22 results on '"Riginella, E."'
Search Results
2. Species identification and population genetics of the Antarctic fish genera Lepidonotothen and Nototheniops (Perciformes, Notothenioidei)
- Author
-
Schiavon, L., Negrisolo, E., Battistotti, A., Lucassen, M., Damerau, M., Harms, L., Riginella, E., Matschiner, M., Zane, L., La , Mesa, M., and Papetti, C.
- Subjects
Scotia Arc ,Lepidonotothen kempi ,species limits ,Antarctic Peninsula ,Lepidonotothen squamifrons ,microsatellites ,ND2 ,Southern Ocean ,Shag Rocks ,tRNA ,Genetics ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Published
- 2023
3. Morphological and molecular identification of Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus
- Author
-
Marino I. A. M., Riginella E., Mazzoldi C., Zane L., CARIANI, ALESSIA, TINTI, FAUSTO, Marino I.A.M., Riginella E., Cariani A., Tinti F., Mazzoldi C., and Zane L.
- Abstract
Mustelus is the most species-rich genus of the widespread family Triakidae and represents a significant fraction of the elasmobranch catch in the northern Adriatic Sea where the common (M. mustelus) and blackspotted (M. punctulatus) smooth-hound co-occur. The two species share several morphological and morphometric characters that often lead to uncertainty in the identification and frequent misidentification. In order to provide information useful for their recognition, we performed a morphological and molecular identification of the two species based on seven morphological characters, namely presence/absence of black stripe on the 1st and 2nd dorsal and caudal fins, edge shape of the 1st and 2nd dorsal fins, presence/absence of small black spots on sides, ratio inter-nostril distance/nostril length; and three molecular tests, that is a DNA barcoding analysis based on amplification of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI), a fragment analysis based on hypervariable nuclear markers (microsatellites) and a hybridization assay based on the nuclear codominant marker ITS2. Preliminary results show that some individuals present ambiguous identification characters. Moreover, molecular tests suggest the occurrence of some degree of reproductive interactions between the two species
- Published
- 2012
4. New Molecular Tools for the Identification of 2 Endangered Smooth-Hound Sharks, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus
- Author
-
Marino, I. A. M., primary, Riginella, E., additional, Cariani, A., additional, Tinti, F., additional, Farrell, E. D., additional, Mazzoldi, C., additional, and Zane, L., additional
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Life-history traits and population decline of the Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus in the Adriatic Sea
- Author
-
Meneghesso, C., primary, Riginella, E., additional, La Mesa, M., additional, Donato, F., additional, and Mazzoldi, C., additional
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Long-term changes in community composition and life-history traits in a highly exploited basin (northern Adriatic Sea): the role of environment and anthropogenic pressures
- Author
-
Barausse, A., primary, Michieli, A., additional, Riginella, E., additional, Palmeri, L., additional, and Mazzoldi, C., additional
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Food partitioning and diet temporal variation in two coexisting sparids, Pagellus erythrinus and Pagellus acarne
- Author
-
Fanelli, E., primary, Badalamenti, F., additional, D'Anna, G., additional, Pipitone, C., additional, Riginella, E., additional, and Azzurro, E., additional
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Life-history traits and population decline of the Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrusin the Adriatic Sea.
- Author
-
Meneghesso, C., Riginella, E., La Mesa, M., Donato, F., and Mazzoldi, C.
- Subjects
- *
ATLANTIC mackerel , *FISH populations , *FISH reproduction , *FISH age , *FISH eggs , *SEXUAL maturity in fishes , *FISH spawning - Abstract
This study investigated demographic structure and reproductive characteristics of the Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus, in relation to landing trends in the northern-central Adriatic Sea. Results highlighted the occurrence of only small-sized and young-age individuals, and a marked decline from the 1990s to the present in maximum age (from 8 to 3 years) and total length ( LT; from 420 to 360 mm). Fecundity ranged between 40 000 and 190 000 eggs, and was related to female LT. High levels of atresia implied lower values of actual fecundity. Sexual maturity was attained by 72·8% of individuals in their first year of life at 200 mm. The reduction in maximum LT resulted in a marked decline in the population egg production, while the reduction in maximum age implied that females participated in fewer spawning events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Biological parameters of the High-Antarctic icefish, Cryodraco antarcticus (Channichthyidae) from the South Shetland Islands
- Author
-
Mario La Mesa, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Emilio Riginella, Christopher D. Jones, Federico Calì, La Mesa M., Cali F., Riginella E., Mazzoldi C., and Jones C.D.
