Some like it cold: the glossiphoniid parasites of the Sicilian endemic pond turtle Emys trinacris (Testudines, Emydidae), an example of ‘parasite inertia’?

The freshwater turtles of the genus Emys and some leech species of the family Glossiphoniidae are the only Palaearctic representatives of primarily Nearctic taxa, which jointly colonized Eurasia and the Maghreb during the Miocene. The strict trophic relationships occurring between the glossiphoniid parasite leech Placobdella costata and its host, the emydid Emys orbicularis, make them a prime example of host–parasite cophylogenetic evolution. In the light of the discovery of the Sicilian cryptic endemic species Emys trinacris, which is the sister species to the widespread Palaearctic E. orbicularis, the possible cophylogenetic divergence of the turtle hosts and their leech parasites was inv…

Morphological characterization of the blood cells in the endangered Sicilian endemic pond turtle,Emys trinacris(Testudines: Emydidae)

AbstractIn this study, measurements of morphological parameters, sizes and frequencies of peripheral blood cells (erythrocytes, leukocytes, thrombocytes) on blood smear preparation devices stained with May-Grunwald stain were evaluated for both sexes in 20 Emys trinacris (Testudines: Emydidae) specimens. Erythrocytes were higher in male than in female specimens. The leukocyte of E. trinacris contains eosinophil, basophil, monocyte, heterophil and lymphocyte. The eosinophil was higher in males than in females whereas lymphocytes were higher in females than in males. The erythrocyte morphological parameters (EL [erythrocyte length], EW [erythrocyte width], L/W [length/width], ES [erythrocyte …

The good, the bad and the ugly: Emys trinacris, Placobdella costata and Haemogregarina stepanowi in Sicily (Testudines, Annelida and Apicomplexa)

Endemic Sicilian pond turtles Emys trinacris Fritz, Fattizzo, Guicking, Tripepi, Pennisi, Lenk, Joger et Wink were examined for the presence of haemogregarine parasites. The presence of haemogregarines, occurring mainly in the microgametocyte stage (13.2 ± 0.12 μm in length and 6.4 ± 0.52 μm in width), was observed in approximately 9% of the sampled E. trinacris. Based on the observed morphology and on the sequencing of nuclear 18S rDNA, we identified the parasite as Haemogregarina stepanowi Danilewsky, 1885. Morphometric study of uninfected and infected red blood cells has shown that H. stepanowi induces different changes in erythrocyte shape depending on the infective stage. The different…

Primera liberación de juveniles de mero Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) (Serranidae: Teleostei) cultivados en criadero en arrecifes artificiales en el mar Mediterráneo: resultados de un estudio experimental

A pilot experiment of stock enhancement based on the release of hatchery-reared juveniles of dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, was carried out at two artificial reefs located 0.9 km offshore the south-western Sicilian coast (Central Mediterranean). The fish assemblages inhabiting the reefs were characterized using underwater visual census (UVC) surveys. Despite some differences in fish species richness, diversity and abundance, both artificial reefs provide suitable feeding resources and shelter opportunities for the settlement of dusky grouper juveniles. A total of 95 dusky grouper juveniles, which were 3 and 4 years old, were released. No stress-related effects on fish swimming or be…

Differences in gene flow in a twofold secondary contact zone of pond turtles in southern Italy (Testudines: Emydidae:Emys orbicularis galloitalica,E. o. hellenica,E. trinacris)

Using virtually range-wide sampling for three pond turtle taxa (Emys orbicularis galloitalica, E. o. hellenica, E. trinacris), we analyse gene flow across their southern Italian contact zone. Based on population genetic analyses of 15 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci and a mitochondrial marker, we show that the general genetic pattern matches well with the current taxon delimitation. Yet, single individuals with conflicting genetic identity suggest translocation of turtles by humans. In addition, we identify in south-western France and the vicinity of Rome populations being heavily impacted by introduced turtles. Cline analyses reveal that the major genetic break between E. o. galloit…

