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Petrarca is an ascothoracidan endoparasite in scleratinian dendrophyllid corals. Petrarca can stimulate coral growth, forming a gall chamber to house itself inside the coral skeleton. The diversity, molecular phylogeny and feeding ecology of Petrarca are understudied. This is the first study of Petrarca to be based on light and scanning electron microscopy to document the fine-scale external and functional morphology of its trophi and other structures. A combined molecular and morphological approach revealed at least four closely related species of Petrarca, P. goanna, P. morula, Petrarca nozawai sp. nov. and Petrarca rubus sp. nov. in Turbinaria and Astreopora corals in Asia. Carapace shape and fine morphology, ultrastructure of the antennular aesthetasc, morphological characteristics of the trophi and the shape and size of the penis rami are diagnostic characters. Several morphological characters, which are all probably synapomorphies, have been proposed to distinguish the genus Petrarca from other Ascothoracida. Mouthparts morphology of Petrarca are developed for cutting and chewing, rather than for piercing and sucking as in many other Ascothoracida. The external surface of the carapace of Petrarca is ornamented with densely packed secretory papillae used putatively for the chemical dissolution of the substrate necessary for the formation of the gall chamber.

Extreme thermal conditions on rocky shores are challenging to the survival of intertidal ectotherms, especially during emersion periods. Yet, many species are highly successful in these environments in part due to their ability to regulate intrinsic mechanisms associated with physiological stress and their metabolic demands. More recently, there has been a growing awareness that other extrinsic mechanisms, such as animal-associated microbial communities, can also influence the tolerance and survival of ectotherms under stressful conditions. The extent to which intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms are functionally linked as part of the overall adaptive response of intertidal animals to temperature change and stress is, however, poorly understood. Here, we examined the dynamics and potential interactions of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms in the ecology of the tropical high shore rock oyster,Isognomon nucleus. We found that oysters modulate their internal biochemistry (PUFA-oxidised metabolites including 5-F2t-IsoP, 10-F4t-NeuroP, 13-F4t-NeuroP, and 16-F1t-PhytoP) as part of their adaptive regulation to cope with physiological stress during periods of extreme temperatures when emersed. While we detected extrinsic microbiome changes in alpha diversity, the overall taxonomic and functional structure of the microbiome showed temporal stability with no association with the host biochemical profiles. Our finding here suggests that the microbiome taxonomic and functional structure is maintained by a stable host control (not associated to the host biochemistry) and/or that the microbiome (independent of the host) is resilient to the temperature fluctuations and extremes. This microbiome stability is likely to contribute to the oyster,I. nucleusthermal tolerance, in addition to the intrinsic biochemical adjustment, to survive in the thermally challenging intertidal environment.

We examined the diversity and host use of sponge-associated barnacles of Thailand (Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand) using a combined morphological and molecular approach. Eight barnacle species (including two new species) were collected from 12 host sponges. Host-specific barnacle species includes Acasta lappasp. nov., which exclusively inhabits the sponge Mycale sp. Acasta milkaesp. nov. was only collected from the sponge Callyspongia cf. diffusa (Ridley, 1884). Multatria filigranus (Broch, 1916) were found in the encrusting soft sponges Monanchora unguiculata (Dendy, 1922) and Clathria sp. Pyrgospongia stellula (Rosell, 1975) inhabits the sponges Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884). Generalist barnacle species includes Euacsta ctenodentia (Rosell, 1972), E. porata (Nilsson-Cantell, 1921), E. zuiho (Hiro, 1936), and Acasta cyathus Darwin, 1854, which inhabit a wide range of sponges with various textures.

Octomerisis a chthamalid intertidal barnacle with eight shell plates. There are currently two species of such barnacles:O. brunneaDarwin, 1854 (type locality in the Philippines), common in the Indo-Pacific region, andO. angulosaSowerby, 1825, only recorded in South Africa.Octomeris intermediaNilsson-Cantell, 1921, identified from the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar, was considered to be conspecific withO. brunneaby Hiro (1939) based on samples collected in Taiwan. The morphological differences in shell and opercular plates betweenO. brunneaandO. intermediaare believed to be intra-specific variations due to different degrees of shell erosion. In the present study, the genetic and morphological differentiations ofOctomerisin the Indo-Pacific region were examined. This study found two molecular clades (with inter-specific differences) based on the divergence in the COI genes, and the species also have distinct geographical distributions. TheOctomeris brunneaclade covers samples collected from the Philippines and Taiwan waters and the other clade, which we argue isO. intermedia, is distributed in Phuket and Krabi, Thailand and Langkawi, Malaysia. Phuket and Krabi are located approximately 300 km south of the Mergui Archipelago, the type locality ofO. intermedia. The morphology of samples collected from Thailand fits the type description ofO. intermediain Nilsson-Cantell (1921). Our study concludes thatO. intermediais a valid species based on morphological and molecular evidence.

