Distinguishing ten sympatric species of fiddler crab (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) using a suite of phenotypic characteristics.

Ten species of fiddler crab are reported inhabiting the intertidal zone of a shore on Kaledupa Island, Indonesia. This is one of the highest recorded numbers of fiddler crab species living in sympatry, equating to over two-thirds of those known from the Wallacea biogeographic region and more than half of all those recorded from Indonesia. The descriptions to identify and distinguish these ten species are provided using a suite of characters e.g., carapace, major cheliped, male gonopods, gastric mills, life colouration in males and females, and notes on their ecology and distribution. Specimens were observed and collected in the Wakatobi National Park, near the village of Ambeua on Kaledupa island, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia. Gastric mills are described for the first time for Gelasimus jocelynae, Paraleptuca crassipes, Tubuca coarctata, T. demani and T. dussumieri. A tabulation of anatomical features and colouration for all species in this study is provided as a support for field studies. It identifies features that support the recently proposed taxonomic revision of fiddler crabs by Shih et al. (2016).

Non-native Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus/javanensis (Zuiew, 1973/Lacepede, 1800), responses to low temperatures.

Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus/javanensis [Zuiew, 1973/Lacepede 1800], has been established in the southeastern USA since at least 1994, yet little is known about its ability to survive low winter temperatures. We use standard thermal methodologies to quantify low temperature responses and provide a detailed description of swamp eel reactions to cold temperatures. When exposed to chronic temperature decreases of 1.0 °C day-1, swamp eel ceased foraging at 15.0 °C, markedly diminished movements below 11.0 °C, and became incapacitated near 9.6 °C. During critical thermal minima trials, swamp eel exposed to acute temperature drops (0.25 °C min-1) tolerated temperatures as low as 6.2 °C. Swamp eel exhibited a moderate cold acclimation response, gaining 0.23 °C in cold tolerance for every 1 °C drop in acclimation temperature. Progressive time-series critical thermal minimum temperatures (CTmin) estimates for eel acclimated to 20.5 °C followed by an acute temperature decrease to 16.0 °C, revealed that cold acclimation may occur in only 8 days. Fringe populations of swamp eel in their native range periodically experience colder winter temperatures, which may explain the ability of introduced populations to survive winter cold fronts in Florida. Understanding Asian swamp eel acute and chronic thermal limits may be useful in assessing dispersal risk and range expansion in the southeastern USA.

Thermal niche adaptations of common mudskipper (Periophthalmus kalolo) and barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) in air and water.

Thermal tolerance niche analyses have been used extensively to identify adaptive thermal tactics used by wholly aquatic fishes, however no study to date has quantified thermal niche characteristics of air-breathing fishes. We use standardized thermal methodologies to estimate temperature acclimation ranges, upper and lower acclimation response ratios, and thermal niche areas in common (Periophthalmus kalolo) and barred (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) mudskippers in air and water. Common and barred mudskippers had an upper chronic limit of 37.0 °C, and respective low chronic temperatures of 14.0 and 11.4 °C, resulting in acclimation scope values of 23.0 °C and 25.6 °C. Both fishes had moderately large thermal niches, with barred mudskipper expressing larger niche areas in both water and air than common mudskipper (676.6 and 704.2 °C2 compared to 641.6 and 646.5 °C2). Acclimation response ratios were relatively low, with fish gaining or losing between 0.10 and 0.43 °C of heat tolerance with each 1 °C change in acclimation temperature. Although intraspecific total niche areas remained largely unchanged between media (≤10%), both species showed a slight increase in heat tolerance but a notable upward shift in intrinsic tolerance when emerged. Media-dependent thermal niche adjustment is a unique, and thus far undescribed physiological adaptation that in combination with behavioral responses, allow mudskippers to thrive in some of the most austere thermal environments experienced by any fish.

Thermal tolerance of the invasive red-bellied pacu and the risk of establishment in the United States.

