The packaging problem: Bivalve prey selection and prey entry techniques of the octopus Enteroctopus dofleini.

Many predators face a complex step of prey preparation before consumption. Octopuses faced with bivalve prey use several techniques to penetrate the shells to gain access to the meat inside. When given prey of mussels Mytilus trossulus, Manila clams Venerupis philippinarum, and littleneck clams Protothaca staminea, Enteroctopus dofleini solved the problem differently. They pulled apart V. philippinarum and M. trossulus, which had the thinnest shells and the least pulling resistance. P. staminea were eaten after the shells had been chipped or had been penetrated by drilling, presumably to inject a toxin. Likely because of these differences, octopuses consumed more V. philippinarum and M. trossulus than P. staminea when the mollusks were given to them either 1 species at a time or all together. However, when the shells were separated and the penetration problem removed, the octopuses predominantly chose P. staminea and nearly ignored M. trossulus. When V. philippinarum were wired shut, octopuses switched techniques. These results emphasize that octopuses can learn on the basis of nonvisual information and monitor their body position to carry out feeding actions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

利用微生物促进污泥减量技术的研究现状及动态

目前,污水的好氧生物处理产生大量剩余污泥,常规的污泥处理和处置需要花费大量的人力和物力,处置不当极易对环境造成二次污染.利用微生物方法进行污泥减量清洁无污染,是一项实现污泥源头治理的绿色技术.根据生物处理工艺中影响剩余污泥产生的可能途径,将污泥减量技术分为降低细菌合成量的解偶联技术、增强微生物利用二次基质进行隐生长的溶胞技术、利用食物链作用强化微型动物对细菌捕食技术,介.绍了各种技术的最新研究进展;并围绕生物法污泥减量技术这一课题,提出了今后的研究方向.     

Aquatic suction feeding dynamics: insights from computational modelling

Aquatic suction feeding in vertebrates involves extremely unsteady flow, externally as well as internally of the expanding mouth cavity. Consequently, studying the hydrodynamics involved in this process is a challenging research area, where experimental studies and mathematical models gradually aid our understanding of how suction feeding works mechanically. Especially for flow patterns inside the mouth cavity, our current knowledge is almost entirely based on modelling studies. In the present paper, we critically discuss some of the assumptions and limitations of previous analytical models of suction feeding using computational fluid dynamics.     

Do native predators feed on non-native prey? The case of round goby in a fluvial piscivorous fish assemblage

We evaluated whether or not the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) represents an important prey source for seven native fish predators in Lake St. Pierre (St. Lawrence River, Canada). The frequency of occurrence of round goby in the stomach contents of brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) was very low (< 5%), while for the five other predators, it varied between 22% (yellow perch; Perca flavescens) and 65% (sauger; Sander canadensis). Several competing models linking the probability of occurrence of round goby in stomach contents to variables related to space, physical habitat, biotic interactions and predator size were tested for the five species feeding on round goby. Results indicated that space variables influenced round goby occurrence in stomachs for all species. In addition, physical habitat variables had an influence for sauger and walleye (Sander vitreus); biotic variables had an influence for yellow perch, walleye and sauger; and size had an influence for northern pike (Esox lucius), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and walleye. These results are discussed in light of known biological features of the round goby and native predators studied here and have important implications in terms of understanding round goby invasion success in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system.     

Assessing biological control of Acarus siro by Cheyletus malaccensis under laboratory conditions: Effect of temperatures and prey density

In stored grain, the predatory mite Cheyletus spp. may be used to control the pest mite Acarus siro. The efficiency of control depends on many factors, particularly ambient temperature. In this study we investigated the effects of temperature and initial prey density on the prey–predator system under laboratory conditions. Ratio–response models were fitted to estimate the efficiency of control for three temperatures. At 15 °C a 90% reduction of A. siro was achieved by releasing nine Cheyletus malaccensis individuals into a population of 100 A. siro individuals in 1 kg of grain. At 20 °C, 90% reduction required seven C. malaccensis individuals and at 25 °C, it required three C. malaccensis individuals. Without the predator the intrinsic rates of increase of A. siro populations increased with temperature and were highest for an initial density of 100 individuals, revealing some form of positive interaction among A. siro individuals during food processing. The intrinsic rates of increase of C. malaccensis populations also increased with temperature and decreased with increasing density of the predator, presumably as a result of interference competition among predators.At 15 °C the rate of increase for A. siro was higher than that for C. malaccensis, while at higher temperatures it was the other way around. Lower developmental thresholds were 10 °C for A. siro and 13.6 °C for C. malaccensis. In order to find when an artificial release of C. malaccensis is most efficient we simulated a population increase of A. siro using temperature records from one grain store. In Central Europe this type of biological control can be efficient only when the predator is released at the beginning of storage, i.e. in September and October.     