In order to provide information on the chemical processes in sediment fractions and their adsorption models, we investigated the contaminated sediments of the Sumida River in Tokyo, Japan and the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. Samples were leached through a sequential leaching technique to perform metal concentration analysis for the sediment fraction assessment and then samples were tested for the model adsorption of the highest level of sediments contaminated by heavy metals using the isotherm Langmuir and Freundlich equations. Metal (Pb, Cd, Zn, As, Cu, Ca, Fe, and Mn) concentration in the leached solutions was analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The pattern of geochemical fractions in both sediment samples showed the maxima leached levels of Cd (38.6 %), Ca (55.2%), and Mn (41.3%) in the soluble fraction; Pb (52.1%), and Zn (56.7%) in the reducible fraction; Cu (61.2%) in the oxidizable fraction; and As (47.1%) and Fe (55.9%) in the residual fraction. The total level fractions of Pb (62.6 ppm), Zn (240 ppm), As (27.2 ppm), Fe (16,636 ppm) and Mn (419 ppm) in the Chao Phraya River sediments were higher compared to those in the Sumida River, indicating the high anthropogenic effect in Bangkok. In the most contaminated sediments, the higher adsorption capacity of heavy metal concentrations was contributed by SiO2, CaCO3, and Al2O3 determined by the X-ray diffraction and organic contents. The model of adsorption of Cd fitted to the linear form of Langmuir’s equation with the correlation coefficients (r2 = 0.94), b (0.467) and k (7137), whereas Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn conformed to the model of the Freundlich equation. Keywords: Chao Phraya, Sequential leaching, Fraction sediment, Adsorption capacity, Langmuir isotherm

Anticipatory changes in organismal responses, triggered by reliable environmental cues for future conditions, are key to species' persistence in temporally variable environments. Such responses were tested by measuring the physiological performance of a tropical high-shore oyster in tandem with the temporal predictability of environmental temperature. Heart rate of the oyster increased with environmental temperatures until body temperature reached ∼37°C, when a substantial depression occurred (∼60%) before recovery between ∼42° and 47°C, after which cardiac function collapsed. The sequential increase, depression, and recovery in cardiac performance aligned with temporal patterns in rock surface temperatures, where the risk of reaching temperatures close to the oysters' lethal limit accelerates if the rock heats up beyond ∼37°C, coinciding closely with the body temperature at which the oysters initiate metabolic depression. The increase in body temperature over a critical threshold serves as an early-warning cue to initiate anticipatory shifts in physiology and energy conservation before severe thermal stress occurs on the shore. Cross-correlating the onset of physiological mechanisms and temporal structures in environmental temperatures, therefore, reveals the potential role of reliable real-time environmental cues for future conditions in driving the evolution of anticipatory responses.

With the worldwide demand for tropical penaeid prawn increasing in recent decades, more research on shrimp culture methods is needed to enhance efficiency and profitability for shrimp farmers. The objective of this study was to develop a technique to boost the productivity, feed efficiency, and profitability of the giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon). To accomplish this, a novel culture setup was established in which two benthic organisms, a filamentous green alga (Chaetomorpha sp.) and a microsnail (Stenothyra sp.), were propagated together with P. monodon post-larvae during an early culture stage and then offered to shrimp as supplementary live feeds in intensive aquaculture ponds. For the experiment, shrimp post-larvae (density: approximately 33 individuals m-2) were cultured in outdoor concrete ponds (9 × 9 × 1.2 m) under either control (fed only artificial feed, n = 3) or experimental (fed artificial feed and benthic organisms, n = 3) conditions until they reached marketable size (15 weeks). Apparent green algae consumption was 6.81 kg (8.4% green alga to total feed consumption), whereas microsnail consumption was 1.96 kg (2.4% microsnail to total feed consumption). Compared with the control group of giant tiger prawn, the experimental group showed significantly higher productivity (total number of shrimp produced: 118%; total shrimp production: 133%), feed efficiency (feed conversion ratio of artificial shrimp feed: 89%), and profitability (shrimp sales: 139%; balance between shrimp sales and costs: 146%), while labor and financial costs were kept minimal. These results can be explained by the enhanced growth of shrimp at the early stages of culture. The techniques developed in this study will help to advance the efficiency of intensive aquaculture operations for giant tiger prawn and also improve profitability for shrimp farmers.

