No abstract

In October-December 1990, the large barbs (Barbus) that contribute more than 35% of the catch in lake Tana (northern Ethiopia) were studied. Previous authors (Riippelll837, Boulenger 1902,1911, Bini 1940 described from 6 to 23 (sub)species for the lake. Banister (1973) lumped all of these into one subspecies: Barbus intermedius intermedius Riippell, 1837. We found that the Lake Tana Barbus could be readily categorized in at least 13 discrete morphotypes, some of which were already distinguished by local fishermen. None of the known descriptions are adequate to distinguish the barbs unambiguously, which is important for monitoring and management of developing fisheries. Intermediates between morphotypes were rare (< 10%). By applying canonical discriminant analysis on a set of 17 morphometric characters (including some directly associated with feeding) our initial morphotype-distinction was confirmed. Also, differences between the morphotypes in distribution, related to depth and substratum were found, as well as differences in intestinal contents, a key to the food-niche. The high number of piscivorous morphotypes (8 out of 13) was striking as piscivory is relatively rare among cyprinids. Piscivory was found to be highly correlated with morphological (feeding related) characters. The presence of discrete morphotypes, that also differ in food-niche and distribution, strongly suggests that several distinct populations exist, that may be (partly or completely) reproductively segregated. Knowledge about these populations, that may represent separate units of fish stock, is of crucial importance for the management of sustainable fisheries and protection of the biodiversity in Lake Tana. It is possible that several species or even a unique cyprinid species flock are present, that urgently need protection.

SummaryFish larvae, like many adult fish, swim by undulating their body. However, their body size and swimming speeds put them in the intermediate flow regime, where viscous and inertial forces both play an important role in the interaction between fish and water. To study the influence of the relatively high viscous forces compared with adult fish, we mapped the flow around swimming zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae using two-dimensional digital particle image velocimetry (2D-DPIV) in the horizontal and transverse plane of the fish. Fish larvae initiate a swimming bout by bending their body into a C shape. During this initial tail-beat cycle, larvae shed two vortex pairs in the horizontal plane of their wake, one during the preparatory and one during the subsequent propulsive stroke. When they swim ʻcyclicallyʼ (mean swimming speed does not change significantly between tail beats), fish larvae generate a wide drag wake along their head and anterior body. The flow along the posterior body is dominated by the undulating body movements that cause jet flows into the concave bends of the body wave. Patches of elevated vorticity form around the jets, and travel posteriorly along with the body wave, until they are ultimately shed at the tail near the moment of stroke reversal. Behind the larva, two vortex pairs are formed per tail-beat cycle (the tail beating once left-to-right and then rightto-left) in the horizontal plane of the larval wake. By combining transverse and horizontal cross sections of the wake, we inferred that the wake behind a cyclically swimming zebrafish larva contains two diverging rows of vortex rings to the left and right of the mean path of motion, resembling the wake of steadily swimming adult eels. When the fish larva slows down at the end of a swimming bout, it gradually reduces its tail-beat frequency and amplitude, while the separated boundary layer and drag wake of the anterior body extend posteriorly to envelope the entire larva. This drag wake is considerably wider than the larval body. The effects of the intermediate flow regime manifest as a thick boundary layer and in the quick dying-off of the larval wake within less than half a second.

During the larval period, most teleost fishes undergo a dramatic change in body form. Most functional systems are incomplete at hatching. Rapid development of swimming, feeding and respiration systems are expected. In this study, growth patterns of morphological characteristics related to these three functions were studied in two species of Ostariophysian teleosts: African catfish Clarias gariepinus and common carp Cyprinus carpio. Special attention was paid to the larval finfold, which is a remarkably common feature of fish larvae. The results confirmed that larval growth shows different phases. Many morphological characters showed fast allometric growth in early larvae, followed by isometric growth after an inflexion point. In carp, all larval growth curves showed such inflexion points at a total length of about 7 mm while in Clarias such a coupling was not found. The inflexion points in carp occur at a stage during which the typical larval swimming style changes towards the adult swimming style. 1997 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

Mechanical load is an important factor in the differentiation of cells and tissues. To investigate the effects of increased mechanical load on development of muscle and bone, zebrafish were subjected to endurance swim training for 6 h/day for 10 wk starting at 14 days after fertilization. During the first 3 wk of training, trained fish showed transiently increased growth compared with untrained (control) fish. Increased expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen suggests that this growth is realized in part through increased cell proliferation. Red and white axial muscle fiber diameter was not affected. Total cross-sectional area of red fibers, however, was increased. An improvement in aerobic muscle performance was supported by an increase in myoglobin expression. At the end of 10 wk of training, heart and axial muscle showed increased expression of the muscle growth factor myogenin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, but there were major differences between cardiac and axial muscle. In axial muscle, expression of the "slow" types of myosin and troponin C was increased, together with expression of erythropoietin and myoglobin, which enhance oxygen transport, indicating a shift toward a slow aerobic phenotype. In contrast, the heart muscle shifts to a faster phenotype but does not become more aerobic. This suggests that endurance training differentially affects heart and axial muscle.

No abstract

A simple method has been devised to determine dynamic changes in volume of biological objects of a ‘smooth’ form. The method requires two perpendicular views (side and bottom). The method can be used also in static volume changes. Differential changes in length, width and height can be quantified. The volume of the object is approximated by a series of ellipses. The length of the axes of the ellipses is determined from the two views. Possible sources of error are discussed. The method is applied in a study of static volume changes of fish larvae due to fixation and in a study of the dynamic volume change of the mouth cavity of carp larvae, increasing their head volume 30% in 8 ms, when sucking prey.

No abstract