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Copyright of Turkish Journal of Maritime & Marine Sciences is the property of Ordu University, Fatsa Faculty of Marine Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Anatolian Environmental & Animal Science is the property of Bulent Verep and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the age distribution and growth characteristics of the striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus), which is an invasive alien species in the eastern Mediterranean. A total of 1,011 samples were collected from Iskenderun Bay (Turkey), with lengths ranging from 5.1 to 16.8 cm, predominantly comprising females (1:1.92). Age 3 represented the majority in the population (52.03%). The value of the scaling exponent "b" of the length-weight relationship was less than "3" for both sexes (females: 2.28; males: 2.26; combined: 2.27). The results for the von Bertalanffy growth parameters were observed for the combined sexes as, L∞ = 24.9934 cm, k = 0.1718 year-1, and t0 = -1.7707 years. The striped eel catfish populations in Iskenderun Bay exhibited negative allometric growth patterns and were predominantly composed of adult individuals. This study presents the dataset on the length-weight correlations, age-growth characteristics, and von Bertalanffy growth parameters of Plotosus lineatus in the Mediterranean Sea, thereby significantly contributing to comprehending the stock dynamics. It is anticipated that this study will make a significant contribution to the management of P. lineatus stocks, given its invasive nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One specimen of Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii Hilgendorf, 1880 was caught by using a fish net at a depth of 7 m on 14 May 2022 from Akçakoca, Düzce in the Black Sea. In this study, the Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii from the Black Sea coast of Türkiye is reported for the first time with both morphologic and genetic evidence. S. schlegelii is characterised by 5 spines on the preoperculum and 2 spines on the operculum. Genetic analyses using mtDNA COI gene region also confirmed the species as Sebastes schlegelii. This species is thought to have been transported to the Black Sea from other seas of the world, probably via ballast waters or aquarium escape. The most important reason for this is that the species has not been detected in the Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first morphologic and genetic documentation of the short-beaked garfish Belone svetovidovi Collette & Parin, 1970 from the coast of the Marmara Sea (Yalova) and Black Sea (Akcakoca) is reported in the present study. The morphological characters and genetic (mtDNA COI) analyses confirmed the existence of this species both in the Marmara and Black Seas. B. svetovidovi is genetically distinct from the anther species of this genus Belone belone. All morphologic measurements, counts, and colour descriptions of B. svetovidovi agree with its previous descriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate genetic and some morphometric and meristic characteristics of garfish Belone belone from Nesebar in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Twelve morphometric characters were measured, and six meristic characters were counted for each individual. Based on both sexes’ morphological and meristic analyses, no statistically significant sexual differences were observed. Additionally, DNA barcoding was done. The fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of mitochondrial DNA was sequenced to supplement the species identification and population diversity study. Two haplotypes were found out of 39 sequences, indicating a low level of haplotype diversity (0.146±0.072). Nucleotide diversity was also found to be low (0.00023±0.00011). The Nesebar population of B. belone requires conservation efforts, due to the highly decreased mtDNA genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In fisheries biology, length-weight relationship data are commonly used and helpful for determining the weight of an individual fish of known total length or total weight from length-frequency distribution. The present investigation aims to estimate the length-weight relationships and Fulton's condition factors from the southeastern Mediterranean coast of Türkiye. Materials and Methods: A total of 368 red cornetfish, Fistularia petimba Lacepède, 1803 (203 females and 165 males) specimens were collected from the İskenderun Bay (southeastern Mediterranean, Türkiye) within the fishing periods of April 2019 and March 2020, caught by commercial bottom trawler at 28-42 m depths. Fish samples were measured in total length (TL) to the nearest 0.1 cm, and the total weight was scaled to the nearest 0.01 g. Results: The total length ranged from 21.50-56.60 cm, and the weight ranged from 8.10-94.04 g for Fistularia petimba. The length-weight relationship was found as the W = 0.00033 × L3.126 (r² = 0.963) for both sexes. The value of b is slightly different than 3 and showed positive allometric growth. The condition factor was found to be 0.539 for females, 0.526 for males, and 0.520 for both sexes. Conclusion: This study is the first investigation of the length-weight relationship and condition factor for Fistularia petimba from İskenderun Bay. The present study provides the basic fisheries parameters for this species in the Mediterranean Sea, which will be useful for fisheries management and fish population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Truly sustainable development in a human-altered, fragmented marine environment subject to unprecedented climate change, demands informed planning strategies in order to be successful. Beyond a simple understanding of the distribution of marine species, data describing how variations in spatio-temporal dynamics impact ecosystem functioning and the evolution of species are required. Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) characterizes the flows of matter, genes and energy produced by organism movements and migrations across the seascape. As such, MFC determines the ecological and evolutionary interdependency of populations, and ultimately the fate of species and ecosystems. Gathering effective MFC knowledge can therefore improve predictions of the impacts of environmental change and help to refine management and conservation strategies for the seas and oceans. Gathering these data are challenging however, as access to, and survey of marine ecosystems still presents significant challenge. Over 50 European institutions currently investigate aspects of MFC using complementary methods across multiple research fields, to understand the ecology and evolution of marine species. The aim of SEA-UNICORN, a COST Action supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), is to bring together this research effort, unite the multiple approaches to MFC, and to integrate these under a common conceptual and analytical framework. The consortium brings together a diverse group of scientists to collate existing MFC data, to identify knowledge gaps, to enhance complementarity among disciplines, and to devise common approaches to MFC. SEA-UNICORN will promote co-working between connectivity practitioners and ecosystem modelers to facilitate the incorporation of MFC data into the predictive models used to identify marine conservation priorities. Ultimately, SEA-UNICORN will forge strong forward-working links between scientists, policy-makers and stakeholders to facilitate the integration of MFC knowledge into decision support tools for marine management and environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of schools of striped eel catfish Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787) was photographed during scuba diving at depths of 10 m and 17 m on 11 July 2022 and on 24 September 2022 from Kızkalesi and Boğsak regions in the Mersin Bay of the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. With the present study, P. lineatus is extending its distribution to the western Mediterranean coastal waters after its first occurrence in 2016 in the İskenderun Bay of Turkish Marine waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus was stranded on the coast of Arsuz-Uluçınar, Iskenderun Bay, Turkey in the northeastern Mediterranean on 29 March 2022. This study was conducted to reveal the relationship between G. griseus and microplastic debris in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of one stranding G. griseus was examined, and 454 microplastics particles were extracted. Of all, the majority of them were fibers (96%), black in colour (62%), and 0.5-1 mm in size (38%). This paper represents the first data indicating the microplastic abundance in G. griseus from the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Also, it creates a baseline to understand the relationship between cetaceans and microplastics in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the majority of marine debris consists of microplastic particles. For that reason, microplastic pollution in marine environments and its potential impacts on marine animals has been extensively studied. This study was developed to investigate the bioindicator potential of Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) for the monitoring of microplastic pollution. A totally, 21 individuals were sampled from Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean Sea on April 2022, and their gastrointestinal tracts were examined for microplastic occurrence. Mean microplastic abundance was found as 2.06±1.88 particles/individual in positive samples and 1.47±1.83 particles/individual in total samples. The microplastic detection rate was estimated as 71%. In terms of color, black (55%), blue (32%), red (10%) and brown (3%) microplastic particles were detected. Among all, the majority of the extracted particles were fiber in shape (93%) and followed by fragments (7%). The high frequency of detection and microplastic abundance estimated in this study showed that this specie could be used to monitor microplastic pollution in marine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2014, an invasive alien fish species, lionfish, Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) has been started to distribute in the Turkish Mediterranean Sea coasts and spread out to the Aegean Sea. In the present study, a Cymothoid fish parasite, Nerocila bivittata (Risso, 1816) is reported from the pectoral fin of P. miles caught from the Gulf of Iskenderun (Northeastern Mediterranean) and Bodrum, Turkey (Aegean Sea Coast). This study is the first record of N. bivittata on lionfish P. miles caught from Gulf of Iskenderun. Key diagnostic characters of N. bivittata, some morphological differences observed between the newly collected material of N. bivittata and its previous descriptions, in addition to newly observed additional characters were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two indicators of pufferfish communities, catch per unit effort (CPUE) and catch per unit area (CPUA), were used with surveys of bottom trawl fishery to elucidate the level of the catch of each pufferfish species in the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey, comprising the Iskenderun Bay, Mersin Bay, and Antalya Bay. The surveys were conducted seasonally in 2019. The average rate of CPUE for Lagocephalus sceleratus, L. suezensis, L. spadiceus, and