scholarly journals Initial sightings and derby data from the red lionfish invasion (Pterois volitans) (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) in Barbados

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Walcott ◽  
Caroline Bissada ◽  
Hazel Oxenford
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Research ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Pterois Volitans ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Fisheries Resources ◽  
The North ◽  
Red Lionfish ◽  
Environmental Ngo

Native to the Indo-Pacific region, the lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) has been classified as an alien invasive species which has rapidly invaded the North-western Atlantic and the Caribbean. The primary concerns regarding lionfish pertain to their broad diet, general habitat use and their potential threat on fisheries resources, native fish communities and human health. Away from natural predators, lionfish populations can easily become established and pose a serious threat to local fish species and ecosystem functioning. The first confirmed sighting of the red lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Barbados was in November 2011. Throughout 2012, fishermen and recreational divers were encouraged to report sightings of lionfish via an established hotline. Where possible, sightings were confirmed by way of the fish being captured and handed over to the Barbados Fisheries Division or the East Coast Conservation Organisation (ECCO) Inc. (an environmental NGO) for confirmation. In addition to confirmation, biological data (such as length, weight, sex and maturity) were also collected. Genetic research conducted on confirmed specimens collected between 2011-2013 identified the presence of only one species, P. volitans. Since the first confirmed sighting of the red lionfish in Barbados, it is believed that population numbers have steadily increased. One of the methods utilised in Barbados to control this alien invasive lionfish species is that of an annual derby. On 5 and 6 December 2015 and 13 November 2016, teams of divers (both free divers and SCUBA divers) took to the local waters to hunt for and kill lionfish. Caught lionfish were landed at scoring stations to be counted and allowed for the collection of basic biological data (such as length, weight, sex and maturity). In addition to biological data, teams (observers) also provided information on dive sites (locations) and associated geographic information (i.e. GPS coordinates), where available. These two datasets, initial sightings (2012) and derby data (2015 and 2016), present the first collected data for the red lionfish (P. volitans) in Barbados. The two datasets are occurrence datasets which document the identification of >1500 lionfish removed from the waters of Barbados between 2011 and 2016.

The reproductive cycle of the smooth skate, Malacoraja senta, in the Gulf of Maine

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Sulikowski ◽  
Scott Elzey ◽  
Jeff Kneebone ◽  
Joe Jurek ◽  
W. Huntting Howell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Cycle ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Gonadosomatic Index ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Hepatosomatic Index ◽  
Reproductive Parameters ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
The North ◽  
Gland Weight

The smooth skate (Malacoraja senta) is a small species of skate that is native to the waters of the north-western Atlantic. Recent assessments in the Gulf of Maine indicate that the biomass of smooth skates has declined below threshold levels mandated by the Sustainable Fisheries Act. This decline, coupled with the paucity of biological data, has prompted the National Marine Fisheries Service to prohibit the possession of smooth skates in this region. Consequently, crucial life history information is now being collected, which could be used in the formulation of a management plan. The present study describes and characterises the reproductive cycle of female and male smooth skates, based on monthly samples taken off the coast of New Hampshire, USA, from May 2001 to April 2002. Gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), shell gland weight, follicle size and egg case formation were assessed for 79 female skates. In general, these reproductive parameters remained relatively constant throughout most of the year. Additionally, the size distribution of ovarian follicles in females captured each month did not vary significantly. For males (n = 81), histological stages of spermatogenesis III to VI (SIII-SVI), GSI and HSI were examined. No significant differences were detected in male reproductive parameters, and production and maintenance of mature spermatocysts within the testes were observed throughout the year. Collectively, these findings indicate that, like other north Atlantic skate species, the smooth skate is reproductively active year-round.

scholarly journals The invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus 1758), in the southwestern Caribbean Sea

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana González ◽  
Marcela Grijalba-Bendeck ◽  
Arturo Acero ◽  
Ricardo Betancur-R.
Keyword(s):  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Pterois Volitans ◽  
Red Lionfish

Centroceras gasparrinii subsp. minor subsp. nov. (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta) in the North Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean): molecular and morphological characterization

Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 415 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-239
Author(s):  
MARION A. WOLF ◽  
ALESSANDRO BUOSI ◽  
ABDUL-SALAM F. JUHMANI ◽  
ADRIANO SFRISO
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Cortical Cells ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Gland Cells ◽  
The North ◽  
Red Algal ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The 19Th Century

