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Višejezični rječnik za ribarsku struku, hrvatski, latinski, engleski, češki

The structure of the pituitary gland was studied in 3 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Adriatic Sea. This species is legally protected in Croatia. All examined animals died of natural causes and were found stranded along the eastern Adriatic coast. The pituitary gland is a rectangular body suspended at the base of the brain and situated in a depression of the sphenoid bone, clearly identififi ed as sella turcica. The gland was divided into the adenohypophysis and the eurohipophisis, interconnected by thick layer of connective tissue. Pars distalis and pars tuberalis were observed in the adenohypophysis while the pars intermedia was lacking. The pars distalis was built of three main cell types: acidophils, basophils and chromophobes. Most of the acidophils were situated in the centre of the gland while chromophobes occurred dorsal and basophils ventral. Pars tuberalis was composed of cords of polygonal and vacuolated cells, which were in close association with numerous blood vessels. Large numbers of colloid-containing follicles were observed throughout the pars tuberalis. The neurohypophysis of the bottlenose dolphin consisted of unmyelinated nerve fifi bres among which numerous pituicytes were scattered.

The measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) in dolphins was described in earlier investigations, but only by application of osteodensitometric methods used for man. The aim of this study was to test the possibilities of applying the method for small animals in the measurement of the bone mineral density in dolphins. The humeri of the right flfl ippers of 24 bottlenose dolphins (11 males and 13 females) were analyzed using the dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) method for measurement and analysis of the bone mineral density in small animals. The tested method can be successfully applied for measuring bone mineral density in dolphins, but the range of measured values was lower than values that resulted from using the method for man. Statistical analysis indicated positive linear correlations between bone mineral density of dolphin humerus and the total body length and age of the dolphins.

The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is an endangered and legally protected species in Croatia, whose demographic history is poorly known. It is the only resident marine mammal species in Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, with number estimated at around 250 individuals. There are indications that there has been intensive eradication operations in the mid 20th century that might have caused reductions in the effective population size and might have resulted in a loss of genetic variation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate a possibility of recent population size contraction and to compare the level of genetic diversity in the bottlenose dolphin population from the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea with other bottlenose dolphin populations. Thirty samples were genotyped at 12 dinucleotide microsatellite loci. Bottleneck analysis gave ambiguous evidence for a recent population decline in the investigated bottlenose dolphin population. M ratio test, with two sets of parameter values, suggested a recent bottleneck ; whereas analysis by Bottleneck program under two mutation models (TPM and SMM) showed no evidence for a genetic bottleneck. In addition, there was no evidence for a significant deviation from the normal L-shaped distribution of allele frequencies as expected for a stable population under mutation-drift equilibrium. Furthermore, both allelic richness (6.956) and expected heterozygosty (0.676) of the Adriatic population are above mean of all compared populations (5.993 and 0.658, respectively), confirming relatively high level of genetic diversity in the investigated Adriatic population. Due to ambiguous results, further research is needed to elucidate demographic history of this bottlenose dolphin population.

The stomach contents of two Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) stranded along the eastern Adriatic coast were examined. One was a male stranded in 2004 and the other was a newborn stranded in 2008. Milk was found in the newborn’s stomach. The prey of the male was only cephalopods belonging mainly to the Teuthoidea. Five families and seven species were identified. Octopoteuthis sicula represented about 50% of estimated prey weight and Chiroteuthis veranyi was the most frequent species (estimated from the quantity of lower beaks). Three species are not listed in the Adriatic fauna, while the other species are found in middle and lower slope cephalopod assemblages in the southern Adriatic Sea.

Ki to vi (Ordo: Ce ta cea) od 1995. u Hr vat skoj su za ko nom za{;ti};ene `ivo tinj ske vr ste, a nji ho va smr tno st sus tav no se pra ti od 1990. Od lis to pa da 1990. do trav nja 2010. ut vr|eno 205 na la za uginulih mor skih si sa va ca u hr vat skom di je lu Jad ranskog mo ra. Pos tmor tal no su preg le dane 176 je di nke. U ra du su opi sana ~eti ri mor ska si sav ca ~ije su le{;ine pro na|ene na Mlje tu i u okol nom mo ru Mlje ta. U sklo pu pos tmor tal noga preg le da odre|eni su vr sta, spol, dob, vanj ske mor fo lo{;ke mjere `ivotinja te su obavljeni razudba i pregled organa. Analiziran je sadr`aj `eluca, in va di ra no st pa ra zi ti ma, opi sa ne su pa to lo{;ke prom je ne i od re|en je uz rok smr ti. Dvi je le{;ine pri pa da le su dob rom du pinu (Tur sio ps trun ca tus), jed na gla vatom dupinu (Grampus griseus) i jed na krup no zubom du pinu (Ziphius carvirostris).

Mor ski sisavci za kon ski su za{; ; ; ti}; ; ; ene `ivo tinj ske vr ste u Hr vat skoj. Pra}; ; ; enje nji ho vih po pu la ci ja pre ma va`e}; ; ; im na cio nal nim za kon skim pro pi si ma i me|una rod nim ugovo ri ma na{; ; ; a je ob ve za. Sus tav no pra}; ; ; enje `ivih i mr tvih mor skih si sa va ca pro vo di se ve}; ; ; dva de se tak go di na na Ve te ri nar skom fa kul te tu Sveu~ili{; ; ; ta u Zag re bu i re zul ti ra lo je ve li kom ba zom po da ta ka o pri sut nos ti po jedinih vr sta mor skih si sa va ca u Jad ranskom mo ru, o nji hovoj zem ljo pi snoj i vre men skoj ras pros tra nje nos ti, o zdrav stvenom sta nju i uz roci ma smr ti, o spo lnoj i do bnoj struk turi, mor fo lo{; ; ; kim i ge net skim oso bi tos tima te o preh rani. Tako ve li ka ba za s raz nov r snim po da ci ma o na la zi ma mrtvih i opa`anji ma `ivih `ivo ti nja te o fo toi den ti fi ka ciji je din ki za htije va po seb no pri la go|eno web su~elje ra di olak{; ; ; anog uno sa, spre ma nja, ob ra de i preg le da po da taka. Ra di pri kup lja nja {; ; ; to kva li tet ni jih po da ta ka raz vi je na je mre`a do jav lji va~a du` na{; ; ; e oba le ko ji }; ; ; e na taj na~in mo}; ; ; i sa mos tal no, brzo i to~no uno si ti po dat ke u ba zu pu tem in ter ne ta. Ra~unal na ap li ka ci ja za poh ra nu i ob ra du po da ta ka o mor skim sisavci ma Jad ran sko ga mo ra, nap rav lje na na Za vo du za pri mi je nje no ra~unar stvo Fakul te ta elek trotehni ke i ra~unar stva, teh no lo{; ; ; ki je nap red no rje{; ; ; enje pri la go|eno kraj njem ko ris ni ku. Iz me|u os ta log, omo gu}; ; ; uje di na mi~ku pri la god bu fun kcio nalnos ti pot re ba ma ko ris ni ka te la ku bu du}; ; ; u na dog rad nju. Prim je nom te ra~unal ne apli ka ci je znat no su olak{; ; ; ani pos tup ci od uno sa do preg le da po da ta ka o mor skim sisavcima koji su redovito potrebni raznim korisnicima, od neprofesionalnih promatra~ a pre ko za ko no da va ca do is tra`iva~a. Ovim iz la ga njem `eli mo pred sta vi ti na ve denu ra~unal nu ap li ka ci ju i ob jas ni ti njeno radno ko ri{; ; ; te nje.

Endoskopska kirurška anatomija janjeće glave

Difficult labour (dystocia) has an important role in human and veterinary obstetrics and often requires an assisted delivery to prevent complications, both in the mother and the newborn. Its main causes are abnormal fetal positions, fetal abnormalities, and disorders in the form and function of the reproductive tract of the mother. In animals in the wild difficult labours proceed unassisted and they can end fatal for the fetus, mother or both. As part of a long-term project to investigate marine mammal strandings, 139 bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) carcasses found in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea were examined from October 1990 to November 2009. In five cases we observed dystocia with fatal consequences. The age of the females ranged from 6 to 22 years. The causes of dystocia were abnormal fetal positions (dolphin No. 8 and 159) and a fetal congenital abnormality (dolphin No. 183). In two dolphins the cause of dystocia could not be observed but there were evidences of a difficult labour in form of a prolapsed uterus (dolphin No. 17) and prolapsed vagina and urinary bladder (dolphin No. 35). The bottlenose dolphin is the only resident marine mammal species in the Adriatic Sea, with an estimated number of around 200 adult individuals and around 20 cubs living in the Croatian area. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 bottlenose dolphin births occur there annually, so the estimated total number of births since 1990 is between 270 and 360. This means that dystocia with fatal consequences appears in between 1.4% to 1.9% of all births in the bottlenose dolphin from the Croatian part of the Adriatic.

