Diet variation of a generalist fish predator, grey snapper Lutjanus griseus, across an estuarine gradient: trade-offs of quantity for quality?

This study examined diet, prey quality and growth for a generalist fish predator, grey snapper Lutjanus griseus, at five sites across an estuarine gradient in the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida, U.S.A. Lutjanus griseus diets shifted from dominance by low quality, intertidal crabs upstream to an increased reliance on higher quality shrimp, fishes and benthic crabs downstream. Frequency of L. griseus with empty stomachs was higher at downstream sites. Lutjanus griseus growth rates did not vary among sites. Results indicate that L. griseus may be able to compensate for lower quality prey upstream by consuming more, and thus individuals are able to maintain similar levels of energy balance and growth rates across the estuarine gradient. Elucidating mechanisms, such as compensatory feeding, that enable generalist species to remain successful across habitat conditions are critical to understanding their organismal ecology and may facilitate predictions about the response of generalists to landscape alteration.

Closed rupture of the deep transverse metacarpal ligament: diagnosis and management.

Closed rupture of the deep transverse metacarpal ligament (DTML) is an unusual injury. We have managed 2 patients with closed rupture of the DTML between the ring and small fingers resulting from crush injuries to the hand. Both patients presented with painful ulnar deviation of the small finger with extension. The diagnosis was confirmed by exploration through a volar incision. Repair of the ligament with use of the adjacent A1 pulleys to butress the repair was successful in both patients and restored a painless finger flexion-extension arc. Closed rupture of the DTML can be confused with a metacarpophalangeal joint collateral ligament rupture due to the characteristic deviation of the small finger.