Identification of past and present gobies: distinguishing Gobius and Pomatoschistus (Teleostei: Gobioidei) species using characters of otoliths, meristics and body morphometry

Gobies (Gobiidae + Oxudercidae) are among the largest groups of extant marine fishes. Fossils of gobies are abundant since the Miocene, and many species have been reported so far. However, delimitation of fossil goby species is challenging because molecular markers and diagnostic traits such as the disposition of sensory head papillae are lost. This study provides, for the first time, an actualistic framework for the identification of fossil goby species. We focus on characters that can in principle be recognized in fossils, and evaluate their ability to discriminate between extant goby species based on statistical analyses. Using 14 extant species of Gobius and seven species of Pomatoschistus, we conducted otolith morphometry, elliptic Fourier shape analysis of otoliths using the package ‘Momocs’, conventional fish morphometry, and meristic counts. In addition, the otoliths of all species are depicted based on SEM images and briefly described. Otolith Fourier shape analysis proved to be most efficient in discrimination of species within both genera, Gobius and Pomatoschistus. Several characters used in the other approaches also worked well, but the results were variable, and the relative taxonomic significance of particular variables tended to change depending on the species under consideration. We propose otolith shape analysis as a powerful tool to explore ancient goby species diversity when samples with abundant fossil otoliths are present. Overall, the herein presented data will greatly facilitate delimitation of fossil goby species in future studies, and will consequently shed new light on the evolution of goby diversity and biogeography through time.

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Otolith Analyses Highlight Morpho-Functional Differences of Three Species of Mullet (Mugilidae) from Transitional Water

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su14010398 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 398 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Claudio D’Iglio ◽

Sabrina Natale ◽

Marco Albano ◽

Serena Savoca ◽

Sergio Famulari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Shape Analysis ◽

Accurate Description ◽

Sensitive Species ◽

Sem Images ◽

Future Studies ◽

Functional Differences ◽

Morphometrical Analysis ◽

Wide Range ◽

Left And Right ◽

Scanning Electron

Otoliths are used in taxonomy and ichthyology as they can provide a wide range of information about specimens. They are an essential tool to monitor the most sensitive species for a sustainable exploitation level. Despite the increasing use of sagittae in research, their inter- and intra-specific variability and eco-functionality are still poorly explored. This paper aims to investigate the inter- and intra-specific variability of Mugilidae sagittae using morphological and morphometrical analysis, as well as scanning electron microscopy and shape analysis. The sagittae of 74 specimens belonging to three different Mugilidae species, collected from a coastal lagoon, were analyzed to give an accurate description of their morphology, morphometry, shape and crystalline habits. The results highlighted the intra- and inter-specific variability of sagittae, showing morphometrical differences among species and slight differences between left and right sagittae in C. labrosus individuals. Moreover, SEM images showed a peculiar crystal organization, with several different crystal habits and polymorphs. This study provides an accurate description of sagittae in the studied species, deepening the knowledge on inter- and intra-specific variations and crystal habits and providing data which will be useful for future studies on otoliths. With this data, it will be possible to improve conservation and exploitation sustainability in sensitive habitats.

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Corrigendum to: All good things come in threes – species delimitation through shape analysis of saccular, lagenar and utricular otoliths

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf12132_co ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 66 (8) ◽

pp. 757

Author(s):

Tanja Schulz-Mirbach ◽

Martin Plath

Keyword(s):

