A new species of Plaxiphora (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) from southern New Zealand

Plaxiphora boydeni n.sp. from wave‐exposed rocky shores of southern New Zealand is described and illustrated. This is the first published record of the genus from the New Zealand mainland. P. boydeni is readily distinguished from the 2 other New Zealand species of the genus, which occur in the subantarctic region, by the absence of bristle‐tufts on the girdle.     

Scutocyamus antipodensis n.sp. (Amphipoda: Cyamidae) on Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) from New Zealand

The whale‐louse Scutocyamus antipodensis n.sp., ectoparasitic on Hector's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori (van Beneden), is described and figured from material collected in Cloudy Bay, Cook Strait, New Zealand. Morphologically the new species is very close to S. parvus Lincoln & Hurley, the type and only other species of the genus, known only from the North Sea. However, the two species differ in the detailed structure and spinosity of the body and pereopods.     

First record of the Australian ascidian Eudistoma elongatum in northern New Zealand

A colonial ascidian was first reported by marine farmers in Houhora Harbour, Northland, New Zealand in early 2005 and subsequently found on oyster racks in Parengarenga Harbour and the Bay of Islands. The Northland ascidian was identified with a combination of morphological characters and DNA cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence data, as Eudistoma elongatum, a species native to Australia, where it is found from northern New South Wales to Northern Queensland, and distinguished from Eudistoma circumvallatum, the only reported species in this genus from New Zealand. Ascidian larvae are weak dispersers and long distance dispersal of E. elongatum is likely to be enhanced by vectors such as oyster barges and/or movement of cultured oysters. In its native range, E. elongatum is restricted to areas with a minimum winter sea temperature of 16°C. Assuming similar biological limitations apply in New Zealand, the spread of E. elongatum might be restricted to northern New Zealand (north of latitude 37°S).     

New Zealand Caprellidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

The New Zealand Caprellidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are reviewed. Only two species previously recognised from New Zealand, Caprella equilibra Say and Caprellina longicollis (Nicolet) are accepted. A new monospecific genus near to Protomima is described.     

Variation and taxonomic changes in the family Retropinnidae (Salmonoidea)

The family Retropinnidae contains one monotypic genus, Stokellia, in New Zealand, and nine nominal species of Retropinna: five in New Zealand, three in Australia, and one on Chatham Island. Four Chatham Island populations contain much of the recorded range of variation for the family for head length in standard length ratios, numbers of dorsal and anal rays, and numbers of scale rows. These characters are analysed for 29 populations incorporating five nominal species from New Zealand and Chatham Island. When interrelated these characters are shown to be linked (loosely) and high values are typical of coastal populations. When related to latitude their values increase to the south. The reverse trend is found with increase in altitude. Decrease in salinity depresses the values. Area of the lake habitat has little effect.

Observations suggest that size of fish and numbers of teeth vary predictably. Thus all observed variation is related to environmental conditions. The four nominal lake species are submerged in Retropinna retropinna (Richardson), the type species of the genus, which is considered to be highly adaptable rather than highly variable. R. osmeroides Hector is recognised as distinct from R. retropinna on one character and on sympatric distribution. Records of Australian and Tasmanian species suggest that R. victoriae Stokell differs fundamentally from all other species but that R. semoni Weber and jR. tasmanica McCulloch do not differ greatly from R. retropinna Similar environmentally correlated variation is suggested to relate some diadromous species of Galaxias and their lacustrine isolates.     

Dinoflagellates of the genus Dinophysis Ehrenberg from New Zealand coastal waters

Eight marine species of the Dinoflagel‐late genus Dinophysis are recorded from New Zealand coastal waters. Some notes are given on the morphology and range of variation in the New Zealand specimens as seen in the scanning electron microscope.     

