Monophyletic origin of Lake Victoria cichlid fishes suggested by mitochondrial DNA sequences

Lake Victoria, together with its satellite lakes, harbours roughly 200 endemic forms of cichlid fishes that are classified as 'haplochromines' and yet the lake system is less than a million years old. This 'flock' has attracted attention because of the possibility that it evolved within the lake from one ancestral species and that biologists are thus presented with a case of explosive evolution. Within the past decade, however, morphology has increasingly emphasized the view that the flock may be polyphyletic. We sequenced up to 803 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA from 14 representative Victorian species and 23 additional African species. The flock seems to be monophyletic, and is more akin to that from Lake Malawi than to species from Lake Tanganyika; in addition, it contains less genetic variation than does the human species, and there is virtually no sharing of mitochondrial DNA types among species. These results confirm that the founding event was recent.     

Speciation through sensory drive in cichlid fish

Theoretically, divergent selection on sensory systems can cause speciation through sensory drive. However, empirical evidence is rare and incomplete. Here we demonstrate sensory drive speciation within island populations of cichlid fish. We identify the ecological and molecular basis of divergent evolution in the cichlid visual system, demonstrate associated divergence in male colouration and female preferences, and show subsequent differentiation at neutral loci, indicating reproductive isolation. Evidence is replicated in several pairs of sympatric populations and species. Variation in the slope of the environmental gradients explains variation in the progress towards speciation: speciation occurs on all but the steepest gradients. This is the most complete demonstration so far of speciation through sensory drive without geographical isolation. Our results also provide a mechanistic explanation for the collapse of cichlid fish species diversity during the anthropogenic eutrophication of Lake Victoria.     

A brood parasitic catfish of mouthbrooding cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika

Brood parasitism, where a brood of the parasitic species is fostered by the parents of another species, is well known among birds. In most cases, such offspring show a complete reliance upon their host parents for food, protection and warmth until their independence. In other vertebrate groups, however, such total dependence upon a host species is unknown. I report here the first example of true brood parasitic behaviour discovered among fishes. In Lake Tanganyika, an endemic mochokid catfish, Synodontis multipunctatus Boulenger, is a brood parasite of mouthbrooding fishes of the family Cichlidae. The eggs of the catfish are incubated in the mouths of any of several host species together with the host's eggs, but hatch earlier. Following absorption of their yolk sacs, the catfish fry feed upon the fry of the host while still in its mouth. Thus the early stages of development of this catfish not only depend upon their hosts for food and protection, but exploit almost their entire parental investment.     

An extant cichlid fish radiation emerged in an extinct Pleistocene lake

The haplochromine cichlid fish of the East African Great Lakes represent some of the fastest and most species-rich adaptive radiations known, but rivers in most of Africa accommodate only a few morphologically similar species of haplochromine cichlid fish. This has been explained by the wealth of ecological opportunity in large lakes compared with rivers. It is therefore surprising that the rivers of southern Africa harbour many, ecologically diverse haplochromines. Here we present genetic, morphological and biogeographical evidence suggesting that these riverine cichlids are products of a recent adaptive radiation in a large lake that dried up in the Holocene. Haplochromine species richness peaks steeply in an area for which geological data reveal the historical existence of Lake palaeo-Makgadikgadi. The centre of this extinct lake is now a saltpan north of the Kalahari Desert, but it once hosted a rapidly evolving fish species radiation, comparable in morphological diversity to that in the extant African Great Lakes. Importantly, this lake seeded all major river systems of southern Africa with ecologically diverse cichlids. This discovery reveals how local evolutionary processes operating during a short window of ecological opportunity can have a major and lasting effect on biodiversity on a continental scale.     

