DOCSLIB.ORG

Taxonomy of Puffer Fish (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) Represented in the Catches of Visakhapatnam, Central Eastern Coast of India

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Taxonomy of Puffer Fish (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) Represented in the Catches of Visakhapatnam, Central Eastern Coast of India Available online at: www.mbai.org.in doi: 10.6024/jmbai.2015.57.2.1798-14 Taxonomy of puffer fish (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) represented in the catches of Visakhapatnam, central eastern coast of India K. Sujatha* and P. Padmavathi Department of Marine Living Resources, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam – 530003. Andhra Pradesh, India. * Correspondence e-mail: [email protected] Received: 05 Jun 2014, Accepted: 15 Dec 2015, Published: 27 Dec 2015 Original Article Abstract Introduction Fishes of the family Tetraodontidae popularly known as toad fishes, puffer fishes, blowfishes and globefishes have become Puffers of family Tetraodontidae are commercially valuable regular in the trawl catches of Visakhapanam. Therefore, and highly regarded as food fish, even though the presence there is an urgent need to have proper information on these resources for sustainable development and management of of specific toxin still causes death of gastronomers every year non-target species. The present paper provides a record of (Fiedler, 1991). Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for species, descriptions and biometric data of fishes of the tetraodontids in the aquarium trade. Although tetraodontids family Tetraodontidae off Visakhapatnam. Fifteen species are used commercially, basic ecological knowledge of natural belonging to six genera : Arothron, Canthigaster, Chelondon, populations is usually scarce. Lagocephalus, Takifugu and Torquigener are represented mainly in trawl and trammel net by- catches and shore seine The family Tetraodontidae is considered the most speciose catches in the coastal waters of Visakhapatnam. Arothron family in the order Tetraodontiformes incorporating twenty firmamentum was first record from Indian waters and circum global species Lagocephalus lagocephalus was first record seven genera with about 184 species (Matsuura, 2015). Many from mainland of India. recent ichthyologists reported new species, new records and provided key to the species of tetraodontids from different Keywords: Tetraodontid fishes, taxonomy, species regions of the world (Abe, 1952; De Beaufort and Briggs, composition, Visakhapatnam 1962; Matsuura and Toda, 1981; Hardy, 1983; 1984; Randall, 1985; Matsuura, 1986; 2001; 2002; Smith and Heemstra, 1986; Relini and Relini, 1995; Walker and Bussing, 1996; Nelson, 2006; Wu et al., 2011; Randall et al., 2012; Fricke et al., 2013). In India, previous studies were carried out by Russell (1803), Day (1878), Annandale and Jenkins (1910), Munro (1955), Jones and Kumaran (1980), Talwar and Jhingran (1991), Rao et al. (1992), Sujatha (1995, 1996), Sujatha and Chakravarty (2003). However there remain taxonomic J. Mar. Biol. Ass. India, 57 (2), July-December 2015 K. Sujatha and P. Padmavathi problems in genera such as Arothron, Chelonodontops, related species of the genera Arothron and Lagocephalus Lagocephalus, Pao, Takifugu and Torquigener where, many using SPSS (13.0) software. Before computation, all species await description and detailed morphological and these characters were adjusted to pool information from molecular comparisons to classify them into appropriate different characters into a comparable scale following groups. The amorphous body and loose skin, proportional standard procedure of Thorpe (1983). Because of the measurements vary greatly within species (Randall, 1985). variation in size of fish, morphometric data was statistically This paper provides photographs of the species of the adjusted to permit comparative analysis in terms of shape family Tetraodontidae, descriptions based on colour pattern, independent of size. The factor loadings for first three biometric data and results of multivariate analysis (Principal principal components were taken and characters for which Component Analysis – PCA), represented in the catches of factor loadings above 0.9 were considered. The variance Visakhapatnam (Lat 17˚10’-18˚10’N Long. 82˚50’-84˚10’E) explained by three components was 75% in genus Arothron for correct identification of species. and 72% in genus Lagocephalus. Tukey test was carried out only for those characters that became significantly Material and methods different for morphometric and meristic characters among the four species of genus Arothron