The genus Thordisa Bergh, 1877 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) in the Iberian Peninsula

El gènere Thordisa Bergh, 1877 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia) a la península Ibèrica La família Discodorididae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) és una de les famílies de nudibranquis més nombroses quant a espècies i inclou gèneres coneguts en aigües europees com Discodoris Bergh, 1877, Geitodoris Bergh, 1891, Jorunna Bergh, 1876, Peltodoris Bergh, 1880, Platydoris Bergh, 1877 i Taringa Er. Marcus, 1955. També dins d’aquesta família es troba el gènere Thordisa Bergh, 1877, amb unes 25 espècies conegudes que viuen a tots els mars i oceans excepte els polars. Només s’han registrat 4 espècies de Thordisa en aigües europees: T. filix Pruvot-Fol, 1951, T. azmanii Cervera & García-Gómez, 1989, T. pallida Bergh, 1884 i T. aurea Pruvot-Fol, 1951, però les dues últimes són espècies mediterrànies que no s’han tornat a col·lectar des de la seva descripció. Aquí presentem nova informació anatòmica i biològica i dades de distribució d’exemplars recollits a la Península Ibèrica: Thordisa filix col·lectada al NE i exemplars de T. azmanii col·lectats al NO. També es discuteix la validesa de les altres dues espècies europees.The family Discodorididae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) is one of the most numerous nudibranch families in terms of species and includes well-known genera in European waters such as Discodoris Bergh, 1877, Geitodoris Bergh, 1891, Jorunna Bergh, 1876, Peltodoris Bergh, 1880, Platydoris Bergh, 1877 and Taringa Er. Marcus, 1955. This family also includes the genus Thordisa Bergh, 1877, with about 25 species, known to live in all seas and oceans except the polar ones. Only 4 species of Thordisa have been recorded in European waters: T. filix Pruvot-Fol, 1951, T. azmanii Cervera & García-Gómez, 1989, T. pallida Bergh, 1884 and T. aurea Pruvot-Fol, 1951, however the last two are Mediterranean species that have not been collected again since their original description. Here we present new anatomical and biological information and distribution data of specimens collected in the Iberian Peninsula: Thordisa filix collected in the NE and specimens of T. azmanii collected in the NW. The validity of the other two European species is also discussed

Seguiment de mol·luscs opistobranquis a la platja des Caials (Cadaqués, Alt Empordà). Contribució al catàleg del Parc Natural de Cap de Creus

Es presenten els resultats de les observacions de mol•luscs opistobranquis realitzades a la platja des Caials (Cadaqués, Parc Natural de Cap de Creus). Els mostrejos es realitzaren durant el dia, entre els 0 i 28 metres de fondària, que comprenien comunitats d’algues fotòfiles de llocs encalmats, comunitats infralapidícoles, alguers de posidònia, comunitats d’algues esciàfiles de llocs encalmats o precoral•ligen, coral•ligen i fons detrítics, incloent les restes del vaixell enfonsat Llanishen, que constitueixen un substrat entre els 13 i 17 metres de fondària. El número d’espècies observades ha estat 48: Cephalaspidea (1), Anaspidea (2), Notaspidea (1), Umbraculoidea (2), Ascoglossa (4); Nudibranchia (38) desglossats en: Doridacea (18) Arminacea (1),Dendronotacea (3) iAeolidacea (16). Es cita per primer cop a Catalunya l’eolidaci Piseinotecus gabinierei.This paper presents the results of our observations of opisthobranch molluscs in platja (beach) des Caials (Cadaqués, Cap de Creus Natural Park, Girona, Spain). Samplings were conducted during the day, between 0 and 28 meters of water, including well lit algal communities, species that live beneath stones, Posidonia meadows, poorly lit algal environments, precoralligenous, coralligenous and detritic biocoenosis, and the remains of the Llanishen shipwreck, that conform a biotope between 13 and 17 meters of depth. The total number of species positively identified was 48, distributed as follows: Cephalaspidea (1),Anaspidea (2), Notaspidea (1), Umbraculoidea (2), Ascoglossa (4); Nudibranchia (38) subdivided into Doridacea (18) Arminacea (1), Dendronotacea (3) i Aeolidacea (16). Among these, for the first time in the Catalonian coastal waters, we recorded the aeolidacean Piseinotecus gabinierei

Withdrawal of infliximab therapy in ankylosing spondylitis in persistent clinical remission, results from the REMINEA study

