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Acta Adriatica, Vol. 57 No. 1, 2016.

Original scientific paper

First record of plastic debris in the stomach of Mediterranean lanternfishes

Teresa ROMEO orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-8515-1964 ; ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Laboratory of Milazzo, Via dei Mille 46, 98057 Milazzo, Italy
Cristina PEDÀ ; ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Laboratory of Milazzo, Via dei Mille 46, 98057 Milazzo, Italy
Maria Cristina FOSSI ; University of Siena, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Strada Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
Franco ANDALORO ; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Palermo, c/o Residence Marbela, Via Salvatore Puglisi 9, 98143 Palermo, Italy
Pietro BATTAGLIA orcid id orcid.org/0000-0003-1822-7775 ; ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Laboratory of Milazzo, Via dei Mille 46, 98057 Milazzo, Italy

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Abstract

This study highlights for the first time the presence of plastic debris in the stomachs of Mediterranean lanternfishes (Myctophidae): Electrona risso, Diaphus metopoclampus, Hygophum benoiti and Myctophum punctatum. Samples were collected in the central Mediterranean Sea between 2010 and 2014. Plastics ingested belonged to small microplastics (0.2 - 2 mm), large microplastics (2 - 5 mm) and mesoplastics (5 - 25 mm), having mainly clear colors. Their frequency of occurrence in stomachs was equal to 2.7%, but it increases to 5.8% if only migratory species are considered. The higher number of plastics was found in E. risso and H. benoiti (5 in both species). The plastic ingestion may represent a risk for vertical migrant lanternfishes due to the increase in buoyancy. Ecotoxicological aspects linked to the potential effects of contaminants on lanternfish biology and to the transfer of pollutants throughout the marine trophic web up to top predators should be deepened.

Keywords

Micro-plastics ingestion; mesopelagic fish; Myctophidae; stomach content; trophic web; Mediterranean

Hrčak ID:

162299

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162299

Publication date:

28.6.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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