Joaquin Lopez-Soriano

Autonomous University of Barcelona | UAB · Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

A new species of freshwater snails of the genus Corrosella is described from the province of Cádiz, Andalusia (southern Spain). This is the westernmost species of the genus known so far in this region, enlarging the distribution area to more than 100 km to the west. Shell morphology, anatomy and molecular tools distinguish it safely from other spec...

Knowledge of stygobiont molluscs has dramatically increased in the last years with the description of a plethora of new genera and species. However, some regions have received little attention to date. In the present paper three new stygobiont species are described for the SW Iberian Peninsula, including the first stygobiont mollusc ever described...

A new species of the Guadiella genus of springsnails is described from Calanda (Teruel province, Aragón, Spain). The status of the previously described Alzoniella murita is reviewed, placing it also in the genus Guadiella. Additional data on Guadiella arconadae and Guadiella ballesterosi are also provided with new material collected from their type...

A new subspecies of Tarracospeum raveni is described from the locality of Vilaverd (la Conca de Barberà, Tarragona province). The new subspecies can be distinguished from the nominate subspecies by subtle but constant differences in its shell, and also from its location in a different river basin, the Francolí River.

A new genus of stygobiont mollusc of the family Hydrobiidae is described from the Parc Natural dels Ports (Cata-lonia, NE Iberian Peninsula). The new species is described on the basis of morphological traits of the shell and singularities of its penial anatomy. This is the second known valvatiform stygobiont described in Catalonia so far, and the f...

Background Biological invasions pose risks to the normal functioning of ecosystems by altering the structure and composition of several communities. Molluscs stand out as an extensively studied group given their long history of introduction by either natural or anthropogenic dispersal events. An alien population of the lymnaeid species Orientogalba...

In the present article, a total of 34 Heterobranchia molluscan species are described for the first time for the coast of Huelva province (SW Iberian Peninsula), which highlights the high biodiversity of this stretch of the Andalusian coastline

In the present work, the composition of species of the genus Corbicula at the rivers Ter, Fluvià and Muga, north of Catalonia, is studied. Compared to previous published results from some years ago, an expansion of Corbicula leana is observed, nowadays present at the three river basins. These results show the composition dynamics of taxa in this ge...

A new population of the Viviparid alien snail Sinotaia quadrata is reported for the Segura River basin (Southeastern Iberian Peninsula), after the finding of specimens in two consecutive seasons in the river and adjacent irrigation canals. Attribution to the species was confirmed by the use of morphological and genetic characters. The population se...

The second Iberian citation of Mytilopsis leucophaeata is given, after the finding of about two hundred specimens in the Guadiana River. This is a species with high invasive capability which may potentially colonize most of the surrounding estuarine and brackish environments. It is also the first record of the species from Portugal.

Aquatic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS), leading to multi-faceted ecological, economic and health impacts worldwide. The Iberian Peninsula comprises an exceptionally biodiverse Mediterranean region with a high number of threatened and endemic aquatic species, most of them strongly impacted...

A new species of the genus Hadziella is described for Spain, which can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its particular morphology and a much smaller size. This is the smallest freshwater gastropod known so far for the Iberian Peninsula.

Rapid expansion of various species of the genus Corbicula (Bivalvia: Cyrenidae) through the middle Ebro River Up to now, only one species of the genus Corbicula has been cited upstream of Mequinensa reservoir on the river Ebro, in stark contrast to the seven species described in the lower stretch of the river. In this paper, the same composition of...

The short and long isoforms of FAIM (FAIM-S and FAIM-L) hold important functions in the central nervous system, and their expression levels are specifically enriched in the retina. We previously described that Faim knockout (KO) mice present structural and molecular alterations in the retina compatible with a neurodegenerative phenotype. Here, we a...

In the present work, the presence of a likely hybrid population of the genus Corbicula is described in the lower Ebro River. The morphological and morphometric study of the shells allow to differentiate them from the parental species, Corbicula fluminalis and Corbicula insularis. Both species have been found syntopically in this very same point of...

A new record for Anodonta cygnea in Spain is given, coming from a historical museum collection. This casts doubts on the alien status for this species in the Iberian Peninsula

The Mediterranean Sea is an immense natural laboratory for the study of biological invasions. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 was likely the starting point of this event in this basin, which is accelerating as a consequence of different actions of anthropic origin, as well as the global warming of oceans. The presence of and the effects cause...

The mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum is among the main invaders in continental aquatic ecosystems. Despite a huge number of articles dealing with this species, there is no good knowledge of its distribution range, which is aggravated by its quick spread. While a huge update has been published in 2019 on its presence in the Iberian Peninsula, with...

A new locality is given for Corbicula fluminea in the Montsant River, a tributary of the Ebro River

A new locality is given for Corbicula fluminea in the Llobregat River

A new citation of Valvata valvata (Valvatidae) is given for Catalonia

The genus Corbicula includes many invasive taxa both in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. In the lower course of the Ebro River, a total of six morphospecies have been described, based on shell characteristics, and the presence of established and well-defined populations. Recently, an anomalous composition of morphotypes of rather juvenile specimen...

A new genus and a new species of valvatiform stygobiotic mollusc of the family Hydrobiidae are described for the Fluvià River basin, in Catalonia, based on morphologic traits of the shells and peculiarities of the male reproductive system.

Within the campaigns for the detection and follow-up of flora and fauna in the País Valencià, some specimens of apple snails were found, which cannot be attributed to the same species located in the Ebro Delta. By analyzing their shells, they can be classified as Pomacea diffusa, a species widely found in domestic aquaria. This species has been usu...

Within the prospective samplings for the detection of exotic species in the coastal systems of the Valencian Community , an aquatic snail was recently found, which can be attributed to the Viviparidae species Sinotaia quadrata. This species has already been described as invasive at different points of Europe and the Americas. This finding, along wi...

La llegada y asentamiento de especies alóctonas e invasoras se postula como una de las grandes amenazas para la biodiversidad, siendo una problemática en continuo crecimiento. Con el fin de estudiar las especies invasoras de moluscos, en el seno de la Asociación Catalana de Malacología se creó el proyecto MINVACAT (Moluscos Invasores de Cataluña)....

A consolidated, reproductive population of the lessepsian alien Brachidontes pharaonis in the Mar Menor (Murcia) is confirmed only one year after the first record in the Iberian Peninsula. Further reports in Alicante (Valencian Community) and the Delta del Ebro (Catalonia) suggest the species could be thriving in the whole Iberian Mediterranean coa...

The first record of Menetus dilatatus is reported for the east of Iberian Peninsula. About one hundred specimens were found by searching in river debris. This finding highlights the lower stretch of the Ebro River as a hotspot for aquatic invasions, with a particularly elevated number of exotic molluscs already reported. Primera cita de Menetus dil...

Resumen: Se describen las primeras poblaciones mediterráneas conocidas de Pedipes pedipes, en Benissa y Xàbia (provincia de Alicante, España), puntos donde ya se habían hallado conchas vacías. Dado que todas las citas previas para el Mediterráneo correspondían a ejemplares aislados, esto podría reflejar una expansión reciente del área de distribuci...

New findings of Pinctada radiata at Mar Menor are reported

First citation of Corbicula fluminalis (O.F. Müller, 1774) (Bivalvia: Cyrenidae) in Aragon. – In the present paper, the species composition of the genus Corbicula is described for the Mequinenza reservoir environment, in the Ebro River. The first citation for Aragon of Corbicula fluminalis is given.

Fas Apoptotic Inhibitory Molecule protein (FAIM) is a death receptor antagonist and an apoptosis regulator. It encodes two isoforms, namely FAIM-S (short) and FAIM-L (long), both with significant neuronal functions. FAIM-S, which is ubiquitously expressed, is involved in neurite outgrowth. In contrast, FAIM-L is expressed only in neurons and it pro...

In this note the presence of consolidated populations of two allochthonous species previously cited in the Ebre Delta is confirmed: Crepipatella dilatata and Pinctada radiata. Both species are closely linked to commercial mussel farming, an important economic activity in this territory, and which they could negatively impact in the near future. Thi...

In this article, the first known established population of Otala xanthodon (Helicidae) is given for the Iberian Peninsula. Some few thousands of live specimens were found at the Sierra de Callosa de Segura mountain system (Baix Segura, Alicante province). The specimens were found preferably in sunny environments at an altitude above 400m, mainly on...

In the present paper the taxonomic status of several Corbicula populations, collected in different sites from northern and central Italy, is evaluated. At least four different species have been identified: Corbicula flu minalis (Müller, 1778), Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1778), Corbicula largillierti (Philippi, 1844) and Corbicu la leana Prime, 186...

