Browsing by Author "Planas, Miquel"
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- Editorial: Syngnathid fishes: biology, ecology, physiology, conservation and innovative rearing techniquesPublication . Planas, Miquel; Gristina, Michele; Palma, Jorge; Qin, Geng; Rose, Emily; Roth, Olivia; Teske, Peter R.Syngnathids (a bony fish family that includes seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons) have unique morphological and biological traits that include fused jaws, an exoskeleton and male parental care (Ahnesjö and Craig, 2011). They are mostly found in shallow coastal areas, and their unconventional life history renders them particularly vulnerable to population depletion (Foster and Vincent, 2004). Although some species have been listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, and even Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, many are classified as Data Deficient (DD) due to insufficient information (IUCN, 2020; Pollom et al., 2021). Therefore, further research is needed to understand their distribution, population trends and main threats. A significant portion of the research on syngnathids is relatively recent (Cohen et al., 2017; Segaran et al., 2023). This Research Topic provides 12 original research and review contributions that provide an overview of current trends in research related to the biology, physiology, ecology and conservation of syngnathids. We have gained considerable insights into syngnathid evolutionary innovation, particularly concerning the evolution of male pregnancy (Lin et al., 2016; Roth et al., 2020). The review by Parker et al. sheds light on the unique modification of the syngnathid immune system and its associations with physiology and reproduction, and highlights future research objectives.
- Fatty acid profiles of cultured hippocampus hippocampus trunk muscles and potential nutritional valuePublication . Cabral, Ana Elisa; Rey, Felisa; Domingues, M. Rosário; Cabral, Miguel; Planas, Miquel; Palma, Jorge; Calado, RicardoSyngnathids (seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons) are an attractive resource for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Despite few scientific studies supporting seahorse nutritional benefits, they are believed to possess medicinal properties that enhance human health. The European short-snout seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus is classified as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Nevertheless, there are increasing records of this species being illegally captured and traded to supply TCM. This study investigated the fatty acid (FA) profiles of the trunk muscles of cultured female and male H. hippocampus, to assess sex and intraspecific variation, as well as their potential nutritional value. The contents of crude lipid (4.05 +/- 2.15% dry weight, DW in females and 2.82 +/- 1.48% DW in males) and phospholipid (8.23 +/- 3.34 mu g mg(-1) DW in females and 7.91 +/- 2.36 mu g mg(-1) DW in males) were not significantly different between the two sexes. The absolute FA compositions of H. hippocampus trunk muscles revealed higher mean values for FA 16:0, 18:0, 18:1 n-9 and 22:6 n-3 (DHA), in both female (2.82 +/- 1.11, 1.81 +/- 0.89, 0.90 +/- 0.41 and 0.93 +/- 0.35 mu g mg(-1) DW, respectively) and male specimens (1.99 +/- 0.95, 1.52 +/- 0.78, 0.74 +/- 0.44 and 0.80 +/- 0.41 mu g mg(-1) DW, respectively). In terms of FA classes, saturated fatty acids (SFA) showed the highest absolute value of the total pool of FA, for both sexes (4.73 +/- 1.94 mu g mg(-1) DW in females and 3.58 +/- 1.76 mu g mg(-1) DW in males). Males tended to exhibit a more suitable profile for human nutrition, displaying a lower atherogenic index (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI). The relative composition of H. hippocampus trunk muscles followed the patterns of seahorse species valued in TCM, with DHA ranking amongst the PUFA with higher mean relative abundances (12.0% of total FA). While seahorse FA profiles may be of interest in terms of their nutritional value for humans, only specimens originating from sustainable production practices should be traded and the conservation of their populations in the wild should continue to be a global priority.
- Successful use of geochemical tools to trace the geographic origin of Long-Snouted Seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus raised in captivityPublication . Cabral, Ana Elisa; Ricardo, Fernando; Patinha, Carla; Silva, Eduardo Ferreira da; Correia, Miguel; Palma, Jorge; Planas, Miquel; Calado, RicardoThe global market of dried seahorses mainly supplies Traditional Chinese Medicine and still relies on blurry trade chains that often cover less sustainable practices targeting these pricey and endangered fish. As such, reliable tools that allow the enforcement of traceability, namely to confirm the geographic origin of traded seahorses, are urgently needed. The present study evaluated the use of elemental fingerprints (EF) in the bony structures of long-snouted seahorses Hippocampus guttulatus raised in captivity in two different locations (southern Portugal and Northern Spain) to discriminate their geographic origin. The EF of different body parts of H. guttulatus were also evaluated as potential proxies for the EF of the whole body, in order to allow the analysis of damaged specimens and avoid the use of whole specimens for analysis. The contrasting EF of H. guttulatus raised in the two locations allowed their reliable discrimination. Although no single body part exactly mimicked the EF of the whole body, seahorse trunks, as well as damaged specimens, could still be correctly allocated to their geographic origin. This promising forensic approach to discriminate the geographic origin of seahorses raised in captivity should now be validated for wild conspecifics originating from different locations, as well as for other species within genus Hippocampus.
- Use of isotopic and elemental fingerprints for seahorse species discrimination and traceability of geographic originPublication . Cabral, Ana Elisa; Calado, Ricardo; Palma, Jorge; Ricardo, Fernando; Silva, Eduardo Ferreira da; Patinha, Carla; Planas, MiquelSeahorses (Hippocampus spp.; Family Syngnathidae) are mainly targeted by Traditional Chinese Medicine, curio and ornamental trade, as dried or live specimens. Traceability tools may help fill the gaps on supply chains, securing information on geographic origin and identification of traded specimens. Fin-clipping, a non-lethal and well-established method in seahorse research, offers a potential approach to trace the geographic origin and certify the aquaculture of these flagship species. As such, this study aimed to investigate the existence of differences in isotopic profiles of four seahorse species cultured at research centers located in southern Portugal and northern Spain, as well as between cultured Hippocampus guttulatus sourced from two research centers, and between wild and cultured specimens of this species. This research also evaluated the potential of combining isotopic and elemental fingerprints for seahorse species discrimination, through inductively continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IR-MS) and plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Species cultured at the same research centers exhibited similar stable isotope composition (delta 13C and delta 15N), except in the case of temperate H. guttulatus from northern Spain, which differed significantly from tropical species H. kuda and H. reidi. These differences could be due to phylogenetic dissimilarities and differences in seawater temperature. The delta 15N composition allowed to discriminate between cultured H. guttulatus from the two research centers and between cultured and wild specimens. While dorsal fin isotopes alone did not prove to be a reliable tool for the discrimination of different cultured species, combining them with elemental profiles from seahorses' whole-body allowed to successfully discriminate between H. kuda and H. reidi. This preliminary research demonstrates the potential of stable isotope and elemental analyses for tracing seahorses' geographic origin and species identification. However, further research should be performed to validate these findings for wild specimens, particularly those from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries and trade.