Behaviourally mediated predation avoidance in penguin prey:
            in situ
            evidence from animal-borne camera loggers

Predator dietary studies often assume that diet is reflective of the diversity and relative abundance of their prey. This interpretation ignores species-specific behavioural adaptations in prey that could influence prey capture. Here, we develop and describe a scalable biologging protocol, using animal-borne camera loggers, to elucidate the factors influencing prey capture by a seabird, the gentoo penguin ( Pygoscelis papua ). From the video evidence, we show, to our knowledge for the first time, that aggressive behavioural defence mechanisms by prey can deter prey capture by a seabird. Furthermore, we provide evidence demonstrating that these birds, which were observed hunting solitarily, target prey when they are most discernible. Specifically, birds targeted prey primarily while ascending and when prey were not tightly clustered. In conclusion, we show that prey behaviour can significantly influence trophic coupling in marine systems because despite prey being present, it is not always targeted. Thus, these predator–prey relationships should be accounted for in studies using marine top predators as samplers of mid- to lower trophic-level species.

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Ontogenic changes in diel vertical migration patterns compared with known allometric changes in three mesopelagic squid species suggest an expanded definition of a paralarva

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsq104 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 67 (7) ◽

pp. 1436-1443 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Elizabeth K. Shea ◽

Michael Vecchione

Keyword(s):

Vertical Migration ◽

Diel Vertical Migration ◽

Prey Capture ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

Squid Species ◽

Visual Markers ◽

Definition Of ◽

Species Specific ◽

First Time

Abstract Shea, E. K., and Vecchione, M. 2010. Ontogenic changes in diel vertical migration patterns compared with known allometric changes in three mesopelagic squid species suggest an expanded definition of a paralarva. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1436–1443. Planktonic and newly hatched cephalopods are routinely called paralarvae. Currently, the onset of diel vertical migration (DVM) marks the end of the paralarval phase, although changes in ontogenic growth trajectories may also be used. Patterns of DVM are reported for the first time for three poorly understood mesopelagic squid species. Discrete-depth samples taken during the Amsterdam Mid North Atlantic Plankton Expeditions (AMNAPE) of 1980–1983 are used to examine the timing of ecological and morphological changes in Chtenopteryx sicula, Mastigoteuthis magna, and Brachioteuthis sp. 3. DVM patterns are species-specific, and ontogenic changes in DVM coincide with allometric changes in the arm, fin, and funnel characters of C. sicula at 7 mm mantle length. Mastigoteuthis magna is not concentrated in the upper 250 m of the water column during the day, and no clear DVM pattern is found in Brachioteuthis sp. 3, meaning that the endpoint of the paralarval phase cannot be defined ecologically in these species. Other ecological transformations, e.g. changes in prey-capture ability, are therefore explored as alternatives to DVM. The pad-shaped club and long neck are proposed as visual markers of the end of the paralarval phase of C. sicula and Brachioteuthis sp. 3, respectively.

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Gastropod relevance in predator–prey interactions on a benthic shallow sandy ecosystem at Mar del Plata, Argentina (38°S)

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315418000036 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 99 (2) ◽

pp. 403-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

F. Arrighetti ◽

V. Teso ◽

T. Brey ◽

P.E. Penchaszadeh

Keyword(s):

Food Source ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Main Food ◽

Top Predators ◽

By Catch ◽

Main Food Source ◽

First Time

The shallow sandy marine subtidal ecosystem off Mar del Plata, Argentina, is the scene of multiple fisheries activities, in particular the prawn–shrimp Artemesia longinaris and Pleoticus muelleri grounds. We examined the δ13C vs δ15N isotope signatures of 22 species commonly found in the area in order to understand how this ecosystem supports the fishery, with special emphasis on imposex-affected gastropod populations. Our results indicate that the main food source for Olivancillaria urceus and Buccinanops monilifer were bivalves and crustaceans. Buccinanops duartei and Olivancillaria carcellesi feed on bivalves and also on macroalgae. These findings indicate, for the first time, a slight selectivity of some of the gastropods studied for local drifted algal sources and how gastropods may scavenge available food from by-catch returned to the sea. The fishes Urophysis brasiliensis and Callorhynchus callorhynchus appeared to be the top predators of this area with B. duartei and O. carcellesi constituting important components of their diet.