Altres ajuts: This work is conducted under the umbrella of the Rheumatology Society of Catalonia and supported by Merck Research Laboratories.Background: Recent data suggest that anti-TNF doses can be reduced in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Some authors even propose withdrawing treatment in patients in clinical remission; however, at present there is no evidence to support this. Objective: To assess how long AS patients with persistent clinical remission remained free of flares after anti-TNF withdrawal and to evaluate the effects of treatment reintroduction. We also analyze the characteristics of patients who did not present clinical relapse. Methods: Multicenter, prospective, observational study of a cohort of patients with active AS who had received infliximab as a first anti-TNF treatment and who presented persistent remission (more than 6 months). We recorded at baseline and every 6-8 weeks over the 12-month period the age, gender, disease duration, peripheral arthritis or enthesitis, HLA-B27 status, BASDAI, CRP, ESR, BASFI, and three visual analogue scales, spine global pain, spinal night time pain, and patient's global assessment. Results: Thirty-six out of 107 patients (34%) presented persistent remission and were included in our study. After treatment withdrawal, 21 of these 36 patients (58%) presented clinical relapse during follow-up. Infliximab therapy was reintroduced and only 52% achieved clinical remission, as they had before the discontinuation of infliximab; in an additional 10%, reintroduction of infliximab was ineffective, obliging us to change the anti-TNF therapy. No clinical or biological factors were associated with the occurrence of relapse during the follow-up. Conclusions: Two thirds of patients in clinical remission presented clinical relapse shortly after infliximab withdrawal. Although the reintroduction of infliximab treatment was safe, half of the patients did not present the same clinical response that they had achieved prior to treatment withdrawal

New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (October 2020)

This article includes 23 new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to 4 Phyla (Chordata, Echinodermata, Arthropoda and Mollusca), distributed from the Alboran to the Levantine Sea. Records are reported from eight countries listed from West to East as follows: Algeria: new records of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus; Spain: further spread and establishment of the sea slug Lamprohaminoea ovalis in continental shores; Tunisia: first record of the Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus in the Gulf of Gabes; Italy: a new occurrence of the pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus in Northern Ionian waters; first record of Cephalopholis taeniops in the Ionian Sea; first record of the redlip blenny, Ophioblennius atlanticus in the Ionian Sea; Slovenia: first record of the isopod Paranthura japonica in Slovenia; Greece: first record of the molluscs Eunaticina papilla, Plocamopherus ocellatus and the fish Cheilodipterus novemstriatus; first record of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata in Kriti; the long-spined sea urchin Diadema setosum in the Ionian Sea; Turkey: first record of the sea spider Ammothea hilgendorfi; the stomatopod Cloridina cf. ichneumon; the fishes Pempheris rhomboidea from the Sea of Marmara and Paranthias furcifer from the Aegean Sea; Lebanon: new records of the fishes Arothron hispidus, Rachycentron canadum, Heniochus intermedius and Acanthurus monroviae; first record of Acanthostracion polygonius. The records of Cloridina cf. ichneumon from southern Turkey and the fish Acanthostracion polygonius from Lebanon, both being the first Mediterranean records, are noteworthy

“New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records” (March 2021)

This article includes twenty (20) new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to six (6) Phyla (Rhodophyta, Tracheophyta, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, and Chordata) distributed from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Sea of Alboran. The records are reported from nine (9) countries and can be classified into two categories: new records for the Mediterranean Sea and new records of non-indigenous species expanding within the Mediterranean Sea. The first category includes the gastropod Turbo radiatus from Lebanon coasts, the portunid crab Charybdis (Charybdis) natator from Tunis southern lagoon, the mollusc Thuridilla mazda from South Spain, and the nudibranch Okenia picoensis from the Alboran coasts of Spain and from Malta. The second category includes the bivalve Nudiscintilla cf. glabra from the Aegean coast of Turkey, the rhodophyte Colaconema codicola from the North Aegean coasts of Greece, the naked band gaper Champsodon nudivittis from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Also, the brachyuran Gonioinfradens giardi from the Greek Ionian waters, the codlet Bregmaceros nectabanus from the Croatian coasts of the Adriatic Sea, and the bryozoan Arbopercula tenella and copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris both from the Gulf of Trieste, Slovenian and Italian coasts, respectively. New records were also reported for the ascidian Distaplia bermudensis from brackish the Gulf of Naples, Italy, the damselfish Abudefduf cf. saxatilis and the seagrass Halophila stipulacea from Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea, and for the fish Paranthias furcifer from the harbour of Almeria, Alboran Sea, Spain. Through these records, an understanding of the expanding mechanisms and processes and, if possible, the development of mitigation measures within the region will be further facilitated

