The Adriatic sturgeon, Acipenser naccarii , is an endemic species to the Adriatic Sea basin classified as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Limited information is available regarding the health status and diseases affecting this species, particularly in the wild. In September 2023, a post‐spawning female Adriatic sturgeon was found along the edges of the Adige River. The fish displayed abnormal swimming, cu...

Caviar‐producing sturgeons belonging to the genus Acipenser are considered to be one of the most endangered species groups in the world. Continued overfishing in spite of increasing legislation, zero catch quotas and extensive aquaculture production have led to the collapse of wild stocks across Europe and Asia. The evolutionary relationships among Adriatic, Russian, Persian and Siberian sturgeons are complex because of past i...

The big‐scale sand smelt Atherina boyeri lives in fresh water, brackish water and sea water of the western Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Previous studies concerning distribution, biometric characters and genetic molecular markers have suggested the possible existence of two or even three different groups or species of sand smelt, one ‘lagoon’ type and one (or two – punctuated and non‐punctuated on the flanks) ‘marine’...

Although analyses of intraspecific variability are an important prerequisite for species identification assays, only a few studies have focused on population genetics and historical biogeography of sturgeon species. Here we present the first study on genetic variability of the last remaining Adriatic sturgeon, Acipenser naccarii , derived from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Our mitochondrial DNA analyses arranged individuals i...

The identification of interspecific hybrids represents an important issue for conservation biology and trade controls. In Italy, the commercial demand for sturgeon is rapidly increasing and interspecific hybrids represent a relevant part of aquacultural production. In this study we tested the suitability of the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique for sturgeon hybrid detection. Multilocus AFLP profiles were...

The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was applied to settle a lawsuit involving unauthorized commercialization of a patented strawberry variety of high economical relevance (‘Marmolada’®). Because of economical involvements, the molecular approach was added to the more traditional morphological examination in a double‐blind test. All plants belonging to the patented variety were unambiguously identified (13 pla...

The long‐eared owl is a nocturnal predator which winters communally and breeds in the same areas in loose colonies during the spring. We tested the hypothesis that roosts, particularly stable roosts, are formed by close relatives, a condition under which group‐related behaviours such as information sharing or helping at nest are more likely to be developed. DNA fingerprinting analysis was used to examine genetic similarity wit...