Search Results (92)

Temperature fluctuations caused by climate change and global warming pose a threat to fish. The burbot (lota lota) population is particularly sensitive to increased water temperature, but the systematic impacts of high-temperature exposure on their liver and intestinal health remain unclear. In January of 2025, we collected wild adult burbot individuals from the Ussuri River (water temperature: about 2 °C), China. The burbot were exposed to 2 °C, 7 °C, 12 °C, 17 °C, and 22 °C environments for 96 h; then, the liver and intestinal contents were subsequently collected for histopathology observation, immunohistochemistry, biochemical index assessment, and transcriptome/16S rDNA sequencing analysis. There was obvious liver damage including hepatocyte necrosis, fat vacuoles, and cellular peripheral nuclei. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were elevated and subsequently decreased. Additionally, the malondialdehyde (MDA) level significantly increased with increasing temperature. These results indicate that 7 °C (heat stress temperature), 12 °C (tipping point for normal physiological metabolism status), 17 °C (tipping point for individual deaths), and 22 °C (thermal limit) are critical temperatures in terms of the physiological response of burbot during their breeding period. In the hepatic transcriptome profiling, 6538 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, while KEGG enrichment analysis showed that high-temperature stress could affect normal liver function by regulating energy metabolism, immune, and apoptosis-related pathways. Microbiomics also revealed that acute heat stress could change the intestinal microbe community structure. Additionally, correlation analysis suggested potential regulatory relationships between intestinal microbe taxa and immune/apoptosis-related DEGs in the liver. This study revealed the potential impact of environmental water temperature changes in cold habitats in winter on the physiological adaptability of burbot during the breeding period and provides new insights for the ecological protection of burbot in the context of global climate change and habitat warming. Full article

The systematics and phylogeny of the most speciose genus (Leopardus) of the felidae have historically been contentious and problematic. These issues have been compounded with the recent advancement of genetic techniques that make it possible to detect events such as incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), punctual historical ancestral introgression (PHAI), and repetitive introgression or recent hybridization (RI-RH). Each of these events have noteworthily affected the Leopardus genus. One Leopardus taxon (Leopardus tigrinus, herein called tigrina) has been especially complex from a phylogenetic point of view. In the last decade, one new species has been reported (L. guttulus) and two other new species likely exist within the tigrinas (L. emiliae and L. pardinoides). However, the most surprising find was the discovery of a new and not previously reported tigrina, the Nariño cat, from the southern Andean region of Colombia (2023). Later that same year, a new paper criticized the discovery. In response to that criticism, herein, we provide new molecular genetics results of the Nariño cat as well as new insights into the molecular phylogeny of the tigrinas inside the Leopardus genus: (1) In this new work, we analyzed the mtND5 gene of Nariño cat samples collected over four years (2001, 2007, 2017, 2023) as well as analyzed mitogenomes of Nariño cat samples collected in three different years (2001, 2017, 2023). The temporal Nariño cat samples (2001, 2007, 2017, 2023) refer to samples taken from a single specimen across different years. Based on these analyses, data from 2001 and 2007 represent the most reliable information. In contrast, samples from 2017 and 2023 may be contaminated with DNA from the Pampas cat and tigrina, respectively. (2) On the other hand, based on sequencing the mtND5 gene of 164 specimens of Leopardus, northern Andean and Central American tigrinas (37 specimens) are divided into at least six different groups (without counting the Nariño cat). Based on our analysis of sequenced mitogenomes of 102 specimens (including 34 northern Andean and Central American tigrinas) of the Leopardus genus, there are at least eight different groups of tigrinas (without counting the Nariño cat). Henceforth, there are strong datasets which support the existence of multiple lineages within the presumed “a priori” northern Andean tigrina and thus much of the genetic diversity of this wild cat has gone unnoticed. There are a series of potential taxa that have gone unnoticed due to a lack of sampling of this polyphyletic Andean feline. Full article

