Objetivos. Establecer la presencia y prevalencia de parásitos nematodos Strongylida en Achatina fulica en el Valle del Cauca, especialmente los nematodos que son potencialmente patogénicos para los humanos. Materiales y métodos. Individuos de A. fulica fueron colectados en nueve ciudades del Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Los nematodos fueron identificados mediante inspección directa de los individuos, estos se separaron de los tejidos y el mucus, luego, los nematodos se lavaron en solución salina, y fijaron en solución AFA caliente. Se montaron placas en glicerina para observar al microscopio. Resultados. La prevalencia general de parásitos nematodos fue 35% en 2013. La ciudad con mayor prevalencia durante 2013 fue Cartago (60%), seguido de Buenaventura (42.9%) y Cali (33%), mientras que en 2014 fue Cali (30%) y Buenaventura (30%). Los nematodos Strongylida registrados fueron clasificados en tres géneros: Angiostrongylus (prevalencia 14.7%), Aelurostrongylus (2.6%), y Strongyluris (2.6%). La ciudad con la mayor cantidad de positivos para Angiostrongylus fue Cali durante 2014 y Buenaventura con Aelurostorngylus para el 2013. El género Strongyluris solo se reportó en Cali durante 2013, con una prevalencia del 11%. En cinco de las nueves ciudades evaluadas se registró la presencia de Angiostrongylus. Conclusiones. Tres géneros de nematodos Strongylida se reportaron en individuos de A. fulica en el Valle del Cauca durante 2013 y 2014. Por lo tanto, no debe subestimarse el papel de A. fulica y las especies de moluscos nativas en el ciclo de vida de estos parásitos.

The distribution range of the jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) has increased over the past few decades; it is now found in the entire Eastern Pacific Ocean and is considered an important species in the small and large fisheries of Chile, Perú, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Mexico but not in the Pacific region of Colombia. Three night-fishing campaigns were conducted over a year in the coastal Baudó-San Juan environmental unit, adjacent to the Bajo Baudó Encanto de Manglares Regional Integrated Management District in Chocó, at three locations 20 km, 35 km, and 45 km from the coastline to establish the availability and viability of jumbo squid as an alternative to the target species of artisanal fisheries in the Colombian Pacific. Night fishing sets were conducted at 60 m and 200 m depth at each sampling station to assess some of the biological parameters of the jumbo squid population (mantle length-ML, weight, growth and size at sexual maturity). Most catches were obtained in February and March. Growth was isometric, the average catch size was 24.3 cm ML, size at sexual maturity (L₅₀) was 23.25 cm ML, estimated maximum size (L∞) was 39.9 cm ML, the growth constant (K) was 0.83, and mortality due to experimental fishing was 26 cm ML. According to our results, the jumbo squid fishery in the Colombian Pacific artisanal fishery would be viable during the first months of the year.

Objetivo: Conformar el listado taxonómico de las larvas de peces asociadas a la columna de agua del arrecife coralino de La Azufrada, Pacífico Oriental Tropical (POT), en el periodo comprendido entre 2017 a 2019, acompañado con el tipo de hábitat que ocupa la especie en estado adulto y el estadio de desarrollo en el que se encontró la larva. Alcance: Incrementar el conocimiento sobre la riqueza de las especies de peces marinos asociados a formaciones coralinas en el Pacífico colombiano a través de los estadios iniciales del desarrollo. Metodología: Durante dos campañas de muestreo anuales (marzo y septiembre) de 2017 a 2019, se realizaron recolectas de zooplancton diurnas y nocturnas en nueve estaciones de muestreo dispuestas sobre el arrecife coralino de La Azufrada en isla Gorgona utilizando una red bongo con luz de malla de 300 y 500 micras. En laboratorio, se separaron todas las larvas de peces de las muestras de zooplancton y se identificaron hasta el menor nivel taxonómico posible. Resultados: Se capturaron 4779 larvas de peces, siendo identificadas 88 especies, pertenecientes a 46 familias. Cuarenta y una especies se registraron por primera vez para esta localidad, incrementando el registro a 162 taxa. Las familias más abundantes fueron Engraulidae, Bregmacerotidae, Haemulidae, Myctophidae y Carangidae, estando el ensamblaje dominado por especies pelágico-costeras (Bregmaceros bathymaster), pelágica (Cetengraulis mysticetus) y batipelágica (Diaphus pacificus). Conclusión: Se incrementó el conocimiento científico sobre la presencia de larvas de peces en los arrecifes coralinos del Pacífico oriental tropical colombiano, información que permitirá fortalecer las acciones y estrategias de conservación de este ecosistema estratégico.

