Microstructural characterization of the body key scale morphology in six Iranian endemic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphanius</Emphasis> species (Cyprinodontidae): Their taxonomic and evolutionary significance

The microstructural characteristics of the body key scales were described for six Iranian endemic Aphanius Nardo, 1827 species. Among them, five species genetically belong to the “Iranian inland and inland-related Aphanius species, IIRAS” group, while A. ginaonis (Holly, 1929) belongs to the “brackish water species” group. General scale shape in the studied Aphanius species was cycloid with the exception of A. ginaonis, which has cycloid scales with few spinous-like structures present in the posterior edge of the scales. Considering phylogenetic relationships of the studied taxa, the most likely explanation for presence of the spinous scales in Aphanius species is the primary existence of these scales in this group. In addition, among the IIRAS group, the most different lepidont was recognized in scales of the A. isfahanensis Hrbek, Keivany and Coad, 2006 (pointed), which is similar to lepidonts in the A. ginaonis. The scales of these species are polygonal with similar typology. The similarity in lepidont morphology between A. ginaonis and A. isfahanensis can explained by (i) the primary existence of the rounded lepidont in this group, and (ii) since A. ginaonis and A. isfahanensis belong to two separate phylogenetic lineages, therefore, similarity in their lepidont morphology could be results of convergent evolution.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaphoglossum mickeliorum</Emphasis> (Dryopteridaceae), a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaphoglossum</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polytrichia</Emphasis> from Peru

Elaphoglossum mickeliorum, a new species from the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes, is here described and illustrated. It belongs to E. sect. Polytrichia, which is characterized by the presence of subulate scales and absence of hydathodes on the sterile leaves of adult sporophytes. Herbarium specimens of this new species were first collected by Alwyn H. Gentry ca. 40 years ago, but these got readily confused with E. erinaceum and went undescribed since then. The new species differs from members of the E. erinaceum complex by having a nearly continuous band of planar, nonsubulate scales along the laminar margins of sterile leaves. Based on this character, E. mickeliorum resembles species such as E. glaziovii, E. ornatum, and E. scolopendrifolium. It differs from these by the presence of minute glandular hairs on petioles and costae. A distribution map and a figure with line drawings are also provided. For comparative purposes, the line drawing includes E. blepharoglottis, which is here illustrated for the first time.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Copidosoma</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae) from Israel

A new species of the genus Copidosoma from Israel is described. The female of Copidosoma trjapitzini is similar to those of C. scutellare, C. agrotis, and C. cuproviride. All the four species possess a similar mesosomal sculpture, coarse on the mesoscutum and more or less striate on the scutellum, and the solid clava obliquely truncate at apex. C. trjapitzini differs from C. agrotis in the larger size and from C. cuproviride, in the black head and mesosoma. The type material is deposited in the collection of the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology (Ukraine, Kiev); two paratypes, at the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg).     

A new species of the conodont genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polygnathus</Emphasis> from the Tournaisian of the northern Urals,Chernyshev Ridge and Pai-Khoi

A new conodont species, Polygnathus postvogesi sp. nov., from the Tournaisian deepwater deposits of the northern Urals, southeastern part of the Chernyshev Ridge, and central Pai-Khoi is described. The new species continue the phylogenetic lineage of the Late Devonian polygnathid P. marginvolutus Gedik, P. vogesi Ziegler.     

The lateral line system and its innervation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lateolabrax japonicus</Emphasis> (Percoidei <Emphasis Type="Italic">incertae sedis</Emphasis>) and two apogonids (Apogonidae), with special reference to superficial neuromasts (Teleostei: Percomorpha)

