DOCSLIB.ORG

Cymothoidae) from Sub-Sahara Africa

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cymothoidae) from Sub-Sahara Africa Biodiversity and systematics of branchial cavity inhabiting fish parasitic isopods (Cymothoidae) from sub-Sahara Africa S van der Wal orcid.org/0000-0002-7416-8777 Previous qualification (not compulsory) Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters degree in Environmental Sciences at the North-West University Supervisor: Prof NJ Smit Co-supervisor: Dr KA Malherbe Graduation May 2018 23394536 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. XIII ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................. XIV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... XV ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... XVI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Subphylum Crustacea Brünnich, 1772 ............................................................ 2 1.2 Order Isopoda Latreille, 1817 ........................................................................... 2 1.3 Parasitic Isopoda .............................................................................................. 3 1.4 Cymothoidae Leach, 1814 ................................................................................ 4 1.4.1 Introduction to the Cymothoidae ......................................................................... 4 1.4.2 Life cycle and development ................................................................................ 6 1.4.3 Taxonomy and systematics ................................................................................ 6 1.4.4 Taxonomical challenges ..................................................................................... 7 1.4.5 Effects on host .................................................................................................... 9 1.5 Branchial cavity inhabiting Cymothoidae ..................................................... 12 1.6 Sub-Sahara African Cymothoids ................................................................... 13 1.7 Hypotheses, aims and objectives .................................................................. 18 1.8 Layout of dissertation .................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2: GENERAL METHODOLOGY ........................................................................... 21 2.1 Material collection and sites .......................................................................... 21 2.1.1 Preserved material ........................................................................................... 21 i 2.1.2 Fresh material................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Host condition ................................................................................................ 26 2.3 Morphological analysis .................................................................................. 27 2.4 Molecular characterisation ............................................................................ 32 CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF NORILECA INDICA (MILNE EDWARDS, 1840) FROM MOZAMBIQUE ....................................................................................................................... 35 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Specific materials and methodology used ................................................... 35 3.3 Taxonomy ....................................................................................................... 36 3.4 Diagnosis ........................................................................................................ 36 3.5 Remarks .......................................................................................................... 36 3.6 Key to the species of Norileca Bruce, 1990 .................................................. 37 3.7 Norileca indica Milne-Edwards, 1884 ............................................................ 37 3.7.1 Material examined ............................................................................................ 38 3.7.2 Description ....................................................................................................... 38 3.7.3 Distribution ....................................................................................................... 48 3.7.4 Hosts ................................................................................................................ 49 3.8 Molecular characterisation ............................................................................ 49 3.9 Remarks .......................................................................................................... 49 3.10 Discussion ...................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 4: REVIEW OF ELTHUSA SCHIOEDTE AND MEINERT, 1884, FROM SOUTH AFRICA ..................................................................................................................... 52 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 52 4.2 Specific materials and methodology used ................................................... 53 ii 4.3 Taxonomy ....................................................................................................... 53 4.4 Diagnosis of female ........................................................................................ 54 4.5 Remarks .......................................................................................................... 54 4.6 Key to the species of Elthusa from southern Africa .................................... 55 4.7 Elthusa raynaudii (Milne Edwards, 1840) ...................................................... 