Assessment of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) recruitment in a regulated spawning tributary of Rainy Lake,Ontario

Continued study of the relationship between lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) recruitment and hydroelectric dams and operations, in a variety of river systems and habitat types is needed to improve the ability to predict and monitor impacts of the hydroelectric industry on this species. Herein, we present results of a juvenile lake sturgeon study aimed at addressing concerns over an inferred lack of recruitment resulting from spawning downstream of a hydroelectric generating station (HGS). Two years of sampling (2015 and 2016) were conducted in five sections of a 41 km long reach of the Seine River, Ontario, a lake sturgeon spawning tributary of Rainy Lake. Using an established gillnetting method, deepwater habitat was targeted to capture juvenile lake sturgeon to assess relative abundance, recruitment (cohort strength), and growth. Deepwater habitat, defined as water depths >6 m in this system, comprised only 2.1% of the wetted area in this study area. Within these habitats, a total of 331 lake sturgeon capture events were observed over the 2-years study period. The majority of the lake sturgeon catch (85%) was comprised of age-0 to age-5 individuals (both sampling years combined). Although inter-annual variation in cohort strength was apparent, each cohort between 2006 and 2016 was represented. The spatial distribution of cohorts varied among river reaches with younger individuals (age-0 and age-1) occupying reaches proximal to the Sturgeon Falls HGS, and larger, older individuals (age-2 to age-5) occupying reaches further downstream. The rarity of age-6+ individuals can likely be explained by ongoing downstream redistribution of juveniles over time, out of the Seine River and into Rainy Lake. Growth of juvenile lake sturgeon captured in the Seine River was above average relative to conspecifics from other rivers in the Hudson Bay drainage. Unfortunately, baseline data sets required to facilitate comparisons of contemporary (post-construction Sturgeon Falls HGS) versus historical (i.e. pre- Sturgeon Falls HGS) lake sturgeon recruitment, or to evaluate the influence of the Seine River Water Management Plan (2004) on lake sturgeon recruitment, are lacking. However, juvenile Lake Sturgeon are more abundant in this system than what had been surmised based on recent studies which implemented random sampling. Results indicate that juvenile lake sturgeon may reside in spawning tributaries for several years (age-0 to age-5) prior to seeking alternate habitats and highlights the value of targeted sampling (i.e. by depth) along the flow axis of rivers downstream of spawning areas when assessing lake sturgeon recruitment patterns.     

Incidence of lamprey marks on Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) in the St. Clair – Detroit River System: Implications for Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758) effects

Laurentian Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) are hosts to lamprey species, including native Silver Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) and invasive Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Silver Lamprey coevolved with Lake Sturgeon and cause negligible mortality, but Sea Lamprey can negatively affect Lake Sturgeon populations. Sea Lamprey abundance in Lake Erie has been above targets set by resource managers, with the St. Clair – Detroit River System (SCDRS) suspected as a source of Sea Lamprey production into Lake Erie. This study summarizes lamprey marking on Lake Sturgeon captured during agency assessment surveys in the SCDRS since 1996 and provides insight on the potential for Sea Lamprey to negatively affect Lake Sturgeon in the SCDRS. Lamprey marks (any lamprey species) were noted on 48.2% of Lake Sturgeon (2.5 marks/fish) and 3.3% of Lake Sturgeon assumed to be susceptible to mortality by Sea Lamprey (<760 mm TL; 0.06 marks/fish). Silver Lamprey were the only lamprey species found attached to Lake Sturgeon and there was no difference between oral disc diameters of Silver Lamprey and marks measured on Lake Sturgeon in Lake St. Clair and the lower St. Clair River (p = .45). Based on logistic regression, probability of at least one lamprey mark increased with Lake Sturgeon total length and was highest in Lake St. Clair. The probability of observing at least one lamprey mark on a 760 mm Lake Sturgeon was 8.1% or less for each sampling location in the SCDRS aside from Lake St. Clair (28.1%). Results suggest that parasitism of Lake Sturgeon by Sea Lamprey in the SCDRS is rare, particularly for Lake Sturgeon <760 mm TL. Low incidence of lamprey marks on Lake Sturgeon assumed to be susceptible to mortality from Sea Lamprey parasitism and zero occurrence of Sea Lamprey being observed attached to a Lake Sturgeon suggest Sea Lamprey at their current abundance likely have little effect on the Lake Sturgeon population in the SCDRS. Caution should be taken when using mark size to assign marks to lamprey species as there is substantial overlap among species oral disc diameters, potentially inflating the perceived impact of Sea Lamprey on Lake Sturgeon in areas with native lampreys.     

