In light of varying outcomes from prior research concerning the relationship between different food groups and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), this study was conducted to examine the relationship between the consumption of various food groups and CKD risk via a dose-dependent meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Searches were conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases through January 2025. Out of 6460 publications, twenty-one studies were selected for final analysis. The results revealed that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of CKD (RR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.71). Conversely, consumption of fish (RR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.97), grains (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99), and legumes (RR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) showed a protective effect against CKD. The linear dose-response analysis indicated that for every 100 g/day increment in red meat and total meat consumption, the risk of CKD escalated by 34% and 2%, respectively. Furthermore, an increase of 15 g/day in dietary fish, 28 g/day in nuts, and 50 g/day in legumes was associated with a 6%, 21%, and 13% decreased risk of CKD, respectively. Overall, higher red meat intake correlates with a heightened CKD risk, whereas the consumption of fish, grains, and legumes is associated with a lowered risk. Further longitudinal cohort studies with extended follow-up are recommended to validate our findings.

This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42023465532.

Plant-based diets, with limited quantities of animal foods, are increasingly promoted for sustainability and health. In many countries, animal-source foods provide the majority of several micronutrients at a population level; in the UK, milk and dairy products contribute around one third of total calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine intake in adults. Recommendations for a predominantly plant-based diet may have the unintended consequence of reducing intake of micronutrients, particularly in groups with an already-low intake of these nutrients, such as women of reproductive age. Furthermore, young women are the group most likely to replace dairy products with plant-based alternatives. Milk alternatives are often fortified to match the nutrient content of cows’ milk for some micronutrients (e.g. calcium), but not of others (e.g. iodine or vitamin B2). Unfortified alternatives have an iodine concentration that is just 2 % of that of UK cows’ milk, and the rise in popularity of these products may increase iodine-deficiency risk in consumers. Low nutrient intake is of concern prior to, and during, pregnancy, when many of the micronutrients at risk (iron/calcium/iodine) are essential for foetal development. While there may be awareness of some at-risk nutrients on a plant-based diet, this may not be the case for all. At-risk nutrients should be considered in nutrition guidelines and advice given by healthcare professionals to ensure that the diets are well planned and supplemented when necessary. This review focuses on the provision of micronutrients (particularly iodine) from plant-based diets in the UK.

Accacoeliid digeneans associated with fish of the family Molidae exhibit enigmatically high taxonomic diversity. However, the phylogenetic relationships between species within this digenean taxon are poorly understood. In the present study, the first nuclear 28S rRNA gene, ITS2 region of nuclear DNA, and mitochondrial cox1 gene sequence datasets were obtained for two members of the Accacoeliidae, a type and only species of the genus Odhnerium Yamaguti 1934 and an unidentified Accacladocoelium sp. collected from Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758) off Iturup Island. Analyses of molecular differentiation and phylogenetic relationships indicate that Accacladocoelium sp. is a sister species to Accacladocoelium nigroflavum (Rudolphi, 1819). The genus Odhnerium is closely related to Tetrochetus Looss, 1912, on the 28S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic tree. Results of phylogenetic analysis based on both the mitochondrial cox1 gene and the concatenated ribosomal ITS2 region and cox1 gene of mtDNA show that the genus Odhnerium is close to the A. nigroflavum + Accacladocoelium sp. clade. In turn, the genus Accacladocoelium does not have monophyletic status in the trees reconstructed from these data.

While most higher taxa in the Hemiuroidea exhibit remarkable diversity and thrive worldwide in marine ecosystems, a few groups have successfully radiated into freshwater environments. Among them, species of Thometrema are well known from freshwater and brackish fishes in the New World. In this study, specimens of Thometrema from a single specimen of the endangered pimelodid catfish Steindachneridion scriptum in the Upper Paraná River basin, State of São Paulo, Brazil, were subjected to morphological, ultrastructural (first scanning electron microscopy data for the genus) and molecular analyses. Newly obtained sequences of the partial large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA (28S rDNA) and partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI mtDNA) provided strong evidence supporting the identification of the specimens as T. patagonicum, a trematode previously known only from endemic percichthyid fishes (Percichthyidae) in the Argentinian Patagonia. This unexpected finding, along with critical morphological evaluation of new and deposited material, led us to propose T. overstreeti and T. bonariense as junior synonyms of T. patagonicum. Moreover, we reassessed certain morphological features, revealed new potential distinguishing characters (papillae) and raised doubts about the taxonomic value of commonly used features for species differentiation (e.g., vitellarium masses). To overcome taxonomic problems in Thometrema due to the paucity of morphological features to clearly set species boundaries, new descriptions could leverage integrative approaches, as employed here, to establish robust species hypotheses and ultimately unravel the actual species composition in the Americas.