Pedum spondyloideum is a byssally attached scallop in the Indo-Pacific that lives in deep fan-shaped dwellings within live scleractinian and hydrozoan corals, with the ventral edges of the scallops’ valves protruding slightly from the dwellings. Juvenile scallops have rounded, oval shells and live in shallow depressions. Complete scallop dwellings are formed by the growth of the host and allometric growth of the scallop, and by chemical and physical interactions between the scallop and its host. Scallops were extracted intact from their dwellings within massive corals in the genus Porites in Thailand (7°36′32″ N, 98°21′55″ E; in May 2019) and Malaysia (2°45′17″ N, 104°13′30″ E; in November 2019) to examine the relationship between shell height (SH) and shell width (SW). The slope of the regression of SH on SW within the first 2 years of settlement was 0.79–0.9, indicating that SW increased slightly faster than SH during this period. As the scallop grew further, the slope of the SH on SW was 1.29–1.54, indicating that SH increased faster than SW. A histological study on scallop pallial tissue, including the tentacles, and SEM observations of the dwelling walls suggested that the scallop has secretions that damage coral tissue and widen the dwelling during growth. Thus, the distinctive fan-shaped dwellings of the adult scallops are caused by a combination of allometric scallop growth and erosion of the host tissue and dwelling walls.

Populations at the edge of their species' distribution ranges are typically living at the physiological extreme of the environmental conditions they can tolerate. As a species' response to global change is likely to be largely determined by its physiological performance, subsequent changes in environmental conditions can profoundly influence populations at range edges, resulting in range extensions or retractions. To understand the differential physiological performance among populations at their distribution range edge and center, we measured levels of mRNA for heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) as an indicator of temperature sensitivity in two high-shore littorinid snails, Echinolittorina malaccana and E. radiata, between 1°N to 36°N along the NW Pacific coast. These Echinolittorina snails are extremely heat-tolerant and frequently experience environmental temperatures in excess of 55 °C when emersed. It was assumed that animals exhibiting high temperature sensitivity will synthesize higher levels of mRNA, which will thus lead to higher energetic costs for thermal defense. Populations showed significant geographic variation in temperature sensitivity along their range. Snails at the northern range edge of E. malaccana and southern range edge of E. radiata exhibited higher levels of hsp70 expression than individuals collected from populations at the center of their respective ranges. The high levels of hsp70 mRNA in populations at the edge of a species' distribution range may serve as an adaptive response to locally stressful thermal environments, suggesting populations at the edge of their distribution range are potentially more sensitive to future global warming.

To evaluate the economic impact of artificial reefs on small-scale fishing community, we investigated fishers’ income and perception after 3 years of artificial reef deployment in Lang Suan District, Chumphon Province, Thailand. Ninety-two small-scale fishing households were randomly selected for survey. Half of households relied on squid fishing as a major source of income. Squid fishing contributed three-quarter of the total fishery income in this artisanal fishing community. Percentage of households having decrease in fishery income after artificial reef deployment households was 24%. While percentages of households experiencing no change and increase in fishery income were equal at 38%. Ordered logistic regression model identified that fisher characteristics such as family size, sub-district, squid fishery as the major income, fishing time, and fishers’ rest were significant factors affecting changes in fishery income. Differences in fishery income after AR program were estimated by propensity score matching method and showed that annual community fishery income has increased by 6%. Also, most of the respondents showed satisfaction toward artificial reef program in enhancement of marine resources and environment.

