Distributional records of Ross Sea (Antarctica) Tanaidacea from museum samples stored in the collections of the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA) and the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)

Here we present distributional records for Tanaidacea specimens collected during several Antarctic expeditions to the Ross Sea: the Italian PNRA expeditions (“V”, 1989/1990; “XI”, 1995/1996; “XIV”, 1998/1999; “XIX”, 2003/2004; “XXV”, 2009/2010) and the New Zealand historical (New Zealand Oceanographic Institute, NZOI, 1958-1961) and recent (“TAN0402 BIOROSS” voyage, 2004 and “TAN0802 IPY-CAML Oceans Survey 20/20” voyage, 2008) expeditions. Tanaidaceans were obtained from bottom samples collected at depths ranging from 16 to 3543 m by using a variety of sampling gears. On the whole, this contribution reports distributional data for a total of 2953 individuals belonging to 33 genera and 50 species. All vouchers are permanently stored in the Italian National Antarctic Museum collection (MNA), Section of Genoa (Italy) and at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA Invertebrate Collection), Wellington (New Zealand).     

Eocene–Oligocene paleoecology and the diatom genus Kisseleviella Sheshukova-Poretskaya from the Victoria Land Basin,Antarctica

The Cape Roberts Project (CRP) recovered a composite Eocene to lower Miocene stratigraphic sequence from the Victoria Land Basin, Antarctica, which includes four new species, described herein, of the biostratigraphically useful fossil marine diatom genus Kisseleviella. Specimens of this extinct genus occur predominantly in neritic sediments, which along with the chain-forming nature and morphological similarity to extant benthic genera (e.g. Cymatosira) suggest that Kisseleviella was tychopelagic. The species of Kisseleviella described here appear to be endemic to the Antarctic region with an ecological preference for nearshore environments. The polythermal, subpolar glacial regime invoked for the late Eocene–early Miocene may have acted as a significant driver of speciation events in Antarctic Kisseleviella. Phylogenetic analysis of fossil genera such as Kisseleviella allows the development of a neritic biostratigraphic zonation. New taxa formally proposed are: Kisseleviella tricoronata, Kisseleviella cicatricata, Kisseleviella gaster and Kisseleviella faballiforma.     

A year round comparative study on the population structures of pelagic Ostracoda in Admiralty Bay (Southern Ocean)

The population structures of the three dominant planktonic halocyprid Ostracoda species in Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula) were followed throughout the course of a year in zooplankton samples collected once every three weeks from February 1993 to January 1994. The sampling was conducted at two stations: A in the central part of Admiralty Bay (400–0 m) and B in the entrance to the Bay from the Bransfield Strait (400–0 m). The samples were taken using a WP-2 net (square mouth opening of 0.196 m² and 200 μm mesh) hauled vertically from the bottom to the surface. Changes in the age structures of the populations of three species Alacia belgicae, Alacia hettacra and Metaconchoecia isocheira were tracked. Their population structures differed. The changes in A. belgicae suggested that it reproduces year-round, whereas both A. hettacra and M. isocheira probably complete their life cycles within a year. The cycle in A. hettacra probably starts earlier in the year than that of M. isocheira. Populations of A. belgicae and M. isocheira were more advanced in their development at station A, than at station B, but A. hettacra was more advanced at the latter. Advection appears to play a role in maintaining the populations in the shelf waters. Comparisons between populations in the shelf area (Admiralty Bay) and in open ocean waters (Croker Passage) show that the M. isocheira population is older in shelf water whereas the age structure of A. belgicae population is not influenced by the locality.     

Ultrastructural and molecular phylogenetic delineation of a new order,the Rhizophydiales (Chytridiomycota)

