Vanadium biomonitoring by using Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758) mussels transplanted in the coast of the State of So Paulo, Brazil

The increased pollution in the aquatic ecosystem has led to the investigation of toxic elements in sea water by using marine organisms to assess marine pollution from human activities. Among these organisms, the mollusks bivalves have been used as biomonitors since they can accumulate trace elements and other substances, without the occurrence of their death. In this study, Perna perna mussels were transplanted from a mussel farm (reference region) to four sites located in coastal regions of So Paulo State, Brazil, close to anthropic discharge areas. Vanadium was determined in mussel tissues by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Quality control of V analysis was checked by analyzing biological reference materials and the results obtained were precise and in good agreement with the certified values. Comparisons between the V concentrations obtained in transplanted mussels indicated that those from So Sebastio region, close to an oil terminal presented the highest concentration of this element, during spring.

Population biology and diet of the southern kingcroaker Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) in Caraguatatuba Bay, southeastern Brazil

This study evaluated the spatio-temporal distribution, population biology and diet of Menticirrhus americanus in Caraguatatuba Bay. Samples were taken monthly between August 2003 and October 2004, by trawling in two previously selected areas. The northern area is more exposed to wave activity and is influenced by a river, functioning as a small estuary. In contrast, the southern area is relatively sheltered from wave energy and influenced to a lesser degree by smaller rivers. The fishes' length was measured, and the sex and gonadal stage macroscopically identified. The abundance of this species was compared between areas and among months. The diet was identified and quantified. M. americanus occurred in equal proportions in the two study areas, being most abundant in April 2004, followed by December 2003 and January 2004. The population was dominated by small immature individuals. The few individuals in maturation or mature that were captured showed no seasonal pattern of distribution. This species had a varied diet, feeding on worms (nemerteans, sipunculans and echiurans), mollusks (bivalves and cephalopods), polychaetes, crustaceans and fish. The presence of intact nematodes in the intestine suggests that these are parasites. The results demonstrated that M. americanus has a homogeneous spatial and temporal distribution in Caraguatatuba Bay, being uniformly distributed between the south and north areas as well as across the months. This species can be considered a carnivorous predator, showing a preference for consuming benthic sandy-beach species such as glycerids and other polychaetes, crustaceans, and bivalve siphons.

Morphometric analysis of fetal development of Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758) by ultrasonography: pilot study

Measurements on the growth process and placental development of the embryo and fetuses of Cavia porcellus were carried out using ultrasonography. Embryo, fetus, and placenta were monitored from Day 15 after mating day to the end of gestation. Based on linear and quadratic regressions, the following morphometric analysis showed a good indicator of the gestational age: placental diameter, biparietal diameter, renal length, and crown rump. The embryonic cardiac beat was first detected at an average of 22.5 days. The placental diameter showed constant increase from beginning of gestation then remained to term and presented a quadratic correlation with gestational age (r2 = 0.89). Mean placental diameter at the end of pregnancy was 3.5 ± 0.23 cm. By Day 30, it was possible to measure biparietal diameter, which followed a linear pattern of increase up to the end of gestation (r2 = 0.95). Mean biparietal diameter in the end of pregnancy was 1.94 ± 0.03 cm. Kidneys were firstly observed on Day 35 as hyperechoic structures without the distinction of medullar and cortical layers, thus the regression model equation between kidney length and gestational age presents a quadratic relationship (r2 = 0.7). The crown rump presented a simple linear growth, starting from 15 days of gestation, displaying a high correlation with the gestational age (r2 = 0.9). The offspring were born after an average gestation of 61.3 days. In this study, we conclude that biparietal diameter, placental diameter, and crown rump are adequate predictive parameters of gestational age in guinea pigs because they present high correlation index.

Características sedimentológicas de la Playa de Calheta de PAU (Isla de Boa Vista, República de Cabo Verde): implicaciones en la anidación de Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Programa de doctorado en Oceanografía

Effects of dietary fatty acids on patterns of early mineralisation and bone formation in the axial skeleton of Sparus aurata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Máster Oficial en Cultivos Marinos. VI Máster Internacional en Acuicultura. Trabajo presentado como requisito parcial para la obtención del Título de Máster Oficial en Cultivos Marinos, otorgado por la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), el Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas (ICCM), y el Centro Internacional de Altos Estudios Agronómicos Mediterráneos de Zaragoza (CIHEAM)

Efecto de los misidáceos en la calidad de la puesta en el caballito de mar, Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758)

[EN]The importance of a suitable feeding in reproduction and spawning quality of teleost fish has been recognized as one of the major ?bottlenecks? in new aquaculture species like seahorses. Mysidacea species has been described as one of the main food for temperate seahorse species (Hippocampus hippocampus and H. guttulatus) in the wild. On the other hand, Artemia has been employed usually as marine food for rearing fish, including seahorses. The aim of this work is to study the effect of two different live preys (Artemia vs Mysis) in spawning quality of H. hippocampus broodstock. The animals were fed two times per day, six times per week. Spawning episodes and larvae quality was recorded. Seahorse fed on mysis showed significantly better results (p<0.05) than Artemia treatment, regarding spawning events, number of offspring?s and size. This fact showed the high potential of mysis as live prey for seahorses or other ornamental species.

Efecto del contenido de DHA en el enriquecimiento de rotíferos sobre la aparición de deformidades esqueléticas en la dorada Sparus aurata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Since sudden mortalities and increased skeletal deformities in gilthead seabream juveniles are currently found in production hatcheries, this study aimed to evaluate the contribution of essential fatty acids, particularly DHA over early feed quality, larval growth, survival and the apparition of skeleton abnormalities in highly commercial interest specie such as Sparus aurata. Sea bream larvae were reared under intensive conditions and fed rotifers enriched with two different enrichment emulsions differing in DHA content. Thus, essential fatty acid composition of rotifers, showed fatty acid profile of enrichment emulsions. The increase in rotifers DHA (10.0 to 25.4% TFA) were also reflected in a higher DHA content in the FA composition of larval fed this rotifers (13.0 to 20.4% TFA) when these preys were the main source of food (14dah). Survival at 50 days after hatching (13.9±4.3) and growth evolution from 3dah until day 50, were similar in both treatments, whereas bone malformations, particularly opercula reduction, and jaw deformities were higher in higher DHA rotifers fed larvae.

Effect of rotifers fatty acid composition on the occurrence of skeletal deformities in red porgy Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Red porgy has been proposed as a candidate for diversification of marine aquaculture production (Hernández-Cruz et al., 1999). However, limited larval survival together with the elevated levels of skeletal deformities occurrence (over 50% of the population), under intensive or semi-intensive systems constitute the major bottlenecks for the production of this species at commercial scale (Roo et al., in press). Essential fatty imbalances on early life stages, may alter the osteological development of reared larvae (Cahu et al., 2003). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rotifers enrichment, particularly on DHA, on growth, survival and occurrence of skeleton deformities in red porgy.