Male Body Length Research Articles

Embryonic Development and Eclosion Season of New Species <i>Berastagia</i> (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Taiwan

This paper describes a new species of the snout moth Berastagia tainanica sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Taiwan. From 2009 to 2016, a biology study was conducted on population dynamics and embryonic development. Spring season is the peak of the eclosion of overwintering larvae or pupae. The average longevity of adult was 14.8 ± 6.2 days (N = 174), the average number of eggs laid was 259 ± 3 eggs/moth (N = 2), the hatching rate of eggs was 95.4% (N = 262), and the average hatching time of eggs was 99.6 ± 18.6 hours (N = 68). The average body length of males was 5.64 mm ± 0.91 mm (N = 30), and the average body length of females was 6.28 mm ± 0.84 mm (N = 30). This finding indicates that female snout moths are larger than males (Global R = 0.058, P = 0.012). The snout moth eclosion rate was 16.9 moths/100 pods in the first year (2010/2011, N = 2,224 pods) and 10.9 moths/100 pods in the second year (2014/2015, N = 6,382 pods). The pod borer rate was 31.8% (N = 707) and the seed borer rate was 41.2% (N = 3,628) in the first year, whereas the pod borer rate was 76.2% (N = 6,382) in the second year.

Life History Traits of Sperm Whales Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 Stranded along Italian Coasts (Cetartiodactyla: Physeteridae).

We investigated the relationship between age and body length, and age at sexual maturity of Physeter macrocephalus individuals stranded along the Italian coast. Our molecular analysis shows that all our samples belong to the C.001.002 haplotype, shared between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. We show that males attain sexual maturity at 10 years, similar to those from other marine areas. However, considering the same body length class, Mediterranean males are older than Atlantic ones. Our finding of a Mediterranean pregnant female of only 6.5 m in length and an assessed age of 24-26 years is particularly noteworthy, considering that females reach sexual maturity at about 9 years and 9 m of total length in other regions. Comparing our results with the literature data, we highlight the positive correlation between lifespan, adult body length and weight of males from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. Regardless of whether the relatively small size of Mediterranean specimens is a consequence of an inbreeding depression or an adaptation to less favorable trophic conditions, we recommend to closely monitor this population from a conservation perspective. In fact, its low genetic diversity likely corresponds to a relatively limited ability to respond to environmental changes compared with other populations.

Morphometric Indices and Venom Protein Profile in Different Populations of Androctonus crassicauda.

Androctonus crassicauda is the most medically relevant animal and understanding its morphological characteristics is essential in the production of antiscorpion sera. Adults of A. crassicauda were collected from different areas of Zanjan Province and the morphometric parameters and the cuticular fluorescence patterns of samples were studied. The crude venom of samples was extracted by electric stimulation, and their biochemical properties were analyzed by the SDS-PAGE method. Values of the morphometric parameters depended on sex and altitude of the area. Except for values of the pectinal organ, these parameters in females were higher than in males. No significant difference was in the number, shape, and intensity of cuticular fluorescence patterns. The body length of males in high and lowlands was 72.53±1.53 and 77.33±2.70mm, respectively. Females' body lengths in that area were 81.66±2.19 and 86.55±2.33mm, respectively. Analysis of toxin proteins showed two isotypes that the 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 19kDa proteins were in all areas. However, the 41 and 74kDa proteins, and 46 and 63kDa proteins were detected in low and highlands, respectively. Black fat-tailed scorpion has a considerable dominancy and developing preventive programs and providing treatment facilities in studied areas are necessary. Values of the morphological parameters and venom electrophoresis patterns depended on the geographical location. Therefore, pool crude toxin is suggested for the production of effective antivenoms. Moreover, additional field complementary works in the geographic information system based niche modeling and mass fingerprinting of scorpion venoms are suggested for screening effective isotypes.

