scholarly journals Chelonicola and Poulinea, two new gomphonemoid diatom genera (Bacillariophyta) living on marine turtles from Costa Rica

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 233 (3) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roksana Majewska ◽  
J. P. Kociolek ◽  
Evan W. Thomas ◽  
Mario De Stefano ◽  
Mario Santoro ◽  
...  

Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins have been known for a long time to host a very specific epizoic community on their skin. Less known however is the presence of a similar community on the carapaces of sea turtles. The present study is the first describing new taxa inhabiting sea turtle carapaces. Samples, collected from nesting olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) on Ostional Beach (Costa Rica), were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Two unknown small-celled gomphonemoid taxa were analysed in more detail and are described as two new genera, closely related to other gomphonemoid genera with septate girdle bands, such as Tripterion, Cuneolus and Gomphoseptatum. Chelonicola Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver gen. nov. has a flat valve face, uniseriate striae composed of more than three areolae, simple external raphe endings, internally a siliceous flap over the proximal raphe endings and lives on mucilaginous stalks. Poulinea Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver gen. nov. has at least one concave valve, uniseriate striae composed of only two elongated areolae, external distal raphe endings covered by thickened siliceous flaps and lives attached to the substrate by a mucilaginous pad. Chelonicola costaricensis Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver sp. nov. and Poulinea lepidochelicola Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver sp. nov. can be separated based on stria structure, girdle structure composed of more than 10 copulae, raphe structure and general valve outline. A cladistics analysis of putative members of the Rhoicospheniaceae indicates that the family is polyphyletic. Chelonicola and Poulinea are sister taxa, and form a monophyletic group with Cuneolus and Tripterion, but are not closely related to Rhoicosphenia, or other genera previously assigned to this family. Features used to help diagnose the family such as symmetry and presence of septa and pseudosepta are homoplastic across the raphid diatom tree of life.

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roksana Majewska ◽  
Mario De Stefano ◽  
Luc Ector ◽  
Federico Bolaños ◽  
Thomas A. Frankovich ◽  
...  

AbstractIt has been known for a long time that marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, host a very specific epizoic community on their skin. Whether or not a similar community exists on the carapaces of sea turtles is less studied. The present paper describes two new epizoic diatoms from the genus


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Sergio Escobar-Lasso ◽  
Luis Fonseca ◽  
Wilbert N. Villachica ◽  
Hansel Herrera ◽  
Roldán A. Valverde ◽  
...  

Jaguars have been recorded preying on adult female sea turtles on their nesting beaches in Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico and Suriname (Fretey 1977, Autar 1994, Cuevas et al. 2014, Guildera et al. 2015). Jaguars prey on Green (Chelonia mydas), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles (see Fretey 1977, Autar 1994, Carrillo et al. 1994, Chinchilla 1997, Tröeng 2000, Heithaus et al. 2008, Veríssimo et al. 2012, Arroyo-Arce et al. 2014, Cuevas et al. 2014, Arroyo-Arce & Salom-Pérez 2015, Guildera et al. 2015). The capture effort and risk of injury associated with the predation of nesting sea turtles is expected to be lower relative to other prey species in the jaguar’s diet (Cavalcanti & Gese 2010). Additionally, they can be key resources when other pr ey availability is low (Veríssimo et al. 2012).


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Brenes Chaves ◽  
Alexis Berrocal ◽  
Ana I. Meneses ◽  
Carlos Jiménez Sánchez ◽  
Carlos M. Orrego Vásquez

