Variations in type, width, volume and carbon content of anchoveta Engraulis ringens food items during the early larval stages

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 1207-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Yañez-Rubio ◽  
A. Llanos-Rivera ◽  
L.R. Castro ◽  
G. Claramunt ◽  
L. Herrera

In order to determine the changes in the relative importance of different kinds of preys as larval anchoveta Engralis ringens grows, the present study reports information about feeding incidence, type, size, and carbon content estimates of preys, at the beginning of the main spawning season in mid-winter off central Chile. Our results show a mixed diet initially dominated by phytoplankton and later switching to zooplankton in older larvae. While larval anchoveta grows, they feed on preys whose widths do not vary much compared to their body length and volume. These preys might be different taxa or a single species whose body widths vary little among life stages (i.e. nauplii and copepodites). Differences in estimated carbon content were observed among food items and a marked increase in carbon consumption was observed in the larger larval sizes (>9 mm standard length). These ontogenetic changes in feeding are coincident with the increased proportion of larger preys and also with the number of preys consumed by larger larvae.

Author(s):  
Qusaie Karam ◽  
Zainab Al-Wazzan

Abstract Petroleum hydrocarbons (PH) toxicity and bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms have been investigated for almost 50 years. Continuous oil spillages necessitate a further understanding of the toxicological effects of PH on brachyuran crabs. Crabs can be exposed to PH through various routes such as the water column, sediment and diet. Numerous investigations have been dedicated to evaluating PH toxicity on different life stages of crab species, but the majority of them have focused on the blue crab Callinectes sapidus as it represents an edible and favourable seafood commodity for human consumption. The objective of the review is to critically assess studies related to PH toxicity on different life stages of 41 crab species representing 13 families across the world. Several physiological, biochemical and genetic endpoints of marine crabs were evaluated in addition to the sublethal effects of PH on crab metabolism, behaviour, moulting, growth and survival. A concise summary of PH deleterious effects on different taxonomic species of marine crabs is discussed and provides evidence that crabs can be used as indicator organisms of biomarker significance for marine pollution. Overall, larval stages appeared to be the most sensitive to the deleterious effects of PH compared with juveniles and adults. However, adult stages have received more research attention than other life stages, followed by larval stages, and juvenile stages are the least investigated stages with respect to PH toxicity. Finally, hepatopancreas and gills were the organs where greatest accumulation of PH was recorded.


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Vásquez ◽  
A. Llanos-Rivera ◽  
L. R. Castro ◽  
C. Fernandez

It has been proposed that current levels of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation could cause lethal or sublethal effects on fish embryos located in the upper layers of the water column. Observed levels of UVB off central Chile (36°S, 73°W) indicate that planktonic fish embryos could be exposed to harmful UVB radiation. From July 2011 to January 2012 embryos from anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) and common sardine (Strangomera bentincki) were used to test experimentally whether the UVB levels in central Chile produce lethal or sublethal effects in epipelagic fish embryos. Simultaneously, whether the embryos might be exposed to harmful UVB levels in the field was investigated. Our experimental results show that UVB may cause a decrease in hatching success, changes in buoyancy and embryonic malformations. These results, along with the observed vertical distribution of embryos and UVB radiation levels in the field during late spring suggest that lethal and sublethal effects may be occurring in the embryos of both species.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy R. Larocque ◽  
Nancy Luckai ◽  
Shailendra N. Adhikary ◽  
Arthur Groot ◽  
F. Wayne Bell ◽  
...  

Competition in forest stands has long been of interest to researchers. However, much of the knowledge originates from empirical studies that examined the effects of competition. For instance, many studies were focused on the effects of the presence of herbaceous species on the development of tree seedlings or the decrease in individual tree growth with increases in stand density. Several models that incorporate competitive effects have been developed to predict tree and stand growth, but with simplified representations of competitive interactions. While these studies provided guidance useful for forest management, they contributed only partially to furthering our understanding of competitive mechanisms. Also, most competition studies were conducted in single-species stands. As competitive interactions occurring in mixed stands are characterized by a higher degree of complexity than those in single-species stands, a better understanding of these mechanisms can contribute to developing optimal management scenarios. The dynamics of forest stands with at least two species may be affected not only by competition, but also by facilitation or complementarity mechanisms. Thus, knowledge of the mechanisms may provide insight into the relative importance of intra- versus inter-specific competition and whether competition is symmetric or asymmetric. Special attention to the implementation of field experimental designs is warranted for mixed stands. While traditional spacing trials are appropriate for single-species stands, the examination of competitive interactions in mixed stands requires more complex experimental designs to examine the relative importance of species combinations. Forest productivity models allow resource managers to test different management scenarios, but again most of these models were developed for single-species stands. As competitive interactions are more complex in mixed stands, models developed to predict their dynamics will need to include more mechanistic representations of competition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiane Araujo Santos ◽  
Thamires Souza Gonçalves ◽  
Patricia Silva do Nascimento ◽  
Cézar Augusto Freire Fernandes ◽  
Francisca Edna de Andrade Cunha

