Tidal observations on the West Coast,South Island,New Zealand

Harmonic tidal constants, calculated from sea surface elevation observations at Jackson Bay on the West Coast of the South Island, are consistent with available semi‐diurnal and diurnal tidal phase distributions. Current observations taken over a 111 day period at mid‐depth in 1505 m of water on the southern flank of the Challenger Plateau and over a 240 day period in 1430 m of water on the South Island western coast continental slope, are subject to tidal analysis. At both sites there is a component of energy flux directed across the isobaths and only at the northern site for the M2 tide is the phase consistent with a dominant progressive barotropic tide. The successive 30 day harmonic constants at the southern continental slope site exhibit a trend in the M2 tidal ellipse speed and ellipticity suggesting the presence of a regular internal tide. Superposition of ‘internal tidal’ and barotropic tidal flows, as prescribed from progressive‐ and standing‐wave elevations, to fit the observations indicates that the ‘internal tide’ is probably associated with the first baroclinic mode. At the current‐meter depths the speeds of the ‘internal tide’ for the M2 tide are about the same as the barotropic speeds, whereas, the S2 ‘internal tide’ speeds are larger than those of the barotropic tide. The consistency of the trend in ellipse parameters lends support to the theoretical progressive trapped barotropic tidal flows being a good approximation to the actual barotropic tide. Some support for the hypothesis that the S2 tide on the West Coast of New Zealand has a substantial standing wave contribution is given by the northern observations, where the ratio of the S2: M2 internal tidal ellipse current amplitudes are substantially larger than the ratio of the elevations, the internal tide being generated by across‐isobath flows.     

A new echiuran Sluiterina kaikourae (Echiura: Bonelliidae), from New Zealand and a note on New Zealand echiurans

A new echiuran (Sluiterina kaikourae), dredged at 2000 m off Kaikoura, New Zealand, is described. Other records of New Zealand echiurans are also given.     

Sediment facies and pathways of sand transport about a large deep water headland,Cape Rodney,New Zealand

Cape Rodney is a large headland that protrudes 3–4 km into deep water in the Hauraki Gulf and separates the Mangawhai‐Pakiri and Omaha littoral cells. Detailed swath mapping of seabed sediments around Cape Rodney was carried out using by side‐scan sonar and ground‐truthed by SCUBA, grab sampling, and video. Despite the barrier imposed by the headland two pathways of sand transport around the headland, separated by the topographic high of Leigh Reef, have been identified. One lies close to the headland, where sand from the beach and nearshore of the Mangawhai‐Pakiri embayment is driven by waves and currents along a 500‐m‐wide pathway in c. 20–25 m depth around the headland to the vicinity of Leigh Harbour. The other lies in 50 m water‐depth seawards of Leigh Reef. Here fine sand, sourced from the nearshore of the Mangawhai‐Pakiri embayment and driven offshore from the tip of the headland, is transported back and forth by tidal currents in 50 m water depth on the floor of the Jellicoe Channel. The sand bodies along both these pathways are thin and so sand leakage from the Mangawhai‐Pakiri embayment is thought to be small. Transport at these depths is dependent on both tide and wave generated currents and episodic occurring during storm events. The sediment facies associated with little sand transport about a headland in deep water is one of thin and discontinuous and patchy sand cover between rocky areas and over coarser megarippled substrate. Ocean swell, tidally driven phase eddies that spin up on both sides of the headland, and bathymetry all play a role in shaping those facies.     

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.     

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.     

