Marco, A., Abella-Perez, E. & Tiwari, M. (2017). Vulnerability of loggerhead turtle eggs to the presence of clay and silt on nesting beaches. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 486, 195-203.

ABSTRACT Sea turtle nests usually suffer a high mortality on important nesting grounds. Understanding the main factors that influence hatching success and productivity on important rookeries of endangered populations is essential to properly manage and protect them. The amount of clay can be high on some nesting beaches and could affect egg incubation. In the main loggerhead rookery in the Eastern Atlantic (Boa Vista, Cape Verde), clays and silts are very common on near 10% of the main nesting beaches, and turtles do not avoid clay substrates when they lay their eggs. Nests incubated on sandy substrates rich on clay and silt had a very high mortality. The same occurs on nests with the eggs stained with clay and incubated in sand free of clay. The eggs experimentally incubated with a covering layer of clay (30%, 50% and 80% of the eggshell) suffered an important loss of water, which in the extreme cases was irreversible, causing the death of the embryos. 75% of the eggs with 80% of their eggshells covered with clay died, while the mortality rate of the control eggs was only 25%. The salt content of the clay/silt seems not to be responsible for the egg dehydration and death. The hatchlings born from eggs with only 30% of the eggshell covered by clay were slower that those born from control eggs. Substrates with a significant presence of clay/silt can seriously disrupt embryonic development, reducing the emergence success of nests and should be avoided on nest relocation programs.


Peters, H., O’Leary, B. C., Hawkins, J. P. & Roberts, C. M. (2016). The cone snails of Cape Verde: Marine endemism at a terrestrial scale. Global Ecology and Conservation, 7, 201-213.

ABSTRACT Cape Verde in the Eastern Atlantic is typical of many island groups in supporting a wealth of endemic species both terrestrial and marine. Marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Conus, commonly known as cone snails, occur in coastal tropical waters throughout the globe, but in Cape Verde their endemism reaches its apogee with 53 out of 56 species occurring nowhere else, the majority of which are restricted to single islands and frequently to single bays. However, Cape Verde is rapidly moving to a tourism-based economy with a projected boom in infrastructure development often coincidental with the shallow-water habitat of many range-restricted Conus. The conservation assessment of Conus to standards of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species, found that 45.3% of 53 species assessed from Cape Verde are threatened or near-threatened with extinction compared to 7.4% of 579 species in the rest of the world. The only three Conus species globally assessed as Critically Endangered and on the cusp of extinction are all endemic to Cape Verde. Our analysis of Conus species distribution, together with spatial data of coastal protected areas and tourism development zones, identify important areas for future research and new marine protection. Our findings show that endemism with its associated risks for Conus in Cape Verde has worldwide parallels with many non-marine taxa, while our proposed strategy for Conus conservation extends beyond the confines of the country and this taxonomic group.


Menut T. & Bérenger L. (2016). Inventaire ichtyologique au Cap-Vert (île de Santiago). Les cahiers de la fondation, 3, 1-42.

ABSTRACT Sur les conseils de l’ichtyologue Peter Wirtz rencontré une année plus tôt à Madère par les deux auteurs, six personnes maitrisant la plongée décident de réaliser en octobre 2015, pendant 13 jours, une mission d’inventaire des poissons côtiers sur l’île de Santiago (Archipel du Cap-Vert). Ils sont rejoints par deux scientifiques ichtyologues, le Dr Peter Wirtz et Patrick Louisy, et ce groupe (ainsi que ponctuellement quelques conjoints ou enfants avisés) notent et photographient à chaque plongée ou prospection en snorkelling toutes les observations possibles de poissons. Les résultats et le détail méthodologique de cette mission sont relatés ci-dessous.


Plata-Luis, J., Foronda, P., Martín-Alonso, A., Feliu, C., Alves, J., Gil, H. & Valladares, B. (2016). Leptospira interrogans in Rodents from Cape Verde. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 16(11), 731-733.

