青岛沿海砂壳纤毛虫(原生动物,纤毛门,砂纤目)

对采自青岛沿海的9属26种砂壳纤毛虫进行了形态学描述,其中11种为中国新纪录种:简单薄铃虫Leprotintinnus simplex Schmidt,1901,波特薄铃虫Leprotintinnus bottnicus(Nordqvist,1890)Jorgensen,1912,波罗的拟铃虫Tintinnopsis baltica Brandt,1896,长形拟铃虫Tintinnopsis elongata Daday,1887,盾形拟铃虫Tintinnopsis urnula Meunier,1910,弯叶拟铃虫Tintinnopsis lobiancoi Daday,1887,管状拟铃虫Tintinnopsis tubulosoides Meunier,1910,小拟铃虫Tintinnopsis minuta Wailes,1925,塔拉卡拟铃虫Favella taraikaensis Hada,1932,太平洋领细壳虫Stenosemella pacifica Kofoid et Campbell,1929和贪婪铃壳虫Codonella rapa Kofoid et Campbell,1929.     

厦门沿海的砂壳纤毛虫(原生动物, 纤毛门, 砂壳目)

对厦门沿海6个代表性站位砂壳纤毛虫进行了为期1年的采集, 共分离鉴定了27种砂壳纤毛虫, 其中拟铃虫属Tintinnopsis 20种, 薄铃虫属Leprotintinnus 3种, 类铃虫属Codonellopsis 2种, 领细壳虫属Stenosemella 1种以及网纹虫属Favella 1种。对该5属27种砂壳纤毛虫进行形态学描述, 并提供了显微照片, 其中侧胀拟铃虫Tintinnopsis ventricosoides Meunier, 1910为中国新记录种。     

广东沿海的砂壳纤毛虫及3种国内新纪录

对广东沿海的砂壳纤毛虫进行了初步研究,涉及7属16种,其中3种确定为中国的新纪录:僧帽壳铃虫Codonella apicata Kofoid&Campbell,1929,陀螺形拟铃虫Tintinnopsis turbo Meunier,1919和膨胀细壳虫Stenosemella expansa Wailes,1925。另有3种为我国亚热带海域的新纪录:筒状拟铃虫Tintinnopsis tubu-losoides Meunier,1910,罗氏拟铃虫Tintinnopsis lohmanni(J rgensen,1927)Laackmann,1906和贪婪铃壳虫Codonella rapa Kofoid&Campbell,1929。其余10种为常见种:百系拟铃虫Tintinnopsis beroidea Stein,1867,尖底拟铃虫Tintinnopsis acuminata(Daday,1887)Kofoid et Campbell,1929,妥肯丁拟玲虫Tintinnopsis to-cantinensis Kofoid&Campbell,1929,筒状拟铃虫Tintinnopsis tubulosoides Meunier,1910,管状拟玲虫Tintinnopsis tublosa Levander,1900,长形拟铃虫Tintinnopsis clongata Daday,1887,罗氏拟铃虫Tintinnopsislohmanni(J rgensen,1927)Laackmann,1906,小领细壳虫Stenosemella parvicollis(Marshall,1934)Hada,1935,钟状网纹虫Favella campanula(Schmidt,1901)J rgensen,1924和贪婪铃壳虫Codonella rapa Kofoid&Camp-bell,1929。文章对其形态分类学做了简要描述。     

江苏安徽淡水沙壳纤毛虫的调查报告

一.引言沙壳纤毛虫亚目(Tindnnoinea)是一类披有外壳的浮游寡毛类(Oligotricha)原生动物,种类极为繁多。根据郭甫德与肯培尔(Kofoid & Campbell,1929)的统计,此类动物在文献上的记录已超出了1750个种、亚种、变种或型的描述。又据羽田(Hada,1939)的报告,淡水裹的沙壳纤毛虫主要是包括筒壳虫(Tintinnidium)和似铃壳虫(Tintinnopsis)两属,而这两属在科学上有过记录的淡水种类,还祇有10种左右。由此可见,海洋与淡水里的沙壳纤毛虫的种类相差显得十分悬殊。因而对于沙壳纤毛虫的研究工作,也都集中在海洋方面。我国过去的情况亦不例外。关于海洋沙壳谶毛虫的记载,已有王家楫、倪达书、程冰心、史若兰(Sproston,N.G.)及尹光德等人在厦门、     

