A Supplementary Description of Cypridina mariae and Rediagnosis of the Genus Cylindroleberis (Ostracoda: Myodocopa: Cylindroleberididae)

The ostracