PSEUDOSMITTIA AIZAIENSIS, A NEW SPECIES OF ORTHOCLADIINAE (DIPTERA, CHIRONOMIDAE) FROM HUNAN PROVINCE OF CHINA

Male and female adult midges of Pseudosmittia aizaiensis sp. n. are described and illustrated with figures of morphological characters. The inferior volsella of gonocoxite with large lobes, the long but equal width gonostylus. and the small projection in basal part of outer margin are the characters that may separate this species from others. One larva of this genus is purely aquatic in habitat and is associated with Cricotopus bicinctus, Cardiociadius capucinns and Polypedilum sp. in the same algae debris (Spirogyra sp.) of the Dunghe River. Further, the larva's very short SI and SII bifids. its 5 pairs of lateral teeth on mentum and its absence of premandible brush are the characters that may also separate this species from any known species of this genus.     

The radular morphology of Nassariidae (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda) from China

The family Nassariidae includes a number of species that are distributed throughout the world. Each species has a characteristic shell shape, tooth shape, and behavior. However, the classification of species in this family of the Rhachiglossa is controversial. We describe the radulae of 22 species from China in detail using optical and scanning electron microscopy. These species are considered to be representatives of two subfamilies, two genera, and 10 subgenera. Our results suggest that the morphology of the central tooth and the pair of lateral teeth and the presence or absence of a pair of intermediate accessory lateral teeth could be used to distinguish among species. We found no support for the subgeneric differentiation of the species. However, the presence or absence of the intermediate lateral accessory plate was characteristic of species divisions. We noted sexual dimorphism in the shape of the teeth in some species, and considerable variability of the shape of teeth within a single species. Based on our results, the genus Nassarius cannot be split into subgenera using radula morphology.     

The Appearance of Ulva laetevirens（Ulvophyceae,Chlorophyta） in the Northeast Coast of the United States of America

Introduced species may outcompete or hybridize with native species, resulting in the loss of native biodiversity or even alteration of ecosystem processes. In this study, we reported an alien distromatic Ulva species, which was found in an embayment（Holly Pond） connected with Long Island Sound, USA. The morphological and anatomical observations in combination with molecular data were used for its identification to species. Anatomy of collected specimens showed that the cell shape in rhizoidal and basal regions was round and the marginal teeth along the basal and median region were not found. These characteristics were primarily identical to the diagnostic characteristics of Ulva laetevirens Areschoug（Chlorophyta）. The plastid-encoding tufA and nucleus-encoding ITS1 were used for its molecular identification. Phylogenetic analysis for the tufA gene placed the specimens from Holly Pond in a well-supported clade along with published sequences of U. laetevirens identified early without any sequence divergence. In ITS tree, the sample also formed well-supported clades with the sequences of U. laetevirens with an estimated sequence divergence among the taxa in these clades as low as 1%. These findings confirmed the morpho-anatomical conclusion. Native to Australia, this species was reported in several countries along the Mediterranean coast after the late of 1990 s. This is the first time that U. laetevirens is found in the northeast coast of United States and the second record for Atlantic North America.     

Species identification and phylogenetic analysis of genus Nassarius(Nassariidae)based on mitochondrial genes

Genus Nassarius contains many subgenera, such as Zeuxis, Telasco, Niotha, Varicinassa, Plicarcularia, Nassarius s. str. and Reticunassa. On the basis of morphological characteristics of the shell and radula and sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rRNA genes, Nassarius specimens collected from the South China Sea were identified and phylogenetically analyzed. Although Nassarius sp. and Nassarius (Varicinassa) variciferus were morphologically different in their shells, few variations were found among their radular teeth and sequences of mtCOI and mt16S RNA genes. Therefore, Nassarius sp. should be classified as N. (Varicinassa) variciferus. Nassarius (Zeuxis) sp. has only a subtle difference from Nassarius (Zeuxis) algidus on the shell, but it shows obvious differences in radular teeth and DNA sequence, indicating that they are two distinct species. Sequence divergence of mtCOI and mt16S RNA genes within Nassarius species was much lower than that between species, suggesting that these two genes are suitable for Nassarius species identification. Phylogenetic analysis (neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony) based on mtCOI and mt16S rRNA genes revealed the presence of two groups in genus Nassarius and a closest relationship between subgenera Zeuxis and Telasco. Species of subgenus Plicarcularia did not form a single clade. The molecular phylogeny was not congruent with the previous morphological phylogeny. The subgeneric divisions of genus Nassarius appear to be uncertain and unreliable.     

