Diversity of European spined loaches (genus Cobitis L.): an update of the geographic distribution of the Cobitis taenia hybrid complex with a description of new molecular tools for species and hybrid determination

Although the unique features of asexual reproduction and hybridization among European spined loaches (genus Cobitis ) have recently attracted the attention of conservation biologists, faunists and evolutionary biologists, the research has suffered from uncertain identification of specimens and their genomes because of the extreme morphological similarity of all the species within the hybrid complex. In this article, a Europe-wide study is reported, which was performed on samples collected by several research teams. Several complementary methodologies, such as allozyme analysis, karyotyping, flow cytometry and DNA sequencing allowed us to confirm or reject the existence of all previously reported species and their hybrids as well as to uncover several new hybrid biotypes. The biogeography of all the known biotypes, that is, parental species and hybrid biotypes, has been summarized here and the taxonomic position of two undescribed putative species mentioned in previous publications has been established. New polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism markers for species determination have further been developed and applied, which would allow the unambiguous identification of parental species and their genomes in the known hybrid biotypes within the complex.     

Age, diet, growth and reproduction of a Population of Cobitis paludica (de Buen, 1930) in the Palancar Stream (southwest of Europe, Spain) (Pisces: Cobitidae)

A total sample of 99 specimens of the vulnerable fish species Cobitis paludica(de Buen, 1930), was collected on a monthly basis from a tributary of the River Guadalquivir between September 1990 and September 1991. Female longevity was 1 year longer than that of males, the former reaching age-class 5+. The diet of C. paludicaconsisted mainly of Ostracoda and chironomid larvae, benthic prey of small size and occasionally other resources, such as Macrobiotid eggs spawned during winter. Detritus in gastrointestinal content was scarce, which differs from other populations. Back-calculations of length were performed from scale annuli measurements. The relationship between standard length and scale radius was different for males and females. Females were larger than males of the same age. Both back-calculated length and theoretical length, calculated by applying von Bertalanffy's model, were larger for females. The relationship between female standard length (SL) and fecundity (F) was log F= –7.465 + 5.5753 log SL.     

Species richness, rarity and endemicity of European mammals: a biogeographical approach

This paper investigates the distribution of species richness, rarity and endemicity of European land mammals (bats and introduced species excluded). The highest level of species richness was in Central Europe, while Southern areas had the highest rarity and endemicity scores. The distribution of richness was affected by the location of sampling points in islands and peninsulas. After excluding these sampling points, richness continued to decrease Westward suggesting the existence of a large-scale peninsular effect on mammal distribution. These patterns of continental distribution of richness, rarity and endemicity could be the result of the distribution of refuge areas in the southern Mediterranean peninsulas, and the Pleistocene advances and retreats of mammals throughout the Western Palearctic. Thus, European mammal distribution can be interpreted on the basis of two different patterns of abundance distribution in which Palearctic species reduce their abundance from central-Europe outwards, while endemic, rare species show a similar depletion in the North. It should be useful to evaluate the role of the different regions in Europe in conserving the demographic interactions between central and peripheral populations of mammal species. Given the restricted distribution and potential small size of population, these endemic species are most likely to be susceptible to anthropogenic environmental degradation.     

An inflated conservation load for European butterflies: increases in rarity and endemism accompany increases in species richness

The addition of species to the European butterfly list since 1983 has resulted in a number of highly significant changes. Most important are the increases in the number and proportion of endemics and of rare species, and a regional excess of species and endemics for southern Europe compared to northern Europe. There is also a surplus of Lycaenidae and Satyridae compared to other families, and an increase in species per genus associated with the reduction in genera. These additions raise two issues. First, the potential conservation load for European butterflies is inflated at species level. This is especially the case for southern Europe, which has disproportionate increases in rare and endemic species, more particularly if rarity and endemism are found to equate with threat of extinction. Second, the inflation in rarity and endemism suggests that there is a trend to promote ever more local populations (races, subspecies) to species. The taxonomic status of species being added to the list, a quarter of which are regarded as doubtful, is increasingly difficult to determine. Consequently, there is a danger that this may call into question the validity and objectivity of taxonomic practices, and of databases dependent on them, used by conservation. Revision of higher and lower butterfly taxa is urgently required.     

Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly and the Miocene diversification of Iksookimia (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cobitidae)

The genus Iksookimia contains six species of primary freshwater fishes that are endemic to South Korea. Previous phylogenetic studies, based on DNA sequence data from three or fewer loci, have suggested non-monophyly of the genus, providing inconsistent resolutions of the relationships of Iksookimia. Our coalescent and concatenation-based phylogenetic analyses, utilizing seven unlinked nuclear-encoded genes, strongly supported Iksookimia as a monophyletic group, emphasizing the importance of multi-locus data in investigating complicated phylogenetic relationships. A relaxed molecular clock analysis using fossil calibrations, indicated that the origin of the major lineages of Iksookimia occurred between ～12 to 5 Ma, which is consistent with the Miocene uplift of the Taebaek and Sobaek Mountains and the Miocene activation of the major south-eastern faults. These palaeogeographic events may have served as vicariant events in the diversification of Iksookimia.     

Genetic structure and differentiation of the Japanese extremely long-tailed chicken breed (Onagadori), associated with plumage colour variation: suggestions for its management and conservation

The Onagadori is a distinguished chicken breed that is characterized by an extremely long tail in the male. In this breed, three different plumage colour varieties have been developed (black-breasted white, black-breasted red and white) in which the black-breasted white is believed to be the original colour of the Onagadori, based on historical records. To establish a conservation strategy, 176 birds were genotyped for autosomal microsatellites. Significant genetic distinctness was found between the original (black-breasted white) and two derivative varieties ( F _ST = 0.091 and 0.093). At the same time, a Bayesian model-based clustering revealed that the majority of individuals belonging to the black-breasted red and white varieties had an extremely low proportion of the genome shared with the original type (black-breasted white). This suggests that derivative varieties were created by crossing with other breeds, with low introgression of the original-type genome. We propose that the three plumage colour varieties should be treated as separate genetic units in a conservation programme.     

Priority areas for the conservation of South African vegetation: a coarse-filter approach

Abstract.  South Africa has an important responsibility to global biodiversity conservation, but a largely inadequate conservation area network for addressing this responsibility. This study employs a coarse-filter approach based on 68 potential vegetation units to identify areas that are largely transformed, degraded or impacted upon by road-effects. The assessment highlights broad vegetation types that face high biodiversity losses currently or in the near future due to human impacts. Most vegetation types contain large tracts of natural vegetation, with little degradation, transformation or impacts from road networks. Regions in the grasslands, fynbos and forest biomes are worst affected. Very few of the vegetation types are adequately protected according to the IUCN's 10% protected area conservation target, with the fynbos and savanna biomes containing a few vegetation types that do achieve this arbitrary goal. This investigation identifies areas where limited conservation resources should be concentrated by identifying vegetation types with high levels of anthropogenic land use threats and associated current and potential biodiversity loss.     

Polymorphism of white muscle myosin and parvalbumins in the genus Barbus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Muscle proteins were investigated in two large European barbels, Barbus barbus and B. meridionalis , and in four small tropical barbels native to SE Asia: B. conchonius , B. tetrazona , B. sachsi and B. titteya . Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyse myosin heavy and light chains and parvalbumin isotypes from white trunk muscle. Each species could be biochemically identified. The myosin subunit and parvalbumin isotype patterns obtained for the two European barbels were similar. The Asian barbels, on the other hand, not only differed from the European species but displayed a greater diversity within their group. These biochemical results are largely in agreement with morphological and genetic data, but fail to substantiate suggested close relationships between Asian barbel species.     

From research to implementation: Nature conservation in the Eastern Rhodopes mountains (Greece and Bulgaria), European Green Belt

Nature conservation should ideally build on the scientific recommendations that are concluded from applied conservation research, as well as on monitoring schemes that evaluate the effectiveness of recommendations. We considered as a case study a system of six protected areas located in the Eastern Rhodopes mountains in the southern part of the European Green Belt (EGB). To investigate nature conservation effectiveness, we reviewed 196 articles from scientific journals and books, eight doctoral and master theses, and 39 scientific reports regarding the Greek (one protected area, 428 km²) and the Bulgarian (five protected areas, 904 km²) part of the study area. We extracted 743 conservation recommendations, and through questionnaires completed by 10 local experts, we found that 74% of the recommendations were familiar for the experts. In the Greek (GR) and the Bulgarian part (BG) only 52% and 16%, respectively, of the recommendations were implemented, and only 15% (GR) and 3.1% (BG) were implemented and evaluated regarding their effectiveness. According to the experts, the main reasons for non-implementation and non-evaluation were absence or incompetence of the responsible authorities. Some recommendations obtained a remarkable low rate of implementation, such as those regarding agriculture and livestock rearing practices (GR: 29%, BG: 16%) or mammal conservation (GR: 0%, BG: 16%). Some other recommendations obtained rather high rates at least for Greece, such as tourism and environmental education (GR: 57%, BG: 42%) and bird conservation (GR: 57%, BG: 11%). We found that researchers and conservation managers at both sides of the Greek-Bulgarian border face similar implementation problems, related often to the lack of political will for nature conservation and establishment of competent authorities. The role of the EGB is crucial in enhancing the established cross-border collaborations between stakeholders involved in nature conservation.     

