Members of the order Comatulida (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) are widely distributed on Indo-Pacific reefs, where they host a highly diverse and understudied cryptofauna, which makes them a potential source of hidden biodiversity. In this study, shallow-water crinoid populations and their symbiotic communities from the Bangka Archipelago (North Sulawesi, Indonesia) were investigated. Presence and diversity

This study is about seven individuals of Botrucnidifer norvegicus Carlgren, 1912 (Anthozoa, Ceriantharia) that were attached to a stony deep-sea coral, Desmophyllum pertusum Linnaeus, 1758 (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). They were collected during surveys at Agdenes, Trondheimsfjord. We included photographs of live specimens, discussed the implications of this association, and described the species interaction

We examined small-scale distribution and feeding ecology of a non-native fish species, round goby (Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814)), in different habitats of a coastal lagoon situated in the south-western Baltic Sea. First observations of round goby in this lagoon were reported in 2011, 3 years before the current study was conducted, and information on this species’ basic ecology in different

Although well known for their epibiotic relationship with many living substrates, records of bryozoans settling on echinoderms are uncommon. In the few recorded cases, most basibionts (hosts) are cidaroid sea urchins, and their primary spines seems to be the preferred place for bryozoa settlement. Here, an unprecedented epibiosis between a bryozoan and a non-cidaroid sea urchin is reported, in which

Scyphozoans display a high level of developmental plasticity, including asexual reproductive strategies in their polyps. Irrespective of the alternating medusa-polyp life cycle, life stages or even complete generations can be omitted, occasionally or consistently, in some species. For example, ephyrae can be produced directly by planulae, leaving out the polyp generation, and polyps can produce free-swimming

The North Pacific nudibranch species Triopha catalinae (Cooper, 1863), also known as the clown nudibranch, includes two distinct morphotypes: the trans-Pacific morphotype, known from South Korea to Southern California, and the eastern Pacific-only morphotype from Southeast Alaska to Baja California. We tested the hypothesis that Triopha catalinae is a species complex by applying an integrative taxonomic

A new species of Lecithostaphylus Odhner, 1911 (Zoogonidae) is described from the Pacific agujon needlefish, Tylosurus pacificus (Steindachner) (Belonidae), from two localities off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Morphologically, the new species agrees with the diagnosis of the genus Lecithostaphylus. Lecithostaphylus brayi sp. nov. differs from other congeneric species by a combination of morphological

Climate change is increasing the frequency, magnitude, and socio-economic costs of unprecedented extreme weather events and disasters. An exceptional stranding event of benthic species, mainly represented by the ecosystem engineer Porifera (Demospongiae) Geodia cydonium (Linnaeus, 1767) was observed in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, Italy, Western Mediterranean) in 2018 after an extreme meteorological

This article reports for the first time on an azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharian, Sphenopus marsupialis (Gmelin, 1791) from lower mesophotic depths (114 m depth).

In this paper, we explore spatial patterns of shallow-water sea anemones in the Southwest Atlantic (SWA). The following hypotheses were tested: (1) the distribution of sea anemones (Actiniaria and Corallimorpharia) corroborates SWA biogeographic provinces, (2) their distribution presents a richness peak at mid-latitudes, and (3) temperature is the main abiotic driver that structures their species composition

Marine species can act as biogenic sources of habitat structures, increasing the web of interactions between reef fishes and the benthic environment. Among these species, sea urchins seem to play an ecological role that goes beyond the dynamics of coral-algal interaction on reef ecosystems. In this paper, we describe the commensal behavior of juveniles of two non-cryptobenthic reef fishes (Haemulon

Sharks are undergoing population declines worldwide and it is imperative to devise conservation and management strategies to prevent their extinction. Oceanic whitetip sharks are large pelagic sharks distributed circumglobally and recent IUCN assessments classified them as “critically endangered.” Considering their vulnerability, we investigated the intraspecific diversity and genetic stock structure