春季和秋季东海陆架区浮游纤毛虫的丰度和生物量

于2011年春季(5月)和秋季(11月)在东海陆架区进行浮游纤毛虫丰度和生物量的调查.春季和秋季纤毛虫的平均丰度分别为(614±861)和(934±809) ind·L^-1,平均生物量分别为(1.70±3.91)和(0.93±0.99) μg C·L^-1.表层纤毛虫丰度和生物量的高值区春季主要分布在近岸及远岸海区,秋季主要分布在远岸海区.春季纤毛虫的丰度和生物量在水体上层较高;秋季纤毛虫主要分布在水体上层,有时在水体底层也会出现丰度和生物量的高值.春季无壳纤毛虫群落的粒级较大,秋季较小.砂壳纤毛虫占纤毛虫丰度的平均比例春季和秋季分别为(26.9±34.3)%和(44.9±25.2)%.两个季节共鉴定出砂壳纤毛虫27属52种,春季丰度较大的种为原始筒壳虫、橄榄领细壳虫及筒状拟铃虫,秋季丰度较大的种为原始筒壳虫、小领细壳虫及矮小拟铃虫.纤毛虫丰度与温度、叶绿素a(Chl a)浓度呈显著正相关.砂壳纤毛虫丰度与盐度呈显著负相关,群落结构变化与温度显著相关.     

夏季南海北部纤毛虫群落组成及其水平分布

在2007年中国科学院南海海洋研究所南海北部开放航次期间,设计了两条纤毛虫采样断面(X断面、Y断面),共13个站位,涵盖了珠江冲淡水区、粤东上升流区和陆坡开阔海区,旨在对纤毛虫的种类组成和空间分布及其影响因素进行探讨。共检出4纲8目22属38种纤毛虫,其中种类数最多的属是砂壳目拟铃虫属(9种),其次是急游目急游属(5种)。本航次中纤毛虫主要是砂壳目纤毛虫(27种),共鉴定出砂壳虫15属27种。纤毛虫优势种为蚤状中缢虫Mesodinium pulex(18.1%),其次是丁丁急游虫Strombidium tintinnodes(9.7%),盾形拟铃虫Tintinnopsis urula(5.8%)。纤毛虫种类数和丰度从近岸向外海逐渐减少,纤毛虫种类数与温度(R2=0.53,P0.05)和盐度(R2=0.43,P0.05)呈负相关,随着温度的升高,纤毛虫种类数逐渐降低。纤毛虫丰度与温度和盐度相关性并不明显,这可能由于受上升流的影响,近岸上升流高盐区存在着纤毛虫丰度较为丰富的情况。叶绿素a浓度与纤毛虫种类数(R2=0.36,P0.05)和纤毛虫丰度(R2=0.36,P0.05)呈正相关,近岸浮游植物生物量高,纤毛虫种类丰富,丰度大,叶绿素a沿纵断面降低,纤毛虫种类数和丰度也降低。     

