ABSTRACT This is the first attempt to assess life parameters of little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus in the southwestern Atlantic. Fin spines, liver, and gonad information from 345 fishes (330-780 mm fork length) sampled from artisanal landings between March 2018, and February 2019 were used to analyze age, growth, and sexual maturity. Age was estimated by counting and measuring increments in sectioned spines, and the von Bertalanffy growth function was used to fit length-at-age data. There was no significant difference between male and female size distributions. Gonadosomatic index peaked from November to February in both sexes, associated with the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) upwelling in temperatures between 15-18°C. Reproduction in cold waters has never been reported before and is possibly related to a richer environment for feeding and growth of larvae. The coefficient of variation among successive readings was 9.2%. The oldest fish was 5 years, and one annual increment for 2 and 3-year-old fish was observed to form associated with SACW. Little tunny growing in southeastern Brazil shows a higher growth rate and smaller asymptotic length when compared to most stocks in Mediterranean waters. Growth was not significantly affected by sex, and the von Bertalanffy growth parameters for all fish were L∞ = 791.9 mm, k = 0.42, and t0 = −0.97 yr-1. Length at first maturity is attained by 1-year-old fish of either sex (423-492 mm), suggesting that a small proportion (8%) of juveniles was recorded from fishery landings.

Este estudo visou testar a influência de Palythoa caribeorum, um zoantídeo amplamente distribuído no Atlântico, na estruturação da comunidade de peixes recifais associados a um costão rochoso de uma região subtropical. A densidade, a riqueza e a distribuição vertical de peixes recifais em áreas previamente selecionadas com e sem a dominância de Palythoa caribaeorum foram comparadas através de censos visuais estacionários em três períodos distintos de tempo. Os peixes foram agrupados em guildas tróficas a fim de evidenciar diferenças nos usos dos recursos nas diferentes áreas analisadas. Foram analisados também índices de complexidade estrutural através do método da corrente e os percentuais de cobertura bentônica através de fotos quadracts replicados. Foram registradas trinta e oito espécies de peixes recifais de vinte e cinco famílias diferentes. Acomunidade de peixes entre as áreas estudadas foi similar tanto em composição de espécies quanto em distribuição vertical. Considerando apenas as espécies mais associadas ao substrato, que foram as mais freqüentes e abundantes, os dados mostraram que as áreas com dominância de P. caribaeorum sustentam maior diversidade e abundância do que as áreas sem a dominância de P. caribaeorum. Foram encontradas ainda diferenças significativas na composição bentônica entre os diferentes tratamentos estudados, mas não foram verificadas diferenças entre a complexidade estrutural entre estas áreas. No entanto, os resultados sugerem que as áreas com dominância de P. caribaeorum podem desempenhar papel importante na limitação de espaços, estruturando as comunidades bentônicas e, conseqüentemente, afetando a comunidade de peixes recifais.

This work aimed to test the influence of Palythoa caribeorum, a widely distributed zoanthid in the Atlantic, on site-attached reef fish in a subtropical rocky shore. Density, richness and vertical distribution of reef fish inside (ID) and outside (OD) previously chosen P. caribaeorum dominance patches were compared through stationary visual censuses along three different periods. Fishes were grouped in different trophic guilds to evidence differences in resources uses in both treatments. A complexity index was estimated by the chain link method and percentage covering of benthic organisms was obtained analyzing random points from replicated photo-quadrats. We observed thirty-eight species of fishes, belonging to twenty-five families. Reef fish communities between studied patches were similar,both in terms of species composition and vertical distribution. Considering only the most site-attached fishes, which were the most frequent and abundant species, data showed that ID sustains higher diversity and abundance than OD. Results showed that benthic composition differ significantly among patches whereas complexity remained without differences. Otherwise, results indicated that these areas might play an important role in space limitation, structuring neighboring benthic community and consequently reef fish assemblages.

Recentemente, foi demonstrado que a forma toxêmica da esquistossomose mansônica em crianças pode serfator predisponente para abscesso piogênico do fígado (APF). Como no Estado do Espírito Santo, a esquistossomose é endêmica em grande parte do estado e os APF são freqüentemente diagnosticados no Hospital Infantil Nossa Senhora da Glória de Vitória, realizou-se revisão dos casos de APF diagnosticados entre maio de 1991 e abril de 1994, com a finalidade de identificar-se os casos com infecção esquistossomótica e a sua procedêitcia. Identificaram-se 65 casos de APF e 39 apresentavam exame de fezes registrado no prontuário, sendo 3 positivos para Schistosoma mansoni e 29 positivos para outros helmintos intestinais, principalmente áscaris e tricocéfalo. A procedência dos pacientes mostrou que 7 (10,6%) eram provenientes de zona endêmica da esquistossomose. A associação APF e esquistossomose mostrou-se pequena e não há grande sobreposição na distribuição geográfica das duas doenças. Por outro lado a alta prevalência de infecção por outros helmintos intestinais e o grande número de abscessos piogênicos criptogenéticos diagnosticados, faz pensar que as infecções helmínticas com larvas que podem migrar para o fígado e formar granulomas, possam também ser um fator predisponente para o abscesso hepático em crianças.

A possible association of the acute toxaemic form of schistosomiasis and pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) has been recently suggested. As in the west of the Espirito Santo state schistosomiasis is endemic and PLA are frequently diagnosed in the Children's Hospital of Vitória we reviewed the records of the Hospital during the period from May 1991 to April 1993 to: a) iddentify all cases of PLA in which Schistosoma mansoni infection was present and b) annotate the procedence of each case to verify if there is an association of the two diseases. 65 cases of PLA were recorded and 39 had the result of a stool examination, being three positive for Schistosoma mansoni (7,6%) and 26 for other helminth (mainly Ascaris and Trichocephalus). The procedence of the patients showed that only 7 (10, 7%) came from endemic areas. These results show that an asociation of Schistosoma mansoni infection and PLA was not significative in the country, where the acute toxaemic form is not frequent. The great majority of PLA in this study came from the urban peripheiy of Vitória, where transmission of schistosomiasis does not occur but intestinal helminth infections are extremely frequent. As 40% of these PLA were criptogenetic it is possible that the immunomodulation induced by intestinal parasites and the liver granulomas produced by the lamae of these helminths would be predisposing factors for pyogenic liver abscess.