New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (March 2021)

This article includes twenty (20) new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to six (6) Phyla (Rhodophyta, Tracheophyta, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, and Chordata) distributed from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Sea of Alboran. The records are reported from nine (9) countries and can be classified into two categories: new records for the Mediterranean Sea and new records of non-indigenous species expanding within the Mediterranean Sea. The first category includes the gastropod Turbo radiatus from Lebanon coasts, the portunid crab Charybdis (Charybdis) natator from Tunis southern lagoon, the mollusc Thuridilla mazda from South Spain, and the nudibranch Okenia picoensis from the Alboran coasts of Spain and from Malta. The second category includes the bivalve Nudiscintilla cf. glabra from the Aegean coast of Turkey, the rhodophyte Colaconema codicola from the North Aegean coasts of Greece, the naked band gaper Champsodon nudivittis from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Also, the brachyuran Gonioinfradens giardi from the Greek Ionian waters, the codlet Bregmaceros nectabanus from the Croatian coasts of the Adriatic Sea, and the bryozoan Arbopercula tenella and copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris both from the Gulf of Trieste, Slovenian and Italian coasts, respectively. New records were also reported for the ascidian Distaplia bermudensis from brackish the Gulf of Naples, Italy, the damselfish Abudefduf cf. saxatilis and the seagrass Halophila stipulacea from Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea, and for the fish Paranthias furcifer from the harbour of Almeria, Alboran Sea, Spain. Through these records, an understanding of the expanding mechanisms and processes and, if possible, the development of mitigation measures within the region will be further facilitated

Sea slugs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia): the other inhabitants of the city of Barcelona (Spain)

Els llimacs de mar en sentit ampli (fins fa poc anomenats «opistobranquis» i ara dins de la subclasse Heterobranchia dels Gastropoda) han despertat l'interès dels naturalistes des que van començar a conèixer-se a finals del s. XVIII. Les seves vistoses coloracions i variades formes els fan molt atractius per a estudiar-los i fotografiar-los. Nombroses són les obres que s'han escrit per donar a conèixer la biodiversitat d'aquests mol·luscs en totes les regions marines. Pocs estudis són, en canvi, els que s'han realitzat per conèixer les espècies que habiten en zones altament antropitzades com l'interior de ports comercials, marines esportives, substrats artificials o zones costaneres de grans ciutats. En aquest treball es presenten els resultats d'un estudi de biodiversitat d'heterobranquis marins realitzat a la costa de la ciutat de Barcelona (Espanya). S'han comptabilitzat nombrosos exemplars de 73 espècies de llimacs marins pertanyents a 5 ordres: 4 d'Aplysiida, 5 de Cephalaspidea, 3 de Runcinida, 47 de Nudibranchia i 4 de Pleurobranchida, i un superordre: 10 de Sacoglossa, incloses dues espècies al·lòctones, Polycerella emertoni i Bursatella leachii, d'àmplia distribució circumtropical. El nostre treball comprova que en les estructures artificials creades amb la construcció de marines, esculleres o barres submergides s'estableixen nous ambients capaços de ser colonitzats per algues i invertebrats marins. Sorprèn en el nostre estudi l'alta biodiversitat trobada quant a heterobranquis marins, fins i tot en aigües amb abundant matèria orgànica i que estan sotmeses a una alta pressió antròpica.Sea slugs in the broad sense (until recently called «opisthobranchs» and now within the Heterobranchia subclass of the Gastropoda), have aroused the interest of naturalists since they began to be studied by the end of the XVIII century. Their colorful and varied shapes make them very attractive to be studied and photographed. Numerous are the published works written to spread the knowledge of the biodiversity of these molluscs in all marine regions, however very few studies have been carried out to know these species that inhabit highly anthropized areas, such as the interior of commercial ports, marinas, artificial substrates or the coastal areas of large cities. Here are the results of a biodiversity study of marine heterobranchs conducted along the coast of the city of Barcelona (Spain). Numerous specimens of 73 species of sea slugs have been found, belonging to 5 orders: 4 Aplysiida, 5 Cephalaspidea, 3 Runcinida, 47 Nudibranchia and 4 Pleurobranchida, and 1 superorder: 10 Sacoglossa, including two alien species, Polycerella emertoni and Bursatella leachii, of wide circumtropical distribution. Our work proves that new habitats, created with the construction of marinas, breakwaters or submerged rock bars, are being colonized by seaweeds and marine invertebrates that set onto these artificial structures. Surprisingly our study found a high biodiversity of marine heterobranchs, even in waters with abundant organic matter and subjected to high anthropic pressure