The Adriatic Sea is semi-closed in the eastern Mediterranean Over one third of cetacean mortality in this area during the past 19 years is attributed to antropogenic causes. We examined the diet of four odontocete species that appear in the Adriatic regularly: Risso's dolphin, Striped dolphin and Cuvier's beaked whale, and the only resident one: the Bottlenose dolphin. 201 animals were found stranded in this period and a stomach content analysis was done, and in addition we conducted a series of interview on cetacean presence and behavior with local fishermen. The Bottlenose dolphin was feeding on the prey in inshore area, with >60% prey biomass attributed by Sparidae, while other species were feeding offshore: Risso's dolphin and Cuvier's beaked whale fed exclusively on cephalopods of middle and lower slope, respectively, without a direct interaction with the firsheris A correlation was established between the fish stock status and the bottlenose dolphin mortality: as the stock dropped the dolphins maintained a similar diet, a possible result of the growth of the competiton with fishermen, but also a possible consequence of adopting the alternative feeding methods, as the interviews implied. The results urge for a revision of the management measures in eastern Adriatic in order to sustain the small local bottlenose dolphin population.

An unusual lymph vessel was found in a male dog of estimated age 5-6 years, probably a German shepherd and Rottweiler cross bred. At the level of the 11th right dorsal intercostal artery a common trunk arising from the cranial cisterna chyli divided into a very thin thoracic duct (ductus thoracicus) with a diameter of 1-2 mm and a much bigger lymphatic vessel with a diameter of 6 mm. The thoracic duct, very thin in its postcardiac segment, was situated in its normal anatomical position while the big lymphatic vessel extended cranially through the right mediastinum covered with the right mediastinal pleura (pleura mediastinalis dextra). It ran laterally to the origins of the right dorsal intercostal arteries, situated at the ventral border of the right azygos vein, the right surface of the oesophagus and the dorsal wall of the Sussdorff’ s cavity (cavum mediastini serosum). At the root of the right lung (radix pulmonis dextra) it crossed the ventral surface of the oesophagus, inclined to the left cranial medistinum and drained into the thoracic duct. We recognized this large lymphatic vessel and its unusual course as the accessory thoracic duct - an anatomical variation with its origin in the embryonic development of the thoracic duct.

The Mediterranean monk seal {; ; Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered animal species in the world. Historically, it was spread along the Adriatic Sea, but it is declared extinct in this region since the second half of the 20* century. Cranial morphometry of an adult Mediterranean monk seal skull from the Adriatic Sea was recorded. The skull originates from the year 1964 and it is presumed that the specimen was killed by a fisherman on the small island Bisevo, close to the island Vis. Today, the skull is housed in the marine mammal collection of the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia. Twentyfour cranial measurements were taken using digital calipers. The aim of our study was to preserve craniometrical data of one of the last adult autochthonous specimen of the Mediterranean monk seal from the Adriatic Sea.

Predložena je organizacija Nacionalne banke tkiva morskih sisavaca

Sva dosadašnja istraživanja mineralne gustoće kostiju dupina su opisana samo na temelju rezultata dobivenih primjenom DEXA [dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) metode za mjerenje slabinske kralježnice čovjeka, a pokušaja mjerenja drugim metodama do sada nije bilo. Mineralna gustoća kosti kao svojstvo koštanog sustava kod dupina se može povezivati s različitim dijelovima morfologije, fiziologije, patologije, dijagnostike i liječenja, te s nizom bioloških svojstava. Istraživanje je provedeno na nadlaktičnim kostima desne prsne peraje ukupno 24 dobra dupina (11 mužjaka i 13 ženki). Koštani preparati su analizirani upotrebom osteodenzitometra s metodom mjerenja mineralne gustoće kosti za male životinje i s metodom za čovjeka. Cilj istraživanja je opisati razlike u izvedbi i tumačenju rezultata dobivenih primjenom metode za male životinje i primjenom metode za čovjeka te utvrditi mogućnost primjene metode za male životinje u mjerenju mineralne gustoće kosti dupina. Utvrđeno je da se metoda za mjerenje mineralne gustoće malih životinja može uspješno primjenjivati na dupinima, ali je raspon izmjerenih vrijednosti sadržaja minerala i mineralne gustoće kosti nešto niži nego kod primjene metode za čovjeka. Statistička analiza je pokazala pozitivnu linearnu korelaciju između mineralne gustoće nadlaktične kosti dupina i ukupne dužine tijela i dobi dupina.

As part of a long-term project to investigate marine mammal strandings, 131 bottlenose dolphin {;Tursiops truncatus) carcasses found in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea were examined from 1990 to April 2009. In 13 cases (five of them were either fetuses found in uteruses of dead mothers or aborted fetuses ; while eight were born alive and lived for various periods of time) we observed congenital umbilical hernia, a malformation of the ventral abdominal wall. This malformation is well known in animals and humans and causes death in-utero or soon after birth in terrestrial animals. In humans, the congenital umbilical hernia appears in 3.5 out of 10, 000 births. The bottlenose dolphin is the only resident marine mammal species in the Adriatic Sea, with an estimated number of around 200 adult individuals and around 20 cubs living in the Croatian area. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 bottlenose dolphin births occur there annually, so the estimated total number of births since 1990 is between 270 and 360. This means that congenital umbilical hernia appears in between 361 and 482 out of 10, 000 births of bottlenose dolphins in the Croatian Adriatic Sea. Our findings indicate that the incidence of congenital umbilical hernia in the Adriatic bottlenose dolphins is more than 100 times higher than that recorded in humans. The cause of such high incidence in the bottlenose dolphin remains unknown. Our future research will focus on determining a degree of relatedness among affected animals using molecular markers, in which we would test the hypothesis of the genetic basis of this malformation in the bottlenose dolphin. Furthermore, we do not know whether such high incidence of congenital umbilical hernia is found only in the Adriatic bottlenose dolphin population, or is it inherent to the bottlenose dolphin species.

Dobri dupin (Tursiops truncatus) je jedini rezidentni sisavac Jadranskoga mora i od 1995. godine je u Hrvatskoj zakonom zaštićen, čime je zabranjeno njegovo uznemiravanje i ubijanje. Smrtnost morskih sisavaca u Hrvatskoj se sustavno prati od 1990. godine. Do travnja 2009. godine postmortalno su pregledane 131 jedinke dobrog dupina. U četiri jednike, utvrđene su ozljede uzrokovane vatrenim oružjem. Jedna je životinja bila ženka, dok su ostale tri bili mužjaci, a prema starosnim skupinama jedna je životinja bila mladunče dok su ostale tri bile odrasle. Nastrijeljeni dupini nađeni su 2002. u Novigradskom moru, 2003. na Hvaru i 2008. godine kraj Makarske i u Istri. Dva su dupina ozljeđena puščanim metkom, a druga dva olovnom sačmom. U tri dupina smrt je nastupila neposredno nakon ranjavanja zbog ozljeda vitalnih dijelova tijela, dok u jednog dupina ozlijede nisu bile fatalne. Dupin oznake 76 napucan je sa 160 olovnih kugli u područje leđa i leđne peraje. U dupina oznake 109 puščani metak je ozlijedio slabinsku kralježnicu i rebra s okolnim mišićjem i krvnim žilama, te ošit i predželudac. Životinja je iskrvarila u lijevu pleuralnu šupljinu. U dupina 186 olovna kugla probila je svod lubanjske šupljine i oštetila desnu polutku velikog mozga. Dupin 195 uginuo je zbog paralize repa uzrokovane oštećenjem slabinske kralježnice i okolnog mišićja puščanim metkom. Svi slučajevi prijavljeni su nadležnim tijelima.

Theaimofthisstudyistoexaminethedifferencesoftheflipperosteodensitometric characteristics in two dolphin sepcies which are morphologically very similar, but live in different environments. The pectoral flippers of 24 cetacean specimens representing two odontocete genera were obtained, 12 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and 12 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). External body measurements were taken and osteodensitometric properties (BMC, bone mineral content, and BMD, bone mineral density) were measured by DEXA method. Osteodensitometric parameters in the examined area were positively correlated to the flipper morphometric properties, especially to the cranial flipper length. Correlation of the greatest flipper width and osteodensitometric parameters is different in examined dolphin species. According to the bigger body size and stronger skeleton, bottlenose dolphin has higher osteodensitometric values than striped dolphin. Intensive body activity increase muscle mass and bone mineral density, and suggest higher forelimb muscle activity in bottlenose dolphin than in striped dolphin.