and five species of The present study is based on random samples collected Lagocephalus. mainly from trawl by-catches at Visakhapatnam fisheries harbour during the period of January 2012 to December 2013. Results and discussion Samples were also collected from traditional fish landing centres (Lawson’s Bay, Pudimadaka, Bheemunipatnam) from Species of the genus Arothron Muller, 1841, five species, the landings by hook and line, shore seine, trammel net. The genus species of Canthigaster, Swainson, 1839, two species oceanic and pelagic specimens of Lagocephalus lagocephalus of genus Chelonodon Muller, 1839, 5 species of genus were collected from the deeper waters off Visakhapatnam Lagocephalus Swainson, 1839, one species of genus Takifugu, from surface waters beyond shelf zone and around 55 Abe, 1949, and one species of genus Torquigener, Whitley, nautical miles away from the shore. Only adult specimens 1930, are represented in the catches of Visakhapatnam (Table are represented in hook and line catches along with flying 1). Salient meristic data of all the fifteen species belonging to fish (Cheilopogan cyanopterus). Large sized specimens of five genera is given in (Table 2). L. lunaris and L. inermis were caught with hook and line at 40m to 90m depth region, sometimes even at 110 m depth Genus Arothron: Morphometric data of A. firmamentum, A. along with skipjack and yellowfin tuna. hispidus, A. immaculatus, A. reticularis and three different size groups of A. stellatus is given in (Table 3). PCA for Counts and measurements of specimens of this family were morphometric and meristic data of four closely related accounted following Dekkers (1975), Matsuura and Toda species A. hispidus, A. immaculatus, A. reticularis and (1981) and Tyler (1980). Pectoral rays count include uppermost A. stellatus was carried out. Based on PCA the following rudimentary ray. In these species, general form and shape of characters viz. body depth, preanal distance, dorsal base, the swim bladder and liver, scales, pelvis, spinules, lateral line anal base, dorsal length, anal length and eye diameter system, nasal organ structure are of diagnostic value. For the were considered significant. Results of Tukey test (p<0.05) first time, the swim bladder of each species is described. given in (Table 4). The Mean and Standard deviation relating to dorsal rays, anal Diagnostic characters of five species of genusArothron given rays, pectoral rays, gill rakers, head scale rows and body scale below: rows have been calculated from the data of pooled samples. Comparison of morphometric data of species belonging to the A. firmamentum (Temminck and Schlegel, 1850): Dorsally genera Arothron, Chelenodon, Lagocephalus, Takifugu and well separated spinules from interorbital region to origin of Torquigener are also made. Body measurements are recorded dorsal fin; interorbital convex (Fig. 1). as percent of standard length and measurements of the head region are recorded as percentage of head length, with the A. hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758): Spinules not well separated range of values separated by a hyphen and followed by the dorsally; dorsal spinules starts from norstrils to anterior half mean value and standard deviation (S.D.) of the measurement. of caudal peduncle; inter orbital broad, deeply concave; mean pre pectoral distance 42.18 % in standard length; mean pre Multivariate data analysis includes Principal Component orbital distance 45.39 %, mean eye diameter 14.68% in head Analysis (PCA) of all morphometric characters of the closely length. Swim bladder horse shoe shaped (Fig. 2). 96 Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India Vol. 57, No.2, Jul-Dec 2015 Taxonomy of Puffer fishes from Visakhapatnam coast Table 1. Systematic list of fishes of the family Tetraodontidae represented in the catches of Visakhapatnam n* Sex Length range (mm TL) Max length in Fishbase 2013 (mm TL) J F M Arothron Muller 1841 A. firmamentum (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850) 1 1 - - 152 440 A. hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758) 4 3 - 1 237-260 540 A. immaculatus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) 60 26 31 3 120-375 300 A. reticularis (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) 5 - 4 1 325-590 540 A. stellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) 19 13 4 2 79-570 1200 Canthigaster Swainson, 1839 C. solandri (Richardson, 1844) 4 4 - - 71-85 120 Chelonodon Muller, 1839 C. fluviatilis (Hamilton Buchanan, 1822) 3 3 75 - 33-110 170 C. patoca (Hamilton, 1822) 178 87 16 65-290 480 Lagocephalus Swainson, 1839 L. guentheri (Ribeiro, 1915) 95 39 40 16 80-360 260 L. inermis (Schlegel. 