The species IUCN conservation status of smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is considered ‘Vulnerable’, due to an inferred future population decline caused by habitat loss and sustained exploitation. The status of the Arabian subspecies (L. p. maxwelli) occurring in the Tigris marshes of Iraq and Iran is uncertain due to political problems and limited access to this border region in recent years. With this study we could confirm the persistence of the smooth-coated otter in the marshlands of southern Iraq by using a mitochondrial marker (cytochrome b). Moreover, a second sample from Kurdistan was also identified to be L. perspicillata. This observation represents a major range extension of more than 500 km for this poorly known species. It is recommended to undertake further surveys of suitable habitat in the Tigris wetlands, as well as in Kurdistan, to obtain additional information on the distribution of smooth-coated otter in Iraq, and implement conservation measures in those areas.
Seven populations (Oľšava/Hornád R., Oľšava/Topľa R., Ublianka R., Ondava R., Ipeľ R., Malý Dunaj R. and Vlára R.) of Balcan spined loach were subjected to phylogenetic analysis based on variability of the cytochrome b gene and mitochondrial specific marker. They were separated in to five groups but these groups were represented by specimens from different populations. Genetic distances among populations and among groups were quite low. Subsequently, analysis of relations among our groups and sublineages of Danubian-Balkanian complex of Sabanejewia was made. the first four groups were genetically close to sublineage III, while the fifth one to the sublineage IV. These findings agree with the conclusion about conspecificity of analysed Danubian-Dniester populations belonged to monotypic S. balcanica. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the most suitable populations for the restoration of this species in the Bečva River are populations dwelling the Ipeľ and Vlára rivers.
Based on molecular markers (COII and ITS1-ITS2) and morphological data, we describe three new Neotropical species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 from Scleromystax barbatus (Quoy et Gaimard) and Scleromystax macropterus (Regan) from southern Brazil. The three new species can be distinguished from each other by sequences of both molecular markers and morphology of hooks and anchors. Gyrodactylus bueni sp. n. is characterised by having hook with shaft curved, heel straight, shelf straight, toe pointed, anchor with superficial root slender, elongate and male copulatory organ armed with two rows of spinelets. Gyrodactylus major sp. n. presents hook with shaft, point curved, proximal shaft straight, heel convex, shelf convex, toe concave, anchor with superficial root robust and male copulatory organ armed with two rows of spinelets. Gyrodactylus scleromystaci sp. n. presents hook with shaft, point recurved, heel convex, shelf convex, toe pointed, anchor with superficial root curved and male copulatory organ armed with two rows of spinelets. These species appear to be closely related to other species of Gyrodactylus known from other species of Callichthyidae. These new species, however, differ by the comparative morphology of the haptoral hard structures and molecular data. Comparative analysis of sequences from these species of Gyrodactylus suggests that the COII gene may represent an important marker for the taxonomy of species of Gyrodactylidae and, perhaps, for species of other lineages of Monogenoidea.