Investigation of the Combined Effects of Rising Temperature and Pesticide Contamination on the Swimming Behaviour of Alpine Chironomids

Some pollutants can be transported through the atmosphere and travel medium–long distances to be deposited in glaciers at high altitude and latitude. The increase in the rate of glacier melting due to global warming can release these pollutants in alpine streams. This study investigated the combined effects of rising temperatures and chlorpyrifos (CPF) contamination on the swimming behaviour of alpine chironomids collected in a shrinking alpine glacier. We assessed the individual and interaction effects of rising temperatures (2–11 °C) and CPF concentrations (0–110 ng L−1) on the swimming behaviour of Diamesa zernyi (Chironomidae) larvae. Distance (mm) and speed (mm s−1) were recorded using a video-tracking system after 24–72 h of treatment. The two stressors caused different effects on distance and speed, with increasing temperature generally causing hyperactivity and CPF from hyperactivity to reduced mobility. Two interactions were detected between stressors when combined: (i) CPF superimposed the effect of temperature on both behavioural endpoints i.e., with 110 ng L−1 of CPF, at 11 °C, larvae moved less; (ii) warming (11 °C) magnified the negative effect of CPF: the smallest distance and slowest speed were recorded at the highest values of the two stressors after 72 h. Our results suggest that water contamination by CPF, even at sub-lethal concentrations, might increase the sensitivity of chironomids to warming, and vice versa, raising concerns about freshwater biodiversity conservation under climate change.

The Effect of Different Feeding Applications on the Swimming Behaviour of Siberian Sturgeon: A Method for Improving Restocking Programmes

Restocking programmes of different fish species have been implemented worldwide. However, the survival of hatchery-reared fish after release to riverine ecosystems is at a very low level. One of the reasons for the high mortality rate of post-released fish is their modified swimming behaviour due to the hatchery rearing practice. To investigate one of the possible causes for modified swimming behaviour, Acipenser baerii larvae were exposed to surface- and bottom-feeding applications with day and night light regimes in a factorial design. We also analysed the effect of 5 and 10 days of starvation after different feeding applications on sturgeon swimming behaviour. The surface-feeding application was previously expected to promote the frequent Siberian sturgeon swim up to the mid- and top-water layers in our rearing facilities. However, our results indicated that the modified behaviour of the Siberian sturgeon in our study was caused by fish starvation and a possible predator-free environment rather than by the method of feed application or the day/night light regimes. These results may be used to improve the implementation of restocking programmes either through modified hatchery rearing practice or the training of foraging skills with predator stimuli.

Muscular adaptations in swimming scale worms (Polynoidae, Annelida)

Annelids are predominantly found along with the seafloor, but over time have colonized a vast diversity of habitats, such as the water column, where different modes of locomotion are necessary. Yet, little is known about their potential muscular adaptation to the continuous swimming behaviour required in the water column. The musculature and motility were examined for five scale worm species of Polynoidae (Aphroditiformia, Annelida) found in shallow waters, deep sea or caves and which exhibit crawling, occasional swimming or continuous swimming, respectively. Their parapodial musculature was reconstructed using microCT and computational three-dimensional analyses, and the muscular functions were interpreted from video recordings of their locomotion. Since most benthic scale worms are able to swim for short distances using body and parapodial muscle movements, suitable musculature for swimming is already present. Our results indicate that rather than rearrangements or addition of muscles, a shift to a pelagic lifestyle is mainly accompanied by structural loss of muscle bundles and density, as well as elongation of extrinsic dorsal and ventral parapodial muscles. Our study documents clear differences in locomotion and musculature among closely related annelids with different lifestyles as well as points to myoanatomical adaptations for accessing the water column.

Two swimming modes in Trachymedusae; bell kinematics and the role of giant axons

Although members of the Rhopalonematidae family (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Trachymedusae) are known to exhibit unusually powerful jet swimming in addition to their more normal slow swimming behaviour, for the most part reports are rare and anecdotal. Many species are found globally at depths of 600 - 2000 m and so observation and collection depends on using remotely operated submersible vehicles. With a combination of in-situ video footage and laboratory measurements, we have quantified kinematic aspects of this dual swimming motion and its electrophysiology. The species included are from two Rhopalonematidae clades; they are Colobonema sericeum, Pantachogon haeckeli, Crossota millsae and two species of Benthocodon. Comparison is made with Aglantha digitale, a species from a third Rhopalonematidae clade brought to the surface by natural water movement. We find that although all Rhopalonematidae appear to have two swimming modes there are marked differences in their neural anatomy, kinematics and physiology. Giant motor axons, known to conduct impulses during fast swimming in A. digitale, are absent from C. sericeum and P. haeckeli. Slow swimming is also different; in C. sericeum and its relatives it is driven by contractions restricted to the base of the bell. These behavioural differences are related to the position of the different clades on a ribosomal DNA-based phylogenetic tree. This finding allows us to pinpoint the phylogenetic branch point leading to the appearance of giant motor axons and escape swimming. They place the remarkable dual swimming behaviour of members of the Rhopalonematidae family into an evolutionary context.