The seasonal and interannual temporal variation in the composition, richness, diversity, and similarity of fish larval assemblages associated with an Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) coral reef system was studied in March (cold water) and September (warm water) during the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. Throughout the study period, we collected 4779 fish larvae and identified 88 taxa, encompassing 46 families. This increased the total number of recorded fish taxa for the region to 146. Fish larvae were collected by daytime and nighttime surface trawls, using a bongo net 30 cm in diameter and 180 cm in length, equipped with mesh sizes of 300 and 500 μm. The species diversity and abundance of ichthyoplankton over this ETP coral reef changed by intra-annual variation of the hydrological conditions of the upper layer of the sea. Six significant assemblages were identified (SIMPROF, p < 0.05), each one associated with each sampling period (ANOSIM, R = 0.764); Cetengraulis mysticetus, Diaphus pacificus, Anchoa sp., Anisotremus sp., Bremaceros bathymaster, Oligoplites saurus, Caranx sp., Seriola sp., Gobiidae sp., Microgobius sp., and Synodus evermanni were the species that contributed to dissimilitude between groups. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant associations between specific larval fish taxa abundance and temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and zooplankton biomass. Overall, the assemblage of ichthyoplankton in this ETP coral reef system is sensitive to seasonal changes in water column hydrographic conditions.

The seasonal and interannual temporal variation of the structure, richness, diversity and similarity of fish larval assemblages associated to an Eastern Tropical Pacific coral reef system, was assessed for the period 2017 to 2019. A total of 4779 fish larvae were captured, of which 4556 (95% of the total) were identified, belonging to 88 species and 46 families, and increasing the number of larvae of fish species reported to 162 taxa. Based on the analysis of similarity between oceanographic seasons and between years, six significant groups were established (SIMPROF, p < 0.05), each group made up of the nine sampling stations belonging to each study period (ANOSIM, R = 0.764). C. mysticetus, D. pacificus, Anchoa sp., Anisotremus sp., B. bathymaster, O. saurus, Caranx sp., Seriola sp., Gobiidae sp., Microgobius sp., and S. evermanni were the species that contributed to the differentiation of the groups. Species richness distribution during the sampling periods was variable and did not show a clear temporal or annual trend. However, the fish larvae assamblages were ordered according with the cold and warm seasons, suggesting that intra-annual variation has a strong influence on the temporal dynamics of fish larval assemblages in ETP coral reef systems.

Larval fish assemblages provide critical insights into reproductive dynamics, biodiversity baselines, and ecosystem resilience, yet remain poorly documented in the Colombian Pacific. This study analyzed ichthyoplankton diversity and spatial turnover across six neritic localities sampled between 2008 and 2022. Standardized plankton tows yielded 43,277 larvae representing 291 morphospecies, 150 genera, 66 families, and 38 orders. The richness observed accounts for ~34% of fish species listed for the Eastern Tropical Pacific and 15% of adult bony fishes reported for the Colombian Pacific, exceeding previous records. Diversity patterns revealed pronounced spatial heterogeneity: Cupica emerged as a biodiversity hotspot, Pizarro and Tortugas were dominated by few taxa, and Sanquianga exhibited high evenness despite moderate richness. Beta diversity analyses indicated turnover exceeding 60% and dissimilarity surpassing 70%, underscoring strong locality identity shaped by oceanographic gradients, geomorphology, and estuarine dynamics. Dominance patterns highlighted contrasting ecological strategies, with cosmopolitan taxa such as Cetengraulis mysticetus coexisting alongside habitat-restricted species of Labrisomus. These findings establish the Colombian Pacific neritic zone as a reservoir of genetic and functional diversity, with high richness and turnover reinforcing its role in sustaining ecosystem functioning and fisheries productivity. Methodological handicaps—including reliance on morphology-based identification, formalin preservation limiting molecular analyses, and uneven temporal coverage—constrain taxonomic resolution, yet the ecological patterns observed provide a robust foundation for conservation planning. Future research integrating molecular tools, trait-based approaches, and long-term monitoring will be essential to refine diversity estimates and strengthen adaptive management under scenarios of climate variability and increasing anthropogenic pressures in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.