Two new species of the genus Pliciloricus (Loricifera, Pliciloricidae) from the Faroe Bank, North Atlantic

Five cruises to the Faroe Bank in the northeast Atlantic revealed a rich loriciferan fauna inhabiting shell gravel to fine carbonate sand. This paper describes two new species of Pliciloricus found at depths of 120-260 m. Currently, only six species of this genus have been described from various localities around the world, but several new species are currently being described. The diagnosis of the genus Pliciloricus is emended to include the two new taxa. The first of the two new species Pliciloricus leocaudatus sp. n. is characterized by having four new kinds of scalids in the second row and an additional row of alternating plates in the eighth row. The second species Pliciloricus shukeri sp. n. is characterized in having a secondary double organ in the third row. The morphology of the two species, including the new structures, has been investigated using LM and scanning electron microscopy. Conclusively, the scalid pattern of the introvert of Pliciloricus has been re-evaluated, due to the finding of the new structures. Additionally, a discussion of the life cycle of the genus Pliciloricus is given, since the postlarval stage is reduced in both new species.     

湖北兴山发现霍氏缺齿鼩

2016年12月,在湖北省兴山县采集到1只食虫类标本。其体型较小(头体长75.00 mm),通体呈棕褐色,尾较长(82.00 mm),眼细小。头骨扁平,较为坚固,齿尖具有浅红棕色色斑。通过测定其线粒体Cyt b基因序列,并结合缺齿鼩属6个物种的同源区序列,构建其系统发生关系,发现该标本与基因库中霍氏缺齿鼩(Chodsigoa hoffmanni)序列聚为具较高支持度的一支。综合形态学与系统发育学证据,将该标本鉴定为霍氏缺齿鼩。此次发现是湖北省境内该物种的首次记录,也是其在我国云南省及越南分布区外的又一发现,拓展了对该物种在我国分布范围的认识。     

Simulation of Rapoport's rule for latitudinal species spread

Rapoport's rule claims that latitudinal ranges of plant and animal species are generally smaller at low than at high latitudes. However, doubts as to the generality of the rule have been expressed, because studies providing evidence against the rule are more numerous than those in support of it. In groups for which support has been provided, the trend of increasing latitudinal ranges with latitude is restricted to or at least most distinct at high latitudes, suggesting that the effect may be a local phenomenon, for example the result of glaciations. Here we test the rule using two models, a simple one-dimensional one with a fixed number of animals expanding in a northern or southerly direction only, and the evolutionary/ecological Chowdhury model using birth, ageing, death, mutation, speciation, prey-predator relations and food levels. Simulations with both models gave results contradicting Rapoport's rule. In the first, latitudinal ranges were roughly independent of latitude, in the second, latitudinal ranges were greatest at low latitudes, as also shown empirically for some well-studied groups of animals.     

宁夏蝗虫地理分布格局的聚类分析

根据宁夏的自然环境和行政区划将宁夏分为22个分布区域。为方便聚类分析,根据分布范围将宁夏蝗虫分为全布种(22个区域有分布)、多布种(2～21区域有分布)和独布种(只分布在1个区域)3类。在以分布区域为特征做聚类分析的基础上,把多布种分组并确定重叠的分布格局,共分为14个组。各组蝗虫在宁夏的自然分布作为其分布格局。结果表明：宁夏蝗虫的多布种多呈不连续分布;分布格局与国内外基本相似;贺兰山是宁夏蝗虫分布的热点。不连续的环境是造成宁夏蝗虫多布种不连续分布的主要原因。     

Global diversity of rotifers (Rotifera) in freshwater

Rotifera is a Phylum of primary freshwater Metazoa containing two major groups: the heterogonic Monogononta and the exclusively parthenogenetic Bdelloidea. Monogononta contains 1,570 species-level taxa, of which a majority (1,488) are free-living fresh or inland water taxa. Bdelloidea contains 461 “species,” only one of which is marine, but with many limnoterrestrial representatives or animals of unknown ecology. Actual numbers may be much higher, considering the occurrence of cryptic speciation in Monogononta and the unsatisfactory nature of taxonomic knowledge. Rotifers, mostly monogononts, occur in all types of water bodies, worldwide. They are particularly diverse in the littoral zone of stagnant waterbodies with soft, slightly acidic water and under oligo- to mesotrophic conditions. The rotifer record is highest in the Northern hemisphere, which may be due to the concentration of studies in those regions. Diversity is highest in the (sub)tropics; hotspots are northeast North America, tropical South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Lake Baikal, endemicity is low in Africa (including Madagascar), Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and Antarctica. Although the lack of fossil evidence and of molecular phylogenetic studies are major hindrances, contrasting hypotheses on the origin and evolutionary history of Brachionus, Macrochaetus, and Trichocerca are presented. Guest editors: E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment     