Many studies have applied fluorochrome tagging to examine the growth of animals with calcified skeletons, but most of them have used only a single tag to determine the annual growth rate. We used sequential fluorochrome tagging to study the seasonal growth of the purple sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina in Hong Kong waters from February 2012 to February 2013. Sea urchins ranging from 18.9 to 42.7 mm in test diameter had a yearly growth from 0.6 to 13.0 mm. During that year, the sea urchins grew from 0.6 to 5.0 mm in test diameter during the first six months, and from 0.4 to 10.2 mm in test diameter in the second six months. The seasonal differences in growth were confirmed using the von Bertalanffy model. The growth was clear for young sea urchins, especially for individuals less than 5 years old, but was not evident for sea urchins older than 7 years. The seasonal differences in growth were probably related to the reproductive cycle and the seasonal differences in environmental conditions. Our empirical results provide the first evidence of seasonal changes in growth for H. crassispina, demonstrating the usefulness of sequential fluorochrome tagging in studying the growth of sea urchins in the field. We also identify the problem of low recovery of tagged individuals and provide recommendations to improve the tagging procedure.

High levels of biodiversity and phylogeographic structure in marine species in Southeast Asia are strongly linked to Quaternary sea-level fluctuations and complex oceanographic conditions. Cellana toreuma is a common limpet on intertidal rocky shores and is widely distributed in the Western Pacific. Analyses of partial mitochondrial COI gene sequences from Southeast Asia, combined with previously published sequences from East Asia and Indonesia, revealed the existence of five well-supported clades with high genetic divergences (between 1.4 and 7.6%), namely the East Asia clade, the eastern Southeast Asia clade, the western Southeast Asia clade, the Pelabuan Ratu (Java) clade and the Ogasawara clade. The geographical distribution of the five clades is likely related to the history of glaciations and rapid postglacial population expansions. Analyses of pairwise ΦST and hierarchical analysis of molecular variance shows significant population structure among collections in East and Southeast Asia. These results suggest that historical events have had strong effects on the phylogeographic structure of C. toreuma. In addition, present environmental factors, such as unsuitable habitats and ocean currents, have also affected the genetic footprints of past environments.

Potential future distribution shifts of intertidal invertebrates along the Asian coast in the face of global change remain unclear. Integrative study that comprise environmental temperature monitoring and comparative physiological study of thermal adaptation among different geographical populations of species are important to identify population-related differences in thermal ecology that could affect the persistence of species in their present distribution ranges. In the present study, in situ operative temperatures were recorded continuously for 5 mo from August 2011 to January 2012, and measurements of lethal temperature, cardiac performance and gene expression were carried out in 3 geographical populations of the limpet Cellana toreuma (tropical shore: Sichang Island, Thailand; subtropical shore: Nanding Island, Zhangzhou, China; temperate shore: Dagong Island, Qingdao, China). Compared to limpets on the tropical shore in Sichang Island with high mean temperature (28.28°C) and narrow thermal range (19.13 to 46.56°C), limpets on the subtropical shore in Nanding Island have to cope with a thermal environment characterized by a wider temperature range (6.42 to 44.98°C). The absence of differences in lethal temperature (LT50) of limpets from all the locations indicates that limpets currently suffer from intensive heat stress across their biogeographic range. Although the populations lacked differences in upper thermal limit, variations were noted among populations in transcriptional responses in genes linked to energy metabolism. Limpets on the subtropical shore in Nanding Island live closer to their upper thermal limits and thus will be very sensitive to future temperature increases.

The increase in global demand for fishery products has led to a fivefold increase in aquaculture production since 1990. Commercial feed is the highest production cost in intensive aquaculture, and residual commercial feed leads to eutrophication; hence it is important to find a low-cost alternative that has less environmental impact. We investigate the use of the filamentous green algae, Chaetomorpha sp., as a raw feed for giant tiger prawns. The giant tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon was grown in monoculture, and in co-culture with Chaetomorpha sp. to investigate the potential benefits of co-culturing. Five 20-day-old giant tiger prawn juveniles were released in 70-L monoculture and co-culture tanks, and the specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured after 10 weeks. The final mean body weight of co-cultured prawns was approximately 50 % heavier than that of monocultured prawns. The SGR in co-culture tanks was 4.79 ± 0.08 % day−1, which was higher than that in monoculture tanks (4.14 ± 0.27 % day−1). The FCR was 38.9 % lower in co-culture than in monoculture tanks. The protein content of Chaetomorpha sp. obtained from proximate analysis was almost the same or a little lower than other filamentous green seaweeds; however, the Chaetomorpha sp. has higher fiber and gross energy. These results show that Chaetomorpha sp. has potential for reducing feed costs in prawn intensive aquaculture through co-culturing.