Influence of reach geomorphology on hyporheic communities in a gravel‐bed stream

The surface sediment, subsurface sediment, and hyporheos were sampled by freeze‐coring at three sites of contrasting geomorphology in a New Zealand gravel‐bed stream. No differences in size class composition were detected among the subsurface sediments of the three sites but the forced pool‐riffle (a stretch of stream where the sequence of pool and riffles is controlled by in‐channel bedrock outcrops) had significantly finer surface sediments than the other sites. The hyporheos of all sites was dominated numerically by insects, including nymphs of Deleatidium and Oniscigaster, and chironomid larvae. Of the non‐insect taxa, Isopoda, Oligochaeta, and Acari were most common. No significant differences existed between total invertebrate density or taxon richness at the sites. Aoteapsyche was found only in the plane bed site, whereas Nesameletus was found only in the forced pool‐riffle. Psilochorema and Nematoda occurred at significantly lower densities in the forced pool‐riffle than in the plane bed or floodplain sites. For most taxa, local variation within a site was greater than that between sites. Total invertebrate density was highest near the sediment surface but no significant differences were found between the three sites in this or any other depth layer. Significant site‐depth interactions were obtained for three taxa (Zelandobius, Ostracoda, and Oligochaeta) indicating that local geomorphology may result in differential depth distributions of hyporheic species.     

Evidence of summer parturition in shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) sharks from New Zealand waters

A litter of eight near‐term shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque 1810) embryos is described from a 317.5 cm total length (TL) female caught off Hawke Bay, south‐east North Island, New Zealand on 5 February 1999. The embryos (3 males and 5 females) were 67.2–77.0 cm TL. Embryo length, condition, hepato‐somatic indices, and mass of yolk in their stomachs all indicate they were close to birth. This is the first shortfin mako litter reported from New Zealand and is outside the late winter‐early spring parturition period predicted from estimated embryonic and juvenile growth rates. Uterine width data from four mature non‐pregnant females and age‐0+ length‐at‐capture data suggest parturition occurs from September to late February (late winter‐mid summer) but is infrequent after January. We suggest that shortfin makos have an extended parturition period, possibly year‐round, with peak parturition occurring in late winter‐spring.     

Anatomical and ultrastructural comparison of the eyes of two species of aquatic,pulmonate gastropods: The bioluminescent Latia neritoides and the non‐luminescent Ancylus fluviatilis

Light‐adapted eyes of two freshwater gastropods with similar habitat preferences (Latia neritoides (Gray 1850) and Ancylus fluviatilis (Müller 1774)) were compared with each other in relation to optics, anatomy, and ultrastructure. Individuals of L. neritoides not only possess significantly larger eyes than similarly sized A. fluviatilis, they also have a more voluminous layer of photorecep‐tive membranes and appear capable of discerning at least some crude shapes. The eye of A. fluviatilis, on the other hand, has a very shallow retina which is so closely apposed to the lens that it can be little more than an indicator of light and darkness. Both types of eye are generously endowed with screening pigment granules and exhibit no signs of light‐induced damage. Although the lenticular F‐values for L. neritoides (1.78) and A. fluviatilis (1.74) alone are hardly indicative of an adaptation to a dark environment, the greater amount of photic vesicles and the substantial development of muscle fibres in the eye of L. neritoides suggest that the latter can adjust its vision more rapidly to changing light levels than that of A. fluviatilis. Since L. neritoides (but not A. fluviatilis) has the ability to secrete a bright green luminescent mucus, a faster accommodation system would serve the species well. There is, however, no proof that in Latia bioluminescence alone has been responsible for the development of a more capable eye. Most of the differences between the eyes of L. neritoides and A. fluviatilis can be explained by the distinctly greater nocturnal activity of L. neritoides in combination with the ability to produce bright light in the latter species.     

Stage‐dependent thyroxine effects on sea urchin development

Thyroxine, one of the iodinated hormones produced by vertebrate thyroids, has been reported to accelerate late larval development in several sea urchins (Chino et al. 1994) and in the crown‐of‐thorns starfish (Johnson & Cartwright 1996), but thyroxine effects on earlier portions of echinoderm development have not been reported. I investigated thyroxine effects on developmental rates during several periods spanning development from early cleavage to metamorphosis in the New Zealand sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus (Valenciennes). Thyroxine treatment slowed development between the eight‐cell stage and assembly of the four‐armed pluteus and mid‐larval development between the four‐armed and six‐armed stages. Thyroxine treatment accelerated progress of eight‐armed plutei toward settling, but did not alter the final percentages of larvae that settled and metamorphosed to juvenile urchins. Acceleration of late larval echinoderm development by thyroxine may indicate a relatively ancient evolutionary origin of thyroxine's effects on developmental processes (Johnson 1997).