1850) 37 25 4 8 100-565 1060 L. lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) 30 - 6 24 205-310 610 L. lunaris (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) 148 47 69 32 85-280 550 L. sceleratus (Forster, 1788) 38 38 - - 70-185 1330 Takifugu Abe, 1949 T. oblongus (Bloch, 1786) 141 67 32 42 155-340 400 Torquigener Whitley, 1930 T. hypselogeneion (Bleeker, 1852) 16 16 - - 60-130 100 *number of specimens for which meristic and morphometric data taken ; Underline represents maximum recorded size of the species Table 2. Salient meristic data of fifteen Tetraodontid species represented in the catches of Visakhapatnam Species n Dorsal Anal rays Caudal rays Pectoral rays Total gill rakers Genus Arothron A.firmamentum 1 14 13 10 21 - A.hispidus 4 -9(in one)-10 10 8-9 17,19 12 A.immaculatus 60 9-11 9-11 8-10 15-17 11 A.reticularis 5 10-11 10-11 10-11(in one) 17-18 9 A. stellatus 19 10-12 9-12 9-10 17-19 19 Genus Canthigaster C. solandri 4 9 9 10 16-17 Genus Chelenodon C. fluviatilis 3 14 12 11 22 C. patoca 178 9-10 8 8,10 14-17 7 Genus Lagocephalus L. guentheri 95 12 10-11 8,10 16-17 13 L. inermis 37 11-13 10-11 8-10 16-17 11 L. Lagocephalus 30 14-15 11-12 5,10 14-15 12 L. lunaris 148 11-12 10 8-9 14-15 11 L. sceleratus 38 10 8-10 8,10 13, 15-16(in one) (12-14) Genus Takifugu T.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Article Evolutionary Dynamics of the OR Gene Repertoire in Teleost Fishes
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.09.434524; this version posted March 10, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Article Evolutionary dynamics of the OR gene repertoire in teleost fishes: evidence of an association with changes in olfactory epithelium shape Maxime Policarpo1, Katherine E Bemis2, James C Tyler3, Cushla J Metcalfe4, Patrick Laurenti5, Jean-Christophe Sandoz1, Sylvie Rétaux6 and Didier Casane*,1,7 1 Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. 2 NOAA National Systematics Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A. 3Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20560, U.S.A. 4 Independent Researcher, PO Box 21, Nambour QLD 4560, Australia. 5 Université de Paris, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Energies de Demain, Paris, France 6 Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190, Gif-sur- Yvette, France. 7 Université de Paris, UFR Sciences du Vivant, F-75013 Paris, France. * Corresponding author: e-mail: [email protected]. !1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.09.434524; this version posted March 10, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Abstract Teleost fishes perceive their environment through a range of sensory modalities, among which olfaction often plays an important role.
    [Show full text]
  • Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) and Some Related Species, Including a New Species from Hawaii!
    Pacific Science (1983), vol. 37, no. 1 © 1983 by the University of Hawaii Press. All rights reserved The Status of Torquigener hypselogeneion (Bleeker) (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) and Some Related Species, including a New Species from Hawaii! GRAHAM S. H ARDy 2 ABSTl~ACT: Torquigener .hypselogeneion (Bleeker) and T.jiorealis (Cope) are redescnbed, and a neotype IS proposed for the former. That species differs from T. jiorealis in having smaller eye ~iameter , shorter caudal peduncle length, usuall!, lower.fin ray counts, and different color pattern. Torquigener randalli n:s~. IS descnbed .from six specimens from Oahu, Hawaii, differing from the similar T.jiorealis In shape ofdorsal and anal fins, a usually lower dorsal and anal fin ray count, and in color pattern. 1:'1 MARCH 1852 Bleeker published the descrip­ METHODS tion of a small pufferfish, which he called Measurements (taken to 2 significant Tetraodon hypselogeneion, based on speci­ figures) were by dial caliper, in a manner mens from Amboina (Ambon) (Bleeker similar to that outlined by Dekkers (1975). 1852a). In subsequent descriptions, he ex­ All measurements are from preserved speci­ tended the known distribution to cover much mens . Fin ray counts include all visible rays, ?f the D~tch Ea st Indies (Indonesia), and both branched and unbranched, and fin ray In 1865 Included examples, considered as lengths were determined from the embedded hypselogeneion, reported from the Red Sea as base. One example each of T. jiorealis and Tetrodon honckenii (not ofBloch), by Riippell T. randalli was cleared and stained and (1828). A central Pacific species, described as all others x-rayed, for examination of their ! etrodon .f!Nealis by Cope (1871), was later osteology.
