Specific status of Echinocardium cordatum, E. australe and E. zealandicum (Echinoidea: Spatangoida) around New Zealand, with comments on the relation of morphological variation to environment

The specific status of the heart-urchin Echinocardium cordatum (Pennant) around New Zealand is discussed in the context of the suggestion that the New Zealand form of this spatangoid is sufficiently distinct from E. cordatum to be regarded as a separate species, namely E. australe Gray or E. zealandicum Gray. A brief history of the problem is outlined and it is demonstrated that, from the beginning of the present century, specialist opinion has favoured the unitary species concept and been unenthusiastic about the validity of Gray's species. The pattern of variability revealed by a comparative morphological study of E. cordatum from the British Isles and E. australe/zealandicum from New Zealand did not support the specific separation of the Australasian species. Alternatively, it is proposed that the morphological structure of the test in E. cordatum may be considerably influenced by sediment texture and that the distinctiveness of some of the New Zealand specimens is related to their occupation of very fine deposits, which are not commonly exploited by E. cordatum around the British Isles.     

华南龙胆科植物拾零

本文对华南龙胆科植物做了修订和补充。将白花田草的名称更正为百金花;将美丽獐牙菜归并入狭叶獐牙菜;报道了新记录种5个,即：念珠脊龙胆、流苏龙胆、新店獐牙菜、峨嵋双蝴蝶、玉山双蝴蝶。     

Metacercariae of Pharyngostomum cordatum found from the European grass snake, Rhabdophis tigrina, and its experimental infection to cats

The metacercariae of Pharyngostomum cordatum were found naturally infected in the European grass snake, Rhabdophis tigrina, purchased from a local snake collector in Jinju, Kyongsangnam-do. They were experimentally fed to several kinds of animals such as mice, rats, hamsters, ducklings, a dog, and cats. The adult worms were recovered from the cats 5 weeks after the infection, but none from other animals. The measurements and other morphological characters of the metacercariae and adults were both compatible with those of P. cordatum described by previous authors. The present study confirmed that the snake, Rhabdophis tigrina, serves as a second intermediate (or paratenic) host of P. cordatum in Korea.     

Differential reproductive timing in Echinocardium spp.: the first Mediterranean survey allows interoceanic and interspecific comparisons

Echinocardium cordatum had long been considered as cosmopolitan, but molecular data revealed it is a complex of cryptic species, with two non-hybridizing species (B1 & B2) in the Mediterranean Sea living in syntopy with Echinocardium mediterraneum. Histological analyses of the gonads from a 17-month sampling period revealed a statistically significant time lag between the Maturity Indices of E.?cordatum and E.?mediterraneum. The main environmental stimulus may be different for the two nominal species, possibly seawater temperature for E.?cordatum and chlorophyll a concentration for E.?mediterraneum. Within the E.?cordatum complex, spawning timing and synchrony are different according to major geographic areas (Atlantic/Pacific/Mediterranean) and/or the corresponding genetic subdivision [A/P/(B1 & B2)]. In contrast, the effects of temperature on the reproductive cycle seem rather to mirror the genetic lineages than environmental similarities of the different localities. Between the sister species (B1 & B2) no differences could be detected, maybe due to small sample sizes.     

Gastroprotective effect of aparisthman, a diterpene isolated from Aparisthmium cordatum, on experimental gastric ulcer models in rats and mice.

Aparisthmium cordatum (Juss.) Bail. (Euphorbiaceae), known in the State of Pará, Brazil as "ariquena queimosa", is a medium-sized tree which is native to the North Brazilian coastal region. Previous phytochemical studies of the bark of A. cordatum yielded a furan diterpenoid with a clerodane skeleton, called aparisthman. Recently, we reported the antiulcerogenic activity of trans-dehydrocrotonin (DHC), a furan diterpene isolated from Croton cajucara bark, in different ulcerogenic models in mice and rats. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible antiulcerogenic activity of aparisthman. When previously administered (p.o.) at the dose of 100 mg/kg(-1), aparisthman reduced significantly (p < 0.01) gastric injury induced by the indomethacin/bethanechol (71%), ethanol (71%), pylorus ligature, (59%) and hypothermic restraint-stress models (50%), in mice and rats. In the HCl/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in mice, at oral doses of 100 and 250 mg/kg(-1), aparisthman from A. cordatum reduced significantly (p < 0.001) the formation of gastric lesions by 59% and 66%, respectively, as compared with control. In the pylorus-ligature model, aparisthman (p.o.) decreased the volume of gastric juice as compared with control (p < 0.001). When aparisthman (100 mg/kg(-1)) was administered intraduodenally to mice, significant modifications were found, such as a decrease in gastric acidity as compared with control. In the animals pre-treated with aparisthman, free mucus production increased by 19% in the gastric mucosa (p < 0.05). The results suggest that aparisthman from A. cordatum presents a significant anti-ulcer effect when assessed in these induced ulcer models. Although the mechanism underlying this antiulcerogenic effect remains unknown, it seems to be related to an increase of the defensive mechanisms of the stomach such as prostaglandin synthesis and mucus production. The good yield of aparisthman obtained from A. cordatum, as well as its antiulcerogenic activity, suggest that this compound should be submitted to pharmacological research as a potential new antiulcerogenic drug.     