In the order Chytridiales, Rhizophydium is a morphologically defined genus based upon the production of a monocentric, inoperculate, epibiotic sporangium, an endobiotic rhizoidal axis which branches, and an epibiotic resting spore. Despite its simple morphology, over 220 species of Rhizophydium have been described. Recent phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU rRNA (28 S rRNA) gene sequences of a geographically diverse sampling of Rhizophydium cultures revealed that the classical genus Rhizophydium is genetically more variable than previously understood and actually represents multiple genera. In the present study, we use zoospore ultrastructural characters and 28 S rRNA and 5.8 S ribosomal gene sequences of 96 isolates in culture to circumscribe the monophyletic Rhizophydium clade as a new order, Rhizophydiales. Correspondingly, zoospores of members of the Rhizophydiales exhibit a unique suite of ultrastructural character states that further define the order and distinguish it from the order Chytridiales. Molecular analyses reveal several strongly supported clades within the Rhizophydiales. Three of those clades encompass a broad range of isolates and are defined as new families Rhizophydiaceae, Terramycetaceae, and Kappamycetaceae. To resolve close relationships within Terramycetaceae, combined 28 S rRNA and ITS1–5.8 S–ITS2 sequences were analysed and details of zoospore ultrastructural character states determined, with two new genera, Terramyces and Boothiomyces, described. Two species formerly classified in Rhizophydium are transferred to the new genera. This work provides a framework for additional taxonomic revisions within the new order Rhizophydiales and compares genetic variation useful in defining genera, species, and populations within this lineage of chytrids. A broader sampling of representatives is needed before taxonomic decisions can be made for remaining clades within the Rhizophydiales.     

Benthic hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the Spanish Antarctic expedition Bentart 95

A total of 61 species of hydroids, belonging to 13 families and 23 genera, were found during the Spanish Antarctic expedition Bentart 95 with the RV Hespérides. Ten of the species were identified only to generic level. The dominance of the subclass Leptothecatae, with 57 species, was remarkable. The remaining four species belong to the subclass Anthoathecatae. By far the most diverse family was the Sertulariidae, with 25 species (41%), followed by Haleciidae with nine species (15%) and Kirchenpaueriidae with six (10%). The family Plumulariidae, represented by one species of Nemertesia, is recorded for the first time from Antarctic waters. Eudendrium scotti, Perarella clavata and Symplectoscyphus hero are each recorded for the second time. Symplectoscyphus with 11 species was the dominant genus. Almost 60% of the species diversity is concentrated in just a little more than the 20% of genera. Nearly 70% of the species are endemic to Antarctic waters and 90% of them are restricted to Antarctic or Antarctic/sub-Antarctic waters.     

Hydroid assemblages from the Bellingshausen Sea (Antarctica): environmental factors behind their spatial distribution

Although scientific knowledge about the biodiversity of Antarctic benthic hydrozoans has considerably increased in recent years, little is known about their spatial distribution and underpinning factors. Trying to contribute to filling this gap, benthic hydroid spatial distribution in the Bellingshausen Sea (Southern Ocean) was studied. Samples were collected at 32 stations at depths between 86 and 3,304 m during Spanish Antarctic expeditions in 2003 and 2006. Sediments and bottom water properties were analyzed using an USNEL-type box corer and a Neil Brown Instrument System Mark III CTD, respectively. Forty species were reported (Acryptolaria sp., Stegopoma plicatile, Staurotheca dichotoma having the highest percentages of occurrence), representing ca. 19 % of the species richness of the known benthic hydroid fauna of the Southern Ocean. Three well-defined assemblages (shallow, deep and transitional) were established based on significant differences in species occurrence. Benthic hydroid spatial distribution in the Bellingshausen Sea seems to be controlled mainly by depth and substrate (most hydrozoan species are epibiotic), by species dispersal abilities and by species resilience to changing hydrodynamic conditions. The level of species richness found in the present study, compared with other Antarctic areas, gives support to arguments stated by authors against the idea that the Bellingshausen Sea is “a benthos desert” controlled by oligotrophic conditions and intense iceberg traffic.     

Almeidea A. St.-Hil. Belongs to Conchocarpus J.C. Mikan (Galipeinae,Rutaceae): Evidence from Morphological and Molecular Data,with a First Analysis of Subtribe Galipeinae

Subtribe Galipeinae (tribe Galipeeae, subfamily Rutoideae) is the most diverse group of Neotropical Rutaceae, with 28 genera and approximately 130 species. One of its genera is Almeidea, whose species are morphologically similar to those of the genus Conchocarpus. Species of Almeidea occur in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Eastern Brazil, with one species (Almeidea rubra) also present in Bolivia. The objective of this study was to perform a phylogenetic analysis of Almeidea, using a broader sampling of Galipeinae and other Neotropical Rutaceae, the first such study focused on this subtribe. To achieve this objective, morphological data and molecular data from the nuclear markers ITS-1 and ITS-2 and the plastid markers trnL-trnF and rps16 were obtained. Representatives of eight genera of Galipeinae and three genera of Pilocarpinae (included also in Galipeeae) and Hortia (closely related to Galipeeae) were used. Five species of Almeidea and seven of Conchocarpus were included, given the morphological proximity between these two genera. Individual (for each molecular marker) and combined phylogenetic analyses were made, using parsimony and Bayesian inference as optimization criteria. Results showed Galipeinae as monophyletic, with the species of Almeidea also monophyletic (supported by the presence of pantocolporate pollen) and nested in a clade with a group of species of Conchocarpus, a non-monophyletic group. Additionally, C. concinnus appeared in a group with Andreadoxa, Erythrochiton, and Neoraputia, other members of Galipeinae. As a result, Conchocarpus would be monophyletic only with the exclusion of a group of species related to C. concinnus and with the inclusion of all species of Almeidea with the group of species of Conchocarpus that includes its type species, C. macrophyllus. Thus, species of Almeidea are transferred to Conchocarpus, and the new combinations are made here.     

