
Carlos AntunesUniversity of Porto | UP · RIver and Coastal Ecology (RACE)
Carlos Antunes
Ph.D
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183
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Introduction
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January 2013 - December 2013
Publications
Publications (183)
Editorial of Special Issue: Ecology and conservation of freshwater fish: time to act for a more effective management
According to European reports, the population of Anguilla anguilla has declined to unsafe biological limits in most areas and current fisheries are unsustainable. Indeed, the European eel has been listed as a critically endangered species since the 1970s and has been on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2010. Glass eel fisheries in Euro...
The glass eel fishing by-catch in the Minho River was evaluated by assessing its composition during the 2021–2022 fishing season and comparing results with the first data collected during the 1981-1982 season. Results showed that by-catch composition was mainly dominated by fish and crustaceans. Large reductions in glass eel and by-catch yields wer...
Poucos estudos sobre a diversidade de espécies de macroalgas têm sido realizados no Noroeste da Península Ibérica. Com o presente estudo, pretendemos fornecer a caracterização descritiva taxonómica morfológica das espécies de macroalgas recolhidas em zonas costeiras portuguesas (por exemplo na praia de Moledo e Vila Praia de Âncora) e espanholas (O...
Background
The paper presents an extensive fish sampling dataset spanning a long-term period from 2010 to 2019. The data were collected in Lenta Marina, an upstream area in the Minho Estuary of the NW Iberian Peninsula, which belongs to a LTSER (Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research) platform. To capture fish, fyke nets were utilised as the sampling...
The glass eel catch from the international River Minho, western Iberian Peninsula, forms the southernmost Atlantic series in the composite index outside the North Sea assessing European eel recruitment. Here, new experimental yield data from the lower estuary (1981–2022) and fishers´ daily records (1990–2022) were modelled to describe and compare s...
This study uses the cladistics method, three-dimensional (3D) illustration, and its importance for scientific communication in referring to phylogeny study. Since morphological cladistics presently is less used, we intend to innovate this analysis, so it becomes more perceptible visually, which may awaken interest in phylogenetic studies. We analyz...
As the effects of climate change continue to intensify, non-native species are becoming more prevalent in estuarine ecosystems. This has implications for the taxonomic and functional diversity of fish communities. Historically, biodiversity has been a synonym of taxonomic diversity, however this approach often fails to provide accurate insights on...
This review arises within the scope of my PhD project thesis (1st year), that aims the environmental-characterization of three riparian habitats from the hydrographic Minho River basin (one with urban influence, one with agricultural activity and a more naturalised site), NW Iberian Peninsula, to identify important topics that will serve as drivers...
The anadromous clupeid allis shad, Alosa alosa (Linnaeus, 1758), and twaite shad, Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803), collectively called European shads, are diadromous fish migrating between their reproduction areas in rivers and marine feeding grounds. Both species are in decline due to cumulative impacts of human activities across their life cycle. A...
Background
The paper presents an extensive fish sampling dataset spanning a long-term period (weekly) from 2010 to 2019. The data was collected in Lenta Marina, an upstream area in the Minho Estuary of the NW Iberian Peninsula. To capture fish, fyke nets were utilized as the sampling method. This dataset offers valuable insights into the abundance...
The macrophyte Egeria densa Planchon, 1849 is a freshwater plant native to the subtropical regions of South America. Fast vegetative reproduction and efficient dispersal allow this species to form extensive beds that produce high levels of oxygen in freshwater ecosystems, generating microhabitats that act as refuge and nursery for an array of organ...
In environmental impact studies conducted in coastal regions, the survey of biodiversity is crucial in areas that are subject to interventions. As the characterization of aquatic invertebrates may indicate important issues that need to be addressed. In this regard, hydrozoans (Class Hydrozoa, Phylum Cnidaria) are recognised as important bioindicato...
Este relatório descreve o trabalho de campo e sintetiza os resultados de um inquérito realizado com os pescadores profissionais de peixes anádromos no Troço Internacional do Rio Minho/Miño (TIRM) durante 2021. O objetivo do inquérito foi de recolher individualmente e sistematizar a opinião dos pescadores perante uma proposta de alteração do ordenam...
As the effects of climate change continue to intensify, non-native species are becoming more prevalent in estuarine ecosystems. This has implications for the taxonomic and functional diversity of fish communities. Historically, biodiversity has been a synonym of taxonomic diversity, however this approach often fails to provide accurate insights on...
The contamination of the freshwater fish Pseudochondrostoma duriense from the Minho River estuary by anthropogenic debris suspect of being microplastics (MP-S) was investigated. Biomarkers (neurotoxicity, energy-related, biotransformation, oxidative stress, and damage) were also determined. Twelve fish were analyzed for MP-S presence in the gastroi...
