A Mediterranean Monk Seal Pup on the Apulia coast (Southern Italy): sign of an ongoing recolonisation?

2020

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. This species has been threatened since ancient times by human activities and currently amounts to approximately 700 individuals distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (Aegean and Ionian Sea) and Eastern Atlantic Ocean (Cabo Blanco and Madeira). In other areas, where the species is considered “probably extinct”, an increase in sporadic sightings has been recorded during recent years. Sightings and accidental catches of Mediterranean monk seals have become more frequent in the Adriatic Sea, mainly in Croatia but also along the coasts of Montenegro, Albania and Southern Italy. A Med…

Species identification of the psammophilous tenebrionid beetles Phaleria acuminata Juster, 1852 and Phaleria bimaculata (Linnaeus, 1767) from central…

2013

Dominating global arid environments, from desert to coastal dunes, most Tenebrionidae are highly specific in their habitat preferences and display limited dispersal potential, thus exhibiting a remarkable degree of regional genetic and morphological differentiation. The tenebrionid genus Phaleria is speciose and widely distributed, with P. acuminata and P. bimaculata having a wide Mediterranean distribution, with numerous morphological differentiations at population level, often described as different taxa of doubtful taxonomical significance. In order to investigate the variability of the central Mediterranean populations of P. bimaculata and P. acuminata and to compare the results obtaine…

Seagrass detritus as marine macroinvertebrates attractor

2022

Seagrasses colonise coastal areas worldwide. Despite their high primary production, a considerable proportion becomes detritus that can be used as food, physical habitat and occasional or permanent shelter by several benthic macroinvertebrates. In turn, macroinvertebrates can contribute to regulating seagrass decomposition, and represent an important trophic link between primary producers and higher consumers. Nonetheless, several factors could modify colonizer responses to this habitat. In this study, we tested if colonisation of the seagrass detritus of Zostera noltei Hornemann, 1832 was related to substrate availability rather than food and whether the colonising assemblages were similar…

<p class="HeadingRunIn"><strong>An additional record of <em>Kyphosus vaigiensis</em> (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Osteicht…

2015

The lowfin chub, Kyphosus vaigiensis, is reported for the first time off Favignana Island, Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. The specimen was identified on the basis of morphometric and meristic characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI and 16S-rDNA). Two, perhaps three, Kyphosus species-K. bigibbus, K. sectatrix and K. vaigiensis-have been occasionally recorded in the Mediterranean. These species occur both in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions but it is likely they entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. However, it is unclear whether they have established reproductive native populations in the Mediterranean.

Marine alien species in Italy: A contribution to the implementation of descriptor D2 of the marine strategy framework directive

2019

A re-examination of marine alien species or Non Indigenous Species (NIS) reported in Italian Seas, until December 2018, is provided, focusing on establishment success, year of first record, origin, potential invasiveness, and likely pathways, in particular. Furthermore, their distribution is assessed according to the marine subregions outlined by the European Union (EU) Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Adriatic Sea (ADRIA), Ionian Sea and Central Mediterranean Sea (CMED), and Western Mediterranean Sea (WMED). In Italy, 265 NIS have been detected with the highest number of species being recorded in the CMED (154 species) and the WMED (151 species) subregions, followed by the ADRIA (143) …

The first inventory of birds of prey in sicilian museum collections (Italy)

2020

Natural History Museums are places of scientific dissemination and informal education, and have a fundamental role in scientific research and in preserving the historical heritage of a territory and its biodiversity. The island of Sicily, thanks to its geographic position as an inter-continental bridge in the Mediterranean, presents a notable ornithological diversity, with both sedentary species and species that migrate between Africa and Europe. For this reason, and thanks to a strong hunting tradition, Sicilian collections also depict the avifaunal assemblage historically present in the region, particularly for birds of prey, the group we focus on because of its particular ecological char…

The impact of climate change on Mediterranean intertidal communities: losses in coastal ecosystem integrity and services

2014

As has been shown for other ecosystems, the ecological and socio-economic impacts of climate change on Mediterranean intertidal habitats are highly variable in space and time. We conducted field and laboratory measurements of cellular, ecophysiological and behavioural responses of selected intertidal invertebrates (mussels, gastropods and sponges) and completed a literature review to determine what is known of socioeconomic consequences of these biological changes. Results suggest significant gaps in our knowledge that may impede a complete understanding of likely impacts (physical, biological, and socioeconomic) and that sufficient data for such an analysis is available only for mussels. A…

IN RICORDO DI PIETRO DODERLEIN (2 FEBBRAIO 1809 - 28 MARZO 1895)

2018

Gli autori ripercorrono le diverse fasi della lunga vita di Pietro Doderlein, che fu professore di zoologia prima a Modena (1839-1862) e poi a Palermo (1862-1894), appena dopo l’unificazione dell’Italia; a Modena contribuì notevolmente ad incrementare il museo di storia naturale dell’Università, a Palermo invece lo fondò di sana pianta e ne fece una struttura così ricca di esemplari da essere ancora oggi un riferimento importante a livello internazionale. Alla sua morte, nel 1895, lasciò una gran quantità di appunti che dimostravano che studiò tanto, scrisse molto, ma pubblicò poco. Grazie a molte carte inedite, custodite nell’Archivio Storico dell’Ateneo di Palermo, è stato possibile scopr…

Genetic and morphometric variations of Mediterranean hake,Merluccius merluccius,in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean): Implications for sto…

2004

Allozyme, morphometric and growth analyses were applied to samples collected in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea) to test the hypothesis of the existence of a unique hake stock (Merluccius merluccius) in the study area. The level of genetic variation was detected from five polymorphic loci (ADH*, PGI-1; PGI-2*, PGM', SOD-1*). The average observed heterozygosity amounted to 0.421, while the average expected was 0.353. Weir & Cockerham statistics showed no heterogeneity, except for the single PGP locus (9 = 0.011; P 0.05). Morphometric analyses revealed some differentiation. Females showed different relationships in six out of eight morphometric indices with total length, while…

Population structure of Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fisher, 1870) (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in the Mediterranean Sea, and evolution of a novel mtDNA polym…

2006

Abstract Brachidontes pharaonis (Fisher P, 1870) is an Indo-Pacific mussel that has colonized the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Mussels may have migrated by natural dispersal of pelagic larvae, or they may have been transported on the hulls of ships, or in ballast water, or by some combination of these. Mitochondrial COI sequences (618 bp) from 101 mussels from six localities in the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea and from one site in the Red Sea were used to describe population structure. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that frequencies differed among populations, and that 92% of the variation resided within populations. The majority of haplotypes were private allele…

