Can pikeperch colonise new freshwater systems via estuaries? Evidence from behavioural salinity tests

Dawn M. Scott; Johanna Rabineau; Rod W. Wilson; Dave J. Hodgson; J. Anne Brown

doi:10.1071/mf07241

Can pikeperch colonise new freshwater systems via estuaries? Evidence from behavioural salinity tests

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf07241 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 59 (8) ◽

pp. 694 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dawn M. Scott ◽

Johanna Rabineau ◽

Rod W. Wilson ◽

Dave J. Hodgson ◽

J. Anne Brown

Keyword(s):

Tidal Cycle ◽

Introduced Fish ◽

Normal Behaviour ◽

Respiratory Impairment ◽

Vertical Movements ◽

Brackish Waters ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

In The Wild ◽

Physiological Acclimation ◽

Salinity Challenge

Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) are non-native in the United Kingdom. It is important to understand how environmental factors, such as salinity, influence the behaviour and activity of introduced fish species to identify their dispersal potential. Previous studies have shown that pikeperch, traditionally recognised as a freshwater fish, can tolerate brackish waters and demonstrate physiological acclimation. However, their behavioural responses to brackish waters are unknown. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the activity and swimming behaviour of pikeperch obtained from freshwater canals in southern England. In the laboratory, fish were exposed to a 12-h simulated tidal cycle and a 12-day stepped salinity challenge where salinity was increased by 4 every 2 days, up to a salinity of 20. In both regimes, fish showed increased swimming activity in response to increasing salinity, which may represent an avoidance response. The most dramatic changes, including vertical movements, occurred at salinities above ~16. At these higher salinities, head shaking and coughing behaviours were also observed, suggesting significant stress and respiratory impairment. However, during the simulated tidal cycle, normal behaviour was rapidly restored once salinity was reduced. The results of this study may have implications in understanding the dispersal of non-native fish in the wild.

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Catch-and-release of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): post-release behaviour of acoustically pretagged fish in a natural marine environment

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjfas-2014-0290 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

pp. 252-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Keno Ferter ◽

Klaas Hartmann ◽

Alf Ring Kleiven ◽

Even Moland ◽

Esben Moland Olsen

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Gadus Morhua ◽

Sublethal Effects ◽

Atlantic Cod ◽

Small Scale ◽

Marine Environments ◽

Vertical Movements ◽

Catch And Release ◽

Diel Vertical Migrations ◽

In The Wild

Studying the sublethal effects of catch-and-release (C&R) is challenging, as there are several potential sources of bias. For example, if behavioural alterations immediately after the release event are to be studied, separation of tagging effects from actual C&R effects is required, which is a challenge in the wild, particularly in marine environments. To investigate the effects of C&R on Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in their natural environment, 80 cod were caught in fyke nets, fitted with acoustic transmitters, and released. After recovery from tagging and handling for at least 14 days, nine individuals were recaptured and released at least once during experimental angling, following best release practice. All cod survived the C&R event and did not show any large-scale behavioural changes (i.e., changes in diel vertical migrations). However, analysis of small-scale vertical movements showed that three individuals underwent short-term alterations (e.g., reduced or increased swimming activity). This study showed that pretagging fish with acoustic transmitters before experimental angling is an option when investigating fish behaviour immediately after the release event in marine environments. Moreover, release guidelines for cod should be developed, as cod can recover quickly if caught in shallow waters (<20 m) and properly handled and released.

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Welfare of the neonate lamb immediately after tail-docking

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200002635 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 1999 ◽

pp. 108-108

Author(s):

A. B. Notman ◽

H. L. Heath ◽

J. Hill

Keyword(s):

Detrimental Effect ◽

Routine Practice ◽

Normal Behaviour ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Tail Docking ◽

Ewe Lamb ◽

Long Term Performance ◽

Term Performance ◽

The Impact

Tail docking of new born lambs is a routine practice in the United Kingdom. It has been used as a strategy to reduce the impact of myriasis (blowfly strike). There is only a limited period of time after birth (up to seven days) during which lambs can be docked without the use of anaethesia. Tail docking may have a detrimental effect on the ewe-lamb bond if the process leads to significant and sustained pain. French, Wall and Morgan (1994) suggested lambs suffer acute pain immediately after the procedure of docking but this potential disturbance of normal behaviour during the first few days of life did not seem to affect the long-term performance of lambs. The study reported in this paper considers the effect of tail docking on the behaviour of lambs during the first 90 minutes after docking and on lamb performance to slaughter.