List of taxa and GenBank [51] accession numbers for sequences of COI, 16S and 18S used in phylogenetic analysis [6, 52â 55]. (DOCX 20 kb)

Phylogenetic tree of ampullariids based on DNA sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), 16S rRNA (16S) and 18S rRNA (18S) as listed in Additional file 2. Sequences were aligned and gaps were trimmed with MUSCLE. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using the concatenated sequences (COI: 502 bp; 16S: 362 bp; 18S: 269 bp). The maximum-likelihood method implemented in MEGA5 [50] was used and the GTR + Γ + I evolutionary model was selected. Members of Viviparidae and Campanilidae served as outgroups. Values at nodes are percentages of 100 bootstrap replicates. Scale bar represents 0.1 substitution per site. Species with transcriptomes assembled in the present study are highlighted in blue. List of taxa and GenBank accession numbers for sequences of COI, 16S and 18S used in phylogenetic analysis. (DOCX 364 kb)

The effects of salinity and water temperature on growth and survival of Chaetomorpha sp., one of the green tidal filamentous algae, were investigated. Field surveys revealed that this alga was abundant throughout the year in stagnant coastal waters of central Thailand. Chaetomorpha sp. was found in salinities of 3.4–90.0 and water temperatures of 20.1–40.9 °C. Chaetomorpha sp. biomass fluctuated between 9.2 and 162 kg dry weight in a saline swamp, without significant differences among seasons. The highest mean specific growth rate of approximately, 60 % day−1 was observed in laboratory experimental trials at salinities of 20–30 at 30 °C. Salinity and water temperature significantly affected growth of this alga independently and interactively. Based on these results, Chaetomorpha sp. can easily grow, survive and monopolize in stagnant waters where the salinity and temperature greatly fluctuate because of their euryhaline and eurythermal nature as well as their high growth rate.

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been used to assess the impact of metal pollution on Porites skeletons taken from the Gulf of Thailand since the 1980s. The collection period coincided with a series of laws enacted by the Thai government to curb environmental pollution. The extent of metal pollution by riverine input, including aerosol deposits, was assessed by comparing the metal/Ca (Me/Ca) ratios in the Thai corals to the ratios of another colony of corals sampled from Rukan-sho, a relatively unpolluted coral reef located in Okinawa, Japan. In this comparison, high riverine inputs of Ba, V, Cd and Pb were observed in the Thai coral samples. Higher V/Ca ratios found in the Thai corals compared to the Rukan-sho coral suggest anthropogenic V inputs due to fuel oil pollution in the Gulf since the late 1990s. The levels of Cd in the coral suggest a gradual decrease in the Gulf in the late 1990s, with a drastic drop in concentration from the 1980s. The historical variation in Pb/Ca ratios recorded in the coral skeletons suggests that exposure to anthropogenic Pb was a result of discharge from urbanized areas from 1984 to 1998, which has been gradually reduced since Thailand prohibited the use of leaded gasoline in the late 1990s.

Pb2+ adsorption by the living cyanobacterium, Phormidium angustissimum followed the Langmuir adsorption model, with the maximum adsorption capacity (q max ) of 295.4 ± 13.8 mg g−1. This result suggests that P. angustissimum is a promising living biosorbent to remove Pb2+ from wastewaters. Living biosorbents are better able to remove Pb2+ from wastewater than dead biosorbents, however there are practical limitations for their use are encountered in extreme conditions such as low pH and high Pb2+ concentration. The feasibility of using cyanobacterium, P. angustissimum, as a living biosorbent for the extraction of Pb2+ from wastewater was studied by investigating its photosynthestic performance and tolerance under Pb2+ (0–5 mg L−1) contamination and low pH (pH 3–7). Decreased photosynthetic performance caused by Pb2+ contamination and low pH stress was detected in this study by means of a reduction of the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm). Detoxification mechanisms of P. angustissimum on Pb2+ appeared to increase its intracellular polysaccharides (IPS), exocellular polysaccharides (EPS), and protein. Living P. angustissimum could increase the pH of the solution which resulted in Pb2+ precipitation. The unique ability of P. angustissimum to remove Pb2+ and to grow under toxic conditions, demonstrated herein, indicates that it is a promising living biosorbent for mildly acidic water contaminated with Pb2+ in bioremoval systems in the which pH is not lower than 5 and Pb2+ is not higher than 5 mg L−1.

