Eualus heterodactylus sp. nov., a new hippolytid shrimp from Chinese coast of the Yellow Sea （Crustacea,Decapoda, Caridea）

A new species from the caridean family Hippolytidae, Eualus heterodactylus sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on the specimens collected from Chinese coast of the Yellow Sea. The new species is a part of an informal species group characterized by the possession of epipods on the anterior three pairs of pereopods, and is distinguished from other species of this group by the dactyli of the third to fifth pereopods possessing distinctly stair-like flexor margins in males.     

First record and description of male Rhopalione sinensis Markham, 1990, from China,with remarks on genus Rhopalione Pérez, 1920(Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae)

The bopyrid isopod species Rhopalione sinensis Markham, 1990, is recorded for only the second time, from a new locality in China outside Hong Kong, the type-locality. This is also the fi rst fi nding of the male R. sinensis, which is herein described. Its host, Arcotheres sinensis(Shen, 1932) is a new record. A review of the four known species of Rhopalione Pérez, 1920, an updated diagnosis of the genus and a key to species are provided.     

Agononida Baba and de Saint Laurent, 1996 （Crustacea： Decapoda： Anomura： Galatheoidea： Munididae） from Chinese waters

The present paper reports five species of squat lobster, genus Agononida Baba and de Saint Laurent, 1996, of which A. squamosa （Henderson, 1885） and A. cf. variabilis （Baba, 1988） were not previously reported in Chinese waters. All the specimens are kept in the Marine Biological Museum collection in the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao. To date, there have been l 1 species of this genus recorded from China＇s seas. A key to those species is provided in this paper.     

Combination of ecoprofile and least-cost model for eco-network planning

The protecting requirements and functional connectivity of species in isolated habitat patches are crucial factors of eco-network planning.This study aimed to improve the method of eco-network planning for species conservation.Ecoprofiling was used to group the species by similar behavior types,namely,choice of ecosystem,area requirement,and short distance dispersal abilities.A least-cost model was used to simulate the optimal corridor location to maintain functional connectivity.A combination of ecoprofile and least-cost model was hired to develop an eco-network that promoted species conservation.A case study was also conducted in Bei-jing,China.In addition to the required ecosystem,habitat area is an important parameter for habitat extraction.Habitat area can remove noise habitat patches because of lacking area.Short-distance dispersal can be used to identify corridor requirements and avoid unneces-sary building requirements.Species with various dispersal abilities exhibit significant differences in terms of corridor length and loca-tion requirement.Habitat isolation is the main threat for weakly mobile species,and habitat loss is the major risk of mobile species pro-tection.Different species groups also exhibit distinct landscape pattern demands for an eco-network,and the eco-network planning based on specific species can not protect other species.We proposed that a combination of ecoprofile and least-cost model improved the efficiency of species conservation by eco-network planning.     

Sabatieria sinica sp.nov.(Comesomatidae,Nematoda) from Jiaozhou Bay,China

A new free-living marine nematode species of the genus Sabatieria was documented from the sediment of the Jiaozhou Bay,Qingdao,China,and it has been named Sabatieria sinica sp.nov.It is characterized by homogeneous cuticle without lateral differentiation,relatively short cephalic setae,spiral amphideal fovea with 2–2.25 turns;thick spicules with a mid constriction or joint,gubernaculum with a long straight dorso-caudal apophyses,and 6–7 prominent papillar precloacal supplements.This new species could be distinguished from other congener species by the combination of its characteristics:body size,length of cephalic setae,number of amphid turns,structures of spicules and gubernaculum,and type and number of precloacal supplements.An update dichotomous key is provided for nine species of pulchra group of Sabatieria including the new species.     

Partial Sequence Analysis of Mitochondrial COI Gene of the Chinese Shrimp, Fenneropenaeus Chinensis

Eight hundred and thirty eight base pair fragment of mitochondrial COI gene of wild and cultured populations (CP1, CP4, CP5 and CP6) of Fenneropenaeus chinensis was amplified and sequenced. The A, T, G and C contents of the sequence were 235bp (28.0% ),.307bp (36.6%), 138bp (16.5%) and 158bp (18.9%), respectively. Furthermore, 556bp fragment of the sequence was used to discuss the phylogenetic relationship among 14 Penaeidae species using Alpheus armillatus as the outgroup. From the molecular phylogenetic tree constructed by neighbor-joining method, we obtained three large shrimp groups: Farfantepenaeus, Litopenaeus and Fenneropenaeus group. The results also indicated that there were a closer genetic relationships between F. aztecus and F. paulensis, L. schmitti and L. setiferus, F. indicus and F. merguiensis, and the genus Farfantepenaeus was closer to Litopenaeus.     