Observations on shell growth and morphology of the bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum

The bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum is not only one of the main mollusc species in the west Pacific Ocean, but also one of the main species for aquaculture in China. Knowledge of growth of the R. philippinarum shell will improve our understanding of the shell as an environmental archive. It is also useful for the aquaculture of R. philippinarum. In this research, a hanging box culture method was introduced in the culture of R. philippinarum. The bivalves were cultured for 126 days, from March 31 to August 3, 2002. The average growth rates of shell width, height, and thickness were 0.069, 0.046, and 0.032 mm/d, respectively. The mean increase of average individual wet mass was 0.028 g/d. The largest growth rates of both shell and average individual wet mass occurred in June, indicating that water temperature and bivalve reproduction were 2 important factors. The shell morphology underwent significant changes with shell growth. The ratio of height to thickness (value of B/C) shifted 1.58 in the first 60 days to 1.54 in the last 30 days, which was resulted from the change in major shell growth direction. Periodic changes in the B/C ratio led to corrugated shell form, which could be used to determine the age of the shell.     

The ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Octopus ocellatus Gray, 1849 (Cephalopoda: Octopoda)

Morphology of the spermatozoon of Octopus ocellatus was studied by light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopes. Sperm are 600–700 μm long, with a large number of granules in diameter about 130 nm. Each spermatozoon is composed of a head, neck, and tail. The head is made up of an acrosomal complex anterior to the nucleus. The spiral acrosomal complex consists of an electron-lucent vesicle, lacuna, and an electron-dense acrosomal vesicle. Additionally, the spiral acrosomal vesicle has numerous equidistant striations, and is surrounded by many small granules (20 nm diameter). A long straight nucleus, which is electron-densed, has a deep posterior concavity, the nuclear vacuole. At the terminal end of the nucleus is a sleeve-like structure with a concave posterior nuclear fossa (PNF). The neck is short connecting the PNF. The basal body is located in the PNF and gives rise to the axoneme. This structure connects the head, neck, and tail. The tail is divided into a middle piece and a principal piece. The middle piece, having a 9+9+2 arrangement, is surrounded by a mitochondrial sheath and terminates by an electron-dense fibrous sheath. The principal piece is the longest part of the sperm with coarse fibers tapering posteriorly. The results of this study shall provide some useful information for artificial breeding of this species.     

Physical and chemical processes promoting dominance of the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii

The freshwater cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Wo?oszyńska) Seenayya and Subba Raju is a common species in lakes and reservoirs globally. In some areas of the world it can produce cyto- and hepatotoxins (cylindrospermopsins, saxitoxins), making blooms of this species a serious health concern for humans. In the last 10-15 years, there has been a considerable body of research conducted on the ecology, physiology and toxin production of this species and this paper reviews these studies with a focus on the cylindrospermopsin (CYN)-producing strains. C. raciborskii has low light requirements, close to neutral buoyancy, and a wide temperature tolerance, giving it the capacity to grow in many lentic waterbodies. It also has a flexible strategy with respect to nitrogen (N) utilisation; being able to switch between utilising fixed and atmospheric N as sources of N fluctuate. Additionally this species has a high phosphate (DIP) affinity and storage capacity. Like many cyanobacteria, it also has the capacity to use dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP). Changes in nutrient concentrations, light levels and temperature have also been found to affect production of the toxin CYN by this species. However, optimal toxin production does not necessarily occur when growth rates are optimal. Additionally, different strains of C. raciborskii vary in their cell quota of CYN, making it difficult to predict toxin concentrations, based on C. raciborskii cell densities. In summary, the ecological flexibility of this organism means that controlling blooms of C. raciborskii is a difficult undertaking. However, improved understanding of factors promoting the species and toxin production by genetically capable strains will lead to improved predictive models of blooms.     

