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Mariottini P, Smriglio C, Oliverio M, Rossi S, Di Giulio A. Checklist of the marine malacofauna of Culuccia Peninsula (NW Sardinia, Italy), with notes on relevant species. Biodivers Data J 2024; 12:e115051. [PMID: 38469224 PMCID: PMC10925873 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.12.e115051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Culuccia is a small peninsula of about 3 km2 placed in north-western Sardinia (Italy) at the margin of the Maddalena Archipelago. The marine area surrounding this Peninsula is a Special Area of Conservation, included in the European Natura 2000 Ecological Network of protected areas, but until now, no information on biodiversity of this area is available. In 2021, a research project to study both terrestrial and marine biodiversity of Culuccia has started in order to fill this gap of knowledge. New information This work provides the first inventory of the marine malacofauna of the coast of Culuccia. Fifteen sites were sampled seasonally for one-year by using different sampling methods and the present study shows the results from approximately 50 scientific SCUBA and free dive surveys, carried out in all main marine habitats of the studied area. In total, 259 species of molluscs were recorded along the coasts of the Culuccia Peninsula (0-25 m depth), belonging to the classes Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora and Scaphopoda. Amongst the four classes recorded, gastropods were the most represented (66.90%; 173 species), followed by bivalves (28.10%; 73 species), polyplacophorans (4.60%; 12 species) and scapophods (0.40%; 1 species). Notes about distribution, conservation status and ecology for some valuable species are provided, together with images of representative species, consisting mainly of in situ photographs. Additionally, the present investigation recorded the presence of four alien species, whose Mediterranean distribution was extended to north-western Sardinia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Mariottini
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Science, Roma Tre UniversityRomeItaly
| | - Carlo Smriglio
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Science, Roma Tre UniversityRomeItaly
| | - Marco Oliverio
- Dept. of Biology & Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDept. of Biology & Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Sabrina Rossi
- Biru S.r.l. Agricola, S.Teresa di Gallura (SS), ItalyBiru S.r.l. AgricolaS.Teresa di Gallura (SS)Italy
| | - Andrea Di Giulio
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Science, Roma Tre UniversityRomeItaly
- NBFC - National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, ItalyNBFC - National Biodiversity Future CenterPalermoItaly
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Sanna D, Azzena I, Locci C, Ankon P, Kružić P, Manfrin C, Pallavicini A, Ciriaco S, Segarich M, Batistini E, Scarpa F, Casu M. Reconstructing the Evolutionary History of Pinna nobilis: New Genetic Signals from the Past of a Species on the Brink of Extinction. Animals (Basel) 2023; 14:114. [PMID: 38200845 PMCID: PMC10778441 DOI: 10.3390/ani14010114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pinna nobilis, commonly known as the noble pen shell, is a marine bivalve endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, due to a multifactorial disease that began affecting its populations in 2016, the species is currently facing the threat of extinction. To gain insights into the evolutionary history of P. nobilis before the mass mortality event (MME), and to obtain a comprehensive understanding of how evolutionary processes led to the adaptation of the species into the Mediterranean Sea, phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses were carried out. The dataset analysed includes 469 sequences of COI gene fragment both from GenBank and the present study (100). The analysis performed evidenced that P. nobilis diverged about 2.5 mya, after the entrance of its ancestor into the Mediterranean Sea following the Zanclean flood (5.33 mya). Moreover, our results suggest that the starting point of colonisation was the central part of the western Mediterranean basin, with the eastern basin being populated subsequently. From a conservational viewpoint, these results provide important hints for present and future restocking plans, helping to reconstruct the pre-existing genetic variability in sites where the species became extinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (I.A.); (C.L.); (F.S.)
| | - Ilenia Azzena
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (I.A.); (C.L.); (F.S.)
| | - Chiara Locci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (I.A.); (C.L.); (F.S.)
