The macrozoobenthic community of the Santa Gilla lagoon (southern Sardinia, Italy)

1 - Macrozoobenthos is one of the most significant communities of hydrobionts for assessing the ecological state of a water body. In spite of its importance, only few data concerning the macrobenthic community of Santa Gilla lagoon are available; 2 - Santa Gilla is one of the most important wetlands in Sardinia. The aim of this study is to give data on species composition of its macrozoobenthic community; 3 - Sampling has been carried out in 2010-2011 in July, October, January and April, in three stations located along a salinity gradient and the main environmental parameters were measured; 4 - A total of 13031 specimens belonging to 92 taxonomic groups and 5 main phyla (Anellida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Cnidaria and Nemertea) were found. Among them, 52 different taxa were collected and pointed out for the first time in Santa Gilla lagoon in this work. 5 - Finally, seasonal and space differences were observed in the abundance values of the main taxonomic groups and in the diversity indices values

Can the parasites of the head of juvenile Thunnus thynnus help to identify its nursery areas in the Mediterranean Sea?

Between 2009 and 2013, the head region of 102 juveniles of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) caught in four nursery areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Balearic Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea) were analysed for parasites. Eleven parasite species were found: Capsala magronum, C. onchidiocotyle, C. paucispinosa, Nasicola klawei, Hexostoma thynni, Didymocystis sp. 2 (sensu Rodríguez-Marín et al., 2008), Didymosulcus sp. 2 (sensu Rodríguez-Marín et al. 2008), Didymosulcus wedli, Didymozoon pretiosus, Nematobothriinae gen. sp. and Wedlia sp. The prevalence of some food-borne parasites (Didymocystis sp. 2, D. pretiosus, Nematobothriinae gen. sp. and Wedlia sp.) had significant differences between localities (p ≤ 0.05). The results showed that the parasite fauna of juvenile tunas is not homogenously distributed in the Mediterranean Sea: parasite assemblages differed between hosts from the Balearic, Ionian, Ligurian, and Tyrrhenian seas, suggesting parasites as possible tags to identify the different tuna populations from the corresponding nursery areas.Postprint0,000

Investigation into Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalve mollusks farmed in Sardinia region and destined for human consumption

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoan parasites transmitted by fecal-oral ingestion of (oo)cysts, and are responsible for enteritis in several animal species and humans worldwide. These (oo)cysts can survive for over a year in aquatic environments and can accumulate in bivalve mollusks, which filter large volumes of water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the natural occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination in different specimens of edible bivalves mollusks from farming sites of the western and north-eastern coasts of Sardinia. From April 2011 to February 2012, 1095 specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis and 240 of Crassostrea gigas were sampled from Olbia and Oristano gulf and San Teodoro pond. Hepatopancreas and gills, including the labial palp, were examined for oocysts and cysts after pooling and homogenisation using different techniques: i) staining for light and fluorescence microscopy; ii) direct immunofluorescence (IF) Merifluor® test Cryptosporidium/ Giardia (Meridian Bioscience Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA); and iii) molecular procedures. However, in the context under study, all mollusks examined with the three main diagnostic techniques were negative for both parasites pointing out the hypothetically low zoonotic risk related to Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalves, especially Mytilus galloprovincialis and Crassostrea gigas

First detection of Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora, Bolinopsidae) in Sardinia (S'Ena Arrubia Lagoon, Western Mediterranean): a threat for local fishery and species recruitment

The invasive comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi is a lobate ctenophore native of coastal and estuarine waters of the temperate western Atlantic Ocean. In the last decades this species has expanded its range of distribution, colonizing marine and transitional environments in Europe. In October 2015, during a survey fishing the European eel Anguilla anguilla in Sardinia (western Mediterranean), a massive bloom of this specie was observed in the eutrophic S'Ena Arrubia Lagoon for the first time. In November 2015, sampling was conducted at three stations in the lagoon and in a fyke net, in order to estimate the abundance of M. leidyi and to determine its impact on the fishing activity. The results showed an abundance of 2.83 ctenophores m-3. Specimens were all adults, measuring 18 - 62 mm total length. The abundant number of ctenophores (6837 individuals per fyke net) damaged fishing operations, reducing catches and affecting the performance of fishing gears. Since there is no effective mechanical, chemical or biological method to counter M. leidyi, the short term economic damage may be approached by new management measures of fisheries. In addition, other actions against the recurring of M. leidyi invasion, can include management strategies, in particular those finalized to reduce the high trophic state of the lagoon

