The distribution and habitat preferences of the Afro-European species of Dynamene (Crustacea: Isopoda)

Summary

The geographical distribution of the genus Dynamene is described in the light of the recent discovery of three new species. D. bidentata appears to have a Boreal distribution whilst that of D. edwardsi and D. magnitorata is Atlanto-Mediterranean. D. torelliae, D. bifida, and D. tubicauda have a Mediterranean distribution but the first species may extend into the Black Sea. Only one species, D. ramuscula, has been recorded outside the Afro-European region, in S.E. Australia. The ranges and habitat preferences of those species outside the Mediterranean overlap as do some of those within the Mediterranean, particularly in the Naples Bay region. Juveniles of D. bidentata inhabit and feed on intertidal algae while adults shelter in crevices and empty tests of Balanus perforatus, mainly below MTL. Settlement of males into barnacle tests appears to be random, but females show some degree of aggregation, perhaps to other females. Other species show the same change of habitat at sexual maturity and all inhabit intertidal or inshore localities.     

An unusual,flagellum-bearing hydrobiid snail (Gastropoda: Rissooidea: Hydrobiidae) from Greece,with descriptions of a new genus and a new species

A new genus and a new species of Hydrobiidae, Agrafia wiktori sp. nov., from the Agrafa Mountains, northern Greece, are described based on the shell, protoconch, radula and male and female reproductive organs. In the protoconch sculpture and female reproductive organs A. wiktori resembles a typical member of Hydrobiidae Sadlerianinae, but the penis with tubular penial gland terminating within the flagellum and extending into the cephalic haemocoele has not been found in any other representative of Hydrobiidae. Instead, it is comparable with the penes and tubular penial glands of some non-hydrobiid Rissooidea (Bithyniidae, Bythinellidae, Amnicolidae, Emmericidae). Analysis of partial sequences of 18S ribosomal DNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I mitochondrial DNA in A. wiktori place it in Hydrobiidae Sadlerianinae. The evolution of the bifid penis and tubular penial gland is discussed.     

Redescription of Retilaskeya horrida (di Monterosato, 1874) comb. nov. and a re-evaluation of the taxonomic affinity of the genus Retilaskeya (Caenogastropoda: Triphoroidea)

The family Cerithiopsidae H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853 is distributed worldwide, and comprises around 800 extant species divided into ~40 genera. The most speciose genus within the family is Cerithiopsis Forbes and Hanley, 1850, a taxon currently used as a general receptacle rather than as a proper phylogenetic lineage. We hereby redescribe the rare species Cerithiopsis horrida di Monterosato, 1874, review its nomenclature, known material, and distribution as well as figure the entire protoconch, operculum, and radula for the first time. Our results highlight extreme differences between ‘Cerithiopsis’ horrida and the Cerithiopsis type species Cerithiopsis tubercularis (Montagu, 1803) and strong morphological and radular similarities with species belonging to the genus Retilaskeya Marshall, 1978. A wide discussion lists several taxa that might be ascribed to the same group of species, which presumably constitute a different worldwide lineage. Pending relevant molecular phylogenetic studies of the Triphoroidea Gray, 1847, for morphological conformity we suggest transferring ‘Cerithiopsis’ horrida to the genus Retilaskeya, and the same action is presumably appropriate for its possible sister species ‘Cerithiopsis’ leopardus Rolán and Gori, 2013. Finally, Retilaskeya better conforms to Newtoniellidae Korobkov, 1955 than Cerithiopsidae.     

Diplecogaster tonstricula,a new species of cleaning clingfish (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) from the Canary Islands and Senegal,eastern Atlantic Ocean,with a review of the Diplecogaster-ctenocrypta species-group

The Diplecogaster-ctenocrypta species-group is reviewed; it comprises two species. The clingfish Diplecogaster ctenocrypta from the Canary Islands is redescribed. The new species Diplecogaster tonstricula, a facultative cleaner of other teleosts, is described on the basis of eight specimens and colour photos from Senegal and the Canary Islands, eastern Atlantic Ocean. The species is small, apparently not exceeding 23 mm total length; it is characterised by having nine dorsal-fin rays, eight anal-fin rays, 24–25 pectoral-fin rays, 14–15 principal caudal-fin rays, 13–16 rakers on third gill arch, pelvic disc without lateral papillae in region A, disc region B with two rows of weak papillae, interorbital distance 4.1–4.6 in head length, distance between disc and anus 14–17% of SL, head and body with 10–13 narrow vertical brownish bars, cheek with a white ocellus surrounded by black, and with a small black spot in the middle. The new species is compared with other species of the genus; a key to the six known species of the eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea and South African genus Diplecogaster is presented. A checklist is provided for the species of Diplecogaster and their synonyms.     