Global diversity of turtles (Chelonii; Reptilia) in freshwater

The turtles are an evolutionary ancient group of tetrapod vertebrates, and their present-day distribution and diversity reflects the long and complex history of the taxon. Today, about 250 of the total of 320 species recognized are freshwater turtles; most of these inhabit tropical and subtropical zones. Diversity hotspots occur in Southeast North America, regarding Emydidae, and in the Indo-Malayan region, mostly Geoemydidae and Trionychidae. Chelidae are predominantly Neotropical and Australasian, while Pelomedusidae are African. The majority of genus- and species-level taxa are regional or even local endemics. A majority of freshwater turtles are threatened in varying degrees, mostly by habitat modification and collection. Guest editors: E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment     

On the continental Copepod fauna of Morocco

A series of samples, collected in different parts of Morocco, contained 26 species and one subspecies of Copepoda. Ten among these are new to the fauna of Morocco and one is new to Science. Two species (Eucyclops hadjebensis Kiefer and Mixodiaptomus laciniatus atlantis Kiefer) are endemic to Morocco; Afrocyclops gibsoni Brady and Thermocyclops schuurmanae Kiefer are Ethiopan species. The former reaches its limit of Northern extent East of the Atlas mountains; the latter is a pluvial relict. The remaining species have either a cosmopolitan, circummediterranean or North-African distribution, with the exception of Cyclops abyssorum mauretaniae which is a southern element of the Eurasiatic genus Cyclops. Its taxonomical status is reviewed in some detail. Thermocyclops infrequens Kiefer is synonymized with T. schuurmanae Kiefer. It is concluded that the largest gaps in our knowledge of the Copepoda of Morocco are now in the group of the Harpacticoida.Contribution no. 14 of the biological expedition of the University of Gent (Belgium) to Morocco, July–August 1971     

我国动物地理学研究的前景─—方法论探讨

本文着重从方法论的角度探讨在新形势下我国动物地理学的前景，提出建立两类资料地图──动物学资料图（ Ｚｏｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌ　ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ　ｍａｐ）和地理学资料图（Ｇｅｏｇｒａｐｈｉｃａｌ ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ ｍａｐ），以比较地理学分析法（Ｃｏｍｐａｒａｔｉｖｅ ｇｅｏｇｒａｐｈｉｃａｌ ａｎａｌｙｓｉｓ），进行不同时空尺度的研究，并建议了在最近时期内应优先选择开展研究的关键性地区及其中心问题。     

Titi monkeys (Callicebus spp., Atelidae: Platyrrhini) in the Brazilian state of Rondônia

Five species of titi monkey (Callicebus brunneus, Callicebus caligatus Callicebus cinerascens, Callicebus donacophilus, andCallicebus moloch) were recorded in surveys of primate populations at 26 sites throughout the Brazilian state of Rondônia. The distribution of the two species,C. cinerascens andC. donacophilus (recorded in the state for the first time), appeared to be related to that of non-forest ecosystems, the former in thecerrado woodlands, and the latter in gallery forests of the Guaporé grasslands. The results of the surveys also indicate thatC. brunneus has a more restricted distribution in southern Rondônia than was previously thought, whereasC. moloch is more widespread. However, the ecological factors that determine species distribution in the south of the state remain unclear on the basis of the available data. All species were observed in small social groups of no more than five individuals, which are typical of the genus, generally in the middle and lower forest strate.     

A review of hybridization in marine angelfishes (Perciformes: Pomacanthidae)

Synopsis Although hybridization of terrestrial and freshwater organisms has been well-studied, very little work has focused on hybridization among coral reef fish species. In the present paper, eleven examples of probable hybrids between marine angelfishes (Pomacanthidae) are reviewed. Evidence is presented which strongly suggests that the nominal speciesApolemichthys armitagei is invalid and that specimens previously identified as this species represent hybrids betweenA. trimaculatus andA. xanthurus. Of the remaining ten probable pomacanthid hybrids, five are inCentropyge (C. eibli x C. flavissimus, C. eibli x C. vrolikii, C. flavissimus x C. vrolikii, C. loricu0lus x C. potteri, andC. multifasciatus x C. venustus); one inHolacanthus (H. bermudensis x H. ciliaris), and four inPomacanthus (P. arcuatus x P. paru, P. chrysurus x P. maculosus, P. maculosus x P. semicirculatus, andP. sexstriatus x P. xanthometapon). An additional five examples of possible pomacanthid hybrids are described, two inCentropyge, two inChaetodontoplus and one inPomacanthus. Examination of hybrids may provide clues on reproductive behavior, dispersal capabilities, and phylogenetic relationships of species. More studies on hybridization in coral reef fish species, particularly those involving molecular techniques, are needed.