The lateral line system and its innervation were examined in a generalized perch-like species, Lateolabrax japonicus (Percoidei incertae sedis), and compared with those in two species of Apogonidae (Fowleria variegata in Apogonichthyini and Ostorhinchus doederleini in Ostorhinchini) characterized by proliferated superficial neuromasts (SNs) on the head, trunk lateral line scales and caudal fin. The total number of SNs differed greatly between the two groups, being 271 in the former, and 2,403 and 4,088 in the latter. The mandibular ramus (MDR) was extensively ramified in the head of the apogonids, with three additional branches that were absent in L. japonicus, innervating 1,117 SNs in F. variegata and 1,928 in O. doederleini. In the apogonids, the additional anterodorsal branch of the MDR coursed parallel to the buccal ramus anteriorly (on the interorbital space) and to the supratemporal ramus posteriorly (on the temporal region). The two parallel portions supplied numerous SN rows forming a characteristic crosshatch pattern, the branch and two rami distributing to transverse and longitudinal rows, respectively. In the two groups, the trunk lateral line scales each housed a canal neuromast (CN; partly replaced by an SN in F. variegata). In addition, one to four (in L. japonicus) and three to 55 (in the apogonids) SNs occurred on each lateral line scale, the pattern of SN innervation being identical in having two types of branches; one innervated a CN and SNs, and the other SN(s) only. The latter type extended only to a limited number of scales in L. japonicus, but to nearly all or all scales in the apogonids. Compared with F. variegata, branches of the respective types were more finely ramified with greater number of SNs in O. doederleini.     

Biological and genetic characteristics of deepwater redfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastes mentella</Emphasis> (Scorpaenidae) from the open part of the Norwegian Sea

The analysis is conducted of the biological and genetic characteristics of deepwater redfish Sebastes mentella from the open part of the Norwegian Sea. A similarity of the studied sample with analogous groups of deepwater redfish from the Northeast Atlantic in biological parameters and their dynamics is revealed. Polymorphism is registered in three of the nine studied enzyme loci: malic enzyme (NADF-dependent malatedehydrogenase), MEP-1*; phosphoglucomutase from the liver, PGM-2*; and glucose-6-phosphateisomerase, PGI*. A pairwise comparison of allele frequencies shows a similarity of the samples of deepwater redfish from the enclave of the Norwegian Sea. In addition, based on a pairwise analysis, significant differences are absent between the samples with similar biological characteristics from the open part of the Norwegian Sea and the Irminger Sea.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sagum</Emphasis> Wilson, 1913 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Lernanthropidae) parasitic on reef fishes off the Ryukyu Islands

Two new species of parasitic copepods, Sagum gurukun n. sp. and S. bitaro n. sp. (Siphonostomatoida: Lernanthropidae), are described based on specimens collected from the gill filaments of the double-lined fusilier Pterocaesio digramma (Bleeker) (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Caesionidae) and the five-lined snapper Lutjanus quinquelineatus (Bloch) (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Lutjanidae), respectively, caught off Iriomote-jima Island, the Ryukyu Islands, East China Sea, Japan. The findings bring the number of species of Sagum to 14. The two new species are similar in the morphology of the head and the legs 3 and 4 to the three congeners, S. folium Ho, Liu & Liu, 2011, S. paracaesionis Izawa, 2014 and S. vietnamiensis Kazachenko, Kovaleva, Nguyen & Ngo, 2017. Sagum gurukun n. sp. is differentiated from the three congeners by the proportions of the caudal rami, the absence of leg 5, and the shape of the legs 1 and 2. Sagum bitaro n. sp. differs from the three congeners and S. gurukun n. sp. by the presence of the conical leg 5 armed with an apical seta. A key to the species of the genus Sagum, based on the available information on female morphology in previous publications and the present study, is provided. To date, a total of 19 species of lernanthropid copepods considered valid are known in Japanese waters.     

Two New Species of Goby of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astrabe</Emphasis> from Japan

Two species of goby belonging to the genus Astrabe are described from Japan as new species, A. flavimaculata and A. fasciata. A. flavimaculata is distinguishable from A. lactisella, the type species and hitherto the only known species of the genus, in that it has no protrusion on the upper posterior part of the dermal fold along the upper margin of the eye, fewer scales in a longitudinal row, predorsal scales, scales on the belly, a narrower white transverse band across the base of the pectoral fins, and in life yellow markings on a dark brown ground colour except for the white transverse band across the base of the pectoral fins. A. fasciata is distinguishable from A. lactisella in that it has fewer scales in a transverse row, a narrower scaled area on the lateral side of the body, a narrower white transverse band across the base of the pectoral fins, and a white transverse band across the anterior part of the 1st dorsal fin extending to the ventral side of the body.     

