Brachioteuthis beanii Verrill, 1881 (Cephalopoda: Brachioteuthidae) in the northwest Atlantic

Four research cruises to the Gully Marine Protected Area (known as "the Gully") off Nova Scotia, Canada (2007–2010) collected 1454 specimens of the oegopsid squid family Brachioteuthidae. All specimens were identified as Brachioteuthis beanii, and the 842 individuals collected in 2007 were used to describe the morphology and ecology of the species. A subset of 565 specimens were measured for population size distribution, and over 200 of these individuals (21–117 mm ML) were fixed, vouchered, measured, dissected, and sexed to examine the internal and external characters of juveniles, males, and females. Specimens <40 mm ML were almost entirely juveniles. Specimens 40–49 mm ML were a mix of juveniles, males, and females. The smallest specimens, where the spermatophoric complex and nidamental glands could be identified, were approximately 39 mm ML in both males and females, suggesting that maturation begins at roughly the same size in both sexes. Specimens >50 mm ML could be sexed based solely on the color and texture of the mantle. Male mantles were fusiform in shape with few small, widely spaced chromatophores and a reticulated net on the mantle that developed concurrent with the internal spermatophoric complex. Females had a flaccid mantle with larger and denser chromatophores on the mantle and head and no external ornamentation (i.e., ridges or nodules). Measurement data showed that males had slightly larger arms and wider fins than females. The high abundance of B. beanii at the Gully in August/September may be a spawning aggregation and suggests that this small squid is an important component of the canyon food web.

Small, rare and little known: new records and species of Cardiomya (Bivalvia: Cuspidariidae) from Brazil

This paper describes rare Cardiomya species from Brazil which have been hitherto misidentified as Cardiomya cleryana (d’Orbigny, 1842) in literature or museum collections. Cardiomya minerva sp. nov. is proposed as new species and is characterized by its quadrangular shell, short and truncated rostrum, and external ornamentation composed of six radial ribs on the posterior half of the shell flank. Cardiomya striolata (Locard, 1897) described from the Mediterranean Sea and northwestern Atlantic Ocean, is reported from Brazil for the first time; although previously regarded as a junior synonym of Cardiomya costellata (Deshayes, 1835), it is herein considered as a full species and redescribed. This species is characterized by its trapezoidal shell flank, elongated rostrum, tapering towards the tip, and external ornamentation composed of 18–53 radial ribs, the 3–4 posterior ones being the strongest and more widely spaced. Other three previously unknown species are illustrated but not formally named due to the lack of well-preserved articulated shells.

A comparative study of the ultrastructural characteristics of the mature spermatozoa of two fellodistomids Tergestia clonacantha and T. laticollis and contribution to the phylogenetic knowledge of the Gymnophalloidea

The ultrastructure of the mature spermatozoa of Tergestia clonacantha and T. laticollis collected from the digestive tracts of fishes from New Caledonia is described using transmission electron microscopy and compared to that of related species. The spermatozoa of the two species exhibit the general pattern described in most digeneans, namely two axonemes with the 9 + “1” pattern of the Trepaxonemata, nucleus, mitochondrion, cortical microtubules, an external ornamentation of the plasma membrane, spine-like bodies and granules of glycogen. The spermatozoa of T. clonacantha and T. laticollis show the same ultrastructural model with some specificities in each case, particularly in the disposition of the structures in the posterior extremities of the spermatozoon. This study confirms that ultrastructural characters of the mature spermatozoon are useful tools for the phylogenetic analysis of the Digenea.

Solemyidae (Bivalvia, Protobranchia) from the lower Miocene of south-central Chile, with description of a new species

The Miocene Solemyidae of Chile are revised. The holotype of Solemya antarctica Philippi, 1887, originally described as Solenomya, is lost. Due to the lack of information on internal characters, its systematic position is considered as uncertain. A new species, Solemya lucifuga n. sp., is described from the lower Miocene Ranquil Formation of south-central Chile. Its dense radial external ornamentation shows that it is clearly different from S. antarctica. It is currently the only confirmed and described Miocene solemyid bivalve from the Southern Hemisphere.UUID: http://zoobank.org/a35ee02e-600b-4e9f-ad06-1887e9493ff8

Description of two new species of bathyal Primnoidae (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) from the Porcupine Bank (northeastern Atlantic)

Two new species of bathyal Primnoidae gorgonians (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea), Callogorgia europaea sp. nov., and Thouarella porcupinensis sp. nov., were collected during a research expedition of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography to the Porcupine Bank (off Ireland, northeastern Atlantic). In the present paper, both species are described, compared with their closest congeners, and their polyps and scleromes illustrated by scanning electron microphotographs. Callogorgia europaea sp. nov. is the first species of the genus described from the northeastern Atlantic having abaxial scales with an external ornamentation of prominent longitudinal crests. Thouarella porcupinensis sp. nov. is the first one in the same area characterized by a planar ramification with isolated polyps, and marginal scales having several perpendicular ridges in their distal inner side instead of a pointed edge.

Ultrastructure of mature spermatozoa of three Bucephalidae (Prosorhynchus longisaccatus, Rhipidocotyle khalili and Bucephalus margaritae) and phylogenetic implications

We describe here the mature spermatozoa of three species of bucephalids, namely Bucephalus margaritae, Rhipidocotyle khalili and Prosorhynchus longisaccatus. This study provides the first ultrastructural data on the genera Bucephalus and Rhipidocotyle and enabled us to confirm the model of the mature spermatozoon in the Bucephalinae. The spermatozoon exhibits two axonemes with the 9 + “1” pattern of the Trepaxonemata, one of which is very short, lateral expansion, external ornamentation of the plasma membrane located in the anterior extremity of the spermatozoon and associated with cortical microtubules, spine-like bodies, a mitochondrion, and a nucleus. The maximum number of cortical microtubules is located in the anterior part of the spermatozoon. However, more studies are needed to elucidate if spine-like bodies are present in all the Bucephalinae or not. In the Prosorhynchinae, the mature spermatozoon exhibits a similar ultrastructural pattern. Some differences are observed, particularly the axoneme lengths and the arrangement of the spine-like bodies. The posterior extremity of the spermatozoon in the Bucephalinae exhibits only the nucleus, but prosorhynchines have microtubules.