The identity of some taxa of Schizophragma (Saxifragaceae)

After examining a large number of type and authoritative specimens of Schizophragma Siebold & Zucc., S. elliptifolium C. F. Wei and S. integrifolium var. glaucescens Rehder were reduced to synonyms of S. hypoglaucum Rehder and S. integrifolium f. cordatum S. Y. Wang was reduced to synonym of S. corylifolium Chun. Schizophragma crassum var. ellipticum J. Anthony was treated as the correct name of S. crassum var. hsitaoanum (Chun) C. F. Wei. The name S. integrifolium var. minus Rehder is reinstated. The taxonomic treat-ment is supported by leaf epidermal characters.     

How spatangoids produce their traces: relationship between burrowing mechanism and trace structure

Kanazawa, K. 1995 11 30 How spatangoids produce their traces: relationship between burrowing mechanism and trace structure.
Two spatangoid echinoids, Echinocardium cordatum and Lovenia elongata , were allowed to produce their traces in poorly and well-sorted sediments in aquaria. In poorly sorted sediments they formed distinct traces, comparable to fossil traces. Sorting of sediment occurred during transportation by the lateroventral spines and brought about characteristic patterns in grain size at the bottoms of the burrows and in redeposited sediment, which made the traces visible. Differences in the burrowing mechanism between E. cordatum and L. elongata are reflected in their trace structures. E. cordatum formed a laminated backlill structure which resulted from periodic accumulation of excavated sediment behind it, while L. elongata simply pushed excavated sediment by compression to the posterior sides of the test, so that their traces lack a distinct laminated structure and the width of the trace becomes larger than that of the animal. In well-sorted sediment, the echinoids burrowed in the same way as in poorly sorted sediment, but no visible trace was produced other than a drain tube. These observations reasonably explain some characteristic modes of occurrence of fossil spatangoid traces. Their different morphological expressions depend on sediment texture and the uneven lithification of traces. Spatangoids, trace, burrowing mechanism .     

Extraintestinal migration of Pharyngostomum cordatum metacercariae in experimental rodents

Extraintestinal migration patterns of Pharyngostomum cordatum (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) were studied in experimental rodents such as mice, rats, and hamsters. When metacercariae isolated from grass snakes were infected orally to rodents, they penetrated the intestinal wall at days 2-3 post-infection (p.i.) and were discovered mainly in the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, and vital organ such as the lungs at days 7-28 p.i., without morphological changes. Interestingly, from several rodents which died suddenly at days 2-9 p.i., small to considerable numbers of metacercariae were found, not only in the lungs, but also in the heart and brain. Within the tissues, worms were freely motile until day 7 p.i., but later they were surrounded by host cells, and finally tissue cysts were formed. When metacercariae harvested from the snakes and intercostal muscles of rodents were infected orally to cats, they developed into adult flukes in the small intestine. The results show that P. cordatum undergoes considerable extraintestinal migration including the vital organs of its rodent hosts.     

紫堇属和钻地风属植物二新异名

将白花刻叶紫堇(Corydalis incisa (Thunb.)Pers. var. alba S. Y. Wang)作为新异名归并入刻叶紫堇(C. incisa (Thunb.)Pers.);将心叶钻地风(Schizophragma integrifolium Oliv. f. cordatumS. Y. Wang)作为新异名归并入秦榛钻地风(S. corylifolium chun).     

ECHINOID AND CRUSTACEAN BURROWS AND THEIR DIAGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE IN THE MAASTRICHTIAN-DANIAN OF STEVNS KLINT, DENMARK

The increase in species and specimens of fossils in the uppermost part of the Maastrichtian White Chalk is interpreted as a result of reduced depth. The absence of bryozoans, brachiopods, and regular echinoids in the Cerithium Limestone indicates sedimentation in tidal pools. After sedimentation of the Cerithium Limestone, burrowing activity followed. A burrow of Brissopneustes danicus similar to burrows of the recent Echinocardium cordatum is described. Callianassa and its burrows are found in the Upper Danian calcarenite but not in the Lower Danian or Maastrichtian of Denmark. The dominant type of burrows along the Maastrichtian-Danian boundary has presumably been formed by the crustacean Ctenocheles.
The early post-Maastrichtian burrowing activity was succeeded by (1) induration of the bottom sediment and a slight abrasion (2) dissolution of aragonite shells and siliceous sponges, (3) offshore sedimentation and filling of the burrows with Lower Danian chalk mud, bryozoan fragments and other fossil remains, and (4) settling in the deeper part of the soft chalk sediment and precipitation of flint in or around burrows near the surface of the sediment.     