Polychaetes (Phylum Annelida) respond to various sensory stimuli, through many different organs/appendages, like palps (partitioned in palpophores-posterior section, and palpostyles-anterior section), which are quite common in several taxa, varying in shape and structure. Although it is known that palps contain muscular and nervous tissue, the fine...
The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea has been widely introduced into aquatic ecosystems and may impact the physiological condition and survival of native freshwater mussels. However, very few studies have evaluated this issue quantitatively. To fill this gap, manipulative field experiments were performed to assess two possible mechanisms of impact on...
Energy flows from land to sea and between pelagic and benthic environments have the potential to increase the connectivity between estuaries and adjacent ecosystems as well as among estuarine habitats. To identify such
energy flows and the main trophic pathways of energy transfer in the Minho River estuary, we investigated the
spatial and temporal...
Ilustração científica pode ser definida como uma representação realista de um objeto que o ilustrador ou o cientista observa, evidenciando características que se pretendam mostrar. Ao longo dos anos, a ilustração tornou-se numa ferramenta indispensável para a ciência, ajudando a definir o objeto de forma simples, sendo instantaneamente "legível" ou...
Hydrozoa (Phylum Cnidaria) is characterized by biradial, tetramerous or polymerous symmetry; gastrovascular system simple; mostly dioecious (Bouillon et al. 2006), with a predominant polyp stage. The species are broadly distributed in all biogeographical regions (Cornelius 1992a), that mainly occupy marine environments, and may also be found on bra...
This study focuses on aquatic mites from the Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, including the mainland area, and Madeira and Azores archipelagos, aiming at compiling all existing information and generating a list of species and all their data on collecting sites. For the present work, we consider aquatic species, those that inhabit the marine, dee...
Anadromous fish challenge human jurisdictions and are exposed to cumulative pressures originating in the marine, freshwater, and terrestrial realms. Here, a detailed questionnaire survey to anadromous fishers (river Mondego, n = 35; international river Minho/Miño, n = 38) assesses and compares perceptions on sustainability and management for import...
Ilustração científica pode ser definida como uma representação realista de um objeto que o ilustrador ou o cientista observa, evidenciando características que se pretendam mostrar. Ao longo dos anos, a ilustração tornou-se numa ferramenta indispensável para a ciência, ajudando a definir o objeto de forma simples, sendo instantaneamente “legível” ou...
Crustacea are a diverse and abundant group of the littoral and estuarine community invertebrate fauna. This study presents the first survey on the Amphipod fauna found at the Minho River estuary, Iberian Peninsula, collected through glass eel fishing bycatch, grab sampler and beam trawl sampling methods. A total of 100 specimens were examined belon...
Given the European eel population’s marked decrease since the 1980s, it has become urgent to collect information describing its regional population structure to improve management plans. The Minho River (NW-Portugal, SW-Europe) is an important basin for the eel at the southern limit of its distribution, but the species is poorly described. Thus, we...
The European eel, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758), is vulnerable to infections by the parasitic nematode Anguillicola crassus Kuwahara, Niimi & Itagaki, 1974, mainly in freshwater ecosystems. The eel is a bioindicator species due to its benthic behaviour, predator, and life cycle. The parasite feeds on blood from the eel's swim bladder, causing...
There is an imperative need to reduce disposable plastics and enhance the value of plastic waste. Stakeholders from the HORECA network and the general public participated in 11 awareness actions at Minho river, riverbanks, and at Caminha beach. The aim of these actions was to raise awareness about plastic reduction from land-based sources into the...
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change, and the increasing frequency of these events may lead to significant changes in fish assemblages. In this sense, this work aimed to study the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on fish assemblages in the Rio Minho estuary (Portugal). Between 2010 and...
Due to non-linear interactions, the effects of contaminant mixtures on aquatic ecosystems are difficult to assess, especially under temperature rise that will likely exacerbate the complexity of the responses. Yet, under the current climatic crisis, assessing the effects of water contaminants and temperature is paramount to understanding the biolog...
Although species identification is a central component on Biological Sciences, misidentifications are quite common generating error cascade effects on other environmental studies, resulting on erroneous population estimates, status, trends, and distribution data. One of the main causes of these errors occurs when dealing with damaged material, imma...
The X Iberian Symposium on the Hydrographic Minho River Basin, organized by the Aquamuseu do Rio Minho/Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de Cerveira and co-organized by the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) - University of Porto, in a multidisciplinary context, addressed themes that covered areas from the geochemist...