Human influence on cetacean mortality is evident in many regions. Some humancetacean interactions which result in high cetacean mortality, like by catch, can even impact the population dynamics of small or localized cetacean populations. The Adriatic Sea is inhabited by only one resident cetacean species - the bottlenose dolphin. There are no data on the population size, but it is estimated that there are around 250 bottlenose dolphins in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. We studied the incidence and nature of human induced mortality of cetaceans stranded in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea from October 1990 till November 2008. Postmortem examinations were performed on 158 cetacean carcasses consisting of 127 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), 18 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), seven Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), four Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and two fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) ; while the cause of death was determined in 57.6% of cases. Human induced mortality was higher in the resident bottlenose dolphins (62.3% animals) than in the non-resident cetaceans (27.3% animals). In bottlenose dolphins, by-catch was the most prevailing human induced cause of death (22 animals), followed by larynx strangulation with gillnet parts (12 animals), gun wounds (4 animals), physical traumatic injuries (3 animals) and presumed blast trauma caused by dynamite fishing (2 animals). Human induced mortality in the non-resident cetaceans was represented by bycatch (4 animals) and physical traumatic injuries (2 animals). Conservation measures likely to mitigate the problem of human induced cetacean mortalities remain to be identified and implemented.

Systematic research on cetacean mortality in the Croatian waters of the Adriatic Sea was initiated through the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb in 1990, five years prior to the legislative protection of cetacean species in this region. The first attempt was to retrieve marine mammal carcasses for research in comparative anatomy and histology. Today, our project includes research in a wide range of cetacean biology: cetacean species abundance, spatio-temporal distribution, population dynamics, morphology, morphometry, genetics, pathoanatomy, infectious diseases, parasitology, toxicology and diet. The Croatian Marine Mammal Stranding Network is the result of a long-term attempt to inform and educate coastal inhabitants about the importance of cetacean mortality monitoring. It functions today as a well organized communication chain between the finder of a cetacean carcass (fishermen, tourists, and local inhabitants), legislative bodies (Croatian Ministry of Culture, State Institute for Nature Protection, police, coastal guard) and scientific institutions (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Science). An attempt was made to investigate every stranding report received from October 1990 till May 2009. Postmortem examinations were performed on 165 cetacean carcasses consisting of 133 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), 18 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), seven Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), four Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), two fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and one seal, probably monk seal (Monachus monachus). The post-mortem examination included determination of species, sex, body mass, external measurements and a patho-anatomical dissection according to a standard protocol. Tissue samples of each necropsied cetacean were stored frozen or preserved in 10% formalin and 90% ethyl alcohol solution in the cetacean tissue bank at the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb for further morphological, genetic and toxicological analyses. The age of necropsied bottlenose dolphins and striped dolphins was estimated by counting growth layer groups in dentine, while in other species radiological analysis of epiphiscal fusion of pectoral fin bones was used for age class estimation. Skeletons of the examined cetaceans were stored at the above mentioned Department. A total of 195 cetacean strandings were recorded in the study period, but 30 carcasses were not examined because of, e.g. the difficult field and weather conditions. The most often recovered cetacean species was the bottlenose dolphin which is also considered the only resident marine mammal in the Adriatic Sea. The striped dolphin was the most often encountered nonresidential species. From the geographical point of view the bottlenose dolphin carcasses were evenly distributed along the Croatian coast, whereas the nonresidential species were more often recovered in the Southern Adriatic. August is the most fatal month for the bottlenose dolphin. On the other hand, none of the non-residential specimens was recovered during late summer/early autumn months when the human activities in the Adriatic Sea are the most intense. The mortality among the bottlenose dolphin sexes is equally distributed, while in striped dolphins and Risso's dolphins male carcasses were recovered predominantly. The highest mortality in bottlenose dolphins is in the newborn age. The newborns are found dead only from April till August. Our findings indicate that these months represent the calving season of the bottlenose dolphin in the Adriatic Sea. Long-term and systematic investigations of the cetacean mortality provide the important data on their distribution, abundance and health status, as well as threats to their health and survival. The obtained results should prove valuable for the conservation and management of these endangered and protected animal species.

Prikazana je smrtnost kitova u Jadranskom moru u 2008. godini te su analizirane pojavnost vrste, zemljopisna i vremenska rasprostranjenost, spolna i dobna raspodjela i uzroci smrti.

Sredozemna medvjedica [Monachus monachus), jedini tuljan Sredozemlja, jedna je od najugroženijih životinjskih vrsta na Zemlji. Nekada je obitavala i u hrvatskom dijelu Jadrana. Smatra se da već više od 20 godina ne živi u Jadranu, iako povremeno neke jedinke u njega zalutaju. S obzirom da je u najvišem stupnju ugroženosti, svaki podatak doprinosi razumijevanju biologije te vrste. U Zavodu za anatomiju, histologiju i embriologiju Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu čuva se lubanja sredozemne medvjedice koja je pronađena u Komiži 1964. godine. Lubanja je pohranjena nakon skidanja mekih dijelova glave i sušenja. Za daljnja istraživanja lubanje od izuzetne je važnosti poznavanje spola životinje. Iz sasušenog tkiva uzetog iz zubne alveole izolirana je DNA.. Lančanom reakcijom polimeraze (PCR), uz četiri oligonukleotidne početnice (Y53-3C, Y53-3D, P1-5EZ, P2-3EZ) dobili smo produkt od 445 pb nastao umnažanjem dijela gena ZFX/ZFY koji postoji kod mužjaka i ženki, ali nismo dobili produkt od 224 pb koji nastaje umnažanjem dijela gena sry kojeg imaju samo mužjaci. Time smo utvrdili da istražena lubanja pripada ženki sredozemne medvjedice.

Sightings of beaked whales in the Adriatic Sea have been reported from its southern part, which is between 200 and 1000 meters deep. Information on diet composition of deep-diving whales is scarce and not available for the Adriatic Sea. Between 1990 and 2007 three specimens of Ziphius cavirostris were found dead, stranded along the Eastern Adriatic coast. We examined the specimens stomachs in order to determine the diet and compare it to the data from the Mediterranean Sea. Secondly, examining the diet could suggest the lenght of stay in the Adriatic Sea as the species are not considered resident in the area, and stomach contents include food remains of several feedings. Food remains were found in only one animal and consisted solely of cephalopod beaks. The total number of cephalopods found was 94, and they were acribed to 7 mesopelagic and bathypelagic species of the order Teuthida, with estimated biomass of 11 kg. Octopoteuthis sicula and Chiroteuthis verany dominated both in terms of number (68.5%) and weight (64.5 %), and the prey size implies the foraging depth was between 400 and 1000 meters.Two of the prey species have not been listed in the Adriatic cephalopod fauna, but as are widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea. We suggest that the whale was recently feeding in the Mediterranean Sea, but was also foraging in the Adriatic Sea as the dominant prey species are the most abundant deep-sea Teuthida in the Adriatic Sea.

Congenital umbilical hernia is a malformation of the ventral abdominal wall of animals and humans. In terrestrial species, such malformation causes death in-utero or soon after birth. To our knowledge there are no data on the incidence of this malformation in the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the literature. In humans, the congenital umbilical hernias appear in 3.5 out of 10, 000 cases of normal births. The bottlenose dolphin is the only resident marine mammal species in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, with an estimated number of around 200 adult individuals and around 20 cubs living in the area. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 bottlenose dolphin births occur there annually. We examined 123 carcasses of bottlenose dolphins found in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea since 1990. The congenital umbilical hernia was found in 13 cases (five of them were either foetuses found in uteruses of dead mothers or aborted foetuses ; while 8 were born alive and lived for various periods of time). The estimated total number of births of bottlenose dolphins in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea since 1990 is between 270 and 360. This means that congenital umbilical hernia appears in between 361 and 482 out of 10, 000 cases of normal births of bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic. Our findings indicate that the incidence of congenital umbilical hernia in the Adriatic bottlenose dolphins is more than 100 times higher than that recorded in humans. The cause of such high incidence in the bottlenose dolphin remains unknown. Our future research will focus on determining a degree of relatedness among affected animals using molecular markers, in which we would test the hypothesis of the genetic basis of this malformation in the bottlenose dolphin. Furthermore, we do not know whether such high incidence of congenital umbilical hernia is found only in the Adriatic population of the bottlenose dolphin, or is it inherent to the bottlenose dolphin species.