Apoptosis plays an important role during development, control of tissue homeostasis and in pathological contexts. Apoptosis is executed mainly through the intrinsic pathway or the death receptor pathway, i.e., extrinsic pathway. These processes are tightly controlled by positive and negative regulators that dictate pro- or anti-apoptotic death rece...

Two populations of the lessepsian gastropod Cerithium scabridum were previously described in the Iberian Peninsula, one at Comunitat Valenciana and another one in Mar Menor coastal lagoon. After searching for the species in highly anthropogenic environments, such as commercial harbours, the species was found in two places in Catalonia. This confirm...

Papillifera bidens is a clausiliid species native from Italic Peninsula and Sicily. It has been widely expanded by anthropogenic activity over centuries in the whole Mediterranean area, including its both subspecies, affinis and bidens. In Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula) there were a few known populations of P. bidens bidens exclusively in the pro...

Resumen: El hallazgo de dos poblaciones muy densas de Cerithium scabridum confirma el estatus invasivo de esta especie en las costas mediterráneas de la Península Ibérica donde, hasta el momento, solo se habían hallado unos pocos ejemplares. Abstract: The discovery of two quite dense populations of Cerithium scabridum confirms the invasive status o...

The populations of two allochthonous Lymnaeid species, recently recorded for the first time from Europe at the Ebro Delta (NE Iberian Peninsula), are here revaluated, noticing their quick expansion and confirming ther invasive status.

The first records of the allochthonous edible snail Helix lucorum are presented for Castilla y León community (Spain), probably having being deliberately introduced for food.

Resumen: Trabajos previos habían sugerido la presencia en el Delta del Ebro de una especie distinta a Cerithium vulgatum, probablemente C. repandum. En base a la protoconcha, se confirma aquí la presencia de Cerithium repandum, que constituye además la primera cita para Cataluña y la Península Ibérica. Abstract: Previous works suggested the presenc...

First report of Subulina octona for the Iberian Peninsula

As the result of our samplings along the coast of Huelva, seventeen species of molluscs are recorded for the first time from this province. All were already known from Andalusia, but not explicitly recorded from this province.

The lessepsian mussel Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer, 1870) is recorded for the first time in the Iberian

The long isoform of Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule (FAIM-L) is a neuron-specific death receptor antagonist that modulates apoptotic cell death and mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. FAIM-L exerts its antiapoptotic action by binding to X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), an inhibitor of caspases, which are the main effectors of apopto...

Updated review of the freshwater molluscs in the lower Ebro (NE Iberian Peninsula). - The lower stretch of the Ebro River displays a high malacological diversity, given the presence of numerous mollusc species. However, there are not recent works dealing with this malacofauna, and the status of some species not cited from this stretch of the river...

La familia Tellinidae comprende numerosas especies en el ámbito Mediterráneo y Atlántico próximo, incluyendo algunas de interés comercial. Incluye un único representante del género Gastrana en la península Ibérica, Gastrana fragilis (Linnaeus, 1758). Es una especie bastante común en toda la cuenca mediterránea, que se extiende también por el Atlánt...

Leiosolenus aristatus (Dillwyn, 1817), también conocido por sus sinónimos ampliamente utilizados en la bibliografía Lithophaga aristata y Myoforceps aristatus, es una especie de mitílido perforador, presente en el Atlántico, Mediterráneo, Caribe y Pacífico. Su estatus en el Mediterráneo es conflictivo, siendo considerada por algunos autores como na...

The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is among the 100 worst invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. Its recent arrival to the eastern Iberian Peninsula has been followed by a population boost, observed at summer 2018 at the Delta del Ebro estuary. In addition, its seasonal migration upstream of the river has been observed this year. In the presen...

Lake Garda, the largest Italian lake, is suffering from the introduction of several non-indigenous species during the last decades and can now be considered one of the main European freshwater hotspots of xenodiversity. Among the Bivalvia (Veneroidea, Cyrenidae), Corbicula fluminea and Corbicula fluminalis were first recorded in 2002 and 2008 respe...

In this article, the presence of a Bulimulidae species, classified as Naesiotus quitensis (Pfeiffer, 1848), is reported from an urban park in Madrid (Spain). This is the first citation of a species of this highly diversified Neotropical gastropod family in Europe. The species seems established in the park, but the ways of its introduction are unkno...