Bear Seamount (39° 55′ N; 67° 30′ W) is the oldest and westernmost seamount in the New England Seamount Chain. It is located in the Marine National Monument on the continental slope south of Georges Bank and is influenced by unique ecological factors and currents. We enumerated and calculated the diversity, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and distribution of trawl-susceptible crustacean micronekton (2–20 cm)

The southeast Pacific (SEP) contains the home ranges of several migratory large whale species, determined largely based on research in coastal waters. These whales’ pelagic seasonal residency is unknown. The Juan Fernández Archipelago (JFA) is an offshore island in the SEP where passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data collection is ongoing at the HA03 hydroacoustic station (sample rate of 250 Hz) maintained

The echinoid Homolampas fragilis (A. Agassiz,1869) (Echinodermata) is recorded for the first time in the Brazilian coast from the Continental shelf of the State of Ceará. The specimens were classified based on their distinct morphological characters, including the fragile test, primary tubercles non-crenulated and with deep areoles, absent peripetalous fasciole, without aboral tubercles on the interambulacrum

Members of the lineid heteronemertean genus Euborlasia Vaillant, 1890 are relatively large-bodied ribbon worms, often with mottled, dark coloration. We describe Euborlasia maycoli sp. nov. from Bocas del Toro, Panama, which represents the 11th member, as well as the first Caribbean representative of the genus. We infer the phylogenetic position of the new species among the family Lineidae based on

Specimens of the sea anemone Halcampella minuta Wassilieff, 1908, (Actiniaria: Haloclavidae) were collected from several localities in Japan during 2014–2017. Although this species had previously been synonymized with Anemonactis mazeli (Jourdan, 1880) due to its smaller size and fewer tentacles, it was under dispute whether this sea anemone was in fact a different species. In this study, the taxon

Here, we present the taxonomy of five little-known cheilostome smittinid species of Bahia State, northeast Brazil, assigned to Hemismittoidea Soule & Soule, 1973, Smittina Norman, 1903, and Smittoidea Osburn, 1952. Specimens of four species previously reported in the studied area were reassessed: Hemismittoidea asymmetrica Ramalho et al., 2018, Smittina affinis (Hincks, 1862), Smittoidea evelinae (Marcus

The whitish hagfish, Eptatretus albiderma sp. nov., was collected from the northeast Sea of Vietnam (Da Nang). This new species possesses six pairs of gill apertures, three multicusps, 18–21 prebranchial slime pores, absent or one branchial slime pore, and whitish to pinkish body color. Eptatretus albiderma sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from Eptatretus atami (Dean, 1904) and Eptatretus sheni

Significant effort is spent on monitoring of benthic ecosystems through government funding or indirectly as a cost of business, and metabarcoding of environmental DNA samples has been suggested as a possible complement or alternative to current morphological methods to assess biodiversity. In metabarcoding, a public sequence database is typically used to match barcodes to species identity, but these

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals. Centuries of human persecution along with recent expansion of the fishing industry and intensive shoreline development, have isolated Mediterranean monk seals into small populations in the eastern Mediterranean Basin and eastern North Atlantic. We developed 19 microsatellite loci from the species’

Limited research effort in the Central Mediterranean deep sea has reported a lower species diversity in this area than in adjacent regions. With the recent advent of remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), the deep sea has become more accessible to surveys, especially rocky benthic areas such as canyons and escarpments. The aim of the present study was to assess diversity, spatial and bathymetric

Analyzing the mitochondrial 16S gene from specimens collected along the Brazilian coast, we expanded the current genetic diversity and phylogeny of the Christmas tree hydroid, Pennaria disticha Goldfuss, 1820 complex. A total of seven clades were retrieved, of which three were recovered among the newly added specimens—two were already known from different locations in previous studies and a new one

Cumaceans are an important component of the macrobenthic fauna and are preyed upon by several species of fishes. In the family Bodotriidae, Cyclaspis Sars, 1865 is the most speciose genus with more than 140 described species. Based on material from the Campos Basin and Espírito Santo Basin, southwestern Atlantic, we describe three new species of Cyclaspis: Cyclaspis goytacazes sp. nov., Cyclaspis lilianae

