Haplotype characterization of a stranded common minke whale calf (Balaenoptera acutorostrata lacépède, 1804): Is the mediterranean sea a potential calving or nursery ground for the species?

The stranding of a suckling calf of Common Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) on the coast near Salerno (Campania, Southern Italy) is reported. The molecular analysis of a partial sequence of the mitochondrial DNA control region shows that the animal bore a haplotype identical to haplotype Ba169 considered as typical of individuals from North Atlantic population. Historical data and our results suggest the possibility that the Mediterranean Sea might be a potential calving or nursery ground for this species

Age estimation and growth of striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba stranded along the coasts of south-western Italy

The knowledge of demographic traits such as longevity, growth rates and age at sexual maturity is crucial for understanding the structure of a population in its natural environment and implementing appropriate strategies for its management and conservation. Based on counts of growth layer groups in sections of decalcified teeth using the paraffin technique, we estimated the age and growth of 25 individuals of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) found dead stranded along the coast of Campania and Calabria (south Italy, central-western Mediterranean) from 2013 to 2018. Seven individuals, with TL of 100–110 cm, were calves under 1 year old. The oldest male and female individuals were 19 and 14 years old, respectively. Growth curve estimated using the Gompertz growth model (GGM) showed that in S. coeruleoalba male growth trajectories are partly in accordance with those reported in other studies on the same species from different Mediterranean areas. The high frequency (28%) of calves strongly suggests that females of this species use the marine area all around the south-western Italian coasts to give birth to their offspring. Furthermore, a comparison with the estimated age of striped dolphins from other Mediterranean marine areas shows that the longevity of the individuals examined in this study is much lower. Our study provides information toward understanding the demographic traits of S. coeruleoalba from Mediterranean Sea. The results reported here can be useful for future research aimed at understanding population structure, mortality patterns and the effects of anthropogenic activity on the survival of this species in this marine area

Guida naturalistica di campo ai Cetacei delle acque costiere del Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni

In the Mediterranean basin 23 species of cetaceans are known: 11 are regular and live, breed and feed and 12 are irregular, rare or accidental. These species are common in all the oceans of the globe (cosmopolitan species) and therefore none of them is endemic. In the inshore coastal waters of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, five of the 23 Mediterranean species are regularly sighted; they are: one species of Mysticeti, the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) (family Balaenopteridae) and four species of Odontoceti, including the sperm whale Physeter microcephalus Linnaeus, 1758 (= P. catodon) (Family Physeteridae), the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833), the Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) and the Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus (G. Cuvier, 1812), (the last three species belonging to the family Delphinidae). A sixth species has recently been registered for the Park boundaries, the Dwarf Sperm Whale, Kogia sima (Owen, 1866), based on finding of a dead-stranded individual within the study area. Regarding the cetofauna of the coastal waters of the Gulf of Salerno, there are other two records and they are: the long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) and the Common Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 (Mysticeti: Balaenopteridae). The former species is documented exclusively by bibliographical and museal data. The latter species is considered as “irregular” in Mediterranean Sea since there is no certainty that it reproduces, but it is possible that it attends this marine area for some periods of the year. This guide begins with the evolutionary history of Cetaceans. The following chapters are devoted to the general characteristics and biology of these animals, to the area of study and research methodology. It was considered interesting to include also a chapter with a brief historical overview on Cetacean researches in Campania. Then, a presentation is given for each of the species found in the Park boundaries and neighbouring, including notes on taxonomy, general description and diagnosis, notes on biology and ecology, general and local distribution, status and conservation, and some curiosities in the relationship with the man. In total the occurrence of eight species was herein documented in the survey area representing approximately the 73% of the estimated fauna of Campania Region (11 species) and about the 47% of the estimated Italian cetofauna (17 species: eight regular, four “irregular” and five occasional). The guide concludes with two chapters on recent laboratory researches on specimens from Cetofauna inhabiting coastal waters of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The first research concerns the preliminary results of a study on age determination of individuals stranded along the Cilento coast by counting the incremental growth lines observed in the tooth sections. The other research concerns molecular analysis to determine the origins of the stranded individuals. Cetaceans are protected at international level by CITES (Appendices I and II), by the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992) on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (annex II and IV), and a lot of species are mentioned on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At European level some species are protected by the “Barcelona Convention” on the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Mediterranean Coast (and its new Application Protocol relative to Special Protection Zones and the Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean adopted on 1995), the “Bonn Convention” on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the “Bern Convention” relative to the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, and by the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). For these reasons the Cetaceans are protected by special laws in many countries