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Two Seas for One Great Diversity: Checklist of the Marine Heterobranchia (Mollusca; Gastropoda) from the Salento Peninsula (South-East Italy)

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12050171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 171

Author(s):

Giulia Furfaro ◽

Fabio Vitale ◽

Cataldo Licchelli ◽

Paolo Mariottini

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

New Records ◽

Ionian Sea ◽

Sea Slugs ◽

Fauna Composition ◽

Species Specific ◽

Ionian And Adriatic Seas ◽

First Time ◽

Specific Diet

The Salento peninsula is a portion of the Italian mainland separating two distinct Mediterranean basins, the Ionian and the Adriatic seas. Several authors have studied the marine Heterobranchia (Mollusca, Gastropoda) fauna composition living in the Ionian Sea, but to date further knowledge regarding this interesting group of mollusks is still needed. Recent studies have corroborated the peculiarity of the Mediterranean Sea showing high levels of endemism and cryptic diversity. On the other hand, marine sea slugs have been revealed to be important indicators of the marine ecosystem’s health, due to their species-specific diet that consist of a vast variety of sessile and benthic invertebrates. A baseline study of the marine Heterobranchia diversity is therefore a necessary step to reveal the hidden diversity and to monitor the possible presence of alien species. The present study shows results from approximately 600 scientific dives carried out during a nine-year period in all of the main submarine habitats of the studied area, while accounting for the marine Heterobranchia from both the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. With this contribution, the list of marine Heterobranchia inhabiting the Salento Peninsula rises to 160. Furthermore, it also reports, for the first time, the presence of one alien species and three new records for Italian waters. Ecological notes and geographical distribution for each added species are provided together with animal iconography, consisting mainly of in situ photographs, for species identification.

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Probing the Dynamic Self-Assembly Behaviour of Photoswitchable Wormlike Micelles in Real Time

10.26434/chemrxiv.7098695 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Elaine A. Kelly ◽

Judith E. Houston ◽

Rachel Evans

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Absorption Spectroscopy ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Uv Light ◽

Wormlike Micelles ◽

Tetraethylene Glycol ◽

Light Illumination ◽

First Time ◽

Dependent Processes

Understanding the dynamic self-assembly behaviour of azobenzene photosurfactants (AzoPS) is crucial to advance their use in controlled release applications such asdrug delivery and micellar catalysis. Currently, their behaviour in the equilibrium cis-and trans-photostationary states is more widely understood than during the photoisomerisation process itself. Here, we investigate the time-dependent self-assembly of the different photoisomers of a model neutral AzoPS, <a>tetraethylene glycol mono(4′,4-octyloxy,octyl-azobenzene) </a>(C8AzoOC8E4) using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We show that the incorporation of in-situUV-Vis absorption spectroscopy with SANS allows the scattering profile, and hence micelle shape, to be correlated with the extent of photoisomerisation in real-time. It was observed that C8AzoOC8E4could switch between wormlike micelles (transnative state) and fractal aggregates (under UV light), with changes in the self-assembled structure arising concurrently with changes in the absorption spectrum. Wormlike micelles could be recovered within 60 seconds of blue light illumination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the degree of AzoPS photoisomerisation has been tracked in-situthrough combined UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy-SANS measurements. This technique could be widely used to gain mechanistic and kinetic insights into light-dependent processes that are reliant on self-assembly.