Not all nudibranchs are carnivorous: trophic ecology of Polycerella emertoni in the Ebro Delta

Nudibranchs have always been regarded as a group of specialized predators. In Alfacs Bay (Ebro Delta, Spain), the cryptic nudibranch Polycerella emertoni is found associated with the pseudo-indigenous bryozoan Amathia verticillata, which has been thought to be its target prey. Here, we assessed the trophic ecology of P. emertoni using a combination of methods, including stable isotope analyses coupled with Bayesian mixing models, examination of stomach contents, and video recording of feeding activities. A morphological analysis of the radula was also conducted to explore a possible relationship with feeding behavior. Finally, we investigated the seasonal abundance of both species throughout an entire year in order to assess the nature and strength of their association. Contrary to current belief, our results show that P. emertoni is a micro-herbivore that feeds on the periphyton covering A. verticillata (up to 99% of the diet, according to mixing models). In particular, a diverse diatom community was observed on A. verticillata, and several of these taxa were found within the stomach contents of P. emertoni. Our results evidence a distinctive radular formula and morphology compared to other species and suggest the presence of multiple feeding strategies in nudibranchs. The high seasonal association observed between P. emertoni and A. verticillata may be attributed to mimicking habitat features as a mechanism to avoid predation. The possible effects of periphyton removal in the survival of detached fragments of A. verticillata may have implications for the dispersal of fouling species and functioning of ecosystems.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The Sea Slug Doriopsilla areolata Bergh, 1880 (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Mediterranean Sea: Another Case of Cryptic Diversity

The Mediterranean Sea diversity is still far from being fully disclosed. Marine Heterobranchia are one of the most paradigmatic species-rich groups, with many recent systematic studies revealing the high density of new, cryptic, and endemic species occurring in the Mediterranean basin. In this study, sea slug Doriopsilla areolata, which was considered until today one of the most widespread nudibranchs worldwide, was investigated using a molecular approach to compare Mediterranean and Atlantic populations for the first time. The molecular analyses involved three different molecular markers, the two mitochondrial COI and 16S, and the nuclear H3 gene. The results revealed a complex of species within D. areolata that indeed consists of three potentially species, two of which are endemic to the Mediterranean Sea: Doriopsilla areolata, which is distributed in the Adriatic Sea (the type locality of the former species), D. rarispinosa, which occurs in the Western Mediterranean basin and along the Tunisian coast, and one additional Atlantic species here provisionally defined as Doriopsilla sp. 1. This study helps to unveil another case of cryptic diversity within Mediterranean Heterobranchia and to increase the knowledge on Doriopsilla genus diversity

Not all nudibranchs are carnivorous: trophic ecology of Polycerella emertoni in the Ebro Delta

Nudibranchs have always been regarded as a group of specialized predators. In Alfacs Bay (Ebro Delta, Spain), the cryptic nudibranch Polycerella emertoni is found associated with the pseudo-indigenous bryozoan Amathia verticillata, which has been thought to be its target prey. Here, we assessed the trophic ecology of P. emertoni using a combination of methods, in cluding stable isotope analyses coupled with Bayesian mixing models, examination of stomach contents, and video recording of feeding activities. A morphological analysis of the radula was also conducted to explore a possible relationship with feeding behavior. Finally, we investigated the seasonal abundance of both species throughout an entire year in order to assess the nature and strength of their association. Contrary to current belief, our results show that P. emertoni is a micro-herbivore that feeds on the periphyton covering A. verticillata (up to 99% of the diet, ac cording to mixing models). In particular, a diverse diatom community was observed on A. verticillata, and several of these taxa were found within the stomach contents of P. emertoni. Our results evidence a distinctive radular formula and morphology compared to other species and suggest the presence of multiple feeding strategies in nudibranchs. The high seasonal association observed be tween P. emertoni and A. verticillata may be attributed to mimicking habitat features as a mechanism to avoid predation. The possible effects of periphyton removal in the survival of detached fragments of A. verticillata may have implications for the dispersal of fouling species and functioning of ecosystems