The fatty acid composition, the effect of different concentrations of nitrogen (16.5-344 mg L−1), phosphorus (9–45 mg L−1), iron (9–45 mg L−1) and salinity levels (0–20 psu) on lipid production in the green microalga Scenedesmus dimorphus KMITL, a new strain isolated from a tropical country, Thailand, were studied. The alga was isolated from a freshwater fish pond, and cultured in Chlorella medium by varying one parameter at a time. The main fatty acid composition of this strain was C16–C18 (97.52 %) fatty acids. A high lipid content was observed in conditions of 16.5 mg L−1-N, or 22 mg L−1-P, or 45 mg L−1-Fe, or 5 psu salinity, which accumulated lipids to 20.3 ± 0.4, 19.4 ± 0.2, 24.7 ± 0.5, and 14.3 ± 0.2 % of algal biomass, respectively. Increasing lipid content and lipid productivity was noted when the alga was cultured under high iron concentration and high salinity, as well as under reduced phosphorus conditions, whereas nitrogen limitation only resulted in an increased lipid content.

We developed twenty polymorphic microsatellite markers for the long-spined sea urchin Diadema setosum by screening microsatellite enriched library, and characterized their polymorphism using two populations of 45 individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 17, and the observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.0714 to 1.000 and 0.6655 to 0.9321, respectively. Twelve loci conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. These polymorphic microsatellite markers will facilitate studies of population genetics and connectivity in D. setosum.

Energy budget parameters consisting of feed intake, food digestibility, absorption efficiency, oxygen consumption, and ammonia excretion were investigated in 3 size classes of Thai abalone Haliotis asinina (2.22 ± 0.13, 3.27 ± 0.02, and 4.16 ± 0.05 cm in shell length). These abalone were fed with artificial diets (approximately 28% crude protein) and held at 28.0 ± 1.0°C and 31.0 ± 1.0 psu salinity. The daily feeding intake of H. asinina decreased with size class, ranging from 0.75% to 0.48% of their dry weight tissue. However, high absorption efficiencies were observed in all 3 size classes, with an average of 81.04%. Further calculations of the obtained energy from the artificial diet for the 3 size classes were 273.6, 666.9, and 1,744.2 J/day, for the 2-, 3-, and 4-cm size classes, respectively. More than 30% of the obtained energy was used for metabolism (ranging from 33.2–42.5%), whereas the energy used for ammonia excretion was low (ranging from 0.8–1.8%). Scope for growth of the abalone va...

Spatial and temporal variability of intertidal rocky shore bivalves and gastropods in Sichang Island, east coast of Thailand were studied over 12 months (March 2008 to February 2009). The study area experiences mixed tides with the largest tidal range of 3.6 m above MTL during spring tides. Shores are exposed to the prevailing northeast monsoon in the winter (November to February), resulting in stronger wave action during this season than in summer (March to May) and rainy season (June to October). Transects were positioned at five different heights from mid shore to high shore (2.5 to 3.5m above MTL) dominated by rock oysters in the mid shore. At each height, abundance of bivalves and gastropods were recorded within fifteen replicate quadrats (25 x 25 cm) on a monthly basis. A total of 2 bivalves and 10 species of gastropods were identified. In the high shore, the littorinid Echinolittorina malaccana dominated. Dense beds of the bivalve Isognomon nucleus were abundant in crevices at 2.5 and 2.75 m above MTL, whilst a large number of snails (Planaxis sulcatus) were found near the midshore. Below this, the rock oyster Saccostrea cucculata was dominant, with a variety of mobile gastropods (Cellana grata, C. toreuma, Patelloidea saccharina and Siphonaria japonica). The general sequence of zonation patterns were clear over time, but the vertical extent of some mobile species varied in accordance with the monsoon effect and increasing tidal range in winter, especially on the more exposed of the two sites. The high shore littorinids, E. malaccana moved up shore and were more abundant near the supralittoral line in winter suggesting that the seasonal monsoon effect and tidal range were important factors determining the distribution of some species of mobile gastropods, allowing them to exploit higher tidal levels.