Styrax chongzuoensis, a novel endemic species with a narrow distribution in limestone regions of Chongzuo, Guangxi, China, is described herein. This new species seems somewhat similar to Styrax fortunei, but significantly differs from it by having long ovate or long lanceolate leaves, often with an asymmetrical base (vs. obovate-elliptic to elliptic, often with a symmetrical base) and fertile shoots with fewer flowers (1, or rarely 2 or 3, vs. many, always more than 10). Phylogenetic analyses based on the chloroplast coding sequences indicated that S. chongzuoensis and Styrax japonicus are sister taxa to each other, both clustered in the series Cyrta within Styrax. Overall, the integration of morphological and phylogenetic evidence indicates that S. chongzuoensis actually represents a new species. Color plates of S. chongzuoensis are illustrated, and a distribution map and conservation assessment of this species are also provided. Full article

An annotated list of liverworts of the Murmansk Region is compiled based on a critical compilation of publications and label data available in the information system CRIS (L.). It includes 210 species, 2 subspecies and 8 varieties, which is 59 species more than in the list of species published in 1982. Ten taxa were excluded through comparison with the previous list and later publications, due to misidentifications or new taxonomical treatments. Annotations for each species include the synonyms under which they were listed for the region; the category of threat in the Red Data Books of Europe, Russia and the Murmansk Region; links to the most representative publications on occurrence in each of nine accepted biogeographic provinces of the region; and at least one specimen number of the KPABG or INEP herbaria in the case of the absence of published data. In total, we provide 259 new records for different provinces based on herbaria KPABG (205 records) and INEP (52 records). Additionally, there are links to publications on the nucleotide sequence data of 149 specimens obtained for 82 species and for 1 variety from the Murmansk Region, including 14 specimens (11 species), published here for the first time. Species threatened in Europe, Russia and the Murmansk Region are discussed and future perspectives of liverwort study in the Murmansk Region are outlined. Full article

Species belonging to the crustacean infraorder Astacoidea represent taxa of particular interest from a conservation point of view, such as the threatened European crayfish (i.e., Austropotamobius pallipes), and at the same time include invasive taxa having highly negative impacts where they are introduced. Among the latter, some freshwater-dwelling species seem to show some abilities to tolerate high salinity levels, such as Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852. By using metadata and field observation, this review will investigate whether the alien P. clarkii can threaten coastal waters. Specifically, we will shed light on P. clarkii’s (1) invasiveness, (2) its dispersal pattern, (3) its tolerance to salinity, and (4) its ecological plasticity as an invasive species in relation to estuaries. This new habitat colonization is also possible as P. clarkii has been observed to survive up to 20 ppt of water salinity and a maximum of 30–35 ppt with its lifetime drastically reduced. As a result, P. clarkii colonizes different ecosystems globally, reaching estuarine and coastal ecosystems due to active and passive transport by human and animal vectors. Due to recent discoveries of alien crayfish in estuarine and coastal waters, monitoring activities have become mandatory to preserve coastal habitats and all the aquatic resources (e.g., limicolous birds, endemic fish, fishery and aquaculture activities) inhabiting therein. Full article

Hypocreales is one of the largest orders within the class Sordariomycetes and is renowned for its diversity of lifestyles, encompassing plant, insect, and human pathogens, as well as endophytes, parasites, and saprobes. In this study, we focused on saprobic hypocrealean fungi isolated from rice in northern Thailand. Species identification was conducted using morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses, including the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), 28S large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU), translation elongation factor 1–alpha (tef1-α), RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit (rpb2), and calmodulin (cmdA). This research confirmed the presence of 14 species of hypocrealean taxa, viz. Fusarium (9), Ochronectria (1), Sarocladium (2), Trichothecium (1), and Waltergamsia (1). Among these were two new species (Fusarium chiangraiense and F. oryzigenum), four new host records (Fusarium kotabaruense, Ochronectria thailandica, Sarocladium bactrocephalum, and Waltergamsia fusidioides), and three new geographical records (Fusarium commune, F. guilinense, and F. hainanese). Full article

Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) are highly specialised avian ectoparasites that inhabit feather quills. Despite their widespread occurrence, their diversity, distribution, and host associations remain poorly understood. This study examined the diversity and ecological interactions of syringophilid mites parasitising Euphoninae hosts. We analysed 298 dry bird skins representing 25 species deposited in the Bavarian State Collection for Zoology in Munich, Germany. Quill mite infestations were detected in 15 host species, identifying 4 mite species, including 2 newly described taxa: Aulonastus neotropicalis sp. n. and Syringophilopsis euphonicus sp. n. Infestation prevalence ranged from 2% to 25%. Quill mite–host interactions exhibited high specialisation and niche differentiation, with no co-occurring species sharing the same microhabitat. Network analysis indicated moderate connectance (0.35) and significant host specificity (H2′ = 0.77, p = 0.007). Biogeographic history suggests that divergence from Carduelinae and subsequent evolutionary events shaped syringophilid diversity in Euphoninae. These findings underscore the importance of museum collections in uncovering cryptic parasite diversity and provide new insights into host–parasite co-evolutionary dynamics. Full article

Microorganisms play a crucial role in purifying aquaculture water bodies. However, there is limited understanding regarding the core species of bacterial communities in aquaculture ponds and their metabolic functions. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology, network analysis, and Biolog EcoPlates, we identified keystone and core taxa of bacterial communities in Litopenaeus vannamei ponds and investigated their correlations with their community’s carbon source utilization abilities based on Biolog EcoPlates. We found that keystone and core taxa in bacterial communities were significantly correlated with the carbon source utilization abilities of bacterial communities. The positively correlated core taxa include (1) Bacillus, Flavobacterium, Brevibacillus, and Paenibacillus, which are used as probiotics in aquaculture, and (2) Candidatus Aquiluna, Dechloromonas, Sulfurifustis, Terrimicrobium, Alsobacter, and Gemmobacter, which have been reported to play a role in nitrogen removal. Furthermore, the positively correlated Tropicimonas (Rhodobacterales: Rhodobacteraceae) in aquaculture has not yet been applied. By nitrogen degradation experiments in aquaculture wastewater, we confirmed the synergistic relationship between the genera Tropicimonas and Bacillus. The co-introduction of Tropicimonas sediminicola SDUM182003 and Priestia aryabhattai HG1802 or Bacillus subtilis XQ1804 into the aquaculture tailwater reduced the time required for the removal rates of nitrite nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen to reach over 90% by 24–48 h. Our research reveals the correlation between core taxa and community carbon source utilization, indicating that the core taxa of bacterial communities play a crucial role in the metabolic functions of the community, and offering a reference for exploring new bacterial genera with probiotic potential. Full article

Anaerobic digesters host a variety of microorganisms, and they work together to produce biogas. While bacterial and archaeal communities have been well explored using molecular techniques, fungal community structures remain relatively understudied. The present study aims to investigate the dynamics and potential ecological functions of the predominant fungi in bacteria-bioaugmented anaerobic digesters. Eight different anaerobic digesters that contained chopped water hyacinth and cow dung as feedstock at 2% total solids were respectively inoculated with eight different bacterial strains and digested anaerobically in controlled conditions. The diversity and dynamics of the fungal community of the digesters before and after digestion were monitored using high-throughput sequencing of the fungal ITS2 sub-region of the ribosomal gene. The functional potential of the fungal community was predicted using ecological guild analysis. The dominant fungal phyla were (with relative abundance ≥1%) Ascomycota and Neocallimastigomycota. Ascomycota exhibited over 90% dominance in all treatments after anaerobic digestion (AD). Aspergillus sp. was consistently dominant across treatments during AD, while prominent anaerobic fungal genera Anaeromyces, Cyllamyces, and Caeomyces decreased. Ecological guild analysis at genus level showed that the majority of the identified fungi were saprophytes, and diversity indices indicated decreased richness and diversity after AD, suggesting a negative impact of AD on fungal communities in the anaerobic digesters. The multivariate structure of the fungal communities showed clustering of treatments with similar fungal taxa. The findings from this study provide insights into the fungal ecological guild of different bacteria-bioaugmented anaerobic digesters, highlighting their potentials in bacteria-augmented systems. Identification of an anaerobic fungal group within the phylum Ascomycota, beyond the well-known fungal phylum Neocallimastigomycota, offers a new perspective in optimizing the AD processes in specialized ecosystems. Full article

