Wild Rock Research Articles

The Effect of Diet on the Biochemical Composition of Juvenile Artemia: Potential Formulations for Rock Lobster Aquaculture

AbstractThe lipid class and fatty acid (FA) composition of juvenile Artemia fed continuously on four diets—the microalga Tetraselmis suecica, a mix of oat bran‐wheat germ‐lecithin (OWL), OwL‐eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and OWL‐EPA‐arachidonic acid (AA)—were examined over a 9‐d experiment in an attempt to approximate the FA profile of phyllosoma larvae of wild southern rock lobster Jasus edwardrii. The main difference in lipid class composition of Artemia fed the four diets was the relative level of polar lipid (PL) and triacylglycerol (TAG). By day 9, the algal‐fed Artemia were highest in PL (95% of total lipid) and lowest in TAG (2%), whereas the remaining diets resulted in Artemia with 16–30% PL and 41–82% TAG. After 2 d, the relative FA composition of all Artemia treatments closely reflected those of the diets, with no marked change after further feeding (to day 9). In terms of the content of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), by day 5 Artemia fed: 1) with the algal diet contained 7 mg/g FA dry mass (0.3% DHA, 6.3% EPA, 3.4% AA of total FA); 2) with the OWL diet contained 3 mg/g (0.3% DHA, 0.9% EPA, 0.7% AA); 3) with the OWL‐EPA diet contained 55 mg/g (6.2% DHA, 11.6% EPA, 1.1% AA); and 4) with the OWL‐EPA‐AA contained 83 mg/g (3.8% DHA, 7.5% EPA, 17.4% AA). The PUFA profiles of Artemia using the OWL‐oil diets were similar to wild rock lobster phyllmmata, although levels of doco‐sahexaenoic acid (DHA) were lower (10% DHA) than in J. edwardsii larvae. On the basis of PUFA composition data alone, the results suggest the suitability of the OWL‐oil mixed diets for consideration for feeding to Artemia used in the culture of southern rock lobster larvae, particularly if the level of DHA can be further enhanced.

Foraging flights of wild rock doves (Columba l. livia): a spatio‐temporal analysis*

The first spatio‐temporal analysis of foraging flights of wild rock doves is here reported. Birds living in one of the last relatively pure demes of wild Columba livia in the Mediterranean region (Capo Caccia, NW Sardinia) were observed on their foraging routes and in the course of daily movements to and from the colonial site. Foraging sites were located by systematic searches of colour‐marked birds in the study area. The pigeons followed rather stable routes in reaching foraging sites, which are mainly located in agricultural fields up to around 19 km from the colonial site. In autumn, doves tended to reduce the extent of foraging flights, feeding almost exclusively on lenti‐scus fruits located near the colony. Foraging flights in spring and summer differed from those in autumn and winter in the patterns of daily activity, the number of birds moving, and the sizes of the flocks. The possible relationships between the spatio‐temporal characteristics of foraging flights and other aspects of the biology of rock doves, especially in the breeding season, are discussed.

Coxiellosis in domestic and wild birds from Japan.

Serological evidence of infection with Coxiella burnetii was found in 41 (2%) of 1,951 domestic birds and in 167 (19%) of 863 wild birds from 17 and 5 prefectures in Japan, respectively, by microagglutination (MA) test. The bacteriological evidence of the infection was found in 17 (41%) of 41 domestic birds and 37 (22%) of 167 wild birds by the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, C. burnetii was isolated from five each of serum, spleen and fecal specimens from five jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) (whose sera were positive by both the MA test and PCR) by inoculating laboratory mice. Domestic quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) (3%), domestic muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) (3%), domestic chickens (2%), domestic mallards (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) (2%), carrion crows (Corvus corone) (37%), jungle crows (35%), and wild rock doves (Columba livia) (6%) showed serologic evidence of experience with C. burnetii. There was a tendency for a high prevalence among birds living and/or feeding in close proximity to infected livestock. This suggests that these birds are one of the less important links in maintaining the whole cycle of C. burnetii infection.

