Pacific Science, Volume 38, Numbers 1-4, 1984

38: Index - Pacific Science

Sun, 01 Jan 1984 00:00:00 GMT

38:4 Table of Contents - Pacific Science

Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

38:2 Table of Contents - Pacific Science

Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Sporochnus dotyi sp. nov. (Sporochnales, Phaeophyta), a Brown Alga from Hawaii

Brostoff, William N — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Sporo chnus dotyi sp. nov. is described based on two collections made in Hawaii. It differs from other Sporochnus species in having nonbranched fertile filaments and in the comparatively large size and conspicuous nature of the bases of the apical tufts. A key to the world's species of Sporochnus is presented to elucidate the unique features of this new species.

Metabolic Rate of Laysan Albatross and Bonin Petrel Chicks on Midway Atoll

Grant, Gilbert S; Whittow, G Causey — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

The resting metabolic rates of Laysan albatross and Bonin petrel chicks of known age were measured on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. The mass-specific metabolism peaked at hatching and then declined to adult levels in Laysan albatross nestlings. The mass specific metabolism of hatchling Bonin petrels was similar to that of adults, but it tripled shortly after hatching. Fasting and feeding episodes affected day-to-day changes in petrel chick metabolism.

Bird Specimens from American Samoa

Banks, Richard C — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

About 1300 specimens of birds have been taken on the seven islands that constitute American Samoa in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; about 1200 specimens representing 43 species were examined. Information on the biology of these species, especially annual cycles of breeding and molt, is presented to the extent that it can be determined from these specimens and the associated data. Most of the specimens were taken in only a few months of the calendar year, and the annual cycle remains incompletely known even for those few species with large samples of specimens. Taxonomic comments are given for a few species, and the extensive variability in Halcyon chloris pealei is discussed.

A Contribution to the Trophic Biology of the Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans Lacepede, 1802) in Hawaii

Brock, Richard E — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

A study of the trophic biology of 87 blue marlin caught in Hawaiian waters indicates that these opportunistic predators consume a diverse array of prey. The data suggest that the diet of blue marlin is influenced by the locality of capture. Thus, surface (troll)-caught blue marlin from near the Hawaiian Islands consume numerous larvae, postlarvae, and juveniles of inshore species, prey relatively rare in marlin taken on the high seas. Volumetrically, these inshore forms are of little consequence and probably contribute little to the energy requirements of blue marlin. As shown in other studies, small tunas are the single most important component of Hawaiian blue marlin diets.

Picoplankton Growth Rates in Subtropical Hawaiian Embayments

Bienfang, Paul K; Morales, Luis; Klein, Karen; Takahashi, Masayuki — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

The size structure of phytoplankton biomass and productivity and the specific growth rates (m) of the picoplankton (i.e., < 3mm fraction) were examined in six Hawaiian embayments. The portion of total phytoplankton chlorophyll present in the < 10 mm and < 3 mm fractions ranged from 38 to 62 percent and 16 to 52 percent, respectively. Picoplankton accounted for between 34 and 63 percent of total community photosynthesis. Picoplankton growth rates ranged from 0.056 to 0.202/h (0.97 to 3.62 doublings/day). The rapid growth rates in these aquatic environments probably result from inputs of terrestrially derived nutrients; the m values for the picoplankton fraction are thought to represent upper limits for growth rates of the total population.

Redescription of the Pufferfish Torquigener brevipinnis (Regan) (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae), with Description of a New Species of Torquigener from Indonesia

Hardy, Graham S — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Torquigener brevipinnis (Regan) is redescribed. The species differs from the very similar T. flavima culosus Hardy and Randall primarily in color, having clearly defined whitish bands on the side of the head, a solid lateral stripe along the body, and fewer vertical bands on the caudal fin. Torquig ener gloerfelti n. sp. is described from four specimens from Indonesian waters. It differs from T. altipinnis (Ogilby) in color pattern and in the higher number of spine s that overlap the anterior margin of the gill opening, and from T. vicinus Whitley in having a larger eye diameter and shorter caudal peduncle length.