Shape Analysis ◽

Species Delimitation ◽

Specific Information ◽

Stock Identification ◽

Teleost Fishes ◽

Shape Information ◽

Future Studies ◽

Fourier Shape Analysis ◽

Species Specific ◽

Discriminant Function Analyses

Otoliths are calcium carbonate biomineralisates in the inner ear of teleost fishes. Otoliths of the saccule (sagittae) are known to show species-specific (or even population-specific) contour differences and, thus, are regularly used in fisheries management for stock identification. However, the other two otolith types from the utricle (lapilli) and lagena (asterisci) are typically neglected in studies of this kind, such that little information is available regarding potential species-specific contour differences. Using four species of livebearing fishes of the genus Poecilia (Cyprinodontiformes, Poeciliidae), we compared contour outlines of all three otolith types by applying Fourier shape analysis and tested for species delimitation success of the different otolith types alone, and all three otoliths combined. Our results indicated that also lapilli and especially asterisci convey species-specific information, and the classification success of discriminant function analyses was highest when combining shape information from all three otolith types. We propose that future studies on species delimitation or stock identification may benefit from considering all three otolith types together.

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All good things come in threes – species delimitation through shape analysis of saccular, lagenar and utricular otoliths

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf12132 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 63 (10) ◽

pp. 934 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tanja Schulz-Mirbach ◽

Martin Plath

Keyword(s):

Shape Analysis ◽

Species Delimitation ◽

Specific Information ◽

Stock Identification ◽

Teleost Fishes ◽

Shape Information ◽

Future Studies ◽

Fourier Shape Analysis ◽

Species Specific ◽

Discriminant Function Analyses

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Grasping the shape of belemnoid arm hooks—a quantitative approach

Paleobiology ◽

10.1017/pab.2016.44 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 304-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

René Hoffmann ◽

Manuel F. G. Weinkauf ◽

Dirk Fuchs

Keyword(s):

Shape Analysis ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Prey Capture ◽

Functional Specialization ◽

Shape Variation ◽

Cretaceous Rock ◽

The Past ◽

Fourier Shape Analysis ◽

Variable Morphology ◽

First Time

AbstractChitinous arm hooks (onychites) of belemnoid coleoid cephalopods are widely distributed in Mesozoic sediments. Due to their relative abundance and variable morphology compared with the single, bullet-shaped, belemnite rostrum, arm hooks came into the focus of micropaleontologists as a promising index fossil group for the Jurassic–Cretaceous rock record and have been the target of functional, ecological, and phylogenetic interpretations in the past. Based on three well-preserved arm crowns of the Toarcian diplobelid Chondroteuthis wunnenbergi, we analyzed the shape of a total of 87 micro-hooks. The arm crown of Chondroteuthis is unique in having uniserial rather than biserial hooks. The first application of elliptic Fourier shape analysis to the arm weapons of belemnoid coleoids allows for the distinction of four micro-hook morphotypes and the quantification of shape variation within these morphotypes. Based on the best-preserved arm crown, we reconstructed the distribution of morphotypes within the arm crown and along a single arm. Our quantitative data support former observations that smaller hooks were found close to the mouth and at the most distal arm parts, while the largest hooks were found in the central part of the arm crown. Furthermore, we found a distinct arm differentiation, as not every arm was equipped with the same hook morphotype. Here, we report the functional specialization of the belemnoid arm crown for the first time and speculate about the potential function of the four morphotypes based on comparisons with modern cephalopods. Our analyses suggest a highly adapted functional morphology and intra-individual distribution of belemnoid hooks serving distinct purposes mainly during prey capture.

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The earliest example of sexual dimorphism in bivalves—evidence from the astartid Nicaniella (Lower Jurassic, southern Germany)

Journal of Paleontology ◽

10.1017/jpa.2021.48 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Baran Karapunar ◽

