New records of Chondrichthycians species caught in the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay)

Seventeen chondrichthyan species were caught in the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) during a multidisciplinary survey carried out in the Avile´s canyon system in May 2011. This survey provided the first records of three species (Galeus murinus, Neoraja iberica, and Neoraja caerulea) in these waters, and a further record of Rajella kukujevi. To confirm the identity of these species, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of the specimens was sequenced. Genetic analyses revealed that the DNA sequences of the two Neoraja species were identical in all the specimens analysed. Morphometric analyses, based on 40 characters, showed 3.66% dissimilarity between the two species. The morphometric character that contributed most to this discrepancy was disc width.Versión del editor1,023

The phylogenetic origin and evolution of acellular bone in teleost fishes: insights into osteocyte function in bone metabolism

Vertebrate bone is composed of three main cell types: osteoblasts, osteoclasts and osteocytes, the latter being by far the most numerous. Osteocytes are thought to play a fundamental role in bone physiology and homeostasis, however they are entirely absent in most extant species of teleosts, a group that comprises the vast majority of bony ‘fishes’, and approximately half of vertebrates. Understanding how this acellular (anosteocytic) bone appeared and was maintained in such an important vertebrate group has important implications for our understanding of the function and evolution of osteocytes. Nevertheless, although it is clear that cellular bone is ancestral for teleosts, it has not been clear in which specific subgroup the osteocytes were lost. This review aims to clarify the phylogenetic distribution of cellular and acellular bone in teleosts, to identify its precise origin, reversals to cellularity, and their implications. We surveyed the bone type for more than 600 fossil and extant ray‐finned fish species and optimised the results on recent large‐scale molecular phylogenetic trees, estimating ancestral states. We find that acellular bone is a probable synapomorphy of Euteleostei, a group uniting approximately two‐thirds of teleost species. We also confirm homoplasy in these traits: acellular bone occurs in some non‐euteleosts (although rarely), and cellular bone was reacquired several times independently within euteleosts, in salmons and relatives, tunas and the opah (Lampris sp.). The occurrence of peculiar ecological (e.g. anadromous migration) and physiological (e.g. red‐muscle endothermy) strategies in these lineages might explain the reacquisition of osteocytes. Our review supports that the main contribution of osteocytes in teleost bone is to mineral homeostasis (via osteocytic osteolysis) and not to strain detection or bone remodelling, helping to clarify their role in bone physiology

Resolving taxonomic uncertainty in vulnerable elasmobranchs : are the Madeira skate (Raja maderensis) and the thornback ray (Raja clavata) distinct species?

Skates and rays constitute the most speciose group of chondrichthyan fishes, yet are characterised by remarkable levels of morphological and ecological conservatism. They can be challenging to identify, which makes monitoring species compositions for fisheries management purposes problematic. Owing to their slow growth and low fecundity, skates are vulnerable to exploitation and species exhibiting endemism or limited ranges are considered to be the most at risk. The Madeira skate Raja maderensis is endemic and classified as ‘Data Deficient’ by the IUCN, yet its taxonomic distinctiveness from the morphologically similar and more wide-ranging thornback ray Raja clavate is unresolved. This study evaluated the sequence divergence of both the variable control region and cytochrome oxidase I ‘DNA barcode’ gene of the mitochondrial genome to elucidate the genetic differentiation of specimens identified as R. maderensis and R. clavate collected across much of their geographic ranges. Genetic evidence was insufficient to support the different species designations. However regardless of putative species identification, individuals occupying waters around the Azores and North African Seamounts represent an evolutionarily significant unit worthy of special consideration for conservation management

A lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has begun in the Mediterranean Sea

Until now, few sightings of the alien lionfish Pterois miles have been reported in the Mediterranean and it was questionable whether the species could invade this region like it has in the western Atlantic. Here, we present evidence from divers and fishermen that lionfish have recently increased in abundance and within a year colonised almost the entire south eastern coast of Cyprus, likely due to sea surface warming. At least 23 different fish are reported of which 6 were removed. Groups of lionfish exhibiting mating behaviour have been noted for the first time in the Mediterranean. Managers need this information and should alert stakeholders to the potential ecological and socio-economic impacts that may arise from a lionfish invasion. Actions could involve incentives to engage divers and fishermen in lionfish removal programmes, as these have worked well at shallow depths in the Caribbean. Given that the Suez Canal has recently been widened and deepened, measures will need to be put in place to help prevent further invasion