Acari are a subclass of chelicerate arthropods that includes mites and ticks. The present study focuses on the taxonomic diversity of aquatic mites in the Portuguese territory of the Minho Region. Our aim was to compile all available information and thus generate a list of species linking them to the site where they were recorded. Aquatic species w...
Society in general is distant from scientific culture, it is required to bring scientific knowledge closer to the population. In this context, an effective and attractive way for scientific dissemination is the establishment of natural history museums, which are institutions of knowledge, displaying the past. Natural history museums have the natura...
O X Simpósio Ibérico Sobre a Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Minho, organizado pelo Aquamuseu do Rio Minho/Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de Cerveira e co-organizado pelo Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental – Universidade do Porto, num contexto multidisciplinar, abordou temas que abrangeram áreas desde a geoquímica de sedimentos e...
No X Simpósio Ibérico Sobre a Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Minho, organizado pelo Aquamuseu do Rio Minho/Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de Cerveira (Portugal) e co-organizado pelo Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental – Universidade do Porto, foram abordados os temas que abrangeram áreas desde a geoquímica de sedimentos e formas e...
O Vale do rio Minho internacional é composto por uma estrutura heterogénea de paisagens, algumas das quais integradas em áreas com estatuto de conservação.
Crustaceans (Arthropoda) are a diverse and abundant group with chitinous exoskeleton, living on coastal/estuarine environments, at community invertebrate fauna. A survey on the species of some crustacean groups found on the Minho River estuary (international section) in the Iberian Peninsula, is presented with specimens collected through glass eel...
Wild fish (Cyprinus carpio, Mugil cephalus, Platichthys flesus) from an estuary of the NE Atlantic coast were investigated for plastic contamination (N = 128). From the 1289 particles recovered from fish samples, 883 were plastics. Among these, 84% were fibres and 97% were microplastics. Thirty-six polymers were identified. The number of microplast...
The genus Patella (Patellogastropoda, Mollusca) is represented by a group of species exclusive to the Northeast Atlantic Ocean (including Macaronesian archipelagos) and Mediterranean Sea. The species Patella ulyssiponensis and Patella aspera are common in European waters, with the first inhabiting continental coast, and the second endemic to Macaro...
A secção internacional do rio Minho, localizada no noroeste da Península Ibérica (desde Melgaço a Caminha), parte das áreas protegidas da rede Natura 2000 e marcada como Área Importante para as Aves, é considerada uma zona de importância ecológica e uma Área Especial de Conservação. A investigação sobre macroinvertebrados aquáticos neste rio começo...
To evaluate the establishment of the emerged species Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the international section of the Minho River (Iberian Peninsula) the abundance was analysed for 7 years. This study also describes the world’s first record of parasitism between the leech Myzobdella lugubris Leidy, 1851 and L. gibbosus.. The earliest record of...
Long-term time-series datasets are key for assessing the population dynamics of fish species with economic interest. This study examines two 100-year datasets for sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus and allis shad Alosa alosa from the Minho River. This basin on the Iberian Peninsula is home to one of the largest populations at the southern distribution...
• Freshwater mussels (Order Unionida) are highly threatened. Interspecific competition for food sources with invasive alien species is considered to be one of the factors responsible for their decline because successful invaders are expected to have wider trophic niches and more flexible feeding strategies than their native counterparts.
• In this...
Isopods are a common, diverse, and abundant group of the littoral and estuarine invertebrate fauna. This study presents a survey on the species of isopods found on the Minho River estuary, Iberian Peninsula, using plankton net, glass eel fishing bycatch, grab sampler, and sein net sampling methods. A total of 248 specimens were analysed belonging t...
Six types of sphaeractinomyxon are reported from the coelomic cavity of oligochaetes collected from the Minho River estuary in northern Portugal. Four new types are morphologically and molecularly described from freshwater species belonging to the genera Psammoryctides Hrabě and Potamothrix Vejdovský et Mrázek in the upper estuary, thus significant...
The European flounder (Platichthys flesus Linnaeus, 1758) exhibits plasticity for several life traits throughout its distribution range, including ontogenetic habitat shifts during early life, as well as the timing and duration of spawning. Estuaries are preferred as nursery habitat; however, the importance of specific salinity zones for larval dev...
Mullets are ecologic and commercially important fish species. Their ubiquitous nature allows them to play critical roles in freshwater and marine ecosystems but makes them more vulnerable to diseases and parasitic infection. In this study, a myxozoan survey was performed on three species of mullet captured from a northern Portuguese river. The resu...