三亚珊瑚礁水域纤毛虫种类组成和数量分布及与环境因子的关系

2004年8月通过对三亚珊瑚礁水域纤毛虫进行表、底层采集分析,共鉴定6纲14目33属58种浮游纤毛虫,其中旋毛纲41种,叶口纲6种,寡膜纲5种,叶咽纲4种,前口纲和伪纤毛纲各1种。在14个目中,以旋毛纲环毛亚纲砂壳目纤毛虫种类最多,达到31种。主要优势种为布氏拟铃虫 Tintinnopsis bütschlii、小拟铃虫 Tintinnopsis minuta、丁丁急游虫Strombidium tintinnodes和具沟急游虫Strombidium sulcatum等,底层纤毛虫数量和种类都较表层高,底、表层平均丰度分别为375个/L和346 个/L,表、底层纤毛虫种类差异明显,表层主要由浮游纤毛虫组成,以旋毛纲环毛亚纲砂壳目纤毛虫为主,急游目纤毛虫次之;而底层主要由缘毛目组成,如长圆靴纤虫 Cothurnia oblonga、透明鞘居虫Vaginicola crystalline、钟虫Vorticella sp.以及吸管目的壳吸管虫 Acineta sp. 等。结果显示,在活珊瑚覆盖率高的站位（S4,S7和S9）纤毛虫数量明显低于珊瑚覆盖率低或没有珊瑚覆盖的站位,这暗示了珊瑚对纤毛虫的摄食作用。典型对应分析结果表明,影响三亚湾海域纤毛虫分布的主要因素有Chla、颗粒悬浮物SS和活性磷,以及水体溶解有机碳含量。通过对纤毛虫数量与环境因子关系的分析表明,三亚湾珊瑚礁水域纤毛虫的数量与叶绿素呈明显的正相关性。     

2013年夏威夷东南部海区表层砂壳纤毛虫的群落结构和分布特征

鉴于东太平洋热带海区表层砂壳纤毛虫和其他微型浮游动物的群落结构资料几乎空白, 我们于2013年8月14日至9月18日在夏威夷东南部海区的23个站位采样调查了表层砂壳纤毛虫群落。23个站位共采集到砂壳纤毛虫22属36种, 均为透明壳种类。各站砂壳纤毛虫种丰富度范围为15-21种, 总丰度范围为4,730-23,693个/m³, 生物量范围为9.60-88.61 μg C/m³。本海区主要优势种为镯形囊坎虫(Ascampbelliella armilla)、斯廷细瓮虫(Steenstrupiella steenstrupii)、薄壳真铃虫(Eutintinnus tenuis)和纤弱细瓮虫(Steenstrupiella gracilis), 这4种主要优势种的口径范围不同。     

低盐度围隔调控环境浮游纤毛虫群落结构与动态

为了解施肥与水质调控对养殖水体中原生动物的影响,2008年6-10月,对低盐度围隔调控环境中浮游纤毛虫种群结构及动态变化进行了研究.通过活体观察和标本固定染色法共检测到浮游纤毛虫48种,分属于3纲11目37属,其中寡毛目纤毛虫种类8种;缘毛目7种,腹毛目和盾纤目均为6种;优势种多为富营养化水体中或耐污性种类,如圆筒状拟铃壳虫(Tintinnopsis cylindrata)、球形急游虫(Stranbidium globosaneum)、海洋帆口虫(Pleuronema marinum)、蚤状中缢虫(Mesodinium pulex)、毛板壳虫(Coleps hirtus)、瓜形膜袋虫(Cyclidium citrullus)等.围隔不同施肥处理,对纤毛虫的群落组成与动态变化影响显著,试验期间,围隔中纤毛虫种类平均值最高为9种,最低为4种;密度平均值最高为112.30cells·ml-1,最低为19.50 cells·ml-1;10个围隔中纤毛虫种类平均分别为6～7种,密度平均为52.56 cells·ml-1;施有机肥培藻的围隔,优势种始终是嗜污性较强的纤毛虫.纤毛虫动态与浮游藻类动态变化密切相关,二者的密度变化特点为前期和后期低,中期较高;但多样性的变化规律相反,纤毛虫的多样性表现为前期和后期低,中期较高,藻类的多样性表现为前期和后期高,中期较低.     

