Shrews (Soricidae, Mammalia) from Middle Miocene karstic fissure fill sites of Petersbuch near Eichstätt, Southern Franconian Alb (Bavaria)

The shrews from the karstic fissure fill sites Petersbuch 6, 10, 18, 31, 35, 48 include seven species,Paenesorex biscuspis n. gen. n. sp. being new. It is a primitive Soricini, characterised by an incipient soricine morphology along with reduction of the m3 that excludes it from theSorex ancestry. The entire soricid fauna is composed of some advanced elements, the Blarinellini, and species we expect in the Middle Miocene. The biostratigraphic correlation with the units MN 7+8, established by rodents, is corroborated by the soricids.      

Fauna of an unsaturated karstic zone in Central Slovenia: two new species of Harpacticoida (Crustacea: Copepoda), Elaphoidella millennii n. sp. and E. tarmani n. sp., their ecology and morphological adaptations

The unsaturated zone in fissured (= karstic) aquifers continues to be a source of new species of Harpacticoida (Crustacea: Copepoda). The first species were discovered about 70 years ago in the Škocjanske Jame Cave in Slovenia. Intensive sampling of percolating water in caves there over the last 20 years has yielded several new species, some of them well adapted to that environment. The most recent studies revealed that such a specialised fauna is also present in other regions of Europe, South and North America, and Asia. In Europe, three genera belonging to the order Harpacticoida are characteristic of the unsaturated karstic zone: Morariopsis, Paramorariopsis and Elaphoidella. In this article, two highly specialised species of Elaphoidella are described. A detailed analysis of their ecology and morphological adaptations along with other species of the genus Elaphoidella from Slovenia is included, and comparisons are made with the epikarstic genera Morariopsis and Paramorariopsis. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Handling editor: S. I. Dodson     

Recent brachiopods from the southern Brazilian shelf: palaeontological and biogeographical implications

Until recently, the rhynchonelliform (articulated) brachiopod fauna from the Brazilian continental shelf (western South Atlantic) was represented only by the endemic species Bouchardia rosea (Mawe), reported from coastal waters of the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The present study, based on samples from coastal (<30 m), shelf, and continental slope waters (99–485 m), documents the South Atlantic brachiopod fauna and shows that this fauna is more widespread, diverse, and cosmopolitan than previously thought. Based on a total of 16,177 specimens, the following brachiopods have been identified: Bouchardia rosea (Family Bouchardiidae), Platidia anomioides (Family Platidiidae), Argyrotheca cf. cuneata (Family Megathyrididae), and Terebratulina sp. (Family Cancellothyrididae). In coastal settings, the fauna is overwhelmingly dominated by Bouchardia rosea . Rare juvenile (<2 mm) specimens of Argyrotheca cf. cuneata were also found at two shallow-water sites. In shelf settings (100–200 m), the fauna is more diverse and includes Bouchardia rosea , Terebratulina sp., Argyrotheca cf. cuneata , and Platidia anomioides . Notably, Bouchardia rosea was found in waters as deep as 485 m, extending the known bathymetric range of this genus. Also, the record of this brachiopod in waters of the state of Paraná is the southernmost known occurrence of this species. The genera Platidia and Terebratulina are documented here for the first time for the western South Atlantic. The Brazilian brachiopod fauna shares similarities with those from the Atlantic and Indian shelves of southern Africa, and from the Antarctic, Caribbean and Mediterranean waters. The present-day brachiopods of the western South Atlantic are much more cosmopolitan than previously thought and their Cenozoic palaeobiogeographic history has to be reconsidered from that perspective.     

Chironomid (Diptera) larvae of the Butoniga reservoir,Istria, Croatia,and its feeder rivers

After the formation of a drinking water reservoir at Butoniga, Istria, research on the fauna of the Chironomidae larvae was undertaken in the feeder waters and the reservoir itself. Forty eight species were identified, belonging to the subfamilies Chironominae, Orthocladiinae, Diamesinae and Tanypodinae. Chironomidae colonized the reservoir waters relatively more quickly than other groups of macroscopic invertebrates. The similarity quotient (QS) of Chironomidae of the feeder waters and the reservoir is only 37.8%, which points to the formation of new communities in the reservoir. There were qualitative and quantitative changes in the composition of Chironomidae fauna in the river Mirna and in the river Butoniga downstream from the dam after water was released from the reservoir for the purpose of testing the dam. The Chironomid composition of the feeder waters places them in quality grade II. In the Butoniga reservoir the bottom water was assigned to grade II–III, because of the decomposition of the remains of surface fauna.     