Indigenous red-bellied pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, populations are in decline due to overfishing. Once ignored by aquaculturists because of their perceived low economic value, renewed aquaculture efforts in Central and South America aim to relieve fishing pressures on natural pacu populations. In the southern United States pacu aquaculture for the aquarium trade has raised concerns that accidental release could lead to establishment of overwintering populations outside captivity-a threat accentuated by the average 6 °C increase in shallow-water temperatures predicted by the end of the century. In the present study, Critical and Chronic Thermal Methodology was used to quantify red-bellied pacu thermal tolerance niche requirements. The data suggest that red-belllied pacu are a thermophilic species capable of tolerating low and high chronic temperatures of 16.5 °C and 35 °C, respectively. Critical thermal minimum and maximum temperatures of fish acclimated near their chronic limits are 10.3 and 44.4 °C. Red-bellied pacu aquaculture in the United States is concentrated in subtropical Florida regions that encourage rapid growth and reproduction, but carry an increased risk of establishing reproducing populations in local freshwater systems. The thermal niche data show that the risk of bioinvasion can be reduced or eliminated by adopting an approach whereby aquaculture potential is integrated with environmental temperature constraints.

Uca cryptica Naderloo, Türkay & Chen, 2010 (Crustacea: Brachyura:Ocypodidae) is no longer cryptic.

Uca cryptica Naderloo, Türkay & Chen, 2010, was originally described from four male specimens found in museum collections without any information regarding the site of collection. We present the first recorded field observations of this species and new morphological features. Specimens were observed and collected in the Wakatobi National Park, on the island of Kaledupa, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia. Colouration of both males and females is described and ecology and distribution are noted. Uca cryptica has been seen coexisting with nine other species; one of the highest recorded numbers of Uca species living in sympatry.

Asymmetric thermal acclimation responses allow sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus to cope with rapidly changing temperatures.

Thermal acclimation responses in sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus were quantified by transfer and reciprocal transfer of fish between 11.1° and 18.2°C, between 18.2° and 25.7°C, or between 25.7° and 32.8°C. Changes in thermal acclimation status were assessed by posttransfer time series determinations of thermal tolerance (i.e., critical thermal minima and maxima). In general, heat tolerance gain and loss were complete in 20 and 25 d, respectively. Cold tolerance gain was achieved ca. 24 d posttransfer, but attrition was complete after only 12-13 d. Heat tolerance was gained asymmetrically, with fish acquiring approximately one-half of their accruable tolerance at the lowest transfer temperature. Likewise, the majority of cold tolerance accruement occurred during the warmest temperature transfer. Relatively uniform losses of heat and cold tolerance were seen in reciprocal transfers. Acclimation patterns were related to initial acclimation temperature, final acclimation temperature, and acclimation time and could be accurately modeled by multiple linear regression. The results suggest that sheepshead minnow accrue a majority of their high- or low-temperature tolerance early in the acclimation process well before potential damaging temperatures are likely to occur. This novel pattern of asymmetric heat and cold tolerance acquisition in sheepshead minnow may be a key adaptation for surviving rapid and unpredictable water temperature changes commonly encountered in their natural environment.

Hypoxia effects on gill surface area and blood oxygen-carrying capacity of the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina.

Atlantic stingrays, Dasyatis sabina, are common residents of shallow-water seagrass habitats that experience natural cycles of severe hypoxia during summer months. We hypothesized that stingrays exposed to hypoxic episodes would improve their hypoxia tolerance by increasing branchial surface area and altering blood oxygen-carrying capacity. To this end, we compared critical oxygen minimum, gill morphology, and hemoglobin/hematocrit levels in a control group of Atlantic stingrays held at continuous oxygen saturations of 80-90% (≥5.5 mg/l), to treatment groups exposed to a 7-h hypoxic interval at 55% (~4.0 mg/l), or 30% oxygen saturation (~2.0 mg/l). Stingrays in hypoxic treatment groups significantly improved their hypoxia tolerance. Critical oxygen minimum values fell from 0.7 ± 0.11 mg/l in control fish to 0.4 ± 0.05 and 0.4 ± 0.06 mg/l in the 55 and 30% saturation treatment groups, respectively. Mass-specific gill surface area between control fish and the 30% saturation treatment group increased by 1.7-fold, from 85 to 142 mm(2)/g. Although stingrays did not show an increase in hematocrit or hemoglobin levels, production of more efficient hemoglobin isoforms could not be ruled out. An increase in hypoxia tolerance allows Atlantic stingrays to forage for longer times and across a wide range of hypoxic habitats that are less accessible to predators and competitors.