Assessment of Extinction Risk and Reasons for Decline in Sturgeon

Sturgeon populations in the Danube River have been affected by a combination of hydropower development, over-harvesting, habitat degradation from agricultural and industrial practices and from urbanization. The effects of these changes have been monitored on six sturgeon species inhabiting the Danube River. Two of them are resident species, while the other four migrate to the river for spawning. Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) has completely disappeared from this region. Ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) is very rare in professional fishing catches. Beluga (Huso huso), Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) are endangered with different levels of extinction risk. Here, we model the time dependence of the beluga and Russian sturgeon catch in the Serbian part of the Danube River. Predicted extinction of Russian sturgeon was estimated to fall around the middle of the century, and for beluga approximately at middle of the millennium. Suggestions for sturgeon conservation measures on a national level and coordination of all relevant institutions in Serbia are also presented.     

Ig heavy chain of the sturgeon Acipenser baeri : cDNA sequence and diversity

 To investigate the gene organization of the IGH locus, and the VH diversity of the Siberian sturgeon, a cDNA library was constructed and screened with VH-specific probes from two holostean fish. Isolated clones were analyzed and domain-specific probes used in rescreening of the library, Southern blot analysis, and northern blots. It was concluded that the Siberian sturgeon has one IGH locus with a translocon type of organization. Two allelic variants of the mu gene were found, with identities ranging from 80 to 100% for the different domains (highest for CH4 and lowest for CH2). Sturgeon CH sequences are most closely related to those of holostean fish. There are three distinct VH families, VHI grouping with mammalian clan III, VHII grouping with the teleost clan, and VHIII grouping with the archaic clan. The variability of the CDR 3 region is substantial, and we identified a number of conserved motifs in the D segment. Further, we deduced that there are at least nine different JH segments in the locus, contributing to the antibody repertoire of the sturgeon. The variable segments of the three families can be associated with any of the D or JH segments in the rearrangement. Sturgeon, in addition to the random rearrangement of VH, D, and JH segments, have exonuclease activity, and an introduction of N and probably P nucleotides at the site of rearrangement. Received: 2 March 1998 / Revised: 20 May 1998     

Ultrastructure of the heart of the sturgeon Acipenser stellatus (Chondrostei)

Summary The ultrastructure of atrial and ventricular myocardial cells from Acipenser stellatus is described. The cells of the atrium are more loosely connected than those of the ventricle. Cell contact is by simple intercalated discs and by desmosomes. The cells are flattened, with peripheral myofibrils and a central region of mitochondria and the nucleus. The sarcoplasmic reticulum consists of subsarcolemmal tubules, that frequently extend towards the central mitochondria. Dyads are small and positioned at any sarcomeric level. No T-tubules are present. Specific granules are restricted to the atrial cell, and are sometimes present within the SR tubules.     

基于高通量测序的达氏鲟微卫星标记筛选

达氏鲟(Acipenser dabryanus)是我国特有的珍稀鱼类,主要分布在长江上游干支流。由于人类活动的影响,其种群数量急剧下降,被列为国家Ⅰ级重点保护动物、IUCN红色名录极危(CR)物种。本研究针对当前达氏鲟群体的濒危现状,应用微卫星标记开展达氏鲟保护遗传学研究。通过高通量测序成功筛选出25个微卫星位点,采用18尾野生个体和30尾人工繁殖个体对其多样性进行了检验,结果表明,25个位点共检测出181个等位基因,每个位点的等位基因数(A)为4~11(平均值7.2),观测杂合度(HO)为0.160~1.000(平均值0.744),期望杂合度(HE)为0.346~0.875(平均值0.727)。所有位点均不偏离"Hardy-Weinberg"平衡(P0.05),各位点间也无连锁不平衡现象。除了其中一个位点以外,所有位点的多态信息含量(PIC)均大于0.5,其多态性较好。本次筛选的微卫星位点将有助于达氏鲟资源保护和群体遗传研究。     

