Scorpaenidae

The blue‐mouth, Helicolenus dactylopterus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809) (Pisces: Scorpaenidae), is a scorpionfish widespread in the whole Mediterranean basin, where it plays an important ecological role in deep‐sea fish communities. The depauperation of this large‐size sedentary and slow‐growing fish can be an index of overexploitation. This species is found throughout all Italian seas; the juveniles are mainly located around 150–300 m depth, whereas the adult specimens are spread over a wider depth range from 200 m to as deep as 1000 m. The abundance in number and weight, the spatial distribution, the population structure, the growth and the recruitment pattern of H. dactylopterus were analysed in this study. The present paper integrates data from 11 bottom trawl surveys carried out in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Central Mediterranean) along Calabrian and Sicilian coasts, within the framework of the MEDITS Project. A total of 1412 specimens of H. dactylopterus weighting 20.051 k...

El pez leon (Pterois volitans/miles) es la primera especie (s) de pez arrecifal del Indo-Pacifico que invade el Atlantico Occidental, constituyendo una de las invasiones de peces marinos mas rapida de la historia. El objetivo fue determinar la densidad y biomasa de las poblaciones del pez leon y sus posibles variaciones temporales y espaciales en arrecifes del oeste de La Habana, Cuba. Los muestreos fueron realizados mediante censos visuales con buceo autonomo en los periodos de junio-julio del 2012 (periodo lluvioso) y diciembre 2012-enero 2013 (periodo poco lluvioso). La densidad (media ± desviacion estandar; 1,6 ± 1,8 ind/100 m2), biomasa (296,4 ± 428,5 g/100 m2) y talla (22 ± 8 cm) promedios del pez leon en los arrecifes muestreados fueron mayores a los reportados en varias areas de distribucion de este pez en el Indo-Pacifico y en habitats invadidos del Atlantico occidental. La variabilidad espacial de la densidad, biomasa y talla promedios del pez leon entre los sitios parece ...

The spread of the Indo-Pacific lionfish has been one of the most rapid marine fish invasions in the history of the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, and populations of this species pose a threat to native fishes feeding at similar trophic levels due to competition for food. To determine dietary overlap, 899 lionfish and 377 native fishes of the families Haemulidae, Holocentridae, Serranidae and Lutjanidae were caught in three Cuban localities, and their stomach contents were analyzed based on the number of items, frequency, volume and index of relative importance. Diet composition was similar in the studied localities; Lutjanidae, Serranidae and lionfish mainly fed on fish while Haemulidae and Holocentridae primarily consumed small benthic invertebrates. Mantel correlations showed that the consumption of fish and crustaceans did not increase as lionfish increased in size. The degree of dietary overlap between lionfish and some native fishes depends on locality, ecological z...

Species of the family Scorpaenidae are responsible for accidents and sporadic casualties by the shore they inhabit. The species Scorpaena plumierifrom this family populate the Northeastern and Eastern coast of Brazil causing human envenomation characterized by local and systemic symptoms. In experimental animals the venom induces cardiotoxic, hypotensive, and airway respiratory effects. As first step to identify the venom components we isolated gland mRNA to produce a cDNA library from the fish gland. This report describes the partial sequencing of 356 gland transcripts from S. plumieri. BLAST analysis of transcripts showed that 30% were unknown sequences, 17% hypothetical proteins, 17% related to metabolic enzymes, 14% belonged to signal transducing functions and the remaining groups (7-8%) composed by gene related with expressing proteins, regulatory proteins and structural proteins. A considerable number of these EST were not found in available databases suggesting the existence ...

A new species of scorpionfish, Scorpaenodes barrybrowni Pitassy & Baldwin, sp. n. which is described, was collected during submersible diving in the southern Caribbean as part of the Smithsonian's Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP). It differs from the other two western Atlantic species of the genus, Scorpaenodes caribbaeus and Scorpaenodes tredecimspinosus, in various features, including its color pattern, having an incomplete lateral line comprising 8-10 pored scales, tending to be more elongate, usually having the 11(th)-12(th) pectoral-fin rays elongate, and by 20-23% divergence in the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) DNA barcode sequences. It further differs from one or the other of those species in head spination and in numbers of soft dorsal-fin rays, pectoral-fin rays, and precaudal + caudal vertebrae. Inhabiting depths of 95-160 m, the new species is the deepest western Atlantic member of the genus (Scorpaenodes caribbaeus occurs at depths < 35 m and Scorpaenodes trede...