渤海湾浮游纤毛虫丰度和生物量的周年变化

为了解渤海湾浮游纤毛虫丰度、生物量和种类组成的周年变化,于2019年7月-2020年6月在渤海湾一个站位进行每月1次共12个航次浮游纤毛虫样品的采集。样品按照Utermöhl方法进行分析,通过倒置显微镜镜检,计算纤毛虫的丰度和生物量。无壳纤毛虫和砂壳纤毛虫出现峰值的时间不同,无壳纤毛虫丰度和生物量均在4月和8月呈现双峰值,砂壳纤毛虫丰度和生物量均在7月出现单峰值。周年砂壳纤毛虫丰度占纤毛虫总丰度的比例平均为(28.6±32.6)%,5-7月较高,均超过50%。共鉴定砂壳纤毛虫6属21种,其中拟铃虫属(Tintinnopsis)种类最多,6-8月砂壳纤毛虫种类数最高。砂壳纤毛虫种类组成呈现明显的周年变化,温度是驱动砂壳纤毛虫群落周年变化的主要环境因子。砂壳纤毛虫群落Shannon指数的平均值为0.95±0.78,Pielou指数的平均值为0.52±0.34,均在6-8月较高。除无壳纤毛虫外,砂壳纤毛虫丰度、纤毛虫总丰度和砂壳纤毛虫丰度占纤毛虫总丰度的比例均与温度、Chl a浓度呈显著的正相关,与盐度呈显著的负相关。     

中国长臂虾总科的动物地理学特点

本文讨论了长臂虾总科在中国分布的3个科,即拟贝隐虾科、叶颚虾科和长臂虾科的属、种在中国的分布情况及区系特点。拟贝隐虾科和叶颚虾科种类较少,分布于热带海域,我国分别在南沙群岛和西沙群岛发现1属1种和3属3种,均为广布的常见种。长臂虾科是本总科中种类最多、分布最广、十分常见的科,包括2亚科102属,世界性分布,海洋、淡水均有,我国大量分布。其起源中心应在印度－西太平洋暖水区,一部分浅海沿岸种经河口进入淡水水域, 大量发展,很少种可分布至温带区边缘;另一部分在热带珊瑚礁环境大量发展,并与许多动物类群共栖或共生。长臂虾亚科基本上是浅海－淡水自由生活类群,我国已记录9属61种,主要分布于南部,多数为东洋界热带和亚热带种,分别属东洋界(淡水)和印度－西太平洋区(海水、半咸水);而极少数种分布至北方,温带性的淡水种有2种白虾,1种小长臂虾和仅见于东北部的条纹长臂虾,属于古北界区系(淡水),海水种有黄、东海的敖氏长臂虾及细指长臂虾,属于北太平洋温带区系(海水、半咸水)。隐虾亚科全部为海洋种,主要分布在热带、亚热带海域,以珊瑚礁为主要栖息地,大部分分布于印度－西太平洋海域,80%以上的种类或多或少与其他海洋生物共栖,自由生活的种很少。根据推论,隐虾类的起源中心应在印度－西太平洋热带水域的珊瑚礁环境, 并在这一水域得到了充分的分化与发展,分别适应与腔肠动物、双壳类软体动物、海绵动物、棘皮动物和海鞘类被囊动物共栖生活;而热带美洲的类群则是在隐虾类演化到可与石珊瑚类共栖时由印度－西太平洋水域扩散过去的, 共栖宿主仅涉及腔肠动物和棘皮动物。我国南海水域已发现31属96种,极少数种也分布到东海,属于印度－西太平洋热带水域珊瑚礁区系。     

Geographical and ecological distribution of marine halacarid genera and species (Acari: Halacaridae)

