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

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

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

Abstract 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

Abstract 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

Abstract 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

Abstract 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

Abstract 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

Abstract 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

Abstract The taxonomy and diversity of chromodorid nudibranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) are relatively well-studied, although molecular analyses have only been applied to test few species-level groups. Within Chomodorididae, the genus Goniobranchus Pease, 1866 contains many different groups based on external colouration, including the red-reticulate group. Previously, most of the red-reticulate

Abstract The unusual parthenopid crab, Lambrachaeus ramifer Alcock, 1895, was observed feeding on the aposematically coloured sea slugs, the gastropterid cephalaspidean Sagaminopteron nigropunctatum Carlson & Hof and the chromodoridid nudibranch Mexichromis mariei (Crosse), representing the first known cases of in situ predation upon sea slugs by a brachyuran crab.

Abstract The calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa Dana, 1849 is one of the most abundant and well-studied estuarian species with a worldwide distribution. In this research, we use the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene to study the phylogeography of A. tonsa by analyzing sequences from specimens collected in the western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) along with all sequences from previous research. We

Abstract Lernaeopoda Blainville, 1822, a genus of the Lernaeopodidae Milne Edwards, 1840, has members very similar to those of Neoalbionella Özdikmen, 2008. However, the morphology of the male habitus is quite different for representatives of the two genera while females can be distinguished by the armature of the maxillule palp and the maxilliped claw. Lernaeopoda currently consists of only four valid

Abstract In the present study, the demosponge genus Melophlus Thiele, 1899 is revised and the type specimens of all its species are re-examined. The diagnosis of the genus is amended, based on the presence in the type species, M. sarasinorum Thiele, 1899, of a well-developed ectosome of acanthomicrorhabds and a dense feltwork of large oxeas, together with oxyasters and microxeas as microscleres; triaenes

Abstract Population structure, genetic diversity, and geophylogeny of five populations of the Scarface rockskipper, Istiblennius pox Springer & Williams, 1994 were explored from two ecoregions using the D-loop marker of the mitochondrial control region. The results revealed no significant population genetic structure and no provable recent demographic expansion in the studied samples. The phylogeographic

Abstract The genus Takifugu comprises approximately 25 species that are closely related due to fairly recent speciation in the northwestern Pacific. The variety of coloration patterns within Takifugu has led to taxonomic confusion. A recent study treated Takifugu niphobles (Jordan and Snyder, 1901) as a junior synonym of Takifugu alboplumbeus (Richardson, 1845) based on morphological comparison of

Abstract The scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini (Griffith and Smith, 1834), is an important species along the Indian coast both in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. As per the IUCN Red List Assessment, the scalloped hammerhead shark is categorized as “globally endangered.” We investigated the intra-specific genetic diversity and population genetic structure of S. lewini along the Indian coast

Abstract Three new monorchiid trematodes are reported from fishes of the families Nemipteridae and Pomacanthidae; two species are described from the southern Great Barrier Reef and the third from off Moorea, French Polynesia. Allobacciger polynesiensis sp. nov. is described from Centropyge flavissima (Cuvier), Allobacciger brevicirrus sp. nov. from Scolopsis bilineata (Bloch) and Scolopsis margaritifera

Abstract In this study, a zoantharian specimen was found associated with a gorgonian colony of the genus Nicella (Anthozoa, Octocorallia), representing the first zoantharian-octocoral association reported from the southwestern Atlantic. Unexpectedly, phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial (COI and mt 16S rDNA) and nuclear (ITS-rDNA) markers assigned the specimen to the widely distributed species Parazoanthus

Abstract Upwelling strongly influences the composition and dynamics of coastal communities by affecting species abundances, recruitment, dispersal and distribution. Coastal upwelling areas are key model regions to study the responses of coastal species to climate change because they are characterized by cooler water conditions and experience lower warming rates than adjacent regions, making them effective

Abstract During 2016–2017, the remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer photographed squat lobsters during expeditions to the central Pacific Ocean. Photographs showed at least five species of chirostyloid lobsters living on anthozoans at 270–3280 m depth. The lobsters usually associated with only one or two host species. Only one chirostyloid lived on an individual host colony at a time. They occupied

Abstract Azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharians have so far only been reported from shallow depths (< 35 m) in tropical and subtropical regions. The present study reports for the first time on an azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharian, Sphenopus cf. exilis, from warm temperate waters. The record of this free-living, sand-dwelling species is from the mouth of Kagoshima Bay, Kagoshima, Japan. In

New research on bryozoans has determined that formerly widespread species are in many cases complexes of similar, but distinct, species with more restricted distributions. Notwithstanding, the limits of distribution are still unresolved for many taxa, and occasionally a wide distribution is confirmed. Beania magellanica has been considered a widespread species, distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere

Flyingfishes are large enough to eat zooplankton, small enough to be consumed by top predators, and therefore form a central mid-trophic component of tropical epipelagic marine food webs. Characterizing patterns of flyingfish abundance, distribution, and habitat preference have important implications for understanding both localized and generalized functions of marine ecosystems. The eastern tropical

The abyssal demosponge Plenaster craigi is endemic to the Clarion - Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the NE Pacific, a region with abundant seafloor polymetallic nodules and of potential interest for mining. Plenaster craigi encrusts on these nodules and is an abundant component of the ecosystem. To assess the impact of mining operations, it is crucial to understand the genetics of this species, because its

Parasitic and commensal species can impact the structure and function of ecological communities and are typically highly specialized to overcome host defences. Here, we report multiple instances of a normally free-living species, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758, inhabiting the branchial chamber of the shore crab Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758) collected from widely separated geographical

The big blue octopus, Octopus cyanea, occurs on coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region from East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands, wherein it is of great ecological and socio-economic importance. However, many components of its intraspecific biodiversity, such as population structure, are unresolved due to a lack of informative genetic markers. To address this issue, which may compromise conservation

During a recent reef coral survey at the submarine Saba Bank (Eastern Caribbean), an uncommon and diverse assemblage of unattached scleractinian corals (coralliths) was encountered, which has not been reported from the Atlantic before. Four different types of these free-living (unattached) corals were distinguished. They were observed on a relatively flat seafloor (15-20 m deep) with poor coral cover