    [Show full text]
  • Seafood Banquets in Beijing: Consumer Perspectives and Implications for Environmental Sustainability
    [Downloaded free from http://www.conservationandsociety.org on Thursday, June 27, 2019, IP: 139.191.247.3] Conservation and Society 12(2): 218-228, 2014 Article Seafood Banquets in Beijing: Consumer Perspectives and Implications for Environmental Sustainability Michael Fabinyia,# and Neng Liub aAustralian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia bDepartment of Sociology, Peking University, Beijing, China #Corresponding author. E‑mail: [email protected] Abstract Understanding the social drivers of increased seafood consumption in China, such as consumer perspectives in banquets, will be crucial if practical strategies to introduce sustainability into this market are to be successfully implemented. Based on 34 semi‑structured interviews with key informants including seafood restaurant operators, seafood consumers and seafood traders, this study investigated seafood consumer attitudes and behaviours in Beijing seafood restaurants. The results and discussion is divided into sections that address the popularity and reasons behind the popularity of: 1) seafood banquets in general; 2) fish at banquets; 3) other forms of seafood at banquets; and 4) preferred characteristics and qualities of seafood at banquets. The consumption of certain types of seafood such as live reef fish and sea cucumber is becoming increasingly popular, while the consumption of shark fin is decreasing in popularity. Awareness and concern about sustainability and traceability issues were relatively low, and more significant themes for understanding consumer preferences about seafood include social status and prestige, food safety and quality, and health and nutrition. The paper concludes by demonstrating the implications for market‑based interventions and government regulation. Keywords: China, consumption, markets, fisheries, banquets, seafood INTRODUCTION this seafood is imported from other countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Zoology Marine Ornamental Fish Biodiversity of West Bengal ABSTRACT
    Research Paper Volume : 4 | Issue : 8 | Aug 2015 • ISSN No 2277 - 8179 Zoology Marine Ornamental Fish Biodiversity of KEYWORDS : Marine fish, ornamental, West Bengal diversity, West Bengal. Principal Scientist and Scientist-in-Charge, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Dr. B. K. Mahapatra Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700091, India Director and Vice-Chancellor, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Dr. W. S. Lakra Mumbai- 400 061, India ABSTRACT The State of West Bengal, India endowed with 158 km coast line for marine water resources with inshore, up-shore areas and continental shelf of Bay of Bengal form an important fishery resource and also possesses a rich wealth of indigenous marine ornamental fishes.The present study recorded a total of 113 marine ornamental fish species, belonging to 75 genera under 45 families and 10 orders.Order Perciformes is represented by a maximum of 26 families having 79 species under 49 genera followed by Tetraodontiformes (5 family; 9 genus and 10 species), Scorpaeniformes (2 family; 3 genus and 6 species), Anguilliformes (2 family; 3 genus and 4 species), Syngnathiformes (2 family; 3 genus and 3 species), Pleuronectiformes (2 family; 2 genus and 4 species), Siluriformes (2 family; 2 genus and 3 species), Beloniformes (2 family; 2 genus and 2 species), Lophiformes (1 family; 1 genus and 1 species), Beryciformes(1 family; 1 genus and 1 species). Introduction Table 1: List of Marine ornamental fishes of West Bengal Ornamental fishery, which started centuries back as a hobby, ORDER 1: PERCIFORMES has now started taking the shape of a multi-billion dollar in- dustry.
