Artemia (Crustacea, Anostraca) in Chile: a review of basic and applied biology

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The brine shrimp Artemia in Chile has been studied since the 1980s, initially on populations inhabiting shallow coastal and inland mountain ponds, and saltworks in northern and central Chile. Based on morphometric and molecular evidence, these populations were identified as A. franciscana. In the 1990s, A. persimilis was recorded from southern Patagonia, a species previously considered endemic to Argentina. Recently, two new populations of A. franciscana have been recorded, from one saline coastal pond in northern Chile and from a saltwork in central Chile. The scope for further research to increase both understanding of the strain characterization and basic population ecology descriptions of the Chilean brine shrimps and improve their conservation status is discussed. It is suggested that future studies should investigate first the management of local brine shrimp population for local aquaculture or conservation resources, other direction would be the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposition that is notoriously high in brine shrimp habitats. This last factor is very important because the UVR is an important mutagen on the genetic structure of the populations. In this scenario, it is suggest a carefully management for introduced brine shrimp populations for local aquaculture for avoid alterations in native populations that due their genetic isolation would need conservation procedures for avoid local extinctions. Keywords: Artemia, saline lakes, ultraviolet radiation, aquaculture, Chile.Artemia (Crustacea, Anostraca) en Chile: revisión de la biología básica y aplicada RESUMEN. El camarón de salmuera o Artemia ha sido estudiado en Chile desde la década de 1980, las primeras descripciones de poblaciones fueron para lagunas someras en zonas costeras y de montaña, y en salinas artificiales en la zona central y norte de Chile. Sobre la base de evidencias morfométricas y moleculares estas poblaciones fueron descritas como A. franciscana. En la década de 1990, se describió la presencia de A. persimilis en la zona sur de la Patagonia, lo cual fue una ampliación del rango de distribución significativa, pues esta especie se le consideró endémica de Argentina. Recientemente dos nuevas poblaciones de A. franciscana fueron reportadas en una laguna somera en el norte y para una salina artificial en la zona central. El objetivo del presente estudio fue realizar una investigación para entender la caracterización de poblaciones y ecología básica de las poblaciones chilenas del camarón de salmuera y discutir como mejorar el estado de la conservación de estas. Se discute que a futuro los estudios se deberían enfocar primero al manejo de poblaciones nativas para acuicultura local o como un recurso para su conservación, otras orientaciones de estudio, podrían ser los efectos de la radiación ultravioleta (UVR) que es notoriamente alta en los hábitats del camarón de salmuera. Este último factor es importante porque la radiación ultravioleta es un agente mutágeno importante en la estructura genética de las poblacione...

Electrical conductivity as a driver of biological and geological spatial heterogeneity in the Puquios, Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, Chile

“…Zooplankton and zoobenthos quantification analyses considered APHA 95 methods 10200 G and 10500 A, C and Woelf et al 106 and for identification several specialized sources were consulted (e.g. 107 – 112 ). A linear regression analysis of the relationship between abundance as well as diversity (Shannon index H′) and electrical conductivity was completed using Prism version 8.4.2. from GraphPad Software (San Diego, Ca, USA).…”

A glimpse to Laguna de los Cisnes, a field laboratory and natural monument in the Chilean Patagonia

“…Another striking feature of salty lagoons in Patagonia is the high inter-annual variation in the water conditions, and the environmental situation, as reported by Campos et al (1996) for Laguna Amarga, a mesohaline lagoon located (50°29'S, 73°45'W) at the entrance of Torres del Paine National Park. Other two salty lagoons are reported thus far close to the town Porvenir: Laguna de la Sal (Gajardo & Beristain, 2014) and Laguna de los Cisnes (Van Stappen, 2002;De los Ríos & Salgado, 2012). Owing to their unique condition and placement at southern latitudes, we highlight Laguna de los Cisnes (53°15'S, 70°22'W; Fig.…”

A Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Spatial Heterogeneity in the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, Northern Chile

“…Gradients in environmental parameters have previously been described in the Puquios 32,59,60 , as well as in a variety of Andean microbial ecosystems, such as Lake Tebenquiche in Chile 25 , Lake La Brava in Chile, and Lake Socompa in Argentina 19,23,27 . These environmental settings are associated with biological communities that are tolerant to extreme conditions 17 , including a reduced group of invertebrates, such as brine shrimps, insects and other planktonic organisms, as well as macrophytes adjacent to the ponds [61][62][63][64][65] . Phototrophs in the desert lagoons are mainly represented by diatoms and cyanobacteria 25,66,67 , with broad representation of phototrophic microbial communities 68 .…”