A phylogeny of Pacific fiddler crabs of the subgenus Minuca (Crustacea,Brachyura, Ocypodidae: Uca) with the description of a new species from a tropical gulf in Pacific Costa Rica

The phylogeny of all Pacific fiddler crab representatives of the subgenus Minuca Bott, 1954 (sensu Beinlich and von Hagen, 2006) is reconstructed. For the molecular analysis, Cox1 mitochondrial and 28S ribosomal nuclear DNA sequences were used. According to these data, same transisthmian sister species relationships are confirmed and a new species of the genus Uca Leach, 1814, Uca osa sp. n., is described from Golfo Dulce, a tropical gulf in Pacific Costa Rica. Morphological as well as molecular data confirm distinctness of this species compared with all other members of the subgenus Minuca, to which it belongs. Distinctive morphological traits are presented to distinguish Uca osa sp. n. from its congeners in the Eastern Pacific.     

A review of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gerres subfasciatus</Emphasis> complex from the Indo-West Pacific,with three new species (Perciformes: Gerreidae)

Gerres japonicus Bleeker, 1854, and Gerres subfasciatus Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1830, are redescribed, and Gerres akazakii sp. nov. (Japanese endemic), Gerres ryukyuensis sp. nov. (Okinawa I., Japan), and Gerres shima sp. nov. (Indo-Malayan region, including the Andaman Sea, Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan, and Ryukyu Is., Japan) are described. Gerres ovatus Günther, 1859, and Gerres kapas Bleeker, 1854, are recognized as junior synonyms of G. subfasciatus and Gerres oyena (Forsskål, 1775), respectively. All species (except G. oyena) have a small (<170?mm in standard length: SL), moderately deep (depth 36–48% SL), body with dark vertical bars, dorsal fin rays X, 9 or IX, 10, and 31/2 or 41/2 scale rows between the 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line, defined as the G. subfasciatus complex. The five species can be variously differentiated from each other by dorsal head squamation, and differing meristic, morphometric, and color characters. They are generally distributed sympatrically in the Indo-West Pacific. Other nominal species of uncertain status or relationship are discussed.     

A genetic study of sika (Cervus nippon) in the New Forest and in the Purbeck region, southern England: is there evidence of recent or past hybridization with red deer (Cervus elaphus)?

Sika Cervus nippon are native to Japan and East Asia but are now naturalized in many parks of the world, including Britain. In contrast to the substantial body of research on the extent of hybridization between sika and red deer Cervus elaphus in Scottish populations, there has been little genetic analysis of the English populations of sika. Sika in England still have a patchy and discontinuous distribution; populations are thus still genetically isolated and may be expected to show higher variability in genetic type. The current paper uses DNA-based techniques to explore the genetic composition of sika in the New Forest (Hampshire) and that of sika from the largest population in England, in the Purbeck region (Dorset). The study aims were to determine whether New Forest sika show signs of recent interbreeding with New Forest red deer populations, whether New Forest sika are genetically distinct from Purbeck sika, and whether New Forest and Purbeck sika show evidence of past hybridization or whether they are pure (non-hybrid) strains. Microsatellite analysis was used to compare the genetic profiles of individual deer. Results showed that sika and red deer in the New Forest were genetically distinct, indicating that there is no large-scale in situ hybridization occurring between these feral populations. In terms of overall genetic composition, there was no significant difference between the sika in the New Forest and Purbeck. However, a more detailed analysis found that New Forest sika showed a lower level of introgression with red deer compared with the Purbeck sika. We conclude that, overall, the New Forest sika deer do appear to be more genetically pure bred than the Purbeck sika.