Further investigations on populations of the deep-water blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) (Decapoda, Dendrobranchiata), as inferr…

2012

The aim of this study was to integrate existing mitochondrial DNA data relating to the deep-sea blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) with data obtained by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP). A total of 145 AFLP polymorphic loci were scored in 236 specimens collected from one Atlantic and seven Mediterranean sample sites. AMOVA results revealed that the overall genetic variation among-populations was lower (11.81%) than within-populations (88.19%). The genetic variation between the Atlantic and Mediterranean samples was found to be not significant ( Φ CT = − 0 . 007 ; N.S.), indicating that the transition area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea d…

GHOST NETS AS SUBSTRATE FOR MARINE INVERTEBRATES

Small-scale patches of detritus as habitat for invertebrates within a Zostera noltei meadow

2021

Abstract Seagrass detritus can attract numerous invertebrates as it provides food and substrate within the meadow or in adjacent environments. Nonetheless, several factors could modify the invertebrate response to this habitat. In this study, we tested if epifaunal colonisation of Zostera noltei detritus was related to substrate availability rather than food and whether colonising assemblages were similar according to the meadow structural complexity. Litterbags filled with natural or artificial detritus were deployed within an eelgrass meadow in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Thau lagoon, France). Colonisation appeared to be driven by the presence of detritus, with similar assemblages in …

Two new Mediterranean Stenothoe (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from the coast of Israel

2015

Within collections along the Mediterranean coast of Israel, two new species ofStenothoe(Amphipoda) were found. They were found to be living on sand or mud and probably licking the surface of grains.

The morphological diversity within a species can obscure the correct identification

2022

Critical points of various diagnostic characters and a paucity of information relating to the geographical distribution of several marine species can hinder real species delimitation, particularly if they are supposed to be cosmopolitan. Such constraints characterize many amphipod species and are mainly due to the variation in morphological characters during growth. Specifically, the benthic filter-feeding corophiid Cheiriphotis mediterranea Myers, 1983 displays different shapes for the male gnathopod 2 as it grows. This variation has hitherto never been described but an extensive sampling has provided us with the opportunity of studying it in detail. More than six thousand individuals, bel…

Progress on bringing together raptor collections in Europe for contaminant research and monitoring in relation to chemicals regulation.

2019

Paola Movalli et al.

The Case of a Rudderfish Highlights the Role of Natural History Museums as Sentinels of Bio-invasions

2017

In September 2013 fishermen captured a rudderfish—Kyphosus vaigiensis—off Favignana Island, one of the islands of the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA) in western Sicily (Mannino et al., 2015). This species is rarely sampled in the Mediterranean Sea. 

<strong><em>Grandidierella</em> <em>bonnieroides</em> Stephensen, 1948 (Amphipoda, Aoridae)—first record of an establis…

2016

The first record in the Mediterranean Sea of the invasive aorid amphipod crustacean Grandidierella bonnieroides is presented. A widespread circumtropical species, recorded off the Saudi coast of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, it may have been introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. This tube-builder species of soft bottoms recently established a population in the polluted Haifa Bay, Israel. Further, this is the first Mediterranean record of the genus.

DNA barcoding for species assignment: the case of Mediterranean marine fishes

2014

Background: DNA barcoding enhances the prospects for species-level identifications globally using a standardized and authenticated DNA-based approach. Reference libraries comprising validated DNA barcodes (COI) constitute robust datasets for testing query sequences, providing considerable utility to identify marine fish and other organisms. Here we test the feasibility of using DNA barcoding to assign species to tissue samples from fish collected in the central Mediterranean Sea, a major contributor to the European marine ichthyofaunal diversity. Methodology/Principal Findings: A dataset of 1278 DNA barcodes, representing 218 marine fish species, was used to test the utility of DNA barcodes…

Reducing the data-deficiency of threatened European habitats: Spatial variation of sabellariid worm reefs and associated fauna in the Sicily Channel,…

2017

Biogenic reefs, such as those produced by tube-dwelling polychaetes of the genus Sabellaria, are valuable marine habitats which are a focus of protection according to European legislation. The achievement of this goal is potentially hindered by the lack of essential empirical data, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. This study addresses some of the current knowledge gaps by quantifying and comparing multi-scale patterns of abundance and distribution of two habitat-forming species (Sabellaria alveolata and S. spinulosa) and their associated fauna along 190 km of coast on the Italian side of the Sicily Channel. While the abundance of the two sabellariids and the total number of associated t…

The role of natural science collections in the biomonitoring of environmental contaminants in apex predators in support of the EU’s zero pollution am…

2022

Movalli, Paola et al.

Epinephelus sicanus (Doderlein, 1882) (Perciformes: Serranidae: Epinephelinae), a valid species of grouper from the Mediterranean Sea

2020

During the editing of the paper “In memory of Pietro Doderlein” (Massa et al. 2018), consulting Doderlein’s bibliography, and highlighting some interesting documents and the material preserved in the Museum of Zoology of the University of Palermo (MZPA) (today named after Doderlein), a taxonomic anomaly was noticed about a grouper collected more than one hundred years ago. The aim of the present statement is to prove that the name Cerna sicana Doderlein, 1882 (presently as Epinephelus sicanus [Doderlein, 1882]) should be considered a valid species unless it is demonstrated that it is a synonym of another valid species. In 1882 Doderlein described Cerna sicana from a single specimen (Fig. 1)…

Checklist of the Mammal Collection Preserved at the University of Palermo under the Framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center

2023

The latest reorganization of the Vertebrate collections preserved at the “Pietro Doderlein” Museum of Zoology of the University of Palermo (Italy) has made it possible to draw up a check-list of the Mammal taxa present in the stuffed (M), fluid-preserved (ML) and anatomical (AN) collections. The intervention was planned under the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) agenda, focused on the enhancement of Italian natural history museums. The growing interest in museum collections strongly demands databases available to the academic and policy world. In this paper, we record 679 specimens belonging to 157 specific taxa arranged in 58 families and 16 orders. Most of the species (75.1%) co…

Cryptic invasion in Southern Europe: The case of Ferrissia fragilis (Pulmonata: Ancylidae) Mediterranean populations

2011

Four populations of the North American ancylid gastropod Ferrissia fragilis have been found in Southern Italy, thus expanding the known Eurasian distribution range of this invasive gastropod to the Mediterranean area. Both mitochondrial markers used for the molecular identification of the sampled specimens (16S and COI) showed a modest to absent haplotypic diversity in the studied Ferrissia populations from Europe and Asia, and their perfect identity with some of the haplotypes observed in North American F. fragilis populations. In the light of the scarce molecular diversity observed in the whole Palaearctic area and of the growing evidences for the ongoing spreading of the species in Europ…

Geometric morphometry supports a taxonomic revision of the Mediterranean Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana (Spence Bate, 1857) (Amphipoda, Bathyporeiidae)

2013

Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana (Spence Bate, 1857) specimens collected in the Levantine Basin of the Mediterranean Sea displayed polymorphism in some characters. More than 100 specimens were examined and their intra-specific variation in the shape of the third epimeral plate analysed and quantified. The morphometric geometry methodology is used to assess the ‘cryptic’ variation in shape which may obscure identification. The results support the assignment of sunnivae and megalops to morphotypes of B. guilliamsoniana sensu d’Udekem d’Acoz & Vader (2005).

