A revision of Australian Erylus (Porifera : Demospongiae : Astrophorida : Geodiidae) with a tabular review of worldwide species

2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christi L. Adams ◽  
John N. A. Hooper

ErylusGray (Porifera: Geodiidae) has been recorded in Australian waters from two antiquated reports (E. lendenfeldi Sollas, 1888 and E. proximus Dendy, 1916). These two species are redescribed. From more recent collections from the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, southern Queensland and Western Australia four new species (E. amissus, E. circus, E. citrus and E. fromonta, spp. nov.) were discovered and are described. One other, presently unrecognisable, species from an antiquated museum slide preparation is also described. A tabular review of species worldwide is also provided. Erylus has been an important source of novel bioactive compounds, including those with antitumor and antifungal properties and that are helpful in combating autoimmune diseases (including HIV). This discovery of four new species, increasing the diversity of the genus by 66% in Australian waters, has important implications pertaining to the existence of new compounds, or analogues of existing compounds unique to Erylus, as potential therapeutic marine natural products.

Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3380 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
JÖRUNDUR SVAVARSSON ◽  
NIEL L. BRUCE

Ten species of Gnathiidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoida) including six new species, are reported from Lizard Islandand nearby reefs, northern Great Barrier Reef and reefs of the Coral Sea (Chesterfield Reefs, Mellish Reef and MarionReef): Gnathia wistari sp. nov. (Lizard Island region and Capricorn Group, southern Great Barrier Reef), Gnathia coral-maris sp. nov. (Mellish Reef), Gnathia varanus sp. nov. (Lizard Island group), Gnathia marionis sp. nov. (Marion Reef),Gnathia hamletgast sp. nov. (Chesterfield Reefs) and Elaphognathia australis sp. nov. (Chesterfield Reefs). New locali-ties are reported for four other species: Gnathia aureamaculosa Ferreira and Smit, 2009 and Gnathia masca Farquharsonand Smit, 2012 from Lizard Island and nearby reefs; Gnathia falcipenis Holdich and Harrison, 1980 and Gnathia variobranchia Holdich and Harrison, 1980 from Lizard Island, Wistari Reef, Heron Island and Chesterfields Reefs.


2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham B. Jones ◽  
Anne J. Trevena

Marked regional differences in dissolved dimethylsulphide (DMS), atmospheric DMS and DMS flux were recorded during July 1997 through the northern Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Gulf of Papua, Solomon and Bismarck Seas. Highest concentrations of dissolved DMS occurred in the Coral Sea, Gulf of Papua and Bismarck Sea, with lower concentrations in the Great Barrier Reef and Solomon Sea. Elevated levels of atmospheric DMS often occurred in south-easterly to southerly trade winds sampled in the region 18°32′–8°12′S to 145°–151°E, where the highest biomass of coral reefs occurred. Atmospheric DMS often increased in the day after low tides and was positively correlated with tidal height in the northern Great Barrier Reef (r = 0.91, P < 0.05). For tides less than 1.6 m, atmospheric DMS increased on the rising tide for the northern GBR and NW Coral Sea (r = 0.66; P < 0.05) and for the whole voyage (r = 0.25; P < 0.05). As coral reefs have been identified as significant sources of DMS, it is suggested that the daytime increase in atmospheric DMS over much of the study area was mainly a result of high winds and extremely low tides in July, which exposed the reefs during the day.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4918 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-116
Author(s):  
ANTHONY C. GILL ◽  
JOHN J. POGONOSKI ◽  
GLENN I. MOORE ◽  
JEFFREY W. JOHNSON

