- Università di Palermo
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche
SEZIONE DI BIOLOGIA ANIMALE
Via Archirafi 18
90123, Palermo (Italy) - +39 (0)91 23891835
- Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, Population Genetics, Systematics (Taxonomy), Amphipoda, Biodiversity, and 48 moreEcology, Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Marine Biology, Bioaccumulation, Environmental Science, Oceanography, Environmental Engineering, Marine biodiversity, DNA Barcoding, Mediterranean Sea, Annelida, Polychaetes, Marine Bioconstruction, Sabellaria, Biology, Habitat, European Union, Environmental Monitoring, Risk assessment, Risk Assessment, Apex Predators, Natural history collections, Biomonitoring, European Environmental Legislation, Zero Pollution, Seafood processing, Shrimps, Food Packaging, Fish products processing technology, Food and seafood safety, Geography, Tourism, Citizen Science, Jellyfish, Crustacea, Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of Water Quality, Comparative Anatomy, Science for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Natural History Museums, animal skeletal, Zoological Collections, Marine bioinvasions, Sicily, ICZN (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature), Reversal of Precedence, Orchestia, beach flea, and Invasive Speciesedit
- Sabrina Lo Brutto, Ph.D. in Animal Biology, is Professor in Zoology at the University of Palermo (Italy). Her past an... moreSabrina Lo Brutto, Ph.D. in Animal Biology, is Professor in Zoology at the University of Palermo (Italy). Her past and current research areas of interest are Phylogeography and Population Genetics of terrestrial and marine animal species. She worked mostly on marine Mediterranean species, including invasive alien species. Her recent research mainly focuses on Taxonomy and Phylogeography of crustacean amphipods. She is Director of the Museum of Zoology "Doderlein" of the University of Palermo.edit
One of the primary goals in assessing marine biodiversity is to measure the degree of species richness in specific geographical areas. We know that biodiversity is declining mainly due to human-induced pressures, but, at the same time, we... more
One of the primary goals in assessing marine biodiversity is to measure the degree of species richness in specific geographical areas. We know that biodiversity is declining mainly due to human-induced pressures, but, at the same time, we don't know the extent of abundance and distribution of many species such as the ones ascribable to neglected groups (Schimmenti et al. 2016; Lo Brutto & Iaciofano 2020). Under the framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), recently funded in Italy (Cena & Labra 2024), a survey on marine biodiversity was conducted aiming to detect rare or overlooked species in Sicily. The present paper reports the water mite identified as Litarachna duboscqi collected in March 2024 from nautical ropes in the harbour of Trapani (Sicily). It is the first record for southern Italy and the central Mediterranean Sea. Sicily is the largest island (more than 25,000 km 2) in the Mediterranean Sea with approximately 1,400 km of coastline, bounding the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east and the Strait of Sicily to the south. It represents a strategic natural observatory for monitoring Italian marine biodiversity.
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The studies on the bioinvasion phenomenon focus mainly on the biological and ecological traits of a species, while scattered literature is addressed to a correct systematic assessment and an updated geographical distribution on the whole.... more
The studies on the bioinvasion phenomenon focus mainly on the biological and ecological traits of a species, while scattered literature is addressed to a correct systematic assessment and an updated geographical distribution on the whole. It is noteworthy that non-indigenous species should be monitored on both sides of their range, i.e., towards the front of dispersal and beyond the original range. The backside range boundaries are not often monitored or well delimited; thus, the
novel global distribution of an invasive taxon is not often accurately delimitated. A model species for highlighting criticisms about the scarce knowledge on the novel range was chosen. Brachidontes pharaonis is a mussel that has successfully colonised the Mediterranean Sea, following an immigration pathway through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea, presumably from a wider Indo-Pacific area. In this case, the Indo-Pacific boundaries have been overlooked and are still misunderstood due to diverse causes, principally as the synonymy with the congeneric B. variabilis has created confusion in the taxonomic identification. The present review demonstrates that the borders of the B. pharaonis range
are still unclear and that the species should be analysed in a wider geographical area. Records of B. pharaonis from Southeast Asia should be treated with caution as this area is out of its range. The Indian and Pacific Oceans host the taxon B. variabilis, composed of two potential cryptic species. Data from the literature highlight the importance of the integrative taxonomic approach to solving various issues concerning the species group complex, morphological variations and cosmopolitan claims
of species.