Winfried Werner ◽

Franz T. Fürsich ◽

Alexander Nützel

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Life History ◽

Shape Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Sex Change ◽

Lower Jurassic ◽

Allocation Of Resources ◽

Fourier Shape Analysis ◽

Lower Height ◽

Male To Female

Abstract Protandrous sex change (sex change from male to female) is one of the diverse sexual expressions exhibited by bivalves, but its expression in the shell is quite rare. Previous studies on living and fossil astartids suggest a relationship between protandrous sex change and the formation of crenulations on the ventral shell margin at later ontogenetic stages. Here we report the formation of such crenulations in the Early Jurassic astartid Nicaniella rakoveci (Kuhn, 1935) from the Amaltheenton Formation at Buttenheim, Franconia. This is the earliest known record of protandrous hermaphroditism in fossil bivalves, predating previous reports by at least 13 Myr. A principal component analysis of linear size measurements and Fourier shape analysis of the shell outlines revealed that the outline of Nicaniella rakoveci specimens varies from subquadrate to subcircular, but this variation is independent of the presence or absence of crenulations and therefore not associated with sex. Crenulated specimens exhibit a lower height/inflation ratio than non-crenulated ones, suggesting that the protandrous females have more inflated valves than the males. The formation of crenulations was probably related to allocation of resources for reproduction. The most likely function of the crenulations was to increase the internal shell volume in the female stage to accommodate more eggs rather than being an adaptation against predation as often assumed for other bivalves. The formation of crenulations is part of the protandrous life history and probably is controlled by a genetic mechanism that is also responsible for sex change.

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Diversity of pathogenic Pseudomonas isolated from citrus in Tunisia

AMB Express ◽

10.1186/s13568-020-01134-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maroua Oueslati ◽

Magdalena Mulet ◽

Mohamed Zouaoui ◽

Charlotte Chandeysson ◽

Jorge Lalucat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Pseudomonas Syringae ◽

Ice Nucleation ◽

Phylogenetic Study ◽

Future Studies ◽

Citrus Orchards ◽

First Time ◽

New Cultivars

Abstract The damages observed in Tunisian citrus orchards have prompted studies on the Pseudomonas spp. responsible for blast and black pit. Prospective orchards between 2015 and 2017 showed that the diseases rapidly spread geographically and to new cultivars. A screening of Pseudomonas spp. isolated from symptomatic trees revealed their wide diversity according to phylogenetic analysis of their housekeeping rpoD and cts genes. The majority of strains were affiliated to Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Phylogroup PG02b), previously described in Tunisia. However, they exhibited various BOX-PCR fingerprints and were not clonal. This work demonstrated, for the first time in Tunisia, the involvement of Pseudomonas cerasi (PG02a) and Pseudomonas congelans (PG02c). The latter did not show significant pathogenicity on citrus, but was pathogenic on cantaloupe and active for ice nucleation that could play a role in the disease. A comparative phylogenetic study of citrus pathogens from Iran, Montenegro and Tunisia revealed that P. syringae (PG02b) strains are closely related but again not clonal. Interestingly P. cerasi (PG02a) was isolated in two countries and seems to outspread. However, its role in the diseases is not fully understood and it should be monitored in future studies. The diversity of pathogenic Pseudomonas spp. and the extension of the diseases highlight that they have become complex and synergistic. It opens questions about which factors favor diseases and how to fight against them efficiently and with sustainable means.

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Report on two species of Digenea from marine fishes in Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842002000300009 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 62 (3) ◽

pp. 459-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

B. M. M. FERNANDES ◽

R. M. PINTO ◽

S. C. COHEN

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Nematode Species ◽

Marine Fishes ◽

New Host ◽

New Hosts ◽

First Time

Two species of Digenea were recorded for the first time in South America and in new hosts: Acanthostomum spiniceps (Looss, 1896) (Cryptogonimidae) was reported from Astroscopus sexspinosus (Steindachner, 1877) (Uranoscopidae) and Diplomonorchis sphaerovarium Nahhas & Cable, 1964 (Monorchiidae) from Ophichthus gomesi (Castelnau, 1855) (Ophichthidae). From the latter, Heliconema heliconema Travassos, 1919 (Nematoda, Physalopteridae), was also recovered representing also a new host for this nematode species.

