New mediterranean biodiversity records (November, 2016)

This Collective Article presents information on 26 taxa belonging to 8 Phyla and extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine Sea. The new records were found in 9 countries as follows: Spain: first record for the Mediterranean of the crab Cancer bellianus; Algeria: further records of the alien fish Lagocephalus sceleratus in western Algerian waters; Italy: first report on the presence and establishment of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in Lessina and Varano Lagoons (W. Adriatic) and of Penaeus aztecus in Corigliano Gulf (Italian Ionian). Moreover, the extension of the distribution range of the polychaete Branchiomma bairdi to W. Sicily as well as that of the crab Ocypode cursor and the bryozoan Catenicella paradoxa to E. Sicily are cited. Slovenia: the record of the rare saccoglossan gastropod Placida cremoniana from Piran (Gulf of Trieste) is the first for the Adriatic; Greece: the native sea slug Eubranchus farrani is the first from the Eastern Mediterranean; many sightings of the bamboo corals Isididae distributed along all the E. Ionian Sea and the establishment of P. aztecus in all Greek waters are also reported for first time; the westernmost extension of the alien urchin Diadema setosum in Cretan waters is cited and new sightings of the alien species Goniobranchus annulatus and Pterois miles are presented. Turkey: the alien fish Champsodon capensis is reported for first time from the Aegean Sea and the native acari Agauopsis microrhyncha from the Levantine Sea; a new observation of the alien crab Atergatis roseus in Güllük Bay-Aegean is also mentioned; Cyprus: first records of the alien urchin D. setosum and Lobotes surinamensis in Cypriot waters; Lebanon: several sightings of Monachus monachus from Lebanese waters indicate a potential better status for the species in the area; Egypt: first records of the alien crab Dorippe quadridens and the alien gastropods Nerita sanguinolenta and Conomurex persicus from the Mediterranean Egyptian waters; extension of the distribution range of Diodora funiculata and Diodora rueppellii and a second record of the alien Fulvia fragilis in the same area

Aricidea fragilis (Annelida: Paraonidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: overlooked native or alien species?

The paraonid polychaete Aricidea fragilis Webster, 1879, a typically west-Atlantic species, is reported from the Mediterranean Sea on the basis of several individuals, from the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Sea. Its differences with the other Mediterranean Paraonidae, and in particular with the morphologically close Aricidea suecica meridionalis Laubier & Ramos, 1974, are briefly discussed. The possible status of A. fragilis as an alien species in European waters is analysed. The scarcity of historical records, the relatively restricted distribution, and the population dynamics observed in European waters strongly support the hypothesis of an introduction, despite the wide temporal interval between the first record of the species in the 1930s and the currently ongoing range expansion and population explosion. Here we precautionarily suggest considering A. fragilis a cryptogenic species

Spatial variability in the population structure of the Carcinus aestuarii in Varano lagoon

1 - This study analyses some aspects of Carcinus aestuarii biology within the project MOLEVAR (Pilot Project For The Production Of Moleche (C. aestuarii): New Economy For Varano Lagoon) funded by FEP-Puglia 2007-2013 (European Funds for Fishing) in order to evaluate the crabs, Carcinus aestuarii, as a new economic resource for Varano Lagoon (Southern Italy).2 - The Varano lagoon is located on the Northern coast of the Gargano Promontory (Southern Adriatic Sea). The lagoon and the neighboring coastal area are exploited by mussel farming, although such activity was recently reduced within the lagoon, where the fishery is now the most important resource.3 - The population structure of C. aestuarii will be studied in three different sites of the Varano lagoon. A total of 205 specimens were obtained from May to December 2012; 192 males and 13 females were observed. Length (CL) and width (CW) of the carapace and total weight (TW), were determined sex ratio. The overall sex ratio was in favor of males (χ2= 11.08). At the same time, water temperature, salinity, were measured with a multiparametric probe.4 - The ovigerous females (n=2) were caught only December in Capojale site. The catches highest (n=46) were recorded in June month in the Capojale site. The highest abundance was found during June 2012 (44 males and 2 females) of which 23 in Capojale, 22 in Varano and 1 specimen in San Nicola Imbuti station, respectively.5 - The information on the abundance, life cycle and functional role of this crab is still lacking for Varano lagoon. The data so far do not allow us to have a complete picture of the dynamics of the population, especially because it lacks most of the female component

L’emangioma capillare dello stomaco: una rara fonte di sanguinamento. Caso clinico

Gastric haemorrhages are common clinical emergencies which often directly involve the surgeon in diagnosis and treatment; among these, rare vascular neoplasms deserve particular attention. The Authors report a rare case of benign vascular tumour of the stomach, a capillary angioma. After a literature review they highlight the importance of specific exams to reveal these small neoformations which, generally, show up clinically with acute bleeding, which may be severe, and which may not be discovered if the clinical evaluation is not very detailed. The surgical excision supported by a frozen sections is the most effective treatmen

Aricidea fragilis (Annelida: Paraonidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: overlooked native or alien species?

The paraonid polychaete Aricidea fragilis Webster, 1879, a typically west-Atlantic species, is reported from the Mediterranean Sea on the basis of several individuals, from the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Sea. Its differences with the other Mediterranean Paraonidae, and in particular with the morphologically close Aricidea suecica meridionalis Laubier & Ramos, 1974, are briefly discussed. The possible status of A. fragilis as an alien species in European waters is analysed. The scarcity of historical records, the relatively restricted distribution, and the population dynamics observed in European waters strongly support the hypothesis of an introduction, despite the wide temporal interval between the first record of the species in the 1930s and the currently ongoing range expansion and population explosion. Here we precautionarily suggest considering A. fragilis a cryptogenic species

Policheti criptogenici nei mari italiani: caso di Aricidea fragilis (Annelida: Paraonidae)

Lo studio e monitoraggio delle specie alloctone in ambiente marino è un elemento di primaria importanza per lo sviluppo di politiche ambientali. Tuttavia, soprattutto con gli invertebrati, non è sempre semplice capire se una specie sia realmente alloctona, o non rappresenti piuttosto un’entità nativa la cui presenza è stata sottostimata. In questo studio si è scelto di studiare la diffusione in Mediterraneo di Aricidea fragilis Webster, 1879, una specie tipica dell’Atlantico occidentale, di cui sono note alcune segnalazioni storiche (Strelzov, 1973; Laubier&Ramos, 1974), ma che negli ultimi anni è stata oggetto di un’ampia espansione demografica principalmente nel Mar Adriatico. Sulla base di dati storici e di dati inediti, con considerazioni sull’ecologia della specie, si tenta di discutere se A. fragilis debba essere considerata alloctona o nativa nei mari italiani. Si tratta, in questo caso, della prima possibile introduzione di un polichete della famiglia Paraonidae