Two New Species of Free-Living Marine Nematodes of the Desmodoridae from Mangrove Wetlands of Xiamen Bay,China

Mangroves are unique in their biodiversity,but studies on their meiobenthic biodiversity in China are scarce.Despite the importance of mangroves,little work has been done on the classification of nematodes in mangrove wetlands.Fujian Province is the most northern point of China’s natural mangrove distribution,and it is also one of the provinces with the earliest constructed mangrove forest.In this paper,two new free-living marine nematode species of Desmodoridae from the Xiamen mangrove wetlands in China are described.Metachromadora xiamenensis sp.nov.is characterized by a cylindrical body,and smooth head capsule set off from the rest of the body.The cuticle is finely annulated and thickened at the midbody.Lateral ridges run from the posterior end of the pharynx to the middle of the tail.The amphid foveae is loop shaped and opens at the top with a double contour amphidial,pharynx with bipartite cuticularized internal cavity.There are 18 tubular precloacal supplements and tail with three small protuberances.Molgolaimus euryformis sp.nov.is characterized by a relatively short and plump body with finely annulated cuticle,which is particularly obvious in the tail.The head is small and wide with intensive striates.The inner and outer labial sensilla are indistinct with short spicules and ventral apophysis,a gubernaculum with a block-shaped hook,a swollen conical-cylindrical tail and an absence of precloacal supplements.     

Taxonomic description of a new marine ciliate,Euplotes qingdaoensis n. sp. (Ciliophora: Euplotida)

The characteristics and infraciliature of a new euplotid ciliate,Euplotes qingdaoensis n.sp.,discovered from the coastal waters of Jiaozhou Bay,northern China,were studied using live observation and silver impregnation.The new marine species is characterized by a slightly fl attened body(90–110 μm×70–80 μm,in vivo),an adoral zone of 26–29 membranelles,10 strong frontoventral and fi ve transverse cirri,two caudal cirri,a single left marginal cirrus,seven dorsal kineties,a middle kinety with about 15 pairs of basal bodies,a silverline system of the double-eurystomus type,and a C-shaped macronucleus.     

Upper trophic structure in the Atlantic Patagonian shelf break as inferred from stable isotope analysis

The Patagonian Shelf is a very productive region with dif ferent ecosystem structures. A long history of fishing in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean combined with a complex hydrographic structure, with a permanent front over the shelf-break and dif ferent coastal frontal regions, and a wide non-frontal area in between have made the food web in this area more complex and have resulted in changes to the spatialtemporal scale. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to determine the trophic structure of the Patagonian shelf break which was previously poorly understood. The results indicated that the average δ~(15)N value of pelagic guild(I llex argentinus) was remarkable lower than those of the other guilds. The δ~(13)C values of almost all species ranged from-17‰ to-18‰, but S tromateus brasiliensis had a significant lower δ~(13)C value. Compared with the southern Patagonian shelf, short food chain length also occurred. The impact of complex oceanographic structures has resulted in food web structure change to the temporal-spatial scale on the Patagonian shelf. The Patagonian shelf break can be considered as a separated ecosystem structure with lower δ~(15)N values.     