Systematic research on cetacean mortality in the Croatian waters of the Adriatic Sea was initiated through the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb in 1990, five years prior to the legislative protection of cetacean species in this region. A total of 173 cetacean strandings were recorded till January 2008. An attempt was made to investigate every stranding report received, but 22 carcasses were not examined because of, e.g. difficult field and weather conditions. Post-mortem examinations were performed on 151 cetacean carcasses consisting of 120 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), 17 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), nine Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), three Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), and two fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). The post-mortem examination included determination of species, sex, body mass, external measurements and a pathoanatomical dissection according to a standard protocol. Tissue samples of each necropsied cetacean were stored frozen or preserved in 10% formalin and 90% ethyl alcohol solution in the cetacean tissue bank for further morphological, genetic and toxicological analyses. The age of necropsied bottlenose dolphins and striped dolphins was estimated by counting growth layer groups in dentine, while in other species radiological analysis of epiphiseal fusion of pectoral fin bones was used for age class estimation. Skeletons of the examined cetaceans were stored as well. During the study period the most often recovered cetacean species was the bottlenose dolphin which is also considered the only resident marine mammal in the Adriatic Sea. The striped dolphin was the most often encountered non-residential species. From the geographical point of view the bottlenose dolphin carcasses were evenly distributed along the Croatian coast, whereas the nonresidential species were more often recovered in the Southern Adriatic. August is the most fatal month for the bottlenose dolphin. On the other hand, none of the non-residential specimens was recovered during late summer/early autumn months when the human activities in the Adriatic Sea are the most intense. The mortality among the bottlenose dolphin sexes is equally distributed, while in striped dolphins and Risso'dolphins male carcasses were recovered predominantly. The highest mortality in bottlenose dolphins is recorded in the newborns. The newborns are found dead only from April till August. Our findings indicate that these months represent the calving season of the bottlenose dolphin in the Adriatic Sea. Out of 151 post-mortally examined cetacean carcasses in total, 62 carcasses were in advanced state of decomposition, mummified or represented only by the skeletal remains. In the other 89 specimens non-fatal and fatal conditions (parasitism, trauma, congenital defects, neoplasia, etc.) were determined, which were induced by human activities in 51 (57.3%) cetaceans. By-catch is the most often human induced fatal condition and was determined in 33 cetacean carcasses. Long-term and systematic investigations of the cetacean mortality provide the important data on their distribution, abundance and health status, as well as threats to their health and survival. The obtained results should prove valuable for the conservation and management of these endangered and protected animal species.

Prikazana je smrtnost kitova u Jadranskom moru u 2007. godini te su analizirane pojavnost vrste, zemljopisna i vremenska rasprostranjenost, spolna i dobna raspodjela i uzroci smrti.

Interactions of dolphins with fishing gear have been regularly reported and they occur because of the cetacean strategy to increase the rate of feeding while decreasing the energy expenditure associated with foraging (Fertl and Leatherwood 1997). The most frequently reported form of cetacean interactions with fishing gear involves entanglement in fishing nets. Limited records exist related to depredation resulting in fishing gear ingestion. Ingestion of fishing hook and lure were documented by Gorzelany (1998). However, there are no documented cases of fishing gear ingestion resulting in larynx strangulation. Here we present bottlenose dolphins {;Tursiops truncatus) from the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea that have been affected with larynx strangulation with gillnet parts. The bottlenose dolphin is the only resident marine mammal species in Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea with the total number of individuals estimated at between 220 to 250 (Gomercic et al. 2002). It is endangered and legally protected species in Croatia. Croatia has a long tradition of small-scale coastal fishing, which exploits near-shore biological resources. Small-scale commercial and private fisheries use gillnets throughout the year. The level of exploitation is unknown because the catches of the coastal fishing gears are not recorded. However, the total amount of small-scale, artisanal fishers is estimated at around 18.000, of which only 8.500 are licensed (Dulcic et al. 2003). Fish entangled in gillnets present a source of concentrated prey all year round and are probably the only feeding source for animals with reduced hunting ability. The position of larynx in toothed whales makes it vulnerable to foreign bodies during deglutition. Their larynx is elongated into a tubular extension, the laryngeal spout, also commonly referred to as the "epiglottal beak" or "goose beak" (Gorzelany 1998) that transverses the digestive tract into the nasal cavity, where it remains in the erect position during deglutition. 120 bottlenose dolphins found dead throughout Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea were examined from 1990 till today. Age was estimated using annual growth layer groups (GLGs) from extracted teeth and based on modified methods described in Slooten (1991). Twelve bottlenose dolphins out of 120 examined (10%) had larynx strangulated with a gillnet part. In the majority of affected animals a fishing net part was hanging from the mouth and was the first indication of larynx strangulation. The gillnet part causing larynx strangulation was in form of a weaved cord encircling the dorsolateral wall of the laryngeal spout. Larynx strangulations most probably occur when dolphins feed on entangled fish from gillnets and accidentally tear off a part of the fishing net. The torn gillnet part might only partly pass into the esophagus during the swallowing of the prey and the rest of it hangs through the pharynx and the oral cavity out of the mouth. Partially swallowed gillnet part causes muscular actions of the pharynx advancing regurgitation. This muscular action brings the swallowed part of gillnet out of the esophagus and into the pharynx. If the swallowed part is directed into the opposite food channel of the food channel where the hanging part lies, it will encircle the laryngeal spout and larynx strangulation occurs. All animals affected by larynx strangulation were older than 7 years and the majority were older than 17 years, indicating that the animals acquired the feeding behavior of taking fish from gillnets from other conspecifics. The examined carcasses of other cetacean species did not show signs of larynx strangulation. Gillnet strangulations could impact the population dynamics of bottlenose dolphin population in the Adriatic Sea as much as 10% of examined bottlenose dolphin carcasses were affected. There are different measures proposed to reduce dolphin interactions with gillnets, e.g. reducing fishing seasons or regions (Murray et al. 2000), establishing marine protected areas free of gillnet fishing (Dawson and Slooten, 1993) and gear modifications (Dawson, 1991). The legislative regulation that would ensure avoiding spatio-temporal overlap of dolphin foraging and human gillnet fishing activities along the Eastern Adriatic Sea would not be feasible since the affected animals were found throughout the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea during all seasons. Additionally, both fishing ground closures and creation of MPAs can have deleterious social and economic effects on fishing- based communities (Mooney et al. 2007). Future investigations should focus on investigating pathological changes of larynxes affected by strangulation and their influence on the overall health of the individuals affected, since larynx strangulation seems to be a chronic condition. We also propose assessing further impact of larynx strangulations on the population dynamics of bottlenose dolphin in the Adriatic Sea and considering net alterations that would improve stiffness properties of the gillnets

Dramatično smanjenje brojnosti dupina u svijetu uzrokovano je izlovljavanjem, uništavanjem staništa, smanjenjem ribljeg fonda i bolestima dupina. Dobri dupin (Tursiops truncatus) jedina je vrsta morskih sisavaca koja stalno nastanjuje hrvatski dio Jadranskog mora. Zbog male brojnosti i potencijalne geografske izoliranosti, populaciji dobrog dupina u Jadranskom moru prijeti izumiranje. U Hrvatskoj je dobri dupin ugrožena i zakonom zaštićena vrsta. Nužnim čimbenikom za mogućnost adaptacije i dugoročno preživljenje populacija smatra se genetička raznolikost. Cilj našeg rada bio je postaviti temelje za istraživanja genetičke raznolikosti populacije dobrog dupina Jadranskog mora. Analizirali smo mikrosatelitske lokuse u 30 jedinki i dio kontrolne regije mitohondrijske DNA (mtDNA) u 22 jedinke. DNA smo izolirali iz tkiva lešina, te smo proveli lančane reakcije polimerazom (PCR) u kojima je amplificirano 12 mikrosatelitskih lokusa. Rezultati pokazuju relativno visoku genetičku raznolikost u populaciji dobrog dupina u Hrvatskoj. Analiza sljedova mtDNA pokazala je da postoji samo četiri jedinstvena haplotipa s 22 polimorfna mjesta. Haplotipska i nukleotidna raznolikost istraživane populacije relativno je niska. Dobiveni rezultati su preliminarni i vjerujemo da će se pokazati vrijednima za buduća genetička istraživanja jadranskih dobrih dupina.

