Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena Porcus Research Articles

Investigating Development and Defense Systems in Early Reproductive Stages of Male and Female Gonads in Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758).

One of the most crucial biological indicators in tracking long-term variations in the reproductive cycle is sexual development. Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758), commonly known as the black scorpionfish, is a small teleost from the family Scorpaenidae. Much is known about its ecology, but data on its reproductive and defense systems are still lacking. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as piscidins, are integral components of the innate immune system in fish. These peptides exhibit a wide range of activity against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa and act as the first line of host defense. This study aims to investigate the primary sexual development stages in male and female gonads of black scorpionfish, providing additional knowledge on the reproductive biology of this teleost while evaluating concomitant changes in the expression of a Piscidin-1 antimicrobial peptide. The results show a histological, morpho-structural change from the immature stage to the developing virgin stage. Immunohistochemical analyses show that germinal and somatic cells are strongly reactive to Piscidin-1 in both gonads at an early ontogeny stage. These data suggest that Piscidin-1 may play a key role in the local defense system of scorpionfish gonads at this delicate stage, which is critical for the continuation and maintenance of the species. The present findings are potentially useful for a better understanding of the reproductive cycle of this fish, improving our knowledge of the interaction between the immune system and reproduction.

Distinctive Features of the Biology of Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus from Marine Waters along the Coast of Southeast and Southwest Crimea

Distinctive Features of the Biology of Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus from Marine Waters along the Coast of Southeast and Southwest Crimea

Membrane-Bound Ferric Hemoglobin in Nucleated Erythrocytes of the Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus, Linnaeus 1758.

The content of membrane-bound methemoglobin (MtHb) in nucleated erythrocytes was studied in the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758) in vitro. Spectral characteristics were determined for a whole hemolysate, a hemolysate obtained by stroma precipitation (a clarified hemolysate), and a resuspended stroma. The MtHb proportion in the erythrocyte stroma was found to exceed 80% (6.20 ± 0.59 µM). Clarified hemolysates were nearly free of MtHb (0.5 ± 0.2 µM). Membrane-bound ferric hemoglobin did not affect the erythrocyte resistance to osmotic shock. The osmotic fragility range was determined using a LaSca-TM laser microparticle analyzer (BioMedSystems, Russia) to be 102-136 mOsm/kg, much the same as in other bony fish species. A nitrite load (10 mg/L) significantly increased the MtHb content in the blood. However, the membrane-bound ferric hemoglobin content did not change significantly, amounting to 6.34 ± 1.09 µM (approximately 95%). The finding suggested a functional importance for MtHb present in the plasma membrane of nucleated erythrocytes. Membrane-bound MtHb was assumed to neutralize the external oxidative load and the toxic effect of hydrogen sulfide in bottom water layers, where the species lives.

Diversity and Current State of Fish Communities of the Reserve “Utrish” (Caucasian Coast of the Black Sea, Abrau Peninsula)

Abstract The article is focused on the current state of biodiversity in the aquatic environment of the Utrish Nature Reserve. Implementation of the multi-level monitoring program for fish and crustacean fauna, conducted in the waters of the Utrish Nature Reserve during the period 2016-2018, using classical methods of biological analysis, as well as visual underwater fish counting, allowed us to assess the overall state of biodiversity in this area as sufficiently stable. The population status of the model indicator species, the European black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus, was also stable during this period, confirming the effectiveness of protective measures in this area. Due to the continued increase in anthropogenic pressure on coastal marine biocenoses, monitoring studies require further continuation.

Dimensional and Physiological-Biochemical Parameters of Erythrocytes and Gill and Heart Indices in Some Benthic Fish of the Black Sea Coast of the Southeastern Crimea

The dimensional and physiological-biochemical parameters of erythrocytes, as well as the gill and heart indices were studied in five species of marine benthic fish. The black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 and the shore rockling Gaidropsarus mediterraneus Linnaeus, 1758 differed from the other species in a larger mass of the heart and gill apparatus, which indicates more efficient transport capabilities of the circulatory system of these fish. The linear size characteristics of erythrocytes of a cartilaginous fish, the thornback ray Raja clavata Linnaeus, 1758, were 1.5–2 times higher than those of erythrocytes of S. porcus, which were the largest among the studied teleosts. The sizes of erythrocytes of three other teleost species differed insignificantly. The amount of hemoglobin per unit surface area of erythrocyte, which reflects the efficiency of hemoglobin saturation with oxygen, insignificantly varied (0.05 to 0.071 pg/mm2) among the bony fish stu-died. In contrast, in the thornback ray this parameter was 2.7–3.8 times lower. The intracellular glycogen concentration, which characterizes the degree to which the erythrocyte is independent of glycemic fluctuations, was highest in cells of S. porcus (305.2 ± 35.1 mg %), while it was lowest in erythrocytes of the thornback ray R. clavata (142.8 ± 15.1 mg %). The ecto-ATPase activity was higher in large erythrocytes of S. porcus, R. clavata, and Uranoscopus scaber (4.8, 3.1, and 1.6 µmol Pin/min/mL of erythrocytes, respectively) than in smaller erythrocytes of Crenilabrus tinca and Gaidropsarus mediterraneus (0.5 and 0.4, µmol Pin/min/mL of erythrocytes, respectively). This confirms the assumption that erythrocytes use the thermal energy from hydrolysis of extracellular ATP to “warm up” their own membrane, which leads to the change in the rheological characteristics of blood in the capillary blood flow.