A Note on the Occurrence of the Gold Spot Herring, Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus (Ruppell) in Hawaii

Baldwin, Wayne J — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

The occurrence of the gold spot herring, Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus, is reported for Hawaii from the islands of Oahu, Molokai, and Lanai. This species was first collected in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, in 1975, and appears to have largely replaced the Marquesan sardine, Sardin ella marquesensis, introduced to Hawaii in the 1950s. Notes on the separation of the gold spot herring from other Hawaiian clupeids are provided in addition to a comparison of the Hawaiian specimens with specimens of gold spot herring from Red Sea and tropical Pacific localities.

Distribution and Ecology of Shallow-Water Crinoids at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, with an Annotated Checklist of Their Symbionts

Zmarzly, DL — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Six species of comatulid crinoids were found to inhabit coral reefs between depths of 3 and 36m at Enewetak Atoll , Marshall Islands. These species were Eudiocrinus tenuissimus, Dorometra nana, Comaster gracilis, Comanthus bennetti, Comanthus parvicirrus, and Comanthina schlegeli. The first four species were previously recorded from other atolls in the Marshall Islands, but Comanthus bennetti was the only species reported from Enewetak. Comanthus parvicirrus and Comanthina schlegeli have not been previously recorded for the area . Nine shallow-water species are now known from the Marshall Islands, compared to 2I species from the Palau Archipelago and 7from Guam. At Enewetak, abundance and diversity of crinoids were greatest at sites with exposure to regular current flow, and depth zonation of species was ap- . parent. Three of the species at Enewetak were polychromatic; color varieties found at Enewetak are compared to those documented for conspecifics at other Indo-Pacific locations. Spatial distribution patterns and relative abundances of the noncryptic crinoids at three sites remained nearly constant over a half-year period. No mortality or recruitment was observed in the monitored populations. Eighteen species of macro-invertebrates were found in association with the crinoids: 3 species of gastropod mollusks, 3 species of myzostomid worms, 1 species of scaleworm, 1 species of copepod, and 10 species of decapod crustaceans.

The Extinction of Endemic Species by a Program of Biological Control

Clarke, Bryan; Murray, James; Johnson, Michael S — Sun, 01 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Land snails of the genus Partula, inhabiting the high islands of the Pacific Ocean, have provided exceptional opportunities for studies oil the origin and differentiation of species: The endemic taxa of Moorea, in French Polynesia, have been particularly well studied. In an attempt to control the numbers of the giant African snail, Achatina fulica, which is an agricultural pest, a carnivorous snail, Euglandina rosea; has been introduced into Moorea. It is spreading across the island at the rate of about 1.2 km per year, eliminating the endemic Partula. One species is already extinct in the wild ; and extrapolating the rate of spread of Ezigltmdina , it is expected that all the remaining taxa (possibly excepting P. exigua) will be eliminated by 1986-1987. Euglandina has been introduced into many other oceanic . islands, and it appears that more than a hundred endemic species are at risk . These observations point to a serious danger in programs of " biological control. "

Abstracts of Papers. Ninth Annual Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium, 12-13 April 1984

Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Concentrations of 207Bi and 210Pb-210Bi-210Po Disequilibrium in Fish

Noshkin, VE; Wong, KM; Eagle, RJ; Jokela, TA — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Radioactive 207Bi, produced during nuclear testing at the Pacific Proving Grounds, concentrates in the muscle tissue and organs of goatfish and certain pelagic lagoon fish from Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. It is reasonable to expect that fish capable of accumulating 207Bi could also be efficient accumulators of other bismuth isotopes-namely 210Bi, the daughter of naturally occurring 210Pb. Therefore, 210Bi and consequently 210Po, the decay product of 210Bi, would be expected in notable excess over the precursor 210Pb in specific tissues. To test this assumption, we compared concentrations of 210Pb, 210Bi, and 210POin muscle, liver , and bone separated from some reef species from the Marshall Islands. Concentrations of 210Bi in muscle and liver were found to exceed those of its precursor by factors of2 to 15. The excess 210Bi in some species, however , is not from the environmental sources (either food or water) from which 207Bi is derived. The data suggest that the excess 210Bi may be translocated to muscle and liver tissue following the decay of 210Pb in bone.