The present study dealt with seasonal and interannual variations in the abundance and biomass, and spatio-temporal distributions of the portunid crab Charybdis bimaculata dominant in Ise Bay, central Japan. The abundance and biomass of the crab decreased in summer when the oxygen-poor water developed in central or inner parts of the bay, and then increased through new recruits from autumn (October–November) to the following spring (March–May) when the oxygen-poor water disappeared. Berried females were collected mainly from spring to autumn. Recruits were collected in any season. Particularly in winter, most recruits were located in the innermost part of the bay. According to the cohort separation based on size frequency distribution in carapace width of the crab specimens, the cohorts that were derived from spawning in spring to summer largely contributed to establishing and maintaining the benthic populations for the following year in the bay, whereas those from other seasons failed to recruit because of serious damage caused by the oxygen-poor water. Most crab individuals one year post hatch contributed to spawning and then died by the winter of the same year.

Although thermal performance is widely recognized to be pivotal in determining species' distributions, assessment of this performance is often based on laboratory acclimated individuals, neglecting their proximate thermal history. The thermal history of a species sums the evolutionary history and, importantly, the thermal events recently experienced by individuals, including short-term acclimation to environmental variations. Thermal history is perhaps of greatest importance for species inhabiting thermally challenging environments and therefore assumed to be living close to their thermal limits, such as in the tropics. To test the importance of thermal history the responses of the tropical oyster, Isognomon nucleus, to short term differences in thermal environments were investigated. Critical and lethal temperatures and oxygen consumption were improved in oysters which previously experienced elevated air temperatures and were associated with an enhanced heat shock response, indicating that recent thermal history affects physiological performance as well as inducing short-term acclimation to acute conditions. These responses were, however, associated with trades offs in feeding activity, with oysters which experienced elevated temperatures showing reduced energy gain. Recent thermal history, therefore, seems to rapidly invoke physiological mechanisms which enhance survival to short-term thermal challenge but also longer-term climatic changes and consequently need to be incorporated into assessments of species' thermal performances.

約 10 年間のメガベントス調査試料に基づいて，伊勢湾の優占種であるハタタテヌメリの個体数，生物量の季節・年変動および個体数の時空間分布，稚魚の底生個体群への加入時期を調べた。多くの個体が貧酸素水塊を回避，あるいはそれによって死亡することにより，個体数と生物量は夏季に減少し，秋季から翌年の春季には，回避群の復帰と秋季から冬季に湾奥から湾中央部の水域に着底した新規加入群によって再び増加した。

Based on our long-term data from megabenthos sampling from 1993 to 2002 in Ise Bay, central Japan, we examined spatio-temporal variations in taxon composition, species richness and its distribution of megabenthos in the bay in relation to the occurrence of the oxygen-poor water (i.e. oxygen content less than 3 ppm) in bottom waters of the bay. A total of 261 species were identified including 6 cnidarians, 1 tentaculate, 5 annelids, 71 molluscs, 72 crustaceans, 16 echinoderms, 12 urochordates and 78 pisces. Of the most abundant 10 megabenthos species, the following 4 species of echinoderms made up more than the half of megabenthos biomass: Luidia quinaria, Echinocardium cordatum, Asterias amurensis and Astropecten scoparius. Species richness of megabenthos varied significantly between seasons and among stations. The severity and period of occurrence of the oxygen-poor water developing every summer play an important role in determining spatial distributions of species richness in the bay.

Feeding habits of the two asteroids dominant in Ise Bay, Luidia quinaria and Astropecten scoparius, were examined as regards their temporal and spatial distributions and also the oxygen-poor water in the bay, based on megabenthos samples collected in the bay from Novem- ber 1996 to November 1997. Luidia quinaria was distributed widely in the whole part of the bay while A. scoparius was mainly found in the southern part around the bay mouth area. Analysis of the stomach contents of these asteroids demonstrated that L. quinaria preferred to ingest echinoderm, particularly an ophiuroid, Ophiura kinbergi, that occupied approximately 60% of the percentage total food items; while the stomach contents of A. scoparius were dominated by molluscs, a minute gastropod Voorwindia paludinoides and a bivalve Alvenius ojianus, which occupied approximately 59% and 33% of the percentage of total food items, respectively. The differences in the feeding habits of these asteroids may be due to their distribution pattern, which may be determined by the differences in sediment characteristics. Distribution and feeding habits of L. quinaria in summer may be affected by the occurrence of oxygen-poor water.