evaluate the relative contributions to blood lead of tissue lead stores and lead from the contemporaneous environment (soil, floor dust, indoor airborne dust, water, food). Blood lead (PbB) contents were generally low (e.g. <10 g dL^–1). Statistically significant isotopic differences in blood and environmental samples were observed between the three cities although isotopic differences in blood for individual subjects living in close proximity (200 m radius) was as large as the differences within a city. No single environmental measure dominated the biological isotope profile and in many cases the low levels of blood lead meant that their isotopic profiles could be easily perturbed by relatively small changes of environmental exposure. Apportioning of sources using lead isotopes is possibly not feasible, nor cost effective, when blood lead levels are <5 g dL^–1. Interpretations based on statistical analyses of city-wide data do not give the same conclusions as when the houses are considered individually. Aggregating data from multiple subjects in a study such as this obscures potentially useful information. Most of the measures employed in this study, and many other similar studies, are markers of only short-to-medium integration of lead exposure. Serial sampling of blood and longer sampling times, especially for household variables, should provide more meaningful information.     

Analysis of ribosomal ITS1 sequences indicates a deep divergence between Rhodactis (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Corallimorpharia) species from the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific/Red Sea

This paper explores the implications of ribosomal ITS1-sequence analysis for evolutionary relationships between four species of corallimorphs which are morphologically very similar but have distinct distributions. The analyses highlight the unreliability of morphological criteria in establishing systematic relationships amongst tropical corallimorphs. Both parsimony and distance methods of phylogenetic analysis strongly support a deep divergence between the Caribbean species Rhodactics sanctithoma and the three morphologically-related species R. howesii and R. indosinensis from the Indo-Pacific and R. rhodostoma from the Red Sea. The analyses also strongly support a closer relationship between the Red Sea species, R. rhodostoma, and one of the Indo-Pacific species, R. howesii, than between these two and the second Indo-Pacific species, R. indosinensis. The first of these results is presumably a consequence of the closure of the Central American Seaway, the event which led to the separate development of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific coral faunas. However, the lack of detailed distribution data represents a major barrier to reconstructing the evolutionary history of the genus.