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis is an emerging disease characterized by a proliferation of cutaneous papillomas, fibromas, and fibropapillomas and occasional visceral fibromas. This paper aims to contribute tothe etiology of fibropapillomatosis in olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting in OstionalNational Wildlife Refuge. Twenty six olive ridley turtles with cutaneous fibropapilloma were sampled and24 healthy olive ridley turtles served as controls. Biopsies were taken of the cutaneous tumors in sick seaturtles, as well as skin biopsies from control subjects, and blood samples were collected from all turtles.Tumorous samples and skin samples were microscopically analyzed in order to differentiate the histologicalfactors resulting from the disease pathogenesis, where the main histological findings were papillaryepidermal hyperplasia, orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, spirorchid-like eggs in the dermis, and eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion. Hematology and blood chemistry studies were conducted on blood samples, andMCHC, heterophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, AST, total protein, albumin and globulin values were significantlydifferent between healthy turtles and turtles with tumors. A PCR test was also conducted in thesamples to determine the presence of herpesvirus and papillomavirus as possible etiologic agents, wherethe papilomavirus was absent in all the samples, while the herpesvirus was present in 69.23% of the tumors,this being the most probable etiological agent of fibropapillomatosis.La fibropapilomatosis de la tortuga marina es una enfermedad emergente caracterizada por múltiples papilomas, fibromas y fibropapilomas cutáneos, así como ocasionales fibromas viscerales. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo contribuir a la etiología de la fibropapilomatosis en la tortuga lora (Lepidochelys olivacea) que anida en el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional. Se muestrearon 26 tortugas lora con fibropapilomas cutáneos y 24 tortugas lora sanas que sirvieron de control. Se tomaron biopsias excisionales de los tumores cutáneos de las tortugas enfermas y biopsias de piel de las tortugas control, además se recolectaron muestras de sangre de todas las tortugas. Las muestras tumorales y de piel se analizaron microscópicamente para diferenciar los factores histológicos que resultan de la patogénesis de la enfermedad, donde los hallazgos histopatológicos principales en los fibropapilomas fueron: crecimiento papiliforme, hiperqueratosis ortoqueratótica, huevos de parásitos similares a espiróquidos en la capa dérmica e inclusión eosinofílica citoplasmática. A las muestras de sangre se les realizó análisis hematológico y de química sanguínea, donde los valores de CHCM, heterófilos, linfocitos, monocitos, AST, proteínas totales, albúmina y globulinas resultaron significativamente diferentes entre las tortugas sanas y las tortugas con tumores. Se realizó PCR a las muestras para determinar la presencia de genoma de herpesvirus y papilomavirus como posibles agentes etiológicos, donde el papilomavirus estuvo ausente en la totalidad de las muestras, mientras el virus Herpes se presentó en el 69.23% de los tumores posicionándose como el posible agente etiológico de la enfermedad.


1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 336-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
María T. Acuña ◽  
Gerardo Díaz ◽  
Hilda Bolaños ◽  
Candy Barquero ◽  
Olga Sánchez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Vibrio mimicus contamination of sand increased significantly during the arrival of the olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) at Ostional anidation beach, Costa Rica. Statistical analysis supports that eggs are contaminated withV. mimicus by contact with the sand nest. V. mimicus was isolated from eggs of all nests tested, andctxA + strains were found in 31% of the nests, all of which were near the estuary.


2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis G. Fonseca ◽  
Grettel A. Murillo ◽  
Lenín Guadamúz ◽  
Romeo M. Spínola ◽  
Roldán A. Valverde

Author(s):  
A. Ramakrishnan ◽  
M. Palanivelrajan ◽  
D. Sumathi ◽  
K. Senthilkumar

Background: The olive ridley sea turtle also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle is a medium-sized species of turtle found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Sea Turtles are an integral part of coastal and marine ecosystems, they have also been fundamental to the culture of coastal societies for millennia. But human activities over the past 200 years have massively tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient mariners, despite its conservation status the olive ridley are considered vulnerable. The aim of the study was to collect biochemical data on olive ridley sea turtles while drawing comparisons with previous published data on sea turtles. Methods: This research work was carried out in rescued Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) which were stranded or rescued during various periods of breeding season from September, 2017 to April, 2018 by Trust for Environmental and Education (TREE) foundation, Vettuvankeni, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Clinical samples were collected from 7 sea turtles in rescue centers and examined for biochemical parameters analysis. The biochemical parameters measured were Glucose, cholesterol, Total protein, albumin and globulin, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Calcium and Phosphorus. The statistical analyses of data were carried out by using student’s t-test. Result: The results of this study were more or less unfailing with previous studies but variations with other studies may result from values depends upon the geospatial distribution such as species, age, sex, season, sample site, nutrition and management condition. The data in this research was more specific to olive ridley sea turtles, indicating need to standardize reference values because of little know data on these turtle species, which are intended for health evaluation for free-ranging and captive/rescued sea turtles.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e0130351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roksana Majewska ◽  
Mario Santoro ◽  
Federico Bolaños ◽  
Gerardo Chaves ◽  
Mario De Stefano

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