The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is the only resident marine mammal species in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea with a total number of individuals estimated at around 250. This extremely low number and potential geographical isolation render this population prone to extinction. The bottlenose dolphin is considered an endangered species and is legally protected in Croatia. The maintenance of the genetic variation within populations is a general concern for the conservation of endangered species. Genetic variability is thought to be essential to the long-term persistence and adaptability of populations. We analysed microsatellite loci in 30 individuals found dead from 1994 until 2003 and a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region in 22 individuals. DNA was extracted from tissues of carcasses. Multiplex polymerase chain reactions were performed in which 12 polymorphic dinucleotide repeat cetacean microsatellite loci (EV1, EV14, EV37, EV94, TexVet3, TexVet5, TexVet7, D08, D14, D18, D22, D28) were amplified. PCR products were analysed on ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyzer. Genetic variation analysis was performed using the Genetix 4.05 program. Fragments of the mtDNA control region were sequenced using universal forward MTCRf primer and a newly-designed reverse primer named "DUPr". Sequence alignment was performed using ClustalW. MtDNA analysis was performed with the ARLEQUIN. The mean allelic diversity per microsatellite locus was 7.17, ranging from three to 15 alleles and the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.69, ranging from 0.34 to 0.89. The microsatellite results reveal relatively high genetic variability in the population of bottlenose dolphins in Croatia. Mt DNA sequence analysis identified only four unique haplotypes with 22 polymorphic sites in 22 individuals. Both haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity of the Croatian bottlenose dolphin population were relatively low (0.403 and 0.008, respectively). These genetic results should prove valuable for future molecular genetic investigations of the Adriatic bottlenose dolphins.

Stranded whales (Ordo Cetacea) are a source of valuable data on species abundance, distribution, morphology, diet, reproduction and health status. Complete or partial skeleton is often the only remain to be examined in a whale. These remains can contribute to the knowledge on important biological data such as species, age, sex, body length and body mass. The bottlenose dolphin has a worldwide distribution and diverse morphotypes, so morphological studies on local populations are highly encouraged. Our intention was to determinate external body and osteological measurements which correlate well with body length and body mass for their future use in body mass and body length estimation. Namely, these important biological parameters cannot be determined when only skeletal remains are found or in cases when no possibility for body mass determination exists. In our study we analyzed morphometrical values of 83 bottlenose dolphins (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) found dead in the period from October 1990 till December 2004 in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. Post-mortem examinations included determination of sex, body mass, 22 external body measurements by Perrin (1975) and 153 skeletal measurements and meristic characters compiled from Perrin (1975), Walker (1981) and Wang et al. (2000). The correlations to total body length and body mass were determined in Microsoft Excel 2002. Our results show that 12 osteological measurement correlate well (r2>0, 9) with the total body length (Table 1). These measurements include ribs, vertebrae, sternum and flipper skeleton. Linear external body measurements, i.e. length to the umbilicus, anal or genital opening show also a high correlation to the total body length but they have a minor role in total body length estimation because they are measurable in specimens where also the total body length can be determined. Postcranial measurements show better correlations to the total body length when compared to the cranial skeleton. This fact confirms earlier statements that cranial skeleton ends its growth earlier than the postcranial skeleton (Perrin 1975). Some of the proposed measurements for total body length estimation can be used only if the whole skeleton is preserved because their exact position within the skeleton has to be known. On the other hand, measurements of humerus, radius, scapula and manubrium will surely find some application because these bones can often be found separately and are well recognizable. The correlation between body mass and external body and osteological measurements is lower then in the case of the total body length. Table 2 presents external body and osteological measurements with a correlation factor higher than 0, 8. Body mass is most accurately estimated with girth measurements while the thyrohyal and radius are the best bones for body mass estimations when an incomplete skeleton is found. As they are a lot of cases where body mass cannot be determined due to insufficient equipment all listed external body measurements, especially the total body length, are important in body mass estimation.

Chicken liver is organ where majority of fatty synthese take place. Approximately 25-30% of intensively fed Hubbard broilers at the end of fattening period have organoleptically altered light yelowish liver with high amount od fat. These changes are not the consequence of bacterial or viral infection. Based on the presumption of fatty degeneration such liver is considerate of lower quality for human consumption. In this study it was investigated wheather the changes really represent fatty degeneration or just more intensive biosynthesis of the fat and the deposition of the fat in hepatocytes. Therefore histopathological changes in the liver and histochemical localisation of the enzymes which participate in fat biosynthesis in hepatic parenchyme were examined. Lipid content in organoleptically altered liver was significantly higher (p

The bottlenose dolphin is the only marine mammal resident in the Adriatic Sea and there are still gaps in the knowledge on its biology. Growth of the Adriatic bottlenose dolphin was estimated from 75 dead specimen (39 females, 34 males, 2 unknown sex) found in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea during 1990-2004. Body mass, body length and age were determined as part of post mortal examination. The greatest measured length in females was 288 cm and body mass 261 kg, while in males they were 312 cm and 324 kg. Growth curves were fitted to mass-at-age and length-at-age data. In both males and females, most growth occurs during the first nine years. In females, length reaches a plateau during the 10th and 12th year of life, while in males the length increases continuously during this age. In females, the body mass increases continuously, whereas in males mass increases rapidly during the 10th and 17th year of life. The asymptotic length and mass are in females 277.88 cm and 223.39 kg, and in males 301.12 cm and 243.03 kg. According to its length and mass the Adriatic bottlenose dolphin is intermediate in size within world's bottlenose dolphins populations.

U svibnju 2007. godine prvi puta je u hrvatskome dijelu Jadranskoga mora izvedeno hvatanja živog dobrog dupina (Tursiops truncatus) iz rijeke i njegovo prebacivanje u otvoreno more zbog ugroženosti od nasukavanja. Prebacivanje su organizirali, nadzirali i izveli istraživači morskih sisavaca s Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu uz pomoć lokalnog stanovništva. Dana 6. svibnja 2007. godine iz Centra za zaštitu i spašavanje iz Šibenika dojavljeno je da u lučici Srima (N43°44'41" ; E15°48' 15, 7') južno od Vodica pliva dupin, koji se vrti u krugu, udara u obalu i čudno se ponaša. Sljedeći dan dupin je primijećen u luci Zaton (N43°47'02" ; E15°49'37, 6"), udaljenoj 8 nm od Srime, gdje se zadržavao neposredno uz obalu plivajući među privezanim brodicama. Isti dan u Zaton su stigli istraživači dupina s Veterinarskog fakulteta te višesatnim promatranjem životinje s obale zaključili da se s obzirom na trajanje i način izrona i urona dupin ponaša u skladu s osobinama samotnih jedinki ove vrste. Dupin je fotografiran radi kasnije moguće fotoidentifikacije. Ujedno je zaključeno da nije potrebna nikakva intervencija u smislu istjerivanja ili hvatanja i prebacivanja životinje iz ovog područja. No, dana 14. svibnja 2007. ponovno je zatraženo mišljenje istraživača s Veterinarskog fakulteta zbog učestalog nasukavanja dupina u uvali Rokovača koja se nalazi unutar marine Skradin. Prema izjavi dojavljivača dupin izlazi iz te uvale i pliva sve do posljednjeg slapa Krke, no ponovno se vraća u uvalu Rokovaču, gdje se nasukava. Lokalni ribari su mu nekoliko puta pomogli da se odsuče. Isti dan istraživači Veterinarskog fakulteta locirali su životinju, te utvrdili njeno nasukavanje u muljevitom plićaku. Uz pomoć fotografija iz Zatona zaključeno je da se radi o istom dupinu. Dupin je bio dosta izgreben od nasukavanja i dobrog gojnog stanja. S obzirom da je nasukavanje u plićacima, osobito pješčanim i muljevitim, jedna o tehnika lova dobrog dupina zaključeno je daje njegovo ponašanje i dalje unutar fizioloških granica. No, s obzirom na ozljede stečene nasukavanjem, pogodni zemljopisni položaj dupina, te tehničku spremnost ljudi zaključeno je da se dupina pokuša uhvatiti i prebaciti u otvoreno more. Dana 15. svibnja 2007. dupin je obuhvaćen ribarskom mrežom i dignut na brod jednog ronilačkog centra. Tijekom prijevoza prema otoku Zlarinu dupin je pregledan i uzet je uzorak kože za genetsku analizu. Zbog ozljeda stečenih nasukavanjem, na tri mjesta uz leđnu peraju intramuskularno je aplicirano po 4 ml antibiotika (Tardomyocel, Bayer). Utvrđeno je da se radi o ženki ukupne tjelesne duljine 299 cm. S obzirom na istrošenost zuba zaključeno je da se radi o starijoj životinji. Tijekom čitavog prijevoza brodom, dupin je polijevan vodom a bio je djelom i zamotan u krpe zbog sprječavanja sušenja kože i hlađenja. Dupin je pušten u more sa sjeverne strane otoka Zlarina ispred rta Marin (pozicija N43°42' 12" ; E15°48'50"). Prve 2-3 minute dupin se čudno ponašao, a zatim je normalno počeo plivati i roniti. Isti dan poslijepodne javljeno je daje ušao u luku Vodica gdje se zadržavao. Dane su upute da ga se ne uznemirava. Sutradan a niti narednih dana dupin više nije viđen. S obzirom na pohranjene fotografije i uzorak tkiva nadamo se da će dupin biti ponovno prepoznat u sklopu naših daljnjih istraživanja i time doprinijeti spoznajama o zemljopisnoj i vremenskoj rasprostranjenosti dobrih dupina u Jadranskome moru.