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Shetland ,education.field_of_study ,biology ,Reproduction ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Population ,Channichthyid ,Zoology ,Age ,Population structure ,biology.organism_classification ,Fecundity ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Channichthyidae ,Gonadosomatic Index ,Juvenile ,Allometry ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,education ,media_common - Abstract
Despite their wide distribution around the Antarctic continent, the life strategies of the long-fingered icefish Cryodraco antarcticus have been rarely investigated and are not well understood. The aim of this paper was to provide more insights on the demographic characteristics of the population living off the South Shetland Islands, focusing attention on key biological traits such as age and growth and the reproductive cycle. Individual age and reproductive status were assessed through the microstructural analyses of sagittal otoliths and histological analysis of gonads, respectively. The sex-balanced sampled population consisted of juvenile and adult fishes covering a wide size range. Both sexes had positive allometric growth, although males exhibited smaller maximum size and lower body condition than females. Fish longevity was comparable between sexes, being 16 and 18years in males and females, respectively. Applying the von Bertalanffy growth model to length-at-age estimates, males consistently reached lower maximum asymptotic size at a faster rate than females. Based on the gametogenic process, the spawning period was inferred to occur from late summer to early autumn. As commonly found in icefishes, females devoted a great investment to reproduction as gonadosomatic index, egg size, and fecundity. A single female (62cm TL) spawned about 7730 eggs as large as 3–4mm. Considering also the results of previous studies conducted in other areas, this species is characterized by a long-lasting pelagic juvenile phase and adults share similar life strategies across the range of their spatial distribution, suggesting the possibility of a single panmictic circum-Antarctic population.
- Published
- 2020
10. The use of fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge to reconstruct fish behavioural traits and fishers’ perception of conservation relevance of elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea
- Author
-
Alessandro Ligas, Ana Pešić, Sanja Matić Skoko, Ioannis Giovos, Fabio Crocetta, Sezginer Tunçer, Ilija Ćetković, Francesco Luigi Leonetti, Mohamed Ksibi, Dario Vrdoljak, Emilio Sperone, Vedrana Nerlović, Diego Borme, Claudia Kruschel, Matteo Barbato, Luca Lanteri, Sara Bonanomi, Andrea Bellodi, Konstantinos Tsouknidas, Dimitrios K. Moutopoulos, Claudio Barría, Gianni Giglio, Emilio Riginella, Cristina Porcu, Fulvio Garibaldi, Francesco De Carlo, Francesco Colloca, Antonello Mulas, Giulia Guerriero, Maria Cristina Follesa, Renata Mimica, Manfredi Di Lorenzo, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Ana I. Colmenero, Adriano Madonna, Olfa Hentati, Egemen Demir, Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Barbato, M., Barria, C, Bonanomi, S., Borme, D., Cetkovic, I., Colloca, F., Comenero, A. I., Crocetta, F., De Carlo, F., Demir, E., Di Lorenzo, M., Follesa, M. C., Garibaldi, F., Giglio, G., Giovos, I., Guerriero, G., Hentati, O., Ksibi, M., Kruschel, C., Lanteri, L., Leonetti, F. L., Ligas, A., Madonna, A., Skoko, S. M., Mimica, R., Moutopoulos, D. K., Mulas, A., Nerlovic, N., Pesic, A., Porcu, C., Riginella, E., Sperone, E., Tsouknids, K., Tuncer, S., Vrdoljak, D., and Mazzoldi, C
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Raja ,space use ,Ray ,ray ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,migration ,Fishery ,aggregations ,management ,shark ,Mediterranean sea ,Squalus acanthias ,Abundance (ecology) ,Space use ,14. Life underwater ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Migration ,biology ,Ecology ,aggregation ,Prionace glauca ,Species diversity ,Scyliorhinus canicula ,biology.organism_classification ,Shark ,Management ,Aggregations ,Geography ,Scyliorhinus stellaris - Abstract