55 4.7.1 Material examined ............................................................................................ 56 4.7.2 Descriptions ...................................................................................................... 56 4.7.3 Variation ........................................................................................................... 60 4.7.4 Distribution ....................................................................................................... 60 4.7.5 Hosts ................................................................................................................ 61 4.7.6 Remarks ........................................................................................................... 62 4.8 Elthusa sp. 1 ................................................................................................... 63 4.8.1 Material examined ............................................................................................ 63 4.8.2 Descriptions ...................................................................................................... 63 4.8.3 Remarks ........................................................................................................... 69 4.9 Elthusa sp. 2 ................................................................................................... 70 4.9.1 Material examined ............................................................................................ 70 4.9.2 Descriptions ...................................................................................................... 70 4.9.3 Variation ........................................................................................................... 76 4.9.4 Remarks ........................................................................................................... 76 4.10 Molecular characterisation ............................................................................ 78 4.11 Summary of Elthusa species ......................................................................... 80 4.11.1 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 91 iii CHAPTER 6: REVIEW OF MOTHOCYA COSTA, IN HOPE, 1851, FROM KENYA AND NIGERIA ................................................................................................................................. 93 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 93 5.2 Specific materials and methodology used ................................................... 94 5.3 Taxonomy ....................................................................................................... 94 5.4 Diagnosis ........................................................................................................ 95 5.5 Mothocya renardi (Bleeker, 1857) .................................................................. 95 5.5.1 Material examined ............................................................................................ 96 5.5.2 Descriptions ...................................................................................................... 96 5.5.3 Distribution ....................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Functional Beta Diversity of New Zealand Fishes
    Austral Ecology (2021) 46, 965–981 Functional beta diversity of New Zealand fishes: Characterising morphological turnover along depth and latitude gradients, with derivation of functional bioregions ELISABETH M. V. MYERS,*1 DAVID EME,1,2 LIBBY LIGGINS,3,4 EUAN S. HARVEY,6 CLIVE D. ROBERTS5 AND MARTI J. ANDERSON1 1New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study (NZIAS), Massey University, Albany Campus, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand (Email: [email protected]); 2Unite´ Ecologie et Modeles` pour l’Halieutique, IFREMER, Nantes, France; 3School of Natural and Computational Sciences (SNCS), Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand; 4Auckland Museum, Tamaki¯ Paenga Hira, Auckland, New Zealand; 5Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand; and 6School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia Abstract Changes in the functional structures of communities are rarely examined along multiple large-scale environmental gradients. Here, we describe patterns in functional beta diversity for New Zealand marine fishes versus depth and latitude, including broad-scale delineation of functional bioregions. We derived eight functional traits related to food acquisition and locomotion and calculated complementary indices of functional beta diver- sity for 144 species of marine ray-finned fishes occurring along large-scale depth (50–1200 m) and latitudinal gradients (29°–51°S) in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone. We focused on a suite of morphological traits calculated directly from in situ Baited Remote Underwater Stereo-Video (stereo-BRUV) footage and museum specimens. We found that functional changes were primarily structured by depth followed by latitude, and that latitudinal functional turnover decreased with increasing depth. Functional turnover among cells increased with increasing depth distance, but this relationship plateaued for greater depth distances (>750 m).
    [Show full text]
  • Pacific Plate Biogeography, with Special Reference to Shorefishes