Abstract: Aim Identify seasonal variations in the diet of juvenile living in the estuary of the Parnaíba River Delta. Methods Food items were identified through analysis of stomach contents, and later submitted to analysis by regular methods for Frequency of Occurrence (FO), Frequency Numerical (FN), Gravimetric Frequency (FW) and Relative Importance Index (IRI). Results Juvenile diet of Elops saurus that inhabit the lagoons in the Parnaíba delta was composed in order decreasing of importance by Osteichthyes (Teleostei), Insecta and Crustacea in addition to Polychaeta and Nematoda. It was also observed a high frequency of occurrence of fragments of plastics in the diet. In the rainy season, 17 items were recorded in the diet, whereas in the dry season only 7 items were present. Relative Importance Index showed high presence of the Teleostei fish (69.93%) on diet of E. saurus during the rainy season, whereas during the dry period the insects of the families Corixidae (43.25%) and Dysticidae (39.16%). Conclusions With the study it was possible to identify that juvenile are piscivorous in the rainy season when there is a higher availability of prey in the environment and insectivores in the dry season when it reduces the supply of food, indicating feeding flexibility to environmental alterations.


Author(s):  
S. Acevedo ◽  
O. Dwane ◽  
J.M. Fives

Ichthyoplankton from an area in the Celtic Sea was studied to provide an insight into the fish larval community structure in March, May and June 1998. Three station groups were defined each month, Neritic, Transition and Oceanic. The Neritic assemblages included larval stages of coastal fish species and the Oceanic assemblages included mesopelagic and high-oceanic fish species which were not recorded from any of the Neritic stations. The Transition stations usually contained species characteristic of both the Neritic and Oceanic assemblages. It is suggested that these broad patterns of larval fish distributions are constant features of the Celtic Sea area, probably related to the spawning location of the adults. The area is, in general, species poor, with the Oceanic stations usually dominated by a single species, indicating the presence of a large spawning school of fish.


Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 369 (6499) ◽  
pp. 65-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flemming T. Dahlke ◽  
Sylke Wohlrab ◽  
Martin Butzin ◽  
Hans-Otto Pörtner

Species’ vulnerability to climate change depends on the most temperature-sensitive life stages, but for major animal groups such as fish, life cycle bottlenecks are often not clearly defined. We used observational, experimental, and phylogenetic data to assess stage-specific thermal tolerance metrics for 694 marine and freshwater fish species from all climate zones. Our analysis shows that spawning adults and embryos consistently have narrower tolerance ranges than larvae and nonreproductive adults and are most vulnerable to climate warming. The sequence of stage-specific thermal tolerance corresponds with the oxygen-limitation hypothesis, suggesting a mechanistic link between ontogenetic changes in cardiorespiratory (aerobic) capacity and tolerance to temperature extremes. A logarithmic inverse correlation between the temperature dependence of physiological rates (development and oxygen consumption) and thermal tolerance range is proposed to reflect a fundamental, energetic trade-off in thermal adaptation. Scenario-based climate projections considering the most critical life stages (spawners and embryos) clearly identify the temperature requirements for reproduction as a critical bottleneck in the life cycle of fish. By 2100, depending on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenario followed, the percentages of species potentially affected by water temperatures exceeding their tolerance limit for reproduction range from ~10% (SSP 1–1.9) to ~60% (SSP 5–8.5). Efforts to meet ambitious climate targets (SSP 1–1.9) could therefore benefit many fish species and people who depend on healthy fish stocks.


Aquaculture ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 248 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 263-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm R. Brown ◽  
Stephen C. Battaglene ◽  
David T. Morehead ◽  
Mina Brock

2005 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. G Araújo ◽  
C. C Andrade ◽  
R. N Santos ◽  
A. F. G. N Santos ◽  
L. N Santos

We assessed spatial and seasonal changes in the diet of Oligosarcus hepsetus in order to describe the strategy developed by this species that allows their very high abundance in Lajes reservoir, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fish samplings were carried out using gill nets, deployed during ca. 12 and 24 hours, between April 2001 and May 2002. A total of 289 individuals were examined, of which 97 showed gut contents. We used the index of relative importance (IRI) to compare probable dietary shifts, and the frequency of occurrence (% OC) to analyze possible ontogenetic influences on feeding. O. hepsetus showed carnivorous habits, feeding preferably on fish and insects, the latter of which occurred in 71.0% of the guts presenting contents. O. hepsetus consumed different items along the three reservoir zones: insects (61.0% IRI) and Cichla monoculus (38.9% IRI) in the lower zone; Lepidoptera (57.0% IRI) in the middle zone; and C. monoculus (77.0% IRI) in the upper zone. Food items changed seasonally with C. monoculus predominating in autumn 2001, and Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera in the winter. In spring almost all food was Lepidoptera (99.8% IRI), while in the summer Hemiptera dominated in the diet. In autumn 2002 Hemiptera (97.0% IRI) was dominant, in significant contrast with the previous autumn. Individuals smaller than 190 mm SL fed heavily on insects, while fishes predominated in the diet of individuals larger than 190 mm SL. Shifts in prey-capture ability among length classes suggest decreasing intraspecific competition. A higher food plasticity seems to be the strategy employed by this opportunist species, which used food resources available in the reservoir.


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