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Metagenomic Comparisons between Soft and Hard Feces of Plateau Pikas (Ochotona curzoniae)

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani12020149 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 149

Author(s):

Haibo Fu ◽

Wenjing Li

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Fatty Acids ◽

16S Rdna ◽

Microbial Metabolism ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Future Studies ◽

Ochotona Curzoniae ◽

The Future ◽

First Time

The division of hard and soft feces is an effective digestion strategy in the order Lagomorpha. Although previous studies have reported that hard and soft feces differ in morphology and component, the discrepancy in the microbiome remains unclear. This study explored the microbiomes of hard and soft feces in plateau pikas by sequencing the V3 and V4 regions of 16S rDNA. We found that hard feces harbored higher Firmicutes, while soft feces harbored higher Akkermansia. Increased rare bacterial taxa were observed in hard feces compared with soft feces. Moreover, hard and soft feces displayed a greater difference in terms of core operational taxonomy units (OTUs) compared to the total OTUs. The soft feces showed enhancements in all predicted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functions, indicating an advancing microbial metabolism compared to hard feces. The significantly upregulated pathways in soft feces were mainly enriched in metabolism of energy and carbohydrate, glycan biosynthesis, cofactors and vitamins, and amino acids—all of which are associated with increased contents of microbial proteins, vitamins, and short-chain fatty acids. Our study reports, for the first time, the differential microbiomes between hard and soft feces of pikas and provides direction for the future studies on cecotrophy.

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Preloading Effect On The Strength of Cement Mass Mixing Treated Salty Sand

10.21203/rs.3.rs-506598/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rasoul Alipour

Keyword(s):

Thick Layer ◽

Test Results ◽

Cement Slurry ◽

Sem Images ◽

Treated Soil ◽

Pure Salt ◽

Ucs Test ◽

Southwest Of Iran ◽

First Time ◽

Electronic Microscope

Abstract Existing problematic sub-layers in mixing technologies are a challenge, and for the first time, the effects of salt sub-layers in mass mixing technology have been investigated in this study for sandy salt in the southwest of Iran. This paper discusses the influence of adding various cement contents, Aw, and imposing different preloading values on the salty sand soil. First, salt and sand samples were dried, then, 90 % sand was mixed with 10% salt. After that, 30 % water was mixed thoroughly with the mixture of salty sand to obtain slurries. Cement slurry at a water-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.6 was then added to the sample and thoroughly mixed. The amount of cement in a slurry form that was added to the salty soil was 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% by mass of dry soil. Each treated soil preloaded by 0, 9, and 45 kPa. After 120 days, the unconfined compressive strength of the sample was determined. Furthermore, by Scanning Electronic Microscope, SEM, the microstructures of treated samples were analyzed. At the end Unconfined Compression Strength, UCS, test results normalized to the non-preloaded treated soil. By increasing cement content, the effect of preloading in increasing UCS will decrease. In the SEM images for Aw=2%, the effect of preloading indicates porous shape for non-preloaded samples. Vice versa by Aw=8%, porous shape in the SEM images will disappear. In the end, treatability studies of pure salt in the thick layer have been investigated.

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Zeiform mouthbrooding in the deepsea – dispelling a myth

10.31219/osf.io/rhk29 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ralf ◽

G. David Johnson ◽

Kevin Conway

Keyword(s):

Deep Water ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Extended Period ◽

Marine Fishes ◽

Early Developmental Stages ◽

Water Fish ◽

First Time ◽

Early Developmental ◽

Deep Sea Fauna

Mouthbrooding or oral incubation, the retention of early developmental stages inside of the mouth for an extended period of time, has evolved multiple times in bony fishes1,2. Though uncommon, this form of parental care has been documented and well-studied in several groups of freshwater fishes but is also known to occur in a small number of marine fishes, all inhabiting coastal waters1,2. A recent paper3, reported for the first time mouthbrooding in a deep-water fish species, the zeiform Parazen pacificus, which according to the authors “fills in a gap in the larval literature for this family of fishes and prompts further investigation into other novel reproductive modes of deep-sea fauna.”

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