Stability and Neimark–Sacker bifurcation in Runge–Kutta methods for a predator–prey system

We investigate the discretization of a predator–prey system with two delays under the general Runge–Kutta methods. It is shown that if the exact solution undergoes a Hopf bifurcation at τ=τ*, then the numerical solution undergoes a Neimark–Sacker bifurcation at τ(h)=τ*+O(h ^p ) for sufficiently small step size h, where p≥1 is the order of the Runge–Kutta method applied. The direction of Neimark–Sacker bifurcation and stability of bifurcating invariant curve are the same as that of delay differential equation.     

Importance of biotic interactions in large rivers: an experiment with planktivorous fish,dreissenid mussels and zooplankton in the St. Lawrence River

Physical conditions are usually considered pre‐eminent in controlling river plankton, but biotic interactions may be important in slackwater areas. To begin testing this general hypothesis, we conducted a 12‐day, predator–prey experiment in 3500 litre mesh enclosures in a slackwater area of the St. Lawrence River using planktivorous, juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and Dreissena mussels. Results generally supported our hypotheses that: (1) perch would directly suppress large zooplankton via predation but benefit microzooplankton through indirect interactions; and (2) dreissenids would directly depress rotifer densities via predation and have indirect negative effects on macrozooplankton. Based on gut contents of experimental fish, cladocera were the principal prey of smaller yellow perch (c. 46–50 mm), followed by copepods, ostracods, and rotifers. Larger juvenile perch (c. 67–73 mm) fed almost exclusively on copepods and ostracods. Densities of calanoid copepodids, nauplii, and some cyclopoid copepods (Diacyclops thomasi) were significantly depressed by perch, and adult Eurytemora affinis (99% of adult calanoids) essentially disappeared from fish enclosures. Despite being a favourite prey item of small perch, densities of the small cladoceran Bosmina (Sinobosmina) spp. were significantly higher when fish were present (150% greater than control densities on Day 12). Densities of the very abundant rotifer Polyarthra were >300% greater in fish enclosures than controls by Day 12, and the rotifers Synchaeta and predaceous Ploesoma were significantly more abundant in the presence of perch. Increases in rotifers and cladocera suggest indirect, positive effects of fish related to significantly higher phytoplankton biomass or decreased densities of predaceous copepods. Densities of eight of ten zooplankton groups examined declined significantly when mussels were present, and calanoid copepodids also declined but not significantly. Chlorophyll‐a concentrations were slightly lower in mussel enclosures. This evidence suggests biotic interactions play important roles among potamoplankton in slackwater habitats, but river‐wide implications of these findings require further study. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一类具有附加食物的Leslic - Gower捕食者-食饵模型的定性分析

研究了一类具有附加食物的Leslie - Gower捕食者-食饵模型平衡点的局部与全局渐进稳定性及其非双曲平衡点的分支行为,并利用数值模拟验证了所得结论的正确性.该研究结果可为应用额外食物进行生物防治提供参考.     

Habitat associations of a raptor community in a mosaic landscape of Central Spain under urban development

The effects of urban sprawl and the associated road network on patterns of land use by diurnal raptors were assessed in a extent mosaic landscape of Sierra de Guadarrama subjected to exurban development (Madrid province; Central Spain), within the buffer area of a planned national park. During three consecutive years, the sightings of raptors per 0.25 km² were analyzed to identify their habitat preferences according to several vegetation types, urban cover and length of paved roads. Species richness increased with the amount of deciduous forests of Pyrenean oak Quercus pyrenaica and parklands of Narrow-leaved Ash Fraxinus angustifolia in lowland areas, while it decreased with cover of urban/suburban areas. Analyzing the three most abundant species separately, urban development had a negative influence on the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo and the Black Kite Milvus migrans, although positively affected the Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus, probably through an increase in the availability of its potential prey within urban areas. This study did not find a negative influence of the road network, either considering total species richness or the three most abundant species separately. The current levels of urban development diminished the suitability of the study area for the raptor community overall (though particular species can be favoured), notably when residential sprawls are established over ash parklands traditionally devoted to cattle grazing.     

Exposure to Urine of Canids and Felids, but not of Herbivores, Induces Defensive Behavior in Laboratory Rats

Predator odors induce defensive behavior in many prey species. For various reasons, studies carried out up to now have been unable to establish whether predator odor recognition is innate or not. Mostly, only particular odors or wild-living (i.e., experienced) test animals have been used in these studies, restricting the conclusiveness of the observations. In the present study, the behavioral effects of exposure to different predator odors on predator odor-naive laboratory male rats were compared with the effects of different nonpredator odors and of a no-odor control stimulus. Results show that exposure to urine of canids and felids, but not of herbivores or conspecifics, induce defensive behaviors. Taken together, the study provides support for the hypothesis that there is an innate recognition of predator odors in laboratory rats.