THE GENUS TRICOLIA IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC AND THE MEDITERRANEAN

The genus Tricolia(Phasianellidae) in the Eastern Atlantic andMediterranean is reviewed on the bases of radular morphology,shell characters and polychromatism. The taxa included within the T. pullus (L.) group are not clearlyseparable and are treated as geographical subspecies:T. pulluspullus (L.), T. pullus picta (da Costa), T. pullus azorica (Dautzenberg),T. pullus canarica Nordsieck. The case of T. tenuis (Michaud)is problematic since it is clearly separable from sympatricT. pullus pullus in most parts of the Mediterranean but transitionalto T. pullus picta, towards the Atlantic. Other taxa are considered as having specific status since theyare consistently separable when found in sympatric populations.These include T. speciosa (Muhlfeldt), T. miniata (Monterosato),T. tingitana n.sp., T. petiti (Craven), T. nordsiecki (Talavera)and T. algoidea (Pallary). The last two species are stated forthe first time as belonging to the Phasianellidae. The genusEpheriella Pallary, based on T. algoidea, is synonymized withTricolia. (Received 6 April 1981;     

东大西洋热带海域拟锥齿鲨繁殖生物学特征调查

拟锥齿鲨(Pseudocarcharias kamoharai)隶属拟锥齿鲨科拟锥齿鲨属,为卵胎生鱼类,在印度洋、太平洋和大西洋近海和赤道海域均有发现。该鲨鱼被延绳钓渔业渔获, 但由于其商业价值低, 常被丢弃, 其生物学数据非常缺乏。       

PHYLOGENY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC AND EASTERN PACIFIC HYPSELODORIS STIMPSON, 1855 (NUDIBRANCHIA, CHROMODORIDIDAE) WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES FROM THE CARIBBEAN SEA

A new species, based on two specimens from Guana Island, BritishVirgin Islands, is described. The new species agrees with thegenus Hypselodoris in having a high body profile, a large vestibulargland and mantle glands. It differs from other members of thegenus in the Atlantic Ocean by having a reddish background bodycolour. In addition, dorsal colour patterns such as a broadcentral white line with lateral extensions and the lack of yellowlines or spots further differentiate this species. The radularformula of 52x41.0.41 and a smaller seminal receptacle are alsodistinctive. The phylogenetic relationships of 34 species andsubspecies of Hypselodoris from the eastern Pacific and Atlanticare examined using morphological characters. With the exceptionof the new species, these are characterized by a dark blue backgroundbody colour. The phylogenetic analysis of the data matrix resultedin eight most-parsimonious trees. The resulting consensus treeshows that eastern Pacific and Atlantic species of Hypselodorisconstitute a monophyletic group that is basally split into twosister clades. One clade contains the eastern Pacific speciesand most of the Caribbean species, whereas the other clade containsthe eastern Atlantic species. The new species is the sisterto the rest of the Caribbean species, which also form a monophyleticgroup. This phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that two consecutivevicariant events have affected the biogeography of Hypselodoris:(1) the closure of communication between the tropical Indo-Pacificregion and the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, completed withthe formation of the East Pacific Barrier; and (2) the riseof the Panama isthmus. (Received 19 December 2003; accepted 12 October 2005)     

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON DETERMINED BY CELL CYCLE PROTEINS: THE CELL CYCLE OF ETHMODISCUS REX (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) IN THE SOUTHWESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN AND CARIBBEAN SEA1

Ethmodiscus spp. is an important contributor to oceanic tropical-ooze sediments and thus might be an important transport vehicle of carbon from the ocean surface to sediments. The knowledge of its cell cycle and growth rate, which is still lacking, is necessary to evaluate the importance of Ethmodiscus in nutrient cycling and to solve the discrepancy between its high sedimentary abundance and rarity in the plankton. We used immunofluorescence of a cell cycle protein, prolqerating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and DNA-specific staining to study the progression of the cell cycle and roughly estimate the growth rate for E. rex (Rattray) Wiseman and Hendey in the southwestern North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea in June 1994 and January 1995. During the cell division cycle, the chloroplasts appeared to synthesize DNA before the nucleus (S phase). Following the S phase, the nucleus moved from one end of the cell toward the center underneath the midline of the girdle band (G2 phase) where it divided (M phase). During a very brief period, the parent cell split and moved apart from the girdle midline, and two new valves were produced (late M phase). The two daughter nuclei apparently remained attached at the joint of the two newly produced valves, where they appeared to be responsible for coordinating the symmetrical formation of the new valves. The morphologically complete daughter cells remained joined for a short period of time before separating into solitary cells whose nucleus was located at one end of the cell. Derived from the phase fraction curves, the duration of the cell cycle phases decreased in the order from G1, S, G2, to M. A conservative estimate of the growth rate in the study area obtained by using PCNA immunostaining was 0.39–0.46 d^?1 in June and 0.15 d^?1 in January. The validity and implication of the growth rate estimates are discussed.     

