First record of albinism in the lanternshark family,Etmopteridae

A single albino specimen of the lanternshark, Lucifer's dogfish (Etmopterus lucifer), is reported here. The specimen was found among museum collections, having been captured near Cape Palliser, off the North Island of New Zealand in 1984. Morphometrics are reported, and with no retainment of pigmentation, the specimen is considered a complete albino. This is the first record of albinism for the family Etmopteridae and one of a handful of records for any deep-sea chondrichthyans.     

Two unusual species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Physalacria</Emphasis> (Basidiomycetes,Agaricales) collected in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea during mycological expeditions by the National Science Museum,Tokyo

Two unusual species of Physalacria from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are described and illustrated. Physalacria pseudotropica from South Island in New Zealand and P. tropica from Papua New Guinea are recorded for the first time.     

Cerrena unicolor isolated from the mycangia of a horntail,Tremex longicollis,in Kochi Prefecture,Japan

A fungus was found to be stored in the mycangia of a horntail,Tremex longicollis, as hyphal fragments. All fungal isolates from the mycangia of 31 adult females of the horntail produced the same colonies on PDA. Basidiocarps ofCerrena unicolor occurred near the emergence hole of the horntail on a dead hackberry tree (Celtis sinensis). The cultures of this fungus were similar to those from the mycangia of the horntail in cultural characteristics. Mating between single-basidiospore mycelia ofC. unicolor and single-arthrospore mycelia from the mycangia of the horntail showed that they were compatible. These results revealed that the fungus isolated from the mycangia ofT. longicollis wasC. unicolor.     

Phylogenetic Diversity of New Zealand Gelidiales as Revealed by rbcL Sequence Data

Diversity and phylogenetic relationships of New Zealand representatives of the red algal order Gelidiales have been examined using rbcL sequence data. Extensive field collections have been made from throughout the New Zealand region. Six genera have been reported previously from New Zealand (Capreolia, Gelidium, Pterocladia, Pterocladiella, Pterocladiastrum, Ptilophora). This research has revealed species with very restricted local distributions, as well as the discovery of several undescribed, cryptic taxa. The common and widespread Gelidium caulacantheum is confirmed to be more closely related to Capreolia than to other species of Gelidium. The generic concept of Capreolia, based on life history characters, will need to be modified to accommodate additional species possessing “Gelidium” life histories. A species endemic to New Zealand, Gelidium ceramoides, has been found to differ significantly from all other members of the Gelidiales and requires reclassification in another genus and order. Examination of field collections and herbarium specimens in addition to molecular sequence data have led us to conclude that specimens previously placed in the genera Ptilophora and Pterocladiastrum belong within Pterocladia lucida.     

Comparative studies on scanning electron microscopy of trophi of the genus Filinia Bory De St. Vincent (Rotifera)

Trophi of Filinia species from 16 South Island lakes and three North Island lakes of New Zealand were examined and compared with specimens from Australia, Austria, Belgium, and Turkey. Five species of Filinia (brachiata, longiseta, cf. pejleri, novaezealandiae, and terminalis) were positively identified from the New Zealand samples. Numbers of unci teeth are considered to be the most reliable features for identification within the genus. Numbers obtained from SEM for other species of Filinia (australiensis, grandis, and hofmanni) are also listed for the first time.     

A matter of size: the population structure of the smallest known living shark,Etmopterus perryi (Springer & Burgess, 1985), from deep waters off the Colombian Caribbean coast

The dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi) is the smallest known described shark, and practically no information has been available on this species since first described in the mid-1980s. Therefore, the aim of this work is to describe, for the first time, the population structure regarding dwarf lanternshark in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. During deep-water research surveys conducted along the Colombian Caribbean coast, 87 stations were sampled using the swept area method. A total of 153 dwarf lanternshark individuals were caught in depths ranging from 230 to 530 m. This information was used to describe the size structures, morphological measurements including length-at-weight relationship, length at maturity in females and the spatial distribution of mean length and biomass of the species. The lengths of individuals ranged from 78.02 to 289.00 mm total length (TL), which is a new record of maximum length for this species. The spatial distribution of mean lengths and biomass distributions show high abundances and high relative mean lengths in the northeast area off Santa Marta and the area northwest of Riohacha. The mean biomass density in the whole prospected area was 5.52 kg km⁻². Length at 50% maturity in females was estimated in 203 mm TL (95% C.I. : 190–214 mm). Deep-water elasmobranch species, such as the dwarf lantern shark, are expected to show extremely low resilience to fishing exploitation, even when they are not targeted by commercial fishing. Therefore, the information reported in this study can serve as a baseline upon which management measurements can be proposed for the conservation of this shark species.     

四川鞍子河保护地水鹿和羚牛栖息地适宜性评价与重叠性分析

水鹿(Rusa unicolor)和羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor)是国家重点保护野生动物,了解和掌握濒危物种的空间分布格局和对栖息地的利用特征是制定相关保护和管理策略的前提和基础。利用红外相机和样线法收集四川鞍子河保护地内水鹿和羚牛的实体、粪便和痕迹等点位信息,在得到水鹿124个、羚牛79个有效点位的基础上,结合15个环境因子,利用最大熵模型对保护地内水鹿和羚牛进行了栖息地适宜评价及其重叠性分析。结果表明:(1)水鹿和羚牛栖息地的适宜性评价结果均达到良好水平,其AUC值分别为0.888和0.813;(2)水鹿适宜和较适宜栖息地主要分布在保护地的中、南部海拔1474—3336 m区域,面积分别为943.23 hm~2和3390.15 hm~2,分别占保护地总面积的6.25%和22.48%;(3)羚牛适宜和较适宜栖息地主要分布在保护地中、西部海拔1467—3823 m区域,面积分别为1808.37 hm~2和8384.35 hm~2,分别占保护地总面积的11.99%和55.59%;(4)水鹿和羚牛生态重叠指数较高,其D和I值分别为0.6739和0.9098,适宜和较适宜栖息地重叠面积分别达261.10 hm~2和2048.41 hm~2,且主要集中在保护地中、南部低山河谷区,受人为活动影响大。加强水鹿、羚牛、斑羚等同域偶蹄目动物的食性研究以及食性特征与栖息地选择利用之间的相关性是未来的研究方向之一。     

The leopardChimaera, a new species of chimaeroid fish from New Zealand (Holocephali, Chimaeriformes, Chimaeridae)

A new species ofChimaera is described from three specimens collected from deep water fishing grounds off the North Island of New Zealand at depths ranging from 327–1020 m. This species is distinguished from all other members of the genus by gray coloration with chocolate brown reticulations and spots covering the body and fins, as well as additional external features such as rounded pelvic fins, first dorsal fin with distinct white margin, preopercular and oral lateral line canals sharing a common branch, and morphology of pelvic claspers in males bifid, the distal 1/3 divided, with pale colored fleshy, distal lobes. Comparisons are made toC. monstrosa andC. owstoni, the two most similar species in the genus. this represents the first species ofChimaera to be described from New Zealand.     

Molecular phylogeny of Armillaria from the Patagonian Andes

A number of species in the plant pathogen genus Armillaria are known from South America where they cause root rot disease on a wide variety of hosts. Knowledge pertaining to phylogenetic relationships of these species with those of other Armillaria species is almost non-existent. In addition, very few cultures representing these species are available, making DNA-based phylogenetic analyses impossible. The aim of this study was to characterise a collection of Armillaria isolates from the Patagonian Andes using DNA sequences and to determine their phylogenetic relationships with other Armillaria species. DNA sequences were obtained from the internal transcribed regions (ITS1, 5.8S and ITS4) and ribosomal large subunit (LSU) gene and used in phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic trees generated from the sequences separated the Armillaria isolates into four lineages. Lineages I and II represented A. novae-zelandiae and A. luteobubalina, respectively. Isolates belonging to A. novae-zelandiae from Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and South America showed considerable intra-clade sub-structure. Lineages III and IV are probably distinct species and are most closely related to A. hinnulea and an unnamed species isolated from New Zealand and Kenya. This is the first comprehensive study of the phylogenetic relationships of Armillaria species from Patagonia and it provides a foundation for future research in this region.     