Comparative biocenological analysis of Gastropoda on the Macedonian part of Lake Ohrid and its watershed

Lake Ohrid represents a refugial ecosystem which harbors a great number of endemic and relics living forms. Though the whole Lake’s fauna characterizes high biodiversity and endemism, this is most obvious in the class of Gastropoda. Unlike the Lake, the fauna of the adjacent waters fairly differs from the Lake’s fauna, i.e., it is poorer both in term of diversity and endemism. The main goal of our study was to perform comparative biocenological researches on the gastropod fauna from Lake Ohrid and the adjacent waters in the watershed of the Lake. Based on the results we have obtained, it could be clearly noted that different habitats are characterized with different qualitative composition of the gastropod fauna not only when compared the gastropod settlement between the Lake and its surrounding waters, but also in the Lake for itself. Total of 50 species of gastropods have been recorded in the littoral regions of the lake and its coastal waters during 2009/2010. They belong to subclass Orthogastropoda (50 taxa). 21 species out of 50 are recorded in the adjacent waters: 13 of them settle both the adjacent waters and the Lake, while 8 strictly inhabit the adjacent waters. In terms of endemism, 17 are endemic and 4 cosmopolitan. The remainig 29 (out of 50 recorded) settle up only the littoral zone of the Lake: 25 are endemic and 4 are cosmopolitan. The percentage of endemism based on the recorded species for the class Gastropoda is 84%.     

A new freshwater folliculinid (Ciliophora) from the karstic region of Croatia

Members of the genus Lagotia (Folliculinidae, Ciliophora) were known only from marine habitats where they are widely distributed. In running waters on travertine barriers in the karstic region of Croatia we found a freshwater species, Lagotia dinaridica n. sp., which exhibits several characteristics that set it apart from its congeners.     

First record of a landlocked population of marine Millerigobius macrocephalus (Perciformes: Gobiidae): Observations from a unique spring-fed karstic lake (Lake Vouliagmeni, Greece) and phylogenetic positioning

A hitherto undescribed population of gobies in the Greek brackish karstic Lake Vouliagmeni was identified as Millerigobius macrocephalus. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using partial mitochondrial ribosomal DNA sequences situates this species as a sister taxon to Zebrus zebrus, thus confirming earlier morphological work. Morphological variation as compared to previous studies on this species is discussed. This is the first report of M. macrocephalus occurring inland and under oligohaline conditions, underlining that our knowledge on diversity and distribution of the European gobiid fauna is still far from complete. The occurrence of this rarely observed fish species might enhance the conservational importance of the lake under study.     

Distribution patterns of interstitial freshwater meiofauna over a range of spatial scales,with emphasis on alluvial river-aquifer systems

Spatial distribution patterns of the interstitial meiobenthos are examined across a range of scales. A global interstitial highway model is presented with the alluvial aquifer system as its central core. Spatially discontinuous hypogean entities, such as karstic aquifers, springs, anchialine waters and the psammolittoral, have limited interconnections except through the alluvial aquifer system and are contiguous with epigean waters. The global interstitial highway is viewed as an evolutionary pathway and long-term dispersal route for meiobenthic forms. The distribution of interstitial animals in alluvial river-aquifer systems is examined at longitudinal (altitudinal), reach, floodplain, gravel bar, and vertical (depth) scales. Geomorphic and hydrogeologic features and interactions emerge as major determinants of the spatially heterogeneous nature of alluvial aquifers that structure the patchy distribution patterns of hypogean fauna across a range of scales.Invited summary of Symposium on the Biogeography of Subterranean Crustaceans: the Effects of Different Scales. Prepared for print by D. C. Culver.Invited summary of Symposium on the Biogeography of Subterranean Crustaceans: the Effects of Different Scales. Prepared for print by D. C. Culver.     