菜子湖鱼类区系变动及其驱动力分析

2007～2008年对菜子湖鱼类多样性和渔业方式进行了调查,采集到鱼类8目18科68种,包括3种新记录.历史记录的13种洄游性鱼类本次仅见2种野生群,湖区野生洄游性鱼类经济绝灭.养殖鱼类产量占渔业总产的91.4%,成为渔业主体.杂食性鱼类物种丰富但产量甚微,相反人工放流的鲢、鳙等滤食性鱼类产量达鱼类总产的68.6%,为绝对优势种.湖区鱼类区系组成的特征变化与江湖阻隔和渔业养殖模式变革密切相关,因此江湖关系变动及渔业养殖当为菜子湖鱼类区系变动的关键驱动因子.     

Sympatric speciation in Nicaraguan crater lake cichlid fish

Sympatric speciation, the formation of species in the absence of geographical barriers, remains one of the most contentious concepts in evolutionary biology. Although speciation under sympatric conditions seems theoretically possible, empirical studies are scarce and only a few credible examples of sympatric speciation exist. Here we present a convincing case of sympatric speciation in the Midas cichlid species complex (Amphilophus sp.) in a young and small volcanic crater lake in Nicaragua. Our study includes phylogeographic, population-genetic (based on mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites and amplified fragment length polymorphisms), morphometric and ecological analyses. We find, first, that crater Lake Apoyo was seeded only once by the ancestral high-bodied benthic species Amphilophus citrinellus, the most common cichlid species in the area; second, that a new elongated limnetic species (Amphilophus zaliosus) evolved in Lake Apoyo from the ancestral species (A. citrinellus) within less than approximately 10,000 yr; third, that the two species in Lake Apoyo are reproductively isolated; and fourth, that the two species are eco-morphologically distinct.     

模糊图在生物群落聚类中的应用

基于模糊图的聚类方法，对Tanganyika湖的生物群落作了一动态聚类分析。在考虑捕食及被捕食强度基础上，作出如下假设:若某些种群捕食食饵的强度和被天敌捕食的强度相同，则这些种群可视为同一种群，从而对原始种群作一初步分类。基于捕食关系，在定义了相似系数及相似矩阵的基础上研究了种群的最大树关系图及动态聚类。     

衡水湖鱼类资源现状及其保护利用与发展

对衡水湖鱼类的种群组成现状进行了调查:有鱼类27种,隶属于7目13科26属.自然鱼类以鲤科鱼类为主,鲫鱼、麦穗鱼为优势种,符合江河平原区、河海亚区的特点.但以小型的杂鱼为主.另外,还包括一部分人工养殖的经济鱼类.针对鸟类自然保护区的需要,对该湿地的鱼类资源保护、利用与发展提出了一些可行性意见和建议.     

Molecular phylogenetics of Gymnocypris （Teleostei：Cyprinidae） in Lake Qinghai and adjacent drainages

149 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes (1140 bp) of Gymnocypris przewaiskii, Gymnocypris eckloni and Gymnocypris scolistomus from the Lake Qinghai, Yellow River and Qaidam Basin were sequenced and analyzed. Consistent dendrogram indicated that the samples collected from the same species do not constitute a separate monophyletic group and all the samples were grouped into three highly divergent lineages (A, B and C). Among them, Lineage A contained all samples of G.przewaiskii from the Lake Qinghai and partial samples of the G. eckloni from the Yellow River. Lineage B contained the remaining samples of G. eckloni from the Yellow River.Lineage C was composed of a monophyletic group by G. eckloni from the Qaidam Basin. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most of genetic variations were detected within these three mtDNA lineages (93.12%), suggesting that there are three different lineages of Gymnocypris in this region. Our Cyt b sequence data showed that G.przewaiskii was not a polytypic species, and G. scolistomus was neither an independent species nor a subspecies of G.eckloni. The divergent mtDNA lineages of G. eckloni from theYellow River suggested that gene flow between the different populations was restricted to a certain extent by several gorges on the upper reach of the Yellow River. Lineage B of G. eckloni might be the genetic effect from the ancestor which was incorporated with the endemic schizothoracinefishes when the headward erosion of the Yellow Riverreached to its current headwaters of late. The G. eckloni from Basin Qaldam was a monophyletic group (lineage C) and Fst values within G. eckloni from the Yellow River were higher than 0.98, suggesting that the gene flow has been interrupted for a long time and the G. eckloni from Basin Qaidam might have been evolved into different species by ecology segregation. The correlation between the rakers number of Gymnocypris and population genetic variation was not significant.All Gymnocypris populations exhibited a low nucleotide diversity (n=0.00096-0.00485). Therefore the Gymnocypris populations from Basin Qaidam could have experienced severe bottleneck effect in history. Our result suggested Gymnocypris populations of Basin Qaidam should give a high priority in conservation programs.     