A new species of mites of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bakerdania</Emphasis> (Acari,Heterostigmata, Pygmephoridae) from European Russia

The new species, Bakerdania canabae found in barley grain in Nizhnii Novgorod brewery, is described. The new species is similar to B. bavarica (Krczal, 1959), but differs in the absence of apodemae 5 and pinnaculum at the base of seta tc″ on tibiotarsus 1.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pempheris</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Pempheridae) endemic to the Ogasawara Islands,Japan

Pempheris familia sp. nov. is described on the basis of two specimens collected from the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. The new species is most similar to Pempheris japonica Döderlein in Steindachner and Döderlein 1883, endemic to Japanese and Korean waters, in having adherent scales with strong ctenii on the lateral and ventral surfaces of the body, each scale expanded basally and distally due to central narrowing, the abdomen with a U-shaped cross-sectional outline, a large ventral fenestra between the coracoid and cleithrum, 10 dorsal-fin soft rays and 35 or 36 anal-fin soft rays. However, Pempheris familia can be distinguished from P. japonica by the following combination of characters: 84–88 pored lateral-line scales; 14 or 15 scale rows above the lateral line; 50–55 predorsal scales; 26 circumpeduncular scales; and a distinct blackish blotch on the pectoral-fin base. Pempheris familia appears to be endemic to the Ogasawara Islands.     

A New Species and Subgenus of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxicum</Emphasis> Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae, Toxicini) from the Russian Far East

A new tenebrionid species, Toxicum elviraesp. n. (Tenebrioninae: Toxicini), is described from Primorskii Territory of Russia. The new species belongs to the subgenus Mutiloxicumsubgen. n. and differs from the congeners in the absence of horns on the male head (only supra-orbital swellings and a small epistomal tubercle are present), in the erect pubescence on the outer surface of the mandible, and in the strongly projecting, acute anterior angles of the pronotum. The new species feeds on epiphytic foliose physcioid lichens, in contrast to the other Toxicum species which feed on bracket fungi (Polyporales). The taxonomic significance of the head armature in the subtribe Toxicina is discussed. A key to the genera of the subtribe Toxicini is given.     

A fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR assay for accurate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pocillopora damicornis</Emphasis> species identification

Pocillopora damicornis is one of the most extensively studied coral species globally, but high levels of phenotypic plasticity within the genus make species identification based on morphology alone unreliable. As a result, there is a compelling need to develop cheap and time-effective molecular techniques capable of accurately distinguishing P. damicornis from other congeneric species. Here, we develop a fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay to genotype a single nucleotide polymorphism that accurately distinguishes P. damicornis from other morphologically similar Pocillopora species. We trial the assay across colonies representing multiple Pocillopora species and then apply the assay to screen samples of Pocillopora spp. collected at regional scales along the coastline of Western Australia. This assay offers a cheap and time-effective alternative to Sanger sequencing and has broad applications including studies on gene flow, dispersal, recruitment and physiological thresholds of P. damicornis.     

The genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ashinaga</Emphasis> Matsumura, 1929 and its position in the classification of the gelechioid moths (Lepidoptera,Gelechiiformes)

Ashinaga Matsumura, 1929 is most closely related to Lactistica Meyrick, 1907. The only difference between these genera is the presence of long scales on the male antennae in Ashinaga and their absence in Lactistica. The genus name Aeolarcha Meyrick, 1931 is considered as a junior synonym of Ashinaga Matsumura, 1929. This genus is more closely related to the family Oecophoridae, and not to Stathmopodidae. The latter taxon is considered a distinct family. The synonymy of Oecophoridae and Ashinagidae is substantiated.     