Structural and functional characterization of the dimerization domain of the tumor supressor ING4

Tesis doctoral inédita realizada en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica. Fecha de lectura: 21 de Junio de 201

Helminth parasites of fish and shellfish from the Santa Gilla Lagoon in southern Sardinia, Italy

An extensive survey of helminth parasites in fish and shellfish species from Santa Gilla, a brackish water lagoon in southern Sardinia (western Mediterranean), resulted in the identification of 69 helminth parasite taxa and/or species from 13 fish species (n= 515) and seven bivalve species (n= 2322) examined between September 2001 and July 2011. The list summarizes information on the helminth parasites harboured by fish and molluscs contained in the available literature. Digenea species (37), both adults and larvae, dominated the parasite fauna, whereas Cestoda were the least represented class (three species). Monogenea, Nematoda and Acanthocephala were present with 17, 6 and 6 species, respectively, which were mainly adults. The most widespread parasite species was the generalist Contracaecum rudolphii A (Nematoda). Other species, such as the Haploporidae and Ascocotyle (Phagicola) spp. 1 and 2 (Digenea), showed a high family specificity in Mugilidae. Importantly, the study recorded the occurrence of potential zoonotic agents, such as Heterophyes heterophyes, Ascocotyle (Phagicola) spp. and C. rudolphii A, the latter two reaching the highest indices of infection in the highly marketed fish grey mullet and sea bass, respectively. The highest parasite richness was detected in Dicentrarchus labrax, which harboured 17 helminth species, whereas the lowest value was observed in Atherina boyeri, infected by only three species. The list includes the first geographical record in Italian coastal waters of Robinia aurata and Stictodora sawakinensis, and 30 reports of new host-parasite complexes, including the larval stages of Ascocotyle (Ascocotyle) sp. and Southwellina hispida in D. labrax

Helminth parasites of fish and shellfish from the Santa Gilla Lagoon in southern Sardinia, Italy

An extensive survey of helminth parasites in fish and shellfish species from Santa Gilla, a brackish water lagoon in southern Sardinia (western Mediterranean), resulted in the identification of 69 helminth parasite taxa and/or species from 13 fish species (n= 515) and seven bivalve species (n= 2322) examined between September 2001 and July 2011. The list summarizes information on the helminth parasites harboured by fish and molluscs contained in the available literature. Digenea species (37), both adults and larvae, dominated the parasite fauna, whereas Cestoda were the least represented class (three species). Monogenea, Nematoda and Acanthocephala were present with 17, 6 and 6 species, respectively, which were mainly adults. The most widespread parasite species was the generalist Contracaecum rudolphii A (Nematoda). Other species, such as the Haploporidae and Ascocotyle (Phagicola) spp. 1 and 2 (Digenea), showed a high family specificity in Mugilidae. Importantly, the study recorded the occurrence of potential zoonotic agents, such as Heterophyes heterophyes, Ascocotyle (Phagicola) spp. and C. rudolphii A, the latter two reaching the highest indices of infection in the highly marketed fish grey mullet and sea bass, respectively. The highest parasite richness was detected in Dicentrarchus labrax, which harboured 17 helminth species, whereas the lowest value was observed in Atherina boyeri, infected by only three species. The list includes the first geographical record in Italian coastal waters of Robinia aurata and Stictodora sawakinensis, and 30 reports of new host-parasite complexes, including the larval stages of Ascocotyle (Ascocotyle) sp. and Southwellina hispida in D. labrax