Diversity of cultivable fungi associated with Antarctic marine sponges and screening for their antimicrobial, antitumoral and antioxidant potential

The diversity of sponge-associated fungi has been poorly investigated in remote geographical areas like Antarctica. In this study, 101 phenotypically different fungal isolates were obtained from 11 sponge samples collected in King George Island, Antarctica. The analysis of ITS sequences revealed that they belong to the phylum Ascomycota. Sixty-five isolates belong to the genera Geomyces, Penicillium, Epicoccum, Pseudeurotium, Thelebolus, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Phoma, and Trichocladium but 36 isolates could not be identified at genus level. In order to estimate the potential of these isolates as producers of interesting bioactivities, antimicrobial, antitumoral and antioxidant activities of fungal culture extracts were assayed. Around 51 % of the extracts, mainly from the genus Geomyces and non identified relatives, showed antimicrobial activity against some of the bacteria tested. On the other hand, around 42 % of the extracts showed potent antitumoral activity, Geomyces sp. having the best performance. Finally, the potential of the isolated fungi as producers of antioxidant activity seems to be moderate. Our results suggest that fungi associated with Antarctic sponges, particularly Geomyces, would be valuable sources of antimicrobial and antitumoral compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the biodiversity and the metabolic potential of fungi associated with Antarctic marine sponges.     

Filling biodiversity gaps: benthic hydroids from the Bellingshausen Sea (Antarctica)

The Bellingshausen Sea constitutes the third largest sea in the Southern Ocean, though it is widely recognized as one of the less-studied Antarctic areas. To reduce this lack of knowledge, a survey to study the biodiversity of its marine benthic communities was carried out during the Bentart 2003 and Bentart 2006 Spanish Antarctic expeditions. The study of the hydroid collection has provided 27 species, belonging to ten families and 15 genera. Twenty-one out of the 27 species constitute new records for the Bellingshausen Sea, raising the total number of known species to 37, as also do nine out of the 15 genera. Candelabrum penola, Lafoea annulata, and Staurotheca juncea are recorded for the second time. Most species belong to Leptothecata. Sertulariidae with 13 species (48%) is by far the most speciose family, and Symplectoscyphus with seven species (26%), including S. bellingshauseni sp. nov. and S. hesperides sp. nov., the most diverse genus. Considering the whole benthic hydroid fauna of the Bellingshausen Sea, 18 species (69%) are endemic to Antarctic waters, either with a circum-Antarctic (12 species, 46%) or West Antarctic (6 species, 23%) distribution, 23 (88%) are restricted to Antarctic or Antarctic/sub-Antarctic waters, and only three species have a wider distribution. Bellingshausen Sea hydroid fauna is composed of a relatively high diversity of typical representatives of the Antarctic benthic hydroid fauna, though with a surprisingly low representation of some of the most diverse and widespread Antarctic genera (Oswaldella and Schizotricha), what could be related to the fact that its shelf-inhabiting hydroid fauna remains practically unknown.     

The Subfamily Cytheropterinae Hanai, 1957 (Subphylum Crustacea,Class Ostracoda) from the Southern Brazilian Continental Shelf

The study of the subfamily Cytheropterinae from the southern Brazilian continental shelf reveals the presence of four genera and nine species, including two newly described (Cytheropteron sudatlanticum sp. nov., Loxoreticulatum pulchrum sp. nov.) and two left in open nomenclature (Cytheropteron sp. and Kangarina sp.). All of these species are restricted to the southern part of the Southwest Atlantic Ocean and do not extend beyond the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Three of these species (Oculocytheropteron micropunctatum, O. reticulatum, O. macropunctatum) extend beyond the southern limit of the Brazilian Province (36°S), while the others occur inside the limits of the Brazilian Province (36°S–22/21°S). The genus Loxoreticulatum, a well-known ostracod taxon from the Antarctic Peninsula, southern Argentina and Falkland (= Malvinas) Islands, is herein reported for the first time from offshore Brazil.     