U radu je prikazan slučaj uginuća ženke dobrog dupina (Tursiops truncatus) koja je nastala uslijed uklještenja i smrti ploda u porođajnom kanalu. Životinja je pronađena 10. travnja 2007. godine u mjestu Lun na otoku Pagu. Na Zavodu za anatomiju, histologiju i embriologiju Veterinarskog fakulteta, Sveučilišta u Zagrebu obavljena je sekcija pri kojoj je ustanovljeno stršenje vrha leđne peraje mladunceta iz genitalnog otvora majke koja je uginula u porodu. Vrlo jaka i debela pupčana vrpca bila je omotana uz prednji rub njegove repne peraje i na taj načinje spriječila da se stražnji dio ploda izravna i izađe iz porođajnog kanala. Plod je uslijed nemogućnosti ispružanja stražnjeg dijela tijela i izlaska iz maternice u tom položaju i uginuo. Ubrzo nakon uginuća ploda uginula je i majka jer porod zbog tako neprirodnog položaja ploda nije bio moguć. U našim dosadašnjim istraživanjima ovo je do sada prvi ovakav slučaj uginuća ženke i mladunceta dobrog dupina (Tursiops truncatus). Uz nekoliko slučajeva uginuća mladunčadi nastalih kao posljedica pupčanih hernija, ovaj slučaj omatanja pupčane vrpce oko tijela ploda, još je jedan primjer od čitavog niza mogućih komplikacija koje se javljaju pri porodu.

Dobri dupin (Tursiops truncatus) je kao i svi kitovi (Cetacea) sisavac prilagođen životu u moru. Jedna od prilagodbi je i način kretanja. Zbog većeg uzgona, gušćeg i viskoznijeg medija od zraka kitovi su izgubili zadnje udove, razvila se repna peraja kao glavni pokretač tijela, a prednji udovi su se preoblikovan u prsne peraje. Prsne peraje za razliku od prednjih udova kopnenih sisavaca služe samo za manevriranje u vodi, a ne za kretanje, podupiranje trupa, prihvaćanje predmeta itd. kao kod kopnenih sisavaca. Zbog toga su na prsnoj peraji gotovo svi zglobovi preoblikovani u sinartroze odnosno u hrskavične veze, a jedini zglob sa zglobnom šupljinom je rameni zglob. Kod dupina taj zglob nije pod utjecajem velikih tlačnih sila kao kod većine kopnenih sisavaca. Smatra se da su glavni uzrok promjena na zglobnim hrskavicama odnosno plohama ramenog zgloba kod dupina bakterijske infekcije, a da ih vrlo malo nastaje zbog trauma. U Hrvatskoj je dobri dupin strogo zaštićena zavičajna svojta. Procjenjuje se da u hrvatskom dijelu Jadrana obitava oko 250 životinja. U sklopu projekta "Zdravstvene i ostale biološke osobitosti sisavaca u Jadranskom moru" od 1992. godine do danas pregledane i obrađene su sve lešine morskih sisavaca za koje postoje dojave i do kojih se je moglo doći. Od većine pregledanih lešina sačuvan je kostur i pohranjen na Zavodu za anatomiju, histologiju i embriologiju Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. U radu smo pregledali zglobne hrskavice i zglobne plohe ramenih zglobova u 105 jedinki dobrog dupina. Promjene na zglobnim hrskavicama i plohama ramenog zgloba pronađene su u 16 životinja (15, 2%) i to kod 8 mužjaka i 8 ženki. Promjene na ramenoj jamici lijeve lopatice uočene su u 10 životinja (9, 5%), a na desnoj lopatici uočene su promjene u dvije životinje (1, 9%), dok su promjene i na desnom i na lijevom ramenom zglobu imale četiri životinje (3, 8%). Vidljivo je da promjene na zglobnim plohama dobrog dupina ne ovise o spolu, ali daje učestalost pojava promjena na lijevom ramenom zglobu veća nego na desnom.

Istraživanje opisuje osnovnu mikroskopsku građu hipofize dobrog i plavobijelog dupina primjenom različitih metoda histološkog bojenja. Hipofiza u obje istražene vrste dupina je izdužena, oblika spljoštenog štapića, poprečno položenog na dno lubanjske šupljine. Držak hipofize i pars nervosa nalaze se u središnjem dijelu organa te na taj način svojim oblikom hipofiza dupina odstupa od sličnog oblika hipofize u kopnenih sisavaca i čovjeka. Nastavljajući se na infundibulum, pars nervosa hipofize dupina dijeli se na dva kraka od kojih svaki, razgranavajući se, urasta u postrane dijelove hipofize koji čine njen pars distalis. Zbog ovakvog odnosa adenohipofize i neurohipofize dupina teško je govoriti o neurohipofizi kao stražnjem i adenohipofizi kao prednjem režnju hipofize. U pars distalis hipofize obje istražene vrste dupina dobro se diferenciraju kromofobne i kromofilne stanice Prema neurohipofizi i središnjem dijelu hipofize broj kromofobnih stanica se smanjuje, a povećava se broj bazofilnih stanica. Sve stanice pars distalis hipofize obje istražene vrste dupina reagiraju PAS pozitivno. U dupina se prema literaturi, ne navode stanice pars intermedia hipofize kao stoje to u kopnenih sisavaca. U pars distalis hipofize kako plavobijelog, tako i dobrog dupina uočene su nakupine stanica koje su više ili manje pravilnog, okruglog ili ovalnog oblika, oštro ograničene od ostalih stanica adenohipofize. Stanice te nakupine u hipofizi dupina slično reagiraju na histološke boje i svojim izgledom podsjećaju na stanice pars intermedia hipofize kopnenih sisavaca što otvara mogućnost pretpostavke da su nakupine nespecifičnih stanica zapravo stanice pars intermedia hipofize dupina.

Plavobijelom dupinu (Stenella coeruleoalba) koji je 16. lipnja 1999. godine promatran živ u rijeci Krki, te je nakon tri dana uginuo, izmjerene su 22 vanjske tjelesne mjere, 119 osteometrijskih mjera, te mu je određena dob brojanjem zona priraštanja dentina u zubu s ciljem usporebe njegovih morfometrijskih vrijednosti s vrijednostima plavobijelih dupina iz drugih mora. Utvrđeno je da je plavobijeli dupin iz Krke u dobi od 11 godina fizički potpuno zrela jedinka budući da su epifize na svim trupovim kralježaka i kostima prsnih peraja srasle. Njegova ukupna duljina tijela od 198 cm i tjelesna masa od 99 kg manje su od vrijednosti u odraslih mužjaka plavobijelih dupina iz drugih mora. Neke osteološke vrijednosti plavobijelog dupina iz Krke u potpunosti su u skladu s podacima iz literature za vrstu plavobijeli dupin (broj rebara s glavicom i krvžicom: 5, broj rebara vezanih uz grudnu kost: 5, broj grudnica: 4). Druge pak vrijednosti neznatno odstupaju od onih u literaturi (ukupni broj kralježaka: 77, broj parova rebara: 15, broj okoštalih članaka prstiju: I:2, II:9, III:7, IV: 3, V:2). Ukupni broj zubiju plavobijelog dupina iz rijeke Krke manji je od broja zubiju plavobijelih dupina iz drugih mora i iznosi 143.

The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a widely spread cetacean species with significant morphological differences between the populations. The Adriatic Sea, a semi closed area in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea, inhabits a bottlenose dolphin population which morphological characters have not been described yet. Out of 87 bottlenose dolphins found dead in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea in the period from September 1995 till December 2004, we analyzed 21 dolphins (14 females and 7 males) that were physically mature based on the criterion of fused epiphyses on all vertebrae. We present their body mass, total body length, age and 47 craniometric values and meristics. The main craniometric values and meristics of the bottlenose dolphins form the Adriatic Sea are as follows: condylobasal length: 51.06± 1.64 cm, length of rostrum: 29.01± 0.89 cm, width of rostrum at base: 13.45± 0.49 cm, width of rostrum at midlength: 8.95± 0.44 cm, least supraorbital width: 22.94± 0.73 cm, greatest width across zygomatic processes of squamosal: 26.43± 0.72 cm, greatest parietal width: 20.57± 0.80 cm, vertical external height of braincase: 15.00± 0.39 cm, greatest width of internal nares: 7.62± 0.42 cm, number of teeth-upper left: 20.89± 1.88, number of teeth-lower left: 20.11± 1.13. The skulls of the Adriatic bottlenose dolphins are longer and wider with a longer and wider rostrum than the skulls of bottlenose dolphins from eastern Florida. Bottlenose dolphins from north-west Africa, North Sea, coastal eastern Pacific, South African and British shores have significantly longer skulls than Adriatic specimens. When compared to Adriatic bottlenose dolphins all above named populations have higher number of teeth in each jaw. Considering condylobasal length and skull width, rostrum length and width Adriatic bottlenose dolphins are the most similar to the specimens from the seas around China, but those animals have up to seven teeth more in each jaw.

