A new species of Amphictene (Annelida,Pectinariidae) from the Gulf of Mexico,with a redescription of Amphictene guatemalensis (Nilsson, 1928)

The genus Amphictene is reported for the first time from Mexico. Previous records for America are restricted to Brazil (Amphictene catharinensis) (Grube, 1870), and Guatemala (Amphictene guatemalensis) (Nilsson, 1928). In this paper we describe a new species, Amphictene helenae sp. n., characterized by the presence of three pairs of tentacular cirri, while other species have only two pairs. The new species is closely similar to Amphictene catharinensis, and can be distinguished by the presence of a circular group of glandular papillae inserted between the lines of glandular cirri present from the second segment. Amphictene guatemalensis is redescribed based on type material; it differs from the new species in the presence of two pairs of tentacular cirri on segments 1 and 2, six pairs of glandular cirri on the third segment, and four glandular lobes fused in pairs on the fourth segment.     

Additions to the Mysid Fauna (Crustacea: Mysidacea) from Coastal Waters of Oman, Including Descriptions of Two New Species

Two new species of mysid shrimps are described from shallow coastal waters of Northern Oman. Haplostylus quadrispinosus sp. nov. is primarily distinguished from allied species by the arrangement and size of lateral spines on the telson. The form of the telson and exopod of the 4th male pleopod characterize a second new species, Anisomysis arabica sp. nov. A third species Mysidopsis kenyana, was previously recorded only from East Africa and its presence in samples considerably extends its geographical distribution. Four mysid species are now documented from coastal waters of Oman.     

Emergence of brown tides caused by Aureococcus anophagefferens Hargraves et Sieburth in China

Large-scale blooms suspected to be “brown tides” occurred in early summer for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao, China, and had significant negative impacts on the shellfish mariculture industry. To identify the causative species of the blooms, phytoplankton samples were collected from regions with and without bloom in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao in 2011, and clone libraries were built using eukaryote-specific 18S ribosomal RNA gene (18S rDNA). Altogether 50 clones, including 17 clones from bloom area and 33 clones from nearby regions without bloom were amplified. Blasted in GenBank, 17 clones amplified from the bloom area were assigned to Pelagophyceae (8 clones), Mediophyceae (2 clones), Cryptophyta (2 clones), Dinophyceae (2 clones) and unidentified eukaryotic species (3 clones). Those from the non-bloom site were assigned to Cryptophyta, Eustigmatophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Coscinodiscophyceae, Mediophyceae, Raphidophyceae and Dinophyceae, but not Pelagophyceae. All 8 pelagophyte clones from the bloom area were 99.7–100% similar to a single species, Aureococcus anophagefferens Hargraves et Sieburth, the causative species of brown tides on the east coast of USA. For nearly the entire length of the 18S rDNA, there were 0–6 base pair differences between the 8 amplicons and those of A. anophagefferens from USA. Furthermore, all of the 8 clones were clustered into the same well-supported clade with A. anophagefferens (posterior probability = 0.99) in a phylogenetic tree established for pelagophytes and other related microalgae. In our previous studies, the causative species of the bloom was tentatively identified as a pelagophyte, haptophyte or silicoflagellate, based on the pigment profile of the size-fractioned phytoplankton samples. Based on this study, we conclude that blooms in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao of the Bohai Sea were brown tides caused by A. anophagefferens. As far as we know, this is the first report of brown tide events caused by A. anophagefferens in China, which is the third country in the world reporting A. anophagefferens blooms in addition to USA and South Africa.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apocathema</Emphasis> Emeljanov, 2016 (Hemiptera,Fulgoroidea: Kinnaridae) from coastal central Chile

Apocathema zapallarensis sp. n. is described from a hygrophilous forest in coastal central Chile, being the second species of its genus. It differs from Apocathema lukashevitshae Emeljanov, 2016 by the more basally positioned, shorter, and cranially concave lobes of the styli and unforked apex of the ventral process of the penis.     

Description of Paramesopodopsis rufa n.g. n.sp. from the coastal waters of Southern Tasmania. (Crustacea: Mysidacea)

Paramesopodopsis rufa, a new genus and species within the tribe Mysini is described; it is found in large numbers in the coastal waters of south-eastern Tasmania.     