novel global distribution of an invasive taxon is not often accurately delimitated. A model species for highlighting criticisms about the scarce knowledge on the novel range was chosen. Brachidontes pharaonis is a mussel that has successfully colonised the Mediterranean Sea, following an immigration pathway through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea, presumably from a wider Indo-Pacific area. In this case, the Indo-Pacific boundaries have been overlooked and are still misunderstood due to diverse causes, principally as the synonymy with the congeneric B. variabilis has created confusion in the taxonomic identification. The present review demonstrates that the borders of the B. pharaonis range
are still unclear and that the species should be analysed in a wider geographical area. Records of B. pharaonis from Southeast Asia should be treated with caution as this area is out of its range. The Indian and Pacific Oceans host the taxon B. variabilis, composed of two potential cryptic species. Data from the literature highlight the importance of the integrative taxonomic approach to solving various issues concerning the species group complex, morphological variations and cosmopolitan claims
of species.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution
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Backwards and forwards at once, the zoological checklists bring the past into the present and draw a direction towards the future [...]
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In last decades, biotechnologies have enabled a deep development of knowledge in all fields of life sciences, allowing the collection of a wide range of data. Furthermore, the relationship between scientific investigations and... more
In last decades, biotechnologies have enabled a deep development of knowledge in all fields of life sciences, allowing the collection of a wide range of data. Furthermore, the relationship between scientific investigations and conservation actions of cultural heritage is increasingly consolidated and now it is one of the peculiar points both for sustainable restoration and use of the cultural asset, also evaluating the cultural assets as source of biological information. In this study, Sicilian wolf (Canis lupus) specimens conserved in Sicilian Natural Museums, become a source of biological information on Sicilian biodiversity, establishing specific conservative protocol developed cooperatively with Sicilian Natural Museums. Using Next-Generation Sequencing technique, ancient DNA (aDNA) molecules extracted from nail were utilized to perform the complete mitochondrial DNA genome sequence. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this genome, which was aligned with a number of historical and extant complete wolf and dog mtDNAs sampled worldwide, was closely related to an Italian wolf mtDNA genome. These mtDNA findings suggest that wolves probably colonized Sicily from southern Italy toward the end of the last Pleistocene glacial maximum, when the Strait of Messina was almost totally dry. Furthermore, a conservative restoration of this peculiar natural specimen (taxidermal preparation) has been performed, basing on: recovery of unglued or unstitched parts; revitalization of the colors of the mucous membranes; restoration of deformed or broken parts of the body, washing of the coat and polishing of the fur; specific treatments against woodworms, moths, and mites; brushing and repositioning of the hair; cleaning, restoration, or creation of adequate supports or display case. The conservative intervention that should be periodically performed on each taxidermized specimen allows the protection against biodeterioration or re-infestation by parasites over time.
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In last decades, biotechnologies have enabled a deep development of knowledge in all fields of life sciences, allowing the collection of a wide range of data. Furthermore, the relationship between scientific investigations and... more
In last decades, biotechnologies have enabled a deep development of knowledge in all fields of life sciences, allowing the collection of a wide range of data. Furthermore, the relationship between scientific investigations and conservation actions of cultural heritage is increasingly consolidated and now it is one of the peculiar points both for sustainable restoration and use of the cultural asset, also evaluating the cultural assets as source of biological information. In this study, Sicilian wolf (Canis lupus) specimens conserved in Sicilian Natural Museums, become a source of biological information on Sicilian biodiversity, establishing specific conservative protocol developed cooperatively with Sicilian Natural Museums. Using Next-Generation Sequencing technique, ancient DNA (aDNA) molecules extracted from nail were utilized to perform the complete mitochondrial DNA genome sequence. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this genome, which was aligned with a number of historical and extant complete wolf and dog mtDNAs sampled worldwide, was closely related to an Italian wolf mtDNA genome. These mtDNA findings suggest that wolves probably colonized Sicily from southern Italy toward the end of the last Pleistocene glacial maximum, when the Strait of Messina was almost totally dry. Furthermore, a conservative restoration of this peculiar natural specimen (taxidermal preparation) has been performed, basing on: recovery of unglued or unstitched parts; revitalization of the colors of the mucous membranes; restoration of deformed or broken parts of the body, washing of the coat and polishing of the fur; specific treatments against woodworms, moths, and mites; brushing and repositioning of the hair; cleaning, restoration, or creation of adequate supports or display case. The conservative intervention that should be periodically performed on each taxidermized specimen allows the protection against biodeterioration or re-infestation by parasites over time.