A new biological function of Shiitake mushroom,Lentinula edodes, in a myco-heterotrophic orchid,Erythrorchis ochobiensis

The biological function ofLentinula edodes in a myco-heterotrophic orchid,Erythrorchis ochobiensis was examined, using one local variant each from Japan (JPN), Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand (NZ). All variants induced seed germination: PNG and NZ isolates were effective at 25°C and JPN isolate showed the highest germination rate at 30°C. Germinated seeds developed into plants and formed normal endomycorrhizas. Hence, it is concluded thatL. edodes has a perfect symbiotic potential withE. ochobiensis, though it has not been observed in the root of the orchid in the field.     

Phylogeny and biogeography of Chinese and Australasian Polystichum ferns as inferred from chloroplast trnL-F and rps4-trnS sequence data

Polystichum, one of the largest genera of ferns, occurs worldwide with the greatest diversity in southwest China and adjacent regions. Although there have been studies of Chinese Polystichum on its traditional classification, geographic distributions, and even a few on its molecular systematics, its relationships to other species outside China remain little known. Here, we investigated the phylogeny and biogeography of the Polystichum species from China and Australasia. The evolutionary relationships among 42 Polystichum species found in China (29 taxa) and Australasia (13 taxa) were inferred from phylogenetic analyses of two chloroplast DNA sequence data sets: rps4-trnS and trnL-F intergenic spacers. The divergence time between Chinese and Australasian Polystichum was estimated. The results indicated that the Australasian species comprise a monophyletic group that is nested within the Chinese diversity, and that the New Zealand species are likewise a monophyletic group nested within the Australasian species. The divergence time estimates suggested that Chinese Polystichum migrated into Australasia from around 40 Ma ago, and from there to New Zealand from about 14 Ma. The diversification of the New Zealand Polystichum species began about 10 Ma. These results indicated that Polystichum probably originated in eastern Asia and migrated into Australasia: first into Australia and then into New Zealand.     

First record of blurred smooth lanternshark, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Etmopterus bigelowi</Emphasis> from Indonesia

The blurred smooth lanternshark, Etmopterus bigelowi Shirai and Tachikawa, 1993 was recorded for the first time from Indonesian waters based on two specimens collected from a deepwater shark fishery operated in the Flores Sea, eastern Indonesia. This is also the second confirmed record of Etmopterus species from this country.     

Non-target parasitism of the endemic New Zealand red admiral butterfly (Bassaris gonerilla) by the introduced biological control agent Pteromalus puparum

The New Zealand red admiral butterfly, Bassaris gonerilla (F.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), has been known as a non-target host for the introduced biological control agent Pteromalus puparum (L.) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) for at least 35 years, but the level of parasitism has never been quantified. Pre-imaginal mortality in B. gonerilla was assessed over the southern summer of 2000/01 at six field sites in the Christchurch area of the South Island, New Zealand. Individual eggs and larvae were identified by tagging the stem of the Urtica ferox Forst.f. plant on which they were found and the fate of these individuals was checked weekly. These data were used to construct a partial life table for B. gonerilla. Egg mortality was very high (95%), with parasitism by an unidentified Telenomus sp. Haliday (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) causing 57% mortality. Mortality in the larval and pupal stages increased at a constant rate with age and the major mortality factor was disappearance, which was assumed to be a result of predation and dispersal of larvae. The introduced biological control agent P. puparum parasitized 14% of B. gonerilla pupae sampled. However, parasitism by another exotic parasitoid, the self-introduced Echthromorpha intricatoria (F.) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), was even higher at 26%. A survey of pupal parasitism in three regions of New Zealand (Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin) revealed overall parasitism levels of 67% by E. intricatoria and 8% by P. puparum, but due to the difference in emergence times of B. gonerilla and its parasitoids, these are likely to be overestimates of percent parasitism. It is concluded that P. puparum has permanently enhanced mortality in B. gonerilla, but the level of mortality is low relative to egg parasitism by Telenomus sp., larval disappearance mortality, and pupal mortality due to E. intricatoria parasitism. To determine if this level of pupal parasitism has had population effects will require more data and the development of a population model for B. gonerilla.     