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis is an important worldwide zoonotic disease that can infect both animals and humans. In most cases, leptospirosis is a nonspecific self-limiting illness, but some patients can develop a severe form with a high mortality. This study was carried out in Santiago Island, Cape Verde, in 2012–2013. A total of 62 wild rodents (Rattus rattus and Mus domesticus) were analyzed. The lipL32 gene, present only in pathogenic Leptospira spp., was amplified by PCR, and 16 samples were positive (25.8%). In both rodent species, Leptospira interrogans was identified. The results show the presence of pathogenic Leptospira in the three localities analyzed in Santiago. The presence of L. interrogans demonstrates a serious health risk for the population, since this species has been associated with the most severe form of leptospirosis, the Weil's disease in humans, a severe infection with jaundice, renal failure, and hemorrhage.

Arias, A. (2016). Onuphis and Mooreonuphis (Annelida: Onuphidae) from West Africa with the description of three new species and the reinstatement of O. landanaensis Augener, 1918. Zootaxa, 4168(3), 481-511.

ABSTRACT The taxonomy of eastern Atlantic species of the genus Onuphis has been confused due to the somewhat cursory and misleading descriptions of species and the disregard of the true identity of the type species of the genus, O. eremita, which has been commonly reported from West Africa, along with O. geophiliformis and O. rullieriana. However, all three species are now considered as unlikely to occur in western Africa. This work recognises three species of Onuphis from this region. Two of them, Onuphis augeneri sp. nov. and O. hanneloreae sp. nov., are newly described from Nyanga estuary (Gabon) and Sal Island (Cape Verde) respectively. Furthermore, Onuphis landanaensis, a species described from the Gulf of Guinea and subsequently synonymised with O. eremita, is formally reinstated and redescribed based upon the re-examination of the original types. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of all species are presented as well as the ontogenetic changes of the brooder O. hanneloreae sp. nov. Furthermore, the genus Mooreonuphis is recorded for the first time in Africa with the description of M. nunezi sp. nov. from Cape Verde archipelago. Additionally, a dichotomous key to all species of the genera Onuphis and Mooreonuphis from the eastern Atlantic is included.


Fraussen, K. & Swinnen, F. A review of the genus Euthria Gray, 1839 (Gastropoda: Buccinidae) from the Cape Verde Archipelago. Xenophora Taxonomy, 11, 9-31.

ABSTRACT All known Euthria species from the Cape Verde Islands are reviewed. Special attention is given to comparative characteristics for a better understanding of the systematics within the group. The spiral sculpture on the upper spire whorls and the shape of the subsutural slope in combination with protoconch morphology serve to distinguish species, while the spiral sculpture on the last whorls may vary considerably in a few species. We give the characteristic spiral sculpture of all species, discussing the variablity when such is observed, with special attention to the spiral sculpture of a number of species that became published without such details in the original description. Differences or similarities in pattern were the source of confusion in earlier studies; some aspects of the pattern are specific while other aspects may perform a high degree of variability that result in a wide phenotypical overlap. As a result we place two names in synonymy: E. josepedroi Rolán & Monteiro, 2007 is found to be conspecific with E. vandae Rolán & Monteiro, 2007 while E. ceciliae Fraussen & Rolán, 2003 is conspecific with E. marianae Rolán, Monteiro & Fraussen, 2003.

Barone, R. & Bacallado, J. J. (2016). First record of Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis for the Cape Verde Islands. The Bulletin of the African Bird Club, 23(2), 225-226.

ABSTRACT First record of Laughing Dove for the Cape Verde archipelago, indicating a possible expansion of the species to the extreme south of the Macaronesian region, following the same process occurred in Northwest Africa and other nearby regions.


Rodrigues, J. G. & Villasante, S. (2016). Disentangling seafood value chains: Tourism and the local market driving small-scale fisheries. Marine Policy, 74, 33-42.