Pseudosmittia aizaiensis,a new species of orthocladiinae (Diptera,Chironomidae) from human province of China

Male and female adult midges ofPseudosmittia aizaiensis sp.n. are described and illustrated with figures of morphological characters. The inferior volsella of gonocoxite with large lobes, the long but equal width gonostylus, and the small projection in basal part of outer margin are the characters that may separate this species from others. One larva of this genus is purely aquatic in habitat and is associated with Cricotopus bicinctus,Cardiocladius capucinus andPolypedilum sp. in the same algae debris (Spirogyra sp.) of the Dunghe River. Further, the larva's very short SI and SII bifids, its 5 pairs of lateral teeth on mentum and its absence of premandible brush are the characters that may also separate this species from any known species of this genus.     

A new species of Nassarius (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) from the western Pacific Ocean

This paper describes a new species of Nassarius from the South China Sea,which was recognized when re-sorting the collection of Nassariidae in the Marine Biological Museum,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Qingdao,China.The shells were collected during several investigations,including the National Comprehensive Oceanic Survey in 1958-1959,and the China-Vietnam Co-Investigation on Marine Resource of the Beibu Gulf during 1959-1962.The morphology of the shell and the radula places the new species of Nassarius within the subgenus Zeuxis.It is named Nassarius(Zeuxis) nanhaiensis sp.nov.     

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.     

A new identification method for five species of oysters in genus Crassostrea from China based on high-resolution melting analysis

The high phenotypic plasticity in the shell of oysters presents a challenge during taxonomic and phylogenetie studies of these economically important bivalves. However, because DNA can exhibit marked differences among morphologically similar species, DNA barcoding offers a potential means for oyster identification. We analyzed the complete sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I （COI） of five common Crassostrea species in China （including Hong Kong oyster C. hongkongensis, Jinjiang oyster C. ariakensis, Portuguese oyster C. angulata, Kumamoto oyster C. sikamea, and Pacific oyster C. gigas） and screened for distinct fragments. Using these distinct fragments on a high-resolution melting analysis platform, we developed an identification method that does not rely on species-specific PCR or fragment length polymorphism and is efficient, reliable, and easy to visualize. Using a single pair of primers （Oyster- COI-1）, we were able to successfully distinguish among the five oyster species. This new method provides a simple and powerful tool for the identification of oyster species.     

The appearance of Ulva laetevirens (Ulvophyceae,Chlorophyta) in the northeast coast of the United States of America

Introduced species may outcompete or hybridize with native species, resulting in the loss of native biodiversity or even alteration of ecosystem processes. In this study, we reported an alien distromatic Ulva species, which was found in an embayment (Holly Pond) connected with Long Island Sound, USA. The morphological and anatomical observations in combination with molecular data were used for its identification to species. Anatomy of collected specimens showed that the cell shape in rhizoidal and basal regions was round and the marginal teeth along the basal and median region were not found. These characteristics were primarily identical to the diagnostic characteristics of Ulva laetevirens Areschoug (Chlorophyta). The plastid-encoding tufA and nucleusencoding ITS1 were used for its molecular identification. Phylogenetic analysis for the tufA gene placed the specimens from Holly Pond in a well-supported clade along with published sequences of U. laetevirens identified early without any sequence divergence. In ITS tree, the sample also formed well-supported clades with the sequences of U. laetevirens with an estimated sequence divergence among the taxa in these clades as low as 1%. These findings confirmed the morpho-anatomical conclusion. Native to Australia, this species was reported in several countries along the Mediterranean coast after the late of 1990s. This is the first time that U. laetevirens is found in the northeast coast of United States and the second record for Atlantic North America.     

A new record of a flathead fish (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from China based on morphological characters and DNA barcoding

A new record of Platycephalus sp.1 (sensu Nakabo, 2002) was documented based on morphological characters and DNA barcoding. We collected 174 specimens of the genus Platycephalus from Chinese coastal waters of Dongying, Qingdao, Zhoushan, and Beihai. Samples were identified as Platycephalus sp.1 morphologically. The coloration, meristic traits, and morphometric measurements are consistent with previously published records. In brief, it is an orange-brown flathead fish with dark brown spots scattered on head and body, lateral line scales 83 to 99 with one or two spine-bearing anteriormost pored scale, no yellow blotch on the caudal fin. Cytochrome oxidase I subunit (COI) gene fragments were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. The mean evolutionary distance within the species Platycephalus sp.1 was 0.1%. Net evolutionary distances between Platycephalus sp.1 and other species of Platycephalus ranged from 10.8% to 19.7%, which is much greater than the threshold for species delimitation. The COI sequence analysis strongly supports the validity of Platyceohalus sp.1 at genetic level.     