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The Total Synthesis of Rhabdastrellic Acid A

10.26434/chemrxiv.7479944 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Yaroslav Boyko ◽

Christopher Huck ◽

David Sarlah

Keyword(s):

Total Synthesis ◽

Late Stage ◽

Cross Coupling ◽

Side Chains ◽

General Strategy ◽

Modular Approach ◽

Linear Sequence ◽

Generating Sequence ◽

First Time

<div>The first total synthesis of rhabdastrellic acid A, a highly cytotoxic isomalabaricane triterpenoid, has been accomplished in a linear sequence of 14 steps from commercial geranylacetone. The prominently strained trans-syn-trans-perhydrobenz[e]indene core characteristic of the isomalabaricanes is efficiently accessed in a selective manner for the first time through a rapid, complexity-generating sequence incorporating a reductive radical polyene cyclization, an unprecedented oxidative Rautenstrauch cycloisomerization, and umpolung 𝛼-substitution of a p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone with in situ reductive transposition. A late-stage cross-coupling in concert with a modular approach to polyunsaturated side chains renders this a general strategy for the synthesis of numerous family members of these synthetically challenging and hitherto inaccessible marine triterpenoids.</div>

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Engineered Phage Endolysin Eliminates Gardnerella Biofilm without Damaging Beneficial Bacteria in Bacterial Vaginosis Ex Vivo

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10010054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 54

Author(s):

Christine Landlinger ◽

Lenka Tisakova ◽

Vera Oberbauer ◽

Timo Schwebs ◽

Abbas Muhammad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Vaginosis ◽

Bactericidal Activity ◽

High Selectivity ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Vaginal Microbiome ◽

Wild Type ◽

Wild Type Enzyme ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

First Time

Bacterial vaginosis is characterized by an imbalance of the vaginal microbiome and a characteristic biofilm formed on the vaginal epithelium, which is initiated and dominated by Gardnerella bacteria, and is frequently refractory to antibiotic treatment. We investigated endolysins of the type 1,4-beta-N-acetylmuramidase encoded on Gardnerella prophages as an alternative treatment. When recombinantly expressed, these proteins demonstrated strong bactericidal activity against four different Gardnerella species. By domain shuffling, we generated several engineered endolysins with 10-fold higher bactericidal activity than any wild-type enzyme. When tested against a panel of 20 Gardnerella strains, the most active endolysin, called PM-477, showed minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.13–8 µg/mL. PM-477 had no effect on beneficial lactobacilli or other species of vaginal bacteria. Furthermore, the efficacy of PM-477 was tested by fluorescence in situ hybridization on vaginal samples of fifteen patients with either first time or recurring bacterial vaginosis. In thirteen cases, PM-477 killed the Gardnerella bacteria and physically dissolved the biofilms without affecting the remaining vaginal microbiome. The high selectivity and effectiveness in eliminating Gardnerella, both in cultures of isolated strains as well as in clinically derived samples of natural polymicrobial biofilms, makes PM-477 a promising alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, especially in patients with frequent recurrence.

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Species-diagnostic and species-specific DNA sequences evenly distributed throughout pine and spruce chromosomes

Genome ◽

10.1139/g10-065 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 53 (10) ◽

pp. 769-777 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Melanie Mehes-Smith ◽

Paul Michael ◽

Kabwe Nkongolo

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna ◽

Inter Simple Sequence Repeat ◽

Issr Markers ◽

Pinus Monticola ◽

The Family ◽

Species Specific ◽

Rapd And Issr ◽

Specific Sequences

Genome organization in the family Pinaceae is complex and largely unknown. The main purpose of the present study was to develop and physically map species-diagnostic and species-specific molecular markers in pine and spruce. Five RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) and one ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) species-diagnostic or species-specific markers for Picea mariana , Picea rubens , Pinus strobus , or Pinus monticola were identified, cloned, and sequenced. In situ hybridization of these sequences to spruce and pine chromosomes showed the sequences to be present in high copy number and evenly distributed throughout the genome. The analysis of centromeric and telomeric regions revealed the absence of significant clustering of species-diagnostic and species-specific sequences in all the chromosomes of the four species studied. Both RAPD and ISSR markers showed similar patterns.