New records of African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus (Latham, 1790) (Pelecaniformes: Threskiornithidae) from Salerno Province (Southern Italy)

Si riportano le prime segnalazioni di Ibis sacro Threskiornis aethiopicus per la Provincia di Salerno (Campania, Sud Italia). La specie è stata segnalata per la prima volta in Italia a partire dal 1989 e in Campania nel 2015 in Provincia di Caserta. L’Ibis sacro è stato inserito nell’elenco delle specie invasive dell’Unione Europea.The African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus (Latham, 1790) (Pelecaniformes: Threskiornithidae) is a monotypic species native to sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated population of 200,000 - 450,000 individuals, and a small, declining population located in southeastern Iraq. In the second half of the 20th century, several non-native populations derived from introduction or escaped individuals were recorded in different European states (Yésou et al., 2017)

Skeletochronology, age at maturity and cause of mortality of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta stranded along the beaches of Campania (south-western Italy, western Mediterranean Sea)

Information on demographic and life-history traits of endangered vertebrate species, such as sea turtles, is crucial for planning management and conservation actions. We applied skeletochronology of phalanges to estimate the age of loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, found dead stranded along the beaches of Campania (western Mediterranean) from 2013 to 2017. To obtain maturity data, we examined gonads from a subsample of 7 males and 11 females. Overall, curved carapace length (CCL) ranged from 5.6 to 90.8 cm, but for most turtles (89%) it was 50–79.9 cm. Predominance of stranded females (62%) was recorded. Ten out of the eighteen histologically examined gonads allowed estimating maturity. Based on the lines of arrested growth counting, the estimated age of the examined specimens ranged from 0 (hatchling) to 26 years. The modal age was 14 years for males and 17 years for females. The smallest male with spermatogenetic activity had a CCL of 65 cm and was estimated to be 16 years old. The smallest female with follicular development stage, characterising the transition towards adulthood, had a CCL of 69.5 cm and was estimated to be 20 years old. Anthropogenic factors were responsible for 36% of the mortality of individuals, followed by parasitic/infective pathologies (20%)

Life History Traits of Sperm Whales <i>Physeter macrocephalus</i> Linnaeus, 1758 Stranded along Italian Coasts (Cetartiodactyla: Physeteridae)

We investigated the relationship between age and body length, and age at sexual maturity of Physeter macrocephalus individuals stranded along the Italian coast. Our molecular analysis shows that all our samples belong to the C.001.002 haplotype, shared between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. We show that males attain sexual maturity at 10 years, similar to those from other marine areas. However, considering the same body length class, Mediterranean males are older than Atlantic ones. Our finding of a Mediterranean pregnant female of only 6.5 m in length and an assessed age of 24–26 years is particularly noteworthy, considering that females reach sexual maturity at about 9 years and 9 m of total length in other regions. Comparing our results with the literature data, we highlight the positive correlation between lifespan, adult body length and weight of males from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. Regardless of whether the relatively small size of Mediterranean specimens is a consequence of an inbreeding depression or an adaptation to less favorable trophic conditions, we recommend to closely monitor this population from a conservation perspective. In fact, its low genetic diversity likely corresponds to a relatively limited ability to respond to environmental changes compared with other populations