A revision of the genus Prionocrangon (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Crangonidae)

Additional specimens belonging to the rare crangonid genus Prionocrangon Wood‐Mason and Alcock, collected from recent deep‐sea expeditions in the West Pacific enable a revision of this poorly known genus. The four previously described species are all valid. The type species P. ommatosteres Wood‐Mason and Alcock, , originally known only from the Andaman Sea, is considered to be also distributed in the Philippines and Indonesia. However, the material previously assigned to “P. ommatosteres” by de Man () and Chace () from Indonesia and the Philippines actually represents a new species, P. demani sp. nov., close to P. pectinata Faxon, . Prionocrangon pectinata and P. curvicaulis Yaldwyn, are still only known by their types. The distribution of P. dofleini Balss, is now extended from Japan to Taiwan. Two more new species are recognized. Prionocrangon formosa sp. nov. from Taiwan is closely related to P. curvicaulis while P. paucispina sp. nov. from Taiwan and New Caledonia is unique in having very few dorsal carapace spines. The genus Prionocrangon is newly diagnosed and a key to the species is provided. Nevertheless, a damaged specimen from the Sulu Sea could not be satisfactorily assigned to any of the above seven species, suggesting that this genus may have even higher diversity.     

Two new phoxocephalids (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Phoxocephalidae) from the south-west Atlantic

A new genus and species, Parafoxiphalus longicarpus, and a new species, Metharpinia protuberantis belonging to the family Phoxocephalidae, are described from the Argentine Sea. Both taxa were collected from sandy substrata in the intertidal and subtidal regions. Parafoxiphalus longicarpus is related to Foxiphalus Barnard, 1979 and they share many characters, most of them in plesiomorphic condition. Metharpinia protuberantis is an intermediate species between Metharpinia Schellenberg, 1931 and Microphoxus Barnard, 1960, and its assignation to the first genus is discussed.     

Typhlosyrinx -like tropical deep-water turriform gastropods (Mollusca,Gastropoda, Conoidea)

Based on radular and protoconch morphology, the genus Typhlosyrinx Thiele, 1925 has been successively classified in the subfamily Turriculinae of the family Turridae and in the subfamily Clathurellinae of the family Conidae. It is shown that the protoconch had earlier been misinterpreted, and the presence of a diagonally cancellated sculpture indicates a placement in the conid subfamily Raphitominae. Two conchologically similar genera, based on teleoconch sculpture and radular morphology are recognized: Typhlosyrinx, with axial ribbing on teleoconch spire whorls and a radula with long (250 μm) barbed teeth, and Leiosyrinx n. gen., without axial sculpture and a radula with short (<100 μm) simplified teeth. Five species (two new) of Typhlosyrinx and four species (all new) of Leiosyrinx are recognized, all at bathyal depths between 280 and 1840 m in the tropical Indo-Pacific and Panamic provinces. The two genera are not known earlier than the Pliocene, where they already occurred in deep-water assemblages.     

First observation and seasonal dynamics of the new invasive planktonic copepod Oithona davisae Ferrari and Orsi, 1984 along the southern Black Sea (Anatolian Coast)

The zooplankton species Oithona davisae is indigenous to coastal areas of Japan and the China Seas. It has, however, successfully invaded many other coastal marine regions such as San Francisco Bay, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and the Black Sea. It is transported most probably in ballast water tanks. This is the first report of O. davisae in the coastal regions of the southern Black Sea (Anatolian coast). Based on monthly plankton sampling at two stations (Sürmene Bay), the seasonal dynamics of O. davisae were investigated. The highest abundance occurred at the coastal station (49,761 ind. m^?3) in December and in October at the offshore station (8896 ind. m^?3). The egg-carrying copepod O. davisae is more abundant in September (4571 ind. m^?3) at the coastal station and in August (952 ind. m^?3) at the offshore station. Expansion of this invasive copepod along the Black Sea coasts is reported by another country also. According to our results this invasive species may replace its native congener, Oithona nana. It can be hypothesized that O. davisae is one of the key species for energy transfer to the upper level of the food web from the microbial loop, which has recently become important in the Black Sea.     