Australian species of the anthiadine genera Plectranthias and Selenanthias are reviewed. Twenty-two species of Plectranthias and two species of Selenanthias are recorded from Australian waters: Plectranthias sp. 1 from a seamount north of Middleton Reef and Norfolk Ridge, Tasman Sea; P. alleni Randall from off southwest Western Australia; P. azumanus (Jordan & Richardson) from off southwest Western Australia; P. bennetti Allen & Walsh from Holmes Reef, Coral Sea; P. cruentus Gill & Roberts from Lord Howe Island, and possibly off Stradbroke Island, Queensland; P. ferrugineus n. sp. from the North West Shelf and Arafura Sea; P. fourmanoiri Randall from Christmas Island and Holmes Reef, Coral Sea; P. grahami n. sp. from off central New South Wales, Tasman Sea; P. inermis Randall from Christmas Island; P. japonicus (Steindachner) from the Arafura Sea and North West Shelf; P. kamii Randall from the Coral Sea, Lord Howe Island and Christmas Island; P. lasti Randall & Hoese from the North West Shelf and off Marion Reef, Queensland; P. longimanus (Weber) from the Timor Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea and southern Queensland; P. maculicauda (Regan) from southeastern Australia; P. mcgroutheri n. sp. from the North West Shelf; P. megalophthalmus Fourmanoir & Randall from northeast of the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland; P. melanesius Randall from southeastern Queensland and a seamount north of Middleton Reef; P. moretonensis n. sp. from off Stradbroke Island, Queensland; P. nanus Randall from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea; P. retrofasciatus Fourmanoir & Randall from the Great Barrier Reef; P. robertsi Randall & Hoese from off Queensland, Coral Sea; P. winniensis (Tyler) from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea; Selenanthias analis Tanaka from the North West Shelf and Arafura Sea; and S. barroi (Fourmanoir) from west of Lihou Reef, Coral Sea. Five of the species represent new records for Australia: P. azumanus, P. kamii, P. megalophthalmus, P. melanesius and S. barroi. Previous records of P. megalophthalmus from the North West Shelf are based on misidentified specimens of P. lasti. Records of P. wheeleri from the North West Shelf are based on specimens here identified as P. mcgroutheri n. sp. A record of P. yamakawai Yoshino from Christmas Island is based on a misidentified specimen of P. kamii. Plectranthias retrofasciatus was previously recorded from the Great Barrier Reef as P. pallidus Randall & Hoese, here shown to be a junior synonym of P. retrofasciatus. Video-based records of P. kelloggi from the Great Barrier Reef appear to be based on P. retrofasciatus. Identification keys, diagnoses, character summaries, photographs and Australian distribution information are presented for all species. Full descriptions are provided for the new species and for those newly recorded from Australia. 


2002 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Brinkman ◽  
E. Wolanski ◽  
E. Deleersnijder ◽  
F. McAllister ◽  
W. Skirving

1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Wolanski ◽  
M Jones

Weather and currents at eight sites were measured and drogue trajectories obtained in July 1979 at Britomart Reef, a middle reef located at 18�16'S.,146� 38'E. in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef province. The longest current records (3 weeks) were obtained at two sites in passes between the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon where westerly currents modulated by tides were observed. Analysis of residuals also showed the importance of wind-driven secondary circulation. Non-tidal sea-level oscillations were very small. Shorter current records (1-10 days) at six sites in the lagoon and on the reef flat showed a predominant northerly flow, also modulated by tides and wind. A residual anticlockwise water circulation existed in the lagoon where flushing was controlled more by winds than by tides. The rise in sea level over the reef flat as a result of waves breaking was negligible. Temperature differences between air and water accounted for the cooling of the water column during the expedition. Constant south-east trade winds were experienced at the reef, while on land the wind was weaker. more variable, and often dominated by land-sea breezes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney Bray ◽  
Thomas Cribb ◽  
Andrea Waeschenbach ◽  
D. Littlewood

AbstractA new species of Acanthocolpidae, Stephanostomum adlardi is described from the serranid Plectropomus leopardus from Lizard Island in the northern Great Barrier Reef. It differs from all previously described acanthocolpids in the structure of the oral sucker which is extended into dorsal and ventral lobes each bearing a row of spines. A phylogenetic tree estimated from combined nuclear small and partial large ribosomal RNA gene sequences shows that, despite the unusual oral sucker structure, the species is a true member of the genus Stephanostomum. The molecular results also suggest that Monostephanostomum nolani is derived from within Stephanostomum.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail V. Matz ◽  
Eric A. Treml ◽  
Galina V. Aglyamova ◽  
Madeleine J. H. van Oppen ◽  
Line K. Bay

AbstractCan genetic adaptation in reef-building corals keep pace with the current rate of sea surface warming? Here we combine population genomic, biophysical modeling, and evolutionary simulations to predict future adaptation of the common coralAcropora milleporaon the Great Barrier Reef. Loss of coral cover in recent decades did not yet have detectable effect on genetic diversity in our species. Genomic analysis of migration patterns closely matched the biophysical model of larval dispersal in favoring the spread of existing heat-tolerant alleles from lower to higher latitudes. Given these conditions we find that standing genetic variation could be sufficient to fuel rapid adaptation ofA. milleporato warming for the next 100-200 years, although random thermal anomalies would drive increasingly severe mortality episodes. However, this adaptation will inevitably cease unless the warming is slowed down, since no realistic mutation rate could replenish adaptive genetic variation fast enough.


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