We describe, morphologically and molecularly, a new actinosporean from the intestinal epithelium of the freshwater oligochaete Ilyodrilus templetoni in the upper estuary of the River Minho, Northern Portugal. Mature actinospores resembled both echinactinomyxon and raabeia types, emphasizing the previously known lack of a clear boundary between thes...
The Iberian Peninsula provides a unique freshwater ecosystem for native and endemic cypriniforms to thrive. Despite cypriniforms being hosts to multiple myxobolids worldwide, little research has been performed in this geographic location. In this study, the examination of three Iberian endemic cypriniforms showed that myxosporean richness in the Ib...
Alosa alosa
Allis shad (Alosa alosa) mature at 3–6 years of age and migrate many hundreds of kilometres upstream into their natal river to spawn. Spawning occurs during spring in the
main river and major tributaries, in shallow waters, and over gravel substrate (Baglinière
et al., 2003). The adults usually die after spawning. Allis shad larvae hatc...
Fluxes of organic matter (OM) from terrestrial ecosystems subsidize stream food webs, which support the production of ecologically and economically important species such as the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Debris have been previously observed in the gut contents of sea lamprey ammocoetes, but their origin and/or the nutritional sources assimila...
An aurantiactinomyxon type is described from the marine naidid Tubificoides pseudogaster (Dahl, 1960), collected from the lower estuary of a Northern Portuguese River. This type constitutes the first of its collective group to be reported from Portugal, and only the fourth described from a marine oligochaete worldwide. Extensive morphological compa...
Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionida) are one of the most imperilled faunal groups globally, being the introduction of invasive species a possible major mechanism of threat. The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea is a problematic invasive species in aquatic ecosystems and can impair the survival of parasitic larvae (glochidia) of native freshwater mus...
An ecosystem model of the Minho estuary (NW coast of Iberian Peninsula) was implemented in AQUATOX 3.1 (US-EPA) to check whether the effects of temperature rise, dry years, rainy years and river flow decrease acting isolated (single stressor) or combined (multiple stressor) would induce the same type of response on macroinvertebrate biomass variati...
The dramatic decline of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations over recent decades has attracted considerable attention and concern. Furthermore, little is known about the sensitivity of the early stages of eels to projected future environmental change. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the potential combined effects of ocean warming...
The dramatic decline of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations over recent decades has attracted considerable attention and concern. Furthermore, little is known about the sensitivity of the early stages of eels to projected future environmental change. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the potential combined effects of ocean warming...
Estuaries are productive environments used by many fish as nursery grounds. The initial stages of fishes are highly vulnerable to (a)biotic factors, and anthropogenic pressures, influencing fish larvae assemblages along the estuary. Microplastics (MPs < 5 mm) are particularly dangerous to early life stages of fishes because their ingestion can indu...
Mullets inhabit a wide range of habitats from tropical to temperate regions and play a critical role in their ecosystems. This commercially important fish group constitutes a significant source of food in several geographic regions, and the production of some species for consumption is an increasing trend. About 64 myxosporean species have been rep...
To provide new information on the ingress dynamics of glass eels at the Portuguese coast, the study analyzes catch per unit effort (CPUE) data from river Lis, biometric data from recruits in basins of western Portugal and meteo-oceanographic data from the Iberian margin and shelf. Biometric data of glass eels in western Portugal are congruent with...
In the past three decades the European eel Anguilla anguilla experienced up to 99% decline in recruitment in some parts of its distribution range. In addition to this long-term trend, glass eel recruitment exhibits significant inter-annual variability partially explained by large-scale oceanographic processes as well as local-scale meteorological a...
Biotic interactions such as predation may
influence the success of invasive alien species (IAS).
Although the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea is recognized
as one of the most problematic aquatic IAS, few
studies have investigated its use as a food resource. In
this study, we aimed to investigate (i) the palatability of
C. fluminea under natural (Minh...
Identifying nursery habitats is of paramount importance to define proper management and conservation strategies for flatfish species. Flatfish nursery studies usually report upon habitat occupation, but few attempted to quantify the importance of those habitats to larvae development. The reliance of two sympatric flatfish species larvae, the Europe...
European eel (Anguilla anguilla) recruitment has been declining at least since the early 1980s at the scale of its distribution area. Since the population is panmictic, its stock assessment should be carried out on a range-wide basis. However, assessing the overall stock during the continental phase remains difficult given its widespread distributi...
The flux of organic matter (OM) across ecosystem boundaries can influence estuarine food web dynamics and productivity. However, this process is seldom investigated taking into account all the adjacent ecosystems (e.g. ocean, river, land) and different hydrological settings (i.e. river discharge). Therefore, we aimed to quantify the contribution of...