Breeding and mass scale larval rearing of clownfish Amphiprion percula is very limited in brackishwater. We designed an indoor program of A. percula culture in brackishwater with a salinity of 24±1, during which ...Breeding and mass scale larval rearing of clownfish Amphiprion percula is very limited in brackishwater. We designed an indoor program of A. percula culture in brackishwater with a salinity of 24±1, during which the impacts of feed type, water temperature, and light intensity, on the efficiency of its reproduction, were revealed. The fish were accommodated along with sea anemones in fibre glass tanks to determine the influence of brooder diet on breeding efficiency. Higher reproductive efficiency [number of eggs laid （276±22.3 eggs）] was observed when fish were fed live Acetes sp. rather than clam （204±16.4 eggs）, trash fish （155±12 eggs） and formulated feed （110±10 eggs）. The spawning rate was increased during September and October （water temperature, 28.74±0.55℃） on average of 2.4 spawning per month; and low spawning rate was in January （water temperature, 24.55±0.45℃） on average of I spawning per month. Among three light intensities （100, 500, and 900 1x） set to evaluate larval survival rate, larvae showed the highest survival rate （65.5%） at 900 lx. The breeding method specifically in brackishwater developed in the present study is a new approach, will help the people from the regions of estuary and backwater to enhance their livelihood and it will lead to reduce the exploitation from the wild habitat.展开更多
The reproductive biology of bream Ahramis brama （L.） was studied from 546 fish collected from the lower reaches of the Irtysh River in Xinjiang, north-west China, from March to November 2013. The overall sex ratio ...The reproductive biology of bream Ahramis brama （L.） was studied from 546 fish collected from the lower reaches of the Irtysh River in Xinjiang, north-west China, from March to November 2013. The overall sex ratio （M/F） was 1.06：1, and was not significantly different from the theoretical 1：1 ratio （P〉0.5）. However, there was a dominance of males during the pre-spawning season （ 1.33 in March and 1.56 in April, P〈0.5）, while females were dominant during the peak spawning season （0.88 in June, P〈0.5）. The monthly variation in gonadosomatic index （GSI） and proportion of gonads at each macroscopic maturity stage, indicated that A. brama spawned once a year with peak spawning occurring from late May to June. The unimodal distribution of oocyte diameter each month indicated that A. brama is a single spawner, with a high degree of spawning synchronicity. The standard lengths （SLs0） and ages （As0） at first maturity for males and females, were 178 and 204 mm, and 5.6 and 6.8 years, respectively. The mean absolute fecundity （AF） was 77 311 eggs per fish, and mean relative fecundity （RF） was 162 eggs per gram of body weight （BW）. The AF ofA. brama increased linearly with increasing of gonad weight （GW）, eviscerated weight （EW） and standard length （SL）, but was not significantly correlated with age. As, A. brama in the lower reaches of the Irtysh River reaches reproductive maturity relatively late in their life span, is mature for a short period and spawns in aggregations, this fish is vulnerable to overexploitation.展开更多
Secondary sexual characteristics are features that appear at sexual maturity and distinguish the two sexes of a species. They are readily observed and studied in living animals, but the phenomenon is rather more diffi...Secondary sexual characteristics are features that appear at sexual maturity and distinguish the two sexes of a species. They are readily observed and studied in living animals, but the phenomenon is rather more difficult to identify in fossil taxa. Here we report a new sexually dimorphic stem-neopterygian fish, Venusichthys comptus gen. et sp. nov., based on 30 exceptionally well-preserved specimens from the Middle Triassic （Pelsonian, Anisian） Luoping Lagerst^itte of eastern Yunnan, China. The discovery represents the oldest known secondary sexual characteristics in Neopterygii. These characteristics, including pointed tubercles on cranial bones, scales and fins, and hook-like contact organ anterior to the anal fin, have three inferred primary functions： maintenance of body contact between the sexes during prespawning behavior or spawning; stimulation of the females during breeding; and defense of nests and territories. Lacking a specialized anal fin in the presumed males, Venusichthys would likely have a different reproductive strategy from peltopleurids and other potentially viviparous stem-neopterygians. Moreover, Venusichthys shows a unique character combination distinguished from any other stem-neopterygian families and consequently represents a new family of this clade. Assuch, the new finding provides an important addition for understanding the behavior, reproduction, and early diversification of Neopterygii.展开更多
Studies in several songbird species have shown that treating females with the androgenic steroid hormone testoste- rone （T） can negatively affect female reproductive behaviors and breeding success. As the effects of...Studies in several songbird species have shown that treating females with the androgenic steroid hormone testoste- rone （T） can negatively affect female reproductive behaviors and breeding success. As the effects of T on females appear to be species-specific, it is not clear if similar effects of high T occur in non-songbird species. Here, we studied the effects of T supplementation on female reproductive behavior and oviposition in the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus, a small monogamous parrot species with distinct sex differences in parental behavior. We experimentally increased T concentrations to male-like levels in T-treated females compared to controls and we allowed females to breed. We found no significant effects of treatment on the latency to enter the nestbox but T treatment significantly interfered with oviposition. Our results show that T-treated females were seven times less likely to produce a clutch than control females. As we found that T treatment had a strong inhibitory effect on oviposition, our results indicate that female budgerigars suffer fitness costs from male-like plasma T levels. Therefore, it may be possible that, also in non-songbird species, selection for higher T levels in males is constrained by a correlated response to selection which imposes fitness costs on females in terms of reproduction. Evaluating whether or not this is indeed the case requires further work combining different approaches to the study of the evolution of male and female testosterone levels [Current Zoology 61 （4）： 586-595, 2015].展开更多
文摘Breeding and mass scale larval rearing of clownfish Amphiprion percula is very limited in brackishwater. We designed an indoor program of A. percula culture in brackishwater with a salinity of 24±1, during which the impacts of feed type, water temperature, and light intensity, on the efficiency of its reproduction, were revealed. The fish were accommodated along with sea anemones in fibre glass tanks to determine the influence of brooder diet on breeding efficiency. Higher reproductive efficiency [number of eggs laid （276±22.3 eggs）] was observed when fish were fed live Acetes sp. rather than clam （204±16.4 eggs）, trash fish （155±12 eggs） and formulated feed （110±10 eggs）. The spawning rate was increased during September and October （water temperature, 28.74±0.55℃） on average of 2.4 spawning per month; and low spawning rate was in January （water temperature, 24.55±0.45℃） on average of I spawning per month. Among three light intensities （100, 500, and 900 1x） set to evaluate larval survival rate, larvae showed the highest survival rate （65.5%） at 900 lx. The breeding method specifically in brackishwater developed in the present study is a new approach, will help the people from the regions of estuary and backwater to enhance their livelihood and it will lead to reduce the exploitation from the wild habitat.
