Assessing two hundred years of taxonomic doubt with the rediscovery and taxonomic establishment of the Amazonian armored catfish Hypostomus pantherinus Kner 1854 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

Hypostomus pantherinus was described by Kner in 1854 based on a single young specimen collected by Natterer with a type-locality just asserted as Guaporé. No robust scientific paper focusing the distribution, taxonomy and ecology of this species has been published since the description. Here, based on the analysis of the holotype, recently collected material, and on an extensive searching on ichthyological fish collections, H. pantherinus Kner 1854 is redescribed and its geographical distribution is established to be in the rio Iténez-Guaporé and the mouth of its Bolivian and Brazilian tributaries. Hypostomus pantherinus is distinguished from congeners mainly by villiform teeth, conspicuous black, sharp and widely spaced spots on head, and dark blotches on trunk and fins, keels along lateral series of plates, sharp crests on supraoccipital and on compound pterotic-supracleithrum, less than 25 spots on compound pterotic-supracleithrum, one blotch per interradial membrane along each row on dorsal fin, and by usually attaining about 160 mm SL in size.

First record of the blackfish Centrolophus Niger (Teleostei: Centrolophidae) from the Lebanese waters in the eastern Mediterranean sea

A young specimen of the blackfish, Centrolophus niger (Gmelin, 1789) was reported for the first time from the Lebanese waters. It was caught and photographed by a professional fisherman in Beirut, on 15th November 2014. The present note reports details about this first record.

Range extension of Thaumastus caetensis Pena, Salgado and Coelho, 2011 (Gastropoda: Orthalicidae: Bulimulinae) in the highlands of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil

Thaumastus caetensis Pena, Salgado and Coelho, 2011 is a recently described species from Serra da Piedade (19°49’19” S, 43°40’46” W), Caeté municipality, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. We present a new record of this species based on a young specimen collected in the highlands of Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Santuário do Caraça, at Serra do Caraça (20°08’04” S, 43°27’09” W). This species is probably restricted to the “campos rupestres”, above 1,400 m above sea level and the new record represents the only known protected occurrence within the species’ range.

Spirorchiids (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infecting a Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1758) from Brazil

The occurrence of Amphiorchis caborojoensis Fischthal & Acholonu 1976 and Carettacola stunkardi Martin & Bamberger 1952 in a young specimen of Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus 1758 in Brazil was reported. Five A. caborojoensis trematodes were found in the small intestine (n=2) and liver (n=3), and two adult C. stunkardi specimens were collected from body wash. This is the first report of parasites of E. imbricata in Brazilian waters and Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the second report of members of the Spirorchiidae family in that region. In addition, E. imbricata is a new host recorded for C. stunkardi.

On the anthomedusae Tiaranna rotunda and Modeeria formosa

The history of the medusa Tiaranna rotunda (Quoy & Gaimard) is reviewed. Little has been published on its young stages and its hydroid is unknown.Young specimens of the medusa, caught in the Firth of Clyde, are described and figured.The species Modeeria formosa Forbes is discussed and is shown to have been described from a young specimen of Tiaranna rotunda. By priority the specific name becomes Modeeria rotunda (Quoy & Gaimard), and Modeeria Forbes becomes a senior synonym of Tiaranna Haeckel. The family name Tiarannidae is unchanged. The type-genus is Modeeria, of which the typespecies is M. rotunda.The seasonal occurrence of the medusa is discussed and evidence is adduced supporting the belief that the species is specialized for living in deeper water.