Midgut Bacterial Microbiota of 12 Fish Species from a Marine Protected Area in the Aegean Sea (Greece).

Fish microbiome science is progressing fast, but it is biased toward farmed or laboratory fish species against natural fish populations, which remain considerably underinvestigated. We analyzed the midgut bacterial microbiota of 45 specimens of 12 fish species collected from the Gyaros Island marine protected area (Aegean Sea, Greece). The species belong to seven taxonomic families and are either herbivores or omnivores.

Review of catch records of the bigeye thresher shark Alopias superciliosus Lowe, 1841 (Lamniformes: Alopiidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: historical and recent data with biological notes.

In November 2021, a female bigeye thresher shark was incidentally caught by a pelagic drifting longline off southern Cyprus, corresponding to the second documented species record at country level. Main biological features and an extended list of morphometric measurements are presented in comparison with the previous species records in the Mediterranean. The diet analysis highlighted the impact of marine species invasion in the Mediterranean food webs and documented the presence of the angel squid in Cypriot waters for the first time.

The Gyaros island marine reserve: A biodiversity hotspot in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Since July 2019, Gyaros island in the central Aegean Sea, enjoys the status of a partial Marine Protected Area (MPA), allowing for exploitation by small-scale fishers following specific spatio-temporal restrictions. The need for assessing the effectiveness of the MPA in the future, led MAVA Foundation to fund a knowledge survey project aiming to serve as a baseline for future reference. A series of experimental fishing surveys took place with static nets, the outcomes of which are presented herein.

First genetically confirmed records of the little gulper shark (Squaliformes: Centrophoridae) from Cypriot waters.

The taxonomy within the genus has been controversial almost since its origin, raising uncertainties about the identification, the phylogenetic placement and the geographical distribution of several species. The partial nucleotide sequences of two mitochondrial DNA gene regions, the cytochrome oxidase subunit I and the 16S ribosomal RNA, genetically confirmed the presence of the little gulper shark in Cypriot waters. The species presence in the Mediterranean Sea is revised and discussed.

Complete Mitochondrial DNA Genome of Nine Species of Sharks and Rays and Their Phylogenetic Placement among Modern Elasmobranchs.

Chondrichthyes occupy a key position in the phylogeny of vertebrates. The complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of four species of sharks and five species of rays was obtained by whole genome sequencing (DNA-seq) in the Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. The arrangement and features of the genes in the assembled mitogenomes were identical to those found in vertebrates.

Shedding light on the deep: The case of the velvet belly lanternshark in the North Aegean Sea.

Main biological features were assessed for the first time in the deep-water shark Etmopterus spinax from Hellenic waters by examining 150 individuals caught incidentally in the bottom-trawl commercial fishery off Skyros island. Females outnumbered males and the overall sex ratio was 1.38:1.

Morphometric description and biological notes on the rare kitefin shark Dalatias licha (Chondrichthyes: Dalatidae) from the Hellenic waters.

Deep-sea sharks are among the less studied and most endangered elasmobranchs existing in the Mediterranean Sea, and therefore scientific research should be prioritized towards this vulnerable group of species. The aim of this study is to provide a morphometric description of the vulnerable kitefin shark by recording 55 standard morphometric measurements and to present its main biological features based on the examination of six historical specimens that were captured as by-catch by commercial bottom trawlers in the Hellenic waters.