On a new species of the genus Newnhamia King, 1855 (Crustacea,Ostracoda) raised from Chalakkudy River sand, (Kerala,India), with notes on the taxonomy and distribution of the Notodromadidae

Hydrobiologia - A new species of the genus Newnhamia, N. dumonti n.sp., is described from Kerala, India. Newnhamia was thus far only known from Australia and adjacent islands, as it is here argued...     

Marine fishes (Elasmobranchii and Teleostei) from the Santana Archipelago,a Marine Protected Area in the southwestern Atlantic

The Santana Archipelago (22°23′S, 41°42′W) is located at the northern limit of the South Brazil Bight in Southeastern Brazil, a major topographic feature of the South American continental shelf relevant in terms of fisheries, biogeography and conservation. Herein, the first inventory of the ichthyofauna of the Santana Archipelago is presented, with information on the distribution and conservation status of 147 species of the Teleostei and Elasmobranchii. Sampling was performed during 15 field expeditions between March 2013 and November 2015. A total of 6931 specimens were collected using bottom trawl, beach seine, hand net and scuba diving. Records of 28 species were based on photographs, and five species were recorded through underwater sighting. The Elasmobranchii was represented by nine species in eight families and six orders, and the Teleostei by 138 species in 54 families and 26 orders. Previous records of fishes from the Archipelago consist of 18 species deposited in fish collections; therefore, 129 species are reported herein for the first time. Most (114, 77.5%) species have large geographic distributions (western Atlantic: 81 species, 55.1%; eastern and western Atlantic: 33 species, 22.4%), but seven recorded species (4.8%) are endemic to the Brazilian Province. At the Global (IUCN) level, 12 species (8.1%) are threatened with extinction. Thirteen (8.8%) species are also considered as threatened at the Regional (Brazilian) level. These results highlight the relevance of the Santana Archipelago in the Brazilian conservationist context. Possible threats to the ichtyofauna of the Archipelago are discussed, and effective measures of conservation are presented.     

A review of the genus Distoechodon (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), and description of a new species

Distoechodon species are widely distributed in rivers of southern China. Previous studies recognized only two species in the genus, viz., D. tumirostris and D. hupeinensis. A morphological analysis of 164 specimens from different localities permits recognition of four species. Distoechodon tumirostris is mainly restricted to small coastal rivers in the Zhejiang Province. Distoechodon multispinnis is widely distributed in the Chang Jiang and Zhu Jiang basins. Distoechodon compressus is known only from the Fujian and Jiangxi Provinces, and Taiwan. Distoechodon macrophthalmus, the new species, is known only from the Chenghai Lake, Chang Jiang basin in Yunnan Province.     

Post-bottleneck mtDNA diversity in a free-living population of European bison: implications for conservation

A free-living population of European bison Bison bonasus in the Białowieża Primeval Forest originated from only seven founder animals after a severe bottleneck that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently, the contemporary population of the species is characterized by low genetic diversity. We studied a total of 195 individuals (127 males and 68 females). A 1429 bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) including the D-loop region was analyzed in 87 individuals and revealed only three distinct haplotypes. Nucleotide ( π ) and haplotype ( H _d) diversity values were estimated for the European bison and were compared with π and H _d estimated from three individuals of American bison Bison bison . Very low diversity values were found in the European bison in comparison with the diversity values found in the American bison. The low mtDNA variability in the European bison is in concordance with theoretical expectations for a species that has undergone a severe and recent bottleneck. A management strategy for the preservation of the rare and very rare haplotypes present in the Białowieża population of the European bison is discussed. Furthermore, all 195 individuals were investigated for heteroplasmy involving these three haplotypes, in order to detect a possible association between heteroplasmy and the incidence of males affected by posthitis , a disease that affects the male reproductive organs, leading to necrotic lesions. Heteroplasmy was found in 15 females, in 17 males affected by posthitis and in 11 non-affected males, and no significant association was found.     