Spatiotemporal and life history related trends of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises from south China sea (2007–2020)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) levels in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), near the most economically developed region in China, have not been characterized. We measured the hepatic concentrations of twelve PFASs, including nine perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and three perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs) in the finless porpoises (n = 21) collected from the PRE between 2007 and 2020. The average level of PFSAs was more than 2-times higher than that of PFCAs. The order of six dominant PFASs was perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) > perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA) > perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) > perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) > perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) > perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA). The levels of Hepatic PFOS of 29% samples exceeded the no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) values. The concentration of PFASs in males was significant higher than in females. PFASs levels were significantly negatively correlated with body length in males and positively correlated in females. PFASs levels in the PRE finless porpoises were lower than in humpback dolphins possibly due to different foraging habitat toward the coast and the consumption of less fish. PFCAs levels in finless porpoises from the western PRE were higher compared to Hong Kong, possibly due to the high-intensity sources of terrestrial anthropogenic pollutants. Significant increasing spatiotemporal trends of PFSAs, PFCAs and PFASs were found in finless porpoises from 2007 to 2020, suggesting a continuously increased risk of PFASs exposure for PRE cetaceans in the last decade.

Morphological and ontogenetic characteristics of Miridex putorii (Acariformes: Demodecidae), a new genus and species of skin mite specific to the European polecat Mustela putorius.

Among carnivorans, mites of the family Demodecidae are mainly represented by the eight species of the genus Demodex known to cause demodecosis in domestic dog Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 and domestic cat Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758. However, nine other Demodex species from wild carnivorans are also known; in addition they are only known from few records. Previously unknown demodecid mites have been isolated from European polecats, Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758, originating from Germany. The specimens are characterized of by an aedeagus with a posterior end located between the opisthosoma and podosoma and an anterior end in the gnathosoma area, with a genital opening in the epistome area; aedeagus length corresponds to 53% (45–59%) of male body length. The mites were isolated from the head skin in 16 of 21 polecats examined (76.2%), mainly in the mystacial vibrissae area (84.8%) and less often in adjacent areas. However, the mite infestation did not appear to cause skin abnormality. Based on the morphological analysis of the adult mites and their morphological ontogenesis, including significant characteristics in demodecid taxonomy, the mite specimens have been classified as representatives of a new species and genus, described as Miridex putorii gen. nov., sp. nov.

Long-term exposure to bisphenol A and its analogues alters the behavior of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) and causes hepatic injury

Bisphenols (BPA, BPF, and BPAF) are widely present in the aquatic environment and have various adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, their hepatic toxicity in marine fish is not fully understood. Hence, we examined the growth parameters, histological features, antioxidant defense mechanisms, and gene expression profiles in the livers of marine medaka after exposure to single and combined bisphenols for 70 days. The final body weight and final body length of males exposed to BPAF were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the survival rate was significantly lower. Bisphenol exposure led to vacuolization and local lesions in the liver, especially in the BPAF group, and altered antioxidant enzyme activity in the liver, leading to oxidative stress. In addition, after bisphenol exposure, marine medaka showed anxiolytic effects and a significant reduction in swimming distance compared with that in the control group. As determined by RNA-seq, bisphenol exposure altered multiple biological pathways in the liver, such as fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis pathways, with significant changes in gene expression levels. In particular, chgs and vtgs were significantly up-regulated after BPAF exposure, suggesting an estrogenic effect. Overall, bisphenols can adversely affect the growth and metabolism of marine medaka. BPF and BPAF may not be ideal substitutes for BPA.

Morfometri parasitoid nyamuk ganjur alang-alang asal Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat

Alang-alang (Imperata cylindrica) merupakan spesies rumput yang menyebabkan kerugian ekonomi. Salah satu serangga yang dilaporkan memiliki potensi sebagai agens pengendali hayati alang-alang adalah nyamuk ganjur alang-alang Orseolia javanica Kieffer & van Leeuwen-Reinjnvaan (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Perkembangan nyamuk ganjur alang-alang dipengaruhi oleh musuh alami, namun informasi terkait musuh alami parasitoid nyamuk ganjur alang-alang belum banyak diketahui. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi, mendeskripsikan karakter morfologi dan morfometri parasitoid nyamuk ganjur alang-alang. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dari bulan Juli 2018 sampai Juni 2019. Ganjur alang-alang diambil dari pematang sawah di Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat. Pemeliharaan ganjur alang-alang dan pengukuran morfometri dilakukan di Laboratorium Biosistematika Serangga, Departemen Proteksi Tanaman, Fakultas Pertanian, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Tiga spesies parasitoid ditemukan pada ganjur tumbuhan alang-alang yang terparasit, yaitu Platygaster orseoliae Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae), Aprostocetus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), dan Propicroscytus mirificus (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Hasil Pengukuran morfometri parasitoid ganjur alang-alang menunjukkan ukuran panjang tubuh betina P. orseoliae sebesar 0,65–0,98 mm, dan panjang tubuh jantan adalah 0,69–1,07 mm. Panjang tubuh betina Aprostocetus sp. sebesar 1,51–2,02 mm dan panjang tubuh jantan adalah 1,13–1,29 mm. Panjang tubuh betina P. mirificus adalah 4,14–4,46 mm. Analisis komponen utama (principal component analysis) menunjukkan parasitoid P. orseoliae tidak memiliki perbedaan antara jantan dan betina, Aprotocetus sp. betina memiliki ukuran tubuh lebih besar dibandingkan dengan jantan, dan P. mirificus memiliki ukuran tubuh paling besar dibandingkan dengan parasitoid lainnya.

Application of sexual dimorphism-derived variation in morphometrics and intraspecific interaction likelihood in Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) to increase species encounter rates

Abstract. Novriyanti N, Takandjandji M. 2022. Application of sexual dimorphism-derived variation in morphometrics and intraspecific interaction likelihood in Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) to increase species encounter rates. Biodiversitas 23: 2753-2759. Effectively encounters opportunities of Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) in natural habitats is still necessary to have more research. A diversity of pangolins' physical and biological characteristics has been disclosed to facilitate the identification process in natural habitats. However, pangolins are animals that tend to be solitary; they have fast movement, so the area coverage is extensive; this condition complicates the data collection process. It is unknown yet, whether pangolins of different sexes usually exist in the same space and time, either in terms of foraging or other interactions, known as intra-specific interactions. Thus, this study aimed to predict intraspecific interactions of M. javanica to increase the encountering of pangolins chance in natural habitats. As many as 29 individual pangolins (14 males and 15 females) be measured its morphometric data. To convincingly justify that morphometric variation can be used as encounter rate opportunities in natural habitats, a series of analyses, i.e., univariate test, correlation analysis, and multiple regression, were applied to this research. Other estimations from feeding activity data were also carried out to detect pangolins' niche width and its overlap according to sexual dimorphism. Univariate analysis shows that overall, the total body length (head to tail) of both males and females does not differ significantly. But, the correlation coefficient indicates the physical character of female and male body length is related to each other (value 0.769**). The resulting regression model indicates that the presence of pangolins in their sex similarity in a particular place tends to be avoided, while there is a 1:1 probability of sexual dimorphism. This also means that males and females can be used as the same individual in ecological observations.

Biological parameters in a declining population of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Scoresby Sound, Southeast Greenland

A decreasing trend in narwhal (Monodon monoceros Linnaeus, 1758) abundance has been identified in a small population in Scoresby Sound, Southeast Greenland. We hypothesize that excessive hunting has affected life history and population dynamics of this population. Biological information and samples collected from the Inuit hunt, from satellite-tagged narwhals and from official hunters’ reports, were used to estimate age, growth, and reproduction. During 2007 through 2019, a decreasing proportion of young and increasing proportion of older whales were harvested. Male and female body length and male tusk length increased significantly, while body mass of both sexes showed a nonsignificant increase. The probability of catching a female decreased significantly, while a nonsignificant decline of catching a pregnant female was observed in both biological samples and hunters’ reports. Narwhal swimming speeds correlated with fluke widths indicated that larger whales attain greater speeds. The decline in juveniles and females is probably due to an opportunistic hunting practice targeting the easiest-to-catch whales, where bigger whales are faster and more difficult to catch. The cumulative effect of overharvest with a declining proportion of females, an overrepresentation of large males, and a lack of calves and juveniles has detrimental implications for this small narwhal population.

