Taxonomic study of the Pagurus forbesii "complex" (Crustacea: Decapoda: Paguridae). Description of pagurus pseudosculptimanus sp. nov. from alborán sea (Southern Spain, Western Mediterranean Sea)

Study of hermit crabs from Alboran Sea has allowed recognition of two different morphological forms under what had been understood as Pagurus forbesii. Based on morphological observations with various species of Pagurus, and molecular studies, a new species is described as P. pseudosculptimanus. An overview of species of Pagurus from the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea is provided. © Copyright 2014 Magnolia Press.This work was supported by the Junta de Andalucía RNM-0141 Research Group.Peer Reviewe

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in its westernmost biogeographical limit (northwestern Alboran Sea): Meadows characterisation, phenology and flowering events

Posidonia oceanica is a Mediterranean endemic seagrass species that forms meadows covering ca. 2.5–4.5 millions of hectares, representing ca.25 % of the infralittoral and shallow circalittoral (down to 50m) bottoms of the Mediterranean. This seagrass is considered a habitat-engineer species and provides an elevated number of ecosystem services. In addition the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) includes seagrass like elements to evaluate the “Good Environmental Status” of the European coasts. Information about their phenological characteristic and structure of the meadows is needed for indicator estimations in order to establish their conservation status. The studied meadows are located in the westernmost limit of the P. oceanica distribution (North-western Alboran Sea) in the vecinity of the Strait of Gibraltar, an Atlantic-Mediterranean water transition area. Four sites were selected from East to West: Paraje Natural de Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo (hereafter Maro), Special Area of Conservation “Calahonda” (hereafter Calahonda), Site of Community Importance Estepona (hereafter Estepona) and Punta Chullera (hereafter Chullera) where P. oceanica present their westernmost meadows. Phenological data were recorded from mid November to mid December in P. oceanica patches located at 2 – 3 m depth. At each site three types of patches (patch area 2 m2, large patches) were sampled. At each patch and site, 3 quadrants of 45 x 45 cm were sampled for shoot and inflorescences density measurements. In each quadrant, 10 random shoots were sampled for shoot morphology (shoot height and number of leaves). Shoot and inflorescences densities were standardized to squared meters. All the studied P. oceanica meadows develop on rocks and they present a fragmented structure with a coverage ranging between ca. 45% in Calahonda and Estepona and ca. 31% in Maro. The meadows of Chullera are reduced to a few small - medium patches with areas ranging between 0.5-1.5 m2 (Fig. 1). The meadows of Chullera and Estepona presented similar values of shoot density (ca. 752 – 662 shoots m-2, respectively) and leaf height (ca. 25 cm). Similarly, the Calahonda and Maro meadows also showed similar values of shoot density (ca. 510 – 550 shoots m-2, respectively) but displaying lower values than those of sites located closer to the Strait of Gibraltar. Regarding patch sizes and leaf height, the longest leaves (ca. 25 cm) were found in medium and large patches, but the number of leaves per shoot were higher in the small and the medium size patches (ca. 6.3 leaves per shoot). Flowering was only detected at the Calahonda meadows with maximum values of ca. 330 inflorescences m-2 (115.2 ± 98.2 inflorescences m-2, n= 9; mean ± SD) (Fig.1). Inflorescence density was not significant different among patches of different sizes. In the Alboran Sea and unlike the studied meadows, extensive beds of P. oceanica occur at the National Park of Cabo de Gata (northeastern Alboran Sea), but from east to west (Strait of Gibraltar), meadows are gradually fragmenting and their depth range decrease from 30m to 2m depth between Cabo de Gata and Chullera, respectively. Probably, the Atlantic influence and the characteristic oceanographic conditions of the Alboran Sea (i.e., higher turbidity, higher water turbulence) represent a developmental limiting factor for P. oceanica at higher depths. Similarities between the meadows located closer to Strait of Gibraltar (Chullera and Estepona) were detected as well as between those more distant (Calahonda and Maro). The first ones showed higher values of shoot densities and leaf heights than the formers, which could be relating to the higher hydrodynamic exposure found at Chullera and Estepona meadows. Regarding flowering events, sexual reproduction in P. oceanica is not common in different locations of the Mediterranean Sea. The available information seems to indicate that flowering represent an irregular event and it is related to high seawater temperature. In fact, the flowering episodes that occurred in Calahonda in November 2015, match with the warmest year ever recorded. This is the third flowering event registered in these meadows located close to the westernmost distributional limit of P. oceanica (Málaga, Alboran Sea), which could indicates that these meadows presents a healthy status. Furthermore, the absence of significant differences in relation to inflorescence density between patches of different sizes may be indicating that the fragmentation does not necessarily influence on the flowering of this seagrass species