    Pacific Plate Biogeography, with Special Reference to Shorefishes VICTOR G. SPRINGER m SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 367 SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoo/ogy Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale monographs that report the research and collections of its various museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world cf science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout the world. Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for format and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian museums or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive review.
    [Show full text]
  • CHECKLIST and BIOGEOGRAPHY of FISHES from GUADALUPE ISLAND, WESTERN MEXICO Héctor Reyes-Bonilla, Arturo Ayala-Bocos, Luis E
    ReyeS-BONIllA eT Al: CheCklIST AND BIOgeOgRAphy Of fISheS fROm gUADAlUpe ISlAND CalCOfI Rep., Vol. 51, 2010 CHECKLIST AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF FISHES FROM GUADALUPE ISLAND, WESTERN MEXICO Héctor REyES-BONILLA, Arturo AyALA-BOCOS, LUIS E. Calderon-AGUILERA SAúL GONzáLEz-Romero, ISRAEL SáNCHEz-ALCántara Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada AND MARIANA Walther MENDOzA Carretera Tijuana - Ensenada # 3918, zona Playitas, C.P. 22860 Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur Ensenada, B.C., México Departamento de Biología Marina Tel: +52 646 1750500, ext. 25257; Fax: +52 646 Apartado postal 19-B, CP 23080 [email protected] La Paz, B.C.S., México. Tel: (612) 123-8800, ext. 4160; Fax: (612) 123-8819 NADIA C. Olivares-BAñUELOS [email protected] Reserva de la Biosfera Isla Guadalupe Comisión Nacional de áreas Naturales Protegidas yULIANA R. BEDOLLA-GUzMáN AND Avenida del Puerto 375, local 30 Arturo RAMíREz-VALDEz Fraccionamiento Playas de Ensenada, C.P. 22880 Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Ensenada, B.C., México Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carr. Tijuana-Ensenada km. 107, Apartado postal 453, C.P. 22890 Ensenada, B.C., México ABSTRACT recognized the biological and ecological significance of Guadalupe Island, off Baja California, México, is Guadalupe Island, and declared it a Biosphere Reserve an important fishing area which also harbors high (SEMARNAT 2005). marine biodiversity. Based on field data, literature Guadalupe Island is isolated, far away from the main- reviews, and scientific collection records, we pres- land and has limited logistic facilities to conduct scien- ent a comprehensive checklist of the local fish fauna, tific studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Nierstrasz, 1915), a Junior Secondary Homonym of Elthusa Parva (Richardson, 1910) (Isopoda, Cymothoidae
    A peer-reviewed open-access journal ZooKeys 619: 167–170Elthusa (2016) nierstraszi nom. n., the replacement name for Elthusa parva... 167 doi: 10.3897/zookeys.619.10143 SHORT COMMUNICATION http://zookeys.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity research Elthusa nierstraszi nom. n., the replacement name for Elthusa parva (Nierstrasz, 1915), a junior secondary homonym of Elthusa parva (Richardson, 1910) (Isopoda, Cymothoidae) Kerry A. Hadfield1, Niel L. Bruce1,2, Nico J. Smit1 1 Water Research Group (Ecology), Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa 2 Museum of Tropical Queen- sland, 70–102 Flinders Street, Townsville, Australia 4810 Corresponding author: Kerry A. Hadfield ([email protected]) Academic editor: T. Horton | Received 11 August 2016 | Accepted 7 September 2016 | Published 27 September 2016 http://zoobank.org/D1DB24BD-097D-4428-A94E-C1F0475119E7 Citation: Hadfield KA, Bruce NL,Smit NJ (2016) Elthusa nierstraszi nom. n., the replacement name for Elthusa parva (Nierstrasz, 1915), a junior secondary homonym of Elthusa parva (Richardson, 1910) (Isopoda, Cymothoidae). ZooKeys 619: 167–170. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.619.10143 Abstract The recent transfer of Elthusa parva (Richardson, 1910) from Ceratothoa created a homonymy with Elthusa parva (Nierstrasz, 1915). Elthusa parva (Richardson, 1910) has priority and Elthusa nierstraszi nom. n. is proposed as the new replacement name for the junior secondary homonym Elthusa parva (Nierstrasz, 1915). Keywords Meinertia parva, Livoneca parva, junior homonym, new combination, marine fish parasite Introduction Hadfield et al. (2016) in redescribing poorly characterised species of Ceratothoa Dana, 1852 transferred the species Ceratothoa parva (Richardson, 1910) to Elthusa Schioedte & Meinert, 1884.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolutionary History of Inversions in the Direction of Architecture-Driven
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.09.085712; this version posted May 10, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. Evolutionary history of inversions in the direction of architecture- driven mutational pressures in crustacean mitochondrial genomes Dong Zhang1,2, Hong Zou1, Jin Zhang3, Gui-Tang Wang1,2*, Ivan Jakovlić3* 1 Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, and State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China 3 Bio-Transduction Lab, Wuhan 430075, China * Corresponding authors Short title: Evolutionary history of ORI events in crustaceans Abbreviations: CR: control region, RO: replication of origin, ROI: inversion of the replication of origin, D-I skew: double-inverted skew, LBA: long-branch attraction bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.09.085712; this version posted May 10, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. Abstract Inversions of the origin of replication (ORI) of mitochondrial genomes produce asymmetrical mutational pressures that can cause artefactual clustering in phylogenetic analyses. It is therefore an absolute prerequisite for all molecular evolution studies that use mitochondrial data to account for ORI events in the evolutionary history of their dataset.
