Search results for "Systematic"
showing 10 items of 7608 documents
Unveiling the diet of the thermophilic starfish Ophidiaster ophidianus (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) combining visual observation and stable isotopes a…
2020
The starfish Ophidiaster ophidianus is an Atlanto-Mediterranean species protected under the EU’s Habitat Directive. Despite the wide distribution and the current range of expansion of this thermophilic species in the northern Mediterranean Sea, nothing is known about its diet. Using field observations and δ13C and δ15N Stable Isotopes Analysis (SIA), the feeding habits of O. ophidianus were explored in two Mediterranean rocky reef areas located in the southern Tyrrhenian (Ustica Island, Italy) and the eastern Adriatic Sea (Molunat, Croatia). According to field observations, O. ophidianus preys mainly on crustose coralline algae (CCA) and the keratose sponge Ircinia variabilis in both areas.…
Seagrasses along the Sicilian coasts
2010
All seagrass species known from the Mediterranean basin have been recorded along the Sicilian coast, where studies have been carried out at a very local scale and information is fragmented or confined to the grey literature. The objective of this article is to summarise and evaluate current knowledge on seagrass species on the Sicilian coasts, providing an overview of species distribution, genetic diversity, biology and ecology, based on the literature and unpublished data. Most literature studies have been carried out on Posidonia oceanica meadows because of their wide distribution, complexity and ecological importance. In this study, the analyses carried out on P. oceanica structural and …
Trophic interactions of the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca in the NW Mediterranean: evidence from stable isotope signatures and fatty acid composition
2018
16 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, correction https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v591/c_p101-116/
First confirmed record of the Lessepsian migrant Pteragogus pelycus Randall, 1981 (Teleostei: Labridae) for the North African coasts
2012
4 pages, 2 figures
Vertebrate-mediated seed rain and artificial perches contribute to overcome seed dispersal limitation in a Mediterranean old field
2019
Natural regeneration of vegetation is a frequent outcome of land abandonment, although the rate and diversity of such regeneration may be severely restricted by seed dispersal limitation, among other factors. In spite of this, studies aiming to quantify seed rain and test methods to enhance it, such as artificial perches, are still underrepresented in the Mediterranean. In our study, we quantified seed rain density and richness and tested the effects of artificial perches on such rain over a distance gradient on seven Mediterranean island old fields. In each of the seven sites, we positioned three sampling stations, each consisting of 1 seed trap under an artificial perch and 1 as a control…
Trade and stowaways: molecular evidence for human-mediated translocation of eastern skinks into the western Mediterranean
2020
Human movements in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have caused a great impact in the composition of terrestrial fauna due to the introductions of several allochthonous species, intentionally or not. Reptiles are one of the groups where this anthropic impact is most evident, owing to the extensive intra-Mediterranean dispersals of recent chronologies. Chalcides ocellatus is a widespread skink with a natural distribution that covers almost the entire Mediterranean Basin. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain its origin: natural dispersions and human translocations. Previous molecular data suggest the occurrence of a recent dispersal phenomenon across the Mediterranean Sea…
Recreational and small-scale fisheries may pose a threat to vulnerable species in coastal and offshore waters of the western Mediterranean
2019
10 pages, 3 figures, supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsz071
Fish Health and Fisheries, Implications for Stock Assessment and Management: The Mediterranean Example
2012
Although fish health may influence key population-level processes, particularly those dealing with natural mortality, reproduction and growth, which in turn affect stock productivity, there has been little emphasis on the links between fish health and management of marine fisheries. This paper addresses this gap and illustrates how knowledge of fish health provides insight to marine fisheries biologists, stock assessment modellers and managers. The study demonstrates ways in which the consideration of condition (energy reserves) indicators and parasitism adds to improved stock assessment and fisheries management, also in situations of data shortage when standard methods cannot be applied, a…
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…
Measuring the effects of temperature rise on Mediterranean shellfish aquaculture
2018
Abstract Shellfish aquaculture represents a worldwide valuable segment of the aquaculture market, spreading along the Mediterranean coasts, and is sensitive to the still unforeseen, poorly-known effects of climate change. Threats due to temperature rise can threaten the deployment and development of this sector, up until now recognised as the best candidate to mitigate the effects of fishery overexploitation. Here, we investigate the effects of temperature increase on the model species, Mytilus galloprovincialis, measuring outcomes from valve fragility (thickness) and condition index. Evidence of a reduction in the thickness of valves and the modulation condition of the mussels along with t…