New records of amphipod crustaceans along the Israeli Mediterranean coast, including a rare Mediterranean endemic species, Maera schieckei Karaman & …

2020

A survey has been carried out at four Israeli rocky sites to evaluate the diversity of the amphipod fauna on various hard substrates, still scarcely monitored, as potential pabulum for amphipod crustacean species. A survey of shallow rocky reefs along the Mediterranean coast of Israel recovered 28 species and integrated the Amphipoda checklist for the country ofIsrael with 12 newly-recorded species. Such renewed national list includes Maera schieckei Karaman & Ruffo, 1971, a rare species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, recorded here for the first time from the southern Levant Basin. The species, described from specimens collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea in 1970, has been only record…

Two seas, two lineages: How genetic diversity is structured in Atlantic and Mediterranean greater amberjack Seriola dumerili Risso, 1810 (Perciformes…

2016

The vastness of the ocean and our limited ability to observe and monitor the organisms therein make molecular markers particularly useful tools in the investigation of the ecology and evolutionary biology of fish. Nowadays, due to increased demand of fish foods, genetic researches are focused on new candidate species for aquaculture, such as Seriola species. Here, the analyses of eight polymorphic nuclear microsatellites loci and three mitochondrial (mt) DNA genes (16S-rRNA, Cyt-b, and D-Loop) in the greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili, detected breakpoint between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations, presumably arisen by the oceanographic features of the Almeria-Oran Front opposed to the…

Overlooked cryptic endemism in copepods: Systematics and natural history of the calanoid subgenus Occidodiaptomus Borutzky 1991 (Copepoda, Calanoida,…

2012

Abstract Our comprehension of the phylogeny and diversity of most inland–water crustaceans is currently hampered by their pronounced morphological bradytely, which contributed to the affirmation of the “Cosmopolitanism Paradigm” of freshwater taxa. However, growing evidence of the existence of cryptic diversity and molecular regionalism is available for calanoid copepods, thus stressing the need for careful morphological and molecular studies in order to soundly investigate the systematics, diversity and distribution patterns of the group. Diaptomid copepods were here chosen as model taxa, and the morphological and molecular diversity of the species belonging to the west-Mediterranean diapt…

First record of Hemidiaptomus (Gigantodiaptomus) superbus (Schmeil, 1895) in Italy, with notes on distribution and conservation status (Copepoda, Cal…

2011

Hemidiaptomus (Gigantodiaptomus) superbus (Schmeil, 1895) was found in a temporary pool in the Pineta di Classe coastal pine-wood (Ravenna, northern Italy). This is the first official record of a species belonging to the subgenus Gigantodiaptomus of Italian fauna, and it widens the known distribution of this rare diaptomid to the Mediterranean basin. In order to supply data on this rare and poorly known species, original drawings for the Italian population have been provided, and some overlooked morphological features have been highlighted. In light of the growing evidence of the existence of a number of cryptic species in the Diaptomidae family, and considering the variability observed in …

Dal mare al museo. Il recupero di uno scheletro di stenella striata, Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen 1833)

2022

In 2021, the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein” of the University of Palermo acquired a new specimen, the complete skeleton of Stenella coeruleoalba, a striped dolphin stranded in 2018 in Marinella di Selinunte, Castelvetrano (Sicily, Southern Italy). The project herein described is the result of a collaboration among the Bio-Reconstruction Laboratory of the IAS-CNR of Capo Granitola, the IZS of Palermo, the company Naturaliter and the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein”. In Natural History Museums, cetaceans are an excellent tool to facilitate scientific dissemination aimed at the conservation of marine biodiversity. The work herein described is presented as an example of good practices in reco…

Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African…

2008

19 páginas, 6 figuras y 3 tables

Improving the conservation of Mediterranean Chondrichthyans : the ELASMOMED DNA barcode reference library

2017

Cartilaginous fish are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors and environmental change because of their K-selected reproductive strategy. Accurate data from scientific surveys and landings are essential to assess conservation status and to develop robust protection and management plans. Currently available data are often incomplete or incorrect as a result of inaccurate species identifications, due to a high level of morphological stasis, especially among closely related taxa. Moreover, several diagnostic characters clearly visible in adult specimens are less evident in juveniles. Here we present results generated by the ELASMOMED Consortium, a regional network aiming to sample …

New contribution to the systematic status of various Mediterranean scorpionfish, as inferred from a mitochondrial DNA sequence.

2014

This study investigated the molecular phylogeny of 6 Mediterranean species of scorpionfish, belonging to the Scorpaenidae and Sebastidae family. Neighbor-Joining and Maximum Parsimony phylogenetic analyse, based on 424 base pairs of partial mitochondrial DNA sequences of the 12S-rRNA gene, revealed 2 main clades. One clade is represented by the Scorpaena genera (with the species S. notata, S. porcus, and S. scrofa) and another clade consists of the genera Helicolenus, Pterois, and Scorpaenodes. The molecular phylogeny showed that the Scorpaenodes genus (sub-family Scorpaeninae) is found within the clade of the species belonging to the other two sub-families (Pteroninae and Sebastinae). This…

Taxidermal Preparations of an Extinct Sicilian Wolf Population (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758): Biological Studies and Restoration

2022

In last decades, biotechnologies have enabled a deep development of knowledge in all fields of life sciences, allowing the collection of a wide range of data. Furthermore, the relationship between scientific investigations and conservation actions of cultural heritage is increasingly consolidated and now it is one of the peculiar points both for sustainable restoration and use of the cultural asset, also evaluating the cultural assets as source of biological information. In this study, Sicilian wolf (Canis lupus) specimens conserved in Sicilian Natural Museums, become a source of biological information on Sicilian biodiversity, establishing specific conservative protocol developed cooperati…