Occurrence of the Lance Nematode Hoplolaimus stephanus Infecting Bentgrass Agrostis stolonifera in Georgia, U.S.A.

A high population of lance nematodes, Hoplolaimus spp., were found associated with creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) in May 2019 in Georgia, United States. The nematode was pathogenic to bentgrass as its population increased by over threefold 180 days after inoculation under greenhouse conditions. Morphological measurements of body and stylet lengths of both mature females and males were similar to a grass population of Hoplolaimus stephanus from South Carolina. DNA sequence analyses of the D1-D3 expansion segments of the 28s gene identified the nematode as H. stephanus. The DNA sequence of the nematode was 99.7% identical to a H. stephanus isolate from South Carolina. Also, the PCR method using a species-specific primer set confirmed the identity of H. stephanus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of H. stephanus Sher, 1963 infecting creeping bentgrass in Georgia.

Oncholaimus tripapillatus sp. nov., a New Free-Living Marine Nematode of the Genus Oncholaimus Dujardin, 1845 (Nematoda: Enoplida: Oncholaimidae) from the Subtidal Sediment of Dokdo Island, East Sea, Korea, with a New Record of O. qingdaoensis Zhang & Platt, 1983

During a survey of the free-living marine nematodes of Korea, two species belonging to the genus Oncholaimus Dujardin, 1845 were discovered. A new species, Oncholaimus tripapillatus sp. nov. and a newly recorded species, Oncholaimus qingdaoensis Zhang & Platt, 1983, are reported. Oncholaimus tripapillatus sp. nov. was collected from the washing of subtidal coarse sediments around Dokdo Island of the East Sea, Korea. Oncholaimus tripapillatus sp. nov. is characterized by a relatively long (4071–4435 µm in males and 4514–4661 µm in females) and slender body, a slightly constricted head region, relatively long cephalic setae (10–12 µm), males having a precloacal sexual protuberance bearing two small cone-shaped supplementary spines, five pairs of long cloacal setae (three pairs of precloacal and two pairs of postcloacal setae in subventral position), and three remarkable papillae near the end of the tail, with two pairs of subventral setae. The Korean specimens of Oncholaimus qingdaoensis Zhang & Platt, 1983 are almost identical to the Chinese specimens of the original description from the intertidal sand of Qingdao, China. However, the Korean specimens differ from the Chinese specimens in the longer body length in males (3379–3715 µm vs. 2380–2640 µm), the larger spicule length (47–52 µm vs. 34–36 µm), and the presence of ventral tail papillae situated around 14–16 µm from the tail tip. Detailed morphological features and illustrations of two Oncholaimus species from Korea were obtained by differential interference contrast microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A pictorial key to the species group with distinct tail papillae among the genus Oncholaimus is also provided.

Correlation of morphological parameters of donkey from Austria

The donkey, as a work animal, is gradually losing its value. Agriculture industrialization, mechanization of many processes on mountain and valley farms have lead to a reduction of donkey livestock. This reduction gives cause for concern, and is good reason to study all aspects of these domestic animals in order to revive its role, to restart livestock growth in its familiar habitats, and to introduce it into new environments. This study focuses on these aspects. The domestic donkey (Equus asinus) originated from Africa, and there are two kinds of African donkeys: Nubian and Somali. Their enormous, almost mystical, endurance is well known. There is no place in the world where a donkey is not able to perform the most difficult work, above all in transporting goods. A donkey has an amazing capability of stable movement through the most difficult places. For study sample consisted of 44 donkeys (28 males and 16 females) from Austria. The following morphometric parameters were analysed: height at the withers, height at the back, height of the croup, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest circumference anterior, chest circumference posterior, shin circumference, head length, skull length, face length, skull width, face width, length of ears. Measurements were performed using a ruler, tape measure and vernier callipers. The average height at the withers of males was 116.40 cm, ranging from 99.60 to 140.60 cm, while for females, the average was 102.38 cm, ranging from 90.50 to 125.70 cm. Body length of males was on average 121.85 cm with a standard deviation of 11.79, while the mean body length for females is 115.80 cm, with a range of 101.00 to 131.00 cm. Male head length ranged from 48.00 to 71.00 cm, with an average of 55.60 cm, while in females, head length was on average 50.06 cm, ranging from 43.00 to 56.00 cm. Using the Pearson correlation, a very significant or significant positive statistical correlation was observed between almost all parameters of males, while for females, Pearson correlation values had slightly different values than for males. There was no statistically significant correlation between chest width and anterior chest circumference with nearly any other parameters. For females, a negative correlation between the skull width and all other parameters was also observed.