Distribution of tintinnid species from 42° N to 43° S through the Indian Ocean

Taking advantage of the transfer of the Italian R/V “Italica” from Italy to New Zealand for the Italian Research Expedition in the Antarctic, surface sampling of plankton was carried out from 42°N to 43°S from 14 November to 16 December 2001. Collaboration between several Italian research groups resulted in the Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Ocean Transect (MIPOT), aimed to merge oceanographic measurements with remotely sensed data and to study latitudinal changes in plankton communities. We present preliminary results on the tintinnids (abundance and species composition) along the MIPOT1 transect. Tintinnid distributions and food vacuole contents are discussed in relation to chlorophyll concentrations and contribution of phytoplankton size classes. Generally, chlorophyll concentrations were well below 0.5 mg m^?3 and tintinnid numbers were only a few tens per liter. Eighty-six tintinnid species belonging to 27 genera were recorded. Highest diversity and number of tintinnid species occurred in the warm-water regions, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Tropic of Capricorn. Shannon diversity index ranged from 1.0 (Tasman Sea) up to 2.9 (tropical Indian Ocean). Each of the oceanic provinces showed a well defined tintinnid assemblage, a tintinnid ‘fingerprint’ characterizing each area. Data are compared to previous records for the different areas and the persistence in time of typical tintinnid species is discussed.     

世界蓑藓属（Macromitrium,Bryophyta）植物分类修订与系统发育研究：历史、现状和问题

蓑藓属(Macromitrium Brid.)是藓类植物中分类最困难的类群之一。先后该属记录946个种,现接受351个种。目前中美洲、亚洲、澳大利亚、新西兰等地区的蓑藓属植物基本完成了分类修订,而南美洲、非洲中部、马达加斯加等地区的蓑藓属植物尚未进行系统的分类修订。蓑藓属的属下分类系统问题众多,先后在该属下建立了10个亚属、20个组和2个亚组,目前接受的有4个亚属和8个组,但是这些类群之间的分类地位和关系仍然不清。鉴于蓑藓属种数多,种间分类问题多,分布广泛,需要开展国际间的合作才能够解决世界蓑藓属的分类修订和系统学研究。     

The use of the DNA barcode gene 16S mRNA for the clarification of taxonomic problems within the family Sertulariidae (Cnidaria,Hydrozoa)

Moura, C. J., Cunha, M. R., Porteiro, F. M. & Rogers, A. D. (2011). The use of the DNA barcode gene 16S mRNA for the clarification of taxonomic problems within the family Sertulariidae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 520–537. The Sertulariidae are the most speciose family of the Hydrozoa, and their systematics are problematic. Here, 77 new 16S mtDNA sequence ‘barcodes’ of Atlantic and Mediterranean sertulariids were subject to phylogenetic analyses along with another 29 already deposited in Genbank. Amongst the 12 nominal genera and around 40 putative species analysed, several taxonomic inconsistencies and corroborations were highlighted by the genetic data. Patterns of morphological characters between the specimens analysed genetically were extremely congruent with molecular estimates. The genera Sertularia, Dynamena and Symplectoscyphus were found to be polyphyletic, and the genus Sertularella paraphyletic. The validity of Sertularella robusta at a species level was confirmed, along with the exclusion of Sertularelloides cylindritheca from the genus Sertularella. Potential cryptic species were detected within Sertularella fusiformis, Sertularella mediterranea, Sertularella ellisii, Sertularia distans, Dynamena disticha, Thuiaria articulata and Diphasia margareta. Conversely, probable cases of synonomy were revealed for the species pairs: Sertularia cupressina and Sertularia argentea, Amphisbetia minima and Amphisbetia operculata, and Thuiaria thuja and T. articulata. 16S haplotype data also revealed probable phylogeographic structure across localities of the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean. As an alternative ‘DNA barcode’, the 16S gene has the great advantage of being easily amplified and sequenced across hydrozoan taxa. Furthermore, the marked increase in deposited 16S sequences in public databases facilitates the identification of hydrozoan samples to the level of family, genus, and especially species or even populations, in a manner that is coherent with phenotypic and geographic/environmental differences.     

