The marine red algae of Rodrigues (Mauritius,Indian Ocean)

This paper reports on the red algae of Rodrigues, collected in the framework of the Shoals of Capricorn Programme (10 September to 5 October 2001). In total 68 species are reported, of which 65 represent new records for the island. Although most taxa represent rather common species, which are generally widespread in the Indian and western Pacific Ocean, some are of special interest to algal systematists and biogeographers. Renouxia antillana is reported for the first time for the Indian Ocean. The presence of Renouxia also constitutes the first record of the order Rhodogorgonales for the entire Indian Ocean. A few species have interesting distribution patterns. Halydictyon sp. is restricted in its distribution to South Africa, Mauritius and Australia. Despite these interesting records, the red algal flora of Rodrigues is most remarkable by the absence of several ‘ubiquitous' species.     

Radiolarians from the British North‐Polar Expedition (1875–1876): re‐examination of the H. B. Brady (1878) collection

The earliest report on radiolarians from the Arctic Ocean (north of the Arctic Circle) was provided by H. B. Brady (1878 Brady, H. B. 1878. On the reticularian and radiolarian Rhizopoda (Foraminifera and Polycystina) of the North‐Polar Expedition of 1875–76.. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 5, 1: 425–440. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). He documented the occurrences of 10 genera from soundings in northern Baffin Bay and north of Greenland, but he did not illustrate any specimens in his report. We have re‐examined Brady's original slide collection, housed at the Natural History Museum, London (NHM), in order to refine his radiolarian identifications to species level. We have identified 11 radiolarian taxa in his slides, but some are definitely more characteristic of tropical oceans rather than high northern latitudes. We conclude that this is most likely due to sample contamination or misidentification of samples. Therefore, the actual occurrence of tropically affiliated radiolarians recorded from the Arctic is uncertain and should be regarded with suspicion.     

New and little-known species of Didemnidae (Ascidiacea,Tunicata) from Australia (part I)

Continuing examination of colonial ascidians in museum collections is revealing further diversity in the family Didemnidae, which abounds in the tropical Indo-West Pacific and around the Australian continent (Kott, 2001). From the present work, it is apparent that much remains to be learnt about this fauna. Of the 45 species discussed in this paper, 16 are new. Larvae are described for the first time for Polysyncraton pedunculatum Kott, 2001 and P. rica Kott, 2001. Amongst the synonymy established in this paper Didemnoides tropicum Sluiter, 1909 is found to be a junior synonym of Lissoclinum patella (Gottschaldt, 1898) and Trididemnum vermiforme Kott, 2001 a junior synonym of T. nobile Kott, 2001. Didemnum nekozita Tokioka, 1967 is found to be a valid species distinct from Polysyncraton cuculliferum (Sluiter, 1909). Prolific replication rates, rapid colony growth, flexibility in growth form and a viviparous habit result in convergence tending to small zooid size, and similar large, increasingly complex colonies found in this family contribute to species diversity around the whole of the Australian continent.     

New species and records of Asellota from the Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda)

In this study of asellote Isopoda from the Indian Ocean, 29 species in 11 genera and seven families are recorded. Twenty-one species are described as new: family Gnathostenetroididae, Maresiella aldabrana ; family Janiridae, Carpias mossambica ; family Joeropsidae, Joeropsis algensis, J. arpedes, J. dimorpha, J. hamatilis, J. lentigo, J. pentagona, J. pleurion ; family Pleurocopidae, Pleurocope wilsoni ; family Pseudojaniridae, Pseudojanira meganesus ; family Santiidae, Santia spicata, S. urospinosa ; family Stenetriidae, Hansenium aldabrae, H. expansa, H. remocarpus ; Mizothenar serratum, Stenetrium assumentum, S. quinquedens, S. zanzibarica, Stenobermuda brucei. The first record of the family Pleurocopidae (Pleurocope wilsoni) and the genus Mizothenar (family Stenetriidae) from the Indian Ocean are included. Diagnoses of the genera and species are provided, and keys to the Indian Ocean species of most of the genera. The material comes primarily from Aldabra Atoll, the granitic Seychelles islands, Zanzibar Island, the Comoro Islands, and Phuket in Thailand. A few samples are from material of the International Indian Ocean Expedition carried out in the mid-1960s.     

The non-marine Crustacea of Antarctica and the Islands of the Southern Ocean: biodiversity and biogeography

A total of 101 verified species and eight ordinal taxa represent the non-marine Crustacea on Antarctica and the islands of the Southern Ocean. The largely terrestrial Isopoda and Amphipoda are confined to some sub-Antarctic and cool temperate islands while the predominantly freshwater Anostraca, Anomopoda, Copepoda (=Calanoida, Cyclopoida, Harpacticoida) and Ostracoda (Podocopida) occur throughout the region. Holocene sea-level rises fragmented freshwater and terrestrial species ranges on New Zealand, Auckland, Campbell, and possibly other South Pacific islands, leaving a legacy of vicariant taxa. Tertiary species probably survived Pleistocene glaciation in aquatic refugia on the New Zealand/South Pacific, Falkland, Crozet and Kerguelen archipelagoes, but there are no valid records of Tertiary Antarctic Crustacea. All 40 Continental and Maritime Antarctic freshwater records can be ascribed to the historic introduction of anthropogenic aliens, Holocene immigration of colonists, returning re-colonists and marine species 'marooned' in epishelf and other coastal lakes.     

Biodiversity and biogeography of non-marine Mollusca on the islands of the Southern Ocean

There are no terrestrial and freshwater molluscs associated with Continental nor Maritime Antarctica. The malacofaunas of the cool-temperate and sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean are extremely depauperate, comprising a mere 68 site-records of 51 species from 27 genera in 13 families. The South Atlantic records are confined to the Falkland Islands, which harbour nine species (one bivalve, five pond snails and three terrestrial aliens), and South Georgia, where there is one Notodiscus sp. (Charopidae). The fauna of the South Indian Ocean islands of Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen and Heard, comprises two alien slugs and endemic Notodiscus hookeri (Charopidae). The majority of species occur on the South Pacific Ocean Islands of Macquarie, Campbell, Auckland, Snares, Antipodes, Bounty and Chatham to the south and east of New Zealand. The Chatham fauna is dissimilar to that on the other South Pacific Islands, though both represent vicariant remnants of common South Pacific Is./New Zealand Athoracophoridae, Charopidae and Punctidae. There is, other than the broad South Indian Ocean distribution of Notodiscus hookeri, little evidence of Holocene dispersal and colonization. Indeed the Southern Ocean is an effective barrier and the different regional (South Atlantic/Indian/Pacific) faunas are principally vicariant and derived from local survivors of Pleistocene glaciation.