Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key components of the innate immune system in fish, providing rapid protection against microbial pathogens. Among these, the liver‐expressed antimicrobial peptides (LEAPs), comprising LEAP‐1 (hepcidin; HAMP) and LEAP‐2, play central roles in host defence and iron regulation. In this study, we present an integrated characterisation of the genomic organisation, tissue expression and dietary resp...

Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) farmed in New Zealand are known to develop abnormal spinal curvature late in seawater production. Its cause is presently unknown, but there is evidence to suggest a neuromuscular pathology. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we evaluated the relationship between soft tissue pathology and spinal curvature in farmed Chinook salmon. Regions of interest (ROIs) presenting as patholog...

Monitoring is critical to assess management effectiveness, but broadscale systematic assessments of monitoring to evaluate and improve recovery efforts are lacking. We compiled 1808 time series from 71 threatened and near‐threatened terrestrial and volant mammal species and subspecies in Australia (48% of all threatened mammal taxa) to compare relative trends of populations subject to different management strategies. We adapte...

The significance of the southern Caucasus in understanding Pleistocene hominin expansions is well established. However, the palaeoenvironments in which Palaeolithic occupation of the region took place are presently poorly defined. The Hrazdan river valley, Armenian Highlands, contains a rich Palaeolithic record alongside Middle Pleistocene volcanic, fluvial and lacustrine strata, and thus offer exciting potential for palaeoenv...

Vertebral fusions are an established economic concern in farmed Atlantic salmon, but have not been studied in detail in farmed Chinook salmon. Two radiographic studies of vertebral fusions were performed in farmed Chinook salmon. Sixteen of 1,301 (1.2%) smolt and 201 of 2,636 (7.6%) harvest fish had fusions. There were no significant differences in the number of fused vertebrae/fusion in smolt compared with harvest fish. Secon...

Spinal abnormalities are common in farmed Chinook Salmon in New Zealand. We report spinal abnormalities in adult Chinook salmon which were predominantly hatchery reared and released as smolts and which we term free‐living. We compare these to rates seen in farmed New Zealand salmon. 101 free‐living adult salmon were radiographically assessed for spinal curvatures (lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis; LKS) and other vertebral abnorma...

Summary Chemolithoautotrophic bacteria from the genera Hydrogenovibrio, Thiomicrorhabdus and Thiomicrospira are common, sometimes dominant, isolates from sulfidic habitats including hydrothermal vents, soda and salt lakes and marine sediments. Their genome sequences confirm their membership in a deeply branching clade of the Gammaproteobacteria . Several adaptations to heterogeneous habitats are apparent. Their genomes include...

Spinal abnormalities can be detected at harvest in around 40% of farmed Chinook salmon in New Zealand. However, whether these abnormalities are present in smolt is unknown. Radiographs of 3,736 smolt were taken immediately prior to transfer to sea water and evaluated for fusions, compressions, vertical shifts, and lordosis, kyphosis and/or scoliosis (LKS). The survey included smolt from two different chilling strategies that h...

Skeletal deformities in farmed fish are a recurrent problem. External malformations are easily recognized, but there is little information on how external malformations relate to malformations of the axial skeleton: the external phenotype–skeleton link. Here, this link is studied in post‐hatch to first‐feed life stages of Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) raised at 4, 8 and 12°C. Specimens were whole‐mount‐stained fo...

Aim The main aims of the study were: (1) to investigate the effect of fragment age in relation to other patch‐ and landscape‐scale measures of forest fragmentation, and (2) to assess the relative importance of fragmentation, habitat degradation (i.e. degradation caused by selective logging and past shifting cultivation) and putative pre‐existing species turnover in structuring current land‐snail assemblages. Location South‐wes...

Archaeological excavations at Southfleet Road, Ebbsfleet, Kent, have revealed a complex sequence of fossiliferous Middle Pleistocene sediments containing lithic artefacts. An incomplete skeleton of straight‐tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus was found in lacustrine sediments in close association with a cluster of mint condition cores, flakes and notched flake‐tools, some with evidence of use‐damage. These finds appear to r...