Fauna of anemonefishes (Pomacentridae,Amphiprioninae) and their host sea anemones (Cnidaria,Actiniaria) on reefs of Phu Quy,Con Son,and An Thoi Islands (South China Sea,South Vietnam,and Gulf of Thailand) and a review of these groups from the coastal waters of Vietnam

A full species composition of anemonefishes (Pomacentridae, Amphiprioninae) and their host sea anemones (Cnidaria, Actiniaria) from reefs of Phu Quy and Con Son Islands (off South Vietnam) and An Thoi Islands (northeastern Gulf of Thailand) is presented for the first time. A comparison of the faunas of anemonefishes and their host sea anemones is conducted in the coastal waters of Vietnam and adjacent waters. The presence of intermittent ranges of the anemonefishes in the coastal waters of Vietnam is demonstrated. For example, the ranges of two species, Amphiprion clarkii and A. frenatus, include the coastal waters of Vietnam, excluding the Gulf of Thailand, where they are not found even at the eastern border of the gulf. A. perideraion is absent in the Gulf of Tonkin, but it is distributed to the south along the entire coastal zone of Vietnam, including the Gulf of Thailand. In the coastal waters of Vietnam, A. sandaracinos is distributed only between the Gulf of Tonkin and Gulf of Thailand. A. polymnus is reliably indicated in the coastal waters of Vietnam between 12°50′ and 9°54′ N, but, most likely, its range is continuous along the entire Vietnamese coast. The richness of species composition of host sea anemones decreases (from nine to three species) in the southern direction, from Central Vietnam to the eastern border of the Gulf of Thailand.     

Choniomyzon inflatus n. sp. (Crustacea: Copepoda: Nicothoidae) associated with Ibacus novemdentatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Scyllaridae) from Japanese waters

A new species of parasitic copepod, Choniomyzon inflatus n. sp., is described based on specimens collected from the external egg masses of the smooth fan lobster Ibacus novemdentatus Gibbes captured in the North Pacific Ocean off Ainan, Ehime Prefecture, western Japan. The new species differs from its congeners in having a globular to ovoid prosome, in bearing asymmetrically arranged denticles at a rounded apex of both the terminal segment of the antenna and the maxilliped, and in lacking serrate lobes on the basis of legs 1 and 2. The species is similar in size and shape to the host’s eggs, which may be interpreted as egg mimicry. The new species is the first member of Choniomyzon Pillai, 1962 from subtropical regions.     

Reproduction and larval development of the gastropod <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptonatica janthostoma</Emphasis> (Gastropoda: Naticidae)

The larval morphology of the gastropod Cryptonatica janthostoma inhabiting the Northwest Pacific was described for the first time. Hatched planktotrophic veligers of C. janthostoma had shells 250 μm in height with 0.8 whorls, a bilobate velum with a dark brown pigmentation band shaped along its edge, pair of eye spots, tentacles and statocysts. The surface of the embryonal shell (protoconch 1) was covered with fine granules extended at the dorsal side and rounded at lateral surfaces. Concentric crests and growth lines occurred on part of the shell of late free-swimming larvae (protoconch 2) The velum of the C. janthostoma larvae remained bilobate during the pelagic stage of development, whereas it was divided in 4 lobes during larval development in most of the other species of the Naticidae family. The veliger of C. janthostoma was similar to that of Natica montagu from Danish waters [16] by its shape, pigmentation, shell sculpture and velum structure.     

Genetic structure analysis of mantis shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oratosquilla oratoria</Emphasis> based on mitochondrial DNA control region sequence

The genetic relationships of mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria between the coastal waters of China and Japan were not well studied. To reveal the genetic differentiation and genetic structure among populations, we collected populations of mantis shrimp O. oratoria from the coastal waters of China and Japan to analyze the mtDNA control region variation. A total of 309 individuals of O. oratoria were collected from 13 localities (11 from China and 2 from Japan) and a segment of mitochondrial DNA control region was sequenced. Three hundred nine haplotypes were defined, yielding a very high haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity. Two lineages of O. oratoria were revealed and displayed strong differences in the geographical distribution. In the coastal waters of China, the geographic distribution of the two lineages was completely separated by the Yangtze River estuary; however, the lineages showed geographic sympatry in two populations from Japan. Based on the lineage distribution, three groups were defined. There was no significant genetic differentiation among the populations within the three groups, indicating high gene flow within each group. Significant and negative values for Tajima D and Fu’s Fs tests, and mismatch distributions for two lineages indicated population expansion. The present result confirmed that the freshwater outflow from the Yangtze River formed a physical barrier and affected gene exchange. The different distribution patterns of the two lineages in coastal waters of China and Japan indicated that the larvae of O. oratoria were transferred from China to the coastal waters of Japan with a one-way gene flow.     

