Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Reproductive Biology of the Freshwater Teleost Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
نویسندگان
چکیده
Soon after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, we studied the reproductive biology of freshwater teleost bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) in a pond in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, about 50 km south of the nuclear power plant. The breeding period of the bluegill was abbreviated and the frequency of spawning decreased. The radiation air dose rate and level of radioactivity in the fish were less than would be expected to trigger behavioural alterations or to suppress reproduction. The occurrence of aftershocks and two episodes of torrential rain is the likely reason for changes in the reproductive behaviour of bluegill in the pond. These results suggest that our observations can be explained by a combination of natural disasters, rather than the effects of nuclear radiation.
منابع مشابه
Alternative male reproductive tactics drive asymmetrical hybridization between sunfishes (Lepomis spp.).
The potential role of alternative reproductive tactics in circumventing premating isolating mechanisms and driving hybridization between species has long been recognized, but to date there is little empirical support from natural systems. Hybridization occurs between bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) and it is known to be asymmetrical (male bluegill × fem...
متن کاملExploring spatial distributions of larval yellow perch Perca flavescens, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and their prey in relation to wind.
The objectives of the present study were to determine if spatial differences existed between zooplankton, larval yellow perch Perca flavescens and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus (<13 mm total length, L(T)) in Pelican Lake (332 ha), NE, U.S.A. It was hypothesized that wind could act as a transport mechanism for larval fishes in this shallow lake, because strong winds are common at this geographic ...
متن کاملThe effects of noise on the auditory sensitivity of the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus.
As concerns about the effects of underwater anthropogenic noises on the auditory function of organisms increases, it is imperative to assess if all organisms are equally affected by the same noise source. Consequently, auditory capabilities of an organism need to be evaluated and compared interspecifically. Teleost fishes provide excellent models to examine these issues due to their diversity o...
متن کاملSteroid hormones in bluegill, a species with male alternative reproductive tactics including female mimicry.
The proximate mechanisms underlying the evolution and maintenance of within-sex variation in mating behaviour are still poorly understood. Species characterized by alternative reproductive tactics provide ideal opportunities to investigate such mechanisms. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) are noteworthy in this regard because they exhibit two distinct cuckolder (parasitic) morphs (called sneaker ...
متن کاملFin ray sensation participates in the generation of normal fin movement in the hovering behavior of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus).
For many fish species, the pectoral fins serve as important propulsors and stabilizers and are precisely controlled. Although it has been shown that mechanosensory feedback from the fin ray afferent nerves provides information on ray bending and position, the effects of this feedback on fin movement are not known. In other taxa, including insects and mammals, sensory feedback from the limbs has...
متن کامل