A NEW SPECIES OF GRANELEDONE (CEPHALOPODA: OCTOPODIDAE) FROM THE SOUTHWEST ATLANTIC OCEAN

A new species of eledonid octopus is described from the southwesternAtlantic Ocean from depths between 90 and 1000 m off the coastsof southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. This species, Graneledoneyamana is characterized by having a papillose skin, two welldeveloped 'horns' above the eyes, small gills with 5-7 lamellaeon the outer demibranch, arms with uniserial suckers, 35-80on females and 26-70 on males. The third right arm is hectocotylized,the ligula is small, the calamus is large and well differentiated.Ink sac absent. These characters differ from all other knownGraneledone species from the southern oceans. (Received 22 July 1999; accepted 20 May 2000)     

REVIEW OF THE GENUS DENDRODORIS EHRENBERG, 1831 (GASTROPODA: NUDIBRANCHIA) IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

Six valid species of the nudibranch genus Dendrodons Ehrenberg,1831 inhabit the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterraneanand Caribbean Seas. Dendrodons lumbata (Cuvier, 1804), Dendrodonsgrandiflora (Rapp, 1827), Dendrodons nigra (Stimpson, 1855)(immigrant from the Red Sea), Dendrodons krebsu (Mörch,1863), Dendrodoru senegalensis Bouchet, 1975 and Dendrodonswarta Marcus & Gallagher, 1976. Additional data about thebiology and geographical distribution of these species are presented.New evidence suggests that other species assigned to the genusDendrodons, Dendrodons racemosa Pruvot-Fol, 1951 and Dendrodonsminima Pruvot-Fol, 1951, must be included in the genus DoriopsillaBergh, 1880. Three new species of Dendrodoris are describedfrom the Northeastern Atlantic and West Africa;Dendrodons angolensis,Dendrodoris guineana and Dendrodons herytra. The variable external morphology makes species recognition difficult.Instead, the diagnostic characters utilised to separate speciesare the shape of the male cirrus hooks, the structure of thereproductive system and features of the egg-mass. (Received 25 April 1995; accepted 1 August 1995)     

A NEW SPECIES OF BERTHELLA BLAINVILLE, 1824 (OPISTHOBRANCHIA: NOTASPIDEA) FROM THE CANARY ISLANDS (EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN), WITH A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE NOTASPIDEA

Berthella canariensis is described from Canary Islands. Themantle is smooth and its ground colour is grey, with black andopaque white spots scattered regularly all over the dorsal surface.White spots are less abundant than black ones. The posterior halfof the mantle has areas of with a paler ground colour that are variablein size. Berthella canariensis has several features that distinguishit from other described members of Berthella. It had a broadradula with numerous teeth per half-row. However, other aspectsof its anatomy, such as the absence of a medial buccal glandand the presence of a tuberculate gill, distinguish it fromother species with a broad radula. As the present species has two features found in some speciesof Pleurobranchus and several new higher taxa have been describedrecently, Willan's (1987) phylogenetic hypothesis was re-analysed.This analysis largely supports the hypothesis presented by Willan. The sister-group relationship of B. Canariensis with B. californiais supported by two synapomorphies. The relationship of thesetwo species to other species of Berthella is poorly resolvedin the present analysis and requires additional study of allmembers of the genus. Similarly, questions of the monophylyof Bathyberthella, Polictenidia, Parabathyberthella, Tomthompsoniaand Berthella require the consideration of additional speciesand comparison with other member of Berthella and Berthellina. Despite the need for further study, the mohophyly of the cladecontaining Bathyberthella, Polictenidia, Parabathyberthellais well supported. Similarly, numerous synapomorphic featuresconfirm the monophyly of the clade containing Bathyberthella,Polictenidia, Parabathyberthella, Tomthompsonia, Berthellinaand Berthella, and its sister-group relationship with the Pleurobranchus. The present study reveals that the Notaspidea have three distinctconfigurations of triaulic reproductive systems, not previouslydifferentiated. (Received 19 January 1998; accepted 15 November 1999)     