    [Show full text]
  • Redalyc.Isopods (Isopoda: Aegidae, Cymothoidae, Gnathiidae)
    Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN: 0034-7744 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica Bunkley-Williams, Lucy; Williams, Jr., Ernest H.; Bashirullah, Abul K.M. Isopods (Isopoda: Aegidae, Cymothoidae, Gnathiidae) associated with Venezuelan marine fishes (Elasmobranchii, Actinopterygii) Revista de Biología Tropical, vol. 54, núm. 3, diciembre, 2006, pp. 175-188 Universidad de Costa Rica San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44920193024 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Isopods (Isopoda: Aegidae, Cymothoidae, Gnathiidae) associated with Venezuelan marine fishes (Elasmobranchii, Actinopterygii) Lucy Bunkley-Williams,1 Ernest H. Williams, Jr.2 & Abul K.M. Bashirullah3 1 Caribbean Aquatic Animal Health Project, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 9012, Mayagüez, PR 00861, USA; [email protected] 2 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 908, Lajas, Puerto Rico 00667, USA; ewil- [email protected] 3 Instituto Oceanografico de Venezuela, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná, Venezuela. Author for Correspondence: LBW, address as above. Telephone: 1 (787) 832-4040 x 3900 or 265-3837 (Administrative Office), x 3936, 3937 (Research Labs), x 3929 (Office); Fax: 1-787-834-3673; [email protected] Received 01-VI-2006. Corrected 02-X-2006. Accepted 13-X-2006. Abstract: The parasitic isopod fauna of fishes in the southern Caribbean is poorly known. In examinations of 12 639 specimens of 187 species of Venezuelan fishes, the authors found 10 species in three families of isopods (Gnathiids, Gnathia spp.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibious Fishes: Terrestrial Locomotion, Performance, Orientation, and Behaviors from an Applied Perspective by Noah R
    AMPHIBIOUS FISHES: TERRESTRIAL LOCOMOTION, PERFORMANCE, ORIENTATION, AND BEHAVIORS FROM AN APPLIED PERSPECTIVE BY NOAH R. BRESSMAN A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVESITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Biology May 2020 Winston-Salem, North Carolina Approved By: Miriam A. Ashley-Ross, Ph.D., Advisor Alice C. Gibb, Ph.D., Chair T. Michael Anderson, Ph.D. Bill Conner, Ph.D. Glen Mars, Ph.D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my adviser Dr. Miriam Ashley-Ross for mentoring me and providing all of her support throughout my doctoral program. I would also like to thank the rest of my committee – Drs. T. Michael Anderson, Glen Marrs, Alice Gibb, and Bill Conner – for teaching me new skills and supporting me along the way. My dissertation research would not have been possible without the help of my collaborators, Drs. Jeff Hill, Joe Love, and Ben Perlman. Additionally, I am very appreciative of the many undergraduate and high school students who helped me collect and analyze data – Mark Simms, Tyler King, Caroline Horne, John Crumpler, John S. Gallen, Emily Lovern, Samir Lalani, Rob Sheppard, Cal Morrison, Imoh Udoh, Harrison McCamy, Laura Miron, and Amaya Pitts. I would like to thank my fellow graduate student labmates – Francesca Giammona, Dan O’Donnell, MC Regan, and Christine Vega – for their support and helping me flesh out ideas. I am appreciative of Dr. Ryan Earley, Dr. Bruce Turner, Allison Durland Donahou, Mary Groves, Tim Groves, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab for providing fish, animal care, and lab space throughout my doctoral research.
