Digging with ‘hands’: observations of food capture in the flying gurnard Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758)

ABSTRACT

Videofilms of a foraging flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans) were collected at Itaipu, Niterói, RJ, Brazil. Analysis revealed details of the use of anterior parts of the pectoral fins which act as digging ‘hands’ to access infaunal prey items that are subsequently captured by oral suction feeding. Each pectoral fin has two distinct sections articulated separately on the pectoral girdle. The digging ‘anterior pectoral fin’ mainly consists of segmented and flexible fin rays but has an anterior robust unsegmented ray that provides an edge to the ‘hand’, allowing penetration of the substratum. The huge ‘posterior pectoral fins’ are supported by unsegmented rays. Most digging episodes involved one ‘hand’ and consisted of 1–7 cycles of movement with frequencies 1.15–3.74 cycles s^?1. During a cycle, the ‘hand’ is moved forwards and medially above the substratum, then is twisted medially and simultaneously depressed so that the anterior unsegmented ray impacts and enters the substratum. The hand is then drawn backwards and laterally to disturb the substratum. To prevent upward pitching of the head during digging, the ‘posterior pectoral fins’ are both moved anteriorly and laterally to shift the centre of gravity forwards while the caudal and ?second dorsal fins continue to provide propulsive force.     

Photon emission of phagocytes in relation to stress and disease.

Phagocytes, the first-line cells of the body's defence mechanisms against invading pathogens, kill microorganisms by means of lysosomal degradative enzymes and highly toxic reactive oxygen intermediates. The reactive oxygen compounds are produced, in a process called the 'respiratory burst', by the NADPH oxidase complex in plasma membranes, and by myeloperoxidase in phagolysosomes after degranulation. These processes generate electronically excited states which, on relaxation, emit photons, giving rise to phagocyte chemiluminescence (CL). This paper describes the conditions for the measurement of CL, and reviews the activity of phagocytes from individuals undergoing stress or disease. The capability of phagocytes to emit photons reflects remarkably well the pathophysiological state of the host. In many cases even the magnitude of the stress, the presence of a pathogen in the body, or the activity of the disease can be estimated. Physiological changes, e.g. in the reproductive cycle, can also be predicted.     

Experimental gout from alloxan in pigeons. Findings in the joints and serous membranes

Zusammenfassung Bei Tauben erzeugt intravenös gegebenes Alloxan bekanntlich Läsionen, die denen der Eingeweidegicht ähneln. Chemische und mikroskopische Untersuchungen zeigten eine große Menge von Uraten auf Perikardium, Peritoneum und Pleura. Die große Zunahme der Harnsäure im Blute, die von anderen Autoren kolorimetrisch festgestellt wurde, wird durch die Urikasemethode bestätigt. In der vorliegenden Mitteilung wird weiterhin über ein der Gelenkgicht ähnliches Bild bei alloxanbehandelten Tauben berichtet. Verschiedene Tierarten mit einem «ureotelic-proteic metabolism» zeigen nach Alloxan weder eine nennenswerte Harnsäurezunahme im Blut noch eine Gicht der Eingeweide oder der Gelenke.     

Polarized Emission of Molecular Film With Lanthanide (Ⅲ) Complex

1 Results In the coordination system by using complexation with organic ligand, the ff emission of lanthanide(Ⅲ) (Ln(Ⅲ)) is induced the excitation energy transfer form the organic chromophore under the light-irradiation. However, there are not so much number of reports to discuss the energy relaxation mechanism in such complexes with Ln(Ⅲ). Recently, we succeeded firstly to estimate the rate constant of the energy transfer between the ligand and Ln(Ⅲ) in Pr(Ⅲ)-phenanthroline analogs[1]. Here, we will di...     

Über ein Chromoplastin aus reifenden Tomaten

Summary (1) By precipitation with ammonium sulfate, streptomycin, or calcium salts, we obtained from the pulp of tomatoes a substance containing carotinoids. The behaviour of this substance was analogous to that of chloroplst-substance and to that of animal cytoplasmatic nucleoproteins. Like these it contains proteins, lipids, and very probably nucleic acids. We regard this substance as achromoplastine.(2) Experiments with slices of green tomatoes show that the changing over of the chlorophyll content into the carotinoid content is inhibited by the presence of streptomycin.(3) Streptomycin inhibits the formation of chlorophyll in etiolated separated cabbage leafs, just as this drug inhibits the formation of chlorophyll in growing seeds.(4) The development of anthocyanides is not influenced by streptomycin.