20 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.25306, The Mediterranean Sea has a long-lasting history of fishery exploitation that, together with other anthropogenic impacts, has led to declines in several marine organisms. In particular, elasmobranch populations have been severely impacted, with drastic decreases in abundance and species diversity. Based on their experience, fishers can provide information on marine species occurrence, abundance and behavioural traits on a long-term scale, therefore contributing to research on the poorly studied biological aspects of elusive or rare elasmobranch species. In this study, for the first time, the use of the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of fishers was applied to study the behavioural traits of sharks, rays and skates in 12 FAO-GFCM geographical sub-areas (GSAs) of the Mediterranean Sea. This study found both new insight and proved the reliability of LEK-based catch seasonality, reflecting seasonal movements, by comparing LEK-based findings and available literature on five elasmobranch taxa (Mustelus spp., Squalus acanthias, Raja spp., Myliobatis aquila and Scyliorhinus stellaris) in the Adriatic Sea and 7 taxa (Mustelus spp., Raja spp., Prionace glauca, Scyliorhinus canicula, Torpedo spp., Pteroplatytrygon violacea and Isurus oxyrinchus) in the remaining Mediterranean GSAs. In addition, LEK provided new insights into a novel comprehensive representation of species aggregations (Mustelus spp., S. acanthias, M. aquila and S. canicula) in the sampled GSAs and supplied the first descriptions of the size, number of individuals and sex composition of the aggregations. When the limits and shortcomings of LEK-based research are considered, this methodology can be a complementary and cost-effective tool used to study elasmobranchs in either a data-poor scenario or a scenario in which a baseline is missing. LEK can also be useful for the evaluation and inclusion of fishers’ perceptions on bottom-up management and to provide important evidence for conservation plans, This work was supported by funding of Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) to CM, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)
- Published
- 2021
11. Ecological assessment of anthropogenic impact in marine ecosystems: The case of Bagnoli Bay
- Author
-
Francesco Paolo Patti, Michael Tangherlini, Bruno Hay Mele, Luca Russo, Domenico D'Alelio, Rosanna Guglielmo, Cristina Gambi, Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalà, Antonio Dell'Anno, Emilio Riginella, Fabio Crocetta, Luigi Musco, Roberto Danovaro, Hay Mele, B., Russo, L., Crocetta, F., Gambi, C., Dell'Anno, A., Danovaro, R., Guglielmo, R., Musco, L., Patti, F. P., Riginella, E., Tangherlini, M., Ribera d'Alcala, M., and D'Alelio, D.
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,Coastal zone ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Benthos ,Systems ecology ,Bagnoli Bay ,Animals ,Marine ecosystem ,14. Life underwater ,Ecosystem ,Ecology ,Animal ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Community structure ,Fishes ,Ecological assessment ,General Medicine ,15. Life on land ,Pollution ,Ecological network ,Benthic ecology ,Pollution indicator ,Fish ,Bays ,13. Climate action ,Benthic zone ,Bay ,Environmental science ,Environmental Pollutants ,Fishe ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
Pollutants alter marine systems, interfering with provisioning of ecosystem services; understanding their interaction with ecological communities is therefore critical to inform environmental management. Here we propose a joint compositional- and interaction-based analysis for ecological status assessment and apply it on the benthic communities of the Bagnoli Bay. We found that contamination differentially affects the communities’ composition in the bay, with prokaryotes influenced only by depth, and benthos not following the environmental gradient at all. This result is confirmed by analyses of the community structure, whose network structure suggest fast carbon flow and cycling, especially promoted by nematodes and polychaetes; the benthic prey/predator biomass ratio, adjusted for competition, successfully synthesise the status of predator taxa. We found demersal fish communities to separate into a deep, pelagic-like community, and two shallow communities where a shift from exclusive predators to omnivores occurs, moving from the most polluted to the least polluted sampling units. Finally, our study indicate that indices based on interspecific interactions are better indicators of environmental gradients than those defined based on species composition exclusively.
- Published
- 2019
12. Aspects of the biology of the Antarctic dragonfish Gerlachea australis (Notothenioidei: Bathydraconidae) in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica
- Author
-
Carlotta Mazzoldi, Emilio Riginella, Mario La Mesa, Federico Calì, Fortunata Donato, La Mesa M., Cali F., Donato F., Riginella E., and Mazzoldi C.
