Taxonomic review of the genus Hypoatherina Schultz 1948 (Atheriniformes: Atherinidae)

The marine atherinid fishes of the genus Hypoatherina Schultz 1948 (Atherinidae: Atherinomorinae) were redefined from both morphological and molecular analyses, and eight of the ten included species were redescribed. In the molecular phylogeny, four regions of mitochondrial DNA were analyzed. The results of both trees of maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses indicated the paraphyly of the former Hypoatherina. “Atherina” valenciennei and “Atherina” woodwardi, both formerly belonging to Hypoatherina, show closer relationships with Atherinomorus duodecimalis and Atherinomorus aetholepis. “Hypoatherina” celebesensis is also apart from the clade including the majority of Hypoatherina species. In contrast, H. panatela, formerly regarded as a member of the genus Stenatherina Schultz 1948, is included in the present Hypoatherina clade. The present molecular phylogeny of the genus Hypoatherina can be supported by morphology. The genus Hypoatherina is redefined by the following combinations of characters: ascending process of premaxilla long and slender, its height more than 2.7 times the maximum width; both anterior and posterior lateral processes of premaxilla narrow and deep, the anterior process almost the same as or slightly deeper than the posterior process; premaxilla not tapering posteriorly; posterior upper margin of dentary with a prominent process; upper posterior limb of dentary with round or somewhat angular posteroventral corner; anterior preopercular ridge with a deep notch just above the corner; anus situated posterior to or slightly anterior to appressed pelvic-fin tip in adults; dorsoventral height of exposed area in the midlateral scale (third) row wide, almost equal to the maximum height of the scale, and almost the same height as scales just above or below the midlateral row. The redefined Hypoatherina includes the following ten species: H. barnesi—widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific; H. gobio (lectotype designated herein)—restricted to the Red Sea; H. golanii—restricted to the Gulf of Aqaba, inner Red Sea; H. klunzingeri—from Mozambique to eastern South Africa; H. lunata—distributed in Japan and Indonesia; H. panatela—from western and central Pacific Ocean; H. temminckii—widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific (neotype designated herein); H. tropicalis—restricted to the northeastern coast of Australia; H. tsurugae—occurring in Japan and South Korea; and H. uisila—distributed in the western and central Pacific Ocean.     

The status of the gobioid genusParoxyurichthys

Examination of the holotype and only known specimen ofParoxyurichthys typus Bleeker, 1876, from Indonesia revealed it to have distinctions of the cephalic lateralis, post-cranial axial osteology and pigmentation diagnostic ofGobionellus oceanicus (Pallas, 1770) of the western Atlantic.Paroxyurichthys Bleeker, 1876, is a junior synonym ofGobionellus Girard, 1859. The only other species commonly referred toParoxyurichthys, Oxyurichthys laterisquamatus Weber, 1908, from New Guinea, has anterior nares medial to the oculoscapular canals of the snout. This feature is a synapomorphy of the genusStenogobius Bleeker, 1874. The new combination,Stenogobius laterisquamatus is proposed.     

Nomenclatural status of the fish names created by J. C. van Hasselt (1823) and of some cobitoid genera

The nomenclatural status of the 16 genera and 42 species of fishes described by van Hasselt is reviewed. One genus is preoccupied and 4 genera and 26 species are nomina nuda. The status of some cobitoid generic names is reviewed with greater details:Noemacheilus van Hasselt is a nomen nudum;Acantophthalmus van Hasselt is a junior synonym ofCobitis Linnaeus andAcanthophthalmus Bleeker is an incorrect spelling; the fishes usually calledAcanthophthalmus arePangio Blyth;Acanthopsis Bleeker is an incorrect spelling ofAcantopsis van Hasselt;Acanthopsis Agassiz is valid and its type species isA. angustus Agassiz.     