Studies on the community structures of meiofauna and marine nematode at six stations in the Southern Yellow Sea,China

1Introduction As part of a comprehensive investigation of ecosys-tem dynamics in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea,astudy has been made of meiofauna,defined here asmetazoans passing a0.5mm sieve but retained by a0.031mm sieve.Meiofauna is an important energeticgroup in benthic small food web due to their smallsize,high abundance and fast turnover rates.Theproduction of meiofauna is equal to or higher than thatof macrofauna in estuaries,shallow waters and deepseas(Gerlach,1971;Platt and Warw…     

Species identification and phylogenetic analysis of genus Nassarius (Nassariidae) based on mitochondrial genes

Genus Nassarius contains many subgenera, such as Zeuxis, Telasco, Niotha, Varicinassa, Plicarcularia, Nassarius s. str. and Reticunassa. On the basis of morphological characteristics of the shell and radula and sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rRNA genes, Nassarius specimens collected from the South China Sea were identified and phylogenetically analyzed. Although Nassarius sp. and Nassarius (Varicinassa) variciferus were morphologically different in their shells, few variations were found among their radular teeth and sequences of mtCOI and mt16S RNA genes. Therefore, Nassarius sp. should be classified as N. (Varicinassa) variciferus. Nassarius (Zeuxis) sp. has only a subtle difference from Nassarius (Zeuxis) algidus on the shell, but it shows obvious differences in radular teeth and DNA sequence, indicating that they are two distinct species. Sequence divergence of mtCOI and mt16S RNA genes within Nassarius species was much lower than that between species, suggesting that these two genes are suitable for Nassarius species identification. Phylogenetic analysis (neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony) based on mtCOI and mt16S rRNA genes revealed the presence of two groups in genus Nassarius and a closest relationship between subgenera Zeuxis and Telasco. Species of subgenus Plicarcularia did not form a single clade. The molecular phylogeny was not congruent with the previous morphological phylogeny. The subgeneric divisions of genus Nassarius appear to be uncertain and unreliable.     

Seasonal variation in functional phytoplankton groups in Xiangxi Bay, Three Gorges Reservoir

We describe the phytoplankton dynamics and structure in Xiangxi Bay, Three Gorges Reservoir. Samples were collected monthly in the surface waters between August 2007 and July 2008. We identified 10 principle functional groups. C-strategists and S/R-strategists with a wide range of tolerance dominated the phytoplankton assemblage. Seasonal variation was related to water column stability because of changes in hydraulic operation in October, January, and May. Functional group C (Asterionella formosa) and P (Aulacoseria granulata) dominated in August and September, whereas group Lo (Peridiniopsis niei) was the most abundant between February and April, forming a dinoflagellate bloom. Group B (Stephanodiscus hantzschii), X2 (Komma acudata), and Y (Cryptomonas erosa) were present throughout most of the year but were most abundant in late spring. A cyanobacterial bloom occurred from June to July, during which group M (Microcystis aeruginosa, M. wesenbergii) and H1 (Anabaena flos-aquae) were dominant. Green algae, characterized by group G (Eudorina sp., Pandorina sp., Pyramidomonas sp.) and J (Pediastrum spp., Coelastrum spp., Scenedesums spp.), were abundant after the bloom degraded. This sequence was corroborated by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The summary sequence of functional groups resulting from CCA was: C/P → Lo → H1/M/J/G. The dynamics of the phytoplankton community may be explained by the stability of water column, irradiance, water temperature, and nutrient structure.