At the end of 2002, the number of marine halacarid species was 1018, that of genera 51. A single genus, Copidognathus contains 33% of all species (336). Eleven genera are monotypic. Geographical provinces with a large number of species are the tropical western Pacific, temperate northeastern Atlantic, temperate southeastern Pacific, and Mediterranean-Black Sea. Most records of halacarid species are from temperate and tropical areas; 10% of species are known from polar zones. On a generic level, 29 genera are recorded from tropical and temperate but not from polar provinces, five genera are restricted to the tropics, and none to polar regions. The majority (920 species or 90%) of all species live in the upper 200 m. Records of genera with exclusively algivorous or brackish/fresh water species are bound to littoral habitats; all the other genera occur in more than one depth zone. Arenicolous genera, though most abundant in the littoral zone, have representatives in the bathyal. Four marine genera (Copidognathus, Halacarellus, Isobactrus, Lohmannella) have representatives in coastal fresh water, and three genera, Acarothrix, Caspihalacarus and Peregrinacarus, are predominantly inhabitants of diluted brackish and fresh water. None of the free-living halacarid genera of the world's oceans appears to be endemic to one geographical province.     

Marine dock pilings foster diverse,native cryptobenthic fish assemblages across bioregions

Anthropogenic habitats are increasingly prevalent in coastal marine environments. Previous research on sessile epifauna suggests that artificial habitats act as a refuge for nonindigenous species, which results in highly homogenous communities across locations. However, vertebrate assemblages that live in association with artificial habitats are poorly understood. Here, we quantify the biodiversity of small, cryptic (henceforth “cryptobenthic”) fishes from marine dock pilings across six locations over 35° of latitude from Maine to Panama. We also compare assemblages from dock pilings to natural habitats in the two southernmost locations (Panama and Belize). Our results suggest that the biodiversity patterns of cryptobenthic fishes from dock pilings follow a Latitudinal Diversity Gradient (LDG), with average local and regional diversity declining sharply with increasing latitude. Furthermore, a strong correlation between community composition and spatial distance suggests distinct regional assemblages of cryptobenthic fishes. Cryptobenthic fish assemblages from dock pilings in Belize and Panama were less diverse and had lower densities than nearby reef habitats. However, dock pilings harbored almost exclusively native species, including two species of conservation concern absent from nearby natural habitats. Our results suggest that, in contrast to sessile epifaunal assemblages on artificial substrates, artificial marine habitats can harbor diverse, regionally characteristic assemblages of vertebrates that follow macroecological patterns that are well documented for natural habitats. We therefore posit that, although dock pilings cannot function as a replacement for natural habitats, dock pilings may provide cost‐effective means to preserve native vertebrate biodiversity, and provide a habitat that can be relatively easily monitored to track the status and trends of fish biodiversity in highly urbanized coastal marine environments.     

Geographical and ecological distribution of marine halacarid genera and species (Acari: Halacaridae)

At the end of 2002, the number of marine halacarid species was 1018, that of genera 51. A single genus, Copidognathus contains 33% of all species (336). Eleven genera are monotypic. Geographical provinces with a large number of species are the tropical western Pacific, temperate northeastern Atlantic, temperate southeastern Pacific, and Mediterranean-Black Sea. Most records of halacarid species are from temperate and tropical areas; 10% of species are known from polar zones. On a generic level, 29 genera are recorded from tropical and temperate but not from polar provinces, five genera are restricted to the tropics, and none to polar regions. The majority (920 species or 90%) of all species live in the upper 200 m. Records of genera with exclusively algivorous or brackish/fresh water species are bound to littoral habitats; all the other genera occur in more than one depth zone. Arenicolous genera, though most abundant in the littoral zone, have representatives in the bathyal. Four marine genera (Copidognathus, Halacarellus, Isobactrus, Lohmannella) have representatives in coastal fresh water, and three genera, Acarothrix, Caspihalacarus and Peregrinacarus, are predominantly inhabitants of diluted brackish and fresh water. None of the free-living halacarid genera of the world's oceans appears to be endemic to one geographical province.     