Allozymic variation in Mediterranean hake, Merluccius merluccius (Gadidae)

1998

Abstract Four hundred and twenty individual hake from 10 sample sites in the Mediterranean Sea were analysed in order to study genetic variability and identify genetic stock structure. Twenty loci were identified, four of which were polymorphic at the 95% level: ADH*, PGI‐1*, PGI‐2* and SOD‐1*. Average observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.084 and 0.090, respectively. PG1–1* deviated from Hardy‐Weinberg expectations due to an excess of heterozygotes and F‐statistic analysis showed also a significant excess of heterozygosity at SOD‐1*. FST was not significant for each locus except for PGI‐2*, where a single sample from the Channel of Sicily (C5) showed a different pattern in allelic fr…

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

2017

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…

Assessment of the Sabellaria alveolata reefs’ structural features along the Southern coast of Sicily (Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea)

2022

The honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata is a gregarious tube-dwelling polychaete that builds remarkable biogenic reefs in marine coastal waters. Sabellaria alveolata reefs are considered valuable marine habitats requiring protection measures for their conservation, as they play a key role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems. Sabellarid reefs are extensively developed along the Atlantic coasts of Europe and reported for the Mediterranean Sea and the Italian coasts, where large reefs have been recorded in several localities. Fragmentary information is available on their health status, Sabellaria reefs thus being listed as “Data Deficient” in the Red List of Marine Habitats. To fill this …

Molecular evidence for the presence of cryptic evolutionary lineages in the freshwater copepod genus Hemidiaptomus G.O. Sars, 1903 (Calanoida, Diapto…

2010

The pattern of morphological and mtDNA cytochrome b diversity of three calanoid copepod species belonging to the diaptomid genus Hemidiaptomus has been investigated with the aim of checking the reliability of the morphological characters currently used for species identification, and the possible presence of cryptic taxa. A sharply different molecular structuring has been observed in the studied species: while Hemidiaptomus amblyodon exhibits a remarkable constancy throughout the European range of its distribution area (maximum inter-populations cytochrome b divergence of 3%), observed distances between presumed conspecific lineages of Hemidiaptomus gurneyi (maximum divergence of 21.5%) and…

Climate change and population genetic structure of marine species

2011

Climate change influences populations by reducing or extirpating local populations, by disrupting patterns of migration and by shifting geographical distributions. These events can affect genetic population structure in several ways. Molecular markers have been used in numerous population genetic and phylogeographical studies of marine species and have detected population responses to climate change in the last few decades, such as range expansions, adaptative shifts and declines or increases in abundance. Little is known, however, about the molecular and physiological basis of adaptive responses to climate change in marine Mediterranean species. The Mediterranean Sea ecosystem is a ‘living…

Italian Peninsula preserves an evolutionary lineage of the fat dormouse Glis glis L. (Rodentia: Gliridae)

2010

The present study examines the population genetic structure of fifty-nine specimens of Glis glis (Linneaus, 1766) from thirteen localities in central Europe, sequencing a 400-bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene and a 673-bp segment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The consensus tree obtained from Bayesian analysis revealed a robust dichotomy, showing two sister groups: one clade includes samples from a wide geographical area, extending from north-central Europe to northern Italy (major branch sensu Bilton), and the other comprises samples collected in central and southern Italy and in Sicily (Italian branch). According to the Tajima–Nei model, the two …

Environmental features of deep-sea habitats linked to the genetic population structure of a crustacean species in the Mediterranean Sea

2009

The deep-sea habitat, from 200 to 2000 m depth, has long been thought as an ecosystem where biotic and abiotic factors vary very little and consequently species are not disturbed by processes and phenomena which could promote fast evolutionary mechanisms. Unfortunately, biological information relating to deep water is limited, especially regarding the population genetics of species inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea, and general patterns cannot be inferred. In this study we report data on the population genetic structure of Aristeus antennatus, a deep-sea decapod crustacean species which has been widely studied due to its important economic value. We surveyed and examined the variation in a 3…

Museomics Provides Insights into Conservation and Education:The Instance of an African Lion Specimen from the Museum of Zoology “Pietro Doderlein”

2023

Innovative technological approaches are crucial to enhance naturalistic museum collections and develop information repositories of relevant interest to science, such as threatened animal taxa. In this context, museomics is an emerging discipline that provides a novel approach to the enhancement and exploitation of these collections. In the present study, the discovery of a neglected lion skeleton in the Museum of Zoology “Pietro Doderlein” of the University of Palermo (Italy) offered the opportunity to undertake a multidisciplinary project. The aims of the study consisted of the following: (i) adding useful information for museographic strategies, (ii) obtaining a new genetic data repositor…

Overlapping patterns of morphometric and genetic differentiation in the Mediterranean goby Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller, 1968 (Perciformes, Gobii…

2012

Abstract. The genetic and morphological variations of Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller, 1968 were studied in samples collected from three Tunisian lagoons. The morphological analysis included 18 morphometric measurements and was based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA), whereas the genetic analysis was based on the 16S-rRNA and COI mitochondrial genes. Both analyses differentiated the populations and demonstrated consistently a well-supported differentiation between the western Mediterranean samples (Bizerta and Tunis South lagoons) and the eastern Mediterranean sample (El Bibane lagoon). The observed differentiation could be explained in terms of the geographic isolation of the various …

Genetic architecture of the marbled goby Pomatoschistus marmoratus (Perciformes, Gobiidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

2011

The marbled goby Pomatoschistus marmoratus, a species inhabiting coastal Mediterranean lagoons, has been studied by measuring its mitochondrial DNA variation. This analysis revealed a Mediterranean west vs east split and, subsequently, an eastern differentiation among the Libyan–Tunisian Gulf, the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea. The high cohesion between the samples collected in the vast area of western Mediterranean contrasts with the genetic mosaic of the more sub-structured eastern Mediterranean. This western homogeneity can not yet be fully explained even if a human-mediated migratory flow, due to a maritime traffic, has been posited. The pattern in the eastern basin revealed a genetic…

Foreword to the special issue "new frontiers for monitoring European biodiversity: The role and importance of amphipod crustaceans"

2013

The Revision of the Crustacea Collection of the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein” under the Framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center

2023

The collection of Crustacea preserved in the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein” in Palermo (Italy) has been revised in the framework of the activities of the National Biodiversity Future Center. The main part of the collection is composed of Decapoda, while a smaller part includes Stomatopoda, Isopoda, Amphipoda, and Cirripedia. Overall the collection includes common species, some of which are now protected.