The Mediterranean Sea hosts endemic haplotypes and a distinct population of the dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758 (Perciformes, Coryphaenidae)

Abstract The dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758, is an important target species for Mediterranean artisanal, recreational and commercial fisheries but to date only scarce genetic data are available for its Mediterranean population(s). The genetic variation of Mediterranean dolphinfishes was thus investigated through the sequencing of fragments of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) mitochondrial DNA markers with the explicit aims of (i) testing for significant genetic differentiation of the Mediterranean vs . non-Mediterranean populations of the species, and (ii) investigating the possible presence of molecular structuring wi…

First record of the North American cryptic invader Ferrissia fragilis (Tryon, 1863) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in the Middle East

Some gastropod specimens belonging to the planorbid genus Ferrissia were recently collected in Lebanon and in Iraq, where the autochthonous species Ferrissia clessiniana (Jickeli, 1882) is supposed to occur. The molecular identification of collected specimens proved that they belong to the allochthonous species Ferrissia fragilis (Tryon, 1863), the protagonist of a dramatic cryptic invasion which is of interest to the whole of Eurasia. These findings cast further doubts on the actual existence of autochthonous Ferrissia species in the Palaearctic. The need for a molecular characterisation of the topotypical population of F. clessiniana, and for a revision of the Palaearctic Ferrissia specie…

Association of maternal hypertension and chorioamnionitis with preterm outcomes

OBJECTIVES: We compared the relative effect of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and chorioamnionitis on adverse neonatal outcomes in very preterm neonates, and studied whether gestational age (GA) modulates these effects. METHODS: A cohort of neonates 23 to 30 weeks' GA, born in 2008 to 2011 in 82 hospitals adhering to the Italian Neonatal Network, was analyzed. Infants born from mothers who had hypertensive disorders (N = 2096) were compared with those born after chorioamnionitis (N = 1510). Statistical analysis employed logistic models, adjusting for GA, hospital, and potential confounders. RESULTS: Overall mortality was higher after hypertension than after chorioamnionitis (odds rati…

Diversità genetica e pattern filogeografici in Meuremys leprosa (Testudines, Geoemydidae)

Amendment of the type locality of the endemic Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris Fritz et al. 2005, with some notes on the highest altitude reached by the species (Testudines, Emydidae)

The type locality of the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris is here amended, and its correct name and geographical coordinates are provided. The locus typicus of the species lies at 1007 m a.s.l., i.e. nearly 400 m below what previously thought. The updated altitudinal distribution range of the species, based on verified published localities only, is between 0 and 1036 m a.s.l.

Pleistocene diversification in Morocco and recent demographic expansion in the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa

Quaternary climatic oscillations and geographic barriers have strongly influenced the distribution and diversification of thermophilic species occurring in the Mediterranean Basin. The Western Mediterranean pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, is widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and most of the Maghreb region, with two subspecies currently recognized. In this work, we used 566 samples, including 259 new individuals, across the species range, and sequenced two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome b gene and control region; 163 samples in a concatenated mtDNA dataset) and one nuclear intron (R35; 23 samples representing all identified sublineages) to study the evolu…

FILOGEOGRAFIA DELLE TARTARUGHE PALUSTRI PALEARTICO-OCCIDENTALI: Mauremys leprosa ED Emys spp. (TESTUDINES: BATAGURIDAE, EMYDIDAE)

Where are you from, stranger? The enigmatic biogeography of North African pond turtles (Emys orbicularis)

Abstract The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a Nearctic element in the African fauna and thought to have invaded North Africa from the Iberian Peninsula. All North African populations are currently identified with the subspecies E. o. occidentalis. However, a nearly range-wide sampling in North Africa used for analyses of mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA provides evidence that only Moroccan populations belong to this taxon, while eastern Algerian and Tunisian pond turtles represent an undescribed distinct subspecies. These two taxa are most closely related to E. o. galloitalica with a native distribution along the Mediterranean coast of northern Spain through southern France …