The major advantage of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) in biological studies is to investigate the surface detail and morphology of specimens at very high resolution (Bozzola, 2014). These specimens could vary from whole organisms several centimeters in size to individual cells grown in culture. Due to the tremendous depth of field available to the operator, SEM allows an “in-depth” study of those specimens with great topography. SEM studies usually examine the external features of a specimen, whereas in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies, intracellular exploration is the main focus (Osman et al., 2020). Despite how good an instrument could be, the quality of the material photographed and the images obtained will be affected by how specimens are prepared for examination (Felgenhaur, 1987). There are standard steps necessary to prepare any tissue for SEM which include; fixation, dehydration, drying, mounting, and coating with palladium or gold (Bomblies et al., 200...

The fish speciesSymphodus bailloni(Valenciennes, 1839) reported in the present study were collected between June 2010 and June 2011 from the western Black Sea coasts which were previously not recorded from the Black Sea coast of Turkey. A total of 717 specimens ofS. bailloniwere measured, ranging between 8.9 and 15.4 cm TL. Morphometrics, meristics, and diagnostic characteristics of the species are presented.

Scorpaena porcus is one of the most important members of rock and reef community in the Black Sea. The present study aimed to investigate the bio-ecological properties of S. porcus in the Eastern Black Sea. The growth, age, and sex compositions, feeding and reproduction biology of 1061 individuals were examined. The total length of the individuals ranged between 6.7 and 25.5 cm. The observed age ranged up to 8 years in both the sexes; the oldest individual both in males and females was 8 years of age. The von Bertalanffy growth function parameters in the samples were L∞=22.15 cm, k=0.287, t0= -1.577 (year) and W∞=238.14 g. The sex ratio (male/female) was 1/1.13. S. porcus fed most frequently on fish and decapods in all seasons. The reproduction period was identified to be between June and October, as evident by GSI values and macroscopic and histological analysis of gonads. Hydrated oocytes first appeared in June on the histological examinations; however, the atresia was highest in ...

The spread of the Indo-Pacific lionfish has been one of the most rapid marine fish invasions in the history of the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, and populations of this species pose a threat to native fishes feeding at similar trophic levels due to competition for food. To determine dietary overlap, 899 lionfish and 377 native fishes of the families Haemulidae, Holocentridae, Serranidae and Lutjanidae were caught in three Cuban localities, and their stomach contents were analyzed based on the number of items, frequency, volume and index of relative importance. Diet composition was similar in the studied localities; Lutjanidae, Serranidae and lionfish mainly fed on fish while Haemulidae and Holocentridae primarily consumed small benthic invertebrates. Mantel correlations showed that the consumption of fish and crustaceans did not increase as lionfish increased in size. The degree of dietary overlap between lionfish and some native fishes depends on locality, ecological z...

The first lionfish sighting at the National Park "Cayos de San Felipe" was in 2009 and could be a threat to its marine ecosystem diversity and their capacity to generate services. To analyze the incidence of the lionfish invasion in the area, an annual sampling was conducted between 2013 and 2015. Lionfish abundance and size was investigated on mangroves through visual census on ten transects of 30x2 m/station, and on coral reefs (15 and 25 m deep) with stereo video on six transects of 50x2 m/station. Additionally, incidence of potential native competitors and predators on coral reefs were also estimated. Over the three years, the average density of lionfish varied between 0.0-1.3 indiv./100 m2 per sample stations and it was not significantly different among habitats (mangroves with 0.6 indiv./100 m2, reefs at 15 m - 0.4 indiv./100 m2 and reef at 25 m with 0.3 indiv./100 m2). Lionfish’s density was equal to or lower than competitors’ density, and was equal to or higher tha...

