Redescription of Leptoconops (Leptoconops) brasiliensis (Lutz) and Leptoconops (Megaconops) floridensis Wirth (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) with its first Brazilian record.

The Leptoconops Skuse genus includes many pestiferous biting midges found in coastal areas. Only two species were previously found in Brazil and some species have ancient descriptions lacking updated taxonomic features. Herein, we redescribe Leptoconops (Leptoconops) brasiliensis Lutz and L.

The deep dive of organohalogen compounds: Bioaccumulation in the top predators of mesopelagic trophic webs, pygmy and dwarf sperm whales, from the Southwestern Atlantic ocean.

Kogia sima and Kogia breviceps are apex predators of mesopelagic trophic webs being far from most anthropogenic threats. However, chemical pollutants and naturally synthesized compounds may travel long distances. This study aimed to use kogiid whales as sentinels of mesopelagic trophic webs in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Brominated flame retardants and natural organobrominated compounds in a vulnerable delphinid species along the Brazilian coast.

Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, are vulnerable to extinction along their distribution on the Brazilian coast and assessing chemical pollution is of utmost importance for their conservation. For this study, 51 carcasses of Guiana dolphins were sampled across the Brazilian coast to investigate legacy and emerging brominated flame retardants (BFRs) as well as the naturally-produced MeO-BDEs. PBDEs and MeO-BDEs were detected in all samples analyzed, whereas emerging BFRs were detected in 16 % of the samples, all in Rio de Janeiro state.

Ecologically driven differences in individual diet specialization across three populations of Guiana dolphin.

Populations usually considered foraging generalists may include specialized individuals that feed on a restricted subset of the prey spectrum consumed by the population. By analyzing the time series of δC and δN values in sequential growth layer groups within tooth dentin, we measured population- and individual-level variation in resource use of three populations of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis)-Caravelas River, Babitonga Bay, and Norte Bay-along a latitudinal gradient in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. We show that the Guiana dolphin at Caravelas River is a generalist population consisting of individual dietary specialists, likely due to the absence of other resident dolphin populations thus allowing individuals to target prey across a wide range of habitats.

Short-Finned Pilot Whale Strandings Associated with Pilot Whale Morbillivirus, Brazil.

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) causes illness and death in cetaceans worldwide; the CeMV strains circulating in the Southern Hemisphere are poorly known. We detected a pilot whale CeMV strain in 3 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) stranded in Brazil during July-October 2020. Our results confirm this virus circulates in this species.

Echolocation variability of franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) between estuarine and open-sea habitats, with insights into foraging patterns.

Environmental and ecological factors can trigger changes in the acoustic repertoire of cetaceans. This study documents the first use of a well-established passive acoustic monitoring device (C-POD) to analyze echolocation sounds and behavior of franciscana dolphins in different habitats: estuary [Babitonga Bay (BB)] and open sea [Itapirubá Beach (IB)]. A total of 10 924 click trains were recorded in BB and 6 093 in IB.

Low-frequency sampling rates are effective to record bottlenose dolphins.

Acoustic monitoring in cetacean studies is an effective but expensive approach. This is partly because of the high sampling rate required by acoustic devices when recording high-frequency echolocation clicks. However, the proportion of echolocation clicks recorded at different frequencies is unknown for many species, including bottlenose dolphins.

Microsatellite markers for the endangered franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei).

The franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) is the most threatened small cetacean in the South Atlantic. In this study we report the development of 13 microsatellite markers for franciscanas through next-generation sequencing, and the characterization of those loci in 38 samples from the species' northernmost population (Espírito Santo, Brazil). Besides providing diversity indices for the new, specific loci, we also report on the transferability of heterologous loci which had not been screened in franciscanas before, and review all loci used in previous studies.

Ascocotyle longa (Digenea: Heterophyidae) infecting dolphins from the Atlantic Ocean.

We report for the first time the infection of dolphins with Ascocotyle longa found in the intestines of three different species, Sotalia guianensis, Steno bredanensis, and Tursiops truncatus gephyreus, which were found washed ashore along the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast. The worms were identified based on morphological and molecular data using the 28S rDNA gene and the COI gene. Specimens of A.

Total tin (TSn) biomagnification: Evaluating organotin trophic flow and dispersion using hepatic TSn concentrations and stable isotope (C, N) data of nektonic organisms from Brazil.