Mesozoic rissoid gastropods: History of the study,systematics, and diversity

The history of the study and review of generic and species diversity of Mesozoic rissoid gastropods are provided. The generic composition of Jurassic rissoid gastropods is revised, so that it is proposed to regard them as the family Rissoidae, comprising the genera Bralitzia, Buvignieria, Palaeoceratia, and Palaeorissoina. It is tentatively proposed to assign the genus Hudlestoniella to Rissoidae; this is caused by insufficient morphological knowledge of this genus. The family Palaeorissoidae is regarded as a synonym of Rissoidae. Stratigraphical and geographical distribution of Rissoidae genera is reviewed. From the Jurassic of European Russia, the following species of the genus Buvignieria are described: B. calloviana Gründel, B. imminuera Gründel, B. paucicostata Gründel, B. eichwaldiana (Rouillier), B. choroshovensis Gerasimov, and B. gruendeli sp. nov. The morphological characteristics and stratigraphical distribution of these species are provided. Based on extensive material, the taxonomic significance of particular conchological characters for the establishment of species is discussed.     

Growth form analysis of epiphytic diatom communities of Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica)

Diatoms have been long collected from the Southern Ocean but almost no data exist for epiphytic communities, despite their high ecological significance as an important food source in Antarctic coastal food chains. Here, we present a first growth form analysis of diatoms associated with rhodophyte hosts from Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica. We performed this study to gather baseline information on the species composition of epiphytic diatom communities, determine the influence of some environmental variables on the diatom distribution patterns, and assess the caveats that must be taken into account in terms of sampling design. Macroalgal material was collected during the Italian Antarctic expeditions between 1990 and 2004. Epiphytic diatoms were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy. In terms of growth forms, there were no significant differences between the diatom communities on the different macroalgal host species. Motile (mainly small-celled Navicula perminuta and other Navicula spp.) and adnate (Cocconeis spp.) diatoms dominated the community throughout the study period. Many of the macroalgal blades examined were also covered by epiphytic animals (calcareous bryozoans, hydroids) over most of their surface, with a significant effect on the associated diatom community structure. Our findings suggest that the bio-physicochemical characteristics of each sampling site affected the epiphytic diatom communities more than the substrate type provided by the macroalgal host or the sampling depth.     

First song descriptions of some Anatolian species of Tettigoniidae Krauss, 1902 (Orthoptera,Ensifera)

Fourteen endemic and two sub-endemic species belonging to three subfamilies of Tettigoniidae (Tettigoniinae, Bradyporinae and Saginae) were sampled during field trips throughout the different ranges of Anatolia between the years of 2004 and 2013. Acoustic parameters of these 16 species affiliated to 8 genera (Anterastes, Apholidoptera, Gampsocleis, Parapholidoptera, Pezodrymadusa, Psorodonotus, Bradyporus and Saga) have been described for the first time in this study. Acoustical analysis showed that song characters are species-specific in the genera Saga and Psorodonotus. On the other hand, we could not find big differences among species of the genus Pezodrymadusa and Parapholidoptera castaneoviridis species-group.     

Taxonomic update of Clitocybula sensu lato with a new generic classification

The taxonomy and phylogeny of the hydropoid clade (genera Clitocybula s.l., Megacollybia, Leucoinocybe gen. nov., Hydropus, Trogia, Gerronema, Porotheleum and Lignomphalia gen. nov.) in Europe is studied using morphological and molecular approaches; the first three genera in detail including all known European species. Only two European species remain in Clitocybula s.str., Clitocybula lacerata and Clitocybula familia. The European C. lacerata is a species complex which should be treated as C. lacerata agg. at the current state of knowledge. A neotype originating from type area was designated to fix the application of the name. The presence of American species Clitocybula abundans in Europe is insufficiently proved. “Clitocybula dryadicola ? belongs to the genus Hydropus, and Clitocybula tilieti has an unclear systematic position. The results showed that Megacollybia and Leucoinocybe represent independent genera separated from Clitocybula. The genus Leucoinocybe is validly published with two European species, Leucoinocybe lenta and Leucoinocybe taniae. “Clitocybula flavoaurantia” proved to be conspecific with the latter species. The genus Lignomphalia is published for “Pseudoomphalina lignicola”, a lignicolous omphalinoid species. The Indian “Clitocybula sulcata” is transferred to Leucoinocybe and “Clitocybula atrialba” to Gerronema. The first European records of Megacollybia marginata are published.