Fish of the Amazonian IgapÔ: stability and conservation in a high diversity-low biomass system

Water depth in the Amazon basin can differ by more than 11 m between low and high water periods in the annual cycle. When the water is high, the forest streams inundate the surrounding low-lying forest creating vast lakes. Where the water originates from the forest it is rich in humic acids and low in dissolved nutrients. Such waters are termed blackwaters. Igapó is the specialized inundation forest of blackwater regions. Until recently it was generally held that the blackwater fauna was impoverished and of low biomass. However, recent studies have shown that these waters hold a specialized fauna living within and upon allochthonous input from the forest. Within submerged litter banks a diverse ichthyofauna forming dense local populations has been found.
Information on the spatial organization, population density and food web of this fauna will be presented. It is argued that this community is highly vulnerable to deforestation and its long-term future can only be assured if the forest is conserved. This is not to suggest that these fish are not adaptable to disturbance as the community has evolved to live with changing water levels and the loss of submerged wood and leaf-litter habitat. It is a remarkable example of a climax community exhibiting high diversity and low total population sizes within a variable habitat. Its conservation is of economic importance to the local human population whose diet includes a high proportion of fish.     

The grasshoppers of Costa Rica: a survey of the parameters influencing their conservation and survival

Seventy-five per cent of the acridomorph fauna of Costa Rica is confined to the wet forest environment. This habitat also has a disproportionately large proportion of species which are of restricted distribution within the country or are endemic to Costa Rica or are flightless. The grasshoppers of dry forest, grassland and swamp habitats have in general the reverse properties: they include relatively few species and most of these are capable of flight and are widely distributed both within and outside of Costa Rica. The major factor influencing the long-term survival (or, conversely, the extinction) of the major part of the grasshopper fauna of Costa Rica is likely to be the preservation (or destruction) of the wet forest habitat.     

The Spanish co-operation programme in Equatorial Guinea: a ten-year review of research and nature conservation in Bioko

The Research and Nature Conservation Programme in Equatorial Guinea was launched in 1985, financed by the Spanish Technical Co-operation Agency. The Programme's main objectives were to: (i) increase scientific research; (ii) set up a Museum of Natural History for the country; (iii) update environmental legislation; (iv) create a network of protected natural areas; (v) promote Equatorial Guinea's participation in international forums on the environment; (vi) train local personnel and (vii) implement environmental education programmes. Actions undertaken and results obtained over a ten-year period are reviewed herein. The Programme has been important in raising the level of scientific awareness of the country's resources but more importantly, it has catalysed the inception of the country's existing legal framework for environmental protection (Ley 8/1988). Within this law, regulations with respect to wildlife, protected areas and hunting were promulgated. These include the legal basis to create other reserve areas and non-profit organizations related to wildlife protection. The Programme has been able to employ the law to stop exploitation and road-building along the south of Bioko.     

Genetic and environmental variations in quantitative characters in fishes: a comparative analysis of monoclonal triploid and bisexual tetraploid spined loaches (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cobitis</Emphasis>, Cobitidae)

The heritability estimates of 25 external morphometric characters and 23 craniometric indices are obtained by use of variances in monoclonal all-female triploids and bisexual tetraploids of spined loaches (genus Cobitis, Cobitidae) collected from the same breeding biotope. Most of studied traits demonstrate low heritability confirming previous conclusion on the similarity between external morphometric characters and craniological indices in relative effects of genetic and environmental components in their total phenotypic variation. Low heritability estimates in most of external morphological traits correspond to their low diagnostic value in Cobitis species. As a whole, in spite of certain deviations, studies on clonal forms do not refute the concept on higher heritability estimates in diagnostically significant traits in comparison with traits without diagnostic values in the same taxonomic group. Low heritability in most morphometric traits more probably is resulted from their low additive genetic variation caused by strong selection of evolutionary developed specific body shape in spined loaches, because strong selection should reduce the genetic variance in body proportions to minimal size. Sex differences observed in heritability estimates should be interpreted as a result of linkage of several additive genes controlling these traits to sex chromosomes. A few characters demonstrating high heritability estimates up to 0.492–0.580 are of great interest for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies in genus Cobitis and related taxa.