Adaptive variation in environmental and genetic sex determination in a fish

Two general mechanisms of sex determination have been identified among gonochoristic vertebrates: environmental sex determination where offspring become male or female in response to an environmental factor(s) during development (for example, some fishes and reptiles); and genetic sex determination where sex is determined by genotype at conception (as in birds and mammals). How do these sex-determining systems evolve? Direct evidence is virtually non-existent because the sex-determining systems of most species appear to have little genetic variation. Here we provide the first evidence of adaptive variation in environmental and genetic sex determination within a species. We show that in a fish with temperature-dependent sex determination, populations at different latitudes compensate for differences in thermal environment and seasonality by adjusting the response of sex ratio to temperature, and by altering the level of environmental as opposed to genetic control. The adjustments observed are precisely those predicted by adaptive sex ratio theory.     

Molecular phylogeny of the specialized schizothoracine fishes （Teleostei： Cyprinidae）,with their implications for the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Molecular phylogeny of three genera containing nine species and subspecies of the specialized schizothoracine fishes are investigated based on the complete nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Meantime relationships between the main cladogenetic events of the specialized schizothoracine fishes and the stepwise uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are also conducted using the molecular clock, which is calibrated by geological isolated events between the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the Qinghai Lake. Results indicated that the specialized schizothoracine fishes are not a monophyly. Five species and subspecies of Ptychobarbus form a monophyly. But three species of Gymnodiptychus do not form a monophyly. Gd.integrigymnatus is a sister taxon of the highly specialized schizothoracine fishes while Gdo pachycheilus has a close relation with Gd. dybowskii, and both of them are as a sister group of Diptychus maculatus. The specialized schizothoracines fishes might have originated during the Miocene(about 10 MaBP), and then the divergence of three genera happened during late Miocene (about 8 MaBP). Their main specialization occurred during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene (3.54-0.42 MaBP). The main cladogenetic events of the specialized schizothoracine fishes are mostly correlated with the geological tectonic events and intensive climate shift happened at 8, 3.6, 2.5 and 1.7 MaBP of the late Cenozoic.Molecular clock data do not support the hypothesis that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau uplifted to near present or even higher elevations during the Oligocene or Miocene, and neither in agreement with the view that the plateau uplifting reached only to an altitude of 2000 m during the late Pliocene(about 2.6 MaBP).     

Ecological opportunity and sexual selection together predict adaptive radiation

A fundamental challenge to our understanding of biodiversity is to explain why some groups of species undergo adaptive radiations, diversifying extensively into many and varied species, whereas others do not. Both extrinsic environmental factors (for example, resource availability, climate) and intrinsic lineage-specific traits (for example, behavioural or morphological traits, genetic architecture) influence diversification, but few studies have addressed how such factors interact. Radiations of cichlid fishes in the African Great Lakes provide some of the most dramatic cases of species diversification. However, most cichlid lineages in African lakes have not undergone adaptive radiations. Here we compile data on cichlid colonization and diversification in 46 African lakes, along with lake environmental features and information about the traits of colonizing cichlid lineages, to investigate why adaptive radiation does and does not occur. We find that extrinsic environmental factors related to ecological opportunity and intrinsic lineage-specific traits related to sexual selection both strongly influence whether cichlids radiate. Cichlids are more likely to radiate in deep lakes, in regions with more incident solar radiation and in lakes where there has been more time for diversification. Weak or negative associations between diversification and lake surface area indicate that cichlid speciation is not constrained by area, in contrast to diversification in many terrestrial taxa. Among the suite of intrinsic traits that we investigate, sexual dichromatism, a surrogate for the intensity of sexual selection, is consistently positively associated with diversification. Thus, for cichlids, it is the coincidence between ecological opportunity and sexual selection that best predicts whether adaptive radiation will occur. These findings suggest that adaptive radiation is predictable, but only when species traits and environmental factors are jointly considered.     