Centroceras Kützing is a small red algal genus with 18 currently accepted species (Guiry & Guiry 2019), characterized by simple filamentous thalli with erect axes arising from a prostrate system and di-trichotomous branching (Hommersand 1963). The characters used to distinguish species are primarily cortical filament morphology: shape and number of the acropetal cortical cells, shape of gland cells, and shape of spines (Won et al. 2009). The generitype C. clavulatum (C. Agardh) Montagne has been viewed for a long time as a highly variable and cosmopolitan species (Hommersand 1963). Molecular and detailed morphological analyses brought Barros-Barreto et al. (2006) to report that C. clavulatum may consist of a species complex and Won et al. (2009) confirmed this hypothesis identifying eight taxonomic entities phylogenetically segregated from genuine C. clavulatum. Seven of these entities were assigned to the following species: C. gasparrinii (Meneghini) Kützing, C. hommersandii Won, T.O. Cho & Fredericq, C. hyalacanthum Kützing, C. micracanthum Kützing, C. natalensis Won, T.O. Cho & Fredericq, C. rodmanii Won, T.O. Cho & Fredericq, and C. tetrachotomum Won, T.O. Cho & Fredericq, (Won et al. 2009). Centroceras gasparrinii, C. hyalacanthum, and C. micracanthum are three western Atlantic species listed as synonyms of C. clavulatum since the middle of the 19th century and resurrected from the ‘C. clavulatum complex’ by Won et al. (2009). In particular, two of these taxa were described from specimens of the Mediterranean Sea: C. gasparrinii (as Ceramium gasparrinii Meneghini, type locality Palermo, Italy) and C. micracanthum (reported with the synonym Centroceras leptacanthum Kützing, type locality Genoa, Italy). Therefore, the numerous Mediterranean records of C. clavulatum (e.g., Gómez Garreta et al. 2001; Verlaque 2001; Sfriso & Curiel 2007; Taşkýn et al. 2013) most probably belong to one of these two species and have to be re-examined for a correct identification and to understand the spatial distribution of the different taxa (Tsiamis et al. 2010). For this reason, in the last years in Greece (Tsiamis et al. 2010), Spain (Gallardo et al. 2016) and Morocco (Hassoun et al. 2018) accurate sampling and morphological analyses of specimens previously identified as C. clavulatum were conducted to determine their correct taxonomic identities. In all cases the recognized species was C. gasparrinii, which can be distinguished morphologically from the other ones previously known as C. clavulatum by the presence of ovoid gland cells and ovoid terminal acropetal cortical cells (Won et al. 2009). As reported by Tsiamis et al. (2010), Greek samples differed from those described by Won et al. (2009), in the smaller number of periaxial cells (10–12 against 13–19).

Taxonomy of Nystiellidae (Caenogastropoda, Epitonioidea) from Brazil, with description of three new species from the South-western Atlantic

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 1619-1644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Dias Pimenta ◽  
Bruno Garcia Andrade ◽  
Ricardo Silva Absalão
Keyword(s):  
Rio Grande ◽  
Taxonomic Revision ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
The South ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
North Eastern

A taxonomic revision of the Nystiellidae from Brazil, including samples from the Rio Grande Rise, South Atlantic, was performed based on shell morphology. Five genera and 17 species were recognized. For the richest genus,Eccliseogyra, the three species previously recorded from Brazil were revised:E. brasiliensisandE. maracatu, previously known only from their respective type series, were re-examined. Newly available material ofE. maracatuexpanded the known geographic range of this species to off south-east Brazil.Eccliseogyra nitidais now recorded from north-eastern to south-eastern Brazil, as well as from the Rio Grande Rise. Three species ofEccliseogyraare newly recorded from the South Atlantic:E. monnioti, previously known from the north-eastern Atlantic, occurs off eastern Brazil and on the Rio Grande Rise; its protoconch is described for the first time, confirming its family allocation.Eccliseogyra pyrrhiasoccurs off eastern Brazil and on the Rio Grande Rise, andE. folinioff eastern Brazil. The genusIphitusis newly recorded from the South Atlantic.Iphitus robertsiwas found off northern Brazil, although the shells show some differences from the type material, with less-pronounced spiral keels. Additional new finds showed thatIphitus cancellatusranges from eastern Brazil to the Rio Grande Rise, and Iphitusnotiossp. nov. is restricted to the Rio Grande Rise.Narrimania, previously recorded from Brazil based on dubious records, is confirmed, including the only two living species described for the genus:N. azelotes, previously only known from the type locality in Florida, andN. concinna, previously known from the Mediterranean. A third species,Narrimania raquelaesp. nov. is described from eastern Brazil, diagnosed by its numerous and thinner cancellate sculpture. To the three species ofOpaliopsispreviously known from Brazil, a fourth species,O. arnaldoisp. nov., is added from eastern Brazil, and diagnosed by its very thin spiral sculpture, absence of a varix, and thinner microscopic parallel axial striae.Papuliscala nordestina, originally described from north-east Brazil, is recorded off eastern Brazil and synonymized withP. elongata, a species previously known only from the North Atlantic.

