ABSTRACT
Invasion by marine species, often considered a grave threat to marine ecosystems, occurs throughout the world as a consequence of many anthropogenic activities. In coastal Paraná, many factors including shipping, aquaculture and the use of artificial substrates provide suitable environments for the establishment and rapid spread of introduced marine species. To better understand this process, the encrusting community was studied on polyethylene plates (n = 120, 10 x 10 cm) that were placed seasonally at fixed locations on the inner continental shelf to detect non-native species. Of the 62 taxa found, 40 were identified to species, 14 of which were native, 9 introduced and 17 cryptogenic. We found a new introduction while most introduced species were previously reported at a nearby estuary with an international port. Possible complementary explanations for these detections are 1) estuaries influence ecological processes on the inner continental shelf, 2) the study area is near the route of cargo and other ships entering the port, 3) other local vectors, such as hulls of fishing and recreational boats, and artificial reefs link the estuary to the offshore areas. Thus, not only are estuaries invaded by exotic species, but also non-indigenous marine species may be present in the open sea where they are likely to colonize artificial substrates.
ABSTRACT
Invasion by marine species, often considered a grave threat to marine ecosystems, occurs throughout the world as a consequence of many anthropogenic activities. In coastal Paraná, many factors including shipping, aquaculture and the use of artificial substrates provide suitable environments for the establishment and rapid spread of introduced marine species. To better understand this process, the encrusting community was studied on polyethylene plates (n = 120, 10 x 10 cm) that were placed seasonally at fixed locations on the inner continental shelf to detect non-native species. Of the 62 taxa found, 40 were identified to species, 14 of which were native, 9 introduced and 17 cryptogenic. We found a new introduction while most introduced species were previously reported at a nearby estuary with an international port. Possible complementary explanations for these detections are 1) estuaries influence ecological processes on the inner continental shelf, 2) the study area is near the route of cargo and other ships entering the port, 3) other local vectors, such as hulls of fishing and recreational boats, and artificial reefs link the estuary to the offshore areas. Thus, not only are estuaries invaded by exotic species, but also non-indigenous marine species may be present in the open sea where they are likely to colonize artificial substrates.
ABSTRACT
Invasion by marine species, often considered a grave threat to marine ecosystems, occurs throughout the world as a consequence of many anthropogenic activities. In coastal Paraná, many factors including shipping, aquaculture and the use of artificial substrates provide suitable environments for the establishment and rapid spread of introduced marine species. To better understand this process, the encrusting community was studied on polyethylene plates (n = 120, 10 x 10 cm) that were placed seasonally at fixed locations on the inner continental shelf to detect non-native species. Of the 62 taxa found, 40 were identified to species, 14 of which were native, 9 introduced and 17 cryptogenic. We found a new introduction while most introduced species were previously reported at a nearby estuary with an international port. Possible complementary explanations for these detections are 1) estuaries influence ecological processes on the inner continental shelf, 2) the study area is near the route of cargo and other ships entering the port, 3) other local vectors, such as hulls of fishing and recreational boats, and artificial reefs link the estuary to the offshore areas. Thus, not only are estuaries invaded by exotic species, but also non-indigenous marine species may be present in the open sea where they are likely to colonize artificial substrates.
ABSTRACT
Three species of Sidneioides Kesteven, 1909 were known until now, all of them from the western Pacific. Sidneioides peregrinus is a new species we found in Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil. Diagnostic characteristics of the species are: colonies with 1-5 lobes, closely clumped, and attached by the entire basal area or by a common smaller area; seven to ten thin longitudinal fiber muscles (some branched) along the anterior two thirds of the thorax; no transverse muscle fibers; more than 30 tentacles of three orders forming one circle; pharynx with 10 to 12 rows of stigmata with 13 to 15 stigmata in each half row; bilobed anus at the level of the fourth or fifth row of stigmata; posterior abdomen not very elongated, oval, and joined to the abdomen by a narrow neck; numerous (> 30) testicular follicles; ovary with about 15 oocytes at about the ninth or tenth row of stigmata in the thorax; large number of embryos incubated in the atrial cavity in the right side of the thorax; larvae oval with a 0.65 mm long trunk, four club-shaped ectodermal ampullae in each side and three, linear and evenly spaced, adhesive papillae with thin stalks, two clusters of ectodermal vesicles, one postero-ventral (around 15 vesicles) and another antero-dorsal (around eight vesicles) between the ampullae and the oral siphon. This paper describes this new species and reports its occurrence in Brazil, where it is most likely introduced. The hypothesis that it is introduced is based on 1) it was never found in previous surveys, 2) in Brazil, it has a restricted and local distribution, 3) its type locality is near a major international port, and 4) the genus, prior to this description, had never been found in the Atlantic Ocean. Considering the great abundance found on the underside of natural boulders, it is imperative that S. peregrinus population growth be studied to evaluate the possibility of rapid distribution expansion.
