A new Liopropoma sea bass (Serranidae,Epinephelinae, Liopropomini) from deep reefs off Cura?ao,southern Caribbean,with comments on depth distributions of western Atlantic liopropomins

Collecting reef-fish specimens using a manned submersible diving to 300 m off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, is resulting in the discovery of numerous new fish species. The new Liopropoma sea bass described here differs from other western Atlantic members of the genus in having VIII, 13 dorsal-fin rays; a moderately indented dorsal-fin margin; a yellow-orange stripe along the entire upper lip; a series of approximately 13 white, chevron-shaped markings on the ventral portion of the trunk; and a reddish-black blotch on the tip of the lower caudal-fin lobe. The new species, with predominantly yellow body and fins, closely resembles the other two “golden basses” found together with it at Curaçao: L. aberrans and L. olneyi. It also shares morphological features with the other western Atlantic liopropomin genus, Bathyanthias. Preliminary phylogenetic data suggest that western Atlantic liopropomins, including Bathyanthias, are monophyletic with respect to Indo-Pacific Liopropoma, and that Bathyanthias is nested within Liopropoma, indicating a need for further study of the generic limits of Liopropoma. The phylogenetic data also suggest that western Atlantic liopropomins comprise three monophyletic clades that have overlapping depth distributions but different depth maxima (3–135 m, 30–150 m, 133–411 m). The new species has the deepest depth range (182–241 m) of any known western Atlantic Liopropoma species. Both allopatric and depth-mediated ecological speciation may have contributed to the evolution of western Atlantic Liopropomini.     

40 Years of benthic community change on the Caribbean reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire: the rise of slimy cyanobacterial mats

Over the past decades numerous studies have reported declines in stony corals and, in many cases, phase shifts to fleshy macroalgae. However, long-term studies documenting changes in other benthic reef organisms are scarce. Here, we studied changes in cover of corals, algal turfs, benthic cyanobacterial mats, macroalgae, sponges and crustose coralline algae at four reef sites of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire over a time span of 40 yr. Permanent 9 m² quadrats at 10, 20, 30 and 40 m depth were photographed at 3- to 6-yr intervals from 1973 to 2013. The temporal and spatial dynamics in the six dominant benthic groups were assessed based on image point-analysis. Our results show consistent patterns of benthic community change with a decrease in the cover of calcifying organisms across all sites and depths from 32.6 (1973) to 9.2% (2013) for corals and from 6.4 to 1% for crustose coralline algae. Initially, coral cover was replaced by algal turfs increasing from 24.5 (1973) to 38% around the early 1990s. Fleshy macroalgae, still absent in 1973, also proliferated covering 12% of the substratum approximately 20 yr later. However, these new dominants largely declined in abundance from 2002 to 2013 (11 and 2%, respectively), marking the rise of benthic cyanobacterial mats. Cyanobacterial mats became the most dominant benthic component increasing from a mere 7.1 (2002) to 22.2% (2013). The observed increase was paralleled by a small but significant increase in sponge cover (0.5 to 2.3%). Strikingly, this pattern of degradation and phase change occurred over the reef slope down to mesophotic depths of 40 m. These findings suggest that reefs dominated by algae may be less stable than previously thought and that the next phase may be the dominance of slimy cyanobacterial mats with some sponges.     

A new species of Thysanote Krøyer, 1863 (Copepoda,Lernaeopodidae) from the Persian Gulf,with comments on the genus

Summary Thysanote alternans n. sp., a lernaeopodid copepod parasitic on Polynemus sextarius is described and illustrated. A key to 19 species of Thysanote is provided (two unnamed species included). Specific diagnosis within the genus is based on the number and shape of maxillary and posterior trunk processes. The limitations of their value as discriminant characteristics are discussed. Host affiliations of the members of the genus are examined. Distribution of Thysanote is shown to have two centres, one in the Indian Ocean and another, a smaller one, in the Caribbean. The connections between them are tenuous. ac]19810127     

Long-term dynamics of the brown macroalga <Emphasis Type=\"Italic\">Lobophora variegata</Emphasis> on deep reefs in Curaçao

