Three new Indo-Australian species of the sciaenid genusAtrobucca,with a reevaluation of generic limit

Three new species of the sciaenid genusAtrobucca are described:A. kyushini from off Borneo, differs from all known congeners in having no swimbladder appendages enveloplng the bladder, no forward directed branches from the ventral limbs of the appendages, a long tube-like last appendage parallel to the bladder wall and a pale mouth lining;A. brevis from off northern Australia and Papua New Guinea, is distinguished by its short pectoral fin (less than 23% SL) and pleural rib on the 11th vertebra;A. adusta from Papua New Guinea, is distinctive in having a low dorsal soft ray number (23–24) and long caudal peduncle (27–30% SL).Atrobucca Chu, Lo et Wu is redefined to accommodate the new species: the genus is principally characterized by the swimbladder appendages divided into developed dorsal and ventral limbs, and the only slightly curved sulcus tail of the sagitta. A key and diagnoses are provided for all known species ofAtrobucca.     

Host-Frankia specificity within the Casuarinaceae

Summary Fifteen species from three genera of the Casuarinaceae were inoculated with suspensions ofFrankia prepared from single nodule-lobes collected from different species and genera within the Casuarinaceae. Host-endophyte specificity was expressed mainly at the generic level. There was marked cross-inoculation within Casuarina and little nodulation ofCasuarina species from Allocasuarina sources with the exception of 3 sources ofFrankia fromA. torulosa which showed a high tendency to nodulateCasuarina species. Few sources from Casuarina nodulated species of Allocasuarina and while cross-inoculation within Allocasuarina was frequent it was less marked than within Casuarina. SomeFrankia inocula had wider host ranges than others, nodulating outside the genus or series of origin. It was not possible to determine if these apparent wider ranges in host spectra reflected genotypic differences betweenFrankia or were associated with the presence of more than oneFrankia strain in some inocula.     

Ethnobotany of WopkaiminPandanus significant Papua New Guinea plant resource

Pandanus is well represented in Papua New Guinea with over 66 species growing from sea level to 3,000 m. The territory of the Wopkaimin, who live at the headwaters of the Ok Tedi in the Star and Hindenburg Mountains, is particularly rich in wild and domesticated species ofPandanus. Detailed analysis of the species in classification, ecology, subsistence, ritual and material culture not only establishesPandanus as a locally significant plant resource but also contributes to the comparative understanding of ethnobiological systems. A close correspondence with botanical taxa of generic and specific rank and an absence of the most inclusive taxon term for plant are 2 cross-culturally important findings substantiated in WopkaiminPandanus taxonomy.     

Etolo hunting performance and energetics

Analyses of nearly 3000 hr of hunting for mammals by Etolo people of Papua New Guinea reveal that older hunters were more successful than younger hunters, that increased success was due, in large part, to higher rates of capture for only two of 24 prey species, and that access to a good hunting dog accounted for the increase in rate of capture for one of these two species. A comparison of Gadio Enga and Rofaifo mammal hunting with that of Etolo reveals a marked decline in energy and protein yields with increase of altitude. This is attributed to altitudinal changes in the composition of the available fauna within Papua New Guinea and to reinforcing effects from increased human population density.     

New genera and species of Chrysobalanaceae from Malesia and Oceania

Two new genera of Chrysobalanaceae are described.Hunga distributed in New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands and Papua and New Guinea, contains eight species, three new, and five formerly placed in the generaAngelesia, Licania andParinari.Kostermanthus is described to accommodate two species with united filaments formerly placed inParinari andAcioa. Both new genera are quite as distinct as others of the family and have been overlooked by undue emphasis placed on the single character of a bilocular ovary.Licania palawanensis Prance is also described; it is the second species of its genus from Malesia.     

Rhodocybe pulchrisperma (Entolomataceae): A new species from North America

Rhodocybe pulchrisperma is described as a new species of Agaricales from North America. It belongs in section Rhodocybe due to the brightly colored pseudocystidia and lack of clamp connections. The very large, handsomely ornamented basidiospores distinguish this species from others in the section. A key to taxa from Florida, Papua New Guinea, and India that exhibit similar features is presented.     