Detección y prevención de las malas prácticas y la corrupción desde la perspectiva de las matemáticas

[EN] In this article reference is made to the possible use of mathematical tools in the prevention and detection of fraud. The detection of fraud is considered one of the biggest challenges for public administrations. Beyond the processes of inspection and auditing, society not only requires of its administrators the prosecution of the crime but also its prevention, to avoid not only the economic damage, but also the high price that in terms of lack of services end up paying citizens, who have previously fulfilled their obligations by contributing to public coffers.[ES] En este artículo se hace referencia a la posible utilización de herramientas matemáticas en la prevención y detección del fraude. La detección del fraude se plantea como uno de los mayores desafíos de las administraciones públicas. Más allá de los procesos de inspección y auditoría, la sociedad no sólo exige de sus administradores la persecución del delito sino también su prevención, para evitar, no sólo el daño económico, sino también el alto precio que en términos de carencia de servicios acaban pagando los ciudadanos, quienes previamente han cumplido con sus obligaciones contribuyendo a las arcas públicas.Calabuig, JM.; Falciani, H.; Ferrer Sapena, A.; García-Raffi, LM.; Raso, E.; Sánchez Del Toro, I.; Sánchez Pérez, EA. (2018). Detección y prevención de las malas prácticas y la corrupción desde la perspectiva de las matemáticas. Revista Internacional de Transparencia e Integridad. (8):1-8. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/123867S18

Asociaciones de crustáceos decápodos de volcanes de fango y fondos adyacentes en aguas españolas del Golfo de Cádiz

Publicado

Benthic Fauna of Littoral and Deep-Sea Habitats of the Alboran Sea: A Hotspot of Biodiversity

En prens

Database of spatial distribution of non indigenous species in Spanish marine waters

Research in marine Spanish waters are focused on several actions to achieve an effectively management on protected areas, with the active participation of the stakeholders and research as basic tools for decision-making. Among these actions, there is one about the knowledge and control on NIS. One of its objectives is the creation of NIS factsheets, which are going to be added to the National Marine Biodiversity Geographical System (GIS) providing complementary information about taxonomic classification, common names, taxonomic synonyms, species illustrations, identification morphological characters, habitat in the native and introduced regions, biological and ecological traits, GenBank DNA sequences, world distribution, first record and evolution in the introduced areas, likely pathways of introduction, effects in the habitats and interaction with native species, and potential management measures to apply. The database will also provide data for (1) the European online platforms, (2) the environmental assessment for the Descriptor 2 (D2-NIS) of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), as well as (3) supporting decisions made by stakeholders. It is the result of extensive collaboration among scientist, manager’s and citizen science in the Spanish North-Atlantic, South-Atlantic, Gibraltar Strait-Alboran, Levantine-Balearic and Canary Islands marine divisions, providing an updated overview of the spatial distribution of relevant extended and invasive NIS of recent and established NIS introduced by maritime transport and aquaculture pathways, as well as on cryptogenic or native species in expansion due to the climatic water warming trend

Genetic evidence for cryptic speciation in the freshwater shrimp genus Atyaephyra de Brito Capello (Crustacea, Decapoda, Atyidae)