The Portuguese Man-of-War Has Always Entered the Mediterranean Sea—Strandings, Sightings, and Museum Collections

2022

A search of records from different kinds of sources namely, scientific and grey literature, social media, and zoological museum collections, has been carried out to review the incidence of Physalia physalis (Linnaeus, 1758), the Portuguese man-of-war, in the Mediterranean Sea. The temporal frame of the records, considered valid if documented with images or collected specimens, ranged from the second half of the eighteenth century to the year 2021. Thanks to colonies preserved in some Italian historical museum collections, originating from the western basin, it was possible to date the putative first documented record of P. physalis of the Mediterranean Sea in 1850. The dataset shows some ma…

Historical and current diversity patterns of mediterranean marine species

2021

In this issue, the biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea has been described at a synchronic and a diachronic level, highlighting the past two centuries for which museum collections can provide overlooked information. Historical records are preserved for the major marine taxa, knowledge of which would greatly benefit from employing specimens and data collected in the past. All of the articles review the current status of the marine diversity of species belonging to several taxonomic groups (seagrasses, macroalgae, sponges, polychaetes, bivalves, sharks, fishes, mammals) and explore the ecological and conservation implications of some of the most threatened ones.

Commercial sharks under scrutiny: Baseline genetic distinctiveness supports structured populations of small-spotted catsharks in the Mediterranean Sea

2023

The present study, based on microsatellite markers, describes a population genetic analysis of the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758), representing one of the most abundant and commonly caught cartilaginous fishes in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent areas. The analyses were performed to unravel the genetic features (variability, connectivity, sex-biased dispersal) of their relative geographic populations, both at the small (around the coast of Sardinia, Western Mediterranean Sea) and at a larger spatial scale (pan-Mediterranean level and between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea). Individual clustering, multivariate and variance analyses rejected the …

Morphological variability in and distributional data on phaleria bimaculata populations from islands of the central mediterranean area

2011

This study aimed to collect new taxonomic and distribution data on Phaleria bimaculata (L.) (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) from Sicily (southern Italy), the circum-Sicilian islands and the Maltese archipelago. Particular attention was paid to the diagnostic morphological features observed in the populations sampled, focusing on the subspecies Phaleria bimaculata marcuzzii Aliquò. P. bimaculata individuals were collected from 20 different locations, of which 2 were located in the Sicilian mainland, 9 in circum-Sicilian islands and 9 in the Maltese Islands. In addition, four Phaleria acuminata Kuster populations were also recorded along southern Sicilian shores. The two Phaleria species were neve…

Cetacean strandings and museum collections: A focus on Sicily island crossroads for mediterranean species

2021

The study examined the extent of the cetacean strandings in Italy, with a particular focus on Sicily Island. The paper aimed to contribute to the description of a pattern that contemplates the “regular and rare” cetacean species passage along the Sicilian coast. The estimate of marine cetacean strandings was extrapolated from the National Strandings Data Bank (BDS—Banca Dati Spiaggiamenti) and evaluated according to a subdivision in three coastal subregions: the Tyrrhenian sub-basin (northern Sicilian coast), the Ionian sub-basin (eastern Sicilian coast), and the Channel of Sicily (southern Sicilian coast). Along the Italian coast, more than 4880 stranding events have been counted in the pe…

Parhyale plumicornis (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalidae): is this an anti-lessepsian Mediterranean species? Morphological remarks, molecular markers and…

2016

Hyalid amphipods living in coastal marine habitats are frequently included in ecological studies. The systematics of this taxon has been subject to profound changes, with an emphasis on the North Pacific fauna. Since a proper species delimitation is a prerequisite in taxonomic and ecological studies, Parhyale plumicornis (Heller, 1866) has been herein re-described, showing the criticisms and mismatches of various characters, which were previously used in dichotomous keys. This species was collected for the first time off the western coast of Sicily Island (Italy: central Mediterranean Sea). The male is peculiar, due to the second antennae heavily setose posteriorly and bearing long tufts of…

Genetic variability of the blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus in the Western Mediterranean Sea inferred by DNA microsatellite loci

2011

Genetic variation at eight microsatellite loci was studied in nine populations of the blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus to investigate whether distinct stocks are present in the Western Mediterranean Sea. A high level of gene flow and no evidence of genetic partitioning were discovered. No significant variation was found (FST = 0.00673, P-value = 0.067) even when shrimps from exploited and those from deep-water unexploited grounds were compared. No evidence of reduction or expansion of population size in the recent past was found, as indicated by the bottleneck and interlocus g-tests. Our results are consistent with previous studies using mitochondrial gene methods and allozymes, indi…

The invasive seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis erodes the habitat structure and biodiversity of native algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea

2021

Abstract Invasive seaweeds are listed among the most relevant threats to marine ecosystems worldwide. Biodiversity hotspots, such as the Mediterranean Sea, are facing multiple invasions and are expected to be severely affected by the introduction of new non-native seaweeds in the near future. In this study, we evaluated the consequences of the shift from the native Ericaria brachycarpa to the invasive Asparagopsis taxiformis habitat on the shallow rocky shores of Favignana Island (Egadi Islands, MPA, Sicily, Italy). We compared algal biomass and species composition and structure of the associated epifaunal assemblages in homogenous and mixed stands of E. brachycarpa and A. taxiformis. The r…

Re-description of Orchestia stephenseni Cecchini, 1928: designation of neotype and senior synonym to Orchestia constricta A. Costa, 1853 (Crustacea: …

2016

The beach flea Orchestia stephenseni was originally described by Cecchini (1928), and successively by Karaman (1973). The description of this species will be herein revised by focusing on the variation of the g nathopod 2 in males, as detected during its growth period. An analysis of DNA Barcoding was performed to support the assignment of the taxonomic species to five morphotypes. As the type specimen has not yet been designated, a neotype is assigned. The name of the species is here presented as a valid name as it satisfies the requirements of a Reversal of the Principle of Priority: Orchestia stephenseni takes precedence over the objective synonym Orchestia constricta A. Costa, 1853, in …

First Assessment of Plasticizers in Marine Coastal Litter-Feeder Fauna in the Mediterranean Sea

2021

Micro and nanoplastics are harmful to marine life due to their high level of fragmentation and resistance to degradation. Over the past two decades, marine coastal sediment has shown an increasing amount of microplastics being a sort of trap for debris wastes or chemicals. In such an environment some species may be successful candidates to be used as monitors of environmental and health hazards and can be considered a mirror of threats of natural habitats. Such species play a key role in the food web of littoral systems since they are litter-feeders, and are prey for fishes or higher trophic level species. A preliminary investigation was conducted on five species of small-sized amphipod cru…

