Validity of the atherinid fish, Atherinomorus vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1825), with comments on its synonymy

The Australian marine atherinid fish, Atherinomorus vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1825), having long been synonymized under A. lacunosus (Forster in Bloch and Schneider, 1801), is redescribed as a valid species based on the holotype and non-type specimens. Atherinomorus vaigiensis, known only from eastern and western Australia, differs from other congeners in lacking a distinct tubercle on the posterior end of the dentary and having the posterior tip of the upper jaw not extending beyond a vertical through the anterior margin of the pupil, 12–15 anal fin soft rays, 24–28 lower gill rakers, 39–42 midlateral scales, and a narrow midlateral band (width about 2/3 to 5/6 that of midlateral scale at level of anal fin origin). Atherina cylindrica Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1835 and Pranesus ogilbyi Whitely, 1930 are regarded as junior synonyms of Atherinomorus vaigiensis. Received: April 26, 2001 / Revised: July 11, 2001 / Accepted: July 16, 2001     

Redescriptions of the Indo-West Pacific atherinid fishes, Atherinomorus endrachtensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1825) and A. duodecimalis (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1835)

The Indo-Pacific marine atherinid fishes, Atherinomorus endrachtensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1825) and Atherinomorus duodecimalis (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1835), having long been confused with each other, are redescribed as valid species based on the types and nontype specimens collected from the eastern Indian Ocean and West Pacific. Atherinomorus endrachtensis, known from the Philippines, Palau, North Sulawesi and Maluku Is. (Indonesia), and New Guinea, differs from other congeners in lacking a tubercle on the dentary and having the posterior tip of the upper jaw not extending beyond a vertical through the anterior margin of the pupil, usually 10–11 anal fin soft rays, 33–35 midlateral scales, a narrow midlateral band (ca. half midlateral scale width at anal fin origin), and 3 distinct longitudinal broken black lines laterally and ventrolaterally on the body. A lectotype is designated for Atherina lineata Günther, 1872, regarded as a junior synonym of Atherinomorus endrachtensis. Atherinomorus duodecimalis, known from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Yaeyama Is. (Japan), the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Queensland (Australia), and New Caledonia, differs from other congeners in having a tubercle on the posterior end of the dentary, the posterior tip of the upper jaw not extending beyond a vertical through the anterior margin of the pupil, usually 12–13 anal fin soft rays, 35–38 midlateral scales, and a narrow midlateral band (ca. 1/2 or 3/4 midlateral scale width at anal fin origin). Atherina balabacensis Seale, 1910 is regarded as a junior synonym of Atherinomorus duodecimalis. Received: June 29, 2000 / Revised: October 31, 2000 / Accepted: January 16, 2001     

A new silverside, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atherinomorus aetholepis</Emphasis> sp. nov., from the West Pacific (Atheriniformes: Atherinidae)

Atherinomorus aetholepis sp. nov. is described from the holotype and 51 paratypes, 44–72 mm in standard length, collected from Indonesian and Philippine waters. The species is similar to other congeners in general body appearance, especially A. duodecimalis and A. regina, in having a slender body, a tubercle on the posterior end of the dentary, and a narrow midlateral band, but clearly differing from them in having a long spatular outgrowth on the posterior margins of most of the predorsal and interdorsal scales. Additionally, the species differs from A. duodecimalis in having a more slender body [body depth 17–22 (mean 19) % SL vs. 19–25 (mean 22) % SL], more midlateral scales [37–40 (mean 38.4) vs. 35–38 (mean 36.6)], more total vertebrae [38–42 (mean 39.9) vs. 36–40 (mean 38.0)], and fewer lower gill rakers [18–22 (mean 20.2) vs. 20–25 (mean 22.3)], and from A. regina in having more anal fin soft rays (12–14 vs. 9–10). Electronic supplementary material to this article is available at and accessible to authorized users. Received: October 22, 2001 / Revised: March 14, 2002 / Accepted: March 26, 2002 An erratum to this article is available at .     

Descriptive morphology of the reared eggs,larvae, and juveniles of the marine atherinid fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atherinomorus duodecimalis</Emphasis>

Embryonic, larval, and juvenile development of the marine atherinid Atherinomorus duodecimalis are described from laboratory-reared specimens. The eggs, measuring 1.15–1.24mm in diameter, were demersal and almost spherical in shape with numerous chorionic filaments. Hatching occurred 7 or 8 days after spawning, the newly hatched larvae measuring 4.5–5.1mm in body length (BL) and having 5+34=39 myomeres. Notochord flexion started at 6.9mm BL and finished at 8.3mm BL. Aggregate numbers of all fin rays were completed by 14mm BL. Eggs of this species could be distinguished from other known atherinid eggs on the basis of egg diameter and the arrangement, length, and number of chorionic filaments. Larvae were also distinctive in myomere counts, pigmentation, and locations of the anus and second dorsal fin origin.     