Pseudo-nitzschia simulans sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae), the first domoic acid producer from Chinese waters

The genus Pseudo-nitzschia has attracted attention because of production of the toxin, domoic acid (DA), causing Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). Pseudo-nitzschia blooms occur frequently in Chinese coastal waters, and DA has been detected in several marine organisms, but so far no Pseudo-nitzschia strains from Chinese waters have been shown to produce DA. In this study, monoclonal Pseudo-nitzschia strains were established from Chinese coastal waters and examined using light microscopy, electron microscopy and molecular markers. Five strains, sharing distinct morphological and molecular features differentiating them from other Pseudo-nitzschia species, represent a new species, Pseudo-nitzschia simulans sp. nov. Morphologically, the taxon belongs to the P. pseudodelicatissima group, cells possessing a central nodule and each stria comprising one row of poroids. The new species is characterized by the poroid structure, which typically comprises two sectors, each sector located near opposite margins of the poroid. The production of DA was examined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analyses of cells in stationary growth phase. Domoic acid was detected in one of the five strains, with concentrations around 1.05–1.54 fg cell⁻¹. This is the first toxigenic diatom species reported from Chinese waters.     

A new species of shrimp of the genus Anachlorocurtis Hayashi, 1975 from the Red Sea,with range extension of A. commensalis Hayashi, 1975 (Crustacea,Decapoda, Pandalidae)

A new species of pandalid shrimp Anachlorocurtis occidentalis sp. n., associated with antipatharian corals, is described and illustrated from the north-eastern Red Sea. This new species is closely related to Anachlorocurtis commensalis Hayashi, 1975, the only other species in the genus, and can be distinguished by the more slender body and appendages; the carapace with 3 large, and one small, subtriangular lobes in the middorsal line; a flattened dorsal outline of the third abdominal segment; the sixth abdominal segment twice as long as fifth one; propodi of the ambulatory pereiopods bearing only a single posterior spinule; and harbouring 3–5 pairs of dorsolateral spines on the telson. A revised generic diagnosis is provided here to accommodate the present new species. The genetic divergence of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) between Anachlorocurtis occidentalis sp. n., and A. commensalis is 15.2–15.4%. Molecular analysis also confirmed a sister position of the genus Anachlorocurtis to Miropandalus. The present records of A. commensalis from Taiwan constitute an extension of the known range of the species.     

Biogeography of Wood-Boring Crustaceans (Isopoda: Limnoriidae) Established in European Coastal Waters

Marine wood-borers of the Limnoriidae cause great destruction to wooden structures exposed in the marine environment. In this study we collated occurrence data obtained from field surveys, spanning over a period of 10 years, and from an extensive literature review. We aimed to determine which wood-boring limnoriid species are established in European coastal waters; to map their past and recent distribution in Europe in order to infer species range extension or contraction; to determine species environmental requirements using climatic envelopes. Of the six species of wood-boring Limnoria previously reported occurring in Europe, only Limnoria lignorum, L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata are established in European coastal waters. L. carinata and L. tuberculata have uncertain established status, whereas L. borealis is not established in European waters. The species with the widest distribution in Europe is Limnoria lignorum, which is also the most tolerant species to a range of salinities. L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata appear to be stenohaline. However, the present study shows that both L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata are more widespread in Europe than previous reports suggested. Both species have been found occurring in Europe since they were described, and their increased distribution is probably the results of a range expansion. On the other hand L. lignorum appears to be retreating poleward with ocean warming. In certain areas (e.g. southern England, and southern Portugal), limnoriids appear to be very abundant and their activity is rivalling that of teredinids. Therefore, it is important to monitor the distribution and destructive activity of these organisms in Europe.     

Two new species of fishes from families Muraenidae (Anguilliformes) and Mugiloididae (Perciformes) from the Waters of Vietnam

New species of the genera Gymnothorax (fam. Muraenidae) and Parapercis (fam. Mugiloididae) are described from coastal waters of central Vietnam. G. emmae sp. n. is a common species all along the coast from the Van Phong Bay to the Phan Thiet Bay and differs from other species of this genus in characters of coloration, dentition, and the vertebral formula. P. bicoloripes sp. n. is common in the Phan Thiet Bay and is also know from one specimen from the Nha Trang Bay; from other species of the genus, it differs in coloration and meristic characters.     

