Biogeography of Japanese wood-feeding cockroaches genus Salganea and Panesthia (Blaberidae: Panesthiinae)

We investigated mitochondrial COII gene sequences of Japanese wood-feeding cockroaches (Salganea spp. and Panesthia angustipennis) in detail to investigate their biogeography. The transition (TI) numbers between each genus north and south of the Tokara Strait, which is a border of the Oriental and the Palaearctic faunal regions, were almost same, but the transversion (TV) numbers were much lower in Panesthia compared with Salganea. These tendencies suggest that multiple substitutions of TIs occurred between certain pairs of Salganea taxa and that the genera must have entered to the north of the Tokara Strait at different times. Phylogenetic relationships and estimated divergence times using TVs divergences suggest that Salganea species and Panesthia taxa north and south of the Tokara Strait were diverged from each other during the latter half of the Miocene and from the late Pliocene to the early Pleistocene, respectively. These two periods are nearly consistent with the two land expanding times in the Ryukyu Islands supported by the recent palaeogeographical hypotheses.     

Late Cenozoic sea level changes evidenced by ostracodes in the Pelotas basin,southernmost Brazil

Ostracodes recovered from sediments in seven onshore boreholes within the Pelotas basin, State of Rio Grande do Sul, indicate several continuous nearshore environments and at least four brief transgressive-regressive cycles are present. This interpretation is based on the distribution throughout upper Neogene and Quaternary sequences of species that characterize one or more biofacies depending on the borehole position in the basin. Bradleya pelotensis, Krithe coimbrai, Henryhowella kempfi and H. rectangulata are considered shelf-upper bathyal species whereas the shelf species are represented by Ambostracon crucicostatum, Argenticytheretta variabilis, A. laevipunctata, Brasilicythere reticulispinosa, Caudites posdiagonalis, Costa riograndensis, Coquimba bertelsae, C. tenuireticulata, Cytheretta punctata, Quadracythere eichlerae and Protocytheretta sp. Species with lagoon-estuarine shelf affinities include Callistocythere litoralensis, C. marginalis and Perissocytheridea kroemmelbeini whereas Cyprideis maxipunctata, C. mostardensis, C. posteroinflata, C. salebrosa and C. sparsopunctata represent a lagoon or estuarine environment, and Cypris cassinensis and Limnocythere sp. are freshwater species. Correlation of the ostracode biozones places the four maximum regressive events in the Late Pliocene and Pleistocene (1250-485 ka, 185 ka and 15 ka), whereas the maximum transgressive events occur in the Late Miocene and Pleistocene (1.6 Ma, 423–400 ka and 120 ka), in a barrier-lagoonal depositional system controlled by glacio-eustatic sea level changes.     

The growth and lifespan of the mussel Crenomytilus grayanus (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the Tatar Strait (Sea of Japan) in connection with the conditions of life at the northern border of the species range

The study of materials that were collected by trawling and diving in the Tatar Strait (Sea of Japan) in 2010 showed that the commercial bivalve Crenomytilus grayanus is distributed northward along the continental coast of the Khabarovsk region to Mosolov Bay (51°14.308?? N, 140°42.358?? E). Mussel druses and single mussels were found at depths of 3?C32 m in bays, along the open sea coast on rocks, boulders, and in other biotopes characteristic of this species. The growth rate of C. grayanus in the Tatar Strait varied depending on the habitat conditions and was markedly lower than in the warmer waters of Peter the Great Bay, where at similar depths this species reaches its legal size 5?C8 years earlier. The lifespan of C. grayanus in the Tatar Strait is 126 years, a value comparable with the lifespan of this species in more southern areas.     

Acanthocheilonema delicata n. sp. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma): Description,molecular identification,and Wolbachia screening

Acanthocheilonema delicata n. sp. (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae: Onchocercinae) is described based on adult filarioids and microfilariae obtained from subcutaneous connective tissues and skin, respectively, of Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma) in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. No endemic species of the genus had been found in Japan. Recently, some filarioids (e.g., Acanthocheilonema reconditum, Dirofilaria spp., and Onchocerca spp.) have come to light as causative agents of zoonosis worldwide. The new species was readily distinguished from its congeners by morphologic characteristics such as body length, body width, esophagus length, spicule length, and the length of microfilariae. Based on the molecular data of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, A. delicata n. sp. was included in the clade of the genus Acanthocheilonema but differed from two other congeneric species available for study, A. viteae and A. reconditum. Acanthocheilonema delicata n. sp. did not harbor Wolbachia. It is likely that the fauna of filarioids from mammals on the Japanese islands is characterized by a high level of endemicity.     

