Further Advance of Gambierdiscus Species in the Canary Islands, with the First Report of Gambierdiscus belizeanus

Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is a human food-borne poisoning that has been known since ancient times to be found mainly in tropical and subtropical areas, which occurs when fish or very rarely invertebrates contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs) are consumed. The genus of marine benthic dinoflagellates Gambierdiscus produces CTX precursors. The presence of Gambierdiscus species in a region is one indicator of CP risk. The Canary Islands (North Eastern Atlantic Ocean) is an area where CP cases have been reported since 2004. In the present study, samplings for Gambierdiscus cells were conducted in this area during 2016 and 2017. Gambierdiscus cells were isolated and identified as G. australes, G. excentricus, G. caribaeus, and G. belizeanus by molecular analysis. In this study, G. belizeanus is reported for the first time in the Canary Islands. Gambierdiscus isolates were cultured, and the CTX-like toxicity of forty-one strains was evaluated with the neuroblastoma cell-based assay (neuro-2a CBA). G. excentricus exhibited the highest CTX-like toxicity (9.5–2566.7 fg CTX1B equiv. cell−1) followed by G. australes (1.7–452.6.2 fg CTX1B equiv. cell−1). By contrast, the toxicity of G. belizeanus was low (5.6 fg CTX1B equiv. cell−1), and G. caribaeus did not exhibit CTX-like toxicity. In addition, for the G. belizeanus strain, the production of CTXs was evaluated with a colorimetric immunoassay and an electrochemical immunosensor resulting in G. belizeanus producing two types of CTX congeners (CTX1B and CTX3C series congeners) and can contribute to CP in the Canary Islands.

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Cirripedia of the Canary Islands: distribution and ecological notes

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s002531541100066x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 92 (1) ◽

pp. 129-141 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J.A. González ◽

L. Martín ◽

R. Herrera ◽

G. González-Lorenzo ◽

F. Espino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reference Material ◽

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Canary Islands ◽

Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽

Xenobalanus Globicipitis ◽

Voucher Specimens ◽

Distribution And Ecology ◽

First Time

The present paper is the first annotated account listing all species of Cirripedia: Thoracica recorded from the Canary Islands (eastern Atlantic Ocean) together with notes on their distribution and ecology. Voucher specimens have been deposited as reference material in the collection of the Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas. Seventeen species are listed and seven of them are recorded for the first time for the Canaries: Lepas hilli, Conchoderma virgatum, Xenobalanus globicipitis, Chthamalus sp. (cf. C. proteus), Acasta cyathus, Balanus trigonus and Perforatus perforatus.

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Northernmost record of the pantropical portunid crab Cronius ruber in the eastern Atlantic (Canary Islands): natural range extension or human-mediated introduction?

Scientia Marina ◽

10.3989/scimar.04551.17b ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 81 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

José A. González ◽

Raül Triay-Portella ◽

Aitor Escribano ◽

José A. Cuesta

Keyword(s):

Canary Islands ◽

Heavy Traffic ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Range Extension ◽

African Countries ◽

Oil Platforms ◽

Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽

Natural Range ◽

First Time ◽

Rocky Bottoms

The pantropical crab Cronius ruber (Lamarck, 1818) (Brachyura: Portunidae) is recorded for the first time from the Canary Islands. Previously known from off Cape Verde Islands and Senegal, this is the northernmost record of the species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Crabs have been caught by means of a collecting small trap for sampling in shallow waters, and then identified by both morphological characters and DNA barcoding (16S). Cytochrome c oxidase I partial sequence has been obtained for this species for the first time. This relatively large and very aggressive crab species seems to be rapidly occupying both hard substrates (sublittoral caves) and soft substrates (sand with seagrass meadow) adjacent to shallow rocky bottoms, at depths between 2 and 10 m, in the warm southern waters of Gran Canaria Island. The reasons for this species’ occurrence are discussed herein. Among them, natural range extension may be a consequence of tropicalization in the eastern Atlantic. Also, a human-mediated introduction could be based on the heavy traffic of ships (ballast waters or oil platforms) arriving at the Canary Islands from African countries and from Brazil in the last decade.