基金Supported by the Special Funds for the Foundation Work of Science and Technology(No.2012FY112700)
文摘The reproductive biology of bream Ahramis brama （L.） was studied from 546 fish collected from the lower reaches of the Irtysh River in Xinjiang, north-west China, from March to November 2013. The overall sex ratio （M/F） was 1.06：1, and was not significantly different from the theoretical 1：1 ratio （P〉0.5）. However, there was a dominance of males during the pre-spawning season （ 1.33 in March and 1.56 in April, P〈0.5）, while females were dominant during the peak spawning season （0.88 in June, P〈0.5）. The monthly variation in gonadosomatic index （GSI） and proportion of gonads at each macroscopic maturity stage, indicated that A. brama spawned once a year with peak spawning occurring from late May to June. The unimodal distribution of oocyte diameter each month indicated that A. brama is a single spawner, with a high degree of spawning synchronicity. The standard lengths （SLs0） and ages （As0） at first maturity for males and females, were 178 and 204 mm, and 5.6 and 6.8 years, respectively. The mean absolute fecundity （AF） was 77 311 eggs per fish, and mean relative fecundity （RF） was 162 eggs per gram of body weight （BW）. The AF ofA. brama increased linearly with increasing of gonad weight （GW）, eviscerated weight （EW） and standard length （SL）, but was not significantly correlated with age. As, A. brama in the lower reaches of the Irtysh River reaches reproductive maturity relatively late in their life span, is mature for a short period and spawns in aggregations, this fish is vulnerable to overexploitation.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41272002)the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 143114)
文摘Secondary sexual characteristics are features that appear at sexual maturity and distinguish the two sexes of a species. They are readily observed and studied in living animals, but the phenomenon is rather more difficult to identify in fossil taxa. Here we report a new sexually dimorphic stem-neopterygian fish, Venusichthys comptus gen. et sp. nov., based on 30 exceptionally well-preserved specimens from the Middle Triassic （Pelsonian, Anisian） Luoping Lagerst^itte of eastern Yunnan, China. The discovery represents the oldest known secondary sexual characteristics in Neopterygii. These characteristics, including pointed tubercles on cranial bones, scales and fins, and hook-like contact organ anterior to the anal fin, have three inferred primary functions： maintenance of body contact between the sexes during prespawning behavior or spawning; stimulation of the females during breeding; and defense of nests and territories. Lacking a specialized anal fin in the presumed males, Venusichthys would likely have a different reproductive strategy from peltopleurids and other potentially viviparous stem-neopterygians. Moreover, Venusichthys shows a unique character combination distinguished from any other stem-neopterygian families and consequently represents a new family of this clade. Assuch, the new finding provides an important addition for understanding the behavior, reproduction, and early diversification of Neopterygii.
文摘Studies in several songbird species have shown that treating females with the androgenic steroid hormone testoste- rone （T） can negatively affect female reproductive behaviors and breeding success. As the effects of T on females appear to be species-specific, it is not clear if similar effects of high T occur in non-songbird species. Here, we studied the effects of T supplementation on female reproductive behavior and oviposition in the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus, a small monogamous parrot species with distinct sex differences in parental behavior. We experimentally increased T concentrations to male-like levels in T-treated females compared to controls and we allowed females to breed. We found no significant effects of treatment on the latency to enter the nestbox but T treatment significantly interfered with oviposition. Our results show that T-treated females were seven times less likely to produce a clutch than control females. As we found that T treatment had a strong inhibitory effect on oviposition, our results indicate that female budgerigars suffer fitness costs from male-like plasma T levels. Therefore, it may be possible that, also in non-songbird species, selection for higher T levels in males is constrained by a correlated response to selection which imposes fitness costs on females in terms of reproduction. Evaluating whether or not this is indeed the case requires further work combining different approaches to the study of the evolution of male and female testosterone levels [Current Zoology 61 （4）： 586-595, 2015].
