Ectoparasitic Prototransversotrema steeri Angel infected Acanthopagrus australis (Günther) in western (W. Bay) and southern (S. Bay) Moreton Bay with greatest abundance in winter (June - August), and none in summer (December - February). This confirms previous observations on seasonality of P. steeri from a small estuary in New South Wales. Transversotrema licinum Manter, which is a new host and geographical record, infects A. australis in W. Bay but not S. Bay, with large abundances in summer and winter, lowest abundance in spring. Increased size of P. steeri in winter in S. Bay could be explained by increased size offish sampled since fish length and size of each parasite species were correlated positively. Transversotrema licinum increased in size from summer to winter irrespective of fish size. Number of eggs in utero and parasite size were correlated for both species; worms in mid-size range had most eggs, and P. steeri had more eggs (average = 19.2, 0-80) than T. licinum (3.3, 0-21); eggs were similar in length. Number of eggs per parasite, adjusted for parasite size, was greatest in autumn (P. steeri) or summer (T. licinum), i.e. early in infection period. Spawning migration to eastern Moreton Bay did not influence number of eggs per parasite.
Changes in the activities of enzymes involved in scavenging active oxygen species were followed after exposing bean seedling leaves (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to various cross stresses of irradiance and temperature. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and ascorbate peroxidase (AsAPOD, EC 1.11.1.11) increased to different extent with prolonged irradiation of the leaves, and were stimulated by high temperature (HT). The activity of catalase (CAT, 1.11.1.6) decreased when exposed to strong irradiance (HI), and the decrease was further exacerbated when HI was combined with HT. CAT activity was more sensitive to HT than to HI. Ascorbate (AsA) content slightly decreased and then increased during the treatment of HI, but decreased under the cross stress of HI and HT. On the contrary, glutathione (GSH) content increased all the time during various treatments of irradiance and temperature. The increase in the combined stress was even more pronounced. Irradiance is the major reason in triggering the operation of xanthophyll cycle, which was difficult to be started by HT. The antioxidant systems tended to be inactivated with prolonged exposure to the cross stress of HI and HT. The de-expoxidated state of xanthophyll cycle, however, was increasing all the time, which indicated that the zeaxanthin-dependent thermal dissipation was one major energy dissipation pathway during the cross stress of HI and HT. and Liang Ye, Hui-yuan Gao, Qi Zou.
A new species Wardium paucispinosum (Eucestoda: Hymenolepididae) parasite from the intestine of Larus maculipennis (Lichtenstein) from Mar del Plata, Argentina is described. The distinctive features of the new species are: strobilar length 52.8 mm; 10 aploparaksoid rostellar hooks, 14 (12-17) pm long; ratio between cirrus pouch length and mature proglottid width (CPL/MPW) 0.38 (0.27-0.50); regular cylindrical evaginated cirrus, 90 x 10 pm, with distal end without spines and proximal and medium thirds covered with spines 7 pm long; simple tubular membranous vagina, 110 x 10 pm, without sclcrotised portions and sphincters; eggs fusiform, 77 x 44 pm. Besides, llymenolepis semiductilis Szidat, 1964, from the intestine of Larus dominicanus and L. maculipennis from Santa Fé, Argentina is transferred to the genus Wardium Mayhew, 1925, based on the presence and shape of the rostellar hooks.