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Population ,Zoology ,Reproductive biology ,Bathydraconid ,Notothenioidei ,Bathydraconids ,01 natural sciences ,medicine ,Sexual maturity ,education ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Otolith ,education.field_of_study ,Weddell Sea ,Bathydraconidae ,biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Age and growth ,biology.organism_classification ,Fecundity ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (all) ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Sex ratio - Abstract
The Antarctic dragonfish Gerlachea australis is one of the most common bathydraconid species within the fish community of the Filchner Depression in the Weddell Sea. Nevertheless, several biological aspects of this species remain poorly known. The aim of this study was to provide new data on its population structure in terms of size, sex and age through sagittal otolith readings, as well as some reproductive traits based on macroscopic and histological analyses of gonads. The sex ratio in the sampled population was 1:1, with males being significantly smaller than females. Both sexes attained maximum age estimates of 14years. Based on a von Bertalanffy growth model, females showed a higher asymptotic length than males at a comparable growth rate, thus reaching a higher growth performance. The spawning season was spread over a relatively long period, lasting at least from late December through late February. The reproductive effort in terms of fecundity and egg size diameter was similar to that of other bathydraconids, ranging from 739 to 1260 eggs/female and 3.2mm after hydration, respectively. The fish size at first spawning (TL50) was 18.5 and 22.5cm in males and females, corresponding to 80% of their maximum size. G. australis exhibited a combination of life history traits found in other high-Antarctic notothenioids, such as long gametogenesis, large eggs associated with low fecundity, relatively rapid body growth until reaching a delayed sexual maturity, moderate longevity and maximum size, and overall low growth performance.
- Published
- 2018
13. Life history traits of Notothenia rossii and N. coriiceps along the Southern Scotia Arc
- Author
-
Calì, Federico, Riginella, Emilio, La Mesa, Mario, Mazzoldi, Carlotta, Cali F., Riginella E., La Mesa M., and Mazzoldi C.
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Age structure ,Nototheniidae ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Otolith ,Intraspecific competition ,Life history theory ,Notothenia rossii ,medicine ,Sexual maturity ,Shetland ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Fecundity, Gonad, Reproduction, Otoliths, Age structure, Nototheniidae ,Reproduction ,Gonad ,Fecundity ,biology.organism_classification ,Otoliths ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences - Abstract
Notothenia coriiceps and Notothenia rossii are two widespread nototheniid fishes, that live sympatrically along the southern Scotia Arc from South Georgia to the South Shetland Islands. In this sector of the Southern Ocean, they experienced different exploitation rates in the past and exhibit different habitat and food preferences as adult. Aiming to evaluate the influence of these factors in shaping life history traits of these species, we compare the reproductive investment and the age structure between the species and in N. rossii, between populations inhabiting different areas. Based on histological analyses, the two species share the same pattern of gamete development in both sexes. The potential fecundity was similar and was positively related to fish size in both species, being relatively high with respect to other notothenioids and in terms of egg size at deposition. Based on sagittal otolith readings, the growth rate and maximum age recorded differed significantly between the two species. Notothenia rossii exhibited a higher growth rate and a comparatively lower maximum age than N. coriiceps. Similarly, N. rossii attained sexual maturity at the same age but at a larger size than N. coriiceps. At the intraspecific level, no differences in life history traits were observed between the populations of N. rossii collected from different areas. Consistent with the different levels of fishing pressure exerted on these species and their low resilience, a recent significant decrease over time in the maximum fish size and related reproductive potential has been observed only in the overexploited populations of N. rossii.