ABSTRACT Identifying socio-economic drivers of small-scale fisheries is a fundamental step to understand impacts and pressures on fishery resources, and the behaviour of seafood trade actors. It is especially relevant for developing countries where such information is usually lacking and fisheries management is greatly needed. To address this gap, this study maps the structure of value chains of fish and marine invertebrates caught by small-scale fisheries from São Vicente, Cape Verde (West Africa), and examines the main socio-economic drivers behind the seafood trade on the island. Specifically, it shows how drivers, such as tourism and the local market, shape the preferences for certain species and how they affect the distribution of income among actors involved in the seafood trade. To collect this information, interviews were done with fishers, small-scale traders, market vendors, and restaurant owners, in all fishing communities of the island of São Vicente, in 2015. Tourism and the local market drive the exploitation of a wide variety of marine species, from small demersal low trophic level fish and marine invertebrates, to large pelagic high trophic level fish species. Moreover, the local seafood market, and especially tourism dynamics, contribute to the unequal distribution of income among actor groups, benefiting mostly restaurant owners due to their direct access to tourist consumers. Such findings have implications for local fishery resources management, food security, and fishing communities’ livelihoods.


Loureiro, N. D. S. & Martins, S. (2016). The status of Ischnura senegalensis (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) in Cape Verde. African Entomology, 24(2), 448-452.

ABSTRACT The first record of a zygopteran breeding population in the Cape Verde archipelago is presented. A small population of Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) was found living in the lagoon ‘Lagoinha’, Santiago island, where the species was observed in all seven surveys conducted between May 2014 and June 2015. Reproductive behaviour was repeatedly observed and exuviae were found and collected.


Burnett, E., Sills, E., Peterson, M. N. & DePerno, C. (2016). Impacts of the conservation education program in Serra Malagueta Natural Park, Cape Verde. Environmental Education Research, 22(4), 538-550.

ABSTRACT Environmental and conservation education programs are commonly offered in the rapidly expanding network of protected areas in developing countries. There have been few evaluations of these programs and their impacts on participants. At Serra Malagueta Natural Park in Cape Verde, we assessed changes in environmental knowledge, opinions, and behaviors among visiting school children and a comparison group that did not visit the park. Participation in the park’s conservation education program has a positive impact on environmental knowledge after the visit. The program may also contribute to student knowledge by influencing classroom teaching in anticipation of the park visit.


Rijsdijk, K. F., Hengl, T., Norder, S. J., Otto, R., Emerson, B. C., Ávila, S. P., López, H., Loon, E. E., Tjørve, E. & Fernández‐Palacios, J. M. (2014). Quantifying surface‐area changes of volcanic islands driven by Pleistocene sea‐level cycles: biogeographical implications for the Macaronesian archipelagos. Journal of Biogeography, 41(7), 1242-1254.

ABSTRACT We assessed the biogeographical implications of Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations on the surface area of Macaronesian volcanic oceanic islands. We quantified the effects of sea-level cycles on surface area over 1000-year intervals. Using data from the Canarian archipelago, we tested whether changes in island configuration since the late Pleistocene explain species distribution patterns. Thirty-one islands of four Macaronesian archipelagos (the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde). We present a model that quantifies the surface-area change of volcanic islands driven by fluctuations in mean sea level (MSL). We assessed statistically whether Canarian islands that were merged during sea-level lowstands exhibit a significantly higher percentage of shared (endemic) species than other comparable neighbouring islands that remained isolated, using multimodel comparisons evaluated using the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Each Macaronesian island exhibited a unique area-change history. The previously connected islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura share significantly more species of Insecta than the similarly geographically proximate island pair of La Gomera and Tenerife, which have never been connected. Additionally, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura contain the highest percentage of two-island endemic Plantae species compared with all other neighbouring island pairs within the Canaries. The multimodel comparison showed that past connectedness provides improved explanatory models of shared island endemics. Pleistocene sea-level changes resulted in abrupt alterations in island surface areas, coastal habitats and geographical isolation, often within two millennia. The merging of currently isolated islands during marine lowstands may explain both shared species richness and patterns of endemism on volcanic islands. Currently, the islands are close to their long-term minimum surface areas and most isolated configurations, suggesting that insular biota are particularly vulnerable to increasing human impact.