Synonymy of two species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Platycephalus</Emphasis> and validity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Platycephalus westraliae</Emphasis> (Teleostei: Platycephalidae)

The type specimens of platycephalid Platycephalus endrachtensis Quoy and Gaimard 1825 are regarded as being conspecific with Platycephalus arenarius Ramsay and Ogilby 1886, so the latter becomes a junior synonym. This species is characterized as having a caudal fin with four or more longitudinal dark bands and lacking a yellow blotch. It is also found that Platycephalus westraliae (Whitley 1938), which had been considered to be a junior synonym of Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier 1829, is a valid species. Specimens that recently had been mistakenly identified as “P. endrachtensis,” having the caudal fin with three or four longitudinal dark bands and a yellow blotch on the upper lobe, should be referred to P. westraliae.     

Validity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scolecenchelys aoki</Emphasis>, with a redescription of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scolecenchelys gymnota</Emphasis> (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae)

The myrophine ophichthid fishes (worm eels) Muraenichthys aoki Jordan and Snyder 1901 and Muraenichthys gymnotus Bleeker 1857 are redescribed as valid species of Scolecenchelys based on the types and non-type specimens collected from the Indo-Pacific. Because both species are similar to each other in having acute snouts, the posterior margin of the eye before the rictus, and their dorsal-fin origins located slightly posterior to a vertical line through the anus, Scolecenchelys aoki has usually been regarded as a junior synonym of Scolecenchelys gymnota. However, S. aoki is clearly distinguishable from S. gymnota by having a median groove on the ventral side of snout (absent in S. gymnota), uniserial maxillary teeth in smaller specimens (<200 mm TL; vs. biserial), three infraorbital sensory pores at postorbital area (vs. two), and more numerous vertebrae (56–65 in predorsal vs. 51–57; 53–58 in preanal vs. 47–52). Scolecenchelys aoki is restricted to Japanese waters and regarded as a senior synonym of Muraenichthys borealis Machida and Shiogaki 1990. Scolecenchelys gymnota is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, from South Africa and the Red Sea to Samoa, north to Okinawa, Japan. Sphagebranchus huysmani Weber 1913 and Muraenichthys fowleri Schultz 1943 are synonymized under S. gymnota.     

Floral development and systematic position of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arillastrum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allosyncarpia</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stockwellia</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptopsis</Emphasis> (Myrtaceae)

We have investigated the floral ontogeny of Arillastrum, Allosyncarpia, Stockwellia and Eucalyptopsis (of the eucalypt group, Myrtaceae) using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Several critical characters for establishing relationships between these genera and to the eucalypts have been determined. The absence of compound petaline primordia in Arillastrum, Allosyncarpia, Stockwellia and Eucalyptopsis excludes these taxa from the eucalypt clade. Post-anthesis circumscissile abscission of the hypanthium above the ovary in Stockwellia, Eucalyptopsis and Allosyncarpia is evidence that these three taxa form a monophyletic group; undifferentiated perianth parts and elongated fusiform buds are characters that unite Stockwellia and Eucalyptopsis as sister taxa. No floral characters clearly associate Arillastrum with either the eucalypt clade or the clade of Stockwellia, Eucalyptopsis and Allosyncarpia.We gratefully acknowledge Clyde Dunlop and Bob Harwood (Northern Territory Herbarium) for collecting specimens of Allosyncarpia, and Bruce Gray (Atherton) for collecting specimens of Stockwellia. The Australian National Herbarium (CANB) kindly lent herbarium specimens of Eucalyptopsis for examination. This research was supported by a University of Melbourne Research Development Grant to Andrew Drinnan.     

A revision of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Podococcus</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arecaceae</Emphasis>)

Summary  A taxonomic revision of the palm genus Podococcus (Arecaceae) is presented. Two species are recognised: P. barteri, a species relatively widespread in a coastal band from Nigeria to the D. R. Congo and P. acaulis, a species previously considered conspecific to P. barteri, almost exclusively confined to Gabon. The taxonomic history, morphology, distribution and conservation status of the genus and each species are discussed     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Doederleinia gracilispinis</Emphasis> (Fowler, 1943), a junior synonym of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Doederleinia berycoides</Emphasis> (Hilgendorf, 1879), with review of the genus