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Chromosomal painting of the sandpiper (Actitis macularius) detects several fissions for the Scolopacidae family (Charadriiformes)

BMC Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1186/s12862-020-01737-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Melquizedec Luiz Silva Pinheiro ◽

Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi ◽

Talita Fernanda Augusto Ribas ◽

Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz ◽

Patricia Caroline Mary O´Brien ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chromosome Painting ◽

Diploid Number ◽

Chromosomal Evolution ◽

Long Distance ◽

Chromosomal Painting ◽

Cytogenetic Studies ◽

Burhinus Oedicnemus ◽

Clear Idea ◽

First Time

Abstract Background The Scolopacidae family (Suborder Scolopaci, Charadriiformes) is composed of sandpipers and snipes; these birds are long-distance migrants that show great diversity in their behavior and habitat use. Cytogenetic studies in the Scolopacidae family show the highest diploid numbers for order Charadriiformes. This work analyzes for the first time the karyotype of Actitis macularius by classic cytogenetics and chromosome painting. Results The species has a diploid number of 92, composed mostly of telocentric pairs. This high 2n is greater than the proposed 80 for the avian ancestral putative karyotype (a common feature among Scolopaci), suggesting that fission rearrangements have formed smaller macrochromosomes and microchromosomes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using Burhinus oedicnemus whole chromosome probes confirmed the fissions in pairs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of macrochromosomes. Conclusion Comparative analysis with other species of Charadriiformes studied by chromosome painting together with the molecular phylogenies for the order allowed us to raise hypotheses about the chromosomal evolution in suborder Scolopaci. From this, we can establish a clear idea of how chromosomal evolution occurred in this suborder.

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Stretchable supercapacitor at −30 °C

Energy & Environmental Science ◽

10.1039/d0ee04066e ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xuting Jin ◽

Li Song ◽

Hongsheng Yang ◽

Chunlong Dai ◽

Yukun Xiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

First Time

A stretchable supercapacitor at −30 °C was developed for the first time by in situ growth of polyaniline onto the newly-designed anti-freezing organohydrogel polyelectrolyte.

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Bark traits, decomposition and flammability of Australian forest trees

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt16258 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 327 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Saskia Grootemaat ◽

Ian J. Wright ◽

Peter M. van Bodegom ◽

Johannes H. C. Cornelissen ◽

Veronica Shaw

Keyword(s):

Forest Tree ◽

Remarkable Feature ◽

Interspecific Differences ◽

Eucalypt Plantations ◽

Physical Traits ◽

Key Driver ◽

Multiple Species ◽

Species Specific ◽

First Time ◽

Different Tissues

Bark shedding is a remarkable feature of Australian trees, yet relatively little is known about interspecific differences in bark decomposability and flammability, or what chemical or physical traits drive variation in these properties. We measured the decomposition rate and flammability (ignitibility, sustainability and combustibility) of bark from 10 common forest tree species, and quantified correlations with potentially important traits. We compared our findings to those for leaf litter, asking whether the same traits drive flammability and decomposition in different tissues, and whether process rates are correlated across tissue types. Considerable variation in bark decomposability and flammability was found both within and across species. Bark decomposed more slowly than leaves, but in both tissues lignin concentration was a key driver. Bark took longer to ignite than leaves, and had longer mass-specific flame durations. Variation in flammability parameters was driven by different traits in the different tissues. Decomposability and flammability were each unrelated, when comparing between the different tissue types. For example, species with fast-decomposing leaves did not necessarily have fast-decomposing bark. For the first time, we show how patterns of variation in decomposability and flammability of bark diverge across multiple species. By taking species-specific bark traits into consideration there is potential to make better estimates of wildfire risks and carbon loss dynamics. This can lead to better informed management decisions for Australian forests, and eucalypt plantations, worldwide.

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