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The composition of free amino acids (FAAs) in seafood products contributes to characterizing their flavor, as well as freshness and quality during storage. Deep-water rose shrimps (Parapenaues longirostris, Lucas, 1846) (DWRS) are being... more
The composition of free amino acids (FAAs) in seafood products contributes to characterizing their flavor, as well as freshness and quality during storage. Deep-water rose shrimps (Parapenaues longirostris, Lucas, 1846) (DWRS) are being increasingly harvested in the Mediterranean Sea, and the captured specimens are quickly frozen onboard fishing trawlers to preserve freshness and post-harvest quality. Here, we quantified the FAA profiles of DWRS packaged using five methods: (1) 100% N2; (2) vacuum; (3) 50% N2 + 50% CO2; (4) commercial anhydrous sodium sulfite; and (5) air (control). All samples were quickly frozen at −35°C and stored for 12 months at −18°C. Arginine (661 mg/100 g), proline (538 mg/100 g), and glycine (424 mg/100 g) were the most abundant FAAs, whereas the least abundant were tyrosine (67 mg/100 g), histidine (58 mg/100 g), and aspartic acid (34 mg/100 g). FAAs in all samples gradually (and significantly) increased in the first 6 to 8 months of storage, and then sign...
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A search from different kinds of sources has been carried out to review the incidence of Physalia physalis, the Portuguese man-of-war, in the Mediterranean Sea; scientific and grey literature, social media, zoological museums were... more
A search from different kinds of sources has been carried out to review the incidence of Physalia physalis, the Portuguese man-of-war, in the Mediterranean Sea; scientific and grey literature, social media, zoological museums were accessed. The records of the species were considered validated if documented with images or collected specimens. It was possible to date the putative first record of Physalia physalis in the Mediterranean Sea, thanks to a couple of colonies preserved in a historical collection, originating from the Gulf of Naples in 1914. Some massive strandings occurred in localities of the Alboran Sea, area of entrance from the Atlantic from where the species spread mainly along the Sicilian waters, in the central Mediterranean Sea. The records from the Italian maritime regions were then subdivided into three categories of risk according to the season of occurrence. These categories were created to assign a level of danger for swimmers to the sightings of Physalia physal...
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We provide an overview of the World Amphipoda Database (WAD), a global species database that is part of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Launched in 2013, the database contains entries for over 10,500 accepted species names.... more
We provide an overview of the World Amphipoda Database (WAD), a global species database that is part of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Launched in 2013, the database contains entries for over 10,500 accepted species names. Edited currently by 31 amphipod taxonomists, following WoRMS priorities, the WAD has at least one editor per major group. All accepted species are checked by the editors, as is the authorship available for all of the names. The higher classification
is documented for every species and a type species is recorded for every genus name. This constitutes five of the 13 priorities for completion, set by WoRMS. In 2015, five LifeWatch grants were allocated for WAD activities. These included a general training workshop in 2016, together with data input for the superfamily Lysianassoidea and for a number of non-marine groups. Philanthropy grants in 2019 and 2021 covered more important gaps across the whole group. Further work remains to complete the linking of unaccepted names, original descriptions, and environmental information. Once these tasks are completed, the database will be considered complete for 8 of the 13 priorities, and efforts will continue
to input new taxa annually and focus on the remaining priorities, particularly the input of type localities. We give an overview of the current status of the order Amphipoda, providing counts of the number of
genera and species within each family belonging to the six suborders currently recognized.
is documented for every species and a type species is recorded for every genus name. This constitutes five of the 13 priorities for completion, set by WoRMS. In 2015, five LifeWatch grants were allocated for WAD activities. These included a general training workshop in 2016, together with data input for the superfamily Lysianassoidea and for a number of non-marine groups. Philanthropy grants in 2019 and 2021 covered more important gaps across the whole group. Further work remains to complete the linking of unaccepted names, original descriptions, and environmental information. Once these tasks are completed, the database will be considered complete for 8 of the 13 priorities, and efforts will continue
to input new taxa annually and focus on the remaining priorities, particularly the input of type localities. We give an overview of the current status of the order Amphipoda, providing counts of the number of
genera and species within each family belonging to the six suborders currently recognized.