Genetic affinities of the North American species of Hibiscus sect. Trionum

Study of herbarium specimens, crossing behavior, chromosome conjugation, and live populations has shown that the endemic North American species ofHibiscus sect.Trionum comprise two distinct genetic groups.Hibiscus militaris Cav. andH. coccineus Walt, crossed readily and yielded fertile Fi’s. Also,H. incanus Wendl.,H. moscheutos L., andH. lasiocarpos Cav. crossed freelyinter se, and the hybrids were all vigorous and fertile. However, crosses of these three forms with eitherH. militaris orH. coccineus gave lethal hybrids. Preliminary evidence suggests thatH. palustris L. is similar toH. moscheutos, H. incanus, andH. lasiocarpos in crossing behavior. These four forms were found to occur in distinct geographical areas. They may be considered as ecotypes of a single ecospecies.H. grandiflorus Michx. is morphologically related to this alliance, but yielded a viable fertile hybrid when crossed withH. coccineus. Further study of the affinities ofH. grandiflorus andH. palustris is in progress.     

Redescription ofApogon (Ostorhinchus) fleurieu (Lacepède, 1802) with notes on its synonymy

The speciesOstorhinchus fleurieu Lacepède, 1802 is recognized as a senior synonym ofApogon aureus (Lacepède, 1802) on the basis of diagnostic colour features of Lacepède’s illustration of the species (after Commerson). The species is redescribed and a neotype designated. The synonymy of the species is discussed in the light of the history of Commerson’s and Lacepède’s work.Nectamia is replaced byOstorhinchus as a subgenus ofApogon.     

Five new species of Heteropterys (Malpighiaceae) from Central and South America

Five-new taxa ofHeteropterys H. B. K. subsect.Aptychia Nied. are described, illustrated, and mapped:H. andina from Peru;H. minutiflora from Costa Rica; andH. bullata, H. capixaba, andH. oberdanii, from the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil. The affinities and diagnostic characters of each species are discussed.     

Tirant Stealthily Invaded Natural Drosophila melanogaster Populations during the Last Century

It was long thought that solely three different transposable elements (TEs)—the I-element, the P-element, and hobo—invaded natural Drosophila melanogaster populations within the last century. By sequencing the “living fossils” of Drosophila research, that is, D. melanogaster strains sampled from natural populations at different time points, we show that a fourth TE, Tirant, invaded D. melanogaster populations during the past century. Tirant likely spread in D. melanogaster populations around 1938, followed by the I-element, hobo, and, lastly, the P-element. In addition to the recent insertions of the canonical Tirant, D. melanogaster strains harbor degraded Tirant sequences in the heterochromatin which are likely due to an ancient invasion, likely predating the split of D. melanogaster and D. simulans. These degraded insertions produce distinct piRNAs that were unable to prevent the novel Tirant invasion. In contrast to the I-element, P-element, and hobo, we did not find that Tirant induces any hybrid dysgenesis symptoms. This absence of apparent phenotypic effects may explain the late discovery of the Tirant invasion. Recent Tirant insertions were found in all investigated natural populations. Populations from Tasmania carry distinct Tirant sequences, likely due to a founder effect. By investigating the TE composition of natural populations and strains sampled at different time points, insertion site polymorphisms, piRNAs, and phenotypic effects, we provide a comprehensive study of a natural TE invasion.     

Passiflora linda,a new species from southern Ecuador

A new species ofPassiflora subgenusTacsonia from the province of Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador, is described. The species is illustrated and its affinities to other species within the subgenus are discussed.     

Tirant: A New Retrotransposon-Like Element in Drosophila melanogaster

In this paper we report a new retrotransposon-like element of Drosophila melanogaster called Tirant. This sequence is moderately repeated in the genome of this species and it has been found to be widely dispersed throughout its distribution area. From Southern blot and in situ analyses, this sequence appears to be mobile in D. melanogaster, since its chromosome location and the hybridization patterns vary among the different strains analyzed. In this way, partial sequencing of Tirant ends suggests that it is a retrotransposon, since it is flanked by two LTRs. The presence of sequences homologous to Tirant has been also investigated in 28 species of the genus Drosophila by means of Southern analyses. These sequences were only detected in species from melanogaster and obscura groups. These data suggest that ancestral sequences of Tirant appeared after the Sophophora radiation and before the divergence of those groups. Received: 1 January 1995 / Accepted: 20 August 1995     

Ecobiology and distribution ofSagittaria sagittifolia L. in Czechoslovakia

The paper summarizes hitherto known data concerning the biology and ecology ofSagittaria sagittifolia. The distribution of this species in Czechoslovakia was assessed on the basis of literature data, herbarium specimens and the authors’ own data. The occurrence of this species in plant communities is shown in tables from selected phytocoenological relevés. The chemical properties of the substratum in habitats ofSagittaria sagittifolia over all its distribution area in Czechoslovakia were studied and comparisons calculated by means of cluster analysis. Life cycle, seed production, germination and biomass production of this species were studied and compared with conditions in its habitats.     