Review of Strongylogaster Dahlbom (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from Zhejiang Province, China, with the description of a new species

Five species of Strongylogaster Dahlbom, 1835 are recorded from Zhejiang Province, China. They are four known species, S. formosana (Rohwer, 1916), S. macula (Klug, 1817), S. takeuchii Naito, 1980 and S. xanthocera (Stephens, 1835), and a new species. Strongylogaster tianmunica sp. nov., collected from Mt. Tianmu in Zhejiang Province, is here described and illustrated. This new species resembles S. nantouensis Naito, 1990, but differs from the latter by the following characters: female body length 10–12 mm, male body length 8–10 mm; tegula brown to dark brown; pronotum largely yellowish-white; trochanters black, apical half of hind femora and of hind tibiae yellowish-white; malar space as long as radius of median ocellus; antennomere 3 as long as antennomere 4; and ovipositor apical sheath with distinct lateral scapes. A key to the five species of Strongylogaster from Zhejiang Province is provided.

Records of two gonad-infecting species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from marine fishes off Iraq, including the description of Philometra parabrevicollis n. sp. from the bigeye snapper Lutjanus lutjanus Bloch (Pisces, Lutjanidae).

Recent examinations of some marine fishes from off the southern coast of Iraq revealed the presence of two species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae): P. parabrevicollis n. sp. (males and subgravid and nongravid females) from the ovary of the bigeye snapper Lutjanus lutjanus Bloch (Perciformes, Lutjanidae) and Philometra sp. (subgravid females) from the ovary of the bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) (Perciformes, Platycephalidae). Specimens of species are described and illustrated based on light and scanning electron microscopical examinations. Philometra parabrevicollis n. sp. is mainly characterised by the length of spicules (267–285 µm) and gubernaculum (159–168 µm), the gubernaculum/spicule length ratio (1:1.64–1.76), the structure of the gubernaculum distal tip and of the male caudal end, and the body length of males (4.03–4.90 mm). The description of this new species again confirms a high degree of host specificity of gonad-infecting species of Philometra in congeneric lutjanid hosts. Although Philometra sp. parasitising P. indicus in Iraqi waters was previously recorded, its subgravid females are described for the first time. A key to gonad-infecting species of Philometra parasitic in fishes of the family Lutjanidae is provided.

Exploring diversification drivers in golden orbweavers

Heterogeneity in species diversity is driven by the dynamics of speciation and extinction, potentially influenced by organismal and environmental factors. Here, we explore macroevolutionary trends on a phylogeny of golden orbweavers (spider family Nephilidae). Our initial inference detects heterogeneity in speciation and extinction, with accelerated extinction rates in the extremely sexually size dimorphic Nephila and accelerated speciation in Herennia, a lineage defined by highly derived, arboricolous webs, and pronounced island endemism. We evaluate potential drivers of this heterogeneity that relate to organisms and their environment. Primarily, we test two continuous organismal factors for correlation with diversification in nephilids: phenotypic extremeness (female and male body length, and sexual size dimorphism as their ratio) and dispersal propensity (through range sizes as a proxy). We predict a bell-shaped relationship between factor values and speciation, with intermediate phenotypes exhibiting highest diversification rates. Analyses using SSE-class models fail to support our two predictions, suggesting that phenotypic extremeness and dispersal propensity cannot explain patterns of nephilid diversification. Furthermore, two environmental factors (tropical versus subtropical and island versus continental species distribution) indicate only marginal support for higher speciation in the tropics. Although our results may be affected by methodological limitations imposed by a relatively small phylogeny, it seems that the tested organismal and environmental factors play little to no role in nephilid diversification. In the phylogeny of golden orbweavers, the recent hypothesis of universal diversification dynamics may be the simplest explanation of macroevolutionary patterns.

