Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

An orchid species, previously known from Northern Andes, is reported for rst time in Peru: Sertifera purpurea. A description, illustration, photographs, and comments about the species are provided.  

The Aysén region (43°-47ºS) has been prone to intensive summer blooms of toxic microalgae and complex toxin profiles in the shellfish. However, their winter distribution, toxin profile, and resting cysts in sediments are poorly known. Frequently detected toxins are: Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST); lipophilic toxins, including Diarrheic Shellfish Toxins (DST), Amnesic Shellfish Toxin or Domoic Acid (DA). During a cruise, carried out in winter 2012, samples were collected at 24 stations for phytoplankton analysis and analysis of toxins in mollusks, and at 5 stations, additional samples were taken for toxin analysis in plankton and resting cysts in sediments. The results confirm the presence of microalgae associated with toxins in winter, and a higher sensitivity of the relative abundance (RA) than the cellular density, as a parameter of distribution of the microalgae. The maximum RA values were level 2 (low), for Alexandrium catenella and Protoceratium reticulatum; level 1 (rare) for Alexandrium ostenfeldii, Dinophysis acuminata and D. acuta; levels 3 (regular) and 4 (abundant) for Pseudo-nitzschia spp. seriata complex and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. delicatissima complex, respectively. Only PST in plankton and yessotoxins in mo llusks were detected, whereas cyst densities of A. catenella and P. reticulatum in sediments were 4 and 103 cysts mL-1 of wet sediment, respectively. The analyzed parameters showed a bigger inter-annual variability during the winter period, as it has been reported for the summer.

The porcellanid crabs are diverse and abundant species inhabiting the intertidal and subtidal rocky substrate. One particular species is Allopetrolisthes punctatus, a medium-sized crab, poorly studied but strikingly abundant in some places of Chile. Near Chome (central Chile) large aggregations have been reported by local fishermen. A direct population assessment with semi-autonomous scuba diving was performed to evaluate stock structure, distribution, and abundance. A monthly monitoring was established to analyze the temporal variability of biological traits during a one-year time period. Dense crab aggregations were observed over the naked unprotected rocky substrate, with corporal size and sexual proportion spatially segregated. Allopetrolisthes punctatus showed a relatively high fecundity (164-8,741 eggs) and uninterrupted yearly spawning, which seems to favor the quick and successful settlement for this species in Chome.

The shortfin silverside (Chirostoma humboldtianum) is a native fish of central Mexico with high value for artisanal fisheries. So far, attempts aimed to establish intensive culturing have failed. In this study, we evaluated the effect of probiotic strains; Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, Lactobacillus johnsonii C4, and Bacillus sp. B2 bio-encapsulated into Artemia franciscana on Chirostoma humboldtianum weight and length. Their influence on the fish intestinal bacterial communities was also assessed. The final weight and final length of the fishes fed with bio-encapsulated Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12, and L. johnsonii C4 were statistically different and higher than the control group. According to PCR-DGGE fingerprints of 16S rRNA gene, the intestinal content bacterial community associated with the shortfin silverside seems to be molded in early larval stages and only slight changes could be induced by the use of bio-encapsulated bacterial. An increase in fish survival rate and an improvement in weight and length were detected using L. johnsonii C4 bioencapsulated into A. franciscana, in spite of its small impact on the structure of the bacterial community associated with the intestinal content of shortfin silverside. The use of L. johnsonii C4 bio-encapsulated into A. franciscana could be an excellent option to improve the yield during intensive culturing of the shortfin silverside.

The incidence of multiple paternities in two populations of Podocnemis expansa of Brazilian Amazon both rose in captivity and in natural habitat, was verified by using five microsatellite loci. Three hundred twenty-seven offspring from two different sampling sites were genotyped. The analysis revealed a 100% rate of multiple paternities in both populations. The Mendelian distribution of the alleles found in each nest was used to determine the number of contributing males. It was estimated that at least ten males contributed to each brood in captivity and nine contributed to each brood in the wild. These values are the highest ever recorded for the number of contributing P. expansa males. The findings have considerable implications regarding the conservation of this species, given that multiple paternities is important to the maintenance of genetic variability and has important consequences in increasing the effective size of a population in comparison to single paternities.

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is one of the most important fish species for aquaculture worldwide. Egg mass production is directly related to the success and profitability of hatchery farms assuring an adequate egg and consequently fry and fingerling quantity. Most of the success of hatchery farms in Mexico rely on the capacity of production for enough fry to cover the demand of grow-out farms. An analysis was performed with the purpose of estimate the effect of year, month, color, pond and water temperature on egg mass weight data (EMW, g) (n = 3201). The overall mean for EMW was 683.21 g. The effect of all assessed factors was highly significant (P < 0.0001). Pond and year effects suggested an effect possibly related to management strategies. Month indicated an important effect on early spawning, and water temperature showed a highly significant effect of gradient pattern on EMW (P < 0.0001), with a linear slope of -67.8 g by increasing temperature degree. Results confirmed the importance of non-genetic influence on egg mass production, supporting the need for attention of this highly variable trait and suggested the possible improvement on this reproductive indicator through the better control of environmental sources of variation.

