Assessment of macro-, trace- and toxic elements in Small Indian mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus (Hodgson, 1836), from Montenegro: potential use for biomonitoring.

The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of 28 elements in the liver, kidney, muscle, and heart of a small Indian mongoose from Montenegro. Element concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Significant differences in elemental concentrations between analyzed tissues were observed for Ag, Al, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, S, Se, and Zn. The concentrations of Ag, Fe, Mo, and S were significantly different between all analyzed tissues. Muscle tissue is characterised by higher concentrations of some macroelements (K, Mg, S) and liver tissue by higher concentrations of some trace elements (Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn). Cardiac tissue could be the target organ for bioaccumulation of Ag and Se. The molar ratio Se:Hg was higher than 1 in all studied tissues. There were few significant differences between element concentrations in mongooses from three analyzed (Airport, Saline, Inland) groups. Significantly higher concentrations of Ag and Se were found in liver tissue of Inland mongooses compared to animals from Airport and Saline. There were few significant differences (Zn in liver and muscle, Fe in muscle) in element concentrations between females and males.

WITHDRAWN: First record and distribution of the black pygmy mussel, Limnoperna securis (Lamarck, 1819) in the eastern Adriatic and Ionian seas.

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Historical demography of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in the Adriatic drainage including the putative S. letnica endemic to Lake Ohrid.

We explore the historical demography of the Adriatic lineage of brown trout and more explicitly the colonization and phylogenetic placement of Ohrid trout, based on variation at 12 microsatellite loci and the mtDNA control region. All Adriatic basin haplotypes reside in derived positions in a network that represents the entire lineage. The central presumably most ancestral haplotype in this network is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula, where it is very common, supporting a Western Mediterranean origin for the lineage. The expansion statistic R2, Bayesian based estimates of demographic parameters, and star-like genealogies support expansions on several geographic scales, whereas application of pairwise mismatch analysis was somewhat ambiguous. The estimated time since expansion (155,000 years ago) for the Adriatic lineage was supported by a narrow confidence interval compared to previous studies. Based on microsatellite and mtDNA sequence variation, the endemic Ohrid trout represents a monophyletic lineage isolated from other Adriatic basin populations, but nonetheless most likely evolving from within the Adriatic lineage of brown trout. Our results do not support the existence of population structuring within Lake Ohrid, even though samples included two putative intra-lacustrine forms. In the interests of protecting the unique biodiversity of this ancient ecosystem, we recommend retaining the taxonomic epithet Salmo letnica for the endemic Ohrid trout.

Cobitis ohridana and Barbatula zetensis in the River Moraca basin, Montenegro: distribution, habitat, population structure and conservation needs.

In this paper, we report on the distribution, habitat, population structure and conservation needs of Cobitis ohridana and Barbatula zetensis in the basin of the River Moraca in Montenegro. Our data show both species to be mainly distributed in the lower stretch of the main river and some tributaries in lowland habitats. Cobitis ohridana preferred more shallow water with a higher abundance of filamentous algae, while Barbatula zetensis was more numerous in slightly deeper water with more stones as a bottom substrate. Slight differences in the habitat preference were also observed between juveniles and adults in both species. Although both species are abundant in suited habitat, they have a small distribution area in the Moraca basin due to the natural rarity of the habitat. According to our data, they are not endangered.