A new species of Physiculus (Teleostei: Moridae) from the Cape Verde Islands (Eastern Central Atlantic)

González, José A., Triay-Portella, Raül, Biscoito, Manuel (2018): A new species of Physiculus (Teleostei: Moridae) from the Cape Verde Islands (Eastern Central Atlantic). Zootaxa 4461 (2): 286-292, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4461.2.1

Cita más septentrional del cangrejo portúnido pantropical Cronius ruber en el Atlántico oriental (Islas Canarias): ¿expansión natural o por causas antropogénicas?

[EN] The pantropical crab Cronius ruber (Lamarck, 1818) (Brachyura: Portunidae) is recorded for the first time from the Canary Islands. Previously known from off Cape Verde Islands and Senegal, this is the northernmost record of the species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Crabs have been caught by means of a collecting small trap for sampling in shallow waters, and then identified by both morphological characters and DNA barcoding (16S). Cytochrome c oxidase I partial sequence has been obtained for this species for the first time. This relatively large and very aggressive crab species seems to be rapidly occupying both hard substrates (sublittoral caves) and soft substrates (sand with seagrass meadow) adjacent to shallow rocky bottoms, at depths between 2 and 10 m, in the warm southern waters of Gran Canaria Island. The reasons for this species’ occurrence are discussed herein. Among them, natural range extension may be a consequence of tropicalization in the eastern Atlantic. Also, a human-mediated introduction could be based on the heavy traffic of ships (ballast waters or oil platforms) arriving at the Canary Islands from African countries and from Brazil in the last decade.[ES] El cangrejo pantropical Cronius ruber (Lamarck, 1818) (Brachyura: Portunidae) es citado por primera vez en las Islas Canarias. Previamente conocido de las Islas Cabo Verde y Senegal, el presente constituye el registro más septentrional de esta especie en el Atlántico oriental. Los cangrejos fueron recolectados mediante un arte de trampa (pequeña nasa usada para muestreo en aguas someras) y posteriormente identificados a partir de sus caracteres morfológicos y mediante código de barras genético (DNA barcoding (16S)). La secuencia parcial del gen de la citocromo c oxidasa I de esta especie fue obtenida por primera vez. Este cangrejo de relativo gran tamaño y gran agresividad parece estar ocupando rápidamente tanto sustratos duros (cuevas sublitorales) como blandos (arena con pradera de fanerógamas) adyacentes a fondos rocosos someros, a profundidades comprendidas entre 2 y 10 m, en aguas cálidas de la costa meridional de la isla de Gran Canaria. Se discuten en este trabajo diferentes causas que explican la aparición de esta especie en Canarias. Entre otras, la expansión natural como consecuencia del proceso de tropicalización en el Atlántico oriental. Además, una introducción por causas antropogénicas puede estar basada en la intensificación del tráfico pesado de naves (aguas de lastre o plataformas petrolíferas), que llegan hasta Canarias desde países africanos y Brasil en la última década.Peer reviewe

Brachyuran Crabs (Decapoda) Associated with Rhodolith Beds: Spatio-Temporal Variability at Gran Canaria Island

Crustaceans are a key component of the fauna living in rhodoliths, but patterns in their distribution and abundance remain largely unknown. This paper assessed spatio-temporal variability of Brachyura associated with rhodoliths. A seasonal study was conducted at three depth layers (18, 25, and 40 m), throughout two years (December 2015 to October 2017) at Gran Canaria Island (eastern Atlantic Ocean). A total of 765 crabs belonging to 10 species were collected. A larger abundance and richness of crabs at 25 m correlated with a larger biomass of epiphytic algae attached to rhodoliths. A seasonal pattern was also observed, where a higher richness of crabs occurred in the summer. The Xanthid crab, Nanocassiope melanodactylus, dominated the assemblage (83%); juveniles of this species were more abundant in deeper waters (40 m), while adults were more abundant on the shallower depth layers (18 m and 25 m). The species Pilmunus hirtellus was restricted to 25 m. Nevertheless, Pisa carinimana and Achaeus cranchii did not show any spatio-temporal pattern. In summary, this study demonstrated that two conspicuous crabs, N. melanodactylus and P. hirtellus, associated with rhodolith beds are bathymetrically segregated

Metallic Study of the Invasive Species <i>Cronius ruber</i>—Assessment of Toxic Risk

Three toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Hg) were analyzed in the newly found invasive species in the Canary Islands, Cronius ruber. Its high growth rate and its widely varied diet are affecting the Canary marine ecosystem. The study was conducted using electrothermal vaporization atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) and cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS). Significant differences were found in terms of the location and sex of the specimens, with the highest concentrations being found in areas with higher tourism activity and in the female specimens. On the other hand, the conclusion of the study is that human consumption of this species does not pose any toxic risk to public health, as the levels obtained in muscle tissue do not exceed the established limits for these metals. Therefore, its consumption and the fishing of this species can stop the proliferation of the same in the Canary coasts and thus not be harmful for the ecosystem

Metallic Study of the Invasive Species Cronius ruber&mdash;Assessment of Toxic Risk

Three toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Hg) were analyzed in the newly found invasive species in the Canary Islands, Cronius ruber. Its high growth rate and its widely varied diet are affecting the Canary marine ecosystem. The study was conducted using electrothermal vaporization atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) and cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS). Significant differences were found in terms of the location and sex of the specimens, with the highest concentrations being found in areas with higher tourism activity and in the female specimens. On the other hand, the conclusion of the study is that human consumption of this species does not pose any toxic risk to public health, as the levels obtained in muscle tissue do not exceed the established limits for these metals. Therefore, its consumption and the fishing of this species can stop the proliferation of the same in the Canary coasts and thus not be harmful for the ecosystem