Torquigener flavimaculosus were 2.2, 0.8, 0.5, and 0.2 kg km-2, respectively that the highest CPUE values were in winter (8.0 kg km-2) for L. sceleratus and also lowest was in winter (0.08 kg km-2) for L. spadiceus. The highest and lowest CPUE values were at the depth of 20-50 m (2.7 kg km-2) for L. sceleratus and 50-80 m (0.08 kg km-2) for T. flavimaculosus, respectively. The highest CPUE values (3.5 kg km-2) were found at the sandy bottom for L. sceleratus, and the lowest one (0.01 kg km-2) was at the hardy-ground for T. flavimaculosus. The average annual CPUA of pufferfish species at the Iskenderun, Mersin, and Antalya bays was estimated as 15.6, 28.4, and 6.81 kg, respectively, with a mean value of 17.3 kg/day/boat. In multiple correspondence analysis, L. sceleratus showed a great contribution to CPUE and CPUA data. However, T. flavimaculosus revealed contribution, especially in catch numbers which were positively affected by precipitation. L. spadiceus, L. suezensis, and T. flavimaculosus were positively affected by depth, temperature, month, season, and bottom structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single specimen white seabream, Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758), was recorded on 11 November 2019 from the coast of Konacık (Arsuz) in the Iskenderun Bay (North-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey). This specimen was identified as a specimen of Diplodus sargus. Known as Xanthochromism, abnormal skin coloration is an unusually yellow pigmentation in fishes. It is often associated with the lack of usual red pigmentation and its replacement with yellow. The present paper reported the first occurrence of the xanthochromic specimen of Diplodus sargus from Turkey's Mediterranean coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatian Journal of Fisheries is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Truly sustainable development in a human-altered, fragmented marine environment subject to unprecedented climate change, demands informed planning strategies in order to be successful. Beyond a simple understanding of the distribution of marine species, data describing how variations in spatio-temporal dynamics impact ecosystem functioning and the evolution of species are required. Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) characterizes the flows of matter, genes and energy produced by organism movements and migrations across the seascape. As such, MFC determines the ecological and evolutionary interdependency of populations, and ultimately the fate of species and ecosystems. Gathering effective MFC knowledge can therefore improve predictions of the impacts of environmental change and help to refine management and conservation strategies for the seas and oceans. Gathering these data are challenging however, as access to, and survey of marine ecosystems still presents significant challenge. Over 50 European institutions currently investigate aspects of MFC using complementary methods across multiple research fields, to understand the ecology and evolution of marine species. The aim of SEA-UNICORN, a COST Action within the European Union Horizon 2020 framework programme, is to bring together this research effort, unite the multiple approaches to MFC, and to integrate these under a common conceptual and analytical framework. The consortium brings together a diverse group of scientists to collate existing MFC data, to identify knowledge gaps, to enhance complementarity among disciplines, and to devise common approaches to MFC. SEA-UNICORN will promote co-working between connectivity practitioners and ecosystem modelers to facilitate the incorporation of MFC data into the predictive models used to identify marine conservation priorities. Ultimately, SEA-UNICORN will forge strong forward-working links between scientists, policy-makers and stakeholders to facilitate the integration of MFC knowledge into decision support tools for marine management and environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single specimen of orange spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822) was captured by a fisherman with a fishing line from the Iskenderun Bay (Konacık, Turkey) at 52 m depth. The morphological and color descriptions of E. coioides agree with previous descriptions. This record indicates that the eastward migration of this species in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and fills the gap in the distribution range of the serranid species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single specimen of Dusky Grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) on 14 November 2021 at a depth of about 10 m from the southwestern Black Sea (Amasra, Turkey) was captured by a fisherman with fishnet. In this study, dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus was recorded for the first time from the Black Sea as a new Mediterranean species for the Black Sea fish fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single specimen of Prostheceraeus roseus was recorded for the first time on 25 April 2019 from the Cevlik coast, Iskenderun Bay (Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey). After, other a single specimen of Tylodina perversa was observed during Scuba diving from the Keldag located within Cevlik (Eastern Mediterranean), at a depth of 12 m on rocky habitat covered with algae. The present finding is the first occurrence of Prostheceraeus roseus and Tylodina perversa from the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Although these species are live in the Mediterranean Sea up to date no specimens of these species reported in this easternmost coast of Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan is a biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal natural polymer. In this study, chitin and chitosan were chemically isolated from the exoskeleton of invasive swimming crab Charybdis longicollis. In order to obtain the chitin, demineralization, deproteinization, and decolourization steps were applied to the samples. Chitosan was prepared from the isolated chitin by deacetylation at high temperatures. The chemical composition of chitin from C. longicollis was characterized by XRD and FTIR analysis. The yield of chitin extraction from dry crab shells was 25.78 %. The yield of chitosan produced from extracted chitin was 80.23 %. The experimental analyses revealed that the obtained chitin and chitosan could be used as biomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