Survey of historical New Zealand shellfish samples for accumulation of gymnodimine

In 1994 a major biotoxin event occurred along the east coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Gymnodimine, a unique bioactive spiroimine, was isolated and characterised from Foveaux Strait dredge oysters (Tiostrea chilensis = Ostrea chilensis) collected during this outbreak. This study reports the results of liquid chromatographic‐mass spectrometric analysis for gymnodimine in 217 samples from eight species of shellfish over the years 1993–99. Of these samples 155, covering six species of shellfish, contained detectable gymnodimine with a range in concentration from 14.8 to 23 400 μg/kg. Gymnodimine‐containing shellfish occurred at 37 of the 63 sites sampled from around New Zealand. This study demonstrates that accumulation of gymnodimine is not limited to T. chilensis and can occur in other shellfish species over much of New Zealand. Gymnodimine is a possible cause of the numerous historical biotoxin screen‐positive results.     

Endemic new cyclostome bryozoans from Spirits Bay,a New Zealand marine‐biodiversity “hotspot”

Two notable species of erect cyclostome bryozoans from a nearshore benthic fauna off Spirits Bay, northernmost New Zealand, are described here for the first time. The first, Spiritopora perplexa gen. et sp. nov., is an endemic cerioporine‐grade genus which is abundant in this area. Colonies are characterised by an unusual combination of fixed‐and free‐walled skeletal morphologies: autozooids forming the extensive encrusting colony bases are normally fixed‐walled, whereas those forming the short, bifoliate erect branches are usually free‐walled. The highly distinctive morphology of S. perplexa, very different from any other fossil or Recent cyclostome, together with its success in overgrowing competitors for space, makes its restricted geographical distribution puzzling and highlights the importance of conservation in this area now closed to trawling, Danish seining, and commercial scallop dredging. The second species, Calvetia osheai sp. nov., is less common, and has small, tree‐like colonies. It is the third species assigned to this distinctive cancellate genus, previously known only from Recent of Tierra del Fuego and the Eocene of Antarctica.     

New species of Spongia (Porifera: Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida) from New Zealand,and a proposed subgeneric structure

This paper is the fifth in a series revising the taxonomy of New Zealand dictyoceratid sponges (phylum Porifera, subclass Ceractinomorpha, order Dictyoceratida). Six new species of the genus Spongia are added to New Zealand's known fauna. The use of subgenera within the genus Spongia is discussed, and two new subgenera are proposed. The genus Hippospongia is revised, and an emended generic diagnosis is proposed.     

Mesoproboloides excavata n. sp. (Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Stenothoidae) from New Zealand

Mesoproboloid.es excavata n. sp. is described and illustrated from material collected at Kaikoura, New Zealand. It differs most conspicuously from the other three known species of the genus in the posterodistally excavate coxa 4, the stout, blunt lobe distally on article 1 of antenna 1, the crenulate ventral margins of coxae 2–4, and the castellate posterior margin of article 2 of pereopod 5. The structure and distribution of minute organs, probably sensory receptors, densely distributed over much, of the integument was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The genus Mesoproboloides is now seen to be cold temperate‐subantarctic in occurrence.     

Moina sp. (cladocera: Daphnidae) in a sewage plant,wellington (note)

An unidentified species of the genus Moina was found in a Pasveer sewage treatment plant at Glensiide, Wellington; it is described and illustrated. A survey of the literature shows that this is probably the first published record of the genus in New Zealand (M. lemnae, previously recorded, has since been tentatively referred to the genus Pseudomoina); sewage ponds in India and South Africa have yielded M. dubia.     

First record of Bonnemaisonia hamifera (Bonnemaisoniales,Rhodophyta) in the South Pacific,from the South Island of New Zealand

ABSTRACT

The tetrasporophytic ‘Trailliella’ stage of the red algal genus Bonnemaisonia is reported for the first time from the Southern Hemisphere. Here we describe a bloom of the tetrasporophyte of B. hamifera from the mouth of the Waikouaiti River, Karitāne, South Island, where it occurred as thousands of free-floating tufts up to 1?cm wide in shallow water, accumulated in windrows on sand banks and beaches, and in the water column at depths of 10–12?m on the adjacent open coast. Gametophytic stages have not yet been found in New Zealand. The material collected to date is strictly vegetative, and reproduction occurs via fragmentation. The identity of the New Zealand samples as B. hamifera was confirmed by both morphology and rbcL sequencing. The abundance and floating dispersal of B. hamifera suggests that it is invasive and will become widely distributed in New Zealand.     