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First record of African brown snapper Lutjanus dentatus in the Canary Islands (north-eastern Atlantic Ocean)

Marine Biodiversity Records ◽

10.1017/s1755267214000682 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Antonio M. García-Mederos ◽

Víctor M. Tuset

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Canary Islands ◽

First Record ◽

Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽

North Eastern

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Distinctive morphological characteristics of Fucus guiryi (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) from Canary Islands, subtropical eastern Atlantic Ocean

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.521.1.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 521 (1) ◽

pp. 15-26

Author(s):

MARCOS A. RUIZ-MEDINA ◽

ÁGUEDA M. GONZÁLEZ-RODRÍGUEZ ◽

MARTA SANSÓN

Keyword(s):

Canary Islands ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Good Evidence ◽

Brown Macroalgae ◽

Southern Limit ◽

Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽

Upper Intertidal ◽

Eastern North Atlantic ◽

Rocky Habitats ◽

First Time

The brown macroalgae in the order Fucales include foundation species on rocky habitats of temperate regions. This work focused on Fucus guiryi, a recently described species segregated from F. spiralis in a molecular basis. It inhabits the upper intertidal zone from the eastern North Atlantic to the subtropical Canary Islands, where is considered its southern limit. We examined morphology and anatomy of vegetative and reproductive structures of F. guiryi from the Canary Islands. Several distinctive characteristics in habit existed between F. guiryi and other species of the genus distributed northwards, such as length and width of stipe and branches, number of branches, and morphology and number of receptacles. Anatomical features reported here for the first time exhibited subtle differences with temperate F. vesiculosus, F. spiralis and F. serratus. The morphology and arrangement of medulla, cortex and meristoderm were also distinctive for F. guiryi. Mucilage in cellular interstitial spaces constitutes good evidence that explains the presence of F. guiryi at its warmest distribution limit in the Canary Islands.

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Comparative study of the Genus Isurus (Rafinesque, 1810), and description of a form (Marrajo Criollo) apparently endemic to the Azores

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf9920109 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 109 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

JA Moreno ◽

JQ Moron

Keyword(s):

Western Mediterranean ◽

Distinctive Features ◽

The North ◽

Western Mediterranean Sea ◽

Shortfin Mako ◽

Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽

North Eastern ◽

Western Morocco ◽

First Time ◽

North Western

Numerous captures of mako sharks (Isurus sp.) are made annually by the Spanish longline fishing fleet in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean Sea. Sampling of catches allowed us to compare the morphology of two species of Isurus (I. Oxyrinchus and I. Paucus) and to document the variations due to size or sex observed in populations exploited by the different fisheries. The distinctive features of a form apparently endemic to the Azores ('marrajo criollo') are defined, and the form's taxonomic identity is discussed. This form is possibly a distinct population of shortfin mako (I. Oxyrinchus). The presence of longfin mako (I. Paucus) is confirmed in waters off north-western Morocco, and this species is recorded for the first time off the Iberian peninsula.

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El español de la isla de La Graciosa desde una perspectiva prosódica

Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie (ZrP) ◽

10.1515/zrp-2021-0018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 137 (2) ◽

pp. 451-476

Author(s):

Imelda Chaxiraxi Díaz Cabrera ◽

Carolina Jorge Trujillo

Keyword(s):

Canary Islands ◽

Grammatical Morphology ◽

Paper Format ◽

New Generation ◽

First Time ◽

The Town

Abstract Manuel Alvar published the only linguistic work known on Spanish from the island of La Graciosa (Canary Islands) in 1965, focused on the town of Caleta del Sebo, to document, in the field of Linguistic geography, the ALEICan (Linguistic and ethnographic atlas of the Canary Islands [1975–1978]). Alvar’s studies used to cover the lexical, grammatical (morphology and syntax) and phonetic levels of the segmental type, but he did not consider prosodic aspects of speech which would later be incorporated into a new generation of atlases, which would go from paper format to multimedia. As the main exponent, the AMPER project (Atlas Multimédia Prosodique de l’Espace Roman) was created in 2001 and, within its framework, we intend to describe the melodic characteristics of a group of sentences emitted by a man and a woman from Caleta del Sebo, completing thus the study started by Alvar fifty-five years ago. In this way, the results will show for the first time if there is a prosodic proximity between the eighth island and the seven main islands, which have been widely described in previous works both in formal and in informal speech.