A previous investigation of our research team has demonstrated the suitability of using hepatic total tin (ΣSn) concentrations for evaluating dolphin exposure to organotins (OTs). The present study develops the previous technique into three different approaches that comprise data: (1) on hepatic ΣSn concentrations of 121 Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from five different coastal areas (CAs): (2) on ΣSn, δC and δN for 40 dolphins from Rio de Janeiro state (RJ), including ten different delphinid species; as well as (3) on hepatic ΣSn concentrations and δN values on 31 individuals from five different fish species from Sepetiba Bay (SB, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil). Hepatic ΣSn concentrations of Guiana dolphins from Guanabara Bay (GB, RJ) were significantly higher than those found in other four CAs from S and SE Brazilian regions.

Pyrethroid insecticides along the Southwestern Atlantic coast: Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) as a bioindicator.

The presence of pyrethroid compounds in hepatic tissue of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) is reported for the first time. Twelve pyrethroids were determined in 50 animals from eight locations of the Brazilian coast. The highest average concentration of total pyrethroids (∑PYR) was 1166 ng.

Fatal pulmonary parafilaroidiasis in a free-ranging subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) coinfected with two gammaherpesviruses and Sarcocystis sp.

A juvenile subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) found dead in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, presented with disseminated verminous pneumonia due to Parafilaroides sp. A concomitant infection with two different gammaherpesviruses was identified by PCR in different tissues; one of them possibly a novel species (tentatively named Otariid herpesvirus 7). Sarcocystis sp.

Molecular, serological, pathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological investigation of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil reveals new cetacean hosts.

Brucella-exposure and infection is increasingly recognized in marine mammals worldwide. To better understand the epidemiology and health impacts of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil, molecular (conventional PCR and/or real-time PCR), serological (Rose Bengal Test [RBT], Competitive [c]ELISA, Serum Agglutination Test [SAT]), pathological, immunohistochemical (IHC) and/or microbiological investigations were conducted in samples of 129 stranded or by-caught marine mammals (orders Cetartiodactyla [n = 124], Carnivora [n = 4] and Sirenia [n = 1]).

Novel herpesviruses in riverine and marine cetaceans from South America.

Herpesvirus (HV) infections in cetaceans are frequently associated with skin and mucosal lesions. Although HV infections have been reported worldwide, their occurrence in southern Atlantic marine mammals is still poorly understood. We tested skin, oral and genital mucosal beta-actin PCR-positive samples from 109 free-ranging Brazilian cetaceans using a universal herpesvirus DNA polymerase PCR.

Pulmonary and systemic fungal infections in an Atlantic spotted dolphin and a Bryde's whale, Brazil.

We report the gross and microscopic findings and molecular identification of 2 cases of hyphate fungal infection in cetaceans from Brazil. The first case involved an adult male Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis with localized pulmonary disease characterized by pyogranulomatous and necrotizing bronchopneumonia with intralesional hyphae. The second case involved an adult male Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni with orchitis, periorchitis, mesenteric lymphadenitis and pyogranulomatous bronchopneumonia with intralesional hyphae.

Social sounds produced by franciscana dolphins, Pontoporia blainvillei (Cetartiodactyla, Pontoporiidae).

Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) whistles were documented for the first time during 2003-2013 in Babitonga Bay estuary, South Brazil, together with burst pulses. Recordings were made from small boats under good sea conditions, and recording equipment that allowed analysis of sounds up to 96 kHz. The recordings were made in the presence of 2-31 franciscana dolphins.

A new Synthesium species (Digenea: Brachycladiidae) from the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Cetacea: Delphinidae) in Southwestern Atlantic waters.

A new species of Synthesium from the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus in South Brazilian waters is described. Morphological and molecular identification was performed, and phylogenetic analyses were carried out using the ribosomal small subunit and internal transcribed spacer 1 and the mitochondrial NDH dehydrogenase subunit 3 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 genes. The main characteristics of the new species are the subterminal round-shaped oral sucker, the anterior distribution of vitellaria reaching the level of the ovary and the oval-shaped testes.

First record of an anomalously colored franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei.

On October 2011, a newborn franciscana dolphin with an anomalously coloration was sighted in Babitonga Bay, southern Brazil. The calf was totally white. Besides the potential mother and newborn, the group also had the presence of another adult, who always was swimming behind the pair.

Population structure of the endangered franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei): reassessing management units.

Franciscanas are the most endangered dolphins in the Southwestern Atlantic. Due to their coastal and estuarine habits, franciscanas suffer from extensive fisheries bycatch, as well as from habitat loss and degradation. Four Franciscana Management Areas (FMA), proposed based on biology, demography, morphology and genetic data, were incorporated into management planning and in the delineation of research efforts.