Analysis of RAPD and mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences from Trichiurus lepturus and Eupleurogrammus muticus in the Yellow Sea

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique is applied to 12 individuals from each species of the hairtail fishes Trichiurus lepturus and Eupleurogrammus muticus in the Yellow Sea. The percentage of polymorphic sites, degree of genetic polymorphism and genetic distance are compared and the phylogenetic tree is constructed by Neighbor-joining method. The partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene is amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products are directly sequenced after being purified. These sequences, together with the homologous sequences of another Trichiuridae species Lepidopus caudatus obtained from GenBank, are used to analyze nucleotide difference and to construct a UPGMA phylogenetic tree by means of biological informatics. Analysis shows: (1) the RAPD technique is a highly sensitive method for investigating genetic diversity in T. lepturus, and E. muticus. T. lepturus exhibits a lower polymorphism and genetic diversity than E. muticus; (2) according to the analysis of the partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences, a very low intraspecific variation and considerably high divergence among species were found, which reveals a dual nature of conservatism and variability in mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene; (3) five primers generate the species-specific RAPD sites and these sites can be served as the molecular markers for species identification and (4) it can be proved at DNA variation level that T. lepturus and E. muticus are of two species respectively pertaining to different genera, which supports the Nelson taxonomic conclusion.     

巢湖鱼类区系研究

本文报告巢湖鱼类85种,对其区系特征、种群数量、区系组成的变化以及数量变动的原因和对策,均进行了阐述,可供开发利用巢湖资源及研究巢湖鱼类工作参考。     

大通湖围栏放养鱼类指环虫感染抽查

2011年5月份,两次对湖南大通湖围栏放养鱼类(草鱼、鳙鱼和团头鲂)指环虫的感染情况进行抽样检查.结果表明:3种放养鱼类指环虫感染率均为100%,草鱼和鳙鱼的感染强度相对较低,为1～4;团头鲂的感染强度相对较高,为1～5,个别达7;草鱼寄生鲩指环虫Dactylogyrus ctenopharyngodonid,鳙鱼寄生鳙指环虫D.aristichthys和太湖指环虫D.taihuensis,团头鲂寄生斧茎指环虫D.petruschowskyi和北京指环虫D.pekinensis.团头鲂为斧茎指环虫的宿主新记录;太湖指环虫和北京指环虫在大通湖均为首次发现,可能是从其它地方引种带入.     

武汉东湖浮游植物群落结构的时空变化与环境因子的关系

 研究了武汉东湖浮游植物群落结构的时空变化。东湖3个采样点的TN和TP含量存在显著差异。东湖Ⅰ、Ⅱ站浮游植物生物量的最高值出现在冬季和春季,Ⅲ站生物量的最高值则出现在夏季。相对于东湖较高的营养盐含量,其浮游植物生物量相对较低。这一方面是因为东湖较高密度的滤食性鲢鳙鱼的摄食作用抑制了浮游植物生物量的升高,另一方面是由于东湖较低的透明度使浮游植物的生长受到光照的限制。由于受到滤食性鱼类摄食、较高的营养水平以及较低的透明度的影响,东湖的浮游植物主要由隐藻、真蓝裸甲藻、小环藻和直链藻以及小型的绿球藻和蓝藻所组成。     