Une etude sur clarias senegalensis val. dans la region du lac kossou (cote d'ivoire)

A study on Clarias senegalensis Val. in the region of Lake Kossou (Ivory Coast). Clarias senegalensis is the dominant silurid of the man-made lake Kossou and some smaller impoundments in the same region. Comparison of data spread over a five year period starting from 1970, some months before the dam was completed, reveals that the density of C. senegalensis dropped to the original level that existed in the river after reaching a peak in the years following the damming. This phenomenon which coincides with the impoverishment of the lake waters, is explained by the fact that C. senegalensis has its optimal habitat in poorly oxygenated waters, rich in organic matter. It is able to colonize this kind of productive waters thanks to the suprabranchial organ. In these optimal conditions it mainly feeds on aquatic insects and plankton.The fecundity of C. senegalensis may reach 20o ooo ripening eggs per female. Reproduction occurs during the rainy season in flooded savannas. Growth rates are very high and the age determinations show that, in the region of Kossou, C. senegalensis reaches an average standard length of 620 mm (2.7 kg) within three years.Our results are compared to literature data on other related species of the genus Clarias and the position of C. senegalensis within this generic complex is discussed.

     

Dynamics of surface water/groundwater ecotones in a karstic aquifer

SUMMARY.

• 1 Interactions between surface waters and groundwaters were analysed by studying degrees of similarity between a surface stream and groundwater in a karstic system.
• 2 Exchange of water and solutes (‘abiotic interactions’) and living organisms (‘biotic interactions’) were quantified by characteristic parameters measured at the outlet of the karstic system during hydrological changes across the year as well as during a flood.
• 3 The ratio of bicarbonate to calcium described abiotic interactions. In the seasonal study, biotic interactions were estimated from the proportion of epigean organisms in the communities sampled at the outlet. These interactions during the flood were estimated by comparing numbers of Cladocera, epigean organisms, with numbers of Niphargus virei, hypogean organisms.
• 4 The location of the ecotone created by interactions between the surface stream and the karstic system showed marked spatial fluctuations according to the prevailing hydrology. Interactions were strong during high-water periods whereas they were negligible during low-water. Similar fluctuations occurred within a few hours during the flood.
• 5 Results are compared with those from fluvial systems to discuss the importance of the dynamics of these surface/underground ecotones in the functioning of lotie ecosystems.

     

New and little known cladocerans (Crustacea: Anomopoda) from southeastern Mexico

Mexico represents a transitional area in which two biogeographic regions meet. A survey of the cladocerans collected in true tropical waterbodies from the country revealed a diverse fauna. The environments examined included temporary pools in the forest, rivers, permanent lagoons and karstic sinkholes. New records or little known taxa include: Diaphanosoma brevireme, D. fluviatile, Pseudosida ramosa, Simocephalus mixtus, Onchobunops tuberculatus,Guernella raphaelis, Chydorus nitidilus, Notoalonacf. globulosa, Alonella brasiliensis and Leydigiopsis curvirostris. In contrast to high altitude systems, with clear nearctic affinity, the lowlands of southeastern Mexico showed a striking resemblance with the South and Central American cladoceran fauna. Apparently, orographic barriers control the distribution of the cladoceran taxa in this region.     

Répartition des rotifères dans deux lacs-tourbières du Massif Central (France)

In rotifer communities of two french peat-bogs, characteristic species associations can be described for each stage in the formation of this ecosystem. The oligotrophic lowmoor with Sphagnum angustifolium has the highest proportion of characteristic species.The affinity between the open water fauna (used as a standard) and the Sphagnum fauna decreases with a gradient in water content. The latter was a dominant factor in the distribution of rotifer species in the peat-bog.

---

Répartition des rotifères dans deux lacs-tourbières du Massif Central (France)

     

Heliozoa (Centrohelea,Haptista, Hacrobia) of saline and brackish water bodies and watercourses of Russia

The species composition of centrohelid heliozoa (Centrohelida) in saline and brackish inland water bodies and watercourses with salinity 2.0–42.2‰ was studied in the subarid zone of Russia. Nine species (Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, Choanocystis ebelii, Acanthocystis astrakhanensis, A. dentata, A. myriospina, A. pectinata, A. taurica, A. turfacea) are new for saline and brackish inland waters. A. astrakhanensis and A. taurica are new for the fauna of Orenburg region. The first data on centrohelidian fauna in saline rivers of Elton region were obtained. The fauna comprises Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, A. turfacea and Choanocystis ebelii. C. ebelii is new for the protist fauna of Russia. Five species (Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, A. pectinata, A. dentata, A. taurica) were recorded for the first time in saline and brackish waters and described as eurihaline. Morphological diagnoses of Acanthocystis dentata and A. taurica were completed.     