The ornamental fish aquaculture represents a consolidated market worldwide. In Brazil, the major volume of commercialized freshwater ornamental fish is originated from fish farms managed by small and midsized farmers. The aim of this study was to characterize the metazoan parasitic fauna associated with the main freshwater ornamental fish farmed in Southern Brazil. Between July 2014 and January 2015, 423 fishes belonging to nine freshwater species were examined: angelfish Pterophylum scalare, siamese fighting fish Betta splendens, telescope and comet goldfish Carassius auratus, zebrafish Danio rerio, blood red swordtail Xiphophorus helleri, caramel and wagtail platy fish Xiphophorus maculatus, black molly Poecilia sphenops, white cloud mountain minnow Tanichthys albonubes and goldfinned barb Puntius sachsii. Water quality was measured in fishponds from each facility. Specimens were obtained from three ornamental fish farms located in three micro-regions in the State of Santa Catarina (Biguaçu, Camboriú e Joinville). Parasitological indexes were obtained after parasitological analysis of mucus, gills, and eyes. Trichodinids, Piscinoodinium pillulare, and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis were found in all fish farms analyzed. However, P. pillulare showed the greatest prevalence and mean intensity, compared to the other protozoa analyzed. 75% prevalence and mean intensity 57.5 were observed in the gills of P. scalare from fish farm Araquari. This study showed that fish farm Biguaçu, was the facility presenting the greatest parasite diversity. P. scalare and C. auratus were the most parasitized fish species presenting the higher richness when compared to another species. These ornamental species are widely traded and require greater care in cultivation because it is essential to produce healthy fish with attractive features accepted by the market.

We present results of the first simultaneous visual and acoustic surveys for Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis), undertaken in Yarinacocha Lagoon, Ucayali, Peru (length = 20 km, area = 12 km-2). A total of 324 Sotalia observations and 44 Inia observations were recorded in boat-based transects. Based upon total survey effort, we estimated Sotalia had a mean density ± SE of 1.98 ± 4.6 ind km-2 and an overall abundance of 34 individuals (95% CI: 28 to 40). Average density for Inia was 0.2 ± 1.2 ind km-2 with overall abundance estimated at 3 individuals (95% CI: 0 to 8). Visual surveys observed more Sotalia individuals during earlier hours of the day and during the dry season. Preliminary acoustic surveys undertaken with C-POD passive acoustic monitoring devices indicated a diel pattern in detections of cetacean vocalization with more diurnal activity and with detections ceasing from midnight until 10:00 AM. This work highlights the possibility of monitoring both river dolphin species through visual and acoustic surveys to generate baseline information on abundance trends and distribution patterns in the Ucayali region, an area with high levels of human disturbance.

The present study aimed to investigate the reproductive cycle and size at first maturity of Penaeus schmitti through a macro and microscopic approach. Between August 2011 and July 2012, 1169 specimens were collected by an artisanal fishing vessel operating a double trawl off the coast of Pernambuco, northeast Brazil. The total proportion of males (42%) was significantly lower than females (58%), corresponding to the sex ratio of 1:1.38. The total body length at first ovarian maturation (TL50) in females was estimated at 14.2 cm. The ovarian development was divided into four distinct stages based on histological characteristics and visual observations. This is the first reported occurrence of vitellogenic oocytes in the spent stage of P. schmitti, indicating a rapid ovarian maturation after spawning. Furthermore, the frequency of maturation stages, diameter of oocytes and gonadosomatic index were distributed homogeneously throughout the study period, reinforce a continuous reproductive cycle for P. schmitti population in northeastern Brazil.

The shrimp trawl fishery in the southeastern Gulf of California is one of the most important in Mexico due to the high economic value of the resource in the national and international market. The management of this fishery is based on permits, a no-trawling zone, a no-fishing season and regulations of fishing gears. In order to analyze the efficiency of the no-fishing season and the viability of a spatial closure, we analyzed the distribution and size structure of four species targeted by the commercial fishery during the 2005-2006 shrimpfishing season, the white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), blue shrimp (P. stylirostris), brown shrimp (P. californiensis) and crystal shrimp (P. brevirostris). We found that the size distribution of four shrimp species was wide and with variable frequency during the fishing season. The average biomass for each species was different throughout the fishing season, and the white and brown shrimps were the most abundant species. However, the spatial distribution of the biomass was similar for the four species. Our results suggest that the nofishing season is more effective for brown shrimp because the individuals caught by the fishing gear have already reproduced at least once.