Spermatozoon ultrastructure in two monorchiid digeneans

Spermatological characteristics of species from two monorchiid genera,OpisthomonorchisandParamonorcheides, have been investigated, for the first time, by means of transmission electron microscopy. The ultrastructural study reveals that the mature spermatozoon ofOpisthomonorchis dinemaandParamonorcheides selarisshare several characters such as the presence of two axonemes of different lengths showing the 9+“1” pattern of the Trepaxonemata, a nucleus, two mitochondria, two bundles of parallel cortical microtubules, external ornamentation of the plasma membrane, spine-like bodies, granules of glycogen and similar morphologies of the anterior and posterior extremities. The slight differences between the male gamete ofO. dinemaandP. selarisare the length of the first axoneme and the position of the second mitochondrion. This study also elucidates the general morphology of the spermatozoon in all monorchiid species described so far, which corresponds to a unique spermatozoon type. Other interesting finds concern the spermatological similarities between monorchiid spermatozoa and the mature spermatozoon reported in the apocreadiidNeoapocreadium chabaudi. These similarities allow us to suggest a close phylogenetical relationship between the Monorchiidae and the Apocreadiidae, although more studies are needed, especially in the unexplored taxa.

Spermatological characteristics of Elstia stossichianum (Digenea, Mesometridae) from the intestine of the cow bream (Sarpa salpa) off Dakar, Senegal

The current study was designed to increase the spermatological ultrastructural database on Digenea, thus contributing to the future establishment of phylogenetic relationships within this group based on ultrastructural characteristics of both spermiogenesis and spermatozoa. Spermiogenesis in Elstia stossichianum begins with the formation of a differentiation zone containing two centrioles, two striated rootlets, a nucleus, several mitochondria and an intercentriolar body constituted by seven electron-dense layers. Each centriole develops into a free flagellum growing orthogonally to the median cytoplasmic process. Proximo-distal fusion of the flagella with the median cytoplasmic process occurs after flagellar rotation. Both nucleus and mitochondria migrate before the complete proximo-distal fusion of both flagella with the median cytoplasmic process. Finally, the constriction of the ring of arched membranes gives rise to the young spermatozoon. The mature spermatozoon of E. stossichianum exhibits two axonemes of different length of the 9+‘1’ trepaxonematan pattern, a nucleus, a mitochondrion, two bundles of parallel cortical microtubules, external ornamentation of the plasma membrane, a lateral expansion, spine-like bodies, cytoplasmic ornamented buttons and granules of glycogen. The formation of cytoplasmic ornamented buttons during the final stages of spermiogenesis is reported here for the first time.

Spermiogenesis and ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Wardula capitellata (Digenea, Mesometridae), an intestinal parasite of the sparid teleost Sarpa salpa in Senegal

The spermiogenesis process in Wardula capitellata begins with the formation of a differentiation zone containing two centrioles associated with striated rootlets and an intercentriolar body. Each centriole develops into a free flagellum orthogonal to a median cytoplasmic process. Later these flagella rotate and become parallel to the median cytoplasmic process, which already exhibits two electron-dense areas and spinelike bodies before its proximodistal fusion with the flagella. The final stage of the spermiogenesis is characterized by the constriction of the ring of arched membranes, giving rise to the young spermatozoon, which detaches from the residual cytoplasm. The mature spermatozoon of W. capitellata presents most of the classical characters reported in digenean spermatozoa such as two axonemes of different lengths of the 9 + “1” trepaxonematan pattern, nucleus, mitochondrion, two bundles of parallel cortical microtubules and granules of glycogen. However, some peculiarities such as two lateral expansions accompanied by external ornamentation of the plasma membrane and spinelike bodies characterize the mature sperm. Moreover, a new spermatological character is described for the first time, the so-called cytoplasmic ornamented buttons.

Unusually preserved Metaconularia manni (Roy, 1935) from the Silurian of Iowa, and the systematics of the genus

The Welton Member of the Scotch Grove Formation at Shaffton Quarry, near Camanche, Iowa, is about 427 Ma old and contains numerous metaconulariid specimens, many of which are preserved in apex-downward orientation. Some of these show an unusual, splayed, “Maltese cross” configuration. Apex-downward configurations suggest rapid burial, consistent with the soft part preservation known in other taxa from this locality. The abundance of Metaconularia at Shaffton Quarry, and of topotype specimens of M. aspersa, the generic type species, permits evaluation of the degree of individual and intracollectional variation in peridermal ornament. Variation within and among individuals precludes reliance on ornamental differences in species differentiation in most cases. In view of these results we assign all Shaffton specimens to Metaconularia manni (Roy, 1935), and revise Metaconularia based on its type material from Europe and other material from Europe and North America. An exploratory phylogenetic analysis highlights aspects of character distribution within the genus, but the small number of characters states and possible taphonomic influences upon them limit confidence in the clade topology. Subgroups within the genus are characterized by larger, discoidal papillae, and by strong transverse corrugation and sinuous rows of smaller papillae. The genus itself comprises those conulariids with an external ornamentation of simple, round, small papillae, paired internal septae along the midlines, and a thin periderm that was to some degree pliable during life.