A new species of mullet (Teleostei : Mugilidae) from Venezuela, with a discussion on the taxonomy of Mugil gaimardianus

The original description of Mugil gaimardianus has created various taxonomic problems in the past since the description is ambiguous and the type specimen is apparently lost. The name M. gaimardianus could not be reliably applied to any known species and was suppressed by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) (Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 51: 286-287, 1994). Nevertheless, karyological evidence has shown that there is a species of mullet in Venezuelan coastal waters that does not conform to the description of any other mullet from the Western Central Atlantic and has the feature of a red eye that was often used by earlier authors to define nominal M. gaimardianus. The purpose of this study was to make a morphological description of these unusual specimens, provide a morphological diagnosis from other species of Mugil present in the Caribbean and Western Central Atlantic and establish a valid name for the species. (c) 2007 the Authors Journal complication (c) 2007 the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Generation of Nutrients and Detoxification: Possible Roles of Yeasts in Leaf-Cutting Ant Nests.

The possible roles played by yeasts in attine ant nests are mostly unknown. Here we present our investigations on the plant polysaccharide degradation profile of 82 yeasts isolated from fungus gardens of Atta and Acromyrmex species to demonstrate that yeasts found in ant nests may play the role of making nutrients readily available throughout the garden and detoxification of compounds that may be deleterious to the ants and their fungal cultivar. Among the yeasts screened, 65% exhibited cellulolytic enzymes, 44% exhibited pectinolytic activity while 27% and 17% possess enzyme systems for the degradation of protease and amylase, respectively. Galacturonic acid, which had been reported in previous work to be poorly assimilated by the ant fungus and also to have a negative effect on ants' survival, was assimilated by 64% and 79% of yeasts isolated from nests of A. texana and Acromyrmex respectively. Our results suggest that yeasts found in ant nests may participate in generation of nutrients and removal of potentially toxic compounds, thereby contributing to the stability of the complex microbiota found in the leaf-cutting ant nests.

Leaf anatomy as a contribution to the taxonomy of Salacioideae N.Hall, ex Thorne & Reveal (Celastraceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Karyotypic diversification and its contribution to the taxonomy of Eleocharis (Cyperaceae) from Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Leaf Structure and Taxonomy of Petunia and Calibrachoa (Solanaceae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Bioprospection of yeasts as biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic molds

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Taxonomy of Ophiuroidea (Echinonermata) from the continental shelf and slope of the southern and southeastern Brazilian coast

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Molecular phylogeny, morphology and their implications for the taxonomy of Eriocaulaceae

Eriocaulaceae é uma família pantropical com dez gêneros e cerca de 1.400 espécies, com centro de diversidade no Novo Mundo, especialmente no Brasil. A última revisão da família foi publicada há mais de 100 anos, e até recentemente, as relações genéricas e infra-genéricas ainda eram pouco resolvidas. Entretanto, tem havido nos últimos 30 anos, um grande esforço por parte de pesquisadores brasileiros para preencher as lacunas existentes, utilizando caracteres morfológicos e anatômicos, complementados por dados adicionais de diferentes fontes, como palinologia, química, embriologia, genética de populações, citologia e, mais recentemente, estudos de filogenia molecular. Tal conjunto de dados tem levado a uma re-avaliação do relacionamento filogenético dentro da familia. Neste trabalho são apresentados novos dados para as regiões de ITS e trnL-F, analisadas separadamente e em combinação, usando máxima parcimônia e inferência Bayesiana. Os dados obtidos confirmam resultados já publicados, e mostram que muitos caracteres tradicionalmente usados para diferenciação e circunscrição dos gêneros dentro da família são homoplásicos. Uma nova descrição e chave genérica para a família, utilizando caracteres de várias fontes são apresentadas, refletindo a taxonomia atual das Eriocaulaceae.

Prevalence of yeasts in the oral cavity of children treated with inhaled corticosteroids

The aim of this study was to observe the prevalence of Candida spp. in the oral cavity of children undergoing treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. Thirty children treated with inhaled corticosteroids and thirty control children were studied. Saliva samples were collected through oral rinses with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The samples were plated on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and incubated at 37 degrees C for 48 h. After this period, the number of colony-forming units per ml (cfu/ml) of saliva was calculated. The isolates were identified by phenotypic characterization. Candida spp. was isolated from 43.33% of the samples of children treated with corticosteroids, with a mean of 780 cfu/ml of saliva, and from 30% of the samples of the control group, with a mean of 560 cfu/ml of saliva. No significant statistical difference was observed between the groups. C. albicans was the prevalent species in both groups, followed by C. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis and C. stellatoidea. Furthermore, Rhodotorula rubra and C. lusitaniae were also isolated from the treated group. We concluded that there was no significant increase in the prevalence and number of Candida spp. in the oral cavity of children treated with inhaled corticosteroids.

Chartergellus golfitensis West-Eberhard: A new species of Neotropical swarm-founding wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae) with notes on the taxonomy of Chartergellus zonatus Spinola

Chartergellus golfitensis West-Eberhard new species, is described from Central America and compared with C. zonatus Spinola, a species heretofore inadequately described.

Taxonomic assessment and biotechnological potential of yeasts hold at the Unesp - Central for microbial resources

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Microbiologia Aplicada) - IBRC

Leaf and inflorescence peduncle anatomy: a contribution to the taxonomy of Rapateaceae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Taxonomy of the Common Dolphins of the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Delphinus bairdii Dall is a species of dolphin distinct from D. delphis Linnaeus, with which it has usually been synonymized. D. bairdii has a longer rostrum relative to the zygomatic width of the skull; the ratio of these measurements falls at 1.55 or above for bairdii and 1.53 and below for delphis. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, D. bairdii is found in the Gulf of California and along the west coast of Baja California, Mexico; D. delphis is presently found in the waters off California. Until approximately the beginning of the present century, bairdii occurred farther north in the eastern Pacific Ocean, at least to the Monterey Bay area of California. Restriction of bairdii to more southerly waters, probably as an indirect result of a change in water temperature, may have permitted delphis to move into inshore Californian waters. The Pacific population of D. delphis has a somewhat shorter rostrum than the Atlantic population, and is perhaps subspecifically different. A thorough analysis of the entire genus Delphinus is needed before the relationship of all the populations can be understood and names properly applied.

Plumage variability and taxonomy of the Capped Seedeater Sporophila bouvreuil (Aves: Passeriformes: Emberizidae)

The species Sporophila bouvreuil comprises four subspecies: S. b. bouvreuil, S. b. pileata, S. b. saturata and S. b. crypta. The males of each subspecies differ in plumage whereas the females and juveniles are very similar and difficult to identify to subspecies. Here we use external morphological characters, mostly plumage, to examine the validity of the subspecies. A total of 209 specimens was examined (131 S. b. bouvreuil, 29 S. b. crypta, 43 S. b. pileata and 6 S. b. saturata). Although morphological measurements did not separate any taxa, plumage patterns support recognition of two taxonomic units, one of birds having reddish brown male plumage and the other of birds with grayish to white male plumage. Discrete diagnostic characters and sympatry in SE Brazil allow separation of Sporophila pileata (Sclater 1864) from S. bouvreuil (Muller 1776). On the other hand, S. b. saturata Hellmayr 1904 and S. b. crypta Sick 1968 should be considered synonyms of S. bouvreuil.