1,721,128 research outputs found
The valid genus name of the European freshwater blennies, Ichthyocoris or Salariopsis (Teleostei: Blenniidae)?
No full textVecchioni, Luca, Arculeo, Marco, Hundt, Peter J., Marrone, Federico (2022): The valid genus name of the European freshwater blennies, Ichthyocoris or Salariopsis (Teleostei: Blenniidae)? Zootaxa 5162 (1): 99-100, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5162.1.
A century of research on micro-organisms from the inland waters of the largest Mediterranean island
Full text linkThe first studies on the micro-organisms inhabiting Sicilian inland waters date back to the middle of the XIX century. However, these were based on single samples and mainly addressed at compiling faunistic and floristic inventories. It was in the first decades of the XX century that the first methodical studies were performed, which focussed on assessing microbial diversity in saline and hypersaline inland waters. Studies on plankton dynamics in ponds and reservoirs of the island started at the beginning of the 1980s and, since the end of the 1990s, temporary waters have also been intensively sampled, especially as regards phytoplankton and micro-crustaceans. These intensified sampling efforts contributed to increasing our knowledge of the composition, structure and functioning of the planktic compartment. On the contrary, studies on benthic microflora and fauna are still numerically scarce and mostly based on occasional collections. Also, running waters have received little attention and the methodical analysis of their micro-organisms is still in its infancy
A redescription of the Mediterranean endemic cladoceran Daphnia chevreuxi Richard, 1896 (Cladocera: Daphniidae)
No full textKotov, Alexey A., Garibian, Petr G., Neretina, Anna N., Marrone, Federico (2022): A redescription of the Mediterranean endemic cladoceran Daphnia chevreuxi Richard, 1896 (Cladocera: Daphniidae). Zootaxa 5125 (2): 205-228, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5125.2.
Predictive Distribution Modeling of the Medicinal Leech Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 (Hirudinea, Hirudinidae) in Sicily: Implications for Conservation
Full text linkHirudo verbana, a medicinal leech species of conservation concern, has long been considered rare and fragmented across its distribution range due to overexploitation and habitat alteration. In this study, we present the first predictive distribution model for H. verbana in Sicily, combining field occurrence data (time: 1980–2024) with environmental variables using an ensemble species distribution modeling (SDM) framework. Unlike its typical occurrence in temperate lowland wetlands of central-eastern Europe, the species in Sicily shows a marked shift toward upper hill and montane zones. Species presence was strongly associated with high NDVI values, reflecting a preference for areas with dense and structurally complex vegetation. In contrast, presence probability declined sharply with increasing terrestrial human footprint (THF), indicating a notable sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. Aquatic habitat type also emerged as a key predictor: the species was most likely to occur in lentic environments such as standing water bodies, and least likely in lotic systems or areas lacking aquatic habitats. Notably, most high-suitability areas overlapped with sites in the Natura 2000 network, emphasizing the importance of existing protected areas as refugia for the species. Moreover, some previously undocumented areas of high habitat suitability were identified, providing a spatially basis for refining monitoring strategies and informing conservation planning for this ecologically sensitive freshwater invertebrate
Cryptic diversity, niche displacement and our poor understanding of taxonomy and ecology of aquatic microorganisms
Full text linkThe analysis of ecological niche is an important task to correctly identify the role exerted by species within ecosystems, to assess their vulnerability, to plan effective measures addressed at fulfilling the postulates of biological conservation, and ultimately to prevent biodiversity loss. However, for the majority of organisms our knowledge about the actual extent of their ecological niche is quite limited. This is especially true for microscopic organisms. Evidence exists that in different geographical areas allegedly conspecific populations can show different, if not antithetical, ecological requirements and not-overlapping ecological niches. This opinion paper discusses whether this “niche displacement” effectively occurs between conspecific populations or if the pattern is rather due to an inaccurate identification of species and/or to an insufficient knowledge about population and community ecology. Hence, some subjectively selected study cases when alleged phenomena of niche displacements take place are presented, and shortfalls in the correct assessment of the identity and ecological niches of microscopic aquatic eukaryotes, namely phytoplankton, zooplankton, and meiofauna are shown
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On the non-malacostracan crustaceans (Crustacea: Branchiopoda, Copepoda, Ostracoda) from the inland waters of Fthiotida (Greece)
