ABSTRACT In order to estimate metabolic demands of desert pupfish for conservation purposes, we measured oxygen consumption in fish acclimated to the ecologically relevant temperatures of 28 or 33°C. For these experiments, we used fish derived from a refuge population of Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis). Measurement of routine oxygen consumption (V̇O2,routine) revealed some 33°C-acclimated fish (10% of 295 assayed fish) periodically exhibited periods of no measurable oxygen consumption despite available ambient oxygen tensions that were above the critical PO2. We call this phenomenon paradoxical anaerobism. The longest observed continuous bout with no oxygen consumption was 149 min, although typical bouts were much shorter. Fish maintained normal posture and ventilation rate (>230 ventilations per minute) during paradoxical anaerobism. Fish rarely demonstrated a compensatory increase in oxygen use following a period of paradoxical anaerobism. In contrast, only one out of 262 sampled fish acclimated at 28°C spontaneously demonstrated paradoxical anaerobism. Muscle lactate concentration was not elevated during periods of paradoxical anaerobism. However, the amount of ethanol released by the 33°C-acclimated fish was 7.3 times greater than that released by the 28°C acclimation group, suggesting ethanol may be used as an alternative end product of anaerobic metabolism. Exposure to exogenous ethanol, in concentrations as low as 0.1%, produced periods of paradoxical anaerobism even in 28°C-acclimated fish. Highlighted Article: Pupfish acclimated to warm but ecologically relevant temperatures experience extended periods of anaerobism despite the availability of ambient oxygen.

Paradoxical Anaerobism in Desert Pupfish

The evolutionary biogeography of the Arctic Ocean islands is a relatively little-known topic. The Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, a severe mountain land of glaciers, rocks, Arctic deserts and tundra, is among the most enigmatic places in the world because it was a closed area for more than half a century. Here, we report the results of an integrative study of Bombus glacialis Friese, 1902, which has been described from the archipelago. We found that this island lineage has a high level of mtDNA COI gene divergence and a unique nucleotide substitution in the nDNA EF-1α gene but is a sister taxon of B. lapponicus and B. sylvicola. A redescription of the species using Friese’s syntype and newly collected topotypes from Novaya Zemlya is presented. Our results confirm the species status of B. glacialis from Novaya Zemlya, although its relationships with morphologically similar lineages inhabiting other High Arctic areas (Kolguev Island, Kanin Peninsula and Wrangel Island) should be determined in the future. Overall, new findings highlight that the Arctic Ocean archipelagos could preserve cold-tolerant Quaternary relict lineages of invertebrates, which currently may be on the brink of extinction due to climate warming.

An integrative taxonomic approach confirms the valid status of Bombus glacialis , an endemic bumblebee species of the High Arctic

The High Arctic bumble bee fauna is rather poorly known, while a growing body of recent molecular research indicates that several Arctic species may represent endemic lineages with restricted ranges. Such local endemics are in need of special conservation efforts because of the increasing anthropogenic pressure and climate changes. Here, we re-examine the taxonomic and biogeographic affinities of bumble bees from Novaya Zemlya using historical samples and recently collected materials (1895-1925 vs. 2015-2017). Three bumble bee species inhabit the Yuzhny (Southern) Island and the southern edge of Severny (Northern) Island of this archipelago: Bombusglacialis Friese, 1902, B.hyperboreus Schonherr, 1809, and B.pyrrhopygus Friese, 1902. Bombusglacialis shares three unique COI haplotypes that may indicate its long-term (pre-glacial) persistence on Novaya Zemlya. In contrast, Bombushyperboreus and B.pyrrhopygus share a rather low molecular divergence from mainland populations, with the same or closely related haplotypes as those from Arctic Siberia and Norway. A brief re-description of Bombuspyrrhopygus based on the newly collected topotypes is presented. Habitats, foraging plants and life cycles of bumble bees on Novaya Zemlya are characterized, and possible causes of extremely low bumble bee abundance on the archipelago are discussed. The species-poor bumble bee fauna of Novaya Zemlya is compared with those in other areas throughout the Arctic. The mean bumble bee species richness on the Arctic Ocean islands is three times lower than that in the mainland Arctic areas (3.1 vs. 8.6 species per local fauna, respectively). General linear models (GLMs) indicate that this difference can be explained by specific environmental conditions of insular areas. Our findings highlight that the insularity is a significant factor sharply decreasing species richness in bumble bee assemblages on the Arctic Ocean archipelagoes through colder climate (lower summer temperatures), prevalence of harsh Arctic tundra landscapes with poor foraging resources, and in isolation from the mainland.

Pollinators on the polar edge of the Ecumene: taxonomy, phylogeography, and ecology of bumble bees from Novaya Zemlya.