The relationships of the genusAustralomymar [Hymenoptera: Mymaridae]

The holotype female ofAustralomymar aurigerum Girault is redescribed and figured. Comparative data on the types of the five described species ofPolynemoidea Girault are given, and the affinities of both genera briefly discussed. They are maintained as distinct genera, probably related toSelenaeus Waterhouse and elements of the large genusPolynema Haliday,s. l.     

Susceptibility of larvae ofHeliothis zea,H. virescens,andH. armigera [lep.: Noctuidae] to 3 baculoviruses

The pattern of virulence (based on inclusion bodies) for 3 baculoviruses ofHeliothis, i.e. a unicapsid, nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HzSNPV); a multicapsid, nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HaMNPV); and a granulosis virus (HaGIV) was the same (HzSNPV>HaMNPV>HaGIV) for 3 species ofHeliothis. Based on numbers of nucleocapsids, however, the HaGIV was ca 2X more virulent than the HaMNPV for larvae ofH. virescens, (F.), and the HaMNPV was about 6X more virulent than the HaGIV for larvae ofH. armigera (Hübner). The fastest rate of larval mortality was obtained with HzSNPV. Although the mortality rate for HaGIV was faster than that of HaMNPV forH. virescens andH. armigera, it was slower than that of HaMNPV for larvae ofH. zea (Boddie). The pattern of susceptibility ofHeliothis species to HzSNPV and HaMNPV wasH. zea>H. virescens>H. armigera. Differences in susceptibility of the least susceptible species (H. armigera) and the most susceptible species (H. zea) to HzSNPV was ca. 1.6 X. Larvae ofH. zea, however, were ca. 4 to 6 X more susceptible to HaMNPV than were larvae ofH. virescens orH. armigera. A different pattern of susceptibility was recorded for HaGIV when larvae were challenged with HzSNPV and HaMNPV. Larvae ofH. virescens were ca. 20 and 35 X more susceptible to HaGIV than were larvae ofH. zea andH. armigera, respectively.     

New finds ofOmphalosaurus and a review of Triassic ichthyosaur paleobiogeography

Triassic ichthyosaurs are very widespread and diverse but most taxa are poorly known. New discoveries, such as described in this paper, underscore the first statement but only slowy invalidate the second. The first associated skeleton of the unusual durophagous ichthyosaurOmphalosaurus (O. wolfi) is reported from the Middle Triassic (earliest Ladinian) of the northern Alps. The vertebrae are of the ichthyosaurian type, firmly establishing the ichthyosaurian affinities of the genus. A round bone from the Muschelkalk of Franconia, Germany, is identified and described as a left humerus ofOmphalosaurus sp. These finds greatly extend the paleogeographic and temporal range ofOmphalosaurus which previously was only known from the western cratonic margin of North America and from Spitsbergen. The new records ofOmphalosaurus allow a revised differential diagnosis of the genus and a revision of its species. Valid species ofOmphalosaurus areO. nettarhynchus, O. nevadanus, andO. wolfi. In conjunction with such new insights into Triassic ichthyosaur distribution, it is necessary to address the validity of the poorly known genera such as the Middle TriassicPessosaurus. This taxon must be considered invalid because it lacks diagnostic characters. In assessing progress in research on Triassic ichthyosaurs and their paleobiogeography, it becomes apparent that supra-specific diversity appears largely known, at least for the pre-Norian record of North America, Europe, and East Asia.     