Trace Metals in the Columbia River Estuary Following the 18 May 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens

Riedel, Gerhardt; Wilson, Stephanie L; Holton, RL — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Dissolved and suspended concentrations of cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc were measured in the Columbia River Estuary following the 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Soluble concentrations of these trace elements were not substantially elevated by the influx of volcanic ash and mud into the estuary during this period, except for somewhat higher than usual concentrations of manganese and copper. A laboratory experiment indicates that manganese leached from volcanic debris in fresh water and in the transition from fresh to slightly saline water probably caused the elevated Mn concentrations. Copper in solution may also have been enhanced slightly by leaching from the material into fresh water.

Growth and Refoliation of Koa Trees Infested by the Koa Moth, Scotorythra paludicola (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

Stein, John D; Scowcroft, Paul G — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Since the early 1900s, four major infestations of the koa moth, Scotorythra paludicola (Butler), have defoliated koa (Acacia koa Gray) stands on the island ofMaui. After trees on 7564 ha of the Makawao Forest Reserve were damaged in 1977, a study was begun to determine growth and refoliation response of completely defoliated tree s in a stand previously subjected to three different silvicultural treatments. Relative growth rates before defoliation ranged from 5.7 percent to 14.2 percent per year. Trees on thinned-and-fertilized plots showed significantly greater relative growth rates than control trees. The relative growth rates of trees on plots that were thinned only or fertilized only were not significantly different from those of the control trees . After defoliation, relative growth rates ranged from l.l percent to 4.3 percent with differences between treatments not significant. The 71 percent reduction in growth after defoliation was statistically significant. About one-third of the sample trees died within 20 months of defoliation.

Peleophycus multiprocarpium gen. et sp. nov. (Gloiosiphoniaceae, Rhodophyta)

Abbott, Isabella A — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Peleophycus multiprocarpium is described as a genus and species new to the red algal family Gloiosiphoniaceae (Cryptonemiales), in which a given supporting cell may bear one or more carpogonial branches and one to several auxiliary cell branches. Though several gonimoblasts could thus be formed on the same supporting cell, this condition has not been observed. Nonetheless it suggests a possible phylogenetic pathway from less complicated to more complex relationships of reproductive branches. In its structure of reproductive organs, Peleophycus seems most closely related to Gloeophycus, described from Korea and northwestern Japan. Peleophycus is one of several new genera and species that occurred in an unexpected subtidal (ca. 10-12 m depth) spring marine flora in the subtropics off Hawaii.

Structure, Function, and Ecology in the Goatfishes (Family Mullidae)

Gosline, William A — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

The Mullidae differ from other percoid families in a number of structural features. The most notable of these is a pair of highly developed hyoid barbels used in feeding. Many of the other goatfish specializations seem to be associated in one way or another with the use made of these barbels. Structural peculiarities of the Mullidae are described and their functional and ecological implications suggested where possible. The hypothesis is made that the goatfishes have evolved a distincti ve ecological niche for themselves based on their use of the barbels in hunting.

Aloha Also Means Goodbye: A Cryptogenic Stomatopod in Hawaii

Kinzie III, RA — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

Two different scenarios are presented that could account for the recent appearance of what has become the most common shallow water Gonodactylus in Hawaii. One requires an introduction event, the other posits the lack of discovery of the species until the early 1950s. While both scenarios have historical components and are difficult to falsify, some corollary hypotheses are suggested that would allow a testable differentiation of the two viewpoints.

Prey Capture in Lyonsiella Formosa (Bivalvia: Anomalodesmata: Verticordiacea)

Morton, Brian — Mon, 01 Oct 1984 00:00:00 GMT

A specimen of the bathyal verticordiid Lyonsiella formosa has been obtained from Hawaii at 460m depth. Assignment of this specimen to L. formosa suggests that this species has a much wider range than hitherto believed. Dissection and subsequent histological examination of the specimen suggests a mechanism of prey capture completely different from that previously described for this species and resembling that attributed to Poromya granulata. Sensory papillae on the siphonal tentacles probably detect the prey. Prey capture is by eversion of an enormous hoodlike cowl of the inhalant siphon. Inversion brings the prey into the mantle cavity. Further distension of the siphon within the mantle cavity is believed to push the prey into the buccal apparatus comprising medially fused labia l palps . The unfused tips of the palps or the foot may assist in this. A model of the hydraulic changes that may occur in Lyonsiellaformosa to effect prey capture is described. The similar modes of feeding exhibited by L.formosa (Verticordiidae) and Poromya granulata (Poromyidae) suggest a close affinity.