Posljednje poznato stanište sredozemne medvjedice (Monachus monachus) u Jadranu je bilo u blizini otoka Paga, a od godine 1992. se smatra da više ne živi u Jadranu. Najbliža populacija živi u Jonskom moru. U lipnju 2003. je viđena u Paškim vratima, te od tada ima dosta vjerodostojnih opisa susreta s ovim tuljanom u svim dijelovima hrvatskog dijela Jadrana. Iako su opisi susreta detaljno provjeravani i mogu se smatrati potpuno vjerodostojni, nije sa sigurnošću utvrđeno o kojem se perajaru radi. Niže su kronološki navedena mjesta na kojima je medvjedica do sada viđena sjevernije od N 44°27' u 2005. godini: 24. IV. Rovinj ; 4. V. istočna obala Lošinja ; 18. VI. Male Sarkane ; 22. VI. Ilovik-Lošinj ; 7. VII. Pula ; 17. VII. pokraj Pule ; 19. VII. Raški zaljev ; 1. VIII. Creski zaljev ; VIII. Susak ; jedan dan kasnije VIII. Osorski zaljev ; 27. VIII. otok Plavnik ; 4. X. otok Delfin uz rt Lun na otoku Pagu ; a u 2006. godini: 29. I. između Crikvenice i Šila ; 26. III. zapadna strana Lošinja. Može se zaključiti da jedna ili dvije jedinke vjerojatno sredozemne medvjedice lutaju hrvatskim dijelom Jadrana, ali se nisu trajno nastanile.

Bacteriological examination of an abscess found between blubber and musculature of a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) found dead on 30th March 2002 in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia was performed and an aerotolerant, nontoxogenic Clostridium tertium was isolated in pure culture. National Collections of Industrial Food and Marine Bacteria (NCIMB Ltd.), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, confirmed the results. The sequencing results showed it to be C. tertium with 100% similarity. The strain was named Clostridium tertium strain Zagreb, acceded to the culture collection and assigned the accession number NCIMB 13970. This is the first record of C. tertium in marine mammals.

U razdoblju od 990. do 2004. godine u akvatoriju Istre i Kvarnera pronađeno je 28 lešina vste dobri dupin (Tursiops truncatus). Pregledom sadržaja želuca kod 10 jedinki, šest ženki i četiri mužjaka, nađeni su neprobavljeni i poluprobavljeni ostaci hrane. Analizom ostataka do najnižeg mogućeg taksona prema objavljenim ključevima za determinaciju i usporedbom s referentnom zbitkom otolita riba i čeljusti glavonožaca, determinirano je jedanaest vrsta riba (Pisces) koje čine 75% plijena (f=0.6) i tri vrste glavonožaca (Cephalopoda) s udjelom od 20% u ukupnom plijenu (f=0.4). Porodica Sparidae, zastupljena s pet vrsta, čini 52% riba u plijenu. Među ostalim determiniranim vrstama riba najbrojniji su oslić (Merluccius merluccius) i ugor (Conger conger). Rezultati upučuju na važnost demersalnih vrsta u prehrani dobrog dupina u sjevernom Jadranu, te ukazuju na postojanje intraspecifičkih razlika u prehrani s obzirom na spol dupina.

Istraživanje je provedeno radi utvrđivanja dobnih i spolnih razlika u parametrima mineralne gustoće nadlaktične i podlaktičnih kostiju dobrog dupina (Tursiops truncatus). Obavljeno je na koštanim preparatima prsne peraje 56 dobrih dupina od čega su 26 mužjaka i 30 ženki. Mjerenje sadržaja minerala (BMC) i mineralne gustoće (BMD) odabranih područja kosti obavljeno je metodom apsorpcije dvostrukih rendgenskih zraka pomoću standardnog humanog osteodenzitometra. Dobiveni podaci su statistički obrađeni s ciljem povezivanja parametara mineralne gustoće kosti s vrijednostima dužine tijela i dobi životinje koja je odredena metodom brojanja slojeva zubnog dentina (GLG metoda). Utvrđeno je da se sadržaj minerala u kosti kao i mineralna gustoća kosti mijenja ovisno o dužini tijela i dobi životinje. Rastom životinje kao i porastom njene dobi povečavaju se vrijednosti parametara mineralne gustoće kosti slično kao kod ljudi. Dob kao biološki parametar utječe na metabolizam koštanog tkiva dupina u smislu povečanog odlaganja minerala u kosti tijekom porasta dobi životinje. Jednako tako povečanjem dužine tijela dupina povečava se mineralna gustoća kosti što se nastavlja i nakon završetka rasta životinje. Sličan trend utvrđen je u životinja oba spola, ali su prosječne vrijednosti parametara mineralne gustoće kosti u ženki niže nego u mužjaka dobrog dupina. Spomenute razlike medu spolovima nisu statistički značajne s obzirom da su ženke dobrog dupina manje i laganije od mužjaka, te imaju manju prosječnu dužinu tijela od mužjaka istraženih dobrih dupina.

U posljednjih 15 godina pregledali smo 132 trupla različitih vrsta kitova (Cetacea), nađenih u hrvatskom dijelu Jadrana. Od toga broja, osam je trupala glavatih dupina (Grampus griseus), čiju smo približnu dob procijenili na osnovi rendgenskih snimaka okoštavanja kostiju prsne peraje. Gotovo sve su bili mužjaci dužine 286-318 cm i mase 185-305 kg. Dva fizički zrela mužjaka, nađena 20. VI. 2000, uginula su na obali vrlo plitke uvale Sabuše na otoku Molatu. Fizički zrela ženka, uginula zbog upale maternice, nađena je 21. XI. 2001. na Preluci pokraj Rijeke. Dana 31. XII. 2001. nađen je uz otočić Karantunić u blizini jugozapadnog kraja otoka Ugljana fizički zreli mužjak koji se utopio u ribarskoj mreži, a isti dan nađen je glavati dupin neutvrđenog spola, dobi i uzroka smrti na poluotoku Oštrica, južno od Šibenika. Ukupno tri fizički nezrela mužjaka nađena su: prvi 10. I. 2002. u uvali Saplunara na otoku Mljetu, uginuo zbog parazitarne upale želučane sluznice, te drugi 18. I. 2002. u Viškoj luci i treći 30. IV. 2002. u uvali Gršćica na južnoj obali Korčule, uginuli zbog zaplitanja u ribarsku mrežu i utapanja. Iz ovih nalaza trupala glavatih dupina zaključujemo da su u hrvatski dio Jadrana ušli najmanje jedna ženka i u dva navrata jata mužjaka. Sredinom 2000. godine veliki valovi su preko vrlo plitkog spruda prebacili dva mužjaka u plitku uvalu srednjeg dijela hrvatskog Jadrana u kojoj su uginuli, a početkom 2002. godine pet mužjaka je stradalo u srednjem i južnom dijelu hrvatskog Jadranu pretežno zbog zaplitanja u ribarske mreže i posljedičnog utapanja.

Glavati dupin (Grampus griseus) je redovni stanovnik Sredozemnog mora koji povremeno uđe i u Jadransko more. Dana 18. i 19. listopada 2001. godine u Bakarskom zaljevu promatran je jedan glavati dupin. Vrstena pripadnost određena je promatranjem iz motorne brodice na temelju karakteristične sive boje tijela prekrivene bijelim ožiljcima, te visoke i šiljate leđne peraje smještene u središnjem dijelu tijela. Na desnoj strani kaudalni rub repne peraje imao je zaživotno stečeni četvrtasti usjek. Dana 21. studenog 2001. godine u Preluci kraj Rijeke pronađen je mrtvi glavati dupin. Na temelju usjeka na repnoj peraju koji je položajem, oblikom i veličinom odgovarao onom u dupina promatranog u Bakarskom zaljevu zaključeno je da se radi o istoj životinji. Postmortalnim pregledom ustanovljeno je da se radi o subadultnoj, spolno zreloj ženki glavatog dupina duljine tijela 303 cm i tjelesne mase 248 kg. Razudbom je utvrđena izrazita mršavost životinje i kronična gnojna upala maternice. U hrvatskom dijelu Jadranskom mora nalazi glavatih dupini opisani su u srednjoj i južnoj Dalmaciji, no ovo je prvi nalaz ove vrste u riječkom akvatoriju.