KARYOLOGY OF BANGIA ATROPURPUREA (RHODOPHYTA,BANGIALES) FROM MEDITERRANEAN AND NORTHEASTERN ATLANTIC POPULATIONS1

We studied the karyology of Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Ag. collected from marine and freshwater populations from the Mediterranean region and some northeastern Atlantic localities. Gametophytic thalli had two haploid karyotypes, n = 3 and n = 4. The n = 4 karyotype was only occasionally present in the Mediterranean and was also found in one Atlantic population, confirming a previous report. We propose that the four-chromosome karyotype is an aneuploid form, n + 1. Chromosomes were frequently observed either in a parallel arrangement or in a circular configuration.     

TAXONOMIC STATUS AND GEOGRAPHICAL CRANIAL VARIATION OF COMMON DOLPHINS (DELPHINUS) IN THE EASTERN NORTH ATLANTIC

The common dolphin has a widespread distribution and is relatively abundant in the temperate to subtropical waters of the eastern North Atlantic. However, it is not known whether different species, subspecies, or populations occur in this region. We examined 393 common dolphin skulls obtained from both stranded and bycaught individuals collected between 1901 and 2005. The series included skulls of 152 females and 199 males, from animals ranging in body length from 93 to 230 cm and 105 to 244 cm, respectively. The ranges of total body length, skull size, RL/ZGW ratio and maximum upper alveolar (tooth) count of common dolphins in the eastern North Atlantic overlapped with those of both short- ( D. delphis ) and long-beaked ( D. capensis ) species found off the Californian coast. However, in the absence of additional data, the common dolphin in the eastern North Atlantic is regarded here as a large form of Delphinus delphis . Sexual dimorphism and possible sex-linked characters were identified within the sample. Results of the current study indicate some population differentiation within the eastern North Atlantic, with common dolphins off Portugal showing segregation in morphometric characteristics from common dolphins in other areas.     

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN OPISTHOBRANCHIA: DOTIDAE (DENDRONOTOIDEA), ARMINIDAE AND MADRELLIDAE (ARMINOIDEA)

An account is given of Doto, Armina and Madrella species collectedon diving and dredging expeditions to the Ligurian, Tyrrhenian,Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas during the period 1973–1988,supplemented by material collected around Naples (southern Italy)and Banyuls (French Côte Vermeille). In all, 5 speciesof Doto, 3 of Armina and 1 of Madrella were investigated, yielding5 new records for the eastern Mediterranean Sea and one speciesnew to science, Armina tricuspidata from the Tyrrhenian Sea.The common arminid on the American coast from North Carolinato Texas is not A. tigrina as claimed by Abbott(1954) and byEyster (1981), but is a new species, for which we propose thename Armina abbotti. Consideration of world-wide records of Madrella leads to theconclusion that the senior Madrella sanguinea Angas, 1864, embracesM. ferruginosa Alder & Hancock, 1864, M. aurantiace Vayssière,1903 and M. granularis Baba, 1949 (but not the Japanese M. gloriosaBaba, 1949, which is probably distinct). ^*T.E. Thompson died in a car accident 1 January 1990. (Received 2 May 1989; accepted 4 November 1989)     

THE EARLIEST SIRENIAN (MAMMALIA: DUGONGIDAE) FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

The partial skull and mandible of an unidentified halitheriine dugongid, collected from the Early Miocene Nye Mudstone in Lincoln County, Oregon, USA, is the earliest record of the Sirenia in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is probably earlier than Early or Middle Miocene sirenians recently found in Peru, and is definitely earlier than any known from California or Baja California. However, it appears to be slightly younger than fossil sirenian remains recently reported from Late Oligocene rocks in Japan. The Oregon specimen is also the most northern record of the Sirenia on the west coast of North America prior to the Pleistocene although other sirenians did evidently reach and surpass such latitudes by the Late Miocene when a dispersal took place from America to the North Pacific coasts of the Old World. The Oregon specimen probably represents sirenians that spread to the North Pacific from the Caribbean, quite possibly prior to the Miocene. The Nye Mudstone was deposited during the warmest period of the Neogene on the coast of Oregon, and it does not seem necessary to postulate a greater degree of cold-tolerance for the Oregon sirenian than is exhibited by living sea cows.