Alpine Ecosystems of Northwest Yunnan, China： an Initial Assessment for Conservation

Implementing conservation actions on-the-ground is not a straightforward process,especially when faced with high scientific uncertainty due to limited available information. This is especially acute in regions of the world that harbor many unique species that have not been well studied,such as the alpine zone of the Hengduan Mountains of Northwest Yunnan (NWY),a global biodiversity hotspot and site of The Nature Conservancy’s Yunnan Great Rivers Project. We conducted a quantitative,but rapid regional-level assessment of the alpine flora across NWY to provide a broad-based understanding of local and regional patterns of the alpine flora,the first large-scale analysis of alpine biodiversity patterns in this region. Multivariate analyses were used to classify the major plant community types and link community patterns to habitat variables. Our analysis indicated that most species had small distributions and/or small population sizes. Strong patterns emerged with higher diversity in the more northern mountains,but beta diversity was high,averaging only 10% among sites. The ordinations indicated that elevation and geographic location were the dominant environ-mental gradients underlying the differences in the species composition among communities. The high beta diversity across the alpine of these mountains implies that conservation strategies ultimately will require the protection of large numbers of species over a large geographical area. However,prioritiza-tion should be given to areas where potential payoffs are greatest. Sites with high species richness also have a greater number of endemic species,and,by focusing efforts on these sites,conservation investments would be maximized by protecting the greatest number of unique species.     

Study on the dominant species of Pteropoda in East China Sea

1 INTRODUCTION Pteropoda is a group of marine pelagic mol- lusks, which belongs to Opisthobranchia of Gastro- poda. Although Pteropoda is not a major group in pelagic zooplankton in terms of abundance and number of species, their ecological characters are…     

Biodiverse rotifer assemblage(Rotifera: Eurotatoria) of floodplain lakes of the Brahmaputra basin of lower Assam,northeast India: composition and ecosystem diversity

The study aims to ascertain the hypothesis on the rich rotifer biodiversity of the floodplain lakes(beels) of the Brahmaputra river basin and to use these metazoans to assess trophic status or to characterize habitat variations of wetlands. The plankton samples collected from four beels of lower Assam revealed 160 Rotifera species belonging to 35 genera and 19 families. The richness is of biodiversity value as ~38.0% and ~57.0% of the rotifer species known till date from India and northeast India(NEI), respectively. One species each is new to the Oriental region and NEI, and three species are new to Assam; 23 species merit global biogeography interest and several exhibit distribution values in the Indian sub-region. The diverse Lecanidae Brachionidae Lepadellidae Trichocercidae and speciose littoral-periphytic L ecane Lepadella Trichocerca, and richness of Brachionus spp. following removal of aquatic macrophytes are noteworthy. Overall rotifer composition showed homogeneity amongst beels while lower monthly richness and community similarities affirmed heterogeneity within individual beels. We propose L/B quotient based on L ecane : Brachionus species ratios to characterize habitat variations of the sampled wetlands. Sláde?ek's B/T quotient based on B rachionus : T richocerca species ratios affirmed general 'meso-trophic' status of diff erent beels. Our results provided little insight on the influence of individual abiotic factors but the canonical correspondence analyses asserted higher cumulative influence of ten abiotic parameters on Rotifera richness in each beel.     

Designation of a new genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathymenes</Emphasis> for the deep-sea pontoniine shrimps of the ‘<Emphasis Type="Italic">Periclimenes alcocki</Emphasis> species group’ (Decapoda,Caridea, Palaemonidae), with a checklist of the species assigned to the genus

A new genus of the deep-sea pontoniine shrimps, Bathymenes gen. nov., is established for the ‘Periclimenes alcocki species group’ of the genus Periclimenes Costa, 1844. The new genus is distinguished from other genera of the Pontoniinae by a combination of characters: the posteriormost dorsal rostral tooth remote from other teeth, situated in the epigastric position, cornea usually reduced, the propodus of second pereiopods covered with fine granules, the dactylus of the major second chela being generally flanged, the ambulatory pereiopods with the dactyli being biunguiculate and telson with more than two pairs of dorsolateral spines. The genus is mainly distributed in the tropical to warm-temperate Indo-West Pacific waters at depths greater than 200 m. Fifteen species previously recognized as belonging to the ‘P. a lcocki species group’ are now placed in Bathymenes gen. nov. A key for their identification and a checklist of congeneric species are provided.     

Three new records of deep-water goniasterids (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Goniasteridae) from China seas

In this paper,three deep-water species of the family Goniasteridae,Ceramaster misakiensis(Goto,1914),Nymphaster arthrocnemis Fisher,1913 and Pontioceramus grandis Fisher,1911,are recorded for the first time from Chinese waters based on collections deposited in the Marine Biological Museum,Chinese Academy of Sciences.The specimens examined were collected during the period 1956 to 1978 from the East China and South China Seas at depths of 184 to 472 m.Diagnosis,detailed figures,and the geographic distributions are provided.A revised list of Goniasteridae recorded from Chinese waters is proposed.     