Recent benthonic ostracod assemblages as indicators of the Tsushima warm current in the southwestern sea of Japan

One hundred and sixty-seven species of podocopid ostracods are reported from 26 recent surface sediment samples collected on the shelf of the Tsushima Strait in the southwestern Sea of Japan. Four biofacies (A–D) are recognised based on Q-mode cluster analysis. Among these, biofacies B is distributed along the Tsushima Warm Current and includes typical East China Sea species. This fact suggests that the migration of the shelf-living ostracods between the open sea and the adjacent semi-enclosed marginal sea mainly occurs in association with the inflow of this sea current. The distribution of the recent ostracod assemblages from the Tsushima Strait are expected to be a sensitive indicator of past and future changes in the Tsushima Warm Current. One new ostracod species of the family Trachyleberididae, Trachyleberis ikeyai, is described and illustrated herein. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Handling editor: K. Martens     

The first data on the biology and distribution of the Japanese fringed sculpin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Porocottus japonicus</Emphasis> Schmidt, 1935 (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) in the northwestern Sea of Japan

The Japanese fringed sculpin Porocottus japonicus Schmidt has been found in the Rynda (44°48′03″ N, 136°23′24″ E) and Vladimira (43°52′36″ N, 135°29′30″ E) (Sea of Japan, Primorskii krai) bays for the first time. This species was formerly known only from the northern Tatar Strait and Aniva Bay. In Primorskii krai, P. japonicus inhabits macrophyte beds in shallow sublittoral waters. It reaches a length of 112 mm during its lifespan of approximately 4 years. Spawning occurs in the winter. The species preys predominantly on polychaetes (82.3% of the food weight).     

Disturbance of Shallow Marine Soft-Bottom Environments and Megabenthos Assemblages by a Huge Tsunami Induced by the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake

Huge tsunami waves associated with megathrust earthquakes have a severe impact on shallow marine ecosystems. We investigated the impact of a tsunami generated by the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake on the seafloor and large benthic animals in muddy and sandy ria coasts (Otsuchi and Funakoshi bays) in northeastern Japan. We conducted underwater field surveys using scuba equipment in water depths of <20 m before the tsunami (September 2010) and after the tsunami (September 2011 and September 2012). During the study period, episodic changes in topography and grain-size composition occurred on the seafloor of the study area. Megabenthos sampling revealed a distinct pattern of distribution succession for each benthic species. For example, the protobranch bivalve Yoldia notabilis (Bivalvia: Nuculanidae) and the heterodont bivalve Felaniella usta (Bivalvia: Ungulinidae) disappeared after the tsunami event, whereas the distribution of the venus clam Gomphina melanaegis (Bivalvia: Veneridae) remained unchanged. In addition, the patterns of succession for a single species, such as the giant button top shell Umbonium costatum (Gastropoda: Trochidae) and the heart urchin Echinocardium cordatum (Echinoidea: Loveniidae), varied between the two bays studied. Our data also show that reestablishment of some benthic animal populations began within 18 months of the tsunami disturbance.     

Paguristes ortmanni Miyake, 1978 (Decapoda: Anomura)—A new genus and species of decapods for the Russia region

Specimens of Paguristes ortmanni Miyake, 1978 were found in August 2004 in Vostok and Wrangel bays (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan) during sample collection for embryological studies. This is the first record of the species Paguristes for the seas of Russia.     

Spatial heterogeneity of the population age structure of the ostracode Limnocythere inopinata in Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia and its implications

Most existing studies of lacustrine ostracodes have been focused on species composition, and little attention has been paid to population structure. In this study, 39 surface-sediment samples from Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia, were analyzed for ostracode species composition and 17 of them also for population structure of Limnocythere inopinata, which is the dominant ostracode in the lake. A total of nine ostracode species were recovered, most of which show high abundances at sites with rich plant detritus, implying the possible control of food supply on ostracode species occurrence in the lake. On the other hand, both the subfossil and the living populations of L. inopinata have greater numbers of early instars in deeper waters, while middle and late instars occur mostly in shallower waters, which is related to the grainsize composition of the substrate, denoting a hydraulic control on population structure. Pre- and post-mortem transport of ostracodes may be responsible for the observed within-lake changes in the population structure, although other factors such as migration, intrinsic population dynamics, and life cycle could also be involved. Our data provide insights into the interpretation of lake conditions when using ostracodes in paleolimnological research of lakes with similar natural settings.     

Latitudinal variations in the composition and structure of vegetation in the northwestern Tatar Strait

The pattern of the latitudinal distribution of the floristic composition and structure of the submerged vegetation cover in the western Tatar Strait (within Khabarovsk Krai) is studied using the published data and original materials. Irregularities of the floristic composition have been found within limited areas of bays in this region, where they do not form any distinct borders or gradients. In the vegetation cover, vice versa, borders and gradients have been shown to form various combinations. The specific biomasses of most of the dominant species are significantly increasing, whereas the width and depth of the vegetation belt decreases from the south to the north. Their regression lines intersect at the latitude of 50° N (Cape Syurkum). Discrete coenotic variations are manifested most clearly as well at this point, where the dominance of Saccharina japonica, observed south of the cape, changes for S. cichorioides north of it. This allows establishing the phytocoenotic border here. The revealed features correspond to the direction of the temperature gradient, as well as to the variations in topical conditions and the level of hydrodynamic load along the coast.     

Plectranthias maekawa,a new species of perchlet from the Tokara Islands,Kagoshima, Japan,with a review of Japanese records of P. wheeleri (Serranidae: Anthiadinae)

Ichthyological Research - A new species of perchlet, Plectranthias maekawa, is described on the basis of three specimens (58.2–65.1&nbsp;mm standard length: SL) from the Tokara Islands,...     