    [Show full text]
  • Dedication Donald Perrin De Sylva
    Dedication The Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Mangroves as Fish Habitat are dedicated to the memory of University of Miami Professors Samuel C. Snedaker and Donald Perrin de Sylva. Samuel C. Snedaker Donald Perrin de Sylva (1938–2005) (1929–2004) Professor Samuel Curry Snedaker Our longtime collaborator and dear passed away on March 21, 2005 in friend, University of Miami Professor Yakima, Washington, after an eminent Donald P. de Sylva, passed away in career on the faculty of the University Brooksville, Florida on January 28, of Florida and the University of Miami. 2004. Over the course of his diverse A world authority on mangrove eco- and productive career, he worked systems, he authored numerous books closely with mangrove expert and and publications on topics as diverse colleague Professor Samuel Snedaker as tropical ecology, global climate on relationships between mangrove change, and wetlands and fish communities. Don pollutants made major scientific contributions in marine to this area of research close to home organisms in south and sedi- Florida ments. One and as far of his most afield as enduring Southeast contributions Asia. He to marine sci- was the ences was the world’s publication leading authority on one of the most in 1974 of ecologically important inhabitants of “The ecology coastal mangrove habitats—the great of mangroves” (coauthored with Ariel barracuda. His 1963 book Systematics Lugo), a paper that set the high stan- and Life History of the Great Barracuda dard by which contemporary mangrove continues to be an essential reference ecology continues to be measured. for those interested in the taxonomy, Sam’s studies laid the scientific bases biology, and ecology of this species.
    [Show full text]
  • The Seasonal Toxicological Profile of Four Puffer Fish Species Collected Along Bengal Coast, India
    Indian Journal of Marine Sciences Vol 33(3), September 2004, pp. 276-280 The seasonal toxicological profile of four puffer fish species collected along Bengal coast, India Somiranjan Ghosh, Alok K. Hazra, Shivaji Banerjee & Biswapati Mukherjee* S. N. Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences, University of Calcutta, 244B, Acharya J. C. Bose Road, Calcutta – 700 020, India *[E-mail : [email protected]] Received 17 November 2003, revised 29 June 2004 Toxicological profiles of the livers and ovaries of four Indian marine puffer fish species viz. Chelonodon patoca, Takifugu oblongus, Lagocephalus lunaris, Lagocephalus inermis collected along coastal Bengal of Digha-Talsari region were evaluated by mouse bioassay. Toxicity expressed in MU (mouse unit)/g in ovaries of all four species were high in monsoon (13.9 – 80 MU/g) and postmonsoon (8.9 – 136 MU/g) seasons during annual reproductive cycle. However, toxicity of livers was much lower (3.2 – 18.5 MU/g) in all the species with seasonal variation. Chelonodon patoca specimens were found to be most toxic and Lagocephalus inermis were least toxic in comparison to other species under investigation. Therefore, health hazard due to puffer fish consumption could be minimised by the information given in this study regarding lethality. [Key words : Puffer, toxicity , Chelonodon patoca, Takifugu oblongus, Lagocephalus inermis, Lagocephalus lunaris, fish] [IPC Code: Int. Cl.7 G01N 33/12] Introduction (Class:Actinopterygii, Order:Tetraodontiformes, Evidence of puffer fish intoxication has been reported Family:Lagocephalidae), Lagocephalus inermis in different geographical locales viz., Japan1, USA2, Temminck & Schlegel (Class:Actinopterygii, Order: Taiwan3, Mexico4, Malaysia5, Bangladesh6 and also in Tetraodontiformes, Family:Lagocephalidae) were India7.