Tubificidae (oligochaeta) from the Ross Sea (Antarctica), with descriptions of one new genus and two new species

Three species,Torodrilus gelidus sp. nov. (subfamily Rhyacodrilinae),Rossidrilus terraenovae gen. et sp. nov. (Limnodriloidinae), and a second unnamed species of Limnodriloidinae, are reported from marine sediments in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea. Torodrilus gelidus is distinguished fromT. lowryi Cook, 1970 by its setal pattern (with few exceptions, both anterior and posterior setae are single-pointed in sexually mature specimens ofT. gelidus) and the morphology of its male protuberances (the latter folded over a midventral bursa in segment XI).Rossidrilus terraenovae is characterized by large diverticula attached to the oesophagus in the posterior part of segment IX, unpaired male and spermathecal pores, heavily muscular and entally ciliated atrial ampullae, elongate prostatic pads, and a deep, unpaired and muscular, copulatory sac. It is the first species of its subfamily to be described from Antarctic waters.     

Coupled Photochemical and Enzymatic Mn(II) Oxidation Pathways of a Planktonic Roseobacter-Like Bacterium

Bacteria belonging to the Roseobacter clade of the α-Proteobacteria occupy a wide range of environmental niches and are numerically abundant in coastal waters. Here we reveal that Roseobacter-like bacteria may play a previously unrecognized role in the oxidation and cycling of manganese (Mn) in coastal waters. A diverse array of Mn(II)-oxidizing Roseobacter-like species were isolated from Elkhorn Slough, a coastal estuary adjacent to Monterey Bay in California. One isolate (designated AzwK-3b), in particular, rapidly oxidizes Mn(II) to insoluble Mn(III, IV) oxides. Interestingly, AzwK-3b is 100% identical (at the 16S rRNA gene level) to a previously described Pfiesteria-associated Roseobacter-like bacterium, which is not able to oxidize Mn(II). The rates of manganese(II) oxidation by live cultures and cell-free filtrates are substantially higher when the preparations are incubated in the presence of light. The rates of oxidation by washed cell extracts, however, are light independent. Thus, AzwK-3b invokes two Mn(II) oxidation mechanisms when it is incubated in the presence of light, in contrast to the predominantly direct enzymatic oxidation in the dark. In the presence of light, production of photochemically active metabolites is coupled with initial direct enzymatic Mn(II) oxidation, resulting in higher Mn(II) oxidation rates. Thus, Roseobacter-like bacteria may not only play a previously unrecognized role in Mn(II) oxidation and cycling in coastal surface waters but also induce a novel photooxidation pathway that provides an alternative means of Mn(II) oxidation in the photic zone.     

Labidocera boxshalli sp. nov., a new calanoid copepod (Crustacea; Pontellidae) from the Red Sea

A pontellid copepod, Labidocera boxshalli sp. nov., is described from the Egyptian coast of the northern Red Sea. This species is most readily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of a mid-dorsal process on the female genital double somite, the female fifth leg exopod terminating in two superimposed processes (the ventral of which is shorter), and by the elongated first exopodal segment of the male right fifth leg carrying a stout, blunt-tipped process and a small papilla laterally near the base of the thumb that bears one seta. The new species belongs to the L. detruncata species group, which is distributed mainly in the tropical/subtropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific.     

A new species of Paratanais Dana, 1852 (Crustacea,Peracarida, Tanaidacea,Paratanaidae) from Puerto Rico,northwestern Atlantic

Paratanais rosadi sp. n. described from Puerto Rican coastal waters represents the first species of the genus from the northwestern Atlantic. It is distinguished from the other Paratanais species by a combination of characters, including article-2 of the maxilliped palp with a geniculate, finely-serrulate seta on inner margin; chela with stiff, geniculate, seta arising from propodus between fixed finger and dactylus and with short, stout, finely serrulate, seta on inner distal face of propodus adjacent to base of dactylus; carpus of pereopods 4−6 having three, instead of four stout modified spiniform setae distally, uropodal exopod distinctly shorter than endopodal article-1; and uropodal endopod with articles of about of equal in length. A key for the separation of Paratanais species from the Atlantic Ocean is presented.     

Randia lorenceana (Rubiaceae,Gardenieae), una especie nueva del bosque mesófilo de montaña en el estado de Guerrero,México

Randia lorenceana (Rubiaceae), a new species from the cloud forest in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, is described and illustrated. The new species is related to R. matudae, but it differs from that species in having larger stipules, peduncles and calyx lobes, smaller corolla lobes, anthers, and hypanthium in the staminate flowers, and distinctly pendulous fruits due the of the bending of the peduncles.