Geographic Variation in Size of Female Wild Rock Doves

The Rock Dove (Columba livia) was domesticated around 5,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region generally called the Near East (Levi 1974). Escapes of domestics from confinement for thousands of years have provided stocks that developed into feral populations. Feral pigeons now have characteristics of both wild and domestic ancestry, frequently live essentially as though they are wholly wild, and are capable of broadscale genetic introgression in wild colonies (Johnston et al. 1988, Johnston and Janiga 1995). In western Europe, wild colonies are known to exist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and perhaps on the coastline of northern and western Ireland; in the Mediterranean basin, wild colonies are known from coastal Sardinia, northwestern Egypt, and perhaps Libya and montane sectors of the former Yugoslavia. Interior montane North Africa, the Near East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwestern montane India, southwestern China, Uzbekistan, and Russia probably have Rock Dove populations that are still isolated from feral pigeons, but recent information is fragmentary. No information exists on the degree to which wild Rock Doves are killed for food by humans living under high densities in politically and economically unstable regions, but the birds can be subjected to overharvesting when their nesting cliffs are discovered by people short of dietary protein. For these reasons, as well as of the difficulties in travelling to some of the regions just noted, specimen samples of wild Rock Doves are not likely to be significantly augmented in the near future. An earlier report (Johnston 1992) on size variation was restricted to samples of male specimens, although a display of sexual size dimorphism over the characters employed was provided. Here I provide comparable data for females.

Mesanophrys chesapeakensis n. sp., a Histophagous Ciliate in the Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, and Associated Histopathology

Histophagous ciliate infections were infrequently detected in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and a coastal bay of Maryland. Associated pathology included hemocyte aggregations in various tissues and nodule formation. Protargol silver staining of cultured ciliates revealed an oral apparatus morphologically similar to that of other hemolymph-infecting ciliates of the genus Mesanophrys. The oral apparatus included three distinct oral polykinetids and an oral dikinetid consisting predominantly of a b segment and a smaller c segment. Morphologic comparison to other histophagous ciliates infecting crustaceans showed that the ciliate in blue crabs is a distinct species, Mesanophrys chesapeakensis n. sp., family Orchitophryidae. Additional key words: protargol, Orchitophryidae Histophagous ciliates from wild and captive crustaceans have been reported sporadically from various locations since 1888. The ciliate Mesanophrys (Anophrys COHN 1866) maggii CATTANEO 1888 was first reported parasitizing the hemolymph of a European shore crab, Carcinus maenus LINNAEUS 1758, from Italy. Incomplete or poor morphological descriptions of several crustacean-infecting ciliates have caused considerable confusion and elicited much discussion on systematics (Armstrong et al. 1981). Based on the morphology of oral structures of protargol-stained specimens, a new genus, Mesanophrys, was erected by Small & Lynn (1985) to include ciliates with only a short oral dikinetid and other features now found in the genera of the family Orchitophryidae. Two species, Mesanophrys (Paranophrys) maggii CATTANEO 1888, and Mesanophrys (Anophrys) carcini GROLIERE & LEGLISE 1977 (Small & Lynn 1985), were transferred into this newly erected genus; a third species, Mesanophrys pugettensis MORADO & SMALL 1994, was recently reported. However, incorrect generic placements of histophagous ciliates from crustaceans have continued, as discussed by Morado & Small (1994). Recently, the family Paranophryidae (JANOWSKI, in Small & Lynn 1985) was determined to be a junior synonym a To whom correspondence should be addressed: Gretchen Messick 410-226-5193 FAX: 410-226-5925 e-mail gmessick @ hatteras.bea.nmfs.gov. of Orchitophryidae CEPEDE 1907, due to rule of priority (Morado & Small 1994). Orchitophrya stellarum CEPEDE 1907 was recently reinvestigated using protargol staining and was determined to be a scuticociliate rather than an astome (Bouland et al. 1986). Thus, Paranophryidae falls as a junior synonym to Orchitophryidae (Morado & Small 1994). Most reports of ciliates in crustacean hemolymph involve captive hosts (Cattaneo 1888; Bang et al. 1972; Aiken et al. 1973; Groliere & Leglise 1977; Armstrong et al. 1981; Sparks et al. 1982). Reports of histophagous ciliates in wild crustacean populations are rare, and infection prevalence has typically been low. Poisson (1930) found only 0.2% (7 of 3000) shore crabs, C. maenus, infected with histophagous ciliates. Infections in wild stocks of the American lobster, Homarus americanus H. MILNE EDWARDS 1837, were found only three times in 14 years (Aiken & Waddy 1986). In contrast to these reported low prevalence levels in hemolymph of wild lobsters, a ciliate was present in smears of hepatopancreas tissue of all freshly caught Maine lobsters, H. americanus (n=89), although the ciliate was often undetected in hemolymph preparations (Sherburne & Bean 1991). Mesanophrys pugettensis was found in fewer than 0.4% (n=1916) of wild and captive Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister DANA 1852, although it was reported in 3% (n=87) of wild rock crabs, C. productus RANDALL 1839, and 29% (n 7) of wild kelp crabs, Pugettia producta RANDALL This content downloaded from 157.55.39.153 on Mon, 19 Sep 2016 04:45:06 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Evolution in the Rock Dove: Skeletal Morphology