Weihrauch, F., Vieira, V., Cordero-Rivera, A. & Santos Loureiro, N. (2016) Update on the zoogeography of Odonata in the Macaronesian Islands. Boletín Rola, 8, 9-22.

ABSTRACT Based on the comprehensive review by Weihrauch (2011), the checklists of all archipelagos of the Macaronesian Islands and the available literature on the distribution of their Odonata are brought up to date. Pantala flavescens is new to the Azores and the Canary Islands. The first record of Ischnura hastata from Graciosa Island confirms the species' breeding in all nine islands of the Azores. The presence of Ischnura senegalensis in the Canary Islands is confirmed. Single specimens of Agriocnemis exilis, Anax rutherfordi, and Anax tristis found in museum collections bring the checklist of Cape Verde to 17 species. No new species have been reported from Madeira or the Savage Islands. In summary, the checklist of Macaronesian Odonata now comprises acknowledged records of 23 species (8 Zygoptera, 15 Anisoptera).


Rodrigues, E., Freitas, R., Delgado, N. D. C. & Soares-Gomes, A. (2016). Distribution patterns of the ghost crab Ocypode cursor on sandy beaches of a tropical island in the Cabo Verde archipelago, Eastern Central Atlantic. African Journal of Marine Science, 38(2), 181-188.

ABSTRACT The spatial distribution of the ghost crab Ocypode cursor was determined for beaches on eastern Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde Archipelago. The main objectives were to analyse the across-shore distribution by means of burrow counts and to identify preferential zones and spatial segregation. Six beaches were investigated using 20 acrossshore beach transects. It was demonstrated that ghost crabs occur throughout the entire intertidal zone, with higher densities in a 9-13 m belt above the waterline. There was a logarithmic relationship between the carapace length of captured crabs and the diameter of their burrows. Mean burrow diameter was correlated with burrow density and increased linearly with distance from the waterline, although small burrows, representing individuals smaller than the median size, occurred across the beach. Burrow diameter and depth were positively correlated, with larger holes indicating larger crabs and deeper burrows. Deeper burrows were more common in the upper intertidal zone. These results are similar to those described for ghost crab populations elsewhere and contribute to an understanding of the ecology of the species in the local context.


Anker, A. & Tavares, M. (2016). Alpheid shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) of the Trindade & Martin Vaz Archipelago, off Brazil, with new records, description of a new species of Synalpheus and remarks on zoogeographical patterns in the oceanic islands of the tropical southern Atlantic. Zootaxa, 4138(1), 1-58.

ABSTRACT The present study deals with shrimps of the family Alpheidae collected in the shallow waters around the remote Trindade & Martin Vaz Archipelago, situated 1200 km off the coast of Espírito Santo, Brazil. A few additional samples came from dredges on top of the seamounts of the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain. A total of 23 species in eight genera are reported, the vast majority representing new records for the area. One species is described as new, Synalpheus trinitatis sp. nov., based on the type material from Trindade Island. The new species clearly belongs to the Synalpheus brooksi Coutière, 1909 species complex, differing from all its other members by at least two morphological features. Four species represent new records for Brazil and the southwestern Atlantic: Alpheopsis aequalis Coutière, 1897 sensu lato, Alpheopsis chalciope de Man, 1910 sensu lato, Alpheus crockeri (Armstrong, 1941) and Prionalpheus gomezi Martínez-Iglesias & Carvacho, 1991; the two species of Alpheopsis are recorded from the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. The colour pattern of the recently described Alpheus rudolphi Almeida & Anker, 2011, a species endemic to Brazil, is shown for the first time and compared to the colour patterns of the four closely related species of the A. armatus Rathbun, 1901 complex from the Caribbean–Florida region. A brief zoogeographical analysis of the alpheid fauna of the oceanic islands of the tropical southern Atlantic (Trindade & Martin Vaz, Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, São Pedro & São Paulo, Ascension, Saint Helena, Cape Verde, São Tomé & Príncipe) is also provided.