Dieta del pez de San Francisco Synodus saurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pisces, Synodontidae) en el Mediterráneo central

The diet composition of the Atlantic lizardfish Synodus saurus, caught on sandy bottoms of the north-western coast of Sicily (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is described. The stomachs of 224 specimens (from 73 to 280 mm TL) were collected between June 2005 and May 2006. The analysis of stomach contents showed that this species is almost exclusively piscivorous. Unlike other benthic predators of the study area, it mainly feeds on pelagic school-forming fish, such as Clupeidae, Engraulidae and Myctophidae and juveniles of Sparidae and Centracanthidae, and benthic prey play a secondary role. The diet of S. saurus is related to the seasonal availability of resources, depending on the occurrence of juveniles of several species and on the migration of pelagic fishes in the study area. There were no significant changes in prey items between predator length groups, but a positive, significant linear relationship between prey size and predator size was recorded.El presente trabajo ha estudiado la composición de la dieta del pez de San Francisco Synodus saurus, pescado sobre fondos arenosos en la costa nor-occidental de Sicilia (Tirreno meridional). El análisis del contenido estomacal de 224 individuos (entre 73 y 280 mm LT), pescados entre junio 2005 y mayo 2006, evidenció que S. saurus es una especie casi exclusivamente ictiófaga. A diferencia de otros depredadores bentónicos, S. saurus se alimenta fundamentalmente de peces que forman bancos pelágicos como Clupeidae, Engraulidae y Myctophidae y de los juveniles de las familias Sparidae y Centracanthidae, mientras las presas bentónicas resultaron secundarias. S. saurus exhibió una estrategia alimentaria relacionada con la disponibilidad estacional de recursos, dependiendo de la ocurrencia de juveniles de varias especies y de la migración de peces pelágicos en el área de estudio. No hubo cambio significativo de presas entre grupos de tallas pero se evidenció una relacción positiva, lineal y estadísticamente significativa entre el tamaño de la presa y del depredador

Is the natural feed the better nutritional therapy in patients with severe acquired brain injury? A retrospective study

SUMMARY: Background: This retrospective study aimed to assess whether the use of natural foods, also in combination with enteral nutrition, improves rehabilitative recovery in patients severe acquired brain injuries. Methods: 40 severe acquired brain injuries patients (75% males, aged 50.2 ± 16.6) were selected. The study population was divided into three groups based on the type of nutrition administered (enteral, oral, and mixed). Mini Nutritional Assessment and Level of Cognitive Functioning scales were used to assess changes from admission to discharge in each group. Multiple logistic regression model was performed to assess the association between the feeding typology and nutritional recovery. Results: At admission, about 97.5% of patients were malnourished. We found significant score changes from baseline to follow-up for both test used and in each subgroup, except for the subgroup that includes patients fed with enteral nutrition. There were significant differences in biochemical indicators, including levels of albumin (p < 0.01) and protein (p < 0.001), compared to baseline and follow-up. Oral nutrition resulted to be a significant predictor for nutritional improvement. Conclusions: Nutrition therapy within a multi-disciplinary team may improve both the hospital care and the recovery in severe acquired brain injuries population. Notably, our findings suggest that natural nutrition is superior to enteral nutrition in improving nutritional outcomes, which should be confirmed by further studies

Edad y crecimiento del pámpano, Trachinotus ovatus, del Estrecho de Messina (Mediterráneo central)

