Spatial distribution of ichthyofauna in the northern Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean)

This study describes the four main demersal fish assemblages identified along the continental shelf and slope (30–800 m depth) of the northern Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean), based on the analysis of the MEDITS (International bottom trawl survey in the Mediterranean) 12-year data series. We collected 186 fish species belonging to three classes, 24 orders and 69 families. Taxonomically, the order Perciformes was the most diverse, represented by 18 families and 58 species. Each assemblage had particular characteristics of abundance, biomass, mean fish weight and species richness. The geographical differences associated with the distribution of some species occurred within shelf assemblages. The middle slope was characterised by the highest similarity between samples, probably due to its lower environmental variability compared to that of the other assemblages.     

A revision of the genus Ceratomerus (Diptera: Empididae: Ceratomerinae) of New Zealand

The genus Ceratomerus Philippi (Diptera: Empididae; Ceratomerinae) of New Zealand is revised and a key to species given. Thirteen species are recognized and the following new species are proposed: C. biseriatus sp. nov., C. flavus sp. nov., C. earlyi sp. nov., C. melaneus sp. nov., C. brevifurcatus sp. nov., C. tarsalis sp. nov. and C. vittatus sp. nov. The biology and phylogeny are briefly discussed.     

The bioacoustics of the burrowing frog Heleioporus (Leptodactylidae)

Summary

The frog Heleioporus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) calls from a burrow. This paper examines the acoustic properties of the burrow by experimentally actuating plaster casts taken from five species: H. eyrei, H. psammophilus, H. albopunctatus, H. inornatus and H. barycragus. These findings are correlated with the properties of both natural calls of the frogs from the burrow and calls induced from the frog outside of the burrow. The morphology of the burrow enhances the principal frequency component of the call by resonance. Frogs call from a slight bulge beneath the burrow entrance. This calling site corresponds to the optimum position for generating a sound pressure maximum within the burrow. This was determined experimentally in an artificially constructed burrow with a complex internal sound source. In addition to optimizing the acoustic properties of the burrow the frog, in this position, has an open visual field from the burrow entrance. We conclude that the burrow system may compensate for the lack of a vocal sac in these frogs.     

New and little known oribatids from Kenya,with descriptions of two new genera (Acari: Oribatida)

A list of newly collected and identified oribatids from Kenya is presented, two of them represent new genera; Sceletoppia gen. nov. (Oppiidae) and Mahnertozetes gen. nov. (Haplozetidae). Twelve species, belonging to the families Steganacaridae, Lohmanniidae, Tetracondylidae, Microzetidae, Zetomotrichidae and Galumnidae are new to science. Taxonomical notes on two other species are given.     

Taxonomy of the genus Aetheomorpha Lacordaire (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Clytrini) from China,with description of five new species

This paper studies the taxonomy of the genus Aetheomorpha Lacordaire, 1848 Lacordaire, JT. 1848. Monographie des coléoptères subpentamères de la famille des phytophages. Tome second. Mém Soc R Sci Liége., : 890 5: vi?+? [Google Scholar] (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Clytrini) occurring in China. Five new species are described: Aetheomorpha bidentata sp. nov. from Sichuan, Aetheomorpha bilobata sp. nov., Aetheomorpha obtusapicata sp. nov., Aetheomorpha punctistriata sp. nov. and Aetheomorpha wangi sp. nov. from Yunnan. Aetheomorpha furcata Medvedev and Kantner, 2002 Medvedev, LN and Kantner, F. 2002. Some new and poorly known Clytrinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) of the Old World. Entomol Basil., 24: 259–269.  [Google Scholar] is reported from China for the first time. The Chinese fauna of the genus is therefore increased to 16 species. A key to species is provided in the text in addition to colour plates and line drawings of habitus, maxilla, labium, male genitalia and female spermatheca and rectal sclerites, which are very helpful for species identification.     

Description of two new species and a new genus of bopyrid isopod parasites (Bopyridae: Pseudioninae) of hermit crabs from China

This is the first record from China of the bopyrid isopod genus Asymmetrione, of which the new species Asymmetrione globifera, a parasite of the hermit crab Dardanus hessii (Miers) in Beibu Gulf and South China Sea, is described. The female A. globifera differs from Asymmetrione nossibensis Bourdon in the shape of its barbula and ornamentation of the first oostegite. A tabulation of the occurrence of all currently known species of Asymmetrione is included. New genus Parasymmetrione is described. The type species, Parasymmetrione tuberculineata, sp. nov., a parasite of Clibanarius corallinus (H. Milne-Edwards) Xisha, is similar in appearance to Asymmetrione spp. but differs, in the female, in not having the propodi of its pereopods produced into sockets and having uniramous uropoda; the male of P. tuberculineata sp. nov. differs from species of Asymmetrione in having the dactyli of only its first pair of pereopods markedly longer than those of the following pereopods.     

Description of a new species of Demania Laurie, 1906 (Crustacea,Decapoda, Brachyura,Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal,Indian Ocean

A new species of xanthid crab, Demania bangladeshensis sp. nov., is described from the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. Demania bangladeshensis appears to be most closely related to Demania toxica Garth, 1971, a poisonous species from the Philippines, but can easily be separated by the differently sculptured carapace, legs and chelipeds.     

黄缘闭壳龟生物学特性及种群分类研究进展

黄缘闭壳龟是一种古老的物种,具有重要的经济和科学研究价值.近年随着生态环境的恶化,黄缘闭壳龟这一世界珍稀濒危物种的野生种质资源进一步遭到破坏.通过总结黄缘闭壳龟形态学及种群分类学的相关研究,概述了黄缘闭壳龟的最佳生存条件、不同种群的主要特征以及群体间的分类方法.该研究为黄缘闭壳龟濒危的种质资源保护、栖息地重建、自然保护区管理以及精确系统发育分析提供了一定的研究基础和参考依据.     

Four new species of genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta,Megascolecidae) from Hainan Island,China

Four new earthworm species of the genus Amynthas are described from Hainan Island, China. They are Amynthas endophilus sp. nov., Amynthas fluviatilis sp. nov., Amynthas fucatus sp. nov. and Amynthas apapillatus sp. nov. Amynthas apapillatus sp. nov. has three spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9 while the other three new species have two pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6–6/7. Their anatomical and morphological characteristics are compared to similar species from Hainan Island, China mainland and South-East Asia. Furthermore, COI and 16S gene sequences of these new species are submitted to NCBI. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:33B61DE5-BE64-47E9-B77C-D6234D25803B