New species of aetideopsis sars and bradyidius giesbrecht (copepoda: Calanoida) from the southern hemisphere

Three new species of calanoid copepod in the family Aetideidae are described, two in Aetideopsis Sars, 1903 and the third in Bradyidius Giesbrecht, 1897. One Aetideopsis species is from off South West Africa (south‐east Atlantic), the remaining species are from the east coast of New Zealand (south‐west Pacific). The genus Pseudaetideus Wolfenden, 1904 is merged with Aetideopsis.     

New Zealand recent Foraminifera of the families Islandiellidae and Cassidulinidae

Morphology and distribution of nineteen New Zealand Recent species of Foraminifera of the families Islandiellidae and Cassidulinidae are discussed. One new genus, Evolvocassidulina, and four new species, Favocassidulina australis, Globocassidulina canalisuturata, Globocassidulina spherica, and Ehrenbergina carinata, are described and figured. The use of radial and granular wall structure as a fundamental character in classification is supported by its uniformity in individual genera and species.     

New genera and species of benthic calanoid copepods from the New Zealand slope

Thirteen new species of benthic calanoid copepods are described from depths of 1,184–1,697 m off New Zealand. Seven species belong to previously described aetideid genera (Bradyidius—four spp., Comantenna—one sp., Pseudeuchaeta—two spp.) and the remainder represent new genera in three families: Aetideidae—three genera, four spp.; Arietellidae—one genus and sp.; Bathypontiidae—one genus and sp.     

Two new species of hatschekia (copepoda,dichelesthiidae) from New Zealand waters

Two new species of Hatschekia Poche, 1901 are described from New Zealand specimens of Allomycterus jaculiferus (Cuvier, 1818) and Lepidopus caudatus (Euthrasen, 1878) respectively. Comment is made on the need for revision within the genus Hatschekia.     

Neophrynichthys heterospilos,a new species of fathead sculpin (Scorpaeniformes: Psych rol utidae) from New Zealand

A second species of Neophrynichthys is described from 20 specimens collected from the Campbell Plateau, south of South Island, New Zealand. It differs from its sole congener, N. latus, in having 25–26 pectoral rays (versus 22–24), cirri on head more than twice as large, half as few (c. 50 versus >100), and generally absent from the mid‐region behind the eyes (versus being relatively dense), and in spotted colour pattern covering much less than 50% of the dorsal surface of the head (versus >50%). This new species is the sixth psychrolutid known from New Zealand. The genus Neophrynichthys is formally diagnosed by two synapomorphic characters unique among psychrolutids: having light spots on a dark ground colour and having an open fourth and fifth infraorbital, fifth and sixth cranial arch, medial extrascapular, and posterior tabular of the pterotic.     

Comparison and history of Polydora websteri and P. haswelli (Polychaeta: Spionidae) as mud-blister worms in New Zealand shellfish

Shells of commercially valued bivalves in New Zealand, Crassostrea gigas, Perna canaliculus and Pecten novaezelandiae, are damaged by blister-causing Polydora polychaete species known to be close in morphology to the widely recorded oyster pest Polydora websteri Hartman. Recent New Zealand occurrences are here confirmed to relate to two species, P. websteri, and a second similar species, Polydora haswelli Blake & Kudenov, a new record for New Zealand, previously known only from Australia; the two species are described and compared. The worms have limited distributions, with P. websteri confirmed only for Pacific oysters (C. gigas) in northern New Zealand, although prior reports indicate it may also occur on scallops and have reached the northern South Island. Polydora haswelli has been found only in northern New Zealand, occurring on subtidal mussels and scallops and native oysters (Perna canaliculus, Pecten novaezelandiae, Ostrea chilensis), as well as co-existing with intertidal P. websteri on Pacific oysters. The worms are not present in Foveaux Strait O. chilensis beds, a major source of past oyster exports to Australia. The history of mud-blister worm outbreaks in Australasia is examined. While trans-Tasman exports of live oysters from New Zealand were commonplace during the nineteenth century, there is no evidence that mud-blister worms were present in New Zealand then. The earliest reports only date from the early 1970s and only from northern New Zealand, whereas a century earlier in the 1870s at least one of these pest worms had become widespread along eastern Australian coasts.