scholarly journals A floristic description of the Afromontane fynbos communities on Platberg, Eastern Free State, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Brand ◽  
Pieter J. Du Preez ◽  
Leslie R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
The North ◽  
Shrub Community ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Twinspan Classification

Within the Platberg area and the wider Drakensberg region, the shrinking natural resources and the threat posed to biodiversity are of concern to conservation management and require an understanding of long-term ecological processes. The vegetation of Platberg was investigated as part of an ecological survey to establish Afromontane floristic links to the Drakensberg as well as for the management of natural resources. From a TWINSPAN classification, refined by the Braun-Blanquet method, four main plant communities were identified, which were subdivided into fynbos, wetland, a woody/shrub community and grassland. A classification and description of the fynbos are presented in this article.The analysis showed the fynbos divided into two communities comprising four sub-communities and seven variants. The fynbos community had an average of 28.34 species per relevé, ranging from 14 to 54 species per sample plot. Twenty-four endemic or near-endemic Drakensberg Alpine Centre (DAC) species and 22 exotic (alien-invasive) species were recorded. Numerous floristic links with the DAC, Cape flora fynbos and grassland bioregions to the north and west were also found. The description of the fynbos plant communities can serve as a basis for the formulation of management plans for the area.

A Review of the Morid Fish Genus Halargyreus with First Records from the Western North Atlantic

1968 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 877-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfred Templeman
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
The Other ◽  
Nominal Species ◽  
Meristic Characters ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
North Central ◽  
Northeast Atlantic ◽  
The North

Three specimens of Halargyreus johnsonii taken on the southwestern and southeastern slopes of the Grand Bank in 1959 and 1964 are apparently the first records of this species and genus from the western Atlantic. These specimens are compared with the holotypes of H. johnsonii Günther and of H. brevipes Vaillant and with the syntypes of H. affinis Collett and also with specimens identified as H. affinis from the north-central and northeast Atlantic and with specimens of H. johnsonii from Madeira and New Zealand. These three nominal species are also compared. Is it concluded that for the present all North Atlantic specimens may be referred to H. johnsonii and that the other two species names should be considered as junior synonyms of H. johnsonii.The New Zealand specimens of Halargyreus, described by Günther (1887, Challenger Rept., 22(Zoology), p. 1–268) as H. johnsonii, have higher numbers for some meristic characters than Atlantic specimens of H. johnsonii but these differences are not too great to be possibly due to environmental differences. Pending the study of additional specimens in better condition, these New Zealand specimens are tentatively allowed to remain as H. johnsonii.

scholarly journals Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric G. Johnson ◽  
Angelina Dichiera ◽  
Danielle Goldberg ◽  
MaryKate Swenarton ◽  
James Gelsleichter
Keyword(s):  
Total Mercury ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Marine Fishes ◽  
Pterois Volitans ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Significant Barrier ◽  
Invasive Lionfish ◽  
Mercury Bioaccumulation

ABSTRACTInvasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The development of a fishery for lionfish has been proposed as a strategy for controlling populations; however, there is concern about consumption of this species by humans due to its high trophic position and potential for bioaccumulation of mercury. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in tissues of lionfish from two locations on the east coast of Florida. THg in lionfish increased with size and differed by location and sex. THg was highest in muscle tissue and was strongly positively correlated among tissues. THg in lionfish was lower than other commonly consumed marine fishes, and falls into Florida’s least restrictive advisory level. Consumption of lionfish poses a low risk and concerns over mercury bioaccumulation should not present a significant barrier to lionfish harvest.

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