    [Show full text]
  • Jarvis Island NWR Final
    Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan Unincorporated U.S. Territory, Central Pacific Ocean The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has completed the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). The CCP will guide management of the Refuge for the next 15 years. The CCP and EA describe the Service’s preferred alternative for managing the Refuge and its effects on the human environment. Decision Following comprehensive review and analysis, the Service selected Alternative B in the draft EA for implementation because it is the alternative that best meets the following criteria: Achieves the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Achieves the purposes of the Refuge. Will be able to achieve the vision and goals for the Refuge. Maintains and restores the ecological integrity of the habitats and plant and animal populations at the Refuge. Addresses the important issues identified during the scoping process. Addresses the legal mandates of the Service and the Refuge. Is consistent with the scientific principles of sound wildlife management. Can be implemented within the projected fiscal and logistical management constraints associated with the Refuge’s remote location. As described in detail in the CCP and EA, implementing the selected alternative will have no significant impacts on any of the natural or cultural resources identified in the CCP and EA. Public Review The planning process incorporated a variety of public involvement techniques in developing and reviewing the CCP. This included three planning updates, meetings with partners, and public review and comment on the planning documents.
    [Show full text]
  • Arothron Hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758) English Name: Whitespotted pufferfish Family: TETRAODONTIDAE Local Name: Lahjehi koli Order: Tetraodontiformes Size: Max. 48 cm Specimen: MRS/P0482/97 Distinctive Characters: Dorsal fin with 10-Il rays. Anal fin with 10-11 rays. Pectoral fin with 17-19 rays. Small spinules on head and body except snout and posterior caudal peduncle. Nostril consisting of two fleshy flaps from a common base (characteristic of the genus). Caudal fin rounded. Colour: Greyish to greenish brown with small white spots on head, back and sides. I or 2 yellow rings and several yellow spots around pectoral fin. 2-5 bars across sides, always a short dark barbelow eye and another below pectoral fin. Habitatand Biology: Generally found in shallow protected areas to depths of 25 m. Juveniles seen in weedy areas. Diet highly varied; feeding on molluscs, tunicates, sponges, corals, anemones, crabs, tubeworms, sea urchins, brittle stars and starfishes (including crown-of-thorns), and hydroids. Distribution: Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific. Remarks: Arothron hispidus like other pufferfishes, is highly poisonous. The degree of toxicity of puffer fishes varies greatly with the species and apparently also with geographical area and season. 368 Arothron immaculatus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801 English Name: Blackedged pufferfish Family: TETRAODONTIDAE Local Name: Fukkoli Order: Tetraodontiformes Size: Max. 30 cm Specimen: MRS/0001/86 Distinctive Characters: Dorsal fin with 9-10 rays. Anal fin with 9-10 rays. Pectoral fin with 15-16 rays. Body round in cross-section. Nasal organsof two tentacles joined at the base. Thebody except posterior part of tail, base of anal and snout covered with slender spines.
    [Show full text]
  • Measuring Productivity of Australian Tropical Estuaries Using Standing Stock Analysis
    ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following work: Fries, Jakob (2019) Measuring productivity of Australian tropical estuaries using standing stock analysis. Masters (Research) Thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: https://doi.org/10.25903/km1r%2D5n34 Copyright © 2019 Jakob Fries. The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owners of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please email [email protected] Measuring productivity of Australian tropical estuaries using standing stock analysis Thesis submitted by Jakob Fries December 2019 For the degree of Master of Philosophy College of Science and Engineering School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Abstract Increasingly, anthropogenic use of ecosystems is resulting in cumulative degradation of ecosystem functions and the values held by these systems. Threats from nutrient pollution, catchment scale modifications to land use and water flows are increasing. This is concerning for estuarine and coastal fisheries as estuarine producers are inextricably linked to land-derived nutrients and freshwater flows. In tropical estuarine ecosystems the complexity and variability of environmental, biological, and ecological factors culminate in a matrix of largely unknown causal relationships. Because of this, our knowledge of land use impacts on fisheries is limited. Additionally, the disjunction of current measurement scales and impact scales has reduced our ability to measure the resultant impacts on estuarine ecosystems. Therefore, to fully understand anthropogenic impacts on estuarine ecosystems, integrative measures of ecosystem health, functioning, and productive output are required.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins of Chordate Larvae Donald I Williamson* Marine Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
