Cleaning activity among Labridae in the Azores: the rainbow wrasse Coris julis and the Azorean blue wrasse Centrolabrus caeruleus

Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009.Cleaning interactions among the rainbow wrasse Coris julis and the azorean blue wrasse Centrolabrus caeruleus are presented with photographic registers, as well as the first record of the latter cleaning conspecifics from Azorean shallow rocky reefs

ELISA versus PCR for diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most current guidelines recommend two serological tests to diagnose chronic Chagas disease. When serological tests are persistently inconclusive, some guidelines recommend molecular tests. The aim of this investigation was to review chronic Chagas disease diagnosis literature and to summarize results of ELISA and PCR performance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic review was conducted searching remote databases (MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, SCOPUS and ISIWeb) and full texts bibliography for relevant abstracts. In addition, manufacturers of commercial tests were contacted. Original investigations were eligible if they estimated sensitivity and specificity, or reliability -or if their calculation was possible - of ELISA or PCR tests, for chronic Chagas disease.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Heterogeneity was high within each test (ELISA and PCR) and threshold effect was detected only in a particular subgroup. Reference standard blinding partially explained heterogeneity in ELISA studies, and pooled sensitivity and specificity were 97.7% [96.7%-98.5%] and 96.3% [94.6%-97.6%] respectively. Commercial ELISA with recombinant antigens studied in phase three investigations partially explained heterogeneity, and pooled sensitivity and specificity were 99.3% [97.9%-99.9%] and 97.5% [88.5%-99.5%] respectively. ELISA's reliability was seldom studied but was considered acceptable. PCR heterogeneity was not explained, but a threshold effect was detected in three groups created by using guanidine and boiling the sample before DNA extraction. PCR sensitivity is likely to be between 50% and 90%, while its specificity is close to 100%. PCR reliability was never studied.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Both conventional and recombinant based ELISA give useful information, however there are commercial tests without technical reports and therefore were not included in this review. Physicians need to have access to technical reports to understand if these serological tests are similar to those included in this review and therefore correctly order and interpret test results. Currently, PCR should not be used in clinical practice for chronic Chagas disease diagnosis and there is no PCR test commercially available for this purpose. Tests limitations and directions for future research are discussed.</p

Population structure and reproductive biology of Cichla kelberi (Perciformes, Cichlidae) in Lobo Reservoir, Brazil

The structure of Cichla kelberi population was characterized regarding the sex ratio, total length composition and some reproductive characteristics. The specimens were collected in two periods, from November 2002 to November 2003 and from December 2004 to May 2006. The sex ratio was significantly different than 1:1. The total length varied from 3.4 to 40.1 cm, with individuals in the shortest length classes occurring throughout the year, but with greater incidence in the warmer periods. Females and males reached similar lengths and there was no difference between the sexes regarding the length-weight relationship. The estimated values of condition factor were near the central value of 1.0 and decreased during the cooler months, coinciding with periods of lower reproductive activity. Individuals with mature or semi-spent gonads occurred from November to April, indicating that Cichla kelberi reproduces for a long period of time. The spawning is partitioned, with an average absolute fecundity of 6072 oocytes (from 5220 to 6908 oocytes). The high relative condition factor values, long reproductive period, large output of fingerlings and high fecundity are biological conditions that indicate the species is well adapted in this reservoir

Spatiotemporal variations of the ichthyofaunal structure accompanying the seabob shrimp, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Crustacea: Penaeidae), fishery in important fishery areas of the Santa Catarina shore, Brazil

The present study analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively the temporal and spatial changes in the fish assemblages present in seabob shrimp distribution sites in two important fishing areas of the Santa Catarina coast. Monthly bottom trawls, conducted between March 2007 and February 2008 in Balneário Barra do Sul and Penha, yielded a total of 38,608 specimens belonging to 54 species, of which 35 occurred in both regions. The Sciaenidae was the most represented family in both number of species and abundance of individuals. The dominant species were Stellifer rastrifer (Jordan, 1889), S. brasiliensis (Schultz, 1945), Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1875), Isopisthus parvipinnis (Cuvier, 1830), Trichiurus lepturus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Pellona harroweri (Fowler, 1917). The ichthyofaunal structure showed a spatiotemporal dependence with significant differences in March 2007 and January and February 2008 between Balneário Barra do Sul and Penha. The main differences were attributed to dominant species, which were responsible for significantly altering the abundance of the assemblages. The species richness was similar in both sites, whereas the diversity and equitability indices showed monthly fluctuation patterns that differed between Balneário Barra do Sul and Penha. The Shannon index differed in August, September and November 2007 and January and February 2008, with an H' ranging from 0.74 to 1.98 influenced by dominant species, whereas significant variations were observed for the Pielou index in November 2007 and February 2008. The Berger-Parker index demonstrated a clear dominance pattern where the monthly numeric contribution of a single species ranged from approximately 30 to 80%. Although the results showed differences between fishing grounds 25% of the time, we conclude that fish assemblies captured as accompanying fauna in artisanal seabob shrimp fisheries showed statistically similar characteristics for most of the year, although Balneário Barra do Sul and Penha are 35 km away from each other

A trophic analysis of target species of macrobenthos in a subtropical coast community: a taxa relationship essay

Studies on the feeding habits of aquatic organisms are a requirement for the management and sustainable use of marine ecosystems. The aim of the present research was to analyze the habits and trophic similarities of decapods, starfish and fish in order to propose trophic relationships between taxa, using Hennigian methods of phylogenetic systematics. This new grouping hypothesis, based on shared and exclusive food items and food types, corresponds to the broad taxonomic groups used in the analysis. Our results indicate that algae, Mollusca, Polychaeta, Crustacea, Echinodermata and Actinopterygii are the most exploited common resources among the species studied. Starfish were differentiated from other organisms for being stenophagic, and were grouped for feeding on bivalve mollusks. A larger group of fish and crustaceans shares algae and mainly crustaceans as food items. A third group united all eight species of Actinopterygii. This largest subgroup of fish is typically carnivorous, feeding on Anthozoa and a great quantity of Crustacea. Synodus foetens has a special position among fishes, due to its unique feeding on nematodes. A Euclidean distance dendrogram obtained in a previous publication grouped S. foetens with starfish. That result was based on a few non-exclusive shared similarities in feeding modes, as well as on shared absences of items, which are not an adequate grouping factor. Starfish are stenophagic, eating bivalves almost exclusively. Synodus foetens and Isopisthus parvipinnis have restricted food items, and are thus intermediary in relation to starfish, decapods, and other fish, which are euryphagous. The trophic cladogram displays details of food items, whether or not shared by all species. The resulting trophic analysis is consistent with known historical relationships