Species richness of microcrustacea in subterranean freshwater habitats. Comparative analysis and approximate evaluation

Among terrestrial biomes the groundwater domain is generally considered to be a species poor environment. This view results, mainly, from the large geographic scale faunistic surveys (tens and hundreds of kilometres) and the traditionally coarse spatial scale (i.e. macroscale level) of ecological analysis. This view has been challenged by Margalef (1993) who suggests that high diversities are to be expected in the subterranean environment comparable to those found in the deep sea because of environmental similarities, e.g. low energetic resources. During the last twenty years long-term ecological research on much smaller scales, i.e. metres to hundred metres for interstitial media, a mesoscale approach, or kilometre size for karst systems was carried on. Long-term projects on limnic subsurface systems have shown that the species richness (SR) of the microcrustacea (Harpacticoida, Cyclopopoida, Ostracoda) is much higher than previously considered. Details on Harpacticoida of the alluvial bedsediments of a Pyreneean brook, the Lachein, and on Ostracoda of the alluvial sediments of the Danube plain (the phreatic zone), near Vienna, are presented. The SR values of the interstitial microcrustacea obtained through investigations at a mesoscale level are comparable to those of karstic and/or surface freshwater benthic water systems; they are lower than those of the deep-sea data sets for equivalent crustacean groups at a similar scale of investigation. From the data presented we infer the following points: (a) The subterranean waters are much more rich in species than earlier accepted, at least for some organismic groups like the microcrustacean copepods and ostracods. (b) Hence, to describe the still unknown fauna it is appropriate to sample the subsurface waters at an ecological scale. (c) Only studies during long-term ecological projects and with intensive, quantitative, sampling programmes allow a correct evaluation of the subterranean faunal diversity. (d) The species richness of a given subsurface site is strongly dependent on the structure of the habitats and the functioning of the underlying ecosystems. (e) Finally we consider the rationale for the protection of the subterranean faunal diversity.     

Comparative feeding strategies of yellowfin tuna around St Helena and adjacent seamounts of the South Atlantic Ocean

Yellowfin tuna are the mainstay of the traditional tuna fisheries in St Helena waters, but there is limited knowledge of their ecology and feeding behaviour in the area. In this study yellowfin tuna stomach contents were used to assess spatio-temporal changes in feeding strategy and consider the role of tuna in the local ecosystem. Comparisons of the feeding spectra of yellowfin tuna between inshore regions of St Helena and oceanic seamounts demonstrated that in both areas the species was largely piscivorous. In inshore waters yellowfin consumed more neritic fauna, including significant numbers of crab megalopa, whereas around seamounts the diet included a greater diversity of epi- and mesopelagic fish and squids. The most important fish prey species in inshore waters was the St Helena butterflyfish Chaetodon sanctahelenae, and around seamounts was the pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus. Results indicate that the diet spectrum of yellowfin tuna in St Helena waters is relatively similar to those of conspecifics living in waters with relatively low productivity, with strategies indicative of food-poor ecosystems. The availability of coastal fauna may make areas around islands and seamounts more attractive for feeding aggregations of yellowfin tuna, compared to the open ocean. The relatively unselective feeding of yellowfin tuna means that stomachs can provide valuable data on the species diversity, particularly in remote areas with limited opportunities for dedicated research expeditions.     

The quantitative separation of meiofauna

Summary 1. This paper presents the results of a meeting on the evaluation of quantitative procedures for the separation of meiofauna, held at the Marine Station of the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, in May 1972. Close co-operation on the part of the participants (p. 194) has allowed assessment of advantages and disadvantages of the separation methods applied. The time needed for preserved methods can be reduced by changing to scanning rather than picking out for sorting and counting.2. Sorting without concentrations: This method is suitable for very fine-grained sediments, oozes; it is generally applied for preserved samples; adequate for hard fauna; insufficient for soft fauna; very time consuming.3. Decantation: Suitable for sandy sediments; generally applied for preserved samples; adequate for hard fauna; insufficient for soft fauna; time consuming.4. Elutriation: Suitable for sandy sediments; for unpreserved samples only with anaesthetization, more effective with preserved samples; limited for total live fauna. With preserved samples, adequate for hard fauna; insufficient for soft fauna; quick method.5. Warm-water elutriation: Suitable for sandy sediments; designed for live hard fauna (especially nematodes, ostracods); quick method.6. Sea-water ice treatment: Suitable for sandy sediments with microporal structure; only for live extraction; limited for hard fauna; well suited for soft fauna (including ciliates and flagellates); time consuming.