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Ecology of the Critically Endangered Singidia Tilapia (Teleostei: Cichlidae: Oreochromis esculentus) of lake Kayanja, Uganda and its conservation implications

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.5700.12.10.16251-16256 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 16251-16256 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Richard Olwa ◽

Herbert Nakiyende ◽

Elias Muhumuza ◽

Samuel Bassa ◽

Anthony Taabu-Munyaho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Nile Tilapia ◽

Fish Farming ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Nile Perch ◽

Introduced Fish ◽

Plant Materials ◽

Blue Green Algae ◽

Conservation Implications ◽

In The Wild

Singidia Tilapia Oreochromis esculentus is a Critically Endangered native tilapia fish species endemic to lakes Victoria and Kyoga basins of East Africa, however, it disappeared from these main lakes due to overfishing, environmental degradation and predation by the introduced Nile Perch Lates niloticus. Remnant populations of this fish species is now restricted to satellite lakes including Lake Kayanja of the Victoria basin. This study provides updated information about the population abundance, critical habitat, threats and diet of Singidia Tilapia to inform conservation decisions to revive its populations in the wild. Fish data collection and mapping of nursery and breeding habitats of Singidia Tilapia on Lake Kayanja was conducted between February 2016 and October 2017. In all the areas mapped and sampled, Singidia Tilapia (with a size range of 11–27 cm TL) was the most abundant (43%) relative to exotic Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (21%) and Redbelly Tilapia Coptodon zillii (36%). The emergence of introduced (exotic) tilapias like Nile Tilapia recorded in this study could be attributed to cage fish farming being carried out in this Lake. The diet of Oreochromis esculentus consisted mainly of detritus (60.8 %), plant materials (27.7%) and blue-green algae (5.5%). Destruction of critical habitats and presence of introduced fish species were noted as the major threats to this fish and its habitats. The generated information could contribute to guiding stakeholders to undertake appropriate actions to conserve this threatened fish species and its habitats.

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Australian Strains of Botryococcus braunii Examined for Potential Hydrocarbon and Carotenoid Pigment Production and the Effect of Brackish Water

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13246644 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (24) ◽

pp. 6644

Author(s):

Kim Jye Lee-Chang ◽

Elisabeth Albinsson ◽

Lesley Clementson ◽

Andrew T. Revill ◽

Ian Jameson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brackish Water ◽

Botryococcus Braunii ◽

Carotenoid Pigment ◽

Minimal Effect ◽

Pigment Composition ◽

Lower Salinity ◽

Renewable Fuel ◽

Brackish Waters ◽

In The Wild ◽

Final Harvest

The green alga Botryococcus braunii produces abundant hydrocarbons, in the form of drop-in biodiesel, which promoted interest in the species as a renewable fuel. However, despite the observation of dense populations in the wild, Botryococcus grows very slowly in culture, severely limiting its potential for development as a bioresource. Undertaking a biodiscovery program, we found new strains of Botryococcus in locations ranging from tropical to temperate Australia and from both fresh and brackish waters. As part of the ecophysiological characterisation of this new biodiversity, lipid and pigment compositions were studied for six new strains from six different locations. The strains were inoculated in either freshwater or brackish (salinity of 4)-based medium and maintained over 150 days. The growth of cultures was studied continuously, while lipid and pigment composition were analysed at final harvest on day 150. No significant differences in growth rate between fresh and brackish media were observed. Some strains were more tolerable of brackish conditions than others with a link between salinity tolerance and original location. The use of lower salinity (4 ppt) had a minimal effect on lipid composition, with only two of the six strains showing a different hydrocarbon profile in comparison to the other strains; pigment composition showed only minor variations for fresh and brackish water cultures, although the concentrations varied significantly with the freshwater cultures containing higher pigment concentrations.

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Do rabbits need each other? Effects of single versus paired housing on rabbit body temperature and behaviour in a UK shelter

Animal Welfare ◽

10.7120/09627286.29.2.209 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 209-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

CC Burn ◽

P Shields

Keyword(s):

Body Temperature ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Social Housing ◽

Escape Behaviour ◽

Normal Behaviour ◽

Reduced Body ◽

Behavioural Effects ◽

In The Wild ◽

Enclosure Size ◽

Single Versus

In the wild, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are social but territorial. Recent surveys suggest that over half of pet rabbits are housed singly. We aimed to compare welfare in single versus paired rabbits. We predicted singletons would show more abnormal or escape behaviour, greater stress responses to handling, and reduced body temperature (being unable to huddle with another individual when cold), but that pairs may show aggression. This study was conducted during winter at a rabbit-only rescue centre, and included 45rabbits, comprising 15 housed singly and 15 pairs. Like most pet rabbits, they were housed either outdoors or in unheated outbuildings. Singletons were mostly in smaller enclosures than pairs. Home-pen observations (40 min) revealed bar-biting in 8/15 single rabbits compared with 0/30 of the paired ones. No other behavioural effects of social housing reached significance, and enclosure size showed no significant effects. Body temperature was significantly lower in singletons than pairs, with at least 0.5°C mean difference. On colder days, rabbits adopted compact postures more, and relaxed postures less frequently. After handling, pairs resumed normal behaviour significantly more quickly than singletons in the home-pen (3.0 [± 0.3] versus 8.3 [± 1.3] s, respectively). Aggression was never observed. The results indicate that social housing reduces bar-biting, aids thermoregulation, and may help buffer stress. Rabbit owners should be encouraged to meet the need for rabbits to be housed with an appropriate conspecific in a suitably large, sheltered enclosure.