Copepods of the genus Pennella parasitize a wide range of marine animals, including cetaceans, teleosts, and cephalopods worldwide. Their taxonomy is unclear, as there is incongruence between morphological and genetic data and incomplete species coverage. This study provides new morphological and genetic (COI) data from 23 specimens of Pennella cf. filosa (syn. P. balaenoptera) from western Mediterranean whales and a swordfish. First, their position in the phylogeny of Pennella was assessed and species delimitation revisited using all available Pennella COI sequences (n = 189), obtained from Mediterranean and north Pacific specimens from 18 host species (including multiple cetaceans and teleosts). Second, it was investigated whether the geographic location, degree of host vagility, or host taxonomic identity help explain genetic differentiation. Five distinct haplotype groups with varying genetic divergence were distinguished. Although the presence of sibling species cannot be ruled out, species delimitation methods could not find interspecific genetic differences, leaving the taxonomy of the genus unresolved. The observed genetic differentiation could not be attributed to geography or host type. This suggests that members of the genus Pennella show low specificity for definitive hosts and interoceanic dispersal mediated by some vagile definitive hosts. The use of more genetic markers for addressing these questions in the future is encouraged.

The Amazon basin has the largest number of fish in the world, and among the most common fishes of the Neotropical region, the threespot (Leporinus friderici) is cited, which in relation to its microparasitic fauna, has described only 1 species of the genus Henneguya, Henneguya friderici. The Myxozoa class is considered an obligate parasite, being morphologically characterized by spores formed by valves connected by a suture line. This study describes a new species of Henneguya sp. in the Amazon region for L. friderici. This parasite was found in the host's pyloric caeca and caudal kidney, with mature spores with a total spore length of 38.4 ± 2.5 (35.9–40.9) μm; the spore body 14.4 ± 1.1 (13.3–15.5) μm and 7.3 ± 0.6 (6.7–7.9) μm wide. Regarding its 2 polar capsules, they had a length of 5.1 ± 0.4 (4.7–5.5) μm and a width of 2.0 ± 0.1 (1.9–2.1) μm in the same pear-shaped, and each polar capsule contained 9–11 turns. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses denote that this is a new species of the genus Henneguya.

Like other animals, fish have unique personalities that can affect their cognition and responses to environmental stressors. These individual personality differences are often referred to as “behavioural syndromes” or “stress coping styles” and can include personality traits such as boldness, shyness, aggression, exploration, locomotor activity, and sociability. For example, bolder or proactive fish may be more likely to take risks and present lower hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal/interrenal axis reactivity as compared to shy or reactive individuals. Likewise, learning and memory differ between fish personalities. Reactive or shy individuals tend to have faster learning and better association recall with aversive stimuli, while proactive or bold individuals tend to learn more quickly when presented with appetitive incentives. However, the influence of personality on cognitive processes other than cognitive achievement in fish has been scarcely explored. Cognitive bias tests have been employed to investigate the interplay between emotion and cognition in both humans and animals. Fish present cognitive bias processes (CBP) in which fish’s interpretation of stimuli could be influenced by its current emotional state and open to environmental modulation. However, no study in fish has explored whether CBP, like in other species, can be interpreted as long-lasting traits and whether other individual characteristics may explain its variation. We hold the perspective that CBP could serve as a vulnerability factor for the onset, persistence, and recurrence of stress-related disorders. Therefore, studying fish’s CBP as a state or trait and its interactions with individual variations may be valuable in future efforts to enhance our understanding of anxiety and stress neurobiology in animal models and humans.