Lobophora variegata occurs in the eulittoral zone and in deep water on coral reefs in Curaçao. An analysis of the long-term (1979–2006) changes in the vertical distribution of the macroalga in permanent quadrats indicated a significant increase in cover of the deepwater community. In 1998, Lobophora covered 1 and 5% of the quadrats at 20 and 30 m, respectively. By 2006, these values had risen to 25 and 18%, precipitating a shift in abundance of corals and macroalgae at both depths. This increase coincided with losses in coral cover, possibly linked to bleaching, disease and storm-related mortality in deep water plating Agaricia corals. In contrast, macroalgae remained relatively rare (<6% cover) on shallower (10 m) and deeper (40 m) reefs despite declines in coral cover also occurring at these depths, illustrating the depth-dependent dynamics of coral reefs. Several hypotheses are suggested to explain these changes.     

Connectivity across the Caribbean Sea: DNA Barcoding and Morphology Unite an Enigmatic Fish Larva from the Florida Straits with a New Species of Sea Bass from Deep Reefs off Cura?ao

Integrative taxonomy, in which multiple disciplines are combined to address questions related to biological species diversity, is a valuable tool for identifying pelagic marine fish larvae and recognizing the existence of new fish species. Here we combine data from DNA barcoding, comparative morphology, and analysis of color patterns to identify an unusual fish larva from the Florida Straits and demonstrate that it is the pelagic larval phase of a previously undescribed species of Liopropoma sea bass from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean. The larva is unique among larvae of the teleost family Serranidae, Tribe Liopropomini, in having seven elongate dorsal-fin spines. Adults of the new species are similar to the golden bass, Liopropoma aberrans, with which they have been confused, but they are distinct genetically and morphologically. The new species differs from all other western Atlantic liopropomins in having IX, 11 dorsal-fin rays and in having a unique color pattern–most notably the predominance of yellow pigment on the dorsal portion of the trunk, a pale to white body ventrally, and yellow spots scattered across both the dorsal and ventral portions of the trunk. Exploration of deep reefs to 300 m using a manned submersible off Curaçao is resulting in the discovery of numerous new fish species, improving our genetic databases, and greatly enhancing our understanding of deep-reef fish diversity in the southern Caribbean. Oh the mother and child reunion is only a moment away. Paul Simon.     

A new species of Tarsonops (Araneae,Caponiidae) from southern Belize,with a key to the genera?of?the?subfamily Nopinae

A new species of Caponiidae, Tarsonops irataylori sp. n. is described from southern Belize, and a key to the genera of the subfamily Nopinae is provided.     

Profundulus kreiseri,a new species of Profundulidae (Teleostei,Cyprinodontiformes) from northwestern?Honduras

A new species of Profundulus, Profundulus kreiseri (Cyprinodontiformes: Profundulidae), is described from the Chamelecón and Ulúa Rivers in the northwestern Honduran highlands. Based on a phylogenetic analysis using cytochrome b and the presence of synapomorphic characters (dark humeral spot, a scaled preorbital region and between 32-34 vertebrae), this new species is placed in the subgenus Profundulus, which also includes Profundulus (Profundulus) oaxacae, Profundulus (Profundulus) punctatus and Profundulus (Profundulus) guatemalensis. Profundulus kreiseri can be distinguished from other members of the subgenus Profundulus by having less than half of its caudal fin densely scaled. Profundulus kreiseri can further be differentiated from Profundulus (Profundulus) oaxacae and Profundulus (Profundulus) punctatus by the absence of rows of dark spots on its flanks. The new species can further be differentiated from Profundulus (Profundulus) guatemalensis by the presence of fewer caudal- and pectoral-fin rays. The new species is distinguished from congeners of the profundulid subgenus Tlaloc (viz., Profundulus (Tlaloc) hildebrandi, Profundulus (Tlaloc) labialis, Profundulus (Tlaloc) candalarius and Profundulus (Tlaloc) portillorum) by having a scaled preorbital region and a dark humeral spot. Profundulus kreiseri and Profundulus portillorum are the only two species of Profundulus that are endemic to the region south of the Motagua River drainage in southern Guatemala and northwestern Honduras.     