A taxonomic revision helps to clarify differences between the Atlantic invasive Ptilohyale littoralis and the Mediterranean endemic Parhyale plumicor…

2018

Ptilohyaleexplorator (formerly Parhyaleexplorator), described by Arresti (1989), can be considered to be a synonym of west-Atlantic Ptilohyalelittoralis (Stimpson, 1853), based on morphological observations of paratypes and specimens recently collected in the type locality of Ptilohyaleexplorator. The first collections of Ptilohyalelittoralis, from the eastern Atlantic were from the port of Rotterdam (The Netherlands) in 2009 and later in Wimereux, Opal Coast (France) in 2014; however, the synonymy of Ptilohyaleexplorator with Ptilohyalelittoralis backdates to the first European record of Ptilohyalelittoralis in 1985 at La Vigne, Bay of Arcachon (France). This indicates that Ptilohyalelitto…

A finding at the Natural History Museum of Florence affords the holotype designation of Orchestia stephenseni Cecchini, 1928 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: T…

2017

The beach flea Orchestia stephenseni has been originally described by Cecchini twice (1928, 1929) from the La Spezia type locality (northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), and successively re-described by Karaman (1973) and Iaciofano & Lo Brutto (2016). 

Characterization of Intertidal Macrofaunal Communities of Two Sandy Beaches under Different Anthropogenic Pressures

2022

The macrofauna in the intertidal zone of sandy beaches provides the trophic connectivity between land and sea, by linking microbiome, meiofauna, and megafauna, representing a food source for several terrestrial animals, including shorebirds and mammals. However, the macrozoobenthos in urbanised beaches is subjected to intense disturbances, such as breakwater barriers and tourism, which limit or impede the energy transfer from the marine to the terrestrial habitats. Because the information about diversity and abundance of the macrozoobenthos of the intertidal zone on the Mediterranean sandy coasts is scant, the main objective of this study is to increase the knowledge on the macrofauna livin…

Microsatellite analysis of red mullet Mullus barbatus (Perciformes, Mullidae) reveals the isolation of the Adriatic Basin in the Mediterranean Sea

2009

AbstractMaggio, T., Lo Brutto, S., Garoia, F., Tinti, F., and Arculeo, M. 2009. Microsatellite analysis of red mullet Mullus barbatus (Perciformes, Mullidae) reveals the isolation of the Adriatic Basin in the Mediterranean Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1883–1891. The red mullet Mullus barbatus is commercially one of the most important demersal fish resources in the Mediterranean. Molecular data on its genetic population structure throughout the Mediterranean are reported. Six microsatellite loci displayed a high degree of expected heterozygosity and a high allele number per locus. The Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium test revealed an overall tendency towards heterozygote deficiency, …

Effect of different packaging methods on the free amino acid profiles of the deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) during frozen storage

2022

The composition of free amino acids (FAAs) in seafood products contributes to characterizing their flavor, as well as freshness and quality during storage. Deep-water rose shrimps (Parapenaues longirostris, Lucas, 1846) (DWRS) are being increasingly harvested in the Mediterranean Sea, and the captured specimens are quickly frozen onboard fishing trawlers to preserve freshness and post-harvest quality. Here, we quantified the FAA profiles of DWRS packaged using five methods: (1) 100% N2; (2) vacuum; (3) 50% N2 + 50% CO2; (4) commercial anhydrous sodium sulfite; and (5) air (control). All samples were quickly frozen at −35°C and stored for 12 months at −18°C. Arginine (661 mg/100 g), proline …

A study on Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller 1968 (Perciformes, Gobiidae) reveals the Siculo-Tunisian Strait (STS) as a breakpoint to gene flow in the…

2009

The current genetic structure of P. tortonesei, exclusively inhabiting lagoons, may reflect a Plio-Pleistocene colonisation of an ancestor line which has undergone phases of population decline and expansion, following alternate cooling phases. Regarding the calculation of divergence time, it has been estimated that P. tortonesei seems to be the most recent species within the Pomatoschistus genus. It appears also that the discrepancy of P. tortonesei into two distinct phyletic lineages occurred 0.1 Mya. Recurring shifts in sea level and sea surface temperatures of Mediterranean Sea caused the desiccation of shallower lagoons and the consequent bottleneck phenomena of the brackish populations…

La Caravella portoghese abita il Mediterraneo da sempre, anche se non lo sapevamo

2022

LA NUOVA DIREZIONE DEL MUSEO DI ZOOLOGIA “P. DODERLEIN”

2017

Presentazione del Museo di Zoologia "P. Doderlein" dell'Università degli Studi di Palermo

"Pietro Doderlein" Museo di zoologia

2022

Quando i sacchetti di plastica sono utili allo studio della biologia marina

2022

Un network italiano di Anfipodologi

2018

Attività e potenzialità del Network Italiano di Anfipodologi

RESOCONTO DEL 17TH INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON AMPHIPODA - UNIVERSITÀ DI PALERMO, SEDE DECENTRATA DI TRAPANI, 4-7 SETTEMBRE 2017

2017

Temi affrontati nel 17° Congresso internazionale sugli Anfipodi

Non chiamatele pulci di mare, sono Anfipodi!

2022

Dal mare al museo: quando lo spiaggiamento di un cetaceo diventa divulgazione scientifica

2022

Genetic diversity data from Salmo trutta collected in Macedonia

2007

Aspetti biologici di Parapenaeus longirostris (Crustacea, Decapoda) nella Sicilia nord occidentale.

2007

Genetic Variability of Mediterranean Sea red mullet Mullus barbatus (Pisces, Mullidae)

1999

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DATI PRELIMINARI SULLA STRUTTURA DI POPOLAZIONE DI TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS (CETACEA: ODONTOCETA) NELL'ALTO TIRRENO

2008

Diversità ed endemismo nel sottogenere Occidodiaptomus, tra conservatorismo morfologico ed evoluzione molecolare (Copepoda: Calanoida: Diaptomidae, g…

2011

Primi dati di Morfometria Geometrica di Phaleria bimaculata (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) nella zona del Mediterraneo centrale.