Freshwater habitat use by a moray eel species,Gymnothorax polyuranodon,in Fiji shown by otolith microchemistry

Freshwater eels of the Anguillidae are diadromous because they migrate between ocean and freshwater environments, but other anguilliform fishes are generally considered to be strictly marine species. A few marine eels of the Muraenidae and Ophichthidae have occasionally been found in freshwater or estuaries, indicating that anguillids are not the only anguilliform eels that can use freshwater in some parts of the world. The moray eel Gymnothorax polyuranodon is one species that is known to be present in freshwater in the Indo-Pacific, but its life history is unknown. One way to evaluate what types of habitats are used by fishes is to determine the ratio of strontium (Sr) to calcium (Ca) in their otoliths, because this can show if they have used freshwater or saltwater environments. To evaluate the patterns of freshwater use by this unusual species of marine eel, the otolith Sr/Ca ratios of four G. polyuranodon (275–344 mm) caught in a freshwater stream of Fiji were analyzed. The consistently low Sr/Ca values (0–4) indicated upstream movement after settlement and freshwater or estuarine residence of all four individuals. These eels did not appear to have entered freshwater just for a short time period, which is consistent with other reports that this species is present in estuarine and freshwater habitats. This suggests that G. polyuranodon may be a catadromous species of marine eel. The similarities and differences between the life histories of anguillid eels and the few marine eels that have evolved the ability to invade freshwater habitats is discussed in relation to the evolutionary origin of diadromy in anguilliform fishes that originated in the marine environment.     

Adaptive patterns of osmotic and ionic regulation, and the invasion of fresh water by the palaemonid shrimps

To evaluate trends in the osmoregulatory behavior of neotropical, palaemonid shrimps, we investigated osmotic and ionic regulatory patterns in five species of Palaemon or Macrobrachium. The species' life histories depend on saline water to differing degrees, their habitats ranging from the marine/intertidal (P. northropi), through estuaries (P. pandaliformis) to coastal, freshwater streams (M. olfersii, M. potiuna) and inland, continental river systems (M. brasiliense). Hemolymph osmolality, chloride, sodium and magnesium concentrations were measured in shrimps exposed to experimental media ranging from fresh water (<0.5 per thousand ) to concentrated seawater (42 per thousand ) for up to 10 days. The marine and estuarine Palaemon species exhibit well-developed hyper/hypo-osmotic, sodium and chloride regulatory capabilities in mid-range salinities, tending to hyperconform in low salinities. The freshwater Macrobrachium species show variable hyperosmotic, sodium and chloride regulatory capacities, tending to hypoconform or unable to survive at higher salinities. All species hyper-regulate magnesium in fresh water, but hyporegulate strongly in saline media. Palaemonids from the saline habitats show the strongest osmoregulatory capabilities, and fresh water may have been gradually invaded by ancestral species with similar regulatory capacity. However, this regulatory plasticity has been lost to varying degrees in extant freshwater species.     

Distribution of clonal growth traits among wetland habitats

Clonality resulting from the growth of specialized organs is common among plants in wetland habitats. We hypothesize that different wetland habitats select for different attributes of clonal traits. This hypothesis is based on studies of individual species but has not been previously tested at the level of habitat. We compared the functional diversity of clonal growth traits of plants in bogs, fens, wet heathlands, floodplains, river beds, open fresh water habitats, salt marshes, and open marine habitats. Clonal traits (including number of offspring, lateral spread, persistence of connections between ramets, and shoot life span) were analysed with multivariate techniques using species frequency data and with permutation tests using presence/absence data. Based on species frequencies, clonal plants in aquatic habitats (open fresh water habitats, open marine habitats, and river beds) were characterized by the abundant production of freely dispersible propagules, annual shoots, and splitting clones. Species of daily flooded salt marshes were characterized by bi-annual connections between ramets and medium dispersability. In contrast, plants in permanently wet bogs were characterized by polycyclic shoots and low offspring production. The specificity of river beds and open freshwater habitats was also confirmed by permutation tests, which gave equal weight to rare and abundant species. However, species in all other wetland habitats were characterized by the entire range of clonal traits, suggesting weak environmental filtering of analyzed traits by habitat at the present scale.     

Is the elusive Gymnothorax polyuranodon really a freshwater moray?

