Imposex Incidence in Gastropod Species from Santa Marta Coastal Zone, Colombian Caribbean Sea.

Imposex is a phenomenon widely associated with environmental exposure to organotin compounds which were quite common components of antifouling paints applied on boats and ship hulls. Here we study the incidence of imposex in neogastropods and its relation with water quality and maritime traffic in the coastal strip of Santa Marta, Colombia. Imposex was determined via specialized indexes and related to the organisms' size, somatic conditions, variables of water quality and maritime traffic, in a space-time assessment. There was evidence of imposex in five species Plicopurpura patula, Vasula deltoidea, Stramonita haemastoma, S. floridana, and Gemophos auritulus. Purpura patula and Vasula deltoidea species were found in all sampling sites. The results have proved that imposex is highly influenced by the maritime traffic variable, with greater prevalence during the dry season, and with P. patula being more sensitive than V. deltoidea.

Morfogeometría del caparazón del cangrejo Damithrax spinosissimus (Decapoda: Mithracidae) en tres islas del Caribe suroccidental / Morfogeometry shell crab Damithrax spinosissimus (Decapoda: Mithracidae) on three islands in the southwestern Caribbean

ResumenEl cangrejo rey del Caribe Damithrax spinosissimus es un recurso pesquero catalogado en estado de vulnerabilidad y de cuya biología se conoce muy poco. Su distribución agregada en mosaico y la gran heterogeneidad ambiental dada por las características oceanográficas, paisajísticas y ecológicas del Caribe, pueden propiciar a que exista variabilidad fenotípica en función de la procedencia geográfica de los individuos. Por esta razón, el objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar si existe variabilidad morfogeométrica en los caparazones de ejemplares procedentes de tres islas del Caribe suroccidental: Providencia, Rosario y San Bernardo. La primera de ellas con una influencia netamente oceánica y las dos siguientes, cercanas al continente, con mayor influencia de las dinámicas costeras. Para ello se capturaron y fotografiaron 276 individuos: 103 hembras ovadas y 173 machos, sobre los cuales se realizaron análisis morfogeométricos, tomando 12 puntos anatómicos de referencia (Landmarks) en una de las mitades del caparazón. Las diferencias de tamaño entre sexos y entre orígenes geográficos se contrastaron mediante comparaciones pareadas de Fisher, el efecto alométrico se estimó mediante Análisis de Regresión Multivariada y el modelo de pendientes alométricas mediante Análisis Multivariado de Covarianza. La conformación promedio entre sexos y entre orígenes geográficos se computó de las deformaciones relativas, obtenidas mediante análisis de componentes principales; asimismo, las distancias Euclidianas entre las conformaciones promedio se utilizaron para construir un árbol con base en el algoritmo de Neighbour- Joining con una significancia calculada sobre 10 000 permutaciones. Los resultados mostraron diferencias en el tamaño y conformación del caparazón entre sexos y entre las tres islas, siendo más evidentes las diferencias en Providencia. Estos resultados pueden ser explicados de manera no excluyente por diferencias genéticas y plasticidad fenotípica debida a la heterogeneidad ambiental del sector. Este estudio, primero en su clase, es un aporte al conocimiento de la especie y de él se concluye que deberían existir estrategias de manejo diferentes para las tres islas.

AbstractThe Caribbean King Crab, Damithrax spinosissimus is a fishery resource, but few biological studies are available. Its patchy distribution, and the high environmental heterogeneity due to the oceanographic, landscape, and ecological characteristics of the Caribbean Sea, can favor the phenotypic variability according to the geographic origin. For this reason, the objective of our study was to determine morphometic variability in the carapace of the crabs from three Southwestern Caribbean islands: Providence, Rosario and San Bernardo. The former has an oceanic influence, whereas the two latter islands, which are closer to the mainland, have more influence of the coastal dynamic. A total of 276 individuals from the three islands were captured and photographed: 103 females and 173 males; their variation was analyzed from 12 anatomical landmarks marked on one half of the carapace. The differences in the carapace size were calculated using a Fisher’s pairwise comparison; the allometric effect was calculated by Multivariate Regression Analysis; and the Allometric model via Multivariate Analysis of Covariance. The average shape was calculated from the relative wraps RW obtained through PCA analysis; and the Euclidian distances between the shape averages, were used to construct a tree using the Neighbour-Joining algorithm over 10 000 permutations. The results showed significant differences in the size and shape of the carapace between sexes and among the three islands. The differences in the shape of the crabs from Providencia were significantly greater than those found between the crabs of Rosario and San Bernardo. These results can be explained inclusively due to the genetic differences and phenotypic plasticity, due to environmental heterogeneity of the sector. This study, the first of its kind, is a contribution to the knowledge of the species. We concluded that different management strategies should be differently adopted in each of the three studied islands. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (2): 667-681. Epub 2016 June 01.