2011

Morphometric diversity of the mussel Brachidontes pharaonis in different coastal environments

2010

In the debate on how and why biodiversity evolves spatially and temporally and in an attempt to assess the further effects of anthropogenic activities, the ability of marine invertebrate to express a large spectrum of phenotypical plasticity can have a central role. The ability of a single genotype to produce more than one alternative form of morphology and/or physiological state should be larger in species living in highly changing waters like shallow habitats. Invertebrates, there, usually experience ample changes of temperature and food availability on annual, seasonal, diurnal and hourly bases which are the two main drivers leading the life histories of these organisms. In such circumst…

Crostacei Anfipodi associati ai reef di Sabellaria alveolata (Annelida: Sabellariidae) del Canale di Sicilia (Mar Mediterraneo)

2015

We describe diversity and patterns of spatial distribution of the amphipod fauna associated with reefs of the polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (L.) in the Sicily Strait. Samples were collected in June 2013, at three localities. Amphipod assemblages appeared homogeneous in the study area with variability increasing with decreasing spatial scale of observation. Jassa ocia (Bate) and Gammaropsis ulrici Krapp-Schickel & Myers characterized the studied assemblages.

Re-description of Orchestia stephenseni (CRUSTACEA: AMPHIPODA: TALITRIDAE) with remarks on variation of the Gn2 and DNA-barcoding identification.

2014

Variazioni morfologiche nel corso dell'ontogenesi in individui di Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana (Crustacea: Amphipoda).

2011

PRESENZA DI SPECIE CRIPTICHE BRACHIDONTES VARIABILIS-PHARAONIS (BIVALVIA: MYTILIDAE) RIVELATA DALL’ANALISI DEL 28S-rDNA

2009

Establishment of the nomenclatural status of two nomina, Stenothoe bella Krapp-Schickel & Lo Brutto, 2015 and Stenothoe levantina Krapp-Schickel & Lo…

2022

Stenothoe bella Krapp-Schickel & Lo Brutto, 2015 and Stenothoe levantina Krapp-Schickel & Lo Brutto, 2015 are now available according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999, 2012). The present note serves to validate the names Stenothoe bella and Stenothoe levantina by fulfilling ICZN conditions for nomenclatural availability.

Tassonomia e Conservazione. La presenza di caratteri polimorfici nei Crostacei Anfipodi risulta un fattore limitante per la delimitazione delle speci…

2013

Due casi-studio di “stock identification” con microsatelliti nel Mar Mediterraneo: la triglia di fango Mullus barbatus e il nasello Merluccius merluc…

2008

Isolamento per distanza in popolazioni mediterranee di Parapenaeus longirostris (Crustacea: Decapoda).

2011

Un primo contributo alla filogeografia del ghiro (Glis glis) in italia.

2006

Range expansion and climate warming: state-of-art and perspectives of the case-study Brachidontes pharaonis (Mollusca: Mytilidae).

2009

Variabilità genetica in Aristeus antennatus (Crustacea, Decapoda) attraverso analisi AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism).

2007

Growth and reproduction of the deep-water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846) (Decapoda, Penaeidae), in the southern Tyrrhenian sea.

2014

From June 2006 to May 2007, monthly samples of Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846) were collected on land from the landings of two different, although contiguous, fishing grounds exploited by the bottom trawl fisheries of the two fishing harbours of Terrasini and Porticello, located on the north-western coast of Sicily. Carapace length (CL) of the female and male deep-water rose shrimp in Terrasini ranged from 9 to 32 mm and 13 to 26 mm, respectively, whereas in Porticello the length ranged from 8 to 31 mm and 13 to 26 mm, respectively. The Von Bertalanffy Growth Function parameters for Terrasini females and males were CLoo = 38.5 mm, K = 0.65 year(-1) and CL infinity = 32.5 mm, K = 0.85…

Struttura di popolazione della triglia di fango, Mullus barbatus (Pisces: Mullidae), nel Mar Mediterraneo rivelata dall’analisi dei microsatelliti

2005

Cryptic species within the freshwater copepod genus Hemidiaptomus (calanoida, diaptomidae).

2009

The copepod genus Hemidiaptomus is composed by about 17 large-bodied species inhabiting the freshwater temporary water bodies of the whole Palaearctic region. It currently comprises three subgenera, which are mostly parapatric and present only limited co-occurrence areas. There is no consensus on the taxonomical arrangement of the entire group, and to date no molecular studies have been carried out to test it. Accordingly, a thorough revision of the entire genus using a combined morphological and molecular approach is strongly advisable. We have thus decided to investigate the pattern of morphological and molecular diversity of three species of the genus Hemidiaptomus belonging to the three…

Green toads from most of Sicily are an old sister taxon of african green toads and represent a new european vertebrate species (Bufo n. sp.).

2006

Analyses of the spatial genetic structure of different Phaleria bimaculata (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) populations from central Mediterranean sandy b…

2012

Differenziazione genetica tra popolazioni mediterranee del Crostaceo Decapode Parapenaeus longirostris.

2009

A molecular approach to assess the genealogical relationship among some mesopelagic fishes

2004

Andamento delle catture di Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) nella Sicilia settentrionale attraverso dati di sbarco.

2007

Identificazione di stock di Mullus barabtus (Teleostei: Perciformes) lungo le coste siciliane attraverso l'uso di microsatelliti.

2006

The Taxonomy Lab: a lookout in the Mediterranean Sea

2016

The Taxonomy Lab: a sentinel for Mediterranean bioinvasions

2017

La fauna a diaptomidi di Israele

2012

Assessment of inbreeding in hatchery samples of the red seabream Pagrus major (Perciformes: Sparidae).

2006

Dati sulla caratterizzazione di loci AFLP utili per lo studio della variazione genetica di Parapenaeus longirostris (Crustacea, Decapoda).

2007

Convergence of roles among peracarids in critical environments.

2011

Genetic and morphometric variation of Mediterranean hake, Merluccius merluccius, in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean)

2004

Allozyme, morphometric and growth analyses were applied to samples collected in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea) to test the hypothesis of the existence of a unique hake stock (Merluccius merluccius) in the study area. The level of genetic variation was detected from five polymorphic loci (ADH*, PGI-1*, PGI-2*, PGM*, SOD-1*). The average observed heterozygosity amounted to 0.421, while the average expected was 0.353. Weir & Cockerham statistics showed no heterogeneity, except for the single PGI? locus (theta = 0.011; P 0.05). Morphometric analyses revealed some differentiation. Females showed different relationships in six out of eight morphometric indices with total length,…

A molecular approach to assess the population structure of Pomatoschistus tortonesei in the Mediterranean Sea.