Body Size, Not Personality, Explains Both Male Mating Success and Sexual Cannibalism in a Widow Spider.

Simple SummaryThe role of personality in sexual selection has mostly been investigated on vertebrate species, in which males provide direct benefits to females or offspring. Less is known about the links between behavioral variation and sexual selection in species where males provide only sperm, while the advantages of female-choice are due to male genes that increase offspring fitness. Our study is centered on a sexually-size dimorphic spider species, the Mediterranean black widow, which is ideal to investigate how sexual selection shapes behavior. In this species, a male-biased operational sex-ratio leads to male-male competition, and aggressive and/or large males should have a selective advantage. Females are selected for fecundity, which should correlate with selection for higher voraciousness. Theory predicts that voracity “spills-over” into the mating context, such that voracity towards prey correlates with voracity towards mates. We tested how body size and two behaviors, male aggression toward rivals and female voracity toward prey, influence mating behavior, mating success, and sexual cannibalism. We show that individual variation in aggression does not play a direct role in the mating behavior of this species. Instead, body size affects male mating success and the occurrence of sexual cannibalism in females.Theory suggests that consistent individual variation in behavior relates to fitness, but few studies have empirically examined the role of personalities in mate choice, male-male competition and reproductive success. We observed the Mediterranean black widow, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, in the individual and mating context, to test how body size measures and two functionally important aggressive behaviors, i.e., male aggression towards rivals and female voracity towards prey, affect mating behaviors, mating success and sexual cannibalism. We specifically selected voracity towards prey in females to test the “aggressive spillover hypothesis”, suggesting that more voracious females are more sexually cannibalistic. Both females and males exhibit consistent individual differences in the examined aggressive behaviors. While larger males win contests more often and achieve more copulations, neither male nor female size measures correlate to aggression. Female voracity does not correlate with aggression towards mates and sexual cannibalism, rejecting the “spillover hypothesis”. However, occurrence of sexual cannibalism positively relates to longer insertion duration. Furthermore, the smaller the ratio between male and female body length the more likely a female attacked and cannibalized a mate. We show that individual variation in aggression levels plays no direct role in the mating behavior of the Mediterranean black widow. Instead, body size affects male mating success and occurrences of sexual cannibalism in females.

Diet analysis, blood plasma biochemical indicators and body compositions of first year university students in the context of adaptation to the new educational environment

Introduction. The article examines the problem of adaptation to the new educational environment and pedagogical support for first-year university students. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the body composition, nutrition and biochemical parameters of blood plasma of first-year students who are adapting to living in a university dormitory. Materials and Methods. The methods of empirical research of physical development (length, weight, body mass index), body component composition (total fat content, muscle component), nutrition structure (macronutrient composition and caloric content of the daily diet), biochemical analysis of blood plasma (plasma content of triglycerides, cholesterol, low-and high-density lipoproteins, glucose), as well as statistical methods of data comparison were used. Results. The body length of males (175.4 cm), in contrast to females (162 cm) aged between 18 and 19 years is not a definitive indicator and can increase during 2 or 3 years. The percentage of overweight and obesity among first-year students was 16.1%; total fat content exceeding the limit values was found in 35.5% of females and 6.7% of males, and insufficient fat content was found only in 10% of males. The muscle component, both in girls and boys, corresponded to the indicators of the norm. The actual nutrition of first-year students living in a university dormitory was characterized by a lack of calories, fats, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, and insufficient consumption of carbohydrates, including dietary fibers. This deficiency was more pronounced among females, who also had a deficit in the consumption of proteins, especially of animal origin. The biochemical parameters of the blood plasma of all students did not exceed the normal limits, except for the values of high-density lipoproteins. The percentage of students with low values of high-density lipoproteins was 8.3%. The content of CCS in the blood plasma was inversely proportional to the caloric content of the diet and the amount of fat consumed. The predisposition to disorders of lipid metabolism in first-year students living in a university dormitory was due to insufficient replenishment of the body's energy expenditure and an unbalanced diet. Conclusions. Early adulthood is characterized by the formation of a definitive level and the predominance of assimilation processes, so the issues of healthy nutrition, especially in the conditions of a high rhythm of students’ life, insufficient replenishment of energy consumption and unbalanced consumption of nutrients, are relevant and require attention from the group leaders for first-year students. Pedagogical support of first-year students should contain methods and techniques aimed at promoting healthy nutrition and financial literacy.