食蚊鱼的生物电场特征

文章采用活体记录的方法测量了食蚊鱼(Gambusia affinis)的生物电场。实验分单尾鱼、两尾鱼同向和两尾鱼反向三组测量, 每组10 个重复。结果表明:单尾鱼的生物电场表现为头负、尾正的偶极子直流电场,头部相对电势为(242.4) V, 尾部为(211.6) V, 且头部附近产生1-3 Hz 与呼吸频率对应的交流呼吸电场, 大小为(4.20.8) V。两尾鱼生物电场测量表明, 其直流电场均大于单尾鱼(P0.05); 两尾鱼同向靠近时产生的交流呼吸电场显著大于单尾鱼(P0.01), 而反向靠近时产生的呼吸电场显著小于单尾鱼(P0.001)。这表明两条鱼不同方向靠近时, 可通过呼吸作用改变交流呼吸电场的大小。此种现象对于依靠感知交流呼吸电场来摄食的被动电感受鱼类是不利的。       

达氟沙星在史氏鲟体内药物代谢动力学比较研究

采用高效液相色谱法测定以10mg/kg体重剂量静脉注射和口服给药后史氏鲟血浆中达氟沙星的浓度。该法采用C18色谱柱,流动相为乙腈-水相(15∶85),荧光激发波长和发射波长分别为280nm和450nm,样品用甲醇沉淀蛋白,离心取上清液进样。达氟沙星在0.005-1.0μg/mL范围内线性关系良好,本方法的最低检测限为0.005μg/mL。健康鱼单剂量静注达氟沙星(10mg/kg),其药时数据符合无吸收的三室开放模型,方程为C=5.830-5.582t+4.162-1.157t+0.852-0.029t,主要动力学参数如下:t1/2α0.552h;t1/2β22.186h;AUC34.226mg/(L.h);V 10.922L/kg;Vb10.144L/kg;ke 10.317h.Ah感染组的V1减小至0.290L/kg,静注感染组鱼体内达氟沙星的消除没有显著的改变。健康口服组数据结果符合一级吸收二室开放模型,血药浓度和时间方程为C=1.278e-0.073t+0.177e-0.089t-1.455e-0.329t。药动学常数分别为:t1/2ka9.491h,t1/2β78.267h,Tmax6.284h,Cmax0.791mg/mL;α0.073h。但Ah感染改变达氟沙星口服给药后在史氏鲟体内的吸收、分布和消除。分布速率常数降低为0.050/h。消除减慢,消除半哀期延长为93.988h,达峰时间延长为至9.060h,峰浓度降低为0.585mg/mL。口服达氟沙星水溶液,健康及感染组史氏鲟对达氟沙星生物利用度分别为96.503%和94.435%。本实验结果表明达氟沙星在健康史氏鲟体内分布广泛、吸收较完全。感染Ah对达氟沙星在史氏鲟体内的吸收、分布及消除规律均有不同程度的影响,其中口服给药的影响更为显著。达氟沙星可用于史氏鲟感染Ah的治疗。       

西伯利亚幼鲟对偶极子电场的避让行为研究

研究利用人工偶极子电场来模拟生物电场刺激, 对西伯利亚幼鲟的电感受能力进行了行为探究。结果显示西伯利亚幼鲟对本实验中的偶极子电场产生躲避行为, 其平均感受阈值在2月龄为(457.532.5) V/cm,3月龄为(29.52.5) V/cm, 7月龄为(101.0) V/cm。这表明西伯利亚鲟鱼的电感受敏感性随个体的发育而增强, 而这可能与电感受器官数量的增加有关(2月龄为2234470, 7月龄为5273523)。     

野生中华鲟水族馆驯养观察

2005年4月3日~7月31日期间以捕捞于长江宜昌江段的野生中华鲟(Acipenser sinensis)为研究材料,对其在水族馆中的驯养方法进行了研究。结果表明,野生中华鲟摄食的饲料品种由1种逐渐增加至6种,日摄食量由120 g逐渐增加至2 000 g并逐渐趋于稳定,说明水族馆驯养池的环境适合野生中华鲟的生存。