- Published
- 2017
14. Ecological assessment of anthropogenic impact in marine ecosystems: The case of Bagnoli Bay.
- Author
-
Hay Mele B, Russo L, Crocetta F, Gambi C, Dell'Anno A, Danovaro R, Guglielmo R, Musco L, Patti FP, Riginella E, Tangherlini M, Ribera d'Alcalá M, and D'Alelio D
- Subjects
- Animals, Bays, Environmental Monitoring, Fishes, Ecosystem, Environmental Pollutants
- Abstract
Pollutants alter marine systems, interfering with provisioning of ecosystem services; understanding their interaction with ecological communities is therefore critical to inform environmental management. Here we propose a joint compositional- and interaction-based analysis for ecological status assessment and apply it on the benthic communities of the Bagnoli Bay. We found that contamination differentially affects the communities' composition in the bay, with prokaryotes influenced only by depth, and benthos not following the environmental gradient at all. This result is confirmed by analyses of the community structure, whose network structure suggest fast carbon flow and cycling, especially promoted by nematodes and polychaetes; the benthic prey/predator biomass ratio, adjusted for competition, successfully synthesise the status of predator taxa. We found demersal fish communities to separate into a deep, pelagic-like community, and two shallow communities where a shift from exclusive predators to omnivores occurs, moving from the most polluted to the least polluted sampling units. Finally, our study indicate that indices based on interspecific interactions are better indicators of environmental gradients than those defined based on species composition exclusively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Contrasting life-history traits of two sympatric smooth-hound species: implication for vulnerability.
- Author
-
Riginella E, Correale V, Marino IAM, Rasotto MB, Vrbatovic A, Zane L, and Mazzoldi C
- Subjects
- Animals, Body Size, Elasmobranchii anatomy & histology, Fertility, Elasmobranchii physiology, Life History Traits, Sympatry physiology
- Abstract
In this study, life-history traits (maximum and average size, size at maturity and fecundity) of two congeneric smooth-hounds, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus, which share a geographical distribution and experience a similar fishing exploitation, were estimated and compared between species. The results indicated a lower maximum and average size, a lower size at maturity and a higher fecundity in M. punctulatus compared with those in M. mustelus. Considering that these two species co-occur in the same areas and are caught by the same fishing gears, the results indicate a higher vulnerability to exploitation of M. mustelus compared with that of M. punctulatus., (© 2020 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Bottom-trawl catch composition in a highly polluted coastal area reveals multifaceted native biodiversity and complex communities of fouling organisms on litter discharge.
- Author
-
Crocetta F, Riginella E, Lezzi M, Tanduo V, Balestrieri L, and Rizzo L
- Subjects
- Animals, Biota, Invertebrates, Mediterranean Sea, Mollusca, Plastics, Biodiversity, Biofouling, Environmental Monitoring, Waste Products, Water Pollution
- Abstract
Areas subjected to anthropogenic impacts are important to test the effect of stressors on local biota. We assessed with trawl net the composition and abundance of megafauna, litter, and litter-fouling communities in the soft bottoms of the National Interest Priority Site (NIPS) of Bagnoli-Coroglio (Gulf of Naples, Tyrrhenian Sea) at different depths. The megafauna accounted for 3444 specimens referred to 133 taxa (91 invertebrates and 42 fishes), for a biomass of ~102 kg and including species of wide ecological and commercial interest. Metrics of community structure yielded high values. The NIPS, hence, is characterized by a high biodiversity. Litter accounted for 3590 items, mostly in plastic and ranging between 10< × ≤20 cm, for a weight of ~260 kg, with values of 299.2 item/km
2 and 21.67 kg/km2 . The putative origin of most items was land-based (83.6%), whereas sea-based litter accounted for 16.4%. More than 50% of the litter items found showed colonization by invertebrates and/or molluscan egg masses. Marine benthic litter, thus, locally constitutes a complex issue since litter items hosted complex communities of fouling organisms. Future remediation procedures should take the resident NIPS biota into account and not disrupt the environmental balance of the area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Life-history traits of the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias in the Adriatic Sea.