This is the first paper to provide detailed information on the age and growth of&nbsp;Trachinotus ovatus. The size of the 244 individuals collected in the Strait of Messina ranged from 2.7 to 30.4 cm in fork length (LF) and 0.31 to 508.6 g in body mass (M). The relationship between these parameters (M&nbsp;-&nbsp;LF) was investigated and showed a good fit. Age estimation based on vertebrae and otoliths yielded similar results, suggesting a maximum age of five years. However, the precision and accuracy tests, such as percentage of agreement (PA), mean coefficient of variation (ACV) and average percent error (APE) indicated that the otolith readings (97.83% PA, 0.54% ACV and 0.38% APE) were more reliable for age estimation than vertebrae readings (82.17% PA, 5.33% ACV and 3.77% APE). The multi-model inference approach allowed us to compare different non-linear growth models. The von Bertalanffy model (L∞=29.139,&nbsp;k=0.496 and&nbsp;t0=−0.347) fitted the length-at-age data best. This species has a relatively rapid growth and an estimated longevity of five to seven years. This information could be used for management and first stock assessment studies on&nbsp;T. ovatus&nbsp;in the Mediterranean Sea.Este es el primer artículo que proporciona información detallada sobre la edad y el crecimiento de&nbsp;Trachinotus ovatus. El tamaño de los 244 individuos recolectados en el Estrecho de Messina osciló entre 2.7 y 30.4 cm de longitud a la horquilla (LF) y 0.31 a 508.6 g de masa corporal (M). Se investigó la relación entre estos parámetros (M&nbsp;-&nbsp;LF) y mostró un buen ajuste. La estimación de la edad basada en vértebras y otolitos arrojó resultados similares, lo que sugiere una edad máxima de cinco años. Sin embargo, las pruebas de precisión y exactitud, como el porcentaje de concordancia (PA), el coeficiente medio de variación (ACV) y el porcentaje de error medio (APE), indicaron que las lecturas del otolito (97.83% PA, 0.54% ACV y 0.38 % APE) fueron más confiables para la estimación de la edad que las lecturas de vértebras (82.17% PA, 5.33% ACV y 3.77% APE). El enfoque de inferencia de modelos múltiples nos permitió comparar diferentes modelos de crecimiento no lineal. El modelo de von Bertalanffy (L∞=29.139,&nbsp;k=0.496 and&nbsp;t0=−0.347) se ajusta mejor a los datos de talla por edad. Esta especie tiene un crecimiento relativamente rápido y una longevidad estimada de cinco a siete años. Esta información podría utilizarse para la ordenación y los primeros estudios de evaluación de poblaciones de&nbsp;T. ovatus&nbsp;en el mar Mediterráneo

First record of plastic debris in the stomach of Mediterranean lanternfishes

This study highlights for the first time the presence of plastic debris in the stomachs of Mediterranean lanternfishes (Myctophidae): Electrona risso, Diaphus metopoclampus, Hygophum benoiti and Myctophum punctatum. Samples were collected in the central Mediterranean Sea between 2010 and 2014. Plastics ingested belonged to small microplastics (0.2 - 2 mm), large microplastics (2 - 5 mm) and mesoplastics (5 - 25 mm), having mainly clear colors. Their frequency of occurrence in stomachs was equal to 2.7%, but it increases to 5.8% if only migratory species are considered. The higher number of plastics was found in E. risso and H. benoiti (5 in both species). The plastic ingestion may represent a risk for vertical migrant lanternfishes due to the increase in buoyancy. Ecotoxicological aspects linked to the potential effects of contaminants on lanternfish biology and to the transfer of pollutants throughout the marine trophic web up to top predators should be deepened

Prvi zapis o plastičnim krhotinama u želucu mediteranskih riba žaboglavki (Myctophidae)

This study highlights for the first time the presence of plastic debris in the stomachs of Mediterranean lanternfishes (Myctophidae): Electrona risso, Diaphus metopoclampus, Hygophum benoiti and Myctophum punctatum. Samples were collected in the central Mediterranean Sea between 2010 and 2014. Plastics ingested belonged to small microplastics (0.2 - 2 mm), large microplastics (2 - 5 mm) and mesoplastics (5 - 25 mm), having mainly clear colors. Their frequency of occurrence in stomachs was equal to 2.7%, but it increases to 5.8% if only migratory species are considered. The higher number of plastics was found in E. risso and H. benoiti (5 in both species). The plastic ingestion may represent a risk for vertical migrant lanternfishes due to the increase in buoyancy. Ecotoxicological aspects linked to the potential effects of contaminants on lanternfish biology and to the transfer of pollutants throughout the marine trophic web up to top predators should be deepened.Ova studija ističe po prvi put prisutnost plastičnih otpadaka u želucima mediteranskih žaboglavki. (Myctophidae): Electrona risso, Diaphus metopoclampus, Hygophum benoiti i Myctophum punctatum. Uzorci su prikupljeni u središnjem Mediteranu u periodu između 2010. i 2014. godine. Progu tane čestice plastike pripadaju maloj mikroplastici (0,2-2 mm), velikoj mikroplastici (2-5 mm) i mezoplastici (5-25 mm), te su uglavnom jasnih boja. Njihova učestalost pojavljivanja u probavilima iznosila je 2.7%, dok je kod migratornih vrsta iznosila 5.8%. Veći broj čestica plastike pronađen je kod vrsta E. risso i H. benoiti (5 po vrsti). Gutanje plastike može predstavljati rizik za vertikalne migratore iz porodice žaboglavki zbog povećanja uzgona. Potrebno je produbiti istraživanja ekotoksikoloških aspekata povezanih s mogućim učincima zagađivala na biologiju žaboglavki, kao i onih povezanih s prijenosom zagađivala kroz trofičku mrežu u moru sve do glavnih grabežljivaca