Dynamics of phytoplankton growth in the Waikato River,North Island,New Zealand

The Waikato River (latitude 38°S, longitude 176°E, North Island, New Zealand) is overwhelming y dominated by diatoms (mainly Melosira species) while blue-green and green algae are of minor importance. Both laboratory and in situ nutrient enrichment experiments showed enhanced growth of natural and index blue-green and green algae by addition of phosphate and nitrate. These algae were also shown to require higher temperature and light intensity than the diatoms. On the other hand, Waikato River with its higher silica content, moderate range of temperature and running water habitat was more favourable an environment for diatoms.     

Systematics and distribution of the New Zealand onychoteuthid fauna (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida), including a new species, Notonykia nesisi sp. nov.

Onychoteuthid squids are among the most common cephalopods found in New Zealand waters, and comprise a major portion of the regional diets of teuthophagous marine mammals. Although several recent publications have addressed aspects of various species’ biology and reproduction, the systematics of the group remains poorly understood. Herein the ontogenetic and adult morphologies of regionally occurring known species of the genera Moroteuthis, Onychoteuthis, and Notonykia are redescribed, and Notonykia nesisi sp. nov. is described for the first time. Ontogenetic and sexually dimorphic variation in characters and character states associated with body proportions, and beak, radula, tentacular hook, palatine tooth and gladius morphologies are also described and compared between local onychoteuthid taxa for the first time.     

Exceedingly high chromosome number in Strasburgeriaceae, a monotypic family endemic to New Caledonia

We present the first report on the chromosome number of Strasburgeria robusta, which is confined to montane forests of New Caledonia and is the only known species in Strasburgeriaceae. The species has 2n = 500, which is an exceedingly high chromosome number in angiosperms. Within Crossosomatales, molecular evidence has indicated that S. robusta is sister to Ixerba brexioides, which is endemic to New Zealand and is the sole species in Ixerbaceae. Comparisons to the chromosome number of I. brexioides (2n = 50) support a close affinity between the two species because they share the base number x = 25. It is generally accepted that an increase in ploidy is associated with the origin of novel adaptations. A high level of polyploidy (20x with x = 25) may have allowed S. robusta to survive on a fragment of Gondwana by adapting to its ultrabasic substrate.     

Phylogeny, biogeography, and species boundaries within the Alexandrium minutum group

The geographic range and bloom frequency of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum and other members of the A. minutum group have been increasing over the past few decades. Some of these species are responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) outbreaks throughout the world. The origins of new toxic populations found in previously unaffected areas are typically not known due to a lack of reliable plankton records with sound species identifications and to the lack of a global genetic database. This paper provides the first comprehensive study of minutum-group morphology and phylogeny on a global scale, including 45 isolates from northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.Neither the morphospecies Alexandrium lusitanicum nor A. angustitabulatum was recoverable morphologically, due to large variation within and among all minutum-group clonal strains in characters previously used to distinguish these species: the length:width of the anterior sulcal plate, shape of the 1′ plate, connection between the 1′ plate and the apical pore complex, and the presence of a ventral pore. DNA sequence data from the D1 to D2 region of the LSU rDNA also fail to recognize these species. Therefore, we recommend that all isolates previously designated as A. lusitanicum or A. angustitabulatum be redesignated as A. minutum. A. tamutum, A. insuetum, and A. andersonii are clearly different from A. minutum on the basis of both genetic and morphological data.A. minutum strains from Europe and Australia are closely related to one another, which may indicate an introduction from Europe to Australia given the long history of PSP in Europe and its recent occurrence in Australia. A minutum from New Zealand and Taiwan form a separate phylogenetic group. Most strains of A. minutum fit into one of these two groups, although there are a few outlying strains that merit further study and may represent new species. The results of this paper have greatly improved our ability to track the spread of A. minutum species and to understand the evolutionary relationships within the A. minutum group by correcting inaccurate taxonomy and providing a global genetic database.     