Analysis of 36 records of the rarely encountered moray Gymnothorax polyuranodon indicate that juveniles and adults inhabit fresh and mildly brackish habitats (salinity < 5) in streams of the Australian Wet Tropics Eighty-one per cent of these records were from freshwater streams and collectively demonstrate that this species inhabits fresh water throughout all seasons. A survey of fish researchers, each with at least 100 h of field experience in Australia's Wet Tropics, revealed that 33% of researchers working in fresh waters (nine of 27 researchers) had encountered the species and 15% of researchers with substantial experience working in estuaries (two of 13 researchers) had encountered the species. The species was not sampled or observed in the nearshore marine environment. The only record of an elver of this species was, however, found in an estuary at a salinity of 33·4. This preliminary evidence suggests adult G. polyuranodon occupy freshwater habitats, but further research is required to understand the complete life cycle, including movements, habitat use and reproductive ecology of the species.     

Searching factors causing implausible non-monophyly: ssu rDNA phylogeny of Isopoda Asellota (Crustacea: Peracarida) and faster evolution in marine than in freshwater habitats

This contribution addresses two questions: which alignment patterns are causing non-monophyly of the Asellota and what is the phylogenetic history of this group? The Asellota are small benthic crustaceans occurring in most aquatic habitats. In view of the complex morphological apomorphies known for this group, monophyly of the Asellota has never been questioned. Using ssu rDNA sequences of outgroups and of 16 asellote species from fresh water, littoral marine habitats and from deep-sea localities, the early divergence between the lineages in fresh water and in the ocean, and the monophyly of the deep-sea taxon Munnopsidae are confirmed. Relative substitution rates of freshwater species are much lower than in other isopod species, rates being highest in some littoral marine genera (Carpias and Jaera). Furthermore, more sequence sites are variable in marine than in freshwater species, the latter conserve outgroup character states. Monophyly is recovered with parsimony methods, but not with distance and maximum likelihood analyses, which tear apart the marine from the freshwater species. The information content of alignments was studied with spectra of supporting positions. The scarcity of signal (=apomorphic nucleotides) supporting monophyly of the Asellota is attributed to a short stem-line of this group or to erosion of signal in fast evolving marine species. Parametric boostrapping in combination with spectra indicates that a tree model cannot explain the data and that monophyly of the Asellota should not be rejected even though many topologies do not recover this taxon.     

Is salinity an obstacle for biological invasions?

Invasions of freshwater habitats by marine and brackish species have become more frequent in recent years with many of those species originating from the Ponto‐Caspian region. Populations of Ponto‐Caspian species have successfully established in the North and Baltic Seas and their adjoining rivers, as well as in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River region. To determine if Ponto‐Caspian taxa more readily acclimatize to and colonize diverse salinity habitats than taxa from other regions, we conducted laboratory experiments on 22 populations of eight gammarid species native to the Ponto‐Caspian, Northern European and Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River regions. In addition, we conducted a literature search to survey salinity ranges of these species worldwide. Finally, to explore evolutionary relationships among examined species and their populations, we sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) from individuals used for our experiments. Our study revealed that all tested populations tolerate wide ranges of salinity, however, different patterns arose among species from different regions. Ponto‐Caspian taxa showed lower mortality in fresh water, while Northern European taxa showed lower mortality in fully marine conditions. Genetic analyses showed evolutionary divergence among species from different regions. Due to the geological history of the two regions, as well as high tolerance of Ponto‐Caspian species to fresh water, whereas Northern European species are more tolerant of fully marine conditions, we suggest that species originating from the Ponto‐Caspian and Northern European regions may be adapted to freshwater and marine environments, respectively. Consequently, the perception that Ponto‐Caspian species are more successful colonizers might be biased by the fact that areas with highest introduction frequency of NIS (i.e., shipping ports) are environmentally variable habitats which often include freshwater conditions that cannot be tolerated by euryhaline taxa of marine origin.