Melanotaenia iris,a new freshwater rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae) from Papua New Guinea with notes on the fish fauna in Head Waters

A new melanotaeniid rainbowfish,Melanotaenia iris, is described from mountain tributaries of the Strickland River in west-central Papua New Guinea. It is most closely related toM. goldiei of southern New Guinea, but differs in colour pattern, a distinctive high number of scales on the suborbital-preopercle bones, and a greater number of soft dorsal fin rays. Notes are also included on the poorly developed fish fauna of head waters in the Fly-Strickland and Sepik river systems. Most streams thus far investigated have less than 4 species. The plotosid catfishTandanus equinus appears to be the most successful colonizer of fast-flowing highland streams in the Fly-Strickland system and is sometimes the only species present.     

The isolation,culture and infectivity of aFrankia strain fromGymnostoma papuanum (Casuarinaceae)

A strain ofFrankia was isolated fromGymnostoma papuanum(Casuarinaceae) nodules harvested from rooted cuttings which had been inoculated with a suspension of crushedCasuarina equisetifolia nodules. Designated HFPGpI1 (catalogue #HFP021801), this strain is pigmented and similar to other pigmentedFrankia strains in cultural characteristics. A previously unknown spiraled hyphal morphology was observed at very low frequency in some cultures of this strain. HFPGpI1 is infective and effective onG. papuanum but not on anyCasuarina species tested. It also infects members of the family Elaeagnaceae andMyrica gale. The host plantG. papuanum can be infected with a wide range ofFrankia isolates and thus can be considered a promiscuous host, unlike its close relatives in the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina which are very restrictive as to which strains may nodulate them.     

Paraplagusia longirostris,a new flatfish (Cynoglossidae) from Australia and Papua New Guinea

A new species of tongue sole,Paraplagusia longirostris, is described from 59 specimens (83.0– 276.2 mm SL) collected off the northern coast of Australia and southern coast of Papua New Guinea.P. longirostris is easily distinguishable from otherParaplagusia by its long, obtusely pointed snout and its high counts for dorsal and anal fin rays, caudal vertebrae and mid-lateral line scales.     

Correlations between the ages of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alnus</Emphasis> host species and the genetic diversity of associated endosymbiotic<Emphasis Type="Italic">Frankia</Emphasis> strains from nodules

Nodule samples were collected from four alder species:Alnus nepalensis, A. sibirica, A. tinctoria andA. mandshurica growing in different environments on Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan Province of Southwest China and on Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province of Northeast China. PCR-RFLP analysis of the IGS betweennifD andnifK genes was directly applied to unculturedFrankia strains in the nodules. A total of 21 restriction patterns were obtained. TheFrankia population in the nodules ofA. nepalensis had the highest genetic diversity among all fourFrankia populations; by contrast, the population in the nodules ofA. mandshurica had the lowest degree of divergence; the ones in the nodules ofA. sibirica andA. tinctoria were intermediate. A dendrogram, which was constructed based on the genetic distance between the restriction patterns, indicated thatFrankia strains fromA. sibirica andA. tinctoria had a close genetic relationship.Frankia strains fromA. nepalensis might be the ancestor ofFrankia strains infecting otherAlnus species. From these results and the inference of the ages ofAlnus host species, it is deduced that there was a co-evolution betweenAlnus and its microsymbiontFrankia in China.     

Sodium-rich tree ash as a native salt source in lowland Papua

The Gidra-speaking Papuans of the Oriomo Plateau, lowland Papua New Guinea, consume ash of two tree species (Melaleuca sp. andAcacia mangium) as a native salt. The ashes contain 100–200 mg sodium/g ash, which is very much higher than the sodium levels in native plant ashes (except for the swamp herbEriocaulon australe) collected in other regions of the world.     

Helminths of rodents and marsupials from Papua New Guinea,with the description of two new species,Echinostoma echymiperae n. sp. (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) and Vampirolepis peroryctis n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae)

The following rodents and marsupials from the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea have been examined for helminths: Anisomys imitator, Melomys spp., Pogonomelomys ruemmleri, Rattus spp., Echymipera kalubu and Peroryctes raffrayanus. Two new species and a number of new host records are reported. Echinostoma echymiperae n. sp., a digenean from the intestine of Echymipera kalubu, is characterised by the number of collar spines, the body armature and the shape and position of the gonads. Vampirolepis peroryctis n. sp., a cestode from the intestine of Peroryctes raffrayanus, is characterised by the length of the rostellar hooks, the shape of the ovary, the arrangement of the testes in a triangle and the extent of the cirrus-sac. Hymenolepis aklei, H. bradleyi, H. antechini, H. bettongiae, H. cercarteti, H. isoodontis and H. potoroi are transferred to Vampirolepis as new combinations. E. kalubu is a new host for Linstowia semoni and Pogonomelomys ruemmleri is a new host for Hymenolepis diminuta. V. peroryctis is the first platyhelminth to be reported from Peroryctes raffrayanus and Raillietina (Raillietina) sp. the second to be reported from the genus Melomys.     