Эйдономия и внутривидовая изменчивость морского ерша Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) кавказского шельфа российского сектора Черного моря

There are only fragmentary data on the intraspecific limitation of the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 in scientific literature. The black scorpionfish is a background fish species attracted to the use of Black Sea fish community.The purpose of this work was to study the eidonomy of the black scorpionfish from the Caucasian shelf of the Black Sea, as a full-fledged study of its intraspecific variability.The morphological (plastic and meristic) parameters of black scorpionfish from three water areas of the Caucasian shelf of the Black Sea are compare in this paper. Samples from coastal waters in the areas of Bolshoi Utrish, Magri and Adler were studied in this paper. It is shown that the black scorpionfish of the water areas under consideration have very different sets of morphological features, which can be used to successfully distinguish representatives of different regions from each other.

Trophic niches of two predator fish cohabiting in the Algerian coastal ecosystem: Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Scorpaena notata (Rafinesque, 1810)

The diet of adult specimens of black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758) and small red scorpionfish Scorpaena notata (Rafinesque, 1810), collected from the Algerian coast was studied using different coefficients and trophic indexes. The inventory of ingested prey indicates that the focal species have a diverse diet that covers different zoological groups. Their feeding spectrum is mainly composed of brachyuran crabs and other crustaceans such as isopods and shrimp. Fish and molluscs are only occasionally ingested. The vacuity coefficient average exceeded the estimated rate of 40%. The observed monthly fluctuations revealed a seasonal alimentary rhythm. The foraging activity of the two scorpionfish decreases in summer, during gonad maturation. This decrease is highlighted by the increase in the vacuity coefficient and the decrease in the repletion index. Despite a similarity in the food bolus, the two co-occurring fish exhibit a specialized diet. This was observed especially in mature individuals. In conclusion, our results demonstrated a very strong overlap of niches between two scorpionfish species.

First report of Ceratomyxa scorpaeni (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) from Scorpaena porcus in the Black Sea.

Members of the class Myxosporea Btschli, 1881 have a cosmopolitan distribution in a wide variety of fish species worldwide. In the present study, the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus collected from the Sinop coasts of the Black Sea was investigated for myxosporean parasites using both conventional and molecular methods in the period between September 2015 and August 2019. Using morphological and morphometric data, the myxosporean parasite Ceratomyxa scorpaeni Garbouj, Rangel, Castro, Hmissi, Santos, Bahri, 2016 was identified in the gall bladder of host fish. Molecular analysis of the 18S rDNA gene confirmed the identity of this parasite as C. scorpaeni. This is the first report of its occurrence in the Black Sea.

The Relationship between Integrated Biochemical Index and Content of Organochlorine Xenobiotics in the Liver of the Black Scorpion Fish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, from Sevastopol Bays and Coastal Areas

Despite the ban on the use of organochlorine compounds (OCs), they are still widely distributed in various components of the Black Sea ecosystem, including fish. Sevastopol marine area, as a region of active economic use, is subject to significant anthropogenic impact. To assess the condition of the Black Sea scorpion fish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, from Sevastopol bays (Aleksandrovskaya, Streletskaya, Balaklavskaya, and Kazach’ia) and coastal areas (Laspi bay and Lyubimovka region), the liver of fish was analyzed to compare integrated biomarker response (IBR) and the concentrations of OCs: six indicator congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCB6) and organochlorine pesticides – р,p’-DDT and its metabolites p,p’-DDE and p,p’-DDD (ΣDDT). High concentrations of PCBs and DDTs were found in fish liver from Alexandrovskaya and Streletskaya bays, which are subject to significant anthropogenic impact: 2044 and 2019 ng/g wet weight for ΣPCB6 and 162 and 319 ng/g wet weight for ΣDDT, respectively. To determine the response of scorpion fish to the level of pollution, the liver of fish was analyzed to measure such biochemical markers as cholinesterase and catalase activities, albumin content, and the levels of oxidized proteins and lipid peroxidation. The set of these biochemical markers was used to calculate IBR. IBR correlated well with the ΣPCB6 concentration in sediments and liver of scorpion fish (r=0.95, p<0.05). The maximum IBR was determined in the most polluted Alexandrovskaya and Streletskaya bays, where it was two orders of magnitude higher than the IBR in Laspi bay. Based on IBR values, the fish from Laspi and Kazach’ia bays and from the coastal area of Lyubimovka were in better condition than the fish from Alexandrovskaya, Streletskaya, and Balaklavskaya bays in summer seasons of 2016-2018