A new species of Eunice (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from Hainan Island, South China Sea

Ataxonomic survey of benthic marine animals from coastal regions of Hainan Island, South China Sea, revealed specimens of a new species of Eunice (Polychaeta: Eunicida: Eunicidae), Eunice uschakovi n. sp., collected from the intertidal zone. The species belongs to the group of Eunice that has yellow tridentate subacicular hooks and branchiae scattered over an extensive region of the body. It resembles E. miurai and E. havaica in having both bidentate and tridentate falcigers, but can be readily distinguished by branchial features. Comparisons between E. uschakovi and the two related species are presented.     

Seasonal variations of net-phytoplankton community structure in the southern Yellow Sea

Based on the field survey data of four cruises in 2011, all phytoplankton communities in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) were investigated for the species composition, dominant species, abundance and diversity indices. A total of 379 species belonging to 9 phyla were identified, of which the most abundant group was Bacillariophyta (60.9%), followed by Pyrrophyta (23.7%) and Haptophyta (6.9%). The seasonal distribution of abundance was: summer (4137.1×10³ ind m^?3) > spring (3940.4×10³ ind m^?3) > winter (3010.6×10³ ind m^?3) > autumn (340.8 ×10³ ind m^?3), while the horizontal distribution showed a decreasing tendency from inshore to offshore regions. The dominant species of phytoplankton varied in different seasons. The dominant species were Thalassiosira pacifica, Skeletoema spp. and Chaetoceros cinctus in spring, Chaetoceros debbilis, Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus and Chaetoceros curvisetus in summer, Thalassiosira curviseriata, Alexandrium catenella and Ceratium fusus in autumn, Paralia sulcata, Phaeocystis sp. and Bacillaria paradoxa in winter, respectively. In SYS, the group of temperate coastal species was the major ecotype, and the groups of the central SYS species and oceanic species were also important constituents. The average values of Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’) and Pielou evenness index (J) were 2.37 and 0.65 respectively. The indices H’ and J in the open sea were higher than those in coastal waters. Obvious co-variation tendencies between H’ and J were observed in all but the summer cruise of this survey.     

A preliminary phylogenetic analysis of Luidia (Paxillosida: Luidiidae) from Chinese waters with cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences

Luidia Forbes (Paxillosida: Luidiidae) are common soft bottom sea stars with 49 described species. Because of substantial morphological diversity, the taxonomy of the genus is complex and hasn’t been resolved definitely. In order to resolve general taxonomic issues, and determine species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships within the genus Luidia, the sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from 24 specimens of Luidia, belonging to eight taxa in Chinese waters, were studied. Three sequences of two species in genus Luidia from GenBank were used to analyze the phylogenetic relationships. The molecular phylogeny exhibited three main clades, each with strong bootstrap support: Clade A including Luidia quinaria from the Sea of Japan; Clade B including seven nominal species (L. quinaria von Martens, L. yesoensis Goto, L. changi Liu, Liao and Li, L. orientalis Fisher, L. avicularia Fisher, L. longispina Sladen and L. hardwicki Gray) from Chinese waters; and Clade C including L. maculata Müller & Troschel from Chinese waters. Our molecular phylogeny results support the morphological Quinaria-Group and Alternata-Group assigned by Döderlein. Seven nominal species we sampled do not exhibit genetic distances that are large enough to recognize them as separate species. Cryptic species may exist in’ Luidia quinaria’ from the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. Meaningful morphological characters need further investigation in Luidia.     

Molecular phylogeny of Parapenaeopsis Alcock, 1901 (Decapoda: Penaeidae) based on Chinese materials and 16S rDNA and COI sequence

The phylogenetic relationship among Chinese Parapenaeopsis species was studied by comparing 16S rDNA and COI gene sequence. The results showed that Parapenaeopsis hardwickii (Miers, 1878) and P. cultrirostris Alcock, 1906 identified from Chinese samples were the same species. Parapenaeopsis cornuta (Kishinouye, 1900), P. incisa Liu and Wang, 1987, and P. sinica Liu and Wang, 1987 were different species. However, their systematic relationship were closer than those of other species, and they formed an advanced branch in the phylogenetic trees. Additionally, the systematic position of P. hardwickii (Miers, 1878), P. hungerfordi Alcock, 1905, and P. tenella (Bate, 1888) were not stable in the phylogenetic trees. More genetic markers such as 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA were supposed to be used to confirm the phylogenic relationship of Parapenaeopsis species.