The influence of habitat complexity on fish assemblages associated with extractive platforms in the central Mediterranean Sea

In this work the influence of habitat complexity on fish assemblages associated with extractive platforms in the Mediterranean Sea was investigated. More specifically, at large spatial scale we tested the differences in fish assemblage between 4-legs vs 8-legs platforms, whereas at medium scale we evaluated, within each platform, the differences between internal structures with increasing complexity degrees (respectively: the water volume without any pillar - complexity “0”; the junction of two pillars - “1”; the junction of four pillars - “2”). Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed highly significant differences for each of the tested factors, as well as for their interaction. In general, at both medium and large spatial scales, mean species richness and abundance were positively correlated with the increasing habitat complexity with the highest values associated with 8-legs platforms and with the most complex internal structures within each platform. According to our findings, a more complex structure is able to attract more fish species and specimens than a less complex one, supporting previous studies carried out on different man-made structures outside the Mediterranean Sea. The study will integrate the still poor available knowledge baseline on the attractive potential of extractive platforms with strong implications for the environmental management under the incoming light of decommission in the basin

When opportunistic predators interact with swordfish harpoon fishing activities: shark depredation over catches in the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea)

We describe the interaction between harpoon fishing activity and sharks, which opportunistically depredated harpoon catches in the Strait of Messina. Shark bite marks were observed on harpooned swordfish during the period 2014–2020, with different damages to the catches. Most of the depredation events have focused on large swordfish, generally weighing more than 60 kg. Data on direct observations were implemented by interviews and questionnaires to fishermen aimed to recover the information on their local fishing and ecological knowledge. Fishermen provided additional data on shark-harpoon fishing interactions also supplying information on by-catch species (i.e., bluefin tuna). Therefore, these results suggest that sharks migrating through the Strait of Messina are occasionally attracted by injured prey, due to their ability to detect chemical cues, fish distress stimuli and body fluids (i.e. blood) in the water. In addition, our investigations showed an increase in shark attacks on harpooned fish over time, likely due to an increase in harpoon swordfish catches. This may be related to the effects of the driftnets' ban enforced by European Regulations in the last decades

Osservazioni

di Calogero Piro. Convertire la realtà che ci circonda in immagini, è stata fin dai primordi dell’essere umano un’atavica necessità. Ancora oggi nella nostra cultura visiva è tutto basato sull’utilizzo dell’immagine per conoscere la realtà che ci circonda. Con la scoperta della fotografia, la riflessione intorno alla natura si fa sempre più interessante. Il ruolo della macchina fotografica in questo progetto per raccontare l’ambiente, la struttura, gli oggetti, i segni, i colori e le atmosfere che caratterizzano il centro del CNR di capo Granitola ha trovato prepotentemente in questi giovani allievi della cattedra di fotografia dell’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, diretta dal Professore Sandro Scalia, momenti di grande professionalità, realizzando un grande reportage con tutti gli aspetti essenziali della struttura e delle articolazioni primarie del linguaggio fotografico. Questa esperienza extradidattica difficile ed impegnativa non soltanto per la necessità del confronto col “nuovo” in termini organizzativi, ma anche per la necessità di descrivere attraverso la fotografia il tema della Biodiversità, è stato affrontato brillantemente. Mettendo in primo piano, siti naturali, siti storici come: Mozia e Selinunte, i laboratori del centro di ricerche, la Flora e la Fauna, sono riusciti a raggiungere con acuta osservazione ottimi risultati visibili in questo catalogo, e con la tangibile riprova di cosa possa e debba essere una educazione estetica assolutamente “libera” da condizionamenti, viatico ineludibile perché l’espressione artistica, sotto qualunque forma, sia artefice dei grandi processi di vera maturazione culturale, si avverte in questi giovani artisti la purezza e la consapevolezza dei propri messaggi ancora privi, e speriamo sempre, di qualunque tipo di inquinamento tendenzioso