The use of rain shelters is a promising agronomic practice to protect crops from rainfall, reducing the need for fungicides to control certain pathogens that take advantage of leaf wetness. However, the combined condition of absence of rain and reduced fungicide schedule can affect the fungal populations, possibly favoring biocontrol agents and/or other pathogens. In this study, the effects this practice on epiphytic and endophytic fungal communities associated with barks, leaves, flowers, and fruits of two apple cultivars (Fuji and Golden Delicious) were evaluated across two seasons. Apple plants were grown under two conditions in a commercial-like orchard: (1) covered by rain shelters with reduced fungicide schedule and (2) uncovered with standard integrated pest management (IPM) schedule. The use of rain shelters combined with reduced fungicide applications affects the overall fungal community structure and their abundance of specific taxa. Leaf epiphytes were the most impacted community, and fungal communities also differed between the two apple cultivars. The use of rain shelters helped reduce fungicide input in the orchard, but it increased the abundance of potential pathogens compared to the IPM in open field conditions, such as powdery mildew and apple scab. Understanding how the plant microbiome responds to new practices that help in reducing fungicides can help developing strategies that avoid the build-up of potentially new pathogens. Full article

An overview of the wetland vegetation of the hinterland of western Sicily, between the hills located south of the Palermo Mts. and the Sicani Mts., is presented herein. This study was conducted according to Braun-Blanquet’s phytosociological method, through a survey carried out mainly within six important biotopes: (1) Gorgo Lungo (“Bosco Ficuzza”; municipality of Godrano); (2) Gorgo Marosa (on the southern side of Rocca Busambra; municipality of Godrano); (3) Gorgo di Piano Scala (on the northern side of Mt. Cardellia; municipality of Corleone); (4) and (5) Gorgo Carcaci and Gorgo Carcaciotto (both on the south-eastern slope of Mt. Carcaci; municipality of Castronovo di Sicilia); and (6) Gorgo S. Andrea (municipality of Castronovo di Sicilia). A vegetation analysis was carried out on the basis of 107 field relevés, together with other data taken from scientific literature. A total of 28 plant communities were identified, between hydrophytics of the classes Lemnetea minoris (3 associations) and Potamogetonetea pectinati (6 associations), helophytics of the Phragmito-Magnocaricetea class (14 associations and 1 community), ephemeral of the Isöeto-Nanojuncetea class (2 communities) and perennial herbaceous vegetation of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class (1 association and 1 community). A new syntaxon is also described (Callitricho obtusangulae-Glycerietum notatae ass. nova), as an endemic association of the hinterland of western Sicily, referred to as the Alopecuro-Glycerion spicatae alliance. For all surveyed communities, new insights into syntaxonomy and diagnostic taxa are provided, as well as for the floristic composition, synecology, syndynamism and synchorology of the aquatic vegetation of western Sicily. Full article

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), comprising vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) and vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV), emerges from its focus of endemic transmission in Southern Mexico to cause sporadic livestock epizootics in the Western United States. A dearth of information on the role of potential arthropod vectors in the endemic region hampers efforts to identify factors that enable endemicity and predict outbreaks. In a two-year, longitudinal study at five cattle ranches in Chiapas, Mexico, insect taxa implicated as VSV vectors (blackflies, sandflies, biting midges, and mosquitoes) were collected and screened for VSV RNA, livestock vesicular stomatitis (VS) cases were monitored, and serum samples were screened for neutralizing antibodies. VS cases were reported during the rainy (n = 20) and post-rainy (n = 2) seasons. Seroprevalence against VSNJV in adult cattle was very high (75–100% per ranch) compared with VSIV (0.6%, all ranches). All four potential vector taxa were sampled, and VSNJV RNA was detected in each of them (11% VSNJV-positive of 874 total pools), while VSIV RNA was only detected in four pools of mosquitoes. Our findings indicate that VSNJV is the dominant serotype across our sampling sites with a variety of potential insect vectors involved in its transmission throughout the year. Although no livestock cases were reported in Chiapas during the dry season, VSNJV was detected in insects during this period, suggesting that mechanisms other than transmission from livestock support VSV endemicity. Full article