    [Show full text]
  • Deep-Sea Cymothoid Isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) of Pacifi C Coast of Northern Honshu, Japan
    Deep-sea Fauna and Pollutants off Pacifi c Coast of Northern Japan, edited by T. Fujita, National Museum of Nature and Science Monographs, No. 39, pp. 467-481, 2009 Deep-sea Cymothoid Isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) of Pacifi c Coast of Northern Honshu, Japan Takeo Yamauchi Toyama Institute of Health, 17̶1 Nakataikoyama, Imizu, Toyama, 939̶0363 Japan E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: During the project “Research on Deep-sea Fauna and Pollutants off Pacifi c Coast of Northern Ja- pan”, a small collection of cymothoid isopods was obtained at depths ranging from 150 to 908 m. Four species of cymothoid isopods including a new species are reported. Mothocya komatsui sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the elongate body shape and the heavily twisting of the body. Three species, Ceratothoa oxyrrhynchaena Koelbel, 1878, Elthusa sacciger (Richardson, 1909), and Pleopodias diaphus Avdeev, 1975 were fully redescribed. Ceratothoa oxyrrhynchaena and E. sacciger were fi rstly collected from blackthroat seaperchs Doederleinia berycoides (Hilgendorf) and Kaup’s arrowtooth eels Synaphobranchus kaupii John- son, respectively. Key words: Ceratothoa oxyrrhynchaena, Elthusa sacciger, Mothocya, new host record, new species, Pleo- podias diaphus, redescription. Introduction Cymothoid isopods are ectoparasites of marine, fresh, and brackish water fi sh. In Japan, about 45 species of cymothoid isopods are known (Saito et al., 2000), but deep-sea species have not been well studied. This paper deals with a collection of cymothoid isopods from the project “Research on Deep-sea Fauna and Pollutants off Pacifi c Coast of Northern Japan” conducted by the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.
    [Show full text]
  • Eocene Rel a Tives of Cod Icefishes (Perciformes: Notothenioidei) from Sey Mour Is Land, Antarctica
    Geo log i cal Quar terly, 2013, 57 (4): 567–582 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7306/gq.1112 Eocene rel a tives of cod icefishes (Perciformes: Notothenioidei) from Sey mour Is land, Antarctica Ma³gorzata BIEÑKOWSKA-WASILUK1, *, Niels BONDE2, 3, Pe ter Rask MLLER4 and Andrzej GAZDZICKI5 1 Fac ulty of Ge ology , Uni ver sity of War saw, ¯wirki i Wigury 93, 02-089 Warszawa, Po land 2 In sti tute of Ge og raphy and Ge ol ogy, Uni ver sity of Co pen ha gen, Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Co pen ha gen K, Den mark 3 Fur Mu seum, Nederby, DK-7884 Fur, Den mark 4 Nat u ral His tory Mu seum of Den mark, Uni ver sity of Co pen ha gen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Co pen ha gen , Den mark 5 In sti tute of Paleobiology, Pol ish Acad emy of Sci ences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Po land Bieñkowska-Wasiluk M., Bonde N., MÝller P.R. and GaŸdzicki A. (2013) Eocene rel a tives of cod icefishes (Perciformes: Notothenioidei) from Sey mour Is land, Antarctica. Geo log i cal Quar terly, 57 (4): 567–582, doi: 10.7306/gq.1112 Fragmen tary skull bones and ver te bra from the Upper Eocene La Meseta Forma tion on Seymour (Marambio) Is land, Ant arc - tic Pen in sula have been de scribed as gadiform fishes, infor mally named “Mesetaichthys”. Here we de scribe jaws as Mesetaichthys jerzmanskae n. gen. and n. sp., and re fer this taxon to the perciform suborder Notothenioidei.