Infectivity and effectivity of Frankia strains from the Rhamnaceae family on different actinorhizal plants

Ten strains of Frankia isolated from root nodules of plant species from five genera of the host family Rhamnaceae were assayed in cross inoculation assays. They were tested on host plants belonging to four actinorhizal families: Trevoa trinervis (Rhamnaceae), Elaeagnus angustifolia (Elaeagnaceae), Alnus glutinosa (Betulaceae) and Casuarina cunninghamiana (Casuarinaceae). All Frankia strains from the Rhamnaceae were able to infect and nodulate both T. trinervis and E. angustifolia. Strain ChI4 isolated from Colletia hystrix was also infective on Alnus glutinosa. All nodules showed a positive acetylene reduction indicating that the microsymbionts used as inoculants were effective in nitrogen fixation. The results suggest that Frankia strains from Rhamnaceae belong to the Elaeagnus-infective subdivision of the genus Frankia.     

Copper tolerance in Frankia sp. strain EuI1c involves surface binding and copper transport

Several Frankia strains have been shown to be copper-tolerant. The mechanism of their copper tolerance was investigated for Frankia sp. strain EuI1c. Copper binding was shown by binding studies. Unusual globular structures were observed on the surface of the bacterium. These globular structures were composed of aggregates containing many relatively smaller “leaf-like” structures. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDAX) analysis of these structures indicated elevated copper and phosphate levels compared to the control cells. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated an increase in extracellular phosphate on the cell surface of copper-stressed cells. Bioinformatics’ analysis of the Frankia sp. strain EuI1c genome revealed five potential cop genes: copA, copZ, copC, copCD, and copD. Experiments with Frankia sp. strain EuI1c using qRT-PCR indicated an increase in messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the five cop genes upon Cu²⁺ stress. After 5 days of Cu²⁺ stress, the copA, copZ, copC, copCD, and copD mRNA levels increased 25-, 8-, 18-, 18-, and 25-fold, respectively. The protein profile of Cu²⁺-stressed Frankia sp. strain EuI1c cells revealed the upregulation of a 36.7 kDa protein that was identified as FraEuI1c_1092 (sulfate-binding periplasmic transport protein). Homologues of this gene were only present in the genomes of the Cu²⁺-resistant Frankia strains (EuI1c, DC12, and CN3). These data indicate that copper tolerance by Frankia sp. strain EuI1c involved the binding of copper to the cell surface and transport proteins.     

New guinea salt fern (Asplenium acrobryum complex): Identity,distribution, and chemical composition of its salt

Fronds of a fern of theAsplenium acrobryum complex were traditionally used as a source of salt in the inland areas of Papua New Guinea. All previously published reports of the use of fern salt in the botanical and ethnobotanical literature had erroneously identified the species involved asAsplenium nidus, one of the common bird’s-nest ferns. A chemical analysis of the salts contained in the ash of the salt fern as well as those species related toAsplenium nidus revealed that the bulk of the inorganic component was potassium, calcium and chloride. These results are comparable to those published for the salt-yielding grass,Coix gigantean. There is no obvious chemical reason why onlyAsplenium acrobryum should be used for salt production in preference toAsplenium nidus and related species. In view of the low levels of consumption of such salt it is unlikely that there will be any cases of potassium toxicity attributable to the use of these plants.     

Pandanus from Ok Tedi region,Papua New Guinea,collected by Debra Donoghue

In the course of ethnobotanical and ethnoarchaeological studies in the Ok Tedi region, Kiunga subprovince, Western Province, Papua New Guinea, Debra Donoghue collected several botanical specimens as vouchers for her studies into the prehistory of edible-nut pandans in the New Guinea Highlands and for David Hyndman’s study of the use and names of pandans in the region. These specimens were submitted to me through Dr. Hyndman for identification, and one set of duplicates has been deposited in the Lae Herbarium (PNG) and another in the University of Malaya Herbarium (KLU). Some of the collections are of considerable botanical interest, representing hitherto little-known species. One collection represents a new edible-nut species. The following list contains the botanical identifications, collection data, and some taxonomic comments. All the collections were made in June 1981. The Ok Tedi region is located around 5°12’S, 141°17’E.