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Pavel Ankon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (P.A.); (P.K.)
| | - Petar Kružić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (P.A.); (P.K.)
| | - Chiara Manfrin
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 5, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (C.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Alberto Pallavicini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 5, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (C.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Saul Ciriaco
- WWF AMP Miramare, Via Beirut 2/4, 34151 Trieste, Italy;
- Shoreline Soc. Coop., AREA Science Park, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.S.); (E.B.)
| | - Marco Segarich
- Shoreline Soc. Coop., AREA Science Park, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.S.); (E.B.)
| | - Edoardo Batistini
- Shoreline Soc. Coop., AREA Science Park, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.S.); (E.B.)
| | - Fabio Scarpa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (I.A.); (C.L.); (F.S.)
| | - Marco Casu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
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Moro-Martínez I, Vázquez-Luis M, García-March JR, Prado P, Mičić M, Catanese G. Haplosporidium pinnae Parasite Detection in Seawater Samples. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1146. [PMID: 37317120 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the presence of the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae, which is a pathogen for the bivalve Pinna nobilis, in water samples from different environments. Fifteen mantle samples of P. nobilis infected by H. pinnae were used to characterize the ribosomal unit of this parasite. The obtained sequences were employed to develop a method for eDNA detection of H. pinnae. We collected 56 water samples (from aquaria, open sea and sanctuaries) for testing the methodology. In this work, we developed three different PCRs generating amplicons of different lengths to determine the level of degradation of the DNA, since the status of H. pinnae in water and, therefore, its infectious capacity are unknown. The results showed the ability of the method to detect H. pinnae in sea waters from different areas persistent in the environment but with different degrees of DNA fragmentation. This developed method offers a new tool for preventive analysis for monitoring areas and to better understand the life cycle and the spread of this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Moro-Martínez
- LIMIA-IRFAP Laboratorio de Investigaciones Marinas y Acuicultura-Govern de les Illes Balears, 07157 Port d'Andratx, Spain
| | - Maite Vázquez-Luis
- IEO-CSIC, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 07010 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - José Rafael García-March
- IMEDMAR-UCV Instituto de Investigación en Medio Ambiente y Ciencia Marina, Universidad Católica de Valencia, 03710 Calpe, Spain
| | | | - Milena Mičić
- Aquarium Pula d.o.o., Ulica Verudella 33, 52100 Pula, Croatia
| | - Gaetano Catanese
- LIMIA-IRFAP Laboratorio de Investigaciones Marinas y Acuicultura-Govern de les Illes Balears, 07157 Port d'Andratx, Spain
- INAGEA (UIB)-Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua, Universidad de las Islas Baleares, Carretera de Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
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Lattos A, Feidantsis K, Giantsis IA, Theodorou JA, Michaelidis B. Seasonality in Synergism with Multi-Pathogen Presence Leads to Mass Mortalities of the Highly Endangered Pinna nobilis in Greek Coastlines: A Pathophysiological Approach. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1117. [PMID: 37317091 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mortalities of Pinna nobilis populations set at risk the survival of the species from many Mediterranean coastline habitats. In many cases, both Haplosporidium pinnae and Mycobacterium spp. are implicated in mass mortalities of P. nobilis populations, leading the species into extinction. In the context of the importance of these pathogens' role in P. nobilis mortalities, the present study investigated two Greek populations of the species hosting different microbial loads (one only H. pinnae and the second both pathogens) by the means of pathophysiological markers. More specifically, the populations from Kalloni Gulf (Lesvos Island) and from Maliakos Gulf (Fthiotis), seasonally sampled, were chosen based on the host pathogens in order to investigate physiological and immunological biomarkers to assess those pathogens' roles. In order to determine if the haplosporidian parasite possesses a major role in the mortalities or if both pathogens are involved in these phenomena, a variety of biomarkers, including apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation and heat shock response were applied. The results indicated a decreased physiological performance of individuals hosting both pathogens in comparison with those hosting only H. pinnae. Our findings provide evidence for the synergistic role of those pathogens in the mortality events, which is also enhanced by the influence of seasonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Lattos
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Feidantsis
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis A Giantsis
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, GR-53100 Florina, Greece
| | - John A Theodorou
- Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Patras, GR-23200 Mesolonghi, Greece
| | - Basile Michaelidis
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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