[Morfogeometry shell crab Damithrax spinosissimus (Decapoda: Mithracidae) on three islands in the southwestern Caribbean]. / Morfogeometría del caparazón del cangrejo Damithrax spinosissimus (Decapoda: Mithracidae) en tres islas del Caribe suroccidental.

The Caribbean King Crab, Damithrax spinosissimus is a fishery resource, but few biological studies are available. Its patchy distribution, and the high environmental heterogeneity due to the oceanographic, landscape, and ecological characteristics of the Caribbean Sea, can favor the phenotypic variability according to the geographic origin. For this reason, the objective of our study was to determine morphometic variability in the carapace of the crabs from three Southwestern Caribbean islands: Providence, Rosario and San Bernardo. The former has an oceanic influence, whereas the two latter islands, which are closer to the mainland, have more influence of the coastal dynamic. A total of 276 individuals from the three islands were captured and photographed: 103 females and 173 males; their variation was analyzed from 12 anatomical landmarks marked on one half of the carapace. The differences in the carapace size were calculated using a Fisher's pairwise comparison; the allometric effect was calculated by Multivariate Regression Analysis; and the Allometric model via Multivariate Analysis of Covariance. The average shape was calculated from the relative wraps RW obtained through PCA analysis; and the Euclidian distances between the shape averages, were used to construct a tree using the Neighbour-Joining algorithm over 10 000 permutations. The results showed significant differences in the size and shape of the carapace between sexes and among the three islands. The differences in the shape of the crabs from Providencia were significantly greater than those found between the crabs of Rosario and San Bernardo. These results can be explained inclusively due to the genetic differences and phenotypic plasticity, due to environmental heterogeneity of the sector. This study, the first of its kind, is a contribution to the knowledge of the species. We concluded that different management strategies should be differently adopted in each of the three studied islands.

Afinidades biogeográficas de los galateoideos (Decapoda: Anomura) del Caribe y Pacífico colombiano / Biogeographical affinities of Colombian Caribbean and Pacific galateoids (Decapoda: Anomura)

Objetivo. Determinar la distribución y afinidades biogeográficas de los galateoideos de aguas colombianas con base en la literatura y muestras recolectadas durante expediciones realizadas entre 1999 y 2002. Materiales y métodos. Se recolectaron ejemplares en 100 estaciones entre 20 y 550 m de profundidad en el Caribe y Pacífico colombiano. El material recolectado, junto con la información geográfica existente en literatura para las especies conocidas para Colombia se emplearon para realizar mapas de distribución, los cuales se compararon con el “Mapa de ecorregiones marinas del mundo”. Resultados. Se obtuvo la información geográfica para 3247 ejemplares recolectados de 18 especies de los géneros Agononida, Anomoeomunida, Munida, Munidoposis y Pleuroncodes, y se complementó con la obtenida a partir de la literatura para las 40 especies de la superfamilia con presencia conocida en aguas colombianas. Se generaron cinco grupos principales de distribución: especies restringidas al Caribe, al Caribe y Atlántico occidental, Anfiatlánticas, restringidas al Pacífico oriental y Anfiamericanas. Se encontró que el 53 % de las especies recolectadas en el Caribe se presentan también en la provincia Atlántico Norte Cálido-Templado, y para el Océano Pacífico la mayor afinidad se da con la provincia Pacífico Oriental Tropical. Conclusiones. Los galateoideos en aguas colombianas presentan ámbitos geográficos y batimétricos amplios, presentándose simpatría entre algunas especies. Las de aguas someras presentan mayores restricciones que aquellas de distribución en aguas profundas. Los mecanismos de distribución de las especies corresponden con el ciclo de vida de cada una y las corrientes predominantes en las provincias.