Systematics and zoogeography of the deep‐sea hyperbenthic family Arietellidae (Copepoda: Calanoida) collected from the Sulu Sea

A faunistic survey of the deep‐sea hyperbenthic copepods in the Sulu Sea, which has a deep basin and is connected via shallow straits with the Pacific and the South China Sea, was carried out in November and December 2002, using beam trawls and a mid‐water trawl. Two new genera and four new species of the primitive calanoid family Arietellidae are described. A new genus Metacalanalis shows intermediate characteristics between those of Metacalanus Cleve, 1901 and Pilarella Alvarez, . Another new genus, Protoparamisophria, is closely related to Paramisophria Scott, 1897, but exhibits more plesiomorphic states in the female genital system and appendages. Two new species of the genera Paraugaptiloides Ohtsuka, Boxshall and Roe, and Sarsarietellus Campaner, 1984 are the second and the third species, respectively, for these genera. This discovery enhances the validity of these rare genera, and sheds light on the geological history of the Sulu Sea and the evolution of the Arietellidae within it.     

Two new species of Metharpinia Schellenberg (Amphipoda: Phoxocephalidae) from the south-west Atlantic

Two new species, Metharpinia dentiurosoma and Metharpinia grandirama, belonging to the family Phoxocephalidae are described and illustrated from the Argentine Sea. Both taxa were collected dredging at different depths and the grain size of the sediment was determined for each sampling station. The new species share character states with Metharpinia Schellenberg, 1931 and Microphoxus Barnard, 1960, and their assignation to the first genus is discussed. Metharpinia dentiurosoma and Metharpinia grandirama are distinguished from the other known species of the genus by the dorsal hook on urosomite 3; in addition, the first species is characterized by its epimeron 3 and the second species by its uropod 2.     

Three new species of the genus Belbolla (Nematoda: Enoplida: Enchelidiidae) from the Yellow Sea,China

Three new species of free‐living marine nematodes of the genus Belbolla: Belbolla huanghaiensis sp. nov., Belbolla stenocephalum sp. nov. and Belbolla warwicki sp. nov. from the Yellow Sea, China, are described and illustrated. Belbolla huanghaiensis can be separated from other species in the Belbolla genus by the number of oesophageal bulbs (nine), the length of the spicules and gubernacular apophysis, and the size of the two winged precloacal supplements. Belbolla stenocephalum can be separated from other species by the number of oesophageal bulbs (eight), the length of the spicules and the structure of gubernacular apophysis. Belbolla warwicki sp. nov. is characterized by the number of oesophageal bulbs (seven), reduced precloacal supplements and the structure of gubernacular apophysis. A key to the genus Belbolla is provided to facilitate species identification. Types are deposited in the College of Life Science and Technology, Ocean University of China.     

Zoogeography and evolutionary ecology of the genus Platorchestia (Crustacea,Amphipoda, Talitridae)

ABSTRACT

Species of the genus Platorchestia occur both in the northern hemisphere (18 species) and southern hemisphere (three species plus a synanthropically introduced species in South America and South Africa). The greater number of endemic Platorchestia species in the North Pacific Ocean suggests that it could be the epicentre of evolution for this genus. North-western Pacific Platorchestia includes 15 species which occupy five ecotopes: wrack (seven species), terrestrial leaf litter (five species), freshwater (one species), marsh (one species) and tentatively present in caves (one species). North-eastern Pacific Platorchestia includes only one putative driftwood specialist, with no other species found in North American coastal habitats. This compares with three good endemic Platorchestia species (plus two putative additional species) and only two ecotopes: wrack (three species) and freshwater (two species) from the North Atlantic Ocean, inclusive of the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean Sea. Insufficient data is available to consider Platorchestia zoogeography for the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Synanthropic dispersal involving Platorchestia in Polynesian outrigger canoes, or in solid ballast carried in the holds of wooden sailing ships has been identified as a potential complicating factor in the zoogeography of this genus. Platorchestia is proposed to have arisen on Laurasia and is therefore basically a northern hemisphere genus. Questions concerning Platorchestia zoogeography and evolutionary ecology are posed and two methods (more intensive field sampling and molecular genetics) are suggested to be the way to solve them.     