Cannibalism and interspecific predation in two predatory ladybirds in relation to prey abundance in the field

Life tables for two predatory ladybirds,Coccinella septempunctata andHarmonia axyridis, were constructed in two years in which prey abundance differed. The prey aphid,Aphis gossypii, was abundant on its primary host from late May to late June. Females ofH. axyridis andC. septempumctata laid their eggs during the increase and peak in aphid abundance. The oviposition period ofC. septempunctata started before and was shorter than that ofH. axyridis. In both species, intraguild predation and/or cannibalism of the egg and fourth instar stages, but rarely of other developmental stages, were observed. Fourth instar larvae ofH. axyridis had to complete their development when aphids were scarce more frequently than those ofC. septempunctata. The highest frequency of intra- and interspecific predation was of fourth instarH. axyridis larvae. In terms of intraguild predation, the larvae ofH. axyridis preyed on larvae ofC. septempunctata, but the reverse was not observed. Percentage survival from egg to adult inH. axyridis was higher than inC. septempunctata in both years, and least in both species in the year of low aphid abundance. These results suggest that prey abundance influenced the frequency of cannibalism and intraguild predation, which were important in structuring this guild of ladybirds.     

Systematic observations on tropical Asian medakas or ricefishes of the genusOryzias, with descriptions of four new species

The so-calledOryzias melastigma (McClelland, 1839), reported from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Malaysia by numerous authors beginning with Day (1877), is based mainly or entirely onAplocheilus panchax (Hamilton, 1822). India and Bangladesh have two species ofOryzias, both large. The deeper-bodied of these two species is reported for the first time asO. dancena (Hamilton, 1822). The other is identified asO. carnaticus (Jerdon, 1849). Myanmar has one large species,O. dancena, and one tiny species,O. uwai new species.Oryzias minutillus Smith, 1945 andO. uwai differ from all otherOryzias in having 4/5 instead of 5/6 principal caudal fin rays.Oryzias uwai differs fromO. minutillus in being more conspicuously pigmented and having large, 6-rayed pelvic fins often extending to anal fin origin instead of much smaller and shorter 5-rayed pelvic fins. In Thailand (including its part of the Mekong basin) three species are known: a large estuarine species tentatively identified asO. javanicus (Bleeker, 1854) and two tiny inland species,O. mekongensis Magtoon & Uwa, 1986, andO. minutillus. Oryzias minutillus from many localities are more or less melanoproctic, i.e. have a darkly pigmented genital or vent area not seen in other species. The Mekong basin in Laos has two large species,O. latipes (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) andO. pectoralis new species, distinguished by a prominent black blotch on the pectoral fin base, both recently collected in the Nam Theun watershed in central Laos; and two tiny species,O. mekongensis andO. minutillus. Only one species ofOryzias is known from the Mekong delta in Vietnam, the small moderately deep-bodiedO. haugiangensis new species, with 19–22 anal and 9–10 pectoral fin rays. The Indonesian island of Java has one large species,O. javanicus (Bleeker, 1852) with 21–25 anal and 11 pectoral fin rays, and one small species,O. hubbsi new species, with only 17–21 anal and 9 pectoral fin rays.     

Variation and distribution of esterase isozymes inHeteranthelium andTaeniatherum of the tribe triticeae,gramineae

Esterase isozyme variations ofHeteranthelium piliferum, Taeniatherum asperum andT. crinitum collected in Iraq, Turkey and Iran were analysed by gel isoelectric focusing. InH. piliferum two types of esterase zymogram, H1 and H2, were found. It was demonstrated that a pair of allelic genes, which is shown in the heterozygotes, controls the difference between type H1 and H2. Two types of esterase zymogram, T1 and T2, were observed in two species ofTaeniatherum. The majority of strains having type H1 ofH. piliferum and type T1 ofT. crinitum was distributed in the highly elevated plateau of the Anatolian and Iranian highlands, while strains with H2 and T2 of these two species were found in the western foot-hills of the Zagros Mountains, the Tigris basin of Mesopotamia and the central Anatolian plateau.     

A new species of Pinguicula from Mexico (Lentibulariaceae)

A new species ofPinguicula from Mexico,P. sharpii, is described. It belongs in SubgenusIsoloba, SectionIsoloba, as defined in Casper’s monograph of the genusPinguicula (1966a). The somatic chromosome number ofPinguicula sharpii is2n = 16, which is diploid. The basic chromosome numberx = 8 is found in many members of SubgenusIsoloba ofPinguicula, while that ofx = 11 is also found in some members of the subgenus.