Seasonal and Geographic Distribution of Luminous Bacteria in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Elat

Luminous bacteria in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba-Elat have different distribution patterns. In the Mediterranean Sea, Beneckea harveyi is present all year round, with different subtypes alternating in summer and winter; Photobacterium fischeri was only present during the winter. In the Gulf of Elat, P. leiognathi is present throughout the water column in similar densities during the entire year. This constancy in distribution is presumably due to the near-constancy in water temperature. In summer, Photobacterium leiognathi is replaced by B. harveyi in coastal surface waters. In the hypersaline Bardawil lagoon, only B. harveyi types are present. P. fischeri, a major component of the Mediterranean Sea winter communities, is absent from the lagoon. Luminous Beneckea strains show a great diversity in properties, e.g. temperature range for growth, sensitivity to infection by phages, sensitivity to attack by Bdellovibrio strains, and differences in tolerance to high-salinity shock. Therefore, subdivision of the taxonomic cluster of B. harveyi into subtypes is indicated. The composition of the luminous bacteria communities may serve as indicators of different marine water bodies. The symbiotic luminous bacteria of the light organ of the common Gulf of Elat fish, Photoblepharon palbebratus steinitzi, is different from any of the types described.     

Characterization of marine luminous bacteria isolated off the Coast of China and description ofVibrio orientalis sp. nov.

Luminous strains of marine bacteria, isolated off the Coast of China, were subjected to a phenotypic characterization, which included a test of their ability to utilize 82 organic compounds as sole or principal sources of carbon and energy. A numerical analysis of the data revealed five clusters which were readily identified asPhotobacterium phosphoreum, P. leiognathi, Vibrio harveyi, andV. splendidus biotype I. The remaining cluster of luminous isolates was phenotypically distinct from all the previously described species ofVibrio andPhotobacterium and was given the species designation,Vibrio orientalis. This species differed from all the other luminous species ofVibrio by its ability to accumulate poly-β-hydroxybutyrate as an intracellular reserve product. Additional distinctive properties were the presence of an arginine dihydrolase system, growth at 4° but not 40°C, and the ability to utilize putrescine and spermine.     

Solgerites Reeside, 1932 (Cretaceous Ammonoidea) a synonym ofForresteria Reeside, 1932, with a revision ofSolgerites brancoi (Solger, 1904) (Cretaceous Ammonoidea) from Cameroon

A revision of the surviving “Barroisiceras” specimens from Cameroon described by SOLGER (1904) suggests thatBarroisiceras brancoi, type species ofSolgerites REESIDE, 1932, including varietiesmitis andarmatus of SOLGER, andBarroisiceras hoberfellneri alstadenensis SOLGER non SCHLüTER are variants of a single species and thatSolgerites is a synonym ofForresteria (Forresteria) REESIDE, 1932, of whichEboroceras BASSE, 1947 also is a synonym.     

A new species of Psathyrella (Agaricales,Coprinaceae) from Mexico with discussions on the known species

Psathyrella hypertropicalis, a new species, is described from a high mountain (Cofre de Perote) in the State of Veracruz, Mexico above the subtropical zone. This species is intermediate betweenP. velutina of the temperate regions andP. sepulchralis from the subtropical regions of Mexico. A list of the 26 species ofPsathyrella of Mexico is presented, of which 21 are from the tropics and subtropics, three from the temperate regions (P. velutina, P. spadicea, andP. hypertropicalis), and two with a broad distribution (P. candolleana andP. disseminata). Eleven are only known from Mexico.     

New species of Pectis (Asteraceae) from the West Indies,Mexico, and South America

Four new species ofPectis are described:P. ericifolia from Barbuda,P. luckoviae from west-central Mexico,P. arida from Ecuador and Peru, andP. cajamarcana from Peru. Chromosome counts forP. ericifolia (n=48) andP. luckoviae (n=12) are presented. Relationships of the newly described taxa are discussed.     