ABSTRACT
Three species of Sidneioides Kesteven, 1909 were known until now, all of them from the western Pacific. Sidneioides peregrinus is a new species we found in Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil. Diagnostic characteristics of the species are: colonies with 1-5 lobes, closely clumped, and attached by the entire basal area or by a common smaller area; seven to ten thin longitudinal fiber muscles (some branched) along the anterior two thirds of the thorax; no transverse muscle fibers; more than 30 tentacles of three orders forming one circle; pharynx with 10 to 12 rows of stigmata with 13 to 15 stigmata in each half row; bilobed anus at the level of the fourth or fifth row of stigmata; posterior abdomen not very elongated, oval, and joined to the abdomen by a narrow neck; numerous (> 30) testicular follicles; ovary with about 15 oocytes at about the ninth or tenth row of stigmata in the thorax; large number of embryos incubated in the atrial cavity in the right side of the thorax; larvae oval with a 0.65 mm long trunk, four club-shaped ectodermal ampullae in each side and three, linear and evenly spaced, adhesive papillae with thin stalks, two clusters of ectodermal vesicles, one postero-ventral (around 15 vesicles) and another antero-dorsal (around eight vesicles) between the ampullae and the oral siphon. This paper describes this new species and reports its occurrence in Brazil, where it is most likely introduced. The hypothesis that it is introduced is based on 1) it was never found in previous surveys, 2) in Brazil, it has a restricted and local distribution, 3) its type locality is near a major international port, and 4) the genus, prior to this description, had never been found in the Atlantic Ocean. Considering the great abundance found on the underside of natural boulders, it is imperative that S. peregrinus population growth be studied to evaluate the possibility of rapid distribution expansion.
ABSTRACT
Three species of Sidneioides Kesteven, 1909 were known until now, all of them from the western Pacific. Sidneioides peregrinus is a new species we found in Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil. Diagnostic characteristics of the species are: colonies with 1-5 lobes, closely clumped, and attached by the entire basal area or by a common smaller area; seven to ten thin longitudinal fiber muscles (some branched) along the anterior two thirds of the thorax; no transverse muscle fibers; more than 30 tentacles of three orders forming one circle; pharynx with 10 to 12 rows of stigmata with 13 to 15 stigmata in each half row; bilobed anus at the level of the fourth or fifth row of stigmata; posterior abdomen not very elongated, oval, and joined to the abdomen by a narrow neck; numerous (> 30) testicular follicles; ovary with about 15 oocytes at about the ninth or tenth row of stigmata in the thorax; large number of embryos incubated in the atrial cavity in the right side of the thorax; larvae oval with a 0.65 mm long trunk, four club-shaped ectodermal ampullae in each side and three, linear and evenly spaced, adhesive papillae with thin stalks, two clusters of ectodermal vesicles, one postero-ventral (around 15 vesicles) and another antero-dorsal (around eight vesicles) between the ampullae and the oral siphon. This paper describes this new species and reports its occurrence in Brazil, where it is most likely introduced. The hypothesis that it is introduced is based on 1) it was never found in previous surveys, 2) in Brazil, it has a restricted and local distribution, 3) its type locality is near a major international port, and 4) the genus, prior to this description, had never been found in the Atlantic Ocean. Considering the great abundance found on the underside of natural boulders, it is imperative that S. peregrinus population growth be studied to evaluate the possibility of rapid distribution expansion.
ABSTRACT
Fractionation of the crude methanol extract of the ascidian Cystodytes dellechiajei collected in Brazil yielded two novel alkaloids, sebastianine A (1) and sebastianine B (2). The structures of both 1 and 2 were established by analysis of spectroscopic data, indicating an unprecedented ring system for both compounds, comprising a pyridoacridine system fused with a pyrrole unit in sebastianine A (1) and a pyridoacridine system fused with a pyrrolidine system condensed with alpha-hydroxyisovaleric acid in sebastianine B (2). Both alkaloids displayed a cytotoxic profile against a panel of HCT-116 colon carcinoma cells indicative of a p53 dependent mechanism.