Comparative Assessment of Stress Responses of the Microalgae Prorocentrum cordatum (Ostenfeld) Dodge and Dunaliella salina (Teod.) to the Presence of Copper Nanoparticles

Microbiology - Comparative assessment of stress responses of two microalgal species differing in their cell structure and habitats, Prorocentrum cordatum and Dunaliella salina, to the presence of...     

四川杜鹃花属三个新异名

将我国四川杜鹃花属Rhododendron L.植物2个种和1个亚种（R.decorum Franch. ssp.cordatum Hu,R.xichangense Z.J.Zhao及R.davidsonianum Rehd.&Wils.）处理为新异名,并作了相应的讨论。     

Laboratory observations on the feeding behaviour, reproduction and morphology of Galeodea echinophora (Gastropoda: Gassidae)

Galeodea echinophora fed on Echinocardium cordatum in an aquarium. Every few days, each G. echinophora emerged from the sand and foraged for 1–3 h. On detecting an Echinocardium , the Galeodea stopped locomotion and attacked the buried prey from the surface of the sand. The proboscis was extended down to the prey and a small area of test was cleared of spines. A disc was cut out of the softened test, leaving a hole of about 2 mm in diameter. All flesh except the gut was removed from the prey, the entire procedure taking 50–180 min.
One Galeodea echinophora laid 120 egg capsules on the side of the aquarium. These were kept at 13^oC and hatched after 112–159 days. Within the capsule, veligers fed on the yolk cells of abortive embryos. Juveniles hatched at the crawling stage, and at first secreted strings of mucus acting as drogues, but after 1 day the juveniles crawled over the substratum. They readily attached themselves to adult Echinocardium cordatum , apparently feeding on the epithelium between the spines or tube feet. Dissection revealed entry of the acinar glands into the proboscis gland ducts, a widening of these ducts as they empty into the buccal cavity and a dorsal fold in the anterior oesophagus. Radular teeth and jaws of Galeodea differ little among species; a taxonomic review of the genus is needed.     

广东省2种兰科植物新记录

报道2种广东省兰科植物新记录,分别为等萼卷瓣兰(Bulbophyllum violaceolabellum Seidenf.)和小叶兜兰(Paphiopedilum barbigerum T. Tang et F. T. Wang.)。凭证标本保存于华南农业大学林学与风景园林学院树木标本室(CANT)。     

Skull morphology of bottlenose dolphins from different ocean populations with emphasis on South America

The bottlenose dolphin, genus Tursiops, is cosmopolitan occurring in tropical and temperate regions, with morphological variation between and within different oceans. Since the genus' taxonomy has been under discussion for a long time, this work aimed at analyzing the cranial variability of T. truncatus from different regions of the world. Geometric Morphometrics analyses were performed in 201 skulls of adult specimens, on dorsal, ventral, and lateral views, from the Eastern North Pacific, Eastern North Atlantic, Eastern South Atlantic, and Western South Atlantic oceans. The results indicate differences between individuals that inhabit the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Within the Atlantic Ocean, there is an evident longitudinal differentiation of specimens from the eastern and western regions. A latitudinal separation was also observed, considering specimens from the North and South Atlantic Ocean. In the Western South Atlantic statistical differences were found between two morphological groups, identified as T. gephyreus (sensu Lahille, 1908) and T. truncatus, and the cross-validation presented 98% as minimum confidence for correct classification of these two groups. The present study provides strong morphological support to consider these two lineages as separate species.     

DNA data and morphology suggest an occurrence of Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetverikov, 1908 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) instead of D. superans Butler, 1877, in South Korea

In the present study, specimens of Dendrolimus superans collected from South Korea suggest the presence of D. sibiricus, instead of D. superans. Comparisons of the wing morphology, female and male genitalia, 3′‐end region of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene sequence, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 2 sequence of the Korean specimens with those of the D. superans specimens from Japan consistently supported the presence of D. sibiricus in South Korea. Phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated sequences of COI and ITS2 from the available sequence types of D. sibiricus and D. superans, along with South Korean specimens, were conducted using the Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods. These phylogenetic analyses placed the South Korean specimens with the Russian D. sibiricus as an inclusive group, excluding the Japanese D. superans, indicating the distribution of D. sibiricus in South Korea. Nevertheless, D. superans formed a distinct group only by BI analysis (Bayesian posterior probabilities = 0.89), whereas D. sibiricus, including the South Korean samples, formed a distinct group only by the ML analysis (99%), suggesting a low genetic divergence between the two species.     

