Historical and current diversity patterns of mediterranean marine species

In this issue, the biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea has been described at a synchronic and a diachronic level, highlighting the past two centuries for which museum collections can provide overlooked information. Historical records are preserved for the major marine taxa, knowledge of which would greatly benefit from employing specimens and data collected in the past. All of the articles review the current status of the marine diversity of species belonging to several taxonomic groups (seagrasses, macroalgae, sponges, polychaetes, bivalves, sharks, fishes, mammals) and explore the ecological and conservation implications of some of the most threatened ones

Parhyale plumicornis (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalidae): is this an anti-lessepsian Mediterranean species? Morphological remarks, molecular markers and ecological notes as tools for future records

Hyalid amphipods living in coastal marine habitats are frequently included in ecological studies. The systematics of this taxon has been subject to profound changes, with an emphasis on the North Pacific fauna. Since a proper species delimitation is a prerequisite in taxonomic and ecological studies, Parhyale plumicornis (Heller, 1866) has been herein re-described, showing the criticisms and mismatches of various characters, which were previously used in dichotomous keys. This species was collected for the first time off the western coast of Sicily Island (Italy: central Mediterranean Sea). The male is peculiar, due to the second antennae heavily setose posteriorly and bearing long tufts of plumose ventral setae. In this paper, the species will be illustrated, and morphological polymorphism, molecular tags and ecological features will be reported. The species does not appear to be frequent in the Mediterranean Sea but it is important that marine biologists identify it accurately. A recent record, possibly ascribable to Parhyale plumicornis in the Red Sea, could indicate that this species is the first anti-lessepsian amphipod, which has migrated from the Mediterranean Sea towards the Red Sea. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:770BEDA1-3E06-464F-9D34-8AFE43592FC

Recupero e consolidamento della collezione scheletrica del Museo di Zoologia “Doderlein”

Il presente articolo illustra un’operazione di restauro che ha aperto una fase di recupero di diversi elementi scheletrici, da tempo deteriorati, nel Museo di Zoologia “Doderlein”, oggi afferente al Sistema Museale d’Ateneo - SIMUA - dell’Università degli Studi di Palermo. Il lavoro si è articolato in pulitura, restauro e consolidamento di cinquanta pezzi dei cinque gruppi di vertebrati. Questo intervento rappresenta solamente una piccola tessera di un progetto più ampio, che ha come obiettivo finale il recupero dell’intera collezione zoologica presente in Museo.The present work took place in the Museum of Zoology “Doderlein” of the SIMUA, University of Palermo. A restoration of skeletons was performed following the main phases: cleaning, restoration and consolidation of fifty pieces of the main five vertebrate taxa. This action represents the beginning of a wider project, of which the final aim is to recover the entire zoological collection present in the Museum

Two new Mediterranean Stenothoe (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from the coast of Israel

Within collections along the Mediterranean coast of Israel, two new species of Stenothoe (Amphipoda) were found. They were found to be living on sand or mud and probably licking the surface of grains

Desalination effluents and the establishment of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the south-eastern Mediterranean

A decade long monitoring programme has revealed a flourishing population of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla in the vicinity of outfalls of desalination plants off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The first specimens were collected in 2010, thus predating all previously published records of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A decade-long disturbance regime related to the construction and operation of the plants may have had a critical role in driving the population growth

Cryptic invasion in Southern Europe: The case of Ferrissia fragilis (Pulmonata: Ancylidae) Mediterranean populations

Four populations of the North American ancylid gastropod Ferrissia fragilis have been found in Southern Italy, thus expanding the known Eurasian distribution range of this invasive gastropod to the Mediterranean area. Both mitochondrial markers used for the molecular identification of the sampled specimens (16S and COI) showed a modest to absent haplotypic diversity in the studied Ferrissia populations from Europe and Asia, and their perfect identity with some of the haplotypes observed in North American F. fragilis populations. In the light of the scarce molecular diversity observed in the whole Palaearctic area and of the growing evidences for the ongoing spreading of the species in Europe, the occurrence of a single invasion event from North America possibly linked with aquarium plant trade followed by a rapid spreading of the species in Eurasia is suggested. The record of F. fragilis in Southern Italy caused some doubts on the presence of autochthonous Ferrissia populations in Europe and on the actual existence of Ferrissia wautieri. A molecular analysis of Ferrissia specimens from the loci typici of F. wautieri (Northern Italy) and F. clessiniana (Egypt) is definitely opportune

Progetto di alternanza scuola-lavoro per la valorizzazione di collezioni zoologiche

Il progetto si è posto l’obiettivo di implementare le competenze trasversali degli studenti nell’ambito della divulgazione scientifica, attraverso un percorso avviato con lo studio della zoologia e proseguito con attività di comunicazione e guida museale, mantenendo uno spirito collaborativo tra i tutor, il personale del Museo e i giovani. Nel contesto museale, dove un elevato numero di forme animali è concentrato in uno spazio ristretto, gli studenti hanno “toccato con mano” la varietà di specie esistenti, percepita in maniera immediata ed emotivamente significativa. Hanno così imparato ad applicare le metodologie per classificare gli animali e denominarli, integrando, in diversi momenti, l’uso della lingua inglese. Gli studenti hanno poi trasferito praticamente i contenuti acquisiti in un lavoro di ideazione, progettazione e realizzazione di prodotti didattico-divulgativi, presentati in un evento di grande impatto sul territorio della città di Palermo: la “Notte europea dei musei” 2018

Desalination effluents and the establishment of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the south-eastern Mediterranean

A decade long monitoring programme has revealed a flourishing population of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla in the vicinity of outfalls of desalination plants off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The first specimens were collected in 2010, thus predating all previously published records of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A decade-long disturbance regime related to the construction and operation of the plants may have had a critical role in driving the population growth

The 17th International Colloquium on Amphipoda

The 17th International Colloquium on Amphipoda (17th ICA) has been organized by the University of Palermo (Sicily, Italy), and took place in Trapani, 4-7 September 2017. All the contributions have been published in the present monograph and include a wide range of topics