Full text linkIn the frame of the activities of the LIFE11 NAT/GR/1014 ForOpenForests, some water bodies occurring in the "Ethnikos Drymos Oitis” (GR2440004) and “Oros Kallidromo” (GR2440006) (Sterea Ellada) were investigated with the aim of providing a first census of the composition and diversity of their crustacean fauna. Overall, the sampling of 15 water bodies (7 of them listed as “Mediterranean temporary ponds” sensu EU “Habitats Directive”) led to the finding of 13 branchiopod, 11 copepod, and 7 ostracod taxa, including 4 species new for mainland Greece, i.e. the copepods Arctodiaptomus alpinus (Imhoff, 1885) and Diaptomus cf. serbicus, and the branchiopods Leptestheria dahalacensis (Rüppel, 1837) and Wlassicsia pannonica Daday, 1904. The comparative analysis of the observed species assemblages and richness suggests that the protection of those ponds identified as “priority habitats” according to the “Habitats Directive” is effective for the specialized and peculiar crustacean biota of these ecosystems, but it is not sufficient in order to preserve efficiently the whole diversity of temporary pond-dwelling crustaceans occurring in the study area. Therefore, the implementation of synergistic conservation measures dedicated to both “priority” and “non-priority” habitats is desirable
The Diaptomidae (Copepoda, Calanoida) of Tunisia and the role of spatial and environmental factors as drivers of their distribution patterns
Full text linkEven in a biodiversity hotspot such as the Mediterranean basin, aspects relating to the distribution of some groups of microcrustaceans still need clarification. In this paper, we critically analyse the available information on diaptomid copepods in Tunisian inland waters and, based on the largest sampling campaign to date carried out in the country, report new data on their distribution. In the frame of this study, 248 crustacean samples were collected from 190 sites, and 10 diaptomid species belonging to 7 genera and 2 subfamilies were found in the samples. Their distribution follows a climate gradient determined by precipitation, and ecological variables mainly affect diaptomid distribution in the study area, while pure spatial factors are of negligible importance. Diaptomid biodiversity is therefore strongly linked to the diversity of inland waters that characterise the country. This is especially true in the wetlands of the Medjerda alluvial plain, where six diaptomid species co-occurred sympatrically, with up to four or five species coexisting syntopically and synchronically in some sites. Unfortunately, the natural water bodies of this plain are currently strongly threatened by urban expansion and agricultural reclamation, and the risk of local extinction for the species they host is increasingly high
FIGURE 4 in A redescription of the Mediterranean endemic cladoceran Daphnia chevreuxi Richard, 1896 (Cladocera: Daphniidae)
No full textFIGURE 4. Daphnia chevreuxi, adult parthenogenetic female from Stagno di C. da Buffali (Nebrodi, Cesarò), Sicily, Italy; A, valve. B–C, ventral margin. D–F, postero-ventral margin. G, postabdomen. H, its distal portion. I, abdomen. J, postabdominal claw. Scale bars: 1 mm A, G; 0.1 mm for B–F, I–J.Published as part of Kotov, Alexey A., Garibian, Petr G., Neretina, Anna N. & Marrone, Federico, 2022, A redescription of the Mediterranean endemic cladoceran Daphnia chevreuxi Richard, 1896 (Cladocera: Daphniidae), pp. 205-228 in Zootaxa 5125 (2) on page 212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5125.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/642453
FIGURE 2 in A redescription of the Mediterranean endemic cladoceran Daphnia chevreuxi Richard, 1896 (Cladocera: Daphniidae)
No full textFIGURE 2. Daphnia chevreuxi, female from Stagno di C. da Buffali (Nebrodi, Cesarò), Sicily, Italy: A–B, adult parthenogenetic female. C, ephippial female. D, head, lateral view. E, head shield, dorsal view. F, fornix. G, juvenile female. Scale bars: 1 mm A–E; 0.1 mm for F–G.Published as part of Kotov, Alexey A., Garibian, Petr G., Neretina, Anna N. & Marrone, Federico, 2022, A redescription of the Mediterranean endemic cladoceran Daphnia chevreuxi Richard, 1896 (Cladocera: Daphniidae), pp. 205-228 in Zootaxa 5125 (2) on page 210, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5125.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/642453
Unio Philipsson 1788
No full textGenus Unio Philipsson, 1788, in Retzius (1788) Type species: Mya pictorum Linnaeus, 1758 (fixed by ICZN under the plenary powers; Welter-Schultes, 2012). Type locality: “Habitat in Europaea fluviis”, recent.Published as part of Marrone, Federico, Nardi, Gianbattista, Cianfanelli, Simone, Govedič, Marijan, Barra, Salvatore Alessandro, Arculeo, Marco & Bodon, Marco, 2019, Diversity and taxonomy of the genus Unio Philipsson in Italy, with the designation of a neotype for Unio elongatulus C. Pfeiffer (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Unionidae), pp. 339-374 in Zootaxa 4545 (3) on page 353, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4545.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/261891
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