parus aurata is a very important fish, in fisheries and aquaculture. In this study, the genetic impact of cultured gilthead sea bream S. aurata was examined on wild stocks in the Iskenderun Bay (Northeastern Mediterranean) by genetic and morphological analyzes. Morphometric traits of gilthead sea bream were investigated using a traditional set of measurements and network system. In total, 91 morphometric characters were measured for the Biomorph v3 of measurements and 14 for the truss network system. Results of discriminant function analysis (DF), three functions were produced, and the first two discriminant functions (DFs) explained 90.1% of between-group variability and plotting DF1 (55.2%) and DF2 (34.8%). Mitochondrial DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA region was found to be 830 base pair and 21 bp variable and 3 bp parsimony informative sites between populations. The nucleotide composition was found to be 21.1%, 24.1%, 32.9% and 21.1% for T, C, A and G, respectively. The average value of genetic diversity and genetic distance within populations was found to be 0.00316 and -0.00088, respectively. Haplotype diversity of the cultured population was found to be 0.6710 while the wild population was found to be 0.8333. In the present study, the morphological and molecular analysis identified cultured fish escapees in the wild data set sampled in the aquaculture sites. Despite a mixed gene pool in the wild population, as a result of a long-term culture period of fish originating from Mediterranean broodstocks, the molecular genetics tools identified potential cultured escapees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Maritime & Marine Sciences is the property of Ordu University, Fatsa Faculty of Marine Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The pufferfish are non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean Sea that do not have predators in the food chain. Therefore, the determination of heavy metal accumulation in pufferfish species can be considered as natural chelation for the aquatic environment. The present study, the potential usage of dentin tissue as an indicator of heavy metal bioaccumulation was examined in pufferfish species. The accumulation of Co, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mo, Ni, Se, Al, Cd, Pb, As, Cr in dentin, liver, kidney and muscle tissues of four pufferfish species (Lagocephalus sceleratus, Lagocephalus spadiceus, Lagocephalus suezensis, and Torquigener flavimaculosus) were captured in the Göksu River and Yeşjlovacık coasts of Turkey by a commercial trawler. The different bioaccumulation levels were found in each species in terms of metals concentrations and tissues. The metal levels in dentine tissue were found to be similar to the brain. Aluminium had the highest accumulation among these tissues. The liver and gill tissues showed the same bioaccumulation properties with each other. Zn had the highest accumulation among these tissues (P < 0.05). The muscle was different from metabolically active tissues in terms of metal accumulation that arsenic had the highest bioaccumulation (P < 0.05). Fe, Se, As, Zn, Cu, Cr and Al were accumulated in all tissue types, however, only Se was not detected in dentin tissue. On the other hand, Co, Ni, Mo, Cd and Pb were not detected in any tissue types. The relative accumulation of metals in dentin tissue was determined as Al > Zn > Cr > Fe > As > Cu. The present study for the first time revealed that dentin tissue can be used as an indicator tissue for toxicology studies that metal accumulations in dentin were determined in parallel with other examined tissues of pufferfish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular genetics and phenotypic markers were evaluated for detecting phylogeographic difference in the populations of the Black-Sea turbot Scophthalmus maeoticus occurring in the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea. Microsatellites of nuclear DNA and the COIII region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were used for the genetic analyses. Morphometrics, meristics, otolith shape and otolith chemistry were applied for the phenotypic analyses. The mean number of alleles was 14.4, using five polymorphic microsatellite loci; the lowest genetic distance (0.19549) was observed between the Marmara (MS) and the West Black Sea (BS2) populations; the highest genetic distance (0.21755) was observed between the Marmara Sea population and East Black Sea (BS1) population. MtDNA analysis revealed an overall genetic diversity of 0.00148. The smallest (0.001416) genetic distance was observed between BS2 and BS1 and the highest (0.001593) was the genetic distance between BS1 and MS populations. Discriminant function analysis of morphometric and meristic characters discriminated only BS1 population from the other populations, which overlapped with one another. The otolith shape