Comparative Analysis of Hepatic Biomarkers of Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 from Sevastopol Water Areas (the Black Sea) with Different Pollution Levels

Comparative analysis was carried out for some biochemical characteristics of the liver of Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, from Sevastopol water areas (the Black Sea) with different levels of integrated pollution. The concentration of the oxidized proteins , lipid peroxidation , and the activity of aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase in the liver of black scorpionfish from heavier polluted water areas (Streletskaya and Aleksandrovskaya) were found to be reliably higher than those for fish from Kazach’ya Bay. The causes of this difference were considered and the information content of the examined biomarkers for assessing the quality of marine coastal water areas was analyzed.

Changes in the juvenile fish assemblage of a Mediterranean shallow Posidonia oceanica seagrass nursery area after half century

The within-year dynamics of the juvenile fish community over a shallow nursery seagrass-dominated habitat (Posidonia oceanica) in a Mediterranean Bay was compared between two surveys separated 50 years (1960 and 2012-2013). A nocturnal survey over depths ranging from 2 to 10 m over patched seagrass meadows was conducted for one year (2012-2013) through 72 epibenthic tows spread fortnightly in 4 close-by stations, mimicking a survey, conducted in 1960, in terms of sampling intensity, sampling zone, temporal coverage and sampling gear. Although a large proportion of fish species was similar among surveys, remarkable and statistically significant differences were detected. A striking feature was that one of the most common and abundant sparidae species nowadays, Diplodus annularis, did not appear in 1960. Other strong differences included the disappearance of European eel Anguilla anguilla in the recent survey. Further, one of the most valuable species for artisanal fisheries in the area, the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus, was almost 10 times less abundant in 1960. A finer-scale study of the 2012-2013 survey allowed a quantitative analysis between species composition and potential environmental drivers through Redundancy Analysis that described well the current pattern of time-dependent recruitment pulses in nearshore meadows from the area through a year, with marked effects of surface temperature and photoperiod. The comparison between surveys suggests that some strong differences between surveys are unlikely attributable to interannual stochasticity in recruitment or environmental variability but may be related with i) unaccounted for habitat transformation and/or ii) the strong decrease of juvenile fishing mortality in this shallow nursery area since the enforcement of bans on littoral epibenthic trawling activities characteristic of this area.

Body Size, Age Structure, Growth, and Maturation of Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus (Scorpaenidae) from Southwestern Crimea (Black Sea)

The body size and age structure, as well as the features of growth and sexual maturation, of black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus from the coastal waters of southwestern Crimea are analyzed. The average body length and weight are larger in the females than in the males: 16.4 cm and 93.0 g vs. 14.9 cm and 62.0 g. The maximum age of the females and males in the catches is 11 and 12 years, respectively. The females (50%) reach sexual maturity by the age of 3−4 years at 13.9 cm TL, while the males (50%) reach sexual maturity by the age of 2−3 years at 13.0 cm TL. After sexual maturation, the growth rate of the fish decreases, but the growth rate of the females is higher than that of the males. The black scorpionfish from Crimea differs from the representatives of this species from the Mediterranean Sea in a slower growth rate.

Age and Growth of the Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) under Anthropogenic Pressure in the Black Sea

Age structure and growth dynamics are examined for the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, from three sites characterized by different levels of pollution: Kazach’ya, Alexandrovskaya, and Streletskaya bays. No substantial differences were found in age structures, which largely correspond to the natural state of the population; differences between the mean age in the least polluted Kazach’ya Bay and the most polluted Streletskaya Bay are not significant (p = 0.35). According to the indicators L∞, W∞, k of females, φ of females, and φ' of females, the black scorpionfish from the least polluted Kazach’ya Bay is characterized by a higher growth rate. However, nonsignificance of differences in the values of these parameters in comparison with the more polluted Streletskaya and Aleksandrovskaya bays does not allow an unambiguous conclusion to be made about the fish growth delay in the latter two.