Seasonal fluctuations of the serum basal biochemical profile in spawning and postspawning West Balkan trout (Salmo farioides, Salmonidae): Implications for fish biology and aquaculture

ABSTRACT Endangerment of fish habitats worldwide is a global problem. Breeding fish in restocking hatcheries is important for bioconservation of many fishes. Analysis of biochemical and hematological parameters provides important information on spawning performance and fish health. Variations of different serum biochemical constituents and increase in body length and mass of West Balkan trout were analyzed during spawning and postspawning. High body weight deviations of males were found in both periods. The body length and weight of males is higher compared to females. After spawning, higher growth was observed in males. Biochemical values are higher in females in relation to males. Low values of glucose, chloride, and potassium are present in the spawning phase. Decreases in protein, triglycerides, cholesterol, AST, sodium, and calcium levels were found in postspawning. Serum biochemical constituents of females vary significantly compared to males. Serum markers indicate a strong association with metabolic processes, which allows for better nutritional control and management of environmental factors, especially the presence of organic particles in the broodstock.

Характеристики на основните телесни измерения при мъжки и женски магарета в България

The donkeys, together with other labor animals (mules and hinnies) are the domestic animals that are losing their popularity continually among the rural population in Bulgaria. For the last decades the population of donkeys in Bulgaria, decreased nearly 10 times, from 328 587 donkey registered in 1990 to 35 000 in 2013. For some obvious reasons they were pushed aside, as in recent times it is much easier for a smallholder farming to cultivate the land with modern machinery than with animal power. Nevertheless, in the last few years many organizations in Europe and even in Bulgaria recall their attention to donkeys as an important genetic resource, an animal that needs to be protected, and revived into the modern times. The objective of the experiment was to estimate and compare the body measurements of male and female donkeys reared in Bulgaria. The coat color of the animals was also recorded in order to estimate the variation of it inside the groups. A total number of 198 donkeys (74 males and 124 females) were included in the study. The animals were located in different regions of Bulgaria. From each individual the main four body measurements were taken: height at the withers, body length, chest circumference and cannon bone circumference. The average height at the withers for male donkeys was 120.40±7.13 cm as for the females it was 119.75±6.83 cm. Body length for males and female was respectively 124.47±7.62 and 123.71±8.01 cm on average. Mean values for chest and cannon bone circumferences for male individuals were 137.08±9.64 and 16.15±1.21 cm, the same traits on female donkeys were on average 134.16±8.11 and 15.65±1.27 cm.

Observations on growth index and morphological characters of the Indian Gerbil, Tatera indica (Hardwicke) as an attempt to record intra-specific variations

Present study observed growth index and morphological characters of male and female Indian gerbil, Tatera indica (N = 64) live trapped from crop fields in Punjab, India as an attempt to record intraspecific variations. Growth index determined on the basis of increase in body weight and length of body parts recorded at weekly intervals upto nine weeks revealed a positive correlation between the two. No significant difference was found between growth index of male and female gerbils (body weight ≤150g and >150g). Tail length was slightly shorter (in ≤150g) or more (in >150g) than head+body length in females while, it was shorter than head+body length in males. Length of hind limbs was more in males, ears were oblong with fine hair on inner margin and the soles of hind paws were granulated. The study clearly depicted some differences in morphological and morphometric characteristics of T. indica suggesting further comprehensive studies to establish intra-specific variations.