• Title/Summary/Keyword: Feeding Habits

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Feeding Habits of the Glass Eel Anguilla japonica Determined by C and N Stable Isotopes in the Nakdong River Estuary of the Korean Peninsula (안정동위원소를 이용한 낙동강 하구 실뱀장어의 먹이 습성 분석)

  • KIM, JEONG BAE;LEE, WON-CHAN;KIM, HYUNG CHUL;HONG, SOKJIN;PARK, KYEONG DONG
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.36-43
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    • 2016
  • Wild glass eels found in the Korean peninsula are thought to migrate along the North Equatorial Current and undergo the processes of spawning and incubation in the Mariana Trench. Juveniles of the wild glass eels are collected from the southern and western coasts of the Korean peninsula and used as seeds for aquaculture. To investigate the feeding behavior of wild glass eels, we collected glass eels from the Nakdong River estuary during March and April 2014 and analyzed the total length, wet weight, dry weight, carbon and nitrogen contents, and stable isotope ratio of eels as well as water temperature and salinity. Water temperature in the Nakdong River estuary was $13.2{\pm}1.0$ (mean ${\pm}$ 1SE; range, $10.1{\sim}15.7)^{\circ}C$ and salinity was $24.8{\pm}2.4$ (13.2~34.0), showed a lower range from 13.2 to 30.0 (a mean of 21.2) when the floodgates were opened. The total length of glass eels was $56.5{\pm}0.2$ (51.0~63.6) mm, wet weight was $70.9{\pm}1.4$ (33.6~133.2) mg, and dry weight was $16.5{\pm}0.3$ (10.1~29.1) mg. Carbon and nitrogen contents of glass eels were $51.0{\pm}0.8%$ and $13.9{\pm}0.1%$, respectively. Mean ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of glass eels collected from the Nakdong River estuary were -20.9±0.2‰ and 6.1±0.1‰, displaying similar values to those of leptocephalus, glass eel larvae collected from the North Equatorial Current. Therefore, this result suggest that the glass eels collected from the Nakdong River estuary do not feed on prey after metamorphosis from eel larvae to glass eels their migration.

Immunohistochemical study of the gastrointestinal endocrine cells in the Mongolian Gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus (몽골리안 저빌(Meriones unguiculatus)의 위장관 내분비 세포에 대한 면역조직화학적 연구)

  • Lee, Jae-hyun;Lee, Hyeung-sik;Ku, Sae-kwang;Park, Ki-dae;Kim, Kil-soo
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.40 no.4
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    • pp.653-660
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    • 2000
  • In order to study the regional distribution and relative frequency of the immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, the gastrointestinal tract was divided into 9 portions (cardia, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum) and immunostained by immunohistochemical (PAP) method using 8 types of specific antisera against cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, gastrin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide(PP), somatostatin, serotonin, glucagon and insulin. CCK-8-, gastrin-, somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in this study. These immunoreactive cells were found in the gastric gland regions of the pylorus or between parietal and chief cells of the fundus with round to spherical shaped, and in the interepithelial regions of the intestinal tract with spherical to spindle shaped except for jejunum where some of immunoreactive cells were also observed in the intestinal glands with round to spherical shaped. CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus and duodenum with numerous and a few frequency, respectively. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus with numerous frequency. Similar to those of gastrin-immunoreactive cells, somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to pylorus with moderate frequency. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout whole gastrointestinal tract except for cardia and cecum with moderate or numerous frequency. However, no secretin-, PP-, glucagon- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were observed in this study. From these results, the appearance type, regional distribution and relative frequency of immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbils were somewhat lowered or restricted compared to those of other mammals and these differences were might be caused by feeding habits and species specification.