    lopmen ve ta e l B Williamson, Cell Dev Biol 2012, 1:1 D io & l l o l g DOI: 10.4172/2168-9296.1000101 e y C Cell & Developmental Biology ISSN: 2168-9296 Research Article Open Access The Origins of Chordate Larvae Donald I Williamson* Marine Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom Abstract The larval transfer hypothesis states that larvae originated as adults in other taxa and their genomes were transferred by hybridization. It contests the view that larvae and corresponding adults evolved from common ancestors. The present paper reviews the life histories of chordates, and it interprets them in terms of the larval transfer hypothesis. It is the first paper to apply the hypothesis to craniates. I claim that the larvae of tunicates were acquired from adult larvaceans, the larvae of lampreys from adult cephalochordates, the larvae of lungfishes from adult craniate tadpoles, and the larvae of ray-finned fishes from other ray-finned fishes in different families. The occurrence of larvae in some fishes and their absence in others is correlated with reproductive behavior. Adult amphibians evolved from adult fishes, but larval amphibians did not evolve from either adult or larval fishes. I submit that [1] early amphibians had no larvae and that several families of urodeles and one subfamily of anurans have retained direct development, [2] the tadpole larvae of anurans and urodeles were acquired separately from different Mesozoic adult tadpoles, and [3] the post-tadpole larvae of salamanders were acquired from adults of other urodeles. Reptiles, birds and mammals probably evolved from amphibians that never acquired larvae.
    [Show full text]
  • Estuarine Fish Diversity of Tamil Nadu, India
    Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences Vol. 46 (10), October 2017, pp. 1968-1985 Estuarine fish diversity of Tamil Nadu, India H.S. Mogalekar*, J. Canciyal#, P. Jawahar, D.S. Patadiya, C. Sudhan, P. Pavinkumar, Prateek, S. Santhoshkumar & A. Subburaj Department of Fisheries Biology and Resource Management, Fisheries College & Research Institute, (Tamil Nadu Fisheries University), Thoothukudi-628 008, India. #ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030, Telangana, India. *[E-Mail: [email protected]] Received 04 February 2016 ; revised 10 August 2017 Systematic and updated checklist of estuarine fishes contains 330 species distributed under 205 genera, 95 families, 23 orders and two classes. The most diverse order was perciformes with 175 species, 100 genera and 43 families. The top four families with the highest number of species were gobidae (28 species), carangidae (23 species), engraulidae (15 species) and lutjanidae (14 species). Conservation status of all taxa includes one species as endangered, five species as vulnerable, 14 near threatened, 93 least concern and 16 data deficient. As numbers of commercial, sports, ornamental and cultivable fishes are high, commercial and recreational fishing could be organized. Seed production by selective breeding is recommended for aquaculture practices in estuarine areas of Tamil Nadu. [Keywords: Estuarine fishes, updated checklist, fishery and conservation status, Tamil Nadu] Introduction significant component of coastal ecosystem due to The total estuarine area of Tamil Nadu their immense biodiversity values in aquatic was estimated to be 56000 ha, which accounts ecology. The fish fauna inhabiting the estuarine 3.88 % of the total estuarine area of India 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Constraints on the Timescale of Animal Evolutionary History
    Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history Michael J. Benton, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Robert J. Asher, Matt Friedman, Thomas J. Near, and Jakob Vinther ABSTRACT Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is much debate on the most appropriate and reasonable ways in which to date the tree of life, and recent work has highlighted some confusions and complexities that can be avoided. Whether phylogenetic trees are dated after they have been estab- lished, or as part of the process of tree finding, practitioners need to know which cali- brations to use. We emphasize the importance of identifying crown (not stem) fossils, levels of confidence in their attribution to the crown, current chronostratigraphic preci- sion, the primacy of the host geological formation and asymmetric confidence intervals. Here we present calibrations for 88 key nodes across the phylogeny of animals, rang- ing from the root of Metazoa to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens. Close attention to detail is constantly required: for example, the classic bird-mammal date (base of crown Amniota) has often been given as 310-315 Ma; the 2014 international time scale indicates a minimum age of 318 Ma. Michael J. Benton. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Philip C.J. Donoghue. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Robert J.
    [Show full text]