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Seagrass detritus can attract numerous invertebrates as it provides food and substrate within the meadow or in adjacent environments. Nonetheless, several factors could modify the invertebrate response to this habitat. In this study, we... more
Seagrass detritus can attract numerous invertebrates as it provides food and substrate within the meadow or in adjacent environments. Nonetheless, several factors could modify the invertebrate response to this habitat. In this study, we tested if epifaunal colonisation of Zostera noltei detritus was related to substrate availability rather than food and whether colonising assemblages were similar according to the meadow structural complexity. Litterbags filled with natural or artificial detritus were deployed within an eelgrass meadow in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Thau lagoon, France). Colonisation appeared to be driven by the presence of detritus, with similar assemblages in natural and artificial substrate, but with more individuals than the empty bags, used as controls. There were also no differences according to habitat complexity. These findings show that detritus, acting as a faunal magnet, plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity, as epifauna is a critical trophic link between primary producers and consumers.
Research Interests: Biology, Ecology, International Marine Environmental Law, Medicine, Biological Sciences, and 13 moreSeagrass, Environmental Sciences, Colonisation, Habitat, Trophic Level, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Zostera, Detritus, Marine Environmental History, Zostera Marina, Posidonia Oceanica, Invertebrate, and Elsevier
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Amphipods are an essential element of the food web in marine coastal environments, and represent a good indicator of the health of the ecosystems. The composition of amphipod assemblage is often linked to algal coverage, in which the... more
Amphipods are an essential element of the food web in marine coastal environments, and represent a good indicator of the health of the ecosystems. The composition of amphipod assemblage is often linked to algal coverage, in which the benthic species find refuge from predators and a great availability of food resources. Within the management and conservation of natural environments, one of the main problems is currently represented by the invasion of non-indigenous species, which modifies native communities. This research compares the amphipod fauna associated with Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan de Saint-L\ue9on, a non-indigenous red macroalga widely distributed along the west coast of Sicily (central Mediterranean), with the one associated with Cystoseira brachycarpa J. Agardh, 1896, a brown alga typical of the shallow rocky subtidal of the south-western Mediterranean. Samples were collected in shallow habitats with dominance of both macroalgae, in the period of the highest abundance of amphipods, in order to investigate the potential relation between the macroalgae and the crustacean dwellers. The main structural indices were calculated (i.e., number of species, S; number of individuals, N; eveness index, J; Shannon index, H'). An overall reduction in the number of species and abundance of amphipods was found to be associated with the invasive alga. This result highlights the problem linked to the expansion of non-indigenous populations and their capability to affect not only native species but also the composition and structure of the associated fauna
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We describe diversity and patterns of spatial distribution of the amphipod fauna associated with reefs of the polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (L.) in the Sicily Strait. Samples were collected in June 2013, at three localities. Amphipod... more
We describe diversity and patterns of spatial distribution of the amphipod fauna associated with reefs of the polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (L.) in the Sicily Strait. Samples were collected in June 2013, at three localities. Amphipod assemblages appeared homogeneous in the study area with variability increasing with decreasing spatial scale of observation. Jassa ocia (Bate) and Gammaropsis ulrici Krapp-Schickel & Myers characterized the studied assemblages
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In the debate on how and why biodiversity evolves spatially and temporally and in an attempt to assess the further effects of anthropogenic activities, the ability of marine invertebrate to express a large spectrum of phenotypical... more
In the debate on how and why biodiversity evolves spatially and temporally and in an attempt to assess the further effects of anthropogenic activities, the ability of marine invertebrate to express a large spectrum of phenotypical plasticity can have a central role. The ability of a single genotype to produce more than one alternative form of morphology and/or physiological state should be larger in species living in highly changing waters like shallow habitats. Invertebrates, there, usually experience ample changes of temperature and food availability on annual, seasonal, diurnal and hourly bases which are the two main drivers leading the life histories of these organisms. In such circumstances they are expected to have a larger ability to express plastic phenotypic traits respect to species living under more stable conditions. Hence, the geometric morphometry is informative in understanding if morphology of sessile bivalves significantly changes as a function of different conditions of environmental variability. Here we focus on Brachidontes pharaonis as a model of our morphometric