A?new species of the genus Duvalius sg. Neoduvalius from Montenegro with taxonomical remarks on the genus Duvalius (Coleoptera,Carabidae, Trechini)

Duvalius (sg. Neoduvalius) gejzadunayi sp. n. from Pećina u Dubokom potoku cave ( Donje Biševo village near Rožaje, Montenegro), the first known representative of this subgenus from the territory of Montenegro is described, illustrated and compared with the related species of the subgenus Neoduvalius Müller, 1913. This new species is characterised by depigmented, medium sized body, totally reduced eyes, deep and complete frontal furrows, 3–4 pairs of discal setae in third elytral stria, as well as by the shape of aedeagus. Data on the distribution and the ecology of this remarkable species, as well as a check-list of the subgenus Neoduvalius are also provided. Recently described genera Serboduvalius Ćurčić, S. B. Pavićević & Ćurčić, B.P.M., 2001, Rascioduvalius Ćurčić, S. B. Brajković, Mitić & Ćurčić, B.P.M., 2003, Javorella Ćurčić, S. B. Brajković, Ćurčić, B.P.M. & Mitić, 2003 and Curcicia Ćurčić, S. B. & Brajković, 2003 are regarded as junior synonyms of the genus Duvalius Delarouzée.     

A review of the genus Megapulvinaria Young (Hemiptera,Coccoidea, Coccidae) from China,with?a?description of a new species

Prior to this study, only Megapulvinaria maxima (Green) was known from China. However, a new species Megapulvinaria beihaiensis Wang & Feng, sp. n. is described below and Megapulvinaria maxima is redescribed. A key is provided for the five species now placed in this genus.     

Salmo kottelati,a new species of trout from Alak?r Stream,draining to the Mediterranean in southern Anatolia,Turkey (Teleostei,Salmonidae)

Salmo kottelati sp. n., is described from Alakır Stream (Mediterranean basin) in Turkey. It is distinguished from other Anatolian Salmo species by a combination of the following characters (none unique to the species): general body colour greenish to silvery in life; 7–9 parr marks along lateral line; four dark bands on flank absent in both sexes; black ocellated spots few, present only on upper part of flank in individuals smaller than 160 mm SL but in larger both males and females black spots numerous and located on back and middle and upper part of flank; red spots few to numerous, scattered on median, and half of lower and upper part of flank; head long (length 29–33% SL in males, 26–32 in females); mouth large (length of mouth gape 13–19% SL in males, 12–15 in females); maxilla long (length 10–13% SL in males, 8–12 in females); 105–113 lateral line scales; 24–29 scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 17–19 scale rows between lateral line and anal-fin origin; 13–15 scales between lateral line and adipose-fin insertion.     

A new species of Lathrolestes (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae) from Ecuadorian Amazonia,with?a?key?to the Neotropical species of the genus

Here we describe and illustrate a new parasitoid wasp species, Lathrolestes gauldisp. n. from the lowland rainforest of eastern Ecuador and provide a key to the Neotropical species of the genus. This is the first record of the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae from Ecuador.     

New species of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) from the stingray Dasyatis tortonesi Capapé (Euselachii,Dasyatidae) off the Tunisian coast,with comments on host-specificity and the specific identities of Mediterranean stingrays

Heterocotyle capapei n. sp. and Thaumatocotyle tunisiensis n. sp. are described from the gills and the nasal cavity, respectively, of Dasyatis tortonesicollected from the Tunisian coast. H. capapei is distinguished from other species in the genus by the morphology of the penis, which is conical and has a long narrow distal point. T. tunisiensis differs from all known species of Thaumatocotyle by the shape and size of the penis. The host Dasyatis tortonesi has long been confused with D. pastinaca. Our study shows that their monogeneans are oioxenic, suggesting that D. pastinaca and D. tortonesi are distinct species. These results suggest that the monogenean parasite fauna could be used as a diagnostic tool for species identification: these parasites may, therefore, represent good biological indicators. The host-specificity of the Heterocotylinae and Merizocotylinae is discussed.     