---

Die quantitative Isolierung der Meiofauna. Ein Methodenvergleich

Kurzfassung Im Mai 1972 fand an der Meeresstation der Biologischen Anstalt Helgoland ein Arbeitstreffen mit dem Ziel statt, die verschiedenen Methoden zur quantitativen Isolierung der Meiofauna aus dem Sediment in ihrer Effektivität miteinander zu vergleichen. Die Verfahren zur Anreicherung der Meiofauna in der Probe, des Sortierens und Auszählens werden beschrieben und die durch die Teilnehmer am Arbeitstreffen gemeinsam erzielten Ergebnisse diskutiert. Die Wertung der einzelnen Methoden zur Erfassung der Gesamtfauna, der harten und der weichen Meiofauna, von konservierten und nichtkonservierten Organismen sowie die Anwendung der Methoden auf verschiedenen Sedimenttypen werden durch statistische Analysen abgesichert. Eine Zusammenfassung der Arbeitsverfahren sowie deren Charakterisierung und Leistungsfähigkeit beschließt die Darstellung.

     

Not all fish are equal: functional biodiversity of cartilaginous fishes (Elasmobranchii and Holocephali) in Chile

A review of the primary literature on the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras), together with new information suggests that 106 species occur in Chilean waters, comprising 58 sharks, 30 skates, 13 rays and five chimaeras. The presence of 93 species was confirmed, although 30 species were encountered rarely, through validated catch records and sightings made in artisanal and commercial fisheries and on specific research cruises. Overall, only 63 species appear to have a range distribution that normally includes Chilean waters. Actual reliable records of occurrence are lacking for 13 species. Chile has a cartilaginous fish fauna that is relatively impoverished compared with the global species inventory, but conservative compared with countries in South America with warm‐temperate waters. The region of highest species richness occurs in the mid‐Chilean latitudes of c. 30–40° S. This region represents a transition zone with a mix of species related to both the warm‐temperate Peruvian province to the north and cold‐temperate Magellan province to the south. This study provides clarification of species occurrence and the functional biodiversity of Chile's cartilaginous fish fauna.     

A method of studying the vertical distribution of the bottom fauna in shallow waters

Summary A method is described of sampling the vertical distribution of the bottom fauna of shallow water using liquid oxygen as a freezing agent.

---

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine Methode beschrieben zum Probentnahme der vertikalen Verteilung der Bodenfauna untiefen Wassers, mit Benutzung von flüssigem Sauerstoff als Frierungsmittel.

     

The scyphomedusan fauna of the Japan Trench: preliminary results from a remotely-operated vehicle

A series of dives was conducted during April/May 2002 in a variety of water masses over the Japan Trench using the remotely-operated vehicle ROV HyperDolphin. The scyphomedusan fauna was catalogued, resulting in the first records of Atolla vanhoeffeni and Atolla russelli from Japanese waters. A new genus and species referable to the family Paraphyllinidae was also recognized. The ulmarid scyphomedusa Poralia rufescens is by far the most common scyphomedusa in these waters. Its distribution was determined by water mass structure and it was not present in subducted Oyashio Current-derived waters occurring within its usual depth range. Temperature and salinity affected its distribution more than dissolved oxygen concentrations. Distributional information, data on the physico-chemical parameters of the water column, and notes on biological associations with scyphomedusae are introduced.     

The effect of afforestation on fresh waters in Tayside,Scotland. Zooplankton and other microfauna

This paper reports the findings of one section of a freshwater synoptic survey in the Tayside Region of Scotland and deals with the distribution and abundance of the crustacean zooplankton and other microfauna of 25 standing waters of small to medium size and 24 small running waters. The objectives were to assess the possible effects of land-use, especially afforestation, and of catchment area sub-surface geology, on such fauna. Various methods, statistical and non-statistical, have been used to assess the influence of these parameters on the presence, absence and relative abundance of the dominant taxonomic groups. The main findings indicate that the nature of the water-body is of prime importance in determining the abundance and composition of the fauna and little effect can be associated with land-use or sub-surface geology.