-Domestic pigeons were derived from Rock Doves (Columba livia) by artificial selection perhaps 5,000 ybp. Feral pigeon populations developed after domestics escaped captivity; this began in Europe soon after initial domestications occurred and has continued intermittently in other regions. Ferals developed from domestic stocks in North America no earlier than 400 ybp and are genealogically closer to domestics than to European ferals or wild Rock Doves. Nevertheless, North American ferals are significantly closer in skeletal size and shape to European ferals and Rock Doves than to domestics. Natural selection evidently has been reconstituting reasonable facsimiles of wild size and shape phenotypes in feral pigeons of Europe and North America. Received 17 April 1991, accepted 13 January 1992. Man, therefore, may be said to have been trying an experiment on a gigantic scale; and it is an experiment which nature during the long lapse of time has incessantly tried [Darwin 1868]. Of the many kinds of animals examined for the study of variation under domestication by Charles Darwin, only for pigeons (Columba livia) did he describe fully the chief domestic strains, along with history, the amount and nature of their differences, and the probable steps by which they have been formed (Darwin 1868: 1 [vol. 1]). He did artificial selection and studied inheritance of plumage colors, color patterns, and body size and shape in domestic pigeons; the results of these studies were important to his work on natural selection (Darwin 1859, 1868). Darwin's findings supported the idea that the range of colors, patterns, sizes, and shapes shown by domestic strains had antecedents in the variation of wild Rock Doves. He also thought that feral pigeons were an understandable consequence of domestic birds escaping captivity. In the late 1850s, however, Darwin was heavily involved in writing his big book (Stauffer 1975), so origins of ferals from domestics were barely mentioned. Details of such origins, involving character variation molded presumably by natural selection, are nevertheless of interest to thinking concerning population differentiation; some details inferred from skeletal morphology are reported here. Rock Doves were domesticated in the period 10,000 to 5,000 ybp, earlier than has been previously suggested (e.g. Sossinka 1982). Domestications evidently occurred many times throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Near East, and southwestern Asia; this is known to be true in more recent time (Darwin 1868; N. E. Baldaccini, pers. comm.). Later, pigeons escaping captivity either rejoined wild colonies or became feral, and are now found in most of the world (Long 1981). European, North African, and Asiatic ferals may have histories of several thousand years. North American ferals have a significantly shorter history, stemming from British dovecote pigeons (the earliest of which were brought to Britain by the Romans; Levi 1974) introduced by Scottish and English immigrants to American Atlantic seaboard localities in 1600-1610 (Schorger 1952). North American ferals, therefore, are not directly lineally related to ferals of the Old World (Fig. 1). Additionally, founder gene frequencies seemingly departed significantly from those of European domestics, judging from allozymes of North American and European ferals (Johnston et al. 1989). Thus, the evolutionary derivation of ferals is more complex than it might have been. The complexity is most useful-it is, for example, important that feral pigeons were derived from domestics more than once, because the development of ferals in North America can be viewed as an independent replicate of the natural experiment in ferality tried in Europe and Asia. Without the replicate, this study would almost certainly not have been undertaken, nor would it in any event have a satisfactory conclusion. Getting to that conclusion employs assessment of skeletal similarities and differences among wild, domestic, and the two feral lines of Rock Doves, and approximating how the similarities and differences could have occurred.

Fauna triatominae do Estado da Bahia Brasil III - notas sobre ecótopos silvestres e o gênero Psammolestes

No estado da bahia na investigação de 531 biótopos silvestres para triatomíneos foram encontrados 12 exemplares de Triatoma lenti e Triatoma pessoai coletados em locas de mocós, e 1.043 exemplares de Psammolestes tertius coletados em ninhos de aves. É feita uma redescrição morfológica de P. tertius e mostrado a sua destribuição geográfica no Estado da Bahia.