Trace elements in a Mediterranean scorpaenid fish: Bioaccumulation processes and spatial variations

The black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus, a carnivorous sedentary species, was studied as an indicator of local trace element (TE) contamination of coastal fish species in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Fish were collected in seagrass meadows in winter 2012 at four sampling sites: three were located near Marseille, a highly urbanized and industrial area that is subjected to various types of contaminant inputs, and one was located near Hyères, a less urbanized area. Size, sex, age and diet of fish were determined before stable isotope and TE analyses. C and N isotopic compositions and concentrations of nine TEs (As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, T-Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined in dorsal white muscle. Most TEs did not bioaccumulate in S. porcus, as no increase in TE concentrations with increasing size, age or trophic level of fish was evident. Total mercury (T-Hg) was the only element to bioaccumulate and biomagnify, displaying strong positive correlations of its concentration with age (r = 0.88, p < 0.01), length (r = 0.84, p < 0.01) and δ15N value (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). Compared with the reference site, higher concentrations of As, Ba, Cd, T-Hg, Pb, and Zn were recorded in fish collected at one or all of the Marseille site. In contrast, no difference was observed for Cr, Cu, and Ni concentrations with site. Spatial differences in TE concentrations in S. porcus were related to differences in isotopic composition and to the primary environmental characteristics and human activities prevailing at each site. Concentrations of Cd, T-Hg and Pb in fish muscle (priority substances for monitoring) were all below the maximum permitted European values.

Food and feeding habits of black scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus (Osteichthyes: Scorpaenidae) from the northern coast of Tunisia (Central Mediterranean)

Food and feeding habits of black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 were carried out from 715 specimens collected off Ras Jebel, city located in northern Tunisia. Diet was studied in relation to fish size, sexes and seasons. The relationship total length (TL) versus total body mass (TBM) showed a positive allometry, suggesting that S. porcus found favourable environmental parameters and available preys in its habitat. Vacuity index (VI) values were high for the total sample and also related to size classes, sexes, and seasons. Stomach contents of S. porcus revealed a very large diversity of preys; a total of 79 taxa were recorded, 3 osteichthyan, 69 crustacean, 2 annelid and 2 gastropod species, while angiosperma, alga, were rare. Crustaceans were the most abundantly found followed by osteichthyes. The troph value of S. porcus from the north-eastern coast of Tunisian reached 3.48 ± 0.58. S. porcus did not display significant changes in the diet related to sizes and/or seasons. S. porcus should be included among the carnivorous species which play a major role in regulation of marine food webs.

Survey of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus in wild fishes in the southeastern Black Sea.

Species diversity in the Black Sea ecosystem has been declining rapidly over the last 2 decades. To assess the occurrence and distribution of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) in various wild fish species, a wild marine fish survey was carried out in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The pooled or individual samples of kidney, liver, and spleen of 5025 specimens, belonging to 17 fish species, were examined virologically using cell culture. The cells showing cytopathic effects (CPE) were subjected to ELISA and multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-mPCR), for VHSV and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), after blind passaging to determine the virus species causing CPE. The virus species and possibility of co-infection with IPNV were verified by the RT-mPCR developed in this study. Twelve species of fish (pontic shad Alosa immaculata, red mullet Mullus barbatus, three-bearded rockling Gaidropsarus vulgaris, black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus, Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus, whiting Merlangius merlangus euxinus, stargazer Uranoscopus scaber, pilchard Sardina pilchardus, garfish Belone belone, round goby Neogobius melanostomus, thornback ray Raja clavata, and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus) tested positive for VHSV Genotype Ie (VHSV-Ie). Except whiting, pilchard, and round goby, the rest are new host records for VHSV. The extent and spread of VHSV-Ie was significantly higher among bottom fish than among pelagic fish. Sensitivity and specificity of the RT-mPCR developed was sufficiently high, suggesting that this assay may be used for both diagnostic and surveillance testing. According to the RT-mPCR results, IPNV was not present in wild fish. These results support the hypothesis that the VHSV-Ie genotype, highly prevalent among fish species in the Black Sea, may have a serious impact on the population dynamics of wild fish stocks.

Black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus (Scorpaenidae): a first record in the eastern English Channel

This is the first record of the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus being found in the eastern English Channel. A specimen was caught on 15 October 2012 off the port of Courseulles-sur-mer. It measured 31.6 cm and weighted 800 g. From a study of its sagittal otolith, this specimen appeared to be 9 years old.