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Many studies have been carried out along mighty rivers with heavily industrialized watersheds to evaluate pollutants and their effects on freshwater organisms. However, their impact on marine organisms is virtually unknown. In order to cover this gap, Solea solea, one of the most important commercial fish species, together with sediments, were sampled during 2013–2015 offshore from the Ebro Delta river mouth. Fish health indicators (condition indices, histological tissue alterations, and parasite descriptors) were used to assess the potential effect of pollutants, an issue of particular interest in the area following the dredging activities taking place in the river upstream in 2013. No major histopathological alterations were detected, but perivascular inflammatory foci (PIF) were frequently observed, especially in 2014. The most prevalent and abundant parasites were acanthocephalans and digeneans within the digestive tract and copepods on the gills. Levels of trace metals from sediments and fish muscle were below the effects range median and reference levels accepted for human consumption, respectively. However, the lower levels of the hepatosomatic index, higher numbers of PIF, and variations in the abundance of parasites in 2014 and 2015 could suggest a pollutant exposure during these years. These results warn signs of toxicity, which could be associated with sediment leaks during the dredging activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species diversity of Lepidapedon Stafford, 1904 (Lepidapediae) in the Western Mediterranean was assessed based on samples from five deep-sea gadiform fishes collected between the Balearic Islands and the Catalonian coast of Spain: Lepidion lepidion (Risso) and Mora moro (Risso) (both Moridae); Coelorinchus mediterraneus Iwamoto & Ungaro and Trachyrincus scabrus (Rafinesque) (both Macrouridae); and Phycis blennoides (Brünnich) (Phycidae). Integration of morphological and molecular evidence (28S rRNA gene and the mitochondrial nad1 gene) revealed that the deep-sea fishes in the Western Mediterranean share two species of Lepidapedon. Lepidapedon desclersae Bray & Gibson, 1995 was recovered in all five fish species of three families [Moridae (L. lepidion and M. moro); Macrouridae (C. mediterraneus and T. scabrus); and Phycidae (P. blennoides)] and L. guevarai Lopez-Roman & Maillard, 1973 was recovered in three fish species of three families [Phycidae (P. blennoides); Macrouridae (T. scabrus); and Moridae (L. lepidion)]. Therefore, both species are considered to be euryxenic but restricted to gadiforms. The voucher material for the two species from different fish hosts is described in detail and the host-related variability based on the morphometric data is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper includes the complete description of the new species Arcturinella deltensis and the comparison with the other species of the same genus, A. banyulensis. The holotype used by Poisson and Maury (1931) to describe A. banyulensis is currently missing. The unique specimen available was one female from Estepona, Málaga (Strait of Gibraltar area) cited by Rodríguez-Sánchez et al. (2001). The occurrence in the Ebro Delta (Iberian Peninsula) of some females belonging to genus Arcturinella is here reported. A detailed morphological study revealed that the specimens from the Ebro Delta have the same features as the female from Estepona and significant differences compared to A. banyulensis; consequently, A. deltensis sp. nov. is erected. The taxonomical status of A. banyulensis becomes uncertain because it cannot be proved whether its characters are described adequately. However, enough differences are detected among the analyzed specimens and the description and figures from Poisson and Maury (1931) to clearly justify the distinction of a new species. The genus Arcturinella is diagnosed as follows: body flattened dorsoventrally, not geniculate between pereonites 4 and 5; cephalon fused with pereonite 1, incomplete suture at the margins; pereonite 4 hexagonal and widest, with posterior margin not excavated; pleotelson without free segments, with lateral wings; mandibles rounded, pars incisiva and pars molaris absent; pereopods 1-4 reduced; pereopods 1-3 flattened and with articles not fused; pereopod 1 unguis absent; pereopods 2-4 dactyli absent; pereopod 4 vestigial, linear, with circular or angular section, with or without fused articles; brood-pouch of oostegites of pereonites 2-4; pereopods 5-7 with secondary unguis smaller than the primary unguis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]