The genus Elthusa Schioedte & Meinert, 1884 from Indian waters is reviewed and three new species are described from India. A revised generic diagnosis is provided based on the type species and 13 species of Elthusa are regarded as Elthusa incertae sedis. Female stages of Elthusa fistularia sp. nov. collected from Fistularia petimba Lacepède,1803 and Elthusa pseudorhombus sp. nov. from Pseudorhombus

Four newly described species, Astrochlamys timoharai sp. nov. (Gorgonocephalidae Ljungman, 1867), Ophiosteira lissopatella sp. nov. (Ophiopyrgidae Perrier, 1893), Ophiophyllum umbonatum sp. nov. (Ophiopyrgidae), and Soliophis bakeri sp. nov. (Ophioscolecidae Lütken, 1869) with a description of Soliophis gen. nov., are reported from the Ross Sea and adjacent regions. New occurrence of Euvondrea floretta

With globally growing aquaculture activities, the co-introduction of parasites alongside large-scale movements of commercial species poses an increasing risk for marine ecosystems. Here, we present the first record of the shell-boring polychaete Polydora websteri Hartman in Loosanoff and Engle, 1943 in invasive Pacific oysters Crassostrea (Magallana) gigas (Thunberg, 1793) in the European Atlantic

Mammal bones sustain rich chemoautotrophic microbial communities that are consumed by a range of marine invertebrates, with bacteria playing a fundamental role making the organic matter retained in the bones available to other organisms. Our major aim here is to characterize the phylogenetic diversity of bacteria associated with Mediterranean shallow-water bones (whale, pig, and cow) examined at two

Containing 51 extant genera and over 300 species, the family Caryophylliidae Dana, 1846 is reported from Antarctica to the Arctic, ranging from shallow to deep waters. Even though most caryophylliids are solitary, the majority of the most extensive deep-water reefs have their main engineers in colonial representatives of this family. However, several of these colonial species are small-sized and are

Species diversity, functional diversity, species richness, and dominance are fundamental topics in conservation ecology, but studies on their interrelationship remain underexplored and controversial issues in the literature. This investigation is a critical analysis focusing on the interrelations between species taxonomic diversity (based on the Shannon diversity index), cell size-based functional

Coastal lagoons are subjected to complex abiotic interactions which result to strong spatio-temporal variability of lagoon-inhabiting communities. Sponges are important components of coastal lagoons, yet their temporal variability is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the temporal variability in local distribution area (LDA), abundance (number of patches) and percentage cover of three lagoon-inhabiting

The Inland Sea of Chiloé is a semi-enclosed sea of northern Patagonia characterized by freshwater inputs from a fjord in the north and high influence of offshore waters in its southern sub-basin. The zone has been referred to as an important fish nursery ground. In order to assess its relevance as a spawning ground and the strategies for temporal coexistence of larvae of fish species from diverse origins

Glass sponges (Porifera, Hexactinellida) form globally unique reefs that support deep-sea biodiversity in the Canadian northeast Pacific. In February 2017, the largest known reefs were protected within the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area (HSQCS-MPA). Many studies that have established baseline biodiversity data for the MPA have focused on describing

We analysed the genetic connectivity and larval transport routes of Lutjanus argentiventris to test if eddies could transport coastal-demersal fish larvae between the peninsular and mainland coasts of the Southern Gulf of California. Larval transport was estimated using the ROMS oceanographic model during the main spawning period (July–August). We used 12 microsatellite loci to assess genetic diversity

Understanding the interannual effect of various environmental factors on biodiversity distribution is fundamental for developing biological monitoring tools. The interannual variability of environmental factors on presettlement fish assemblages (PFAs) has been so far under investigated, especially in Madagascar. Numerous explanatory variables including local hydro-dynamic conditions recorded during

Several studies noted similarities between Polydora neocaeca Williams & Radashevsky, 1999, described from the northeast coast of the USA, and shell-boring Polydora haswelli Blake & Kudenov, 1978, described from southeast Australia, and emphasised the need for molecular data to resolve the taxonomy of these species. This study investigates the potential conspecificity of these two species. We provide