2009

The Taxonomy Lab: a sentinel for Mediterranean bioinvasions

2016

Due casi studio di stock identification con microsatelliti nel mar Mediterraneo: la triglia di fango (Mullus barbatus) e il nasello (Merluccius merlu…

2008

Further evidence of length- and sex-dependent variation of some morphological characters in Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana (Bate, 1857) (Crustacea: Amph…

2011

Première occurrence de la sous-espèce de rouget Mullus barbatus ponticus au Sud de la Méditerranée (golfe de Gabès, Tunisie) : arguments génétiques e…

2012

Zoological Checklists: From Natural History Museums to Ecosystems

2023

Backwards and forwards at once, the zoological checklists bring the past into the present and draw a direction towards the future. They cover historical and current information providing open data for environmental issues. The present-day research framework aims to produce papers reporting lists of animal species, after a couple of decades of absolute refusal of such inventories, years where the prevalence of studies has been focused on ecological or molecular statistics. Now, the contemporary era is moving towards the gathering of organized data, shared on web platforms, and cross-linked in a sort of global metadata outcome. It means that a single record of the occurrence of a species can …

Genetic structure of Pomatoschistus marmoratus (Gobiidae) in Mediterranean Sea

2010

COME E' DISTRIBUITA LA BIODIVERSITA' IN MEDITERRANEO E PERCHE': LA RISPOSTA DEGLI APPROCCI MOLECOLARI

2008

A first inventory of raptors in Sicilian collections

2019

FISH BARCODE OF LIFE: primi dati sui pesci ossei e pesci cartilaginei del mar Mediterraneo.

2007

L’analisi della regione di controllo mitocondriale rivela due pool genici nella ricciola mediterranea Seriola dumerili lungo le coste siciliane

2005

First Mediterranean record and DNA-Barcode of Eulalia ornata (PHYLLODOCIDAE, ANNELIDA) associated to Sabellaria alveolata (SABELLARIIDAE, ANNELIDA)re…

2014

Origine, diffusione e storia evolutiva del mitile lessepsiano Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fisher, 1870).

2006

Identificazione di stock mediante analisi del DNA nucleare e mitocondriale nelle specie ittiche Merluccius merluccius (nasello), Mullus barbatus (tri…

2005

Molecular systematics and spatial genetic structure of Phaleria bimaculata (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) populations from central Mediterranean sandy b…

2013

Sandy beaches

USO DI MARCATORI MOLECOLARI PER LO STUDIO DELLA VARIAZIONE GENETICA DI MELICERTUS KERATHURUS (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA)

2011

Italian Peninsula preserves an evolutionary lineage of the fat dormouse Glis glis L. (Rodentia: Gliridae)

2011

INFLUENZA DELLE CARATTERISTICHE OCEANOGRAFICHE NELLA STRUTTURA DI POPOLAZIONE DI ARISTEUS ANTENNATUS (CRUSTACEA: ARISTEIDAE)

2008

An additional record of Kyphosus vaigiensis (QuoyGaimard, 1825) (Osteichthyes, Kyphosidae) from Sicily clarifies the confused situation of the Medite…

2015

The lowfin chub, Kyphosus vaigiensis, is reported for the first time off Favignana Island, Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. The specimen was identified on the basis of morphometric and meristic characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI and 16S-rDNA). Two, perhaps three, Kyphosus species - K. bigibbus, K. sectatrix and K. vaigiensis - have been occasionally recorded in the Mediterranean. These species occur both in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions but it is likely they entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. However, it is unclear whether they have established reproductive native populations in the Mediterranean.

Brachidontes pharaonis (Bivalvia, Mytilidae), a lessepsian invader from a problematic species-complex

2012

Analisi della struttura genetica di popolazioni siciliane di Merluccius merluccius (Teleostei: Merluccidae) attraverso l’uso di microsatelliti.

2005

Genetic variation pattern in Pomatoschistus tortonesei Miller 1986 from Mediterranean lagoons detected by mitochondrial DNA.

2007

THE ROLE OF THE MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY “P. DODERLEIN” ON HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES

2017

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Do invasive macroalgae influence biodiversity and abundance of Amphipod Crustaceans ?

2013

Amphipods are an essential element of the food web in marine coastal environments, and represent a good indicator of the health of the ecosystems. The composition of amphipod assemblage is often linked to algal coverage, in which the benthic species find refuge from predators and a great availability of food resources. Within the management and conservation of natural environments, one of the main problems is currently represented by the invasion of non-indigenous species, which modifies native communities. This research compares the amphipod fauna associated with Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan de Saint-Léon, a non-indigenous red macroalga widely distributed along the west coast …

Dati preliminari sulla variabilità della regione di controllo in Parapenaeus longirostris e Aristeus antennatus.

2007

First molecular evidences for the synonimy of Ferrissia wautieri and F. fragilis(MOLLUSCA: PULMONATA: ANCYLIDAE

2011

Although some fossil records attributed to the freshwater limpet genus Ferrissia testify for an ancient occurrence of the genus in Europe, its presence was completely overlooked till the twentieth century, when an increasing amount of records throughout the whole continent peaked out with the description of a new species, Ferrissia wautieri, based on specimens collected in northern Italy. In the last few years, an ever increasing number of records reporting the occurrence of Ferrissia species throughout Europe have been published, but an agreement on the taxonomical identity of the European populations is currently missing. Recent molecular studies aimed at investigating the identity of Pal…

Identificazione di stock di Mullus barbatus (Teleostei: Perciformes) attraverso l'uso di microsatelliti.

2005

Le indagini biomolecolari nell’identificazione di stock ittici lungo le coste siciliane

2005

Use of the molecular markers as a tools in fishes stock assessment.

2010

Discriminazione di presunte specie criptiche: un approccio di morfometria geometrica in Brachidontes pharaonis-variabilis (Bivalvia, Mytilidae).

2010

Dataset from: Small-scale patches of detritus as habitat for invertebrates within a Zostera noltei meadow

2021

This dataset is related to "Small-scale patches of detritus as habitat for invertebrates within a Zostera noltei meadow" (Valentina Costa, Renato Chemello, Davide Iaciofano, Sabrina Lo Brutto, Francesca Rossi)

Parhyale plumicornis (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalidae): is this an anti-lessepsian Mediterranean species? Morphological remarks, molecular markers and…

2016

Hyalid amphipods living in coastal marine habitats are frequently included in ecological studies. The systematics of this taxon has been subject to profound changes, with an emphasis on the North Pacific fauna. Since a proper species delimitation is a prerequisite in taxonomic and ecological studies, Parhyale plumicornis (Heller, 1866) has been herein re-described, showing the criticisms and mismatches of various characters, which were previously used in dichotomous keys. This species was collected for the first time off the western coast of Sicily Island (Italy: central Mediterranean Sea). The male is peculiar, due to the second antennae heavily setose posteriorly and bearing long tufts of…