Uses,nutritional composition,and ecogeography of four species ofPsophocarpus (fabaceae,phaseoleae) in Zaire

In Zaire the distribution of four of the wild species in the genusPsophocarpus ranges from humid, evergreen, Guinea-Congolian rainforests to high altitude woodlands, dry semi-deciduous forests, and savanna. Material ofPsophocarpus scandens, P. grandiflorus, P. lancifolius, P. lecomtei, andP. lancifolius (yellow-seeded form) were collected from wild and naturalized populations in Zaire. Various organs ofP. scandens, P. grandiflorus, andP. lancifolius are used as food sources, medicinals, and as sources of tannins.Psophocarpus lancifolius andP. lecomtei have reportedly been used as a food source and fish poison, respectively. The various organs were analyzed for carbohydrate, lipid, N, S, P, K, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe, Al, Mn, B, Cu, and Zn. In their own right, these species have potential for wider use as food sources and genetic material for improvement breeding with the cultivated winged bean, Local names, phenological notes, presence of pests and diseases, and ecogeographical information are presented.     

Studien über die Branchiosauridae (Amphibia: Temnospondyli) 1. Neue und wenig bekannte Arten aus dem mitteleuropäischen Rotliegenden (?oberstes Karbon bis unteres Perm)

As part of a review of the Branchiosauridae some recently discovered specimens from the Rotliegend of the Saar-Nahe-Basin and rediscovered material from the Rotliegend of northern Saxony are described. One of the Saar-Nahe specimens is designated the neotype ofApateon pedestris Meyer 1844. This species replacesProtriton petrolei Gaudry 1875. One of the northern Saxony specimens is chosen as the lectotype ofLeptorophus tener (Schonfeld 1909). This species is redescribed. Two new species are described and named:Scboenfelderpeton prescheri n. gen. n. sp. andApateon dracyiformis n. sp. The former is remarkably differentiated in respect to its otic notch. The latter is very similar toApateon dracyi (Boy 1972). The northern Saxony locality not only contains Branchiosauridae but also the micromelerpetontidBrancbierpeton. The palaeoecology of this fauna is discussed.     

Notes on calycophyllous Rubiaceae. Part I. Morphological comparisons of the genera Chimarrhis,Bathysa, and Calycophyllum,with new combinations and a new species,Chimarrhis gentryana

A comparison of some genera of the Condaminecae (Rubiaceae) with a few taxa of closely related tribes (Rondeletieae, Calycophylleae, and Cinchoneae) revealed that some species ofChimarrhis (Condamineeae s. 1.),Bathysa (Rondeletieae), andCalycophyllum (Calycophylleae) are often misassigned to genera. The taxonomic significance of calycophylls is discussed; the generic boundaries ofChimarrhis, Bathysa, andCalycophyllum are reevaluated; and their similarities and differences are discussed. As a result, a new calycophyllous species ofChimarrhis from the Amazon,C. gentryana, is described, two of its species are transferred toBathysa (B. Bathysoides, B. perijaënsis), and one species ofBathysa (B. difformis) is reduced to synonymy underChimarrhis (C. turbinata).     

A new species ofMesopropithecus (Primates,Palaeopropithecidae) from Northern Madagascar

We diagnose new subfossil specimens belonging to the extinct palaeopropithecid, Mesopropithecus,from several caves at the Ankarana massif in northern Madagascar. They include three partial crania with mandibles, and the first vertebrae, ribs, clavicle, pelvis, ulna, and hand and foot bones of Mesopropithecusever found. Several other postcranial elements are known for this northern variant of Mesopropithecusand for previously described species from central and southern Madagascar. The new materials cannot be accommodated in either currently recognized species of this genus and are,hereby, given the name Mesopropithecus dolichobrachion. M. dolichobrachionis the second new species of extinct subfossil lemur to be found in the caves of Ankarana. It is unlike the two previously described species of this genus primarily in its larger size, different limb proportions, and aspects of its long bone morphology. Most notable is the fact that this is the only species of Mesopropithecuswith the forelimb longer than the hind limb— hence the name, the “long-armed” Mesopropithecus.Various characteristics place M. dolichobrachionphenetically closest (of species belonging to Mesopropithecus)to Babakotia radofilai, Archaeoindris,and Palaeopropithecus.If these similarities are derived specializations rather than primitive for palaeopropithecids, a new generic name will be required.     