- Author
-
Bargione G, Donato F, La Mesa M, Mazzoldi C, Riginella E, Vasapollo C, Virgili M, and Lucchetti A
- Subjects
- Anatomy, Cross-Sectional, Animals, Body Size, Female, Male, Reproduction, Seasons, Sexual Maturation, Squalus acanthias anatomy & histology, Life History Traits, Spine anatomy & histology, Squalus acanthias physiology
- Abstract
Pivotal life history traits concerning age structure and reproduction of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias, Linnaeus 1758) were investigated in the Adriatic Sea from mid February 2012 to mid July 2013 and in 2016. The whole sample consisted of 176 females and 150 males, ranging between 217-1025 mm and 219-875 mm, respectively. The individual age, which was estimated using a cross-sectioning technique of the second dorsal-fin spine, ranged from 0 to 13+ years for females and from 0 to 9+ years for males. Based on the length-at-age estimates, the Gompertz growth parameters were L
∞ = 1130 mm, k = 0.18 and L∞ = 920 mm, k = 0.24 for females and males, respectively. The size at sexual maturity (L50 ) was 659 mm for females and 575 mm for males, corresponding to 7.5 and 5.5 years of age (A50 ), respectively. Mean biennial fecundity was approximately 11 embryos/female and 12 ripe oocytes/female. Mature males occurred during much of the sampling period, while mature females with nearly full-term embryos were exclusively recorded in May 2013 and July 2016. Monitoring of catches conducted in a sample port of the north Adriatic (Chioggia) over the past 20 years has shown fluctuating trends in landings, with peaks during the summer reproductive season.- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. The highly rearranged mitochondrial genomes of the crabs Maja crispata and Maja squinado (Majidae) and gene order evolution in Brachyura.
- Author
-
Basso A, Babbucci M, Pauletto M, Riginella E, Patarnello T, and Negrisolo E
- Subjects
- Animals, Computational Biology methods, Gene Ontology, Genomics methods, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Phylogeny, Whole Genome Sequencing, Brachyura genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Gene Order, Gene Rearrangement, Genome, Mitochondrial
- Abstract
We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of the spider crabs Maja crispata and Maja squinado (Majidae, Brachyura). Both genomes contain the whole set of 37 genes characteristic of Bilaterian genomes, encoded on both α- and β-strands. Both species exhibit the same gene order, which is unique among known animal genomes. In particular, all the genes located on the β-strand form a single block. This gene order was analysed together with the other nine gene orders known for the Brachyura. Our study confirms that the most widespread gene order (BraGO) represents the plesiomorphic condition for Brachyura and was established at the onset of this clade. All other gene orders are the result of transformational pathways originating from BraGO. The different gene orders exhibit variable levels of genes rearrangements, which involve only tRNAs or all types of genes. Local homoplastic arrangements were identified, while complete gene orders remain unique and represent signatures that can have a diagnostic value. Brachyura appear to be a hot-spot of gene order diversity within the phylum Arthropoda. Our analysis, allowed to track, for the first time, the fully evolutionary pathways producing the Brachyuran gene orders. This goal was achieved by coupling sophisticated bioinformatic tools with phylogenetic analysis.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Multiple paternity and hybridization in two smooth-hound sharks.
- Author
-
Marino IA, Riginella E, Gristina M, Rasotto MB, Zane L, and Mazzoldi C
- Subjects
- Animals, DNA chemistry, DNA isolation & purification, DNA metabolism, Embryo, Nonmammalian metabolism, Female, Fertility genetics, Genetic Loci, Male, Microsatellite Repeats genetics, Nucleic Acid Hybridization, Paternity, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Hybridization, Genetic genetics, Sharks genetics
- Abstract
Multiple paternity appears to be a common trait of elasmobranch mating systems, with its occurrence likely driven by convenience, due to females seeking to minimize the stress of male harassment. Here we use molecular markers to analyse the frequency of multiple paternity in two related viviparous sharks, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus. We first applied molecular methods to assign pregnant females, embryos and additional reference adults (N = 792) to one of the two species. Paternity analysis was performed using a total of 9 polymorphic microsatellites on 19 females and 204 embryos of M. mustelus, and on 13 females and 303 embryos of M. punctulatus. Multiple paternity occurs in both species, with 47% of M. mustelus and 54% of M. punctulatus litters sired by at least two fathers. Female fecundity is not influenced by multiple mating and in 56% of polyandrous litters paternity is skewed, with one male siring most of the pups. Genetic analyses also revealed hybridization between the two species, with a M. punctulatus female bearing pups sired by a M. mustelus male. The frequency of polyandrous litters in these species is consistent with aspects of their reproductive biology, such as synchronous ovulation and possible occurrence of breeding aggregations.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. New molecular tools for the identification of 2 endangered smooth-hound sharks, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus.