Symbiotic Relationship of Thiothrix spp. with an Echinoderm

Immunoassay procedures were used to investigate the symbiotic relationship of Thiothrix spp. in the intestinal cecum of the spatangoid species Echinocardium cordatum. Thiothrix spp. were identified in nodule samples from E. cordatum digestive tubes based on microscopic examination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and indirect immunofluorescence. Thiothrix spp. protein made up as much as 84% of the total protein content of the nodules. This is the first identification of Thiothrix spp. internally symbiotic with marine invertebrates.     

Isolation and structural studies of a sulfated sialosphingolipid from the sea urchin Echinocardium cordatum.

Three sialosphingolipids have been isolated from a lipid extract of gonads of the sea urchin Echinocardium cordatum by partition dialysis and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The structure of the sialosphingolipid containing sulfate group has been established. On the basis of the results of total and partial acid hydrolysis, methanolysis, methylation, periodate oxidation and enzymatic hydrolysis with neuraminidase the sulfated sialosphingolipid was identified as 8-sulfate-sialyl-alpha-(2 leads to 6)glucopyranosyl-(1 leads to 1)ceramide. The long-chain bases were mainly phytosphingosine and its C16 homologue. The fatty acids of the sialosphingolipid were the mixture of normal and alpha-hydroxy fatty acids, their compositions were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography.     

Phylogenetic analysis of Asplenium subgenus Ceterach (Pteridophyta: Aspleniaceae) based on plastid and nuclear ribosomal ITS DNA sequences

Phylogenetic relationships among 20 taxa of the fern genus Asplenium subgenus Ceterach (Filicopsida, represented by 73 accessions) were investigated using DNA sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS nDNA) and plastid trnL-F intergenic spacer. In addition, a single sample per taxon was used in an analysis of the plastid rbcL gene. Chromosome counts were determined for all the samples, and these demonstrated a range from diploid to octoploid. Analyses of the DNA sequence data indicated that Asplenium subgenus Ceterach is polyphyletic, implicating homoplasy in the characters previously used to circumscribe this taxon. Plastid trnL-F and rbcL analyses resulted in identical tree topologies. The trees produced from the separate plastid and nuclear matrices agree in (1) the recognition of identical groups of accessions corresponding to A. dalhousiae, A. ceterach, A. aureum, A. cordatum, A. phillipsianum, and A. haughtonii; (2) the division of A. subg. Ceterach into two subclades, a Eurasian-Macaronesian and a strictly African alliance; (3) the position of A. dalhousiae as a member of the former subclade; (4) the lack of genetic variation in A. cordatum despite its morphological variability; and (5) the clustering of each autopolyploid with their diploid ancestor. However, the plastid and nuclear trees differ in their placement of A. haughtonii and A. dalhousiae, which might be due to different evolutionary histories of nuclear and plastid genomes, and is possibly an indication of ancient hybridization. The analyses confirm the existence of several strictly African taxa. Asplenium phillipsianum and A. cordatum each form species complexes of diploid and autopolyploid taxa, from which a third, morphologically intermediate, allotetraploid species has originated. Asplenium haughtonii is a distinct endemic species from Saint Helena. The maternally inherited plastid sequences support the hypothesis that A. aureum is an ancestor of A. lolegnamense and of A. octoploideum. Because gene conversion did not eliminate divergent ITS alleles in the allopolyploids, their reticulate ancestry could be demonstrated. Biparentally inherited nrITS sequences support the allopolyploid status of A. aureum, A. lolegnamense, and A. punjabense, indicating they share the ancestral A. javorkeanum genome.     

Neodiplostomum leei n. sp. (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) from chicks infected with metacercariae from the grass snake Rhabdophis tigrina

Neodiplostomula from the European grass snake Rhabdophis tigrina, in the Republic of Korea, were thought to represent 2 species: Pharyngostomum cordatum (large-sized neodiplostomula), an intestinal trematode of cats, and Neodiplostomum seoulense (small-sized neodiplostomula), an intestinal trematode of humans and rodents. The present study describes N. leei n. sp. (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) on the basis of adult flukes recovered from the small intestines of chicks experimentally infected with small-sized neodiplostomula from the grass snake. The new species differs from N. seoulense in terms of the more extensive distribution of vitellaria, the more severe bilobation of 2 testes (each having a dumbbell shape), the absence of a genital cone, and the smaller size of the tribocytic organ and eggs. Neodiplostomula of the new species and N. seoulense are almost indistinguishable. The new species develops into an adult in chicks, whereas N. seoulense matures in mice and rats. Neodiplostomula of the new species migrate to the liver in mice and rats, without maturing. Results show that there are at least 3 species of neodiplostomid trematodes in the grass snake in the Republic of Korea, i.e.. P. cordatum, N. seoulense and N. leei n. sp.