    [Show full text]
  • Dean Oz/Μ: ;Z: Date
    The evolutionary history of reproductive strategies in sculpins of the subfamily oligocottinae Item Type Thesis Authors Buser, Thaddaeus J. Download date 26/09/2021 18:39:58 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/4549 THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES IN SCULPINS OF THE SUBFAMILY OLIGOCOTTINAE By Thaddaeus J. Buser RECOMMENDED: Dr. Anne Beaudreau Dr. J. Andres Lopez Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Shannon Atkinson Fisheries Division Graduate Program Chair APPROVED: Dr. Michael Castellini ·. John Eichel erger Dean oZ/µ:_;z: Date THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES IN SCULPINS OF THE SUBFAMILY OLIGOCOTTINAE A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Title Page MASTER OF SCIENCE By Thaddaeus J. Buser, B.Sc. Fairbanks, Alaska May 2014 v Abstract The sculpin subfamily Oligocottinae is a group of 17 nearshore species and is noteworthy for the fact that it contains both intertidal and subtidal species, copulating and non- copulating species, and many species with very broad geographic ranges. These factors, as well as the consistency with which the constituent genera have been grouped together historically, make the Oligocottinae an ideal group for the study of the evolution of a reproductive mode known as internal gamete association (IGA), which is unique to sculpins. I conducted a phylogenetic study of the oligocottine sculpins based on an extensive molecular dataset consisting of DNA sequences from eight genomic regions. From the variability present in those sequences, I inferred phylogenetic relationships using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference. Results of these phylogenetic analyses show that some historical taxonomy and classifications require revision to align taxonomy with evolutionary relatedness.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessepsian Migration and Parasitism: Richness, Prevalence and Intensity
    Lessepsian migration and parasitism: richness, prevalence and intensity of parasites in the invasive fish Sphyraena chrysotaenia compared to its native congener Sphyraena sphyraena in Tunisian coastal waters Wiem Boussellaa1,2, Lassad Neifar1, M. Anouk Goedknegt2 and David W. Thieltges2 1 Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Sfax University, Sfax, Tunisia 2 Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Den Burg Texel, Netherlands ABSTRACT Background. Parasites can play various roles in the invasion of non-native species, but these are still understudied in marine ecosystems. This also applies to invasions from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, the so-called Lessepsian migration. In this study, we investigated the role of parasites in the invasion of the Lessepsian migrant Sphyraena chrysotaenia in the Tunisian Mediterranean Sea. Methods. We compared metazoan parasite richness, prevalence and intensity of S. chrysotaenia (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae) with infections in its native congener Sphyraena sphyraena by sampling these fish species at seven locations along the Tunisian coast. Additionally, we reviewed the literature to identify native and invasive parasite species recorded in these two hosts. Results. Our results suggest the loss of at least two parasite species of the invasive fish. At the same time, the Lessepsian migrant has co-introduced three parasite species during Submitted 13 March 2018 Accepted 7 August 2018 the initial migration to the Mediterranean Sea, that are assumed to originate from the Published 14 September 2018 Red Sea of which only one parasite species has been reported during the spread to Corresponding author Tunisian waters.
    [Show full text]
  • Javan Rhino Expedition
    Javan Rhino Expedition th th Destination: Java, Indonesia Duration: 10 Days Dates: 7 – 16 June 2018 Having amazing close encounters with 2 different Javan Rhinos in just one day! Enjoying the expertise of some of Ujung Kulon’s finest guides & rangers Great sightings of various kingfishers and heron species along the rivers Trekking & camping deep inside the core zone of Ujung Kulon National Park Finding very fresh evidence of at least 2 different rhinos from when we were there Seeing over 50 species of birds throughout including Green Peafowl & Elegant Pitta Spotlighing banteng, Sunda leopard cat & Javan mousedeer along the river banks Canoeing down the river where more Javan rhinos have been seen than anywhere Coming across a beautiful neonate Malayan pit viper along one of the trails Enjoying speed boat transfers around the stunning coastline of Ujung Kulon NP Tour Leader / Guides Overview Martin Royle (Royle Safaris Tour Leader) Chinglus (Lead Ujung Kulon Guide) Meeta & Udung (Ujung Kulon Rangers) Day 1: Jakarta / Adun, Geni, Wilum, Bambu, Wilf, Nurlin, Asif (Porters) Carita / Edy (Transfer driver) Ujung Kulon Ciggaman (Boat transfer skipper) Participants Days 2-8: Ujung Kulon Dr. Jacoba Brinkman Mr. Phillip DuCros Mr. Andrew Holman Mrs. Paula Holman Day 9: Ujung Kulon / Handeleum Island Day 10: Carita / Jakarta Day 11: Home Royle Safaris – 6 Greenhythe Rd, Heald Green, Cheshire, SK8 3NS – 0845 226 8259 – [email protected] Day by Day Breakdown Overview With only five species of rhinos in the world you would think that everyone would know about all five, there are not that many. But there are two that largely go unnoticed.
    [Show full text]