Species of Nectria (Ascomycetes,Hypocreales) having orange perithecia and colorless,striate ascospores

Nine species ofNectria are described or redescribed. Ascospores of all are colorless and striates; their perithecia are orange and do not become red in KOH. Three groups of species are represented. One group includesNectria grammicospora, N. cf.grammicospora, N. subquaternata, and the new species:N. grammicosporopsis, N. lucifer, andN. neogrammicospora. A second group includes the new speciesN. chlorogloea andN. septomyrotheciae. The third group is represented by the single new speciesN. dacryocarpa. The life-cycles of these species are described. Anamorphs ofN. grammicospora, N. grammicosporopsis, N. lucifer, andN. subquaternata are species ofClonostachys. The anamorph, ofN. neogrammicospora isAcremonium- orCephalosporiopsis-like in having monophialidic conidiophores and phragmosporous conidia, and that ofN. cf.grammicospora isAcremonium-like with amerosporous conidia. The anamorphs ofN. chlorogloea andN. septomyrotheciae have green conidia. The anamorph ofN. chlorogloea isMyrothecium sp.; its conidia are unicellular and the conidioma is a synemma. The anamorph ofN. septomyrotheciae isSeptomyrothecium cf.uniseptatum; its conidioma is a sporodochium and the conidia are bicellular. The new genus and speciesDacryoma alba are described for the anamorph ofN. dacryocarpa. All of these fungi are pantropical or Australasian in distribution.     

A new species ofScymnodalatias from the southern oceans,and comments on other squaliform sharks

Scymnodalatias albicauda sp. nov. is described from two specimens taken at high latitudes (45°S and 49°S). It is distinguished fromS. sherwoodi, only known species of the genus, by having white markings on the caudal fin, the second dorsal posterior tip almost reaching the upper caudal fin, shorter snout and head, smaller eye and larger fins. Relationships ofScymnodalatias to the generaScymnodon, Centroscymnus, andZameus are discussed, based chiefly on dermal denticle structure.Scymnodalatias andZameus uniquely share transverse ridges on their dermal denticles, and on this character they are treated as sister-groups. Comments on the above genera,Z. squamulosus and some species ofScymnodon are made to clarify their systematic status. As a result, it is proposed thatScymnodon includesichiharai, macracanthus, plunketi, andringens, thatCentroscymnus includescoelolepis, crepidater, crypt acanthus, andowstonii, and thatZameus includessquamulosus.     

The Miocene Architectonicidae (Gastropoda) of Chile

Three new species of Architectonicidae Heliacinae,Heliacus (Torinista) chonos, Heliacus (Grandeliacus) antu andSolatisonax bieleri, are described. These include the first reports ofGrandeliacus andSolatisonax from Chile.Solarium australe Philippi, 1887 is an earlier name forHeliacus (Torinista) bahamondei Frassinetti & Covacevich, 1981, but is a junior homonym ofS. australe Philippi, 1849. Type material and new specimens of the five previously described architectonicid species from Chile are described and figured for comparison. Together with other gastropod taxa from the same deposits, Architectonicidae provide evidence for tropical to subtropical water temperatures in central Chile during the early Miocene.     