Ostracode-based reconstruction of paleodepths in the Early Callovian of the Kursk Region, Central Russia

In the Lower Callovian of the Kursk Region (boreholes nos. 4 and 7), 47 ostracode species were recorded and grouped in two distinct biofacies (A and B), which stratigraphically alternate in the section. Each marks particular depth (presumably 30–50 and 5–20 m) and respective ostracodes can be used as bathymetric markers. The alternation in sections of these biofacies is correlated with periodical changes in the basin depth; thus, one reliable transgressive-regressive cycle is recognized in borehole no. 4 and two (possibly three) are in borehole no. 7, with extreme shallowing at the end.     

台湾海峡鱼类组成及其生态区系

本文依据台湾海峡鱼类物种的相关历史调查资料和文献, 分析了台湾海峡鱼类物种组成及其生态类型和区系特征, 探讨全球变化背景下台湾海峡鱼类物种组成变化。结果显示, 台湾海峡共有鱼类1,697种, 分隶40目206科740属, 其中, 目级分类阶元种类数最多的为鲈形目, 科级分类阶元种类数最多的为鰕虎科; 从适温性上看, 暖水性鱼类最多, 有1,560种, 其次为暖温性鱼类(128种)和冷温性鱼类(9种); 栖息地生态类型则以大陆架砂泥质底层鱼类和岩礁性鱼类种类数最多, 各有596种, 其后依次是大陆架近底层鱼类(249种)、大陆架中上层鱼类(158种)和大洋性鱼类(98种), 洄游性鱼类181种, 经济性鱼类735种; 海区间鱼类种类数对比显示, 台湾海峡鱼类与南海鱼类共有种最多, 共有种比例高达91.9%, 其次为东海(69.3%)和黄海(19.4%), 多为印度—西太平洋海区分布种, 仅288种广泛分布于中国各海区。由此, 台湾海峡鱼类区系特征兼有热带和亚热带海区鱼类区系特点, 属于印度—西太平洋暖水区系中—日亚区和印度—马来亚区的过渡海区, 其分界区域在台湾浅滩东部外缘至澎湖列岛偏北海域。     

Echinophyllia tarae sp. n. (Cnidaria,Anthozoa, Scleractinia), a new reef coral species from the?Gambier Islands,French Polynesia

A new shallow water scleractinian coral species, Echinophyllia tarae sp. n., is described from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. It is characterized by an encrusting corallum, a few large and highly variable corallites with protruding walls, and distinctive costosepta. This coral was observed in muddy environments where several colonies showed partial mortality and re-growth. The new species has morphological affinities with both Echinophyllia echinata and with Echinomorpha nishihirai, from which it can be distinguished on the basis of the diameter and the protrusion of the largest corallite, the thickness of the septa, and the development of the size of the crown of paliform lobes.     

Redescription of a rare callionymid fish,Paradiplogrammus corallinus,from Hawaii and Japan

Paradiplogrammus corallinus (Gilbert) has been represented by only two female specimens collected from the Hawaiian Islands. The species is redescribed on the basis of male and female specimens from the Hawaiian Islands and Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan. This species is unique amongParadiplogrammus in having a pair of supraorbital cirri.     

The phylogeography of the asian sockeye salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus nerka</Emphasis>, inferred from the data on the variability of mitochondrial SNP loci: Analysis of scenarios for post-glacial expansion of the species over the asian coast of the pacific ocean

The variability of three single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci in the mitochondrial DNA (mtSNP) is analyzed for sockeye salmon populations over a major part of the species range, from Chukotka to the Kuril Islands. Two basic mtSNP haplotypes, GCC and GTT, have been revealed in 20 sockeye samples from 15 lake–river systems on the Asian coast of the Pacific Ocean. In most of the samples, the ratio of the haplotypes is approximately equal. The GTT haplotype dominates the populations from the Kuril Islands (except Shumshu Island); only the GCC haplotype has been found in the sample from the Commander Islands. This geographic pattern of haplotype distribution was presumably caused by the historico-demographic events related to the formation of the Asian sockeye range in the Middle–Late Pleistocene, viz., fragmentation of the species range and subsequent secondary contact between previously diverged populations. These data provide a basis to consider different scenarios for the formation of the modern diversity of sockeye mtSNP haplotypes, all of which suggest multiple expansions of the species to Asian waters during the periods of oceanic transgression after the Pleistocene glaciations.     

Suprabenthic euphausiids and mysids from the South Shetland Islands and the Bransfield Strait, Southern ocean (BENTART-95 cruise)

During the austral summer 1995, the suprabenthic assemblages from 24 stations (45–649 m water depth) located around the South Shetland Islands and in the Bransfield Strait were sampled with a Macer-GIROQ sled. The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure of two main crustacean groups (euphausiids and mysids) in the near-bottom water layers sampled by the sled and to focus on the life history of two dominant mysid species from these areas (Mysidetes posthon and Antarctomysis maxima). The distribution and the main factor structuring populations in the investigated area are discussed.