analysis also supported the morphometric and meristic analyses that the BS1 population was differentiated from the other two populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a controversy whether Fistularia petimba or F. commersonii are same species or distinct, since it is difficult to distinguish them based on morphological characters. In the present study, the COI and Cyt b gene regions of the mitochondrial DNA were used to address this question as well as to clarify the presence F. petimba. Based on the results, genetic distance between F. petimba and F. commersonii based on COI and Cyt b sequences were found to be 0.9536 and 0.95500, respectively. Average genetic diversity between species based on COI and Cyt b were found to be 0.00487, 0.04651 respectively. According to the results, F. petimba and F. commersonii are found genetically distinct from each other. The occurrence of red cornetfish F. petimba from Turkey marine waters was also confirmed showing its rapid range expansion to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the levels of essential (Ca, K, Na, Mg, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn) and non-essential (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sr, Li, B) elements in the muscle, liver and skin of P. maxima and S. vulgaris. Analysis of variance was performed to determine significant differences among tissues. There were no significant differences in the metal concentrations among the tissues of both species with the exception of Fe and Li. The levels of essential metals such as Na, K, Ca and Mg were higher than 10 mg/kg; Fe and Cu were lower than 10 mg/kg. The results showed that the P. maksima and S. vulgaris are a good dietary source of essential nutrients. However, the concentrations of some nonessential metals in tissues of P. maksima and S. vulgaris exceeded the acceptable values for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ege Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences (EgeJFAS) / Su Ürünleri Dergisi is the property of Ege Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences (EgeJFAS) / Su Urunleri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Unraveling adaptive genetic variation represents, in addition to the estimate of population demographic parameters, a cornerstone for the management of aquatic natural living resources, which, in turn, represent the raw material for breeding programs. The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a marine flatfish of high commercial value living on the European continental shelf. While wild populations are declining, aquaculture is flourishing in southern Europe. We evaluated the genetic structure of turbot throughout its natural distribution range (672 individuals; 20 populations) by analyzing allele frequency data from 755 single nucleotide polymorphism discovered and genotyped by double‐digest RAD sequencing. The species was structured into four main regions: Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea, with subtle differentiation apparent at the distribution margins of the Atlantic region. Genetic diversity and effective population size estimates were highest in the Atlantic populations, the area of greatest occurrence, while turbot from other regions showed lower levels, reflecting geographical isolation and reduced abundance. Divergent selection was detected within and between the Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea regions, and also when comparing these two regions with the Black Sea. Evidence of parallel evolution was detected between the two low salinity regions, the Baltic and Black seas. Correlation between genetic and environmental variation indicated that temperature and salinity were probably the main environmental drivers of selection. Mining around the four genomic regions consistently inferred to be under selection identified candidate genes related to osmoregulation, growth, and resistance to diseases. The new insights are useful for the management of turbot fisheries and aquaculture by providing the baseline for evaluating the consequences of turbot releases from restocking and farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International fish trade reached an import value of 62.8 billion Euro in 2006, of which 44.6% are covered by the European Union. Species identification is a key problem throughout the life cycle of fishes: from eggs and larvae to adults in fisheries research and control, as well as processed fish products in consumer protection. Methodology/Principal Findings: This study aims to evaluate the applicability of the three mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA (16S), cytochrome b (cyt b), and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) for the identification of 50 European marine fish species by combining techniques of "DNA barcoding" and microarrays. In a DNA barcoding approach, neighbour Joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees of 369 16S, 212 cyt b, and 447 COI sequences indicated that cyt b and COI are suitable for unambiguous identification, whereas 16S failed to discriminate closely related flatfish and gurnard species. In course of probe design for DNA microarray development, each of the markers yielded a high number of potentially species-specific probes in silico, although many of them were rejected based on microarray hybridisation experiments. None of the markers provided probes to discriminate the sibling flatfish and gurnard species. However, since 16S-probes were less negatively influenced by the "position of label" effect and showed the lowest rejection rate and the highest mean signal intensity, 16S is more suitable for DNA microarray probe design than cty b and