Development of the bitterling,Paracheilognathus himantegus (Cyprinidae), with a note on minute tubercles on the skin surface

The development of the eggs and larvae and minute tubercles on the skin surface ofParacheilognathus himantegus larvae were observed. The egg began to hatch approximately 68 hours after insemination and the larvae reached the free-swimming stage 23 days after hatching at water temperature of 22±1°C. The larval development and minute tubercles on the skin surface of this species were similar to those ofAcheilognathus lanceolata, A. limbata, A. signifer andTanakia tanago. However, the shape of the ripe eggs ofP. himantegus differed from those of the four species. As regards the shape of eggs, there was a common characteristic amongP. himantegus, Rhodeus uyekii andA. limbata from Korea. As regards larval development,P. himantegus had two characters also found inRhodeus. These facts seem to suggest thatP. himantegus is closely related toA. lanceolata, A. limbata, A. signifer andT. tanago but is more specialized than these four species, except forA. limbata from Korea.     

THE NEW LICHEN FAMILYGLOEOHEPPIACEAEAND ITS GENERAGLOEOHEPPIA,PSEUDOPELTULAANDGUDELIA (LICHINALES)

Gloeoheppiais re-established as a separate taxon; the genus differs fromHeppiain apothecial development and thallus structure.Gloeoheppiaand the related generaGudeliaHenssen andPseudopeltulaHenssen described here are placed in the new familyGloeoheppiaceaein theLichinales. In habit, the genera ofGloeoheppiaceaeresemble species ofHeppiaandPeltula, whereas in apothecial development they correspond to some extent to theLichinaceae. The speciesGloeoheppia polysporaHenssen,Gloeoheppia rugosaHenssen,Pseudopeltula dicyanophoraHenssen,Pseudopeltula heppioidesHenssen,Pseudopeltula myriocarpaHenssen andGudelia mexicanaHenssen, are described for the first time. InGloeoheppiaceaethe thalli are ecorticate and the hyphae reticulately branched. The prototunicate asci contain eight, or up to 16, colourless and simple, occasionally two-celled spores. In species ofPseudopeltula, the apothecia are of a complex structure. The cyanobionts are small and single-celled; inP. dicyanophora‘internal cephalodia’ with an additional, filamentous cyanobiont are formed. Lectotypes are designated forEndocarpon turgidumAch. andHeppia furvaHue in Patouill.     

Species of the generaPromuscidea Girault andProspaltella Ashmead [Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae] from India

The systematic position of the genusPromuscidea Girault is discussed. Two species ofPromuscidea (P. unfaciativentris Girault andP. longiclavata sp. n.) and one species ofProspaltella Ashmead (P. terebrator sp. n.) from India are described in detail.     

STUDIES IN SOME FOLIOSE RED ALGAE OF THE PACIFIC COAST. III. DUMONTIACEAE,WEEKSIACEAE, KALLYMENIACEAE1

The female reproductive structures and their development, and the vegetative structure are studied in 17 species of red algae in the Cryptonemiales (Rhodophyceae). Three genera, Weeksia, Constantinea, and the type species of Leptocladia, are removed from the Dumontiaceae to a newly created family, the Weeksiaceae, because of differing postfertilization events leading to the development of the gonimoblast from a cell of the carpogonial branch. Three genera of Dumontiaceae are studied: Pikea, including P. californica, the type species, and Pikea robusta a newly described species; Dilsea californica, and a newly described species of Neodilsea, a genus heretofore known only from the northwestern Pacific. Two transfers are made from the genus Leptocladia, 1 to Farlowia, as F. conferta, and 1 to Rhodophyllis (Gigartinales) as R. peruviana. Three species in the Kallymeniaceae are redescribed: Kallymenia pacifica, a rare and nearly unknown species from southern California and adjacent Pacific Mexico; K. norrisii from central California; and K. oblongifructa from Washington, Oregon, and northern California.     

Early ontogeny of two bothid species,Psettina iijimae andLaeops kitaharae

From specimens collected in the western North Pacific, the early ontogeny ofPsettina iijimae andLaeops kitaharae is described. Diagnostic characters of the genera throughout larval stages are also provided. It is suggested that these species are distributed on continental shelf or at the edge, and that they spawn between July and September.