Osteology of the flounder,tephrinectes sinensis (lacepède) (teleostei: pleuronectiformes), with comments on its relationships

The entire skeleton ofTephrinectes sinensis, the single representative of a monotypic genus, is described in detail. The apomorphic characters observed suggest that the sister group ofT. sinensis is a clade composed of the Poecilopsettinae, Rhombosoleinae, Samarinae, Achiridae, Soleidae and Cynoglossidae, taxa which share an anteriorly-inclined second neural spine the distal portion of which overlies the cranium. This supports the removal ofT. sinensis from its former position in the Paralichthyidae.     

Karyotype characterization of three species of the genus Trichomycterus (Teleostei,Siluriformes) from Iguaçu river basin

Three species belonging to the genus Trichomycterus were collected from Igua?u river basin and analyzed from the cytogenetic point of view. Although the species studied had the same diploid number 2n = 54 chromosomes and fundamental number 108, they differed in their karyotypic formulae. C-band patterns showed presence of specific-species markers in T. davisi and T. stawiarski. Results of analysis from the nucleolus organizer region, obtained by silver nitrate staining and CMA3, showed that size heteromorphism observed in this region may be due to gene duplication. Evolution aspects of the Trichomycteridae family and the presence of B chromosome in T. davisi are discussed.     

Water mites of the genus Lebertia Neuman, 1880 (Acari,Hydrachnidia, Lebertiidae) from Turkey,with?the?description of one new species

A list of species of the water mitegenus Lebertia Neuman, 1880 known from Turkey is provided, based on bibliographical data and results from recent field work, mainly in the Southwestern part of the country. We describe one new species, Lebertia martinisp. n. and report new 28 locality records from 6 provinces for the three previously known species.     

Damage to the leeward reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire,Netherlands Antilles from a rare storm event: Hurricane Lenny,November 1999

Fringing reefs along the southwestern shores of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire (12°N), located outside the most frequent hurricane tracks, are rarely affected by heavy wave-action and major storms, yet have experienced disturbances such as coral bleaching, coral diseases, and mass mortalities. The last major hurricane to hit these islands occurred over 100 yr ago. In November 1999, Hurricane Lenny took an unusual west-to-east track, bisecting the Caribbean Basin and passing approximately 200 miles north of Curaçao and Bonaire. The leeward shores of both islands were pounded for 24 h by heavy waves (~3–6 m) generated while the storm was centered far to the west. Reef damage surveys at 33 sites conducted between November 1999 to April 2000, following the storm, documented occurrences of toppling, fragmentation, tissue damage, bleaching, and smothering due to the storm. Reefs were severely damaged along westward-facing shores but less impacted where the reef front was tangential to the wave direction or was protected by offshore islands. At the most severely damaged sites, massive coral colonies 2–3-m high (older than 100 yr) were toppled or overturned, smaller corals were broken loose and tumbled across the shallow reef platform and either deposited on the shore or dropped onto the deeper forereef slope. Branching and plating growth forms suffered more damage than massive species and large colonies experienced greater damage than small colonies. Toppled massive corals have a high potential of preserving the event signature even if they survive and continue to grow. Reorientation of large, long-lived coralla may provide a unique indicator of disturbance in a reef system rarely affected by hurricanes. At some locations, wave scouring removed loose sediment to reveal a cemented framework of Acropora cervicornis rubble on the shallow platform above 10-m depth. This rubble was generated in situ, not by storm processes, but rather by an earlier mass mortality of thickets of staghorn coral that covered extensive areas of the shallow platform prior to the incidence of white band disease in the early 1980s.     

Review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Microichthys Rüppell 1852, with the description of a new species from the Azores Islands (Teleostei: Epigonidae)

Ichthyological Research - The epinonid fish genus Microichthys Rüppell 1852 is reviewed. The genus includes three valid species: M. coccoi Rüppell 1852 and M. sanzoi Spartà 1950 from...