- Author
-
Marino IA, Riginella E, Cariani A, Tinti F, Farrell ED, Mazzoldi C, and Zane L
- Subjects
- Animals, Body Weights and Measures, DNA Primers genetics, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, DNA, Ribosomal Spacer genetics, Electron Transport Complex IV genetics, Mediterranean Sea, Microsatellite Repeats genetics, Sharks anatomy & histology, Skin Pigmentation genetics, Species Specificity, Endangered Species, Sharks classification, Sharks genetics
- Abstract
The smooth-hounds represent a significant proportion of the elasmobranch catch in the Adriatic basin of the Mediterranean Sea, where the common (Mustelus mustelus) and blackspotted (Mustelus punctulatus) smooth-hounds co-occur. The 2 species share several morphological and morphometric characters that lead to frequent misidentification. In order to provide information useful for their species identification, we performed a morphological identification of several Mustelus specimens to select individuals unambiguously attributed to 1 of the 2 species, and assayed these with 3 new molecular tests. First, we developed and validated a mitochondrial DNA assay based on species-specific amplification of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Second, a fragment analysis of 15 microsatellites cross-amplified from several triakid species was performed to identify diagnostic loci. Finally, a length difference was identified in the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region and a diagnostic test based on its amplification was established. All the samples classified morphologically as M. mustelus and M. punctulatus showed a species-specific profile using all the 3 molecular tests. In addition, cross-amplification of microsatellites allowed identification of 9 highly polymorphic loci that will be useful for the study of the mating system and population differentiation of the 2 species., (© The American Genetic Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. The Clodia database: a long time series of fishery data from the Adriatic Sea.
- Author
-
Mazzoldi C, Sambo A, and Riginella E
- Subjects
- Animals, Ecosystem, Fishes, Mediterranean Sea, Population Dynamics, Databases, Factual, Fisheries
- Abstract
Long-term time series of species abundances can depict population declines and changes in communities in response to anthropogenic activities, climate changes, alterations of trophic relationships. Here we present a database of historical marine fishery landing data, covering a remarkably long time series (1945-2013) and referring to one of the most exploited areas of the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea. The database includes two time series of landing data, 1945-2013 and 1997-2013, from the official statistics of the fish market of Chioggia, where the major fishing fleet of the area operates. Comparisons between the landing data of the database and landing data from other fisheries or data from scientific surveys support the reliability of the time series in depicting changes in species abundances. The database is expected to be used by fishery biologists and ecologists interested in depicting and understanding temporal variations in species abundances and community composition, in relation to environmental and anthropogenic factors.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. From trap to nursery. Mitigating the impact of an artisanal fishery on cuttlefish offspring.
- Author
-
Melli V, Riginella E, Nalon M, and Mazzoldi C
- Subjects
- Animals, Conservation of Natural Resources statistics & numerical data, Data Collection methods, Female, Fisheries statistics & numerical data, Geography, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Italy, Oceans and Seas, Conservation of Natural Resources methods, Decapodiformes physiology, Fisheries methods, Ovum physiology
- Abstract
Background: Overexploitation and the impact of several types of human activities have caused declines of marine resources. The direct and active involvement of fishermen in the management of marine resources is effective not only for resource conservation, but also for changing fishermen's attitudes. In this study, we proposed and tested the efficacy and suitability of a measure for mitigating the impact of a trap fishery on cuttlefish eggs in the North Adriatic Sea. This measure directly involves fishermen in promoting the conservation of the early, and more vulnerable, stages of the cuttlefish life cycle., Methodology/principal Findings: Through surveys on fishing boats and interviews with fishermen, we found that traps placed in coastal areas during the cuttlefish breeding season have a high impact on cuttlefish eggs, with over 3 million eggs likely being destroyed by 3750 traps of 15 fishermen in less than 3 miles of coast. The use of removable ropes attached inside traps as an additional substrate for egg deposition allowed the recovery of 23.7% of the eggs deposited on the traps on average, without affecting the catch rate of adults. Experiments examining hatching success in the field highlighted the need for a careful choice of hatching sites to maximise the efficacy of the mitigation measure., Conclusions/significance: The proposed mitigation measure reduced the impact of fishing on cuttlefish eggs, with no significant effect on the commercial catch. Fishermen showed a positive attitude towards the application of this measure, which is inexpensive and easy to employ. The direct involvement of fishermen in the management of this resource and the maintenance of traditional fishing methods are a novel aspect of the proposed measure and represent the basis for its success.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Catalog
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.