Biology, rearing and field release on Guam of Euplectrus maternus, a parasitoid of the fruit-piercing moth, Eudocima fullonia

The eulophid parasitoid, Euplectrus maternus, is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of the larvae of thefruit-piercing moth, Eudocima (Othreis) fullonia. This parasitoid is indigenous to India and was released into Guam in 1998–99 to aid in the biological control of E. fullonia, an important pest of ripeguava, banana, mango, pomegranate, litchi,papaya, tomato, orange and other fruit crops.In the laboratory, biology and rearing of E. maternus on the larvae of E. fulloniawere studied. In no-choice tests, ovipositionby E. maternus was significantly greateron first and second instar larvae than on thirdinstar larvae. However, in free-choice tests,oviposition by E. maternus wassignificantly greater on second instar larvae,followed by first and third instar larvae. Thisparasitoid did not lay eggs on later instars,either in no-choice or free-choice tests.Females laid a significantly greater number ofeggs (>80%) on the dorsal surface of thelarvae than on either lateral or ventralsurfaces (1 to 8%). In general, more eggs werelaid on abdominal segments 1–3 on larvalinstars one to three. The survival of theimmature stages (from egg to adult) of E. maternus on second instar E. fullonialarvae was 61%, which was significantlygreater than the survival rates on first andthird instar larvae (32% and 26%), indicatingthat second instar host larvae are ideal formass rearing of the parasitoid. Mated femaleE. maternus continuously laid eggs on thesecond instar larvae of E. fullonia forup to 30 days, but the greatest number of eggswere laid during the first week after exposure.When E. maternus laid more than two eggson host larva, more female progeny wereproduced, indicating female-biasedreproduction. Adult parasitoids lived longerwhen fed with a honey: water (50% w/v)solution than with pure honey. Similarly, thefecundity of females increased significantlywhen fed with the honey-water solution whencompared to feeding with pure honey. To date,E. maternus has not established in Guam.     

The diet of pygmy sperm whales, Kogia breviceps, stranded in New Zealand: implications for conservation

The stomach contents of 27 pygmy sperm whales, Kogia breviceps, stranded on New Zealand beaches between 1991 and 2003 are reported. These individuals comprise 16 males, 10 females, and one for which no sex information is available. The diet was found to include fish and crustaceans, but is comprised primarily of cephalopods, with 0–526 lower beaks, representing an estimated maximum of c. 60 kg of cephalopod prey consumed by any one whale. Cephalopod prey is attributed to 23 species from 13 families, and is dominated by juvenile individuals of the families Histioteuthididae and Cranchiidae (adults of which usually occur at depths exceeding 400 m). Perceived threats to this whale, particularly those affecting distribution and abundance of prey species, are also discussed. These are the first data reporting the diet of this whale species in New Zealand waters. A comparison of the diet of K. breviceps is made with that of the sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus from New Zealand waters, and with the diet of Kogia known elsewhere.     

Using gigartinine to track the distribution of an alien species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gracilaria</Emphasis> in New Zealand

The presence of gigartinine has been used previously as a taxonomic marker for the positive identification in Manukau Harbour (west coast, Auckland) of Gracilaria sp., which has apparently been introduced to New Zealand waters and is easily confused morphologically with the native species, G. chilensis. Thirty two estuarine/harbour populations of Gracilaria in New Zealand were screened for the presence of gigartinine to further test the utility of gigartinine as a reliable species marker. DNA fingerprinting was used to confirm the identity of a subset of the specimens surveyed. Using genetic rather than chemical characterisation, it was discovered that Gracilaria sp. is also present in Orakei Basin (east coast, Auckland). Although a sample from the wild did not have the anticipated gigartinine content, tank cultivation of thalli from this population in an artificially elevated nitrogen environment allowed the plant to accumulate nitrogen as gigartinine. This confirmed the unusual ability of this species of Gracilaria to store nitrogen in this form, unlike the widespread, morphologically similar, G. chilensis.