A review of the Indo-Pacific bonefishes of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Albula argentea</Emphasis> complex,with a description of a new species

In this statement about numbers of nominal and valid species, the bonefish Albula argentea (Forster in Bloch and Schneider 1801) of the western and South Pacific, previously regarded as an unavailable name, is a senior synonym of Albula forsteri Valenciennes (an unnecessary replacement name for A. argentea) and A. neoguinaica Valenciennes. It is easily distinguished from the wide-ranging A. glossodonta (Forsskål 1775) by its more pointed lower jaw and higher vertebral and lateral-line scale counts. It is most similar to the Indian Ocean A. oligolepis, described here as a new species, and the endemic Hawaiian A. virgata Jordan and Jordan, resurrected from synonymy. Albula argentea differs from its two related species by higher counts of pored lateral-line scales and vertebrae. It has 68–74 (mode 70) lateral-line scales vs. 61–65 (63) for A. oligolepis and 63–67 (65) for A. virgata, and 71–74 (73) vertebrae vs. 64–66 (65) for A. oligolepis and 65–68 (67) for A. virgata. Albula virgata differs further from A. oligolepis in having the pelvic fin tip reaching beyond the anus (vs. short of or just reaching anus) and higher numbers of scale rows above the lateral line 9–10 (9) vs. 7½–8 (8) for A. oligolepis.     

Continued feeding on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diporeia</Emphasis> by deepwater sculpin in Lake Huron

Monitoring changes in diets of fish is essential to understanding how food web dynamics respond to changes in native prey abundances. In the Great Lakes, Diporeia, a benthic macroinvertebrate and primary food of native benthivores, declined following the introduction of invasive Dreissena mussels and these changes were reflected in fish diets. We examined the diets of deepwater sculpin Myoxocephalus thompsonii collected in bottom trawls during 2010–2014 in the main basin of Lake Huron, and compared these results to an earlier diet study (2003–2005) to assess if their diets have continued to change after a prolonged period of Dreissena mussel invasion and declined Diporeia densities. Diporeia, Mysis, Bythotrephes, and Chironomidae were consumed regularly and other diet items included ostracods, copepods, sphaerid clams, and fish eggs. The prey-specific index of relative importance calculated for each prey group indicated that Mysis importance increased at shallow (≤55 m) and mid (64–73 m) depths, while Diporeia importance increased offshore (≥82 m). The average number of Diporeia consumed per fish increased by 10.0% and Mysis decreased by 7.5%, while the frequency of occurrence of Diporeia and Mysis remained comparable between time periods. The weight of adult deepwater sculpin (80 mm and 100 mm TL bins) increased between time periods; however, the change in weight was only significant for the 80 mm TL group (p?<?0.01). Given the historical importance of Diporeia in the Great Lakes, the examination of deepwater sculpin diets provides unique insight into the trophic dynamics of the benthic community in Lake Huron.     

Three new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acropoma</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Acropomatidae) from the Indian Ocean

Three new species of Acropoma are described from the Indian Ocean. These species have been identified as “A. japonicum Günther 1859” by many authors, but clearly differ from A. japonicum in the shape and length of the luminous gland, counts of pectoral-fin rays and scales between first dorsal-fin base and lateral line, and other diagnostic characters. Acropoma heemstrai sp. nov. is described on the basis of 17 specimens (53.1–121.0 mm standard length: SL) collected from South Africa and Mozambique. It is distinguished from other congeners by its unique moderate Y-shaped luminous gland, extending from the throat to midway between the origins of the pelvic and anal fins, (luminous gland length 23.1–27.0% SL) and a pointed protrusion on the symphysis of lower jaw. Acropoma lacrima sp. nov. is described on the basis of 6 specimens (64.1–77.9 mm SL) collected from the Arabian Sea. Also, this species has been previously reported as “A. argentistigma Okamoto and Ida 2002” from the Bay of Bengal. It is characterized by having a vertical line on the cheek, short U-shaped luminous gland (luminous gland length 15.0–16.0% SL), and weakly ctenoid and cycloid scales on the side of the body. Acropoma neglectum sp. nov. is described on the basis of 5 specimens (105.3–168.5 mm standard length: SL) collected from the Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea. It is similar to A. japonicum in having a short U-shaped luminous gland, but differs in having a shorter luminous gland (12.0–13.4% SL vs. 17.0–20.8% SL in A. japonicum), 3 scales between first dorsal-fin base and lateral line (vs. 4 scales in A. japonicum), and 16–17 pectoral-fin rays [vs. 14–16 (modally 15) in A. japonicum].