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Ecological Characteristics of Termite(Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis) for Preservation of Wooden Cultural Heritage (목조문화재의 보존을 위한 한국산 흰개미의 생태적 특성 연구)

  • Lee, Kyu-Shik;Jeong, So-Young
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.37
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    • pp.327-348
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    • 2004
  • In this study, after analyzing several local climate characteristics of South Korea, I validated distribution, invasion, foraging, underground activities, attack season as ecological characteristics and also temperature, relative humidity, and tree species as preference characteristics of Korean termites (Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto). Especially, southern part of the Korean peninsula is a suitable area for inhabitation and motion of termites holding same ecological characteristic like R. speratus kyushuensis. Busan is a neighboring district at field distribution north limiting temperature of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Chuncheon is a passing area through the Korean Peninsula of field distribution north limiting temperature of Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe. The termite attack of wood devices was about 34.5% for 3 years in the forest of Jongmyo. Although the attack rate of termite increased each year, the detection rate decreased and the missing rate was high by degrees. I confirmed a foraging habits which is a part of termite colony was a role of continuous decomposition and another was a role of new food hunt as experimental results. The foraging termites were found under ground at Jongmyo in Seoul from April to November in the 2001 and the most active period was on July and August. The termite invasion rate of bait station increased in every monitoring. Through the increasing attack rate of bait station during 2nd monitoring (November, 2000) and 3rd monitoring(March, 2001), I confirmed that termites moved into the deep underground in winter, and were working continuously to forage. R. speratus kyushuensis inhabiting at the Korean Peninsula is a species which has food consumption rate with higher temperature. The termite revealed the greatest amount of food(filter paper) at $30^{\circ}C$(90% RH), but showed increasing death rate at over $32^{\circ}C$. Also, survival rate of this termite was 97% at 84% RH($30^{\circ}C$), but killed 100% at 52% RH($30^{\circ}C$) and 70% RH($30^{\circ}C$). For wood feeding, this was observed the preference in a pine tree(Pinus densiflora) above all others. Survival of termites was high(87%) at a pine tree, but low(13.5%) at a paulownia tree(Paulownia coreana). In this study, I presented the biological characteristic of termite(R. speratus kyushuensis Morimoto) and confirmed the deterioration degree of termite on wooden cultural heritage in Korea. Depending on climate and soil temperature, each area in the southern part of the Korea Peninsula, has some different active period and different distribution of R. speratus kyushensis. With these results, I expect that this report helps to prepare the integrated pest management(IPM) of the termite on wooden cultural heritage in Korea, and it may help to reduce the economical loss from termite damage in Korea.

Ecological Studies of the Field Mouse (들쥐의 生態學的 硏究)

  • Kang, Soo Won
    • The Korean Journal of Zoology
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.57-74
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    • 1971
  • The present investigation has been done to observe the ecological habits of field mice to protect the rice from damages during the growing season in paddy-field and during the storge period. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Of 155 mice captured in the period of April-November 1970, which belong to four genera (Apodemus, Cricetulus, Rattus, and Micromys), 148 mice(95%) were found as striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius coreae). The population density of striped field mouse was revealed by the present study as 55/ha, which is quite a low level compared with that in Japan of 900/ha. 2. The age distribution of the mice as judged by their body weight was found mainly composed of adult and the sex ratio was found to be 1.8 as determined with 147 individuals. The nest was found to be occupied by an adult and was composed of at least three openings and more than one food storage tunnels. The mice usually keep hulled rice rather than unhulled one in storage tunnel. The weight of food found in a nest was about 50 grams on an average. 3. The mice show a most active behaviour 1-2 hours after the sunset, around midnight, and an hour before the sunrise, but they are active even in daytime in order for searching for food and for breeding. 4. The ratio (%) of damage appeared in high stem of sweet corn in August was 30 ~ 40 percent, whereas that in low stem was 80 ~ 90 percent. The weight of spoiled grains in paddy-field was 11, 400gm/0.4ha and this gives an estimate of 349, 695 for whole country. 5. The female striped field mouse weighs average of about 30 grams and gives birth to average of 4.8 younglings which wean away from female mouse three weeks after delivery. 6. The natural enemies to the mice are found to be carnivores (weasel, cat, mountain cat, fox, raccoon, and otter), raptatores(eagle, owl, kete, buzzard), and snakes. Two kinds of field rats(Rattus norvegicus, Cricetulus tritor) are also the predator to the mice. 7. The feeding preference of striped field mice follows in decreasing order of sweet corn, soybean, sweet potatoes, chestnut, and wheat. The mice do not have a preference for barley, millet, rough millet, red bean, and green bean. 8. The starvation experiment, in which water alone was supplied, revealed that the mice in good physical and nutritional conditions survived for 71 ~ 79 hours, whereas those in worse conditions survived for only 32 ~ 39 hours.

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