The public has expressed growing concern for the well-being of fishes, including popular pet species such as the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). In captivity, male Bettas behave aggressively, often causing injuries and death if housed together. As a result, they are typically isolated in small fishbowls, which has been widely criticised as cruel. To investigate the impact of keeping Bettas in these conditions, we recorded the behaviour of individual males in containers of different sizes that were either bare or enriched with gravel, large rocks, and live plants. When male Bettas were housed individually in small bowls (0.5 L) they spent less time swimming than they did when they were kept in larger aquaria (10, 38, and 208 L). Fish that were kept in enriched containers exhibited more instances of swimming. To determine if two male Bettas housed together might coexist peacefully if given enough space and cover from plants and large rocks, we quantified the behaviour of pairs of male Bettas in bare or enriched aquaria of different sizes (10, 38, 208, 378 L). Fish performed fewer approaches and aggressive displays, but not attacks, and more bouts of foraging, when in larger aquaria. This study shows that the small fishbowls typically used in pet stores suppress swimming behaviour in male Bettas and at least a 10-L aquarium is required to ensure full expression of swimming behaviour. Furthermore, even the use of very large aquaria cannot guarantee peaceful cohabitation between two males.

An increasing number of food-based recommendations promote a plant-based diet to address health concerns and environmental sustainability in global food systems. As the main sources of iodine in many countries are fish, eggs and dairy products, it is unclear whether plant-based diets, such as the EAT-Lancet reference diet, would provide sufficient iodine. This is important as iodine, through the thyroid hormones, is required for growth and brain development; adequate iodine intake is especially important before, and during, pregnancy. In this narrative review, we evaluated the current literature and estimated iodine provision from the EAT-Lancet reference diet. There is evidence that those following a strict plant-based diet, such as vegans, cannot reach the recommended iodine intake from food alone and are reliant on iodine supplements. Using the EAT-Lancet reference diet intake recommendations in combination with iodine values from UK food tables, we calculated that the diet would provide 128 μg/d (85 % of the adult recommendation of 150 μg/d and 51–64 % of the pregnancy recommendation of 200–250 μg/d). However, if milk is replaced with unfortified plant-based alternatives, total iodine provision would be just 54 μg/d (34 % and 22–27 % of the recommendations for adults and pregnancy, respectively). Plant-based dietary recommendations might place consumers at risk of iodine deficiency in countries without a fortification programme and where animal products provide the majority of iodine intake, such as the UK and Norway. It is essential that those following a predominantly plant-based diet are given appropriate dietary advice to ensure adequate iodine intake.

Over the past decade, there have been increasing recognition and concern of the toxicological impacts of microplastics (MPs) in the environment, which have been widely found in various marine environments from estuary to deep oceans. Numerous toxicological studies have been conducted on the impacts of MPs on various marine organisms, especially phytoplankton, zooplankton, bivalves, and fish of different trophic levels. These studies mainly focused on the measurements of MPs bioaccumulation and their resulting biological impacts at molecular, metabolic, biochemical, physiological, and organismic levels. This review examines the various studies conducted over the recent years on the toxicology of MPs in different marine organisms, particularly on the bioaccumulation and toxicity of MPs. The impacts of MPs on marine organisms are diverse, and the complexity of organism physiology as well as MPs physical and chemical properties need to be considered. Future studies should consider the environmental relevance of toxicological research and the development of quantitative tools to model the transport, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of MPs. These are important for the real environmental risk assessments of MPs in the marine environments.

Ancestral Maya engineered wetland fields and canals in floodplains for plant cultivation and water management. Canals and reservoirs, however, also provide aquatic resources to supplement agriculture. Maya created multi-trophic ecological aquaculture by modifying the waterscape to increase the amounts of foods and useful materials, such as fish, turtles, waterfowl, and reeds. While archaeological and ethnographic investigations across the Maya area explore aquatic constructions, technology, and foodstuffs, they have not focused on aquaculture. In the western Maya lowlands, including the site of Mensabak, Chiapas, Mexico, ancestral Maya modified floodplains around lakes and rivers for farming fish and aquatic resources near their settlements and fields. These extensive modifications for ecological aquaculture enhanced the productivity and resiliency of natural ecosystems. The domesticated waterscapes near the ritually important Mirador Mountain at Mensabak also followed pan-Mesoamerican beliefs in origin mountains that generated water, plants, and fish for humans. Importantly, Maya integrated subsistence is illuminated by research on domesticated landscapes and ecological aquaculture that examines a range of resources rather than just plants. Certainly across Mesoamerica, ecological aquaculture allowed people to intensify production of “farms” of aquatic species, particularly fish.