9 páginas.The species Atyaephyra desmarestii (Millet, 1831) has a wide geographic distribution in freshwater habitats, rivers and lakes, spanning from North Africa to the Middle East, a large part of Europe and some Mediterranean islands. This wide distribution, together with the disjunct nature of freshwater populations, makes A. desmarestii a candidate taxon to undergo processes of cryptic speciation. To test this assumption, in the present study two mitochondrial genes (16S and COI) were used to examine the diversity between selected populations across the distribution range of this species. The data support three clearly distinguishable groups of haplotypes. The largest one includes the majority of the west European populations and the North African ones, belonging to Atyaephyra desmarestii desmarestii. Within this group the genetic composition found for the Portuguese specimens does not support the validity of Atyaephyra rosiana de Brito Capello, 1867 as a different species, and is therefore here proposed to represent a synonym of Atyaephyra desmarestii. The second European group includes two Greek populations which must be considered as a different species and are tentatively identified as Atyaephyra stankoi (Karaman, 1972) according to geographic distribution. This species-level distinction is supported by high genetic differences, although morphological differentiation is not clear at present. The third group comprises only one sequence from Iraq whose value of genetic variability for 16S could support A. mesopotamica Al-Adhub (or A. orientalis Bouvier) as a valid species. Unfortunately, there are no COI sequences available for this specimen that could be used to confirm its status.Peer reviewe

Cryptic speciation of Greek populations of the freshwater shrimp genus Atyaephyra de Brito Capello, 1867 (Crustacea, Decapoda), evidence from mitochondrial DNA

The freshwater shrimp genus Atyaephyra de Brito Capello, 1867 is a complex of cryptic species with morphologically overlapping features, which has led to invalid identifications until recently. The genus is distributed around the entire Mediterranean Basin and surrounding areas. In 2009 we used a molecular approach with 16S and Cox1 genes to identify the European and African populations and to show the existence of different species and groups of haplotypes (García Muñoz et al. 2009). Christodoulou et al. (2012) recently identified four species in Greece (Atyaephyra stankoi, A. thyamisensis, A. strymonensis and A. acheronensis) based on morphology and some partial sequences of Cox1. In the present study we analyse several Greek populations of Atyaephyra spp. using morphology and two mitochondrial markers (16S and Cox1). Our molecular data confirm the taxonomic validity of A. stankoi, A. thyamisensis and A. strymonensis but show that A. acheronensis should be considered a synonym of A. desmarestii. The limited distribution of A. desmarestii in only a few rivers in the Ionian region is probably the result of a posterior introduction from neighbouring European areas. After the genetic identification and as a consequence of the high variability observed within species and between rivers, mainly in A. thyamisensis, we re-describe this species and provide morphological data for the other species. We also give information on the chromatophore pattern in larvae, which could be very useful in the future for recognizing species and their distribution. The distribution of Greek Atyaephyra species seems to be related to the very complex paleogeographical history of the Paratethys and Mediterranean Sea in the Balkan Peninsula. Three areas can be recognized in relation to the distribution of these species: a global region, a western region separated from the eastern region by the Pindos Mountains, and a Macedonia-Thracian region. Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education, National Plant I+D and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)” through project CGL2004–01083/BOS. Collections in Greece were possible thanks to additional funding provided by “CSIC Proyectos Intramurales Especiales” 2004 3 0E 099 and 2006 3 0I 238 to A. Rodríguez and J.A. Cuesta, respectively.Peer Reviewe

A new cryptic species of Inachus (Decapoda: Brachyura: Inachidae) from European waters and an updated identification key to the species of Inachus with two protogastric tubercles

Integrative taxonomy studies have allowed us to clarify some taxonomic problems in cryptic species within species of InachusWeber, 1795 with two protogastric tubercles found in European waters. Several morphotypes of Inachus phalangium (Fabricius, 1775) are recognized, and a new species is described from the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, for which distribution data are provided. Furthermore, two Inachus cf. thoracicus specimens with a unique sternal morphology were collected from Málaga Spain, but their preservation in formaldehyde prevented molecular analyses. Specimens of I. guentheri (Miers, 1879) have been re-examined and the validity of previous reports from tropical and subtropical Atlantic waters is discussed. These results allow us to separate and clarify the status of species within this group. An identification key for Inachus species with two protogastric tubercles is also provided