Dobri dupin (Tursiops truncatus) je jedini morski sisavac koji stalno živi u Jadranskom moru. U sedam dobrih dupina koji su pronađeni mrtvi od studenog 1999. do prosinca 2002. godine u sjevernom Jadranu istraživana je kontrolna regija mitohondrijske DNA. Ova regija u većine životinja pokazuje mnogo veću varijabilnost od ostatka mitohondrijskog genoma pa je stoga vrlo koristan genetski biljeg u filogenetskim istraživanjima srodnih vrsta ili populacija. Ukupna genomska DNA je izolirana iz tkiva mrtvih dupina. Fragment duljine 1000 baznih parova koji sadrži kontrolnu regiju je umnožen lančanom reakcijom polimeraze korištenjem univerzalnih početnica. Pročišćeni produkt je sekvenciran, tako da su dobiveni fragmenti na 5' kraju kontrolne regije mtDNA dugački otprilike 370 bp koji su potom analizirani u programu za sravnjivanje sekvenci BioEdit. Dosada su uspješno sekvencirane kontrolne regije iz dviju jedinki, a analizom je utvrđeno da se radi o dva različita haplotipa.

The paper describes two stranded ziphiids from Croatia: a subadult female (length 430 cm, body mass 610 kg) that was stranded in 2001 and an adult male (length 510 cm, body mass ∼ 1, 000 kg) that was stranded in 2002. Both were confirmed to be Cuvier’ s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier, 1823) from analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences and osteological features. There are no previous records of Cuvier’ s beaked whales from the Croatian part of the Adriatic. The external shape of the head of the female specimen appears to be significantly different from the heads of Cuvier’ s beaked whales from other seas. The Croatian specimen exhibited embedded pieces of gravel in the gum tissue around the tip of the lower and upper jaws, which was observed for the first time in a Cuvier’ s beaked whale. The presence of the female in shallow coastal waters for several weeks and her boat-positive behaviour are apparently also first records of this kind for the species. The female was found to have ingested several plastic bags which likely caused her death. These are the northernmost findings of this species in the Adriatic Sea.

Plavobijeli dupin {;Stenella coeruleoalba) je kozmopolitska vrsta koja živi u tropskim morima i morima umjerenih podrucja. Iako nije stalni stanovnik Jadranskog mora, od 1991. godine se populacije tog dupina primjecuju i u Jadranu. U deset mrtvih plavobijelih dupina pronadenih od lipnja 1999. do srpnja 2002. godine u hrvatskom dijelu Jadranskog mora istražili smo kontrolnu regiju mitohondrijske DNA. Ova regija u vecine životinja pokazuje mnogo vecu varijabilnost od ostatka mitohondrijskog genoma pa je stoga vrlo koristan genetski biljeg u filogenetskim istraživanjima srodnih vrsta ili populacija. Ukupnu genomsku DNA smo izolirali iz tkiva, a fragment duljine 1000 baznih parova koji sadrži kontrolnu regiju umnožili smo lancanom reakcijom polimeraze korištenjem univerzalnih pocetnica. Procišceni produkt smo sekvencirali, tako da smo dobili fragmente na 5' kraju kontrolne regije mtDNA dugacke 400 bp koje smo potom analizirali u programu za sravnjenje sekvenci BioEdit. Uspješno smo sekvencirali kontrolne regije osam jedinki, a analizom smo utvrdili da se radi o cetiri haplotipa. Naime, najcešci haplotip ima pet jedinki, kod dviju jedinki je razlika samo u jednoj, razlicitoj bazi, dok se cetvrti haplotip razlikuje u deset baznih parova od najcešceg haplotipa. Dosada nisu objavljena istraživanja geneticke raznolikosti kontrolne regije plavobijelog dupina premda se radi o najbrojnijoj pelagicnoj vrsti dupina u Sredozemnom moru.

The bottlenose dolphin is the only cetacean species with confirmed resident populations in the Croatian Adriatic. As they inhabit inshore waters, interactions with humans are possible, and one aspect of the interaction is competition for food resources. We suggested that bottlenose dolphins feed mainly on demersal fish which is also exploited by fisheries, but that the dolphin food intake of individual fish species is not commercially significant. We examined stomach contents of bottlenose dolphins stranded along Croatian coast between 1990 and 2005, and analysed hard food remains ascribing it to species or the lowest possible taxon. Diet composition was estimated according to frequency and calculated weight of prey species. Annual consumption of prey species important in fisheries was estimated, and using a simple model estimation of fish stocks for a 10 year period was made, used to asess the quantity of fish removal by dolphins and significance for the fisheries. We concluded that firstly, bottlenose dolphins in the Eastern Adriatic besides fish also used cephalopodes as an important food source, and secondly, that the present bottlenose dolphin population does not have a significant effect on economically important fish species abundance. The presentation of these results to the fishermen could help in easier implementation of some measures for the bottlenose dolphin protection.

Istraživanje je obavljeno na 7 dobrih dupina i 3 plavobijela dupina, čije su postmortalne promjene omogućavale provođenje metoda enzimatske histokemije na uzorcima bubrega. Bubrezi obje istražene vrste dupina predstavljaju složene bubrege s ekstremno izraženom režnjevitošću pri čemu svaki režanj predstavlja zaseban mali bubreg, renculus, koji ima vlastitu čahuru, koru, srž, bradavicu i čašicu bubrega. Na prijelazu kore u srž bubrega karakterističan je nalaz debelog sloja vezivnog tkiva koje se širi od adventicije krvnih žila, arkuatnih arterija. Stanice kanalića nefrona u kori bubrega pokazuju izrazitu aktivnost istraživanih oksidativnih enzima, za razliku od od srži bubrega gdje stanice uzlaznih krakova Henleovih petlji i sabirni kanalići ne pokazuju tu aktivnost. U stanicama uzlaznih krakova Henleove petlje uočena je aktivnost dehidrogenaza mliječne kiseline i glutamata, dok je aktivnost dehidrogenaze mliječne kiseline uočena i u epitelu sabirnih kanalića. Jaka pozitivna reakcija oksidativnih enzima u stanicama proksimalnih i distalnih kanalića bubrega ukazuje na izrazitu metaboličku aktivnost ovih stanica jer se aktivnošću oksidativnih enzima oslobađa velika količina vode koja omogućuje izlučivanje različitih tvari iz stanica.

Dobri dupin (Tursiops truncatus) je široko rasprostranjena vrsta kitova (Cetacea) koja dolazi u svim morima svijeta osim u morima polarnih područja, a jedini je morski sisavac koji nastanjuje Jadransko more. Morfološke razlike između pojedinih svjetskih populacija su znatne i upućuju na biološke razlike između tih populacija koje zahtjevaju odgovarajući pristup u zaštiti i gospodarenju. Na temelju tjelesne mase i 175 vanjskih tjelesnih i osteometrijskih mjera utvrđene su sličnosti i razlike 23 fizički zrela dobra dupina iz Jadranskog mora u odnosu na dupine iz roda Tursiops iz ostalih svjetskih mora. Znatne morfometrijske razlike utvrđene su između dobrih dupina iz Jadranskog mora i pripadnika vrste Tursiops aduncus iz mora oko Kine i južne Afrike. T. aduncus je znatno manji, manje je tjelesne mase, ima kraću i užu lubanju, uži kljun te veći broj zubiju. U usporedbi s dobrim dupinima iz Sarasote i istočne Floride dobri dupini iz Jadranskog mora su znatno veći, no imaju manji broj zubiju. Znatno duže lubanje i veći broj zuba od dobrih dupina iz Jadranskog mora imaju dobri dupini iz mora oko Mauritanije, Sjevernog mora, priobalja istočnog Tihog oceana, oko južne Afrike i oko Velike Britanije. Uzimajući u obzir kondilobazalnu duljinu i širinu lubanje, te duljinu i širinu kljuna dobri dupin iz Jadranskog mora najsličniji je onome iz mora oko Kine, no ove jedinke imaju veći broj zuba. U daljnim istraživanjima dobrih dupina iz Jadranskog mora posebnu pozornost treba posvetiti i ostalim biološkim sličnostima između ovih populacija.