Redescription of the Cephalaspidea gastropod Atys jeffreysi (Weinkauff, 1866) (Haminoeidae), with a discussion on the phylogenetic affinities of the Mediterranean species of the genus

Atys jeffreysi is a heterobranch Cephalaspidea gastropod belonging to the family Haminoeidae occurring in the Mediterranean Sea, Madeira and Canary archipelagos. Nearly nothing is known about the internal anatomical features of this species. In this paper we redescribe the species A. jeffreysi based on fine anatomical work and scanning electron microscopy. DNA barcodes are provided for the first time for A. jeffreysi and A. macandrewii, the only two species of the genus native in the Mediterranean Sea. The genetic distance (COI uncorrected p-distance) between them is estimate at 21.6%. A Bayesian molecular phylogeny based on the gene marker cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) including all sequences available of the genera Aliculastrum, Liloa and Atys species did not support a sister relationship between the two Mediterranean species and suggests that they are more closely related to distinct Indo-West Pacific lineages. The complex systematics of the genus Atys is briefly discussed.     

Review of the genus Chauliopleona Dojiri and Sieg, 1997 (Crustacea,Peracarida, Tanaidacea) and description of three new species

The tanaidacean genus Chauliopleona Dojiri and Sieg, is reviewed. A generic diagnosis is given and the type species Chauliopleona dentata Dojiri and Sieg, is redescribed. Three species, Leptognathia armataHansen, , L. amdrupii Hansen, and L. hastata Hansen, are placed into this genus. Three new species, one from the Angola Basin, one from the deep sea of the tropical East Pacific and one from Antarctica are described. A key for the genus is provided.     

The first record of a benthic polar chaetognath: a new Spadella from the Antarctic

A new benthic chaetognath, Spadella antarctica n. sp., is described from depths between 193 and 500 m in the Weddell Sea (Antarctic Ocean) and comparisons are made with related species of Spadella. Ecological remarks on this genus are provided.     

VI.—Revision of the species of Hyrax,founded on the specimens in the British Museum

Summary

Spirocamallanus olseni, previously known only from Madagascar in lutjanids and a remora, also infects the lutjanid, Lutjanus fulviflamma, in the Gulf of Elat; it becomes the second member of the genus reported from the Red Sea. Procamallanus elatensis sp. nov. from two siganid fishes becomes the second known Red Sea species in that genus, but appears most related to two other species from signaids. It can be characterized by having a distinct ledge in the buccal capsule anterior to the basal ring and an excretory pore anterior to the nerve ring. In the male, a gubernaculum and three pre-cloacal plus five post-cloacal papillae are present and the spicules have blunt tips with a crook and a ratio of 1:2·4 to 3·3. In the female, the vulva occurs 33 to 45% of the body length from the anterior end.     

Sponges from bathyal depths (1000–1750 m) in the Western Mediterranean Sea

This note deals with a study of sponge fauna at seven deep stations (1000–1750 m) in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The species found exhibit a broad geographical distribution, mainly centred in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Trichostemma sarsi and Hyalonema thomsoni are recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, and the known bathymetric distribution of Polymastia tissieri has been considerably enlarged. Some taxonomic problems involving the genera Trichostemma, Radiella and Polymastia and the species Hyalonema thomsoni and H. infundibulum are discussed, and arguments supporting the reclassification of the species Radiella tissieri under the genus Polymastia are put forward.     

Champsodontidae (Pisces: Trachinoidei) in the Eastern Mediterranean: how many species are there?

ABSTRACT

Three marine fish species of the Indo-Pacific genus Champsodon were reported as invasive species in the Eastern Mediterranean between 2009 and 2012; Champsodon nudivittis, C. vorax, and C. capensis. These are presumed to invade through the Suez Canal, but only C. nudivittis is known from the Red Sea, so the presence of C. vorax and C. capensis is surprising. To test the validity of the taxonomic identification of these two species, this study combined traditional morphology, genetic barcoding, and photography investigation. Our results demonstrate that only one species, C. nudivittis, has migrated into the Eastern Mediterranean.