COI. The large portion of rejected COI-probes after hybridisation experiments (>90%) renders the DNA barcoding marker as rather unsuitable for this high-throughput technology. Conclusions/Significance: Based on these data, a DNA microarray containing 64 functional oligonucleotide probes for the identification of 30 out of the 50 fish species investigated was developed. It represents the next step towards an automated and easy-to-handle method to identify fish, ichthyoplankton, and fish products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of some heavy metals in the muscle tissue of Merlangius merlangus (whiting), Mullus barbatus (red mullet), Engraulis encrasicholus (anchovy) from Black and Mediterranean Seas were studied. The highest Al (95.313 μg/g dw), Mn (1.390 μg/g dw), Zn (25.416 μg/g dw) concentration was detected in E. encrasicholus from Black Sea; the highest Li (3.200 μg/g dw) concentration was detected in E. encrasicholus from Mediterranean Sea; the highest Cd (1.685 μg/g dw) concentration was detected in M. merlangus from Mediterranean Sea; the highest Ni (1.363 μg/g dw) concentration was detected in M. merlangus from Black Sea; the highest Pb (0.727 μg/g dw) concentration was detected in M. barbatus from Black Sea and the highest Cr (1.893 μg/g dw), Fe (21.901 μg/g dw) concentration was detected in M. barbatus from Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphometric and meristic analyses of chub mackerel Scomber japonicus were used to discriminate stocks throughout the Black, Marmara, Aegean, and northeastern Mediterranean Seas. Morphometric and meristic analyses showed a similar pattern of differentiation between S. japonicus stocks and revealed a clear discreteness of two groups, northeastern Mediterranean (Antalya Bay–Iskenderun Bay) and the northern group, including the Aegean, Marmara, and Black Seas. Univariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between means of the samples for most morphometric and meristic descriptors. The contribution of each variable in distinguishing between the stocks for the first discriminant function revealed high contribution from head size measurements for morphometrics, and first and second dorsal fin rays for meristics. Plotting all specimens on the first two discriminant functions accounted for 76% of total variance for morphometric and 69% of total variance for meristic analyses, and both plots resulted in two main groupings. The overall random assignment of individuals to their original group was higher in morphometric than in meristic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Zoology is the property of Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study genetic and morphologic structure of the sea-bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, in Turkish coastal waters were studied. Total 120 individuals were sampled in equal numbers from the Black, Marmara, Aegean and North-eastern Mediterranean Seas. In genetic analyses, four-enzyme systems (G3PDH*, ME*, MDH*, PGI*) were assayed, representing 9 loci (G3PDH-1*, G3PDH-2*, MDH-1*, MDH-2*, MDH-3*, ME*, PGI-1*, PGI-2*, PGI-3*), 2 of which were polymorphic (G3PDH-2*, PGI-3*). Fisher's exact test revealed that there were no genetic differences between populations using 9 loci. Nei's genetic distance was 0.0001 between the Black Sea and Mediterranean samples. Genetic identity was also found to be 0.9999 between the Black and Mediterranean Sea samples. In canonical discriminant function analysis, a high degree of morphologic differentiation was detected between populations. Proportions of correctly classified Aegean Sea (100%) and Black Sea (97%) samples to their original group were highest. Plotting discriminant function 1 and discriminant function 2 separated all the populations from each other, showing a high degree of morphometric differentiation among populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships among four genera and nine species (Mugil cephalus,Mugil soiuy,Liza ramada,Liza aurata,Liza abu,Liza saliens,Liza carinata,Chelon labrosus,Oedalechilus labeo) of the Mediterranean mullets (Mugilidae) were investigated by means of allozyme electrophoresis using a seven-enzyme system (CK*,GAPDH*,G3PDH*,IDHP*,ME*,MDH*,PGM*) comprising eleven putative loci. The highest genetic divergence was 1.299, detected betweenM. cephalusandL. aurataand the lowest (0.280) was found betweenL. carinataandL. saliens. The amount of genetic divergence between the generaChelonandOedalechilusdid not appear to be high (0.285). In a UPGMA tree, all nine species were grouped in two main branchings. In the first branch,C. labrosusandO. labeoclustered as closest taxa and were sister group toL. ramada. The other fourLizaspecies produced two sub-branching in this group;L. carinatabranched together withL. saliens, andL. auratabranched together withL. abu. In the second branch the two species of the genus Mugil,M. cephalusandM. soiuy, clustered together and were clearly isolated from the other three genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences is the property of Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Morphologic differentiation among stocks of Mediterranean horse mackerel, Trachurus mediterraneus, throughout the Black, Marmara, Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas, was investigated using morphometric and meristic characters. Discriminant function analysis of both morphometric and meristic characters suggested that there is restricted migration of mackerel among the adjacent seas. Overlapping of four Black sea samples on the discriminant space in morphometric and meristic characters suggested that there is one self-recruiting population in the area. The Marmara sea samples