Cerebral Toxoplasmosis in Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) Stranded Along the Ligurian Sea Coast of Italy

Two striped dolphins (SD1, SD2), stranded along the Ligurian coast of Italy, were diagnosed with a nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis associated with previously undescribed protozoan tissue cysts. As tissue cysts were morphologically different from those of Toxoplasma gondii, additional histopathological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and biomolecular investigations were performed, aiming to fully characterize the organism. Histopathology revealed the presence of large Sarcocystis-like tissue cysts, associated with limited inflammatory lesions in all CNS areas studied. IHC was inconclusive, as positive staining with polyclonal antisera did not preclude cross-reaction with other Sarcocystidae coccidia. Applied to each animal, 11 different PCR protocols precluded a neural infection by Sarcocystis neurona, Sarcocystis falcatula, Hammondia hammondi, and Neospora caninum. T. gondii coinfection was confirmed only in dolphin SD2. Sarcocystis sp. sequences, showing the highest homology to species infecting the Bovidae family, were amplified from SD1 myocardium and SD2 skeletal muscle. The present study represents the first report of Sarcocystis-like tissue cysts in the brain of stranded cetaceans along with the first description of Sarcocystis sp. infection in muscle tissue of dolphins from the Mediterranean basin.

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Food of striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, in the Ligurian Sea

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315400033117 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 73 (3) ◽

pp. 571-578 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

M. Würtz ◽

D. Marrale

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Important Food ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽

Striped Dolphin ◽

Western Mediterranean Sea ◽

Bony Fishes ◽

Food Species ◽

Ligurian Coast

The stomachsof 23 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba Meyen, 1833, Cetacea), stranded along the Ligurian coast (western Mediterranean Sea), contained 32 species of cephalopods, crustaceans and fishes, totalling an estimated 2,723 prey specimens representing about 36 kg in weight. Cephalopods and bony fishes were equally important in the diet (50%). Todarodes sagittatus (34.5%) and Micromesistius poutassou (25.9%) were found to be the most important food species. Other species belonging to six cephalopod families, three crustacean families and nine bony fish families, contributed to the diet with variable numbers, weights, and occurrences, demonstrating the opportunistic character of striped dolphin feeding.

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Magnetic Base Station Deceptions, a magnetovariational analysis along the Ligurian Sea coast, Italy

Annals of Geophysics ◽

10.4401/ag-4423 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

Author(s):

M. Gambetta ◽

E. Armadillo ◽

C. Carmisciano ◽

F. Caratori Tontini ◽

E. Bozzo

Keyword(s):

Base Station ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

Sea Coast

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Seasonal variation of striped dolphins, fin- and sperm whales' abundance in the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315407054719 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 87 (1) ◽

pp. 345-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Sophie Laran ◽

Violaine Drouot-Dulau

Keyword(s):

Relative Abundance ◽

Sperm Whale ◽

Line Transect ◽

Physeter Macrocephalus ◽

Monthly Basis ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽

Abundance Indices ◽

Fin Whales ◽

Acoustic Sampling

In order to investigate seasonal changes in cetacean relative abundance, a series of surveys were conducted between the French mainland and Corsica. From February 2001 to February 2004, thirty similar transects were conducted monthly, using the same dedicated boat and a consistent sampling protocol, including visual observation and passive acoustic sampling. A total effort of 5759 km was sampled, conducted at the same speed and in good sighting conditions. Relative abundances of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were determined using standard line-transect methodology. The relative abundance of striped dolphins peaked in May and September (>1.3×10-2 ind.km-1), while a consistent minimum value (<0.6×10-2 ind.km-1) was obtained from December to April. A maximum relative abundance of fin whales occurred in August with 5.6×10-2 ind.km-1 and decreased to almost zero from November to January. For sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), a long diver species, frequency and abundance indices were determined using acoustic sampling. The highest acoustic relative abundance was observed from August to October, with more than 2×10-2 ind.km-1. Environmental parameters (sea surface temperature and chlorophyll) were computed for the sampling area from remote sensing imagery and pooled on a monthly basis, to correlate with relative abundance indices of the three species.

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Colour patterns and pigmentation variability on striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba in north-western Mediterranean Sea

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315408001641 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 88 (6) ◽

pp. 1211-1219 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Massimiliano Rosso ◽

Aurélie Moulins ◽

Maurizio Würtz

Keyword(s):

Group Size ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Single Individual ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽

Individual Level ◽

Western Mediterranean Sea ◽

Colour Patterns ◽

Level Cluster ◽

Free Ranging

Studies on differences in external morphology and pigmentation patterns were historically carried out using stranded individuals or opportunistic sightings; few studies have involved sampling systematically free-ranging individuals. In order to investigate and describe main pigmentation characteristics, outlining ‘typical’ regional pigmentations, this work analysed systematic photographic information taken on free-ranging striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba. Photographs of dolphins in the Ligurian Sea were collected between May 2004 and December 2006. All individuals were described by the presence/absence of pigmentation variables and by differences in colour shades. The frequency of all the pigmentation variables analysed is stable in the population (10 ‘gene’ variables, 19 ‘allele’ variables), and remains similar between each different group of dolphins. But population presents widespread pigmentation variability between specimens, allowing identification even at single individual level. Cluster analysis also found that the majority of the pigmentations derive from two main colour patterns, called ‘mat’ and ‘pale’ patterns (fmat = 0.68; fpale = 0.12). The Bray–Curtis index showed a high variability of the intra-group pigmentation distance between groups. This resulted in a positive correlation between group size and ‘intra-group’ pigmentation distance: the distance increases rapidly up to a group size of 40 individuals. According to the results obtained, the striped dolphins seem to be concentrated in small groups in which there is a large phenotypic similarity among individuals. These small units could be associated between them to form temporary large groups observed only in pelagic waters.

