Reproduction in Heteroteuthis dispar (Rüppell, 1844) (Mollusca: Cephalopoda): a sepiolid reproductive adaptation to an oceanic lifestyle

Small cephalopods of the genus Heteroteuthis are the most pelagic members in the family Sepiolidae. This study examines the reproductive biology of Heteroteuthis dispar (Rüppell, 1844), the first such study on any member of the genus, based on 46 specimens (27 females and 19 males) collected during the Mar-Eco cruise in the North Atlantic in the region of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 2004, and compares it with reproductive features in the less pelagic members of the family. The unusually large spermatophores of the males have a very small ejaculatory apparatus and cement body, relative to the size of the sperm mass. Females first mate when they are still maturing: a large sperm mass (up to 3.4% of the female body mass), consisting of one to several spermatangia, was found in an internal seminal receptacle of the majority of the females examined regardless of their maturity state. The seminal receptacle has a unique form and position in this species. The receptacle is a thin-walled sac at the posterior end of the visceral mass that is an outpocketing of, and opens into, the visceropericardial coelom. Spermatangia and sperm from the spermatangia apparently enter into the visceropericardial coelom (which is mostly occupied by the ovary) from the seminal receptacle indicating that ova are fertilised internally, a strategy unknown for decapodiform cephalopods (squid and cuttlefish), but present in most octopods. Fecundity of Heteroteuthis dispar (1,100–1,300 oocytes) is much higher than in other sepiolids whereas the egg size (mean max. length ∼1.6 mm) is the smallest within the family. Spawning is continuous (sensu Rocha et al. in Biol Rev 76:291–304, 2001). These and other reproductive traits are discussed as being adaptations to an oceanic lifestyle

Arachnopeziza aurelia

Fung

Sclerotinia duriaeana

Fung

Microscopic fungi isolated from cave air and sediments in the Nerja Cave—preliminary results

6 p.-- Papers presented at the International Workshop "The Conservation of Subterranean Cultural Heritage", held 25-27 March 2014, in Seville, Spain.Previous studies on the fungal community in the Nerja Cave (Malaga, Andalusia) were focused only on a capture of fungal spores from the cave atmosphere and outdoor air by the Hirst-type volumetric pollen traps, which means without cultivation methods. The results of these studies showed the presence of different spores types belongin to Oomycota, Myxomycota, but mainly to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota incluiding their anamorph states, where spores of Penicillium/Aspergillus were dominant. Our study was targeted on cultivable microscopic fungi. Several sites inside the cave, mainly in the Tourist Gallery (2011 and 2012) but also in the Upper Gallery (2012) were chosen and several soil sample were collected above the cave, the isolation from outside air was also used to compare with cave environment. Two isolation methods were used to this study – the gravity settling technique for the isolation of airborne microfungi inside and outside the cave and the silution plate method for the isolation of microfungi from cave sediment and soil above the cave. The CFU counts or airborne cultivable microfungi were found to be much lower in comparison with previous published data from volumetric traps. Nevertheless a rich microfungal spectrum was isolated from the cave air as well as from the cave sediments. To date, 16 and 6 species of the genus Aspergillus have been indentified from cave air, respectively, including one novel species.Financiado con el Proyecto (HAR-2010-11432-E) Red de Ciencia y Tecnología para la Conservación del Patrimonio CulturalPeer reviewe