study as it spans intertidal, subtidal and shallow Mediterranean habitats with a range of physical and biological characteristics, colonising valuable shallow habitats. Specimens where collected from habitats at different degree of thermal variability throughout the Sicily: shallow waters (Stagnone di Marsala and Vendicari lagoons), some typical intertidal marine substrates and from pillars of a power plant (T. Imerese). Geometric morphometric analysis carried out on 248 specimens by means the MakeFan6 and MophoJ 1.01 softwares allowed us to individuate differences in the shell shape. Significant differences of morphotypes appeared to be variable with temperature in that shallow specimens formed a significant distinct cluster respect to marine organisms although we detected a partial overlapping among them, while power plant specimens were at all different from all other mussels
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The lowfin chub, Kyphosus vaigiensis, is reported for the first time off Favignana Island, Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. The specimen was identified on the basis of morphometric and meristic characters as well as mitochondrial DNA... more
The lowfin chub, Kyphosus vaigiensis, is reported for the first time off Favignana Island, Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. The specimen was identified on the basis of morphometric and meristic characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI and 16S-rDNA). Two, perhaps three, Kyphosus species —K. bigibbus, K. sectatrix and K. vaigiensis— have been occasionally recorded in the Mediterranean. These species occur both in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions but it is likely they entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. However, it is unclear whether they have established reproductive native populations in the Mediterranean.
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The first record in the Mediterranean Sea of the invasive aorid amphipod crustacean Grandidierella bonnieroides is presented. A widespread circumtropical species, recorded off the Saudi coast of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Suez... more
The first record in the Mediterranean Sea of the invasive aorid amphipod crustacean Grandidierella bonnieroides is presented. A widespread circumtropical species, recorded off the Saudi coast of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, it may have been introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. This tube-builder species of soft bottoms recently established a population in the polluted Haifa Bay, Israel. Further, this is the first Mediterranean record of the genus.
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Research Interests: Biology, Marine And Environmental Pollution, International Marine Environmental Law, Medicine, Decapoda, and 15 moreBiological Sciences, Mediterranean Sea, Phylogeny, Environmental Sciences, Mitochondrial DNA, Animals, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA fingerprinting, Fishery, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Mediterranean Climate, Genetic variation, Mediterranean Basin, Genetic Markers, and Penaeidae
The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic structure of two Balkan brown trout morphotypes, Salmo macedonicus and Salmo pelagonicus, and to test whether molecular traits support the species; status proposed by traditional... more
The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic structure of two Balkan brown trout morphotypes, Salmo macedonicus and Salmo pelagonicus, and to test whether molecular traits support the species; status proposed by traditional morphological identification. The mitochondrial DNA 12S-rDNA, cyt b and control region genes were sequenced in 15 specimens collected from three localities in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The results of these markers did not support the taxonomic category of species but confirmed the existence of two morphotypes, Salmo trutta macedonicus and Salmo trutta pelagonicus, in the Aegean-Adriatic lineages of the Salmo trutta species complex.
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The vastness of the ocean and our limited ability to observe and monitor the organisms therein make molecular markers particularly useful tools in the investigation of the ecology and evolutionary biology of fish. Nowadays, due to... more
The vastness of the ocean and our limited ability to observe and monitor the organisms therein make molecular markers particularly useful tools in the investigation of the ecology and evolutionary biology of fish. Nowadays, due to increased demand of fish foods, genetic researches are focused on new candidate species for aquaculture, such as Seriola species. Here, the analyses of eight polymorphic nuclear microsatellites loci and three mitochondrial (mt) DNA genes (16S-rRNA, Cyt-b, and D-Loop) in the greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili, detected breakpoint between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations, presumably arisen by the oceanographic features of the Almeria-Oran Front opposed to the gene flow of the species. Still, an absence of heterogeneity between the sampling locations within the Mediterranean Sea was noted, although an observed dichotomous structure of the phylogenetic mtDNA tree revealed two clades, with no spatial division within the basin. The origin of these two clades likely predates the late Pleistocene or Holocene colonization of the species from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, some preliminary genetic information are provided for Seriola rivoliana, the species that has been recently recognized as an Atlantic migrant in the Mediterranean.