The activity of deep-burrowing macrofauna strongly influences all biogeochemical processes in sublittoral soft sediments. Despite this key role, these organisms are difficult to sample and, thus, often remain ignored in environmental studies. This study is the first in comprehensively exploring the diversity of the macrosymbiotic communities associated with the dominant subtidal deep-burrowing invertebrates

According to current systematics, the genus Halargyreus Günther, 1862 is composed of a single valid, widely distributed species, called H. johnsonii Günther, 1862, although DNA barcoding has previously suggested that specimens from New Zealand and Tasmania may belong to a different species. This research doubles the number of DNA barcodes of this species available in public repositories and expands

Genetic diversity and population structure are fundamental to studying population dynamics and understanding demographic history, playing a key role in marine organism conservation. To study the genetic diversity and population structure of whitespotted conger Conger myriaster, an important commercial marine species, broadly distributed in Asia, a total of 197 individuals were collected from six locations

A strongly divergent lineage, putatively a new cryptic species, of colonial ascidian was first detected as an anomalous sample in a population genomics study of the well-known worldwide invasive species Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002. This putative new taxon, found in a marina in Roscoff, France, is indistinguishable from Didemnum vexillum in the external aspect and coexists with it in syntopy. However

The population genetic structure of a species is frequently shaped by biogeographic barriers that prevent the movement of individuals from one genetic population to another. Although Octopus mimus Gould, 1852 was reported to inhabit the shallow marine waters of the Peruvian province, recent studies suggest its synonymy with O. hubbsorum Berry, 1953 from the Panamanian and the Cortez provinces where

Latitudinal diversity patterns in marine species are commonly estimated from literature records, which at times are incomplete and/or biased. Advances in molecular phylogenetics have contributed to avoid this bias, clarifying the identity of the species, improving our knowledge of species diversity and distribution. With the aim to identify biogeographic biases, we compiled and compared range distribution

This study provides the first record of external morphological deformities in Chondrichthyes of the family Narcinidae. We report here abnormalities in two individuals of Narcine brasiliensis (Olfers, 1831), in which one of them had its pectoral fins not fused with the head and the other presented anophthalmia, with the left eye absent. Possible causes, including the high concentration of pollutants

A new deep-sea genus of the asellotan family Munnopsidae Lilljeborg, 1864, Pirinectes Malyutina & Brix gen. nov., including two new species, is described from the abyssal manganese nodule area of the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone in the north-eastern tropical Pacific. The new genus of the subfamily Eurycopinae Hansen, 1916, which is distinguished genetically, differs morphologically from the other

More than 40 specimens of a new endoparasitic ascothoracidan species, described herein as Sessilogoga captiva Kolbasov & Grygier sp. nov. in the family Synagogidae Gruvel, 1905, were found at 35 m depth near Green Island off southeastern Taiwan infecting a colony of the antipatharian Antipathes sp. aff. A. atlantica Gray, 1857. Its sole known congener is S. elongata Grygier, 1990a, an endoparasite

Dead corals and limestone boulders that act as substrate for live specimens of marine invertebrates and algae are sold as ‘live rock’ in the international aquarium trade. During a customs inspection of an airfreight shipment of ‘live rock’ at Schiphol Airport (Netherlands), 450 boulders imported from Indonesia were checked for the presence of undeclared organisms. During unpacking, about 50% of the

Small pelagic fish with their significant biomass are connecting plankton production and higher trophic levels in marine ecosystems. The aim of this paper was to analyse feeding habits of sardine Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), regarding the season and the spatial area, but also considering trophodynamics of other co-occurring small pelagic fish: anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Studies suggest that Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations have drastically affected shallow marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. In the Southwest Atlantic, a Seamounts chain near the Abrolhos Bank has been hypothesized as a stable climatic refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This refugium would have allowed recolonization of the present-day shoreline. Here, we integrated paleoclimatic simulations