Fatty acids (FA) of muscle tissue of Salvelinus species and its forms, S. alpinus, S. boganidae, S. drjagini, and S. fontinalis, from six Russian lakes and two aquacultures, were analyzed. Considerable variations in FA compositions and contents were found, including contents of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA), which are important indicators of fish nutritive value for humans. As found, contents of EPA+DHA (mg·g−1 wet weight) in muscle tissue of Salvelinus species and forms varied more than tenfold. These differences were supposed to be primarily determined by phylogenetic factors, rather than ecological factors, including food. Two species, S. boganidae and S. drjagini, had the highest EPA+DHA contents in their biomass and thereby could be recommended as promising species for aquaculture to obtain production with especially high nutritive value. Basing on revealed differences in FA composition of wild and farmed fish, levels of 15-17-BFA (branched fatty acids), 18:2NMI (non-methylene interrupted), 20:2NMI, 20:4n-3, and 22:4n-3 fatty acids were recommended for verifying trade label information of fish products on shelves, as the biomarkers to differentiate wild and farmed charr.

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Fatty Acid Composition and Contents of Fish of Genus Salvelinus from Natural Ecosystems and Aquaculture

Faunistic data are scarce for the Lepidoptera from the Arctic islands of European Russia. New sampling and revision of the earlier findings have revealed the occurrence of 60 species of moths and butterflies on Kolguev, Vaygach and Dolgij Islands and on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The faunas of Kolguev and Dolgij Islands (19 and 18 species, respectively) include typical moths of the northern taiga (Aethes deutschiana, Syricoris lacunana and Xanthorhoe designata), and the low numbers of species discovered on these islands have resulted primarily from low collecting efforts. By contrast, the fauna of Vaygach Island (22 species) is relatively well known and includes several high Arctic species, such as Xestia aequaeva, X. liquidaria and X. lyngei. Nevertheless, Vaygach Island is depauperated even relative to the fauna of Amderma (29 species), which is located on the continent next to the Vaygach Island. The fauna of Novaya Zemlya totals 30 species, but only eight of these were collected from the Northern Island, mostly near Matochkin Shar strait. Noteworthy is the record of Plutella polaris from Novaya Zemlya: this species was recently re-discovered in Svalbard, where the type series was collected in 1873. Udea itysalis, described from North America, is reported here for the first time from Europe. The fauna of the Russian Arctic islands in the Barents Sea is dominated by holarctic species, many of which are confined to tundra habitats. We estimate that some 40–60 moth species remain to be found in this region.

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Moths and butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) of the Russian Arctic islands in the Barents Sea

The polar tiger moth Pararctia subnebulosa (Dyar 1899) (Erebidae: Arctiinae) is one of the few conspicuous and largest Lepidoptera species in the High Arctic. However, the biology and distribution patterns of this remarkable species have not been sufficiently studied. In the present note, we summarize known data for the species localities, provide DNA barcode data and describe the immature stages and a gregarious parasitoid. The species was collected from Kolguev Island, Arctic European Russia, for the first time. This locality is situated 500 km westward from a previously known species recording in the Yugor Peninsula, which substantiates that P. subnebulosa is also a member of the European fauna. DNA barcode data revealed that the Kolguev specimen shares a close haplotype with those from Chukotka at distance ca. 5,000 km. However, a specimen from Canada has a highly divergent haplotype that indicates that the Russian populations are a separate cryptic species, P. tundrana Tshistjakov 1990. We provide the first data for an assessment of the role of Meteorus parasitoid pressure on the imago abundance of P. subnebulosa. Among 87 moth larvae collected from the Yugor Peninsula, only eight larvae (9.2 %) developed into imagoes, and all of the others (79 ind., 90.8 %) were lost due to parasitoid invasion. DNA barcode data show that this parasitoid is a sister to Meteorus acerbiavorus (Braconidae, Euphorinae). Our findings highlight the existence of multiple cryptic refugia in Beringia and an important role of parasitoids in the suppression of Arctic Lepidoptera populations.

The distribution and biology of Pararctia subnebulosa (Dyar, 1899) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), the largest tiger moth species in the High Arctic

Samples from 11 populations of the Arctic char of the North-European part of Russia belonging to the anadromous and resident forms and two samples from Lake Sobach'e (Taimyr) were studied. The nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial COI gene was determined in 60 individuals. In the majority of populations, the same COI haplotype was found. In some populations of the resident chars, haplotypes differing from the widespread haplotype in a single nucleotide substitution were found. The obtained genetic data give no reason to distinguish the resident form of the Arctic char from lakes of Karelia and the Kola Peninsula as an independent species, Salvelinus lepechini. The adaptation of the Arctic char to the unstable environmental conditions is ensured primarily by its phenotypic plasticity.

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Resident and Anadromous Forms of Arctic Charr ( Salvelinus alpinus ) from North-East Europe: An Example of High Ecological Variability without Speciation

V. M. Spitsyn

Papers

The distribution and biology of Pararctia subnebulosa (Dyar, 1899) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), the largest tiger moth species in the High Arctic

Moths and butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) of the Russian Arctic islands in the Barents Sea

Resident and Anadromous Forms of Arctic Charr ( Salvelinus alpinus ) from North-East Europe: An Example of High Ecological Variability without Speciation

New data on bumblebee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Bombus Latr. ) of Vaygach Island and the Yugorsky Peninsula

Endemism of freshwater fish fauna in the geothermal regions: a review of the molecular and biogeographic studies