0000000000346122
AUTHOR
Arculeo M.
New distributional data on Haemogregarina stepanowi (Apicomplexa) and Placobdella costata (Hirudinea) parasitising the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris (Testudines)
The host-parasite system "Emys trinacris - Placobdella costata - Haemogregarina stepanowi"is known for Sicily, but scarce information is available to date about the distribution of the two parasites P. costata and H. stepanowi on the island. Therefore, an extensive sampling effort through visual census and collection and analysis of blood smears of the endemic Sicilian pond turtle E. trinacris was carried out in 46 water bodies scattered throughout mainland Sicily. Our findings revealed that the distribution of both parasites is limited to the Nebrodi area, where the infection of H. stepanowi has shown a high incidence on the local turtle populations. Our data suggest no correlation between…
Stranding patterns of the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba, Meyen 1833, Delphinidae) along the Sicilian coast (Mediterranean Sea)
Along the coasts of Sicily, 73 striped dolphins strandings were recorded from 2013 to 2016. The specimens were collected at the Centro di Monitoraggio e Controllo per Tartarughe marine e Cetacei [Monitoring and Control Centre for Marine Turtles and Cetaceans] at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia. Subsequent necropsies were performed to determine the cause of death. The date and stranding location were recorded for each specimen. Total body length, weight, sex, and other key biometric measurements were also recorded for fresh and moderately decomposed specimens. The individuals were divided into three life stage categories on the basis of total body length: (1) newborns…
Sicilians are not easily hooked! first assessment of the impact of recreational fishing on the endemic sicilian pond turtle emys trinacris (Testudines, emydidae)
The possible impact of recreational fishing on the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris was investigated in two permanent water bodies in western Sicily (Italy). Overall, 120 specimens were temporarily captured and X-rayed in order to determine the possible presence of fishhooks in their mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract. At the studied sites, none of the Xrayed turtles showed any evidence of ingested fishhooks or other fishing gears, thus suggesting limited impact of recreational fishing. However, the occasional but not negligible findings of E. trinacris specimens injured by fishhooks or entangled in abandoned fishing lines prove the actual existence of such impact, raising some con…
An update of the known distribution and status of Cherax spp. in Italy (Crustacea, Parastacidae)
To date, only two Cherax species have been reported to occur in Italy, i.e., C. destructor Clark, 1936 and C. quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868), both in the wild and in aquaculture farms. Therefore, we aimed to update their current status and distribution in Italian mainland and Sicily. In addition, we investigated the origin of their known populations, and their possible routes of invasion. In order to genetically characterize the Cherax populations occurring in Italian inland waters and aquaculture facilities, the barcode region of the mtDNA gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I was sequenced in the available specimens originating from an aquaculture facility and a museum collection. The sa…