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'Normal' Behaviour of the Legal Animal Is More than Just 'What They Do in the Wild'

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.2050409 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Ian A. Robertson ◽

Lindsay Matthews

Keyword(s):

Normal Behaviour ◽

In The Wild

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Extinct habitat, extant species: lessons learned from conservation recovery actions for the Pedder galaxias (Galaxias pedderensis) in south-west Tasmania, Australia

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf12257 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (9) ◽

pp. 864 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Stuart Chilcott ◽

Rob Freeman ◽

Peter E. Davies ◽

David A. Crook ◽

Wayne Fulton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Freshwater Fish ◽

Major Change ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Introduced Fish ◽

Extant Species ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

In The Wild ◽

Natural Range ◽

Lake Pedder

The Pedder galaxias (Galaxias pedderensis) from Lake Pedder, Tasmania, Australia, is one of the world’s most threatened freshwater fish. The flooding of Lake Pedder in 1972 for hydroelectric power generation caused a major change to the ecosystem that initiated an irreversible decline in the Pedder galaxias within its natural range. The flooding inundated another headwater catchment and native and introduced fish from this catchment colonised the impoundment. Numbers of the Pedder galaxias declined markedly as the impoundment matured and as colonising fish proliferated. Surveys in the 1980s confirmed the parlous state of the population, highlighting the need for conservation intervention. Several urgent conservation actions were undertaken to save the species from extinction. Translocation was considered the most important recovery action, given the critically low numbers in the wild. The species is now extinct from its natural range and is known from only two translocated populations. The conservation program, and specifically the translocation recovery action, saved the Pedder galaxias from extinction. The conservation management was extremely challenging since rapidly declining fish numbers needed timely and critical decisions to underpin the future of the fish. Recommendations are provided arising from this case study to guide conservation of freshwater fish in similar circumstances.

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Livestock diversificaiton the potential for farming camelids in the united kingdom

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) ◽

10.1017/s0308229600018560 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 1990 ◽

pp. 75-75

Author(s):

Colin Campbell

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

South America ◽

Farm Animal ◽

South American ◽

British Government ◽

Animal Products ◽

South American Camelids ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

In The Wild ◽

Different Characteristics

The British government is encouraging livestock diversification and the production of those animal products which are still being imported. Currently most farm animal fibres such as mohair, cashmere and alpaca are imported with the result that there is a potential for developing production in the U.K. South American camelids can all be farmed for their fibre and present few nutritional or managemental problems. The llama is the largest of the four species with the male weighing about 116 kg. It produces coarse fibre of various colours. The alpaca is smaller than the llama, has short ears, a woolly face and a rounded rump. It averages 1 m in height and the male weighs 64 kg. There are two types of alpaca with different characteristics, the Huacaya and the Suri. Yields of 2.00 kg of good quality 18-30 micron fibre are normal. In South America the vicuna and the guanaco exist only in the wild state. Guanacos have shaggy coats of fine texture, usually chestnut borwn.

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Freeze-substituted fungal cells of Nectria haematococca: A comparison of the macroconidial walls of the adhesion-competent wild type with an adhesion-reduced mutant

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100160996 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 688-689

Author(s):

Thecan Caesar-Ton That ◽

Lynn Epstein

Keyword(s):

Freeze Substitution ◽

Uranyl Acetate ◽

Wild Type ◽

Nectria Haematococca ◽

Fruit Extract ◽

Dialysis Tubing ◽

Tube Emergence ◽

Contrast Microscopy ◽

In The Wild ◽

Freeze Damage

Nectria haematococca mating population I (anamorph, Fusarium solani) macroconidia attach to its host (squash) and non-host surfaces prior to germ tube emergence. The macroconidia become adhesive after a brief period of protein synthesis. Recently, Hickman et al. (1989) isolated N. haematococca adhesion-reduced mutants. Using freeze substitution, we compared the development of the macroconidial wall in the wild type in comparison to one of the mutants, LEI.Macroconidia were harvested at 1C, washed by centrifugation, resuspended in a dilute zucchini fruit extract and incubated from 0 - 5 h. During the incubation period, wild type macroconidia attached to uncoated dialysis tubing. Mutant macroconidia did not attach and were collected on poly-L-lysine coated dialysis tubing just prior to freezing. Conidia on the tubing were frozen in liquid propane at 191 - 193C, substituted in acetone with 2% OsO4 and 0.05% uranyl acetate, washed with acetone, and flat-embedded in Epon-Araldite. Using phase contrast microscopy at 1000X, cells without freeze damage were selected, remounted, sectioned and post-stained sequentially with 1% Ba(MnO4)2 2% uranyl acetate and Reynold’s lead citrate. At least 30 cells/treatment were examined.

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