A high density population of Galba sp. was found in rice fields in the Ebro Delta in Spain. Two specimens were subject to molecular identification. Their COI and ITS-2 sequences formed one cluster with the GenBank sequences of the neotropical Galba cubensis (L. Pfeiffer), G. neotropica Bargues, Artigas, Mera y Sierra, Pointier et Mas-Coma and G. vi...

A new species of the genus Guadiella from Huelva, SW Spain, is described. The new species is compared with some other species of the genus, from which differs by some con-chological characters.

El delta del Llobregat és una de les zones humides més importants de Catalunya. Disposa d’una malacofauna força diversa, encara que amenaçada a causa de la proximitat a l’àrea urbana de Barcelona i al fet d’estar envoltada per grans infraestructures. Aquest article registra per primera vegada la presència i distribució en aquest espai natural d’un...

Fas Apoptosis Inhibitory Molecule (FAIM) is an evolutionarily highly conserved death receptor antagonist, widely expressed and known to participate in physiological and pathological processes. Two FAIM transcript variants have been characterized to date, namely FAIM short (FAIM-S) and FAIM long (FAIM-L). FAIM-S is ubiquitously expressed and serves...

Presence of the invasive bivalve Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) in the Llobregat delta (Baix Llobregat) The Llobregat delta is among the most important wetlands in Catalonia. The diverse malacofauna of the area is threatened, however, by the large infrastructures surrounding the delta and the area´s close proximity to the urban centre of Barcelo...

Freshwater snails of the genus Austropeplea were found on rice fields in Spain. It is the first record of this genus in Europe, very distant from all previously known localities of this taxon. By comparison of sequence data of the nuclear marker ITS-2 two specimens analysed fell into one cluster with GenBank sequences front Austropeplea viridis (Qu...

Freshwater snails of the genus Austropeplea were found on rice fields in Spain. It is the first record of this genus in Europe, very distant from all previously known localitites of this taxon. By comparison of sequence data of the nuclear marker ITS-2 two specimens analysed fell into one cluster with GenBank sequences from Austropeplea viridis (Qu...

Pseudosuccinea columella (Say, 1817) es una especie norteamericana de limneido, descrita como invasora en numerosos países del mundo, siendo además considerada una de las especies de agua dulce con mayor rango de distribución y mayor potencial invasivo. En la península Ibérica hay tan sólo cinco citas confirmadas para la especie: dos en la provinci...

Invasive malacofauna associated with marine aquaculture.—Marine aquaculture is an economic activity with an important expansion, which has associated a number of problems such as the introduction of allochthonous species. Particularly in the northern hemisphere, a number of mollusks have been transported by this activity, which may turn themselves...

The relevance of death receptor (DR) signaling in embryonic development and physiological homeostasis is well established, as well as the existence of several molecules that modulate DR function, among them Fas Apoptosis Inhibitory Molecules (FAIMs). Although FAIM1, FAIM2 and FAIM3 inhibit Fas-induced cell death, they are not structurally related,...

El cultivo comercial de bivalvos marinos suele llevar asociada la introducción de especies alóctonas. Con anterioridad, se ha reportado la presencia de cinco especies de moluscos marinos alóctonos en esta zona, en su mayoría asociados a la actividad de acuicultura. Se reportan 6 nuevas especies de gasterópodos alóctonos, procedentes del Cantábrico...

Polygyra cereolus (Mühlfeldt, 1816) es una especie de molusco gasterópodo continental originaria de Florida y otras zonas generalmente costeras del sudeste de los Estados Unidos, que se ha ido introduciendo accidentalmente en diversos lugares, principalmente asociada al comercio de tepes de césped y plantas ornamentales. En la presente nota, se dan...

El género Monilearia Mousson, 1872 comprende 18 especies, todas endémicas de las Islas Canarias. Muchas de estas especies están en peligro de extinción o están consideradas como vulnerables por la IUCN, dado su ámbito de distribución restringido y en declive. En el ámbito de unas prospecciones para identificar especies alóctonas asociadas a viveros...

The project BioBlitz Barcelona is held once a year. From 2010 up to now the BioBlitz BCN has assembled experts and citizens in order to survey the biodiversity in several areas of the city of Barcelona, mainly in urban parks. At the beginning the Natural History Museum of Barcelona and the University of Barcelona have coordinated the tasks. At the...