Molecular phylogenetics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gymnocypris</Emphasis> (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Lake Qinghai and adjacent drainages

149 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes (1140 bp) of Gymnocypris przewalskii, Gymnocypris eckloni and Gymnocypris scolistomus from the Lake Qinghai, Yellow River and Qaidam Basin were sequenced and analyzed. Consistent dendrogram indicated that the samples collected from the same species do not constitute a separate monophyletic group and all the samples were grouped into three highly divergent lineages (A, B and C). Among them, Lineage A contained all samples of G. przewalskii from the Lake Qinghai and partial samples of the G. eckloni from the Yellow River. Lineage B contained the remaining samples of G. eckloni from the Yellow River. Lineage C was composed of a monophyletic group by G. eckloni from the Qaidam Basin. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most of genetic variations were detected within these three mtDNA lineages (93.12%), suggesting that there are three different lineages of Gymnocypris in this region. Our Cyt b sequence data showed that G. przewalskii was not a polytypic species, and G. scolistomus was neither an independent species nor a subspecies of G. eckloni. The divergent mtDNA lineages of G. eckloni from the Yellow River suggested that gene flow between the different populations was restricted to a certain extent by several gorges on the upper reach of the Yellow River. Lineage B of G. eckloni might be the genetic effect from the ancestor which was incorporated with the endemic schizothoracine fishes when the headward erosion of the Yellow River reached to its current headwaters of late. The G. eckloni from Basin Qaidam was a monophyletic group (lineage C) and F_st values within G. eckloni from the Yellow River were higher than 0.98, suggesting that the gene flow has been interrupted for a long time and the G. eckloni from Basin Qaidam might have been evolved into different species by ecology segregation. The correlation between the rakers number of Gymnocypris and population genetic variation was not significant. All Gymnocypris populations exhibited a low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00096–0.00485). Therefore the Gymnocypris populations from Basin Qaidam could have experienced severe bottleneck effect in history. Our result suggested Gymnocypris populations of Basin Qaidam should give a high priority in conservation programs.     

四川邛海鱼类多样性危机及对策

通过对1950-2000年邛海鱼类种类的变化和产量变化，分析了邛海鱼类多样性危机的起凼，提出发展邛海渔业经济的同时保护邛海鱼类多样性的对策．     

模糊聚类分析在中国鲤亚科鱼类分类中的应用

鲤亚科Cyprininae是鲤科Cyprininidae中的一个类群,先定46个特征,采用模糊聚类分析方法,用TURBO PASCAL语言,在IBM-PC计算机上进行定量分类,分类结]果,分为5个属,2个亚属,21个种     

三峡水库出库流量变化对洞庭湖定居性鱼类产卵生境的影响

为分析三峡水库消落期不同出库流量与洞庭湖定居性鱼类产卵生境加权可利用面积之间的关系，选取水深和流速作为定居性鱼类产卵生境的关键影响因子，建立生境适宜性曲线，基于物理栖息地模型定量评估鱼类产卵生境适宜性的空间变化特征，并量化鱼类产卵所需的适宜生态流量。结果表明：三峡水库消落期增加出库流量对洞庭湖的水位及流速有一定的提升作用，对东洞庭湖的影响明显，对南洞庭湖和西洞庭湖的影响较小；随着三峡水库出库流量的增加，湖区定居性鱼类产卵生境的加权可利用面积呈现先增大再减小的趋势，不同湖区的加权可利用面积变化趋势及对三峡水库出库流量的响应情况具有显著差异，东洞庭湖定居性鱼类产卵生境的加权可利用面积呈现逐渐上升的趋势，南洞庭湖加权可利用面积总体增长幅度不大，呈现双峰曲线，西洞庭湖加权可利用面积呈现先增大后减小的趋势；定居性鱼类产卵生境的适宜生态流量范围为18 500～24 500 m³/s,最适宜生态流量为22 500 m³/s。