We examined the reproductive biology of sawcheek scorpionfish, Brachypterois serrulata, collected from Visakhapatnam fish landing center (fishing area covered 16.98°–20.20°N, 82.19°–86.53°E). We studied the annual reproductive cycle, fecundity, size at first maturity, mode of spawning with periodical changes and histological preparations. Size distribution and size at sexual maturity were calculated as 108 mm TL for females. The mean gonado somatic index values of female increased rapidly from January to December, and reached its peak during January and February. The fecundity of the fish species is determined by the size and weight of the individuals. The fecundity varied from 1896 to 20,488, with an average of 5721.90 ova.

The invasion of the western Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) is a serious threat to the ecological stability of the region. The early life history of the lionfish remains poorly understood despite the important role that larval supply plays reef fish population dynamics. In this study, we characterized patterns in the horizontal and vertical distributions of larval lionfish collected in the western Caribbean, US Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico from 19 ichthyoplankton surveys conducted from 2009–2016. Using generalized additive models (GAMs), we assessed the relative effects of spatiotemporal and environmental variation on the distribution of lionfish larvae. We also examined otoliths to determine larval ages and report the first larval growth rate estimates for this species. Lionfish larvae were present at 7.8% of all stations sampled and our model suggests that lionfish presence is related to sea surface temperature and the lunar cycle. Year and loca...

The silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus, from the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae) and the Pacific red lionfish (Pterois miles, family Scorpaenidae) have recently invaded the Mediterranean Sea. Lagocephalus sceleratus has spread throughout this entire sea with the highest concentrations in the eastern basin, while more recently, Pterois miles has spread from the Eastern to the Central Mediterranean Sea. Their effects on local biodiversity and fisheries are cause for management concern. Here, a comprehensive review of predators of these two species from their native Indo-Pacific and invaded Mediterranean and Western Atlantic ranges is presented. Predators of Tetraodontidae in general were reviewed for their native Indo-Pacific and Western Atlantic ranges, as no records were found specifically for L. sceleratus in its native range. Tetraodontidae predators in their native ranges included mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda), lizardfish (Synodus spp.), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvi...

Ceratomyxa gouletti n. sp. is a new parasite described from the gallbladder of the red scorpionfish Scorpaena scrofa (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) collected from La Goulette in the Northeast of Tunisia. The parasite develops disporic plasmodia, elliptical to ovoid in shape, measuring up to 33.1 ± 3.6 (28.0-38.2) μm in length and 12.5 ± 2.1 (11.3-14.0) μm in width. Mature spores are elongated transversely and crescent-shaped with rounded ends and unequal shell valves, measuring 8.1 ± 1.27 (7.2-9.0) μm in length and 32.0 ± 2.5 (27.0-38.2) μm in thickness. Sutural line is straight and visible between valves. Polar capsules are subspherical with 3.15 ± 0.63 (2.7-3.6) μm long and 1.9 ± 0.14 (1.8-2.0) μm wide. Posterior spore angle is slightly concave 160°-175°. Molecular analysis based on the small subunit 18S rDNA sequence shows that C. gouletti n. sp. is different from all other ceratomyxid species DNA sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic trees clustered the new species with long-branc...

El pez león (Pterois volitans) es una especie arrecifal que ha invadido de una manera vertiginosa el Atlántico Occidental. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo caracterizar la dieta del pez león en la zona costera de Holguín, Cuba. Para ello, se realizaron ocho campañas de muestreo durante el período abril-noviembre de 2016 en seis sitios costeros, incluyendo arrecifes frontales, artificiales y bahías, ubicados entre los 14 y 35 m de profundidad. Se analizó un total de 250 ejemplares con tallas entre 8 y 33 cm de longitud estándar. A través del análisis de sus contenidos estomacales se identificaron 27 tipos de presa, las cuales se agruparon en las categorías tróficas de peces, crustáceos y moluscos. Los peces fueron el componente preferencial en la dieta del pez león en base a los métodos numérico, frecuencia de ocurrencia, gravimétrico e índice de importancia relativa. Dentro de las presas, las especies de peces Holocentrus rufus y Monocanthus tuckeri fueron las más representativas. La...