Multidisciplinary surveys conducted on-board RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen in the northwest Africa region during November 2011 and June 2012 allowed exploration for the first time of seasonal variations in diversity and structure of decapod communities inhabiting the changing hydrological scenario of the shelf and upper slope off Mauritania (20–750 m depth). Decapods were gathered with a commercial bottom

The Epinephelidae is a marine fish family that has been the focus of worldwide taxonomical attention due to its economic value. Recent molecular-based phylogenies have improved understanding of species diversity within this family. Nonetheless, species misidentification or hybridization has led to a barcode index number (BIN) being associated with several species, which hampers a clear species identification

The validity and position of the Indo Pacific genus Phestilla Bergh, 1874 (Fionoidea: Trinchesiidae) have been subject of some controversy as a result of several recent studies, which have sequentially synonymized or re-established it. At present, the genus includes eight valid species, the most of them described in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and all but one feeding on scleractinian corals

Symbiotic caridean shrimps were collected from diverse host invertebrates in a coral reef habitat of the southern East China Sea during the summer from April to August in 2014. Regular weekly sampling was conducted by scuba diving in the zone above 25 m depth at the Wang-Hai-Xiang Bay (also called as Fan-Zai-Aou Bay) in northeastern Taiwan. This region is influenced by the China Coast Current and the

The stunning diversity of midwater ctenophores is well-known to veterans of oceanographic cruises and ROV operations, but many species lack formal descriptions, leading to taxonomic confusion and a systematic underestimation of the biodiversity of the mesopelagic zone. Here, we present a description of a novel genus and species of one such ctenophore, Vampyroctena delmarvensis gen. nov. sp. nov. This

Valuable efforts have been made to describe the diversity of Syllidae Grube, 1850 in Brazilian waters, but only recently, taxonomic accounts of the family from oceanic islands began to be published. Here we reported five species of Exogone Ørsted, 1845 from Rocas Atoll, Fernando de Noronha and Trindade Islands. Exogone rocassp. nov. is described and Exogone simplex Hartmann-Schröder, 1960 (described

A new species of Syllis Grube, 1850 (Syllidae, Annelida) from marine aquaria is described in this study, including information about its life cycle, laboratory cultures, transcriptomic data, and an updated phylogeny of the group. Syllis malaquini sp. nov. is diagnosed by a slender body with a colour pattern consisting of dorsal dark lines on each segment and a dark stain on the anterior region of the

Thouarella Gray, 1870, is one of the most speciose genera among primnoid gorgonians. It has a worldwide distribution that includes Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Based on a combination of detailed morphological studies and analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, we describe and illustrate three new species of bottlebrush-shaped Thouarella from the Weddell Sea, Southern Ocean: T

Sea pens are benthic marine organisms, which have important roles as three-dimensional structures and habitats on sandy and muddy seafloors. Although the behavior of a few species of sea pens has been sporadically reported since the seventeenth century, and despite their presence across a wide range of habitats, the behavior of most sea pen taxa has not been well studied or documented. In this study

Accidental oil discharges pose acute and chronic risks on coral communities, but knowledge on the ecological long-term implications is fragmentary. Here, we examine the potential short-, mid-, and long-term effects of a major oil spill on subtidal reef communities over a 30-year period using a multicontrol before-after-control-impact (BACI) approach. In April 1986, 8000 t (~ 9.3 106 L) of crude oil

The gastropod family Atlantidae is a group of holoplanktonic mollusks comprising 23 species in three genera. Most atlantids have tropical and subtropical affinity, but two thirds of the known species are also distributed in transitional and/or temperate regions. The region off the Baja California Peninsula (BCP) is a faunistic transitional area in which a mix of subarctic, temperate, subtropical, and

The present study reports the occurrence of several specimens of the African caridean shrimp Lysmata uncicornis Holthuis & Maurin, 1952 in the NE Atlantic coast (Gulf of Cadiz, Spain and the Algarve, Portugal). Lysmata uncicornis is a poorly studied species that has been originally described from the Atlantic waters of Morocco, where it was first collected inside the port of Casablanca in a rocky bottom