were the most isolated samples from all others for both morphometric and meristic characters, which may indicate existence of a distinguishable mackerel stock in the area. The sample from the Aegean Sea was grouped with one geographically close Mediterranean sample based on morphometrics, and separated from all other Mediterranean samples based on meristic characters, suggesting some degree of intermingling between these areas. Examination of the contribution of each morphometric variable to canonical functions indicated that differences among samples seemed to be associated with the anterior part of the body. In meristic analyses, highest contributions to canonical functions were associated with the number of gill rakers and pectoral fin rays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences is the property of Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Allozymes and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP's) in genes of the NADH dehydrogenase complex (ND 5/6 genes) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were used to investigate the spatial genetic structure of Atlanto-Scandian herring (Clupea harengus). Samples (sample size=46–50/site) comprised Icelandic summer spawners, Norwegian spring spawners, and two fjord populations, Balsfjord and Trondheimsfjord, on the Norwegian coast. Fifty enzymes were assayed, and samples were routinely examined at 18 enzymes comprising 28 putative allozyme loci. Significant genetic differentiation (P < 0.001) was detected between Trondheimsfjord herring and all other samples, with apparent genetic homogeneity among remaining samples, including the Balsfjord; a region shown previously to contain an allozymically distinct population. Herring from the Balsfjord were shown allozymically to represent the Norwegian spring spawning group, suggesting the presence of two stocks, a deeper resident spawning (Balsfjord) and a shallower, non-native feeding population (Norwegian spring spawning). Variation at the ND5/6 genes using six restriction enzymes revealed 96 composite haplotypes in 196 fish. Mean haplotype diversity was high (0.92), though nucleotide divergence between samples was small (highest=0.00029, between Trondheimsfjord and Balsfjord samples; lowest=0.00003, between Icelandic summer and Balsfjord samples). Monte-Carlo %2 analysis of haplotype frequencies revealed no significant geographic heterogeneity among samples, thus revealing a discordant pattern of genetic differentiation produced by allozymes and mtDNA markers. The detection of a genetically divergent population in deeper waters of the Trondheimsfjord supports the existence of distinct deep-water resident populations in the Norwegian fjords. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The progress on species distribution modelling (SDM) methods has brought new insights into the field of biological invasion management. In particular, statistical niche modelling, for spatio-temporal predictions of marine species' distribution, is an increasingly used tool, supporting efficient decision-making for prevention and conservation. Earth's climate has changed significantly in the last century and the number of alien species penetrating from Indo-Pacific Ocean and South part of the Atlantic in the Mediterranean will continue to increase over the next decades. The purpose of the present study was to predict the potential geographic distribution and expansion of invasive alien lionfish (Pterois miles and Pterois volitans) with ecological niche modelling along the Mediterranean Sea. Temporal and spatial occurrence data from the first occurrence of a species for each country with coast along the Mediterranean Sea, was used to develop robust predictions of species richness, since the capacity to predict spatial patterns of species richness remains largely unassessed in this region. Marine climatic data layers were collected from the Bio- ORACLE and MARSPEC global databases. Different statistical models were evaluated to establish if these could provide useful predictions of absolute and relative lionfish distribution and expansion. The findings are an important step towards validating the use of SDM for invasive alien lionfish in the Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Karaman (Capoeta Bergama), one of the fish species which is commonly called Bergama barb. It mentions that this kind is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' (IUCN) Red List as an endangered species. It notes that this species has elongated body, with medium-sized scales. It lives in relatively cool waters and procreates in April to June. In addition, it is threatened by domestic and industrial wastewater pollution.

The article features the Capoeta pestai Pietschmann, 1933. The common names are Egirdir barb and Egirdir Siraz baligi. This species is closely related to Capoeta trutta on the bases of morphological characteristics, but its validation is supported with molecular genetic analysis. This species has a large silvery cyprinid, with a broad snout and a small mouth bearing two very small short barbels. It is mostly a lacustrine species, but inhabits wetlands and permanent freshwater streams. In addition, it has been extirpated from Lake Egirdir in Turkey due to predation by alien fish species, destruction of shallow water habitats, irrigation, and over fishing.

The article provides information on the endangered fish Capoeta antalyensis due to limited distribution. It notes that the fish is vulnerable and that it prefers upper reaches with high flow, clear and cold water, and inhibits sandy streams, being concurrently with Salmo trutta macrostigma. It also discusses the conservation and recommendation actions are discussed.