George Minos

Discrimination of two picarel species Spicara flexuosa and Spicara maena (Pisces: Centracanthidae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences

A DNA methodology based on PCR and sequencing analysis of the mtDNA 16S rRNA gene was developed for the discrimination of picarel Spicara flexuosa and blotched picarel Spicara maena (Pisces: Centracanthidae). The molecular results indicated that there is a clear discrimination between the two species, as all the individuals of S. flexuosa revealed the same 16S rDNA haplotype while the S. maena haplotype differs in 15 distinct nucleotides.

Development of an innovative information system: a fish identification e-key with update capabilities

A dichotomous identification key organizes fishes based on their similarities and differences, and is an essential tool in which ichthyologists, biologists, fishery biologists and others can use for accurate identification of specimens or finding information on correct names, biology and distribution of species. This research work focuses on the development and implementation of a totally new information system that is able to identify correctly fish species names. The developed system is a fully interactive fish identification e-key, which can be used in both forms; locally and remotely via the World Wide Web. This new dichotomous classification e-key provides the capability to identify any species in a compact and easy to use environment, which gives the user excellent operation capabilities and complete information about all included fish species. Moreover, the application provides the capability to search for a random fish species and to show a list which includes all the fish species that currently exist in the applications database. There is an extra attribute that makes the new system novel, and this is its expandability: the information system is fully dynamic having the capability to be extended every time a new species is identified. This attribute is innovative because, until now, there is not any fish identification e-key that gives the user the capability to insert new fish species into the applications database.

Evaluation of Helically Coiled and Knitted Open Tubular Reactors for the Efficient Post-Column Determination of Tetrodotoxin by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

ABSTRACT A postcolumn fluorescence reaction system for the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) determination of tetrodotoxin in the silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus is discussed theoretically and investigated experimentally. Ion-pair chromatography with volatile ammonium perfluoroheptanoate was used for the separation of tetrodotoxin and 4,9-anhydrotetrodotoxin. The postcolumn reaction was based on the tetrodotoxin conversion to a quinazoline fluorescent compound under strong alkaline conditions. All postcolumn parameters were optimized that affected the sensitivity, dispersion, and stability. Helically coiled and knitted open tubular reactors composed of polyetheretherketone were constructed and characterized in detail. The performance of these reactors was evaluated on the basis of sensitivity and dispersion. Their optimal design is reported. The knitted reactors were more efficient than the relevant helically coiled reactors when higher reaction times are required. A 1500-µL polyetheretherketone knitted coil with 0.010″ internal diameter was optimum exhibiting higher pressure tolerances than Teflon coils. The HPLC postcolumn reaction method was evaluated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and ruggedness. The linear dynamic ranges for tetrodotoxin and 4,9-anhydrotetrodotoxin were 40–3000 and 80–3000 ppb, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification were 12 and 41 ppb, respectively, for tetrodotoxin and 26 and 85 ppb, respectively, for 4,9-anhydrotetrodotoxin. The accuracy was evaluated by recovery measurements and the values for tetrodotoxin were between 90.7 and 93.6%. The use of a volatile perfuorocarboxylic acid as an ion-pair reagent allows confirmation of analytes in sample matrix by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using identical mobile phase conditions.

An Innovative Decision Making e-key Application For the Identification of Fish Species

The most important tool for ichthyologists, as well as biologists, fishery biologists and other relevant scientists is an identification key, that is an information system providing them the capability to identify specimens accurately or to find information on correct names, biology and distribution of species. Dichotomous identification keys organize fishes based on their similarities and differences. This research work focuses on the development and implementation of a new innovative information system which is able to identify correctly fish species. The developed system is a fully interactive fish identification e-key which can be used in both forms; locally and remotely via Internet, and more specifically the Telnet service. This new dichotomous classification e-key provides the capability to identify any species in a compact and easy-to-use environment which gives the user excellent operation capabilities and complete information about all included fish species. Moreover, the application provides the capability to search for a sporadic fish species and to show a list which includes all the fish species that exist to the application’s database until that time.