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Biological consequences of global warming: does sea surface temperature affect cetacean distribution in the western Ligurian Sea?

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315408000751 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 88 (6) ◽

pp. 1145-1152 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A. Azzellino ◽

S.A. Gaspari ◽

S. Airoldi ◽

C. Lanfredi

Keyword(s):

Surface Temperature ◽

Sea Surface Temperature ◽

Global Climate ◽

Sperm Whale ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Physeter Macrocephalus ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽

Cetacean Distribution

The aim of this study was to assess if sea surface temperature does affect cetacean distribution in the western Ligurian Sea. Relationships with temperature were investigated for: striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) data were studied. A series of 20 monthly images (i.e. June to September monthly images from 1996 to 2000) was considered. Concurrently, distribution data collected during shipboard summer surveys, and covering an area of about 20,000 km2 in the western Ligurian Sea, were analysed. The relationship between the three species presence and SST was investigated by using a grid of 3 × 3 nautical mile cell units. For every cell the SST mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variance and the deviation from the monthly average were calculated. Finally, binary logistic regression functions allowed to assess significant (P < 0.05) relationships with temperature in these species. These logistic models, were able to predict 60–78% of the species presence(1)/absence(0) cells, and suggest the need for further investigations spanning longer time periods to assess how the global climate change has been changing and will change in the future cetacean distribution in the western Ligurian Sea.

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Two new marine flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Rhabditophora: Proseriata) of the genus Otoplana Du Plessis, 1889 from the upper Tuscany sandy shores (Italy)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.3608.7.4 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3608 (7) ◽

pp. 575-586 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

GIANLUCA MEINI

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Body Length ◽

Sandy Beaches ◽

Ligurian Sea ◽

Sandy Shores ◽

The North ◽

Sexually Mature ◽

North Western ◽

Sea Coast

Two new otoplanid species, from the interstitial habitats of the North-Western Mediterranenan sea coast, are described. The specimens show the typical morphological peculiarities of the subfamily Otoplaninae ("Turbellaria", Otoplanidae), but clearly differ from other species described in this group. Otoplana labronica sp. nov. is characterized by a body length of 1.2–1.5 mm, different features of the testes and vitellaries, the male sclerotic apparatus composed of a median aculeus (52–53 μm long) and 16 peculiar spines (19–44 μm long). This new species has the smallest number of spines (17) and the smaller body length, in comparison to all the species of the genus. Otoplana falcataspina sp. nov. is characterized by a body length of 2.3–2.4 mm, distinctive dimensions and arrangement of the vitellaries, the male sclerotic apparatus composed of a median aculeus (50–51 μm long) and 20–21 spines (22–44 μm long). This new species has a limited body length, and only the sexually mature specimens of the new species O. labronica exhibit a smaller size. They were collected below the low water mark on the sandy beaches at Calambrone and Marina di Vecchiano (Pisa, Ligurian Sea, Italy), respectively.

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Occurrence of microsporidians Glugea hertwigi and Pleistophora ladogensis, in smelt Osmerus eperlanus from two German rivers, North Sea coast

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms ◽

10.3354/dao03040 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 121 (1) ◽

pp. 49-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

G Costa ◽

E Melo-Moreira ◽

MAP de Carvalho

Keyword(s):

North Sea ◽

Osmerus Eperlanus ◽

Sea Coast ◽

North Sea Coast

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Marine mammals are natural hosts of Oceanivirga salmonicida, a bacterial pathogen of Atlantic salmon

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms ◽

10.3354/dao03478 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 139 ◽

pp. 161-174

Author(s):

R Palmer ◽

GTA Fleming ◽

S Glaeser ◽

T Semmler ◽

A Flamm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

Atlantic Salmon ◽

16S Rrna Gene ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Bacterial Disease ◽

Common Dolphin ◽

Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽

Striped Dolphin ◽

Natural Hosts

During 1992 and 1993, a bacterial disease occurred in a seawater Atlantic salmon Salmo salar farm, causing serious mortalities. The causative agent was subsequently named as Oceanivirga salmonicida, a member of the Leptotrichiaceae. Searches of 16S rRNA gene sequence databases have shown sequence similarities between O. salmonicida and uncultured bacterial clones from the digestive tracts of marine mammals. In the current study, oral samples were taken from stranded dolphins (common dolphin Delphinus delphis, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba) and healthy harbour seals Phoca vitulina. A bacterium with growth characteristics consistent with O. salmonicida was isolated from a common dolphin. The isolate was confirmed as O. salmonicida, by comparisons to the type strain, using 16S rRNA gene, gyrB, groEL, and recA sequence analyses, average nucleotide identity analysis, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Metagenomic analysis indicated that the genus Oceanivirga represented a significant component of the oral bacterial microbiomes of the dolphins and seals. However, sequences consistent with O. salmonicida were only found in the dolphin samples. Analyses of marine mammal microbiome studies in the NCBI databases showed sequences consistent with O. salmonicida from the common dolphin, striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, and harbour seal. Sequences from marine environmental studies in the NCBI databases showed no sequences consistent with O. salmonicida. The findings suggest that several species of marine mammals are natural hosts of O. salmonicida.

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