A poorly known acropomatid, Rhomboserranus gracilispinis Fowler, 1943, was originally described on the basis of specimens from the Philippines. Since the recognition of Rhomboserranus as a junior synonym of Doederleinia, R. gracilispinis had been considered a valid species of Doederleinia. Examination of the holotype of R. gracilispinis and other type series of nominal species of Doederleinia showed them to be included in the single species D. berycoides (Hilgendorf, 1879). The sole representative of Doederleinia is distributed from Japan to northwestern Australia. This species is distinguishable from other acropomatids by the following combination of characters: head and body red; nine dorsal-fin spines; three anal-fin spines; no luminous organ; a row of conical teeth with a large canine tooth medially on lower jaw; large conical teeth on anterior part of outer margin with two or three large canine teeth on inner margin on upper jaw; and anus situated just anterior to origin of anal fin.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichiurus nickolensis</Emphasis>, a new hairtail from Australia belonging to the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichiurus russelli</Emphasis> complex (Perciformes: Trichiuridae)

A new hairtail, Trichiurus nickolensis, is described on the basis of ten specimens collected off northwestern Australia, off the Northern Territory, and in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. The new species strongly resembles T. brevis Wang and You in Wang et al., 1992, off Hainan Island, South China Sea, and T. russelli Dutt and Thankam, 1966, off the Waltair Coast, Andhra Pradesh, India, in having the highest point of the supraoccipital crest situated directly above the posterior margin of the eye and a relatively short caudal peduncle. Trichiurus nickolensis differs from those two species in being strongly pigmented on the anterior section of the dorsal fin membrane (vs. slightly pigmented), and having a dorsal head margin that appears concave in lateral view, rises gently from snout tip to above middle of orbit, and then extends more steeply to dorsal fin origin (vs. rising gently from tip of snout to dorsal fin origin). The new species also has a greater number of dorsal fin rays (III, 138–143 vs. III, 127–132 and III, 127–131 in T. brevis and T. russelli, respectively) and total vertebrae (160–166 vs. 147–155 and 149–153), and shorter preanal length (mean 30% TL vs. 33% TL and 35% TL), head length (11% TL vs. 12% TL and 13% TL) and upper jaw length (4% TL vs. 5% TL and 5% TL).     

Phylogenetic analyses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Uromyces viciae-fabae</Emphasis> and its varieties on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lathyrus</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum</Emphasis> in Japan

A pea rust fungus, Uromyces viciae-fabae, has been classified into two varieties, var. viciae-fabae and var. orobi, based on differences in urediniospore wall thickness and putative host specificity in Japan. In principal component analyses, morphological features of urediniospores and teliospores of 94 rust specimens from Vicia, Lathyrus, and Pisum did not show definite host-specific morphological groups. In molecular analyses, 23 Uromyces specimens from Vicia, Lathyrus, and Pisum formed a single genetic clade based on D1/D2 and ITS regions. Four isolates of U. viciae-fabae from V. cracca and V. unijuga could infect and sporulate on P. sativum. These results suggest that U. viciae-fabae populations on different host plants are not biologically differentiated into groups that can be recognized as varieties.Contribution no. 184, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba, Japan     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis> transposons of the urochordata <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ciona intestinalis</Emphasis>

P transposons belong to the eukaryotic DNA transposons, which are transposed by a cut and paste mechanism using a P-element-coded transposase. They have been detected in Drosophila, and reside as single copies and stable homologous sequences in many vertebrate species. We present the P elements Pcin1, Pcin2 and Pcin3 from Ciona intestinalis, a species of the most primitive chordates, and compare them with those from Ciona savignyi. They showed typical DNA transposon structures, namely terminal inverted repeats and target site duplications. The coding region of Pcin1 consisted of 13 small exons that could be translated into a P-transposon-homologous protein. C. intestinalis and C. savignyi displayed nearly the same phenotype. However, their P elements were highly divergent and the assumed P transposase from C. intestinalis was more closely related to the transposase from Drosophila melanogaster than to the transposase of C. savignyi. The present study showed that P elements with typical features of transposable DNA elements may be found already at the base of the chordate lineage. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">briggsae</Emphasis> genome contains active <Emphasis Type="Italic">CbmaT1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tcb1</Emphasis> transposons

The maT clade of transposons is a group of transposable elements intermediate in sequence and predicted protein structure to mariner and Tc transposons, with a distribution thus far limited to a few invertebrate species. We present evidence, based on searches of publicly available databases, that the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae has several maT-like transposons, which we have designated as CbmaT elements, dispersed throughout its genome. We also describe two additional transposon sequences that probably share their evolutionary history with the CbmaT transposons. One resembles a fold back variant of a CbmaT element, with long (380-bp) inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) that show a high degree (71%) of identity to CbmaT1. The other, which shares only the 26-bp ITR sequences with one of the CbmaT variants, is present in eight nearly identical copies, but does not have a transposase gene and may therefore be cross mobilised by a CbmaT transposase. Using PCR-based mobility assays, we show that CbmaT1 transposons are capable of excising from the C. briggsae genome. CbmaT1 excised approximately 500 times less frequently than Tcb1 in the reference strain AF16, but both CbmaT1 and Tcb1 excised at extremely high frequencies in the HK105 strain. The HK105 strain also exhibited a high frequency of spontaneous induction of unc-22 mutants, suggesting that it may be a mutator strain of C. briggsae.     