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Immunohistopathological response against anisakid nematode larvae and a coccidian in Micromesistius poutassou from NE Atlantic waters

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x20000942 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 95 ◽

Author(s):

B. Sayyaf Dezfuli ◽

E. Simoni ◽

G. Bosi ◽

M. Palomba ◽

S. Mattiucci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sensu Stricto ◽

Cell Swelling ◽

Epithelioid Cells ◽

Larval Stages ◽

The North ◽

Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽

Larval Infection ◽

High Infection ◽

North Eastern ◽

Multilocus Approach

Abstract A survey on Anisakis simplex (sensu stricto (s.s.)) from blue whiting, Micromesistius poutassou, in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean revealed the occurrence of high infection levels of third larval stages in visceral organs and flesh. Larvae were genetically identified with a multilocus approach as A. simplex (s.s.). Histochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural observations were conducted on 30 M. poutassou specimens. Gonads, pyloric caeca and flesh harboured encapsulated larvae of A. simplex (s.s.) but no intense host reaction was encountered around the parasite in the above organs. In the liver, the most infected organ, the larvae co-occurred with the coccidian Goussia sp. Within the granuloma around the A. simplex (s.s.) larvae, two concentric layers were recognized, an inner mostly comprising electron-dense epithelioid cells and an outer layer made of less electron-dense epithelioid cells. Macrophages and macrophage aggregates (MAs) were abundant out of the granulomas, scattered in parenchyma, and inside the MAs, the presence of engulfed Goussia sp. was frequent. In liver tissue co-infected with Goussia sp. and A. simplex (s.s.), hepatocytes showed cytoplasmic rarefaction and acute cell swelling. Results suggest that the host-induced encapsulation of A. simplex (s.s.) larvae is a strategic compromise to minimize collateral tissue damage around the larval infection sites, to facilitate the survival of both parasite and host.

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Antimicrobial and Immunomodulating Activities of Two Endemic Nepeta Species and Their Major Iridoids Isolated from Natural Sources

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14050414 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 414

Author(s):

Neda Aničić ◽

Uroš Gašić ◽

Feng Lu ◽

Ana Ćirić ◽

Marija Ivanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Balkan Peninsula ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Natural Sources ◽

E Coli ◽

Food Borne ◽

Metabolite Profiles ◽

Aspergillus Sp ◽

First Time

Two Balkan Peninsula endemics, Nepeta rtanjensis and N. argolica subsp. argolica, both characterized by specialized metabolite profiles predominated by iridoids and phenolics, are differentiated according to the stereochemistry of major iridoid aglycone nepetalactone (NL). For the first time, the present study provides a comparative analysis of antimicrobial and immunomodulating activities of the two Nepeta species and their major iridoids isolated from natural sources—cis,trans-NL, trans,cis-NL, and 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (1,5,9-eDLA), as well as of phenolic acid rosmarinic acid (RA). Methanol extracts and pure iridoids displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against eight strains of bacteria and seven strains of fungi. They were especially potent against food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp. Targeted iridoids were efficient agents in preventing biofilm formation of resistant P. aeruginosa strain, and they displayed additive antimicrobial interaction. Iridoids are, to a great extent, responsible for the prominent antimicrobial activities of the two Nepeta species, although are probably minor contributors to the moderate immunomodulatory effects. The analyzed iridoids and RA, individually or in mixtures, have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry as potent antimicrobials, and in the food industry to increase the shelf life and safety of food products.

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A review of the Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Sardinia

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2318.1.24 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2318 (1) ◽

pp. 566-588 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

DANIEL WHITMORE

Keyword(s):

Canary Islands ◽

North Africa ◽

Junior Synonym ◽

Arthropod Diversity ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Males And Females ◽

First Time

An account is given of the species of Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826 subgenus Heteronychia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 known from the island of Sardinia (Italy). Most of the nearly 1,400 specimens examined were collected in the SW part of the island during 2003–2006 as part of a project investigating the arthropod diversity of the Monti Marganai and Montimannu areas (respectively Carbonia-Iglesias and Medio Campidano provinces). The study resulted in the finding of eight species of Heteronychia, six of which are recorded from Sardinia for the first time. Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) penicillata Villeneuve, 1907, previously mentioned in the literature, is excluded from the fauna of the island. Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) thirionae (Lehrer, 1976) is recorded for the first time from Europe and North Africa (Algeria). One species, Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) gabrielei sp. nov., from various sites in the limestone massif of Marganai, is described as new. Previously unpublished records from other Italian regions and from other countries (Algeria, Canary Islands, Greece) are also given for several species. Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) schnabli Villeneuve, 1911 is recognized as a junior synonym of S. (H.) consanguinea Rondani, 1860 syn. nov. The possible synanthropy of Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) pandellei (Rohdendorf, 1937) is briefly discussed. A key to males and females of all known Sardinian and Corsican species of Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) is provided.

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