The South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedmann) has a vast range extending from northern Mexico, through Central America, to South America where it is an extremely polyphagous pest of wild and cultivated fruits. It is a complex of cryptic species currently composed of eight recognised morphotypes: “Mexican”, “Venezuelan”, “Andean”, “Peruvian”, “Ecuadorian”, and the three Brazilian morphotypes “Brazilian-1”, “Brazilian-2”, and “Brazilian-3”. Molecular markers that can identify the member species of the complex are crucial for the implementation of effective pest control measures, such as the sterile insect technique. The object of this study was to evaluate the use of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence for discriminating several members of the A. fraterculus cryptic species complex (Mexican, Peruvian, and Brazilian-1) and a related species, Anastrepha schultzi Blanchard. The analysis highlighted significant genetic differentiation between the evaluated morphotypes, allowed their discrimination within the A. fraterculus cryptic species complex, and provided new insights into their genetic relationships. The ITS2 marker provides a basis for the development of taxonomic keys for the discrimination of the cryptic taxa within the A. fraterculus cryptic species complex. ITS2 also represents an important marker for the poorly studied species A. schultzi. Full article

The Sturnidae family comprises 123 recognized species in 35 genera. The taxa Mimidae and Buphagidae were formerly treated as subfamilies within Sturnidae. The phylogenetic relationships among the Sturnidae and related taxa (Sturnidae sensu lato) remain unresolved due to high rates of morphological change and concomitant morphological homoplasy. This study presents five new mitogenomes of Sturnidae sensu lato and comprehensive mitogenomic analyses. The investigated mitogenomes exhibit an identical gene composition of 37 genes—including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes—and one control region (CR). The most important finding of this study is drawn from CAM analyses. The surprisingly unique motifs for each species provide a new direction for the molecular species identification of avian. Furthermore, the pervasiveness of the natural selection of PCGs is found in all examined species when analyzing their nucleotide composition and codon usage. We also determine the structures of mt-tRNA, mt-rRNA, and CR structures of Sturnidae sensu lato. Lastly, our phylogenetic analyses not only well support the monophyly of Sturnidae, Mimidae, and Buphagidae, but also define nine stable subclades. Taken together, our findings will enable the further elucidation of the evolutionary relationships within Sturnidae sensu lato. Full article

The Albian Muhi Quarry of Central Mexico has produced a variety of fishes, among which the teleosts are the most diversified, including representatives of stem groups together with a variety of crown groups. A new genus and species, †Xeneichthys yanesi, is described based on a unique combination of characters, such as a dorsoventral elongation and narrowing of infraorbitals 2 and 3, preopercle, opercle, and cleithrum; absence of some bones, such as the infraorbital 5, interopercle, and pelvic plate and fin; presence of an elongated urostyle and a membranous outgrowth or stegural on the first uroneural; and cycloid and ctenoid scales on the flanks. Due to its combination of characters, †Xeneichthys yanesi is interpreted as belonging to a new extinct family, †Xeneichthyidae, which is considered as an Euteleostei or Euteleosteomorpha incertae sedis. The fish faunas of another Albian quarry, Tlayúa of Tepexi de Rodriguez, Puebla, and Muhi Quarry are compared, and although both contain taxa that can be assigned to stem teleosts (e.g., †ichthyodectiforms and †crossognathiforms), both also contain crown teleosts (e.g., elopomorphs, clupeomorphs, and euteleosts)—all of which are endemic to their respective quarries and make them important centers of diversification of fish faunas during the Early Cretaceous. Full article