CONTRIBUTO DA CITOMETRIA DE FLUXO PARA O ESTUDO DOS RETICULÓCITOS

Os reticulócitos são eritrócitos jovens cuja presença no sangue periférico (SP) reflecte a actividade eritropoiética da medula óssea. Assim e apesar de, em determinadas situações de stress ou em diversas patologias hematológicas, se poderem encontrar no SP reticulócitos em diferentes estadios de maturação,pouco se sabe acerca deles. Este trabalho teve como objectivo caracterizar fenotipicamente as várias fases de maturação dos reticulócitos por citometria de fluxo (CF)

Classification of Sharks in the Egyptian Mediterranean Waters Using Morphological and DNA Barcoding Approaches

The identification of species constitutes the first basic step in phylogenetic studies, biodiversity monitoring and conservation. DNA barcoding, i.e. the sequencing of a short standardized region of DNA, has been proposed as a new tool for animal species identification. The present study provides an update on the composition of shark in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters off Alexandria, since the latest study to date was performed 30 years ago, DNA barcoding was used in addition to classical taxonomical methodologies. Thus, 51 specimen were DNA barcoded for a 667 bp region of the mitochondrial COI gene. Although DNA barcoding aims at developing species identification systems, some phylogenetic signals were apparent in the data. In the neighbor-joining tree, 8 major clusters were apparent, each of them containing individuals belonging to the same species, and most with 100% bootstrap value. This study is the first to our knowledge to use DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene in order to confirm the presence of species Squalus acanthias, Oxynotus centrina, Squatina squatina, Scyliorhinus canicula, Scyliorhinus stellaris, Mustelus mustelus, Mustelus punctulatus and Carcharhinus altimus in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters. Finally, our study is the starting point of a new barcoding database concerning shark composition in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters (Barcoding of Egyptian Mediterranean Sharks [BEMS], http://www.boldsystems.org/views/projectlist.php?&#Barcoding%20Fish%20%28FishBOL%29)

The mass-metallicity relation revisited with CALIFA

We present an updated version of the mass-metallicity (MZ) relation using integral field spectroscopy data obtained from 734 galaxies observed by the CALIFA survey. These unparalleled spatially resolved spectroscopic data allow us to determine the metallicity at the same physical scale (Re) for different calibrators. We obtain MZ relations with similar shapes for all calibrators, once the scalefactors among them are taken into account. We do not find any significant secondary relation of the MZ relation with either the star formation rate (SFR) or the specific SFR for any of the calibrators used in this study, based on the analysis of the residuals of the best-fitted relation. However, we do see a hint for an (s)SFR-dependent deviation of the MZ relation at low masses (M 9.5 M☉), where our sample is not complete. We are thus unable to confirm the results by Mannucci et al. (2010), although we cannot exclude that this result is due to the differences in the analysed data sets. In contrast, our results are inconsistent with the results by Lara-López et al. (2010), and we can exclude the presence of an SFR-mass-oxygen abundance fundamental plane. These results agree with previous findings suggesting that either (1) the secondary relation with the SFR could be induced by an aperture effect in single fibre/aperture spectroscopic surveys, (2) it could be related to a local effect confined to the central regions of galaxies or (3) it is just restricted to the low-mass regime, or a combination of the three effects

Olhos na América: Uma leitura dos relatórios de C. Hippeau

Ao examinar o conjunto de relatórios sobre instrução pública redigidos por Hippeau, entre 1869 e 1881, centrei-me no exame do que foi importado, traduzido, lido e apropriado no Brasil oitocentista, o que tornou possível problematízar a hipótese da exclusividade de transplantação do modelo europeu para o Brasil, como também permitiu trabalhar com a hipótese de que associada ao rigor, detalhamento e exatidão dos relatórios, neles há um efetivo programa para a educação escolar. Tal programa é decalcado do modelo americano, representado como palco de realizações espetaculares na área da educação, espetáculo traduzível nos eixos tomados como fundamento e signo do progresso e da modernidade pedagógica (liberdade, gratuidade, obrigatoriedade, secularização e higienízação), núcleos da nova civilização que se desejava construir, legitimar e difundir; a civilização norte-americana