Revision of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterosavia</Emphasis>, stat. nov., with notes on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gonatogyne</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Savia</Emphasis> (Phyllanthaceae)

Heterosavia (Phyllanthaceae) is segregated from Savia (tribe Bridelieae), recognized at generic rank, and placed in tribe Phyllantheae. Floral, fruit, leaf anatomical, leaf venation, and pollen characters of the neotropical taxa previously united as Savia including Gonatogyne are discussed and illustrated. Keys to the three genera and to the species of Heterosavia are presented. Four species (all new combinations), Heterosavia bahamensis, H. erythroxyloides, H. laurifolia, and H. maculata, are recognized. The new combinations Heterosavia laurifolia var. intermedia and H. maculata var. clementis are proposed. The names Heterosavia, H. erythroxyloides, H. laurifolia, Savia clementis, S. clusiifolia, S. clusiifolia var. fallax, and S. longipes are lectotypified. Distribution maps and conservation assessments (IUCN ratings) of Heterosavia species and varieties are provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia calystegiae-soldanellae</Emphasis>, a new rust species on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calystegia soldanella</Emphasis> from Japan

A rust species on Calystegia soldanella in Japan has been treated as Puccinia convolvuli to date. However, morphological characteristics of specimens on C. soldanella collected from Japan are significantly different from those of specimens on other Calystegia and Convolvulus species from different areas of the world. It is proved by inoculation experiment that the rust on C. soldanella is specific to C. soldanella. Based on these results, Puccinia rust on C. soldanella from Japan is described as a new species, Puccinia calystegiae-soldanellae.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phuphanochloa,</Emphasis> a new bamboo genus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Poaceae</Emphasis>: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bambusoideae</Emphasis>) from Thailand

Summary  A new monotypic bamboo genus Phuphanochloa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from north-eastern Thailand is described, together with a new species, P. speciosa.     

Electrofusion of protoplasts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum tuberosum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. bulbocastanum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. pinnatisectum</Emphasis>

This paper discusses a number of experiments performed, involving the fusion by an electric field of mesophyll protoplasts from Solanum tuberosum cv. Bintje, S. tuberosum dihaploid clones 243, 299 and the wild tuberous disease-resistant species S. bulbocastanum and S. pinnatisectum. Three fusion experiments (S. bulbocastanum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 243, S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum cv. Bintje and S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 299) yielded 542 calli, the 52 ones of which produced shoots. Obtained regenerants were estimated by the flow-cytometry (FC) and RAPD analysis to determine hybrid plants.The utilisation of the FC as a useful method for detecting somatic hybrids is also discussed in this paper. The combination S. bulbocastanum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 243 led to the creation of eight somatic hybrids, the combination S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum cv. Bintje yielded four somatic hybrids and the combination S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 299 resulted in no hybrid regenerants. Morphology in vitro, growth vigour and production of tuber-like structures were evaluated in hybrid plants. Plants were transferred in vivo for further estimation (acclimatization, habitus evaluation and tuberization ability).     

The ontogenetic basis for floral diversity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agonis</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptospermum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kunzea</Emphasis> (Myrtaceae)

Floral development in three species each of Leptospermum and Kunzea, and one species of Agonis, is described and compared. Differences in the number of stamens and their arrangement in the flower at anthesis are determined by the growth dynamics of the bud. In Leptospermum, early expansion of the bud is predominantly in the axial direction and causes the stamen primordia to be initiated in antepetalous chevrons. In Kunzea, early expansion occurs predominantly in the lateral direction and successive iterations of stamen primordia are inserted alternately at more or less the same level. In both genera, further expansion in the lateral plane spreads the stamens into a ring around the hypanthium. Agonis flexuosa is similar to Leptospermum. Other variable factors include the timing at which stamen initiation commences (earlier in Leptospermum than Kunzea), the duration of stamen initiation (hence the total number of stamens produced – varies within genera), and very late differential expansion that forces stamens into secondary antesepalous groups in A. flexuosa and L. myrsinoides.The authors thank Dr H. Toelken for kindly providing some material and the impetus for this project. This research was supported by Australian Research Council grant AS19131815.