Differences in activity level between cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) and Atlantic stingrays (Dasyatis sabina) are related to differences in heart mass, hemoglobin concentration, and gill surface area.

Aquatic animals are faced with the challenge of extracting oxygen from water, a medium that is metabolically expensive to ventilate and that contains just a fraction of the oxygen concentration relative to air, yet the physiologies of fishes have evolved to support a wide range of activity levels in nature. Oxygen delivery components, including gill surface area (oxygen uptake), blood chemistry (oxygen transport), and the heart (system pump), have been positively correlated to activity level in teleost fishes, yet relatively little is known about how these components are related to activity in elasmobranches. The current study addresses this question by examining heart mass, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit level, and gill surface area in wild-caught representatives of the benthic Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina) and active cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus). Allometric scaling exponents are similar for all four measures between the study species. Heart mass, gill surfaces areas, and hemoglobin concentrations were 2.1 times, approximately 7.1 times, and 2.0 times higher, respectively, in active cownose rays, when compared to benthic Atlantic stingrays, after correcting for differences in body mass. When considered in the context of functional plasticity within the oxygen delivery systems of benthic and active species, data from the current study indicate that higher activity levels in cownose rays are supported by modifications that, at least in part, are likely to enhance oxygen uptake.

Effect of rapid temperature change on resting routine metabolic rates of two benthic elasmobranchs.

In this study, flow-through respirometry was used to test the effect of acute temperature change on resting routine metabolic rates of two benthic elasmobranchs, Atlantic stingrays, Dasyatis sabina (n = 7) and whitespotted bamboo sharks, Chiloscyllium plagiosum (n = 7) kept under fluctuating temperature regime of 24-27 and 23-25°C, respectively. Atlantic stingrays and whitespotted bamboo sharks showed a temperature sensitivity (Q(10)) of 2.10 (21-31°C) and 2.08 (20-28°C), respectively. Not surprisingly, oxygen consumption (MO(2)) increased in both species as temperature was raised. Acute increases in oxygen uptake may be useful during activities such as foraging, and some elasmobranchs may alter physiological processes by taking advantage of thermal variability in the environment. However, further investigation of different physiological processes is needed to better understand how temperature variation may affect behavioural choices of fishes.

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome caused by Aphanomyces invadans in captive bullseye snakehead Channa marulius collected from south Florida, USA.

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces invadans is an invasive, opportunistic disease of both freshwater and estuarine fishes. Originally documented as the cause of mycotic granulomatosis of ornamental fishes in Japan and as the cause of EUS of fishes in southeast Asia and Australia, this pathogen is also present in estuaries and freshwater bodies of the Atlantic and gulf coasts of the USA. We describe a mass mortality event of 343 captive juvenile bullseye snakehead Channa marulius collected from freshwater canals in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Clinical signs appeared within the first 2 d of captivity and included petechiae, ulceration, erratic swimming, and inappetence. Histological examination revealed hyphae invading from the skin lesions deep into the musculature and internal organs. Species identification was confirmed using a species-specific PCR assay. Despite therapeutic attempts, 100% mortality occurred. This represents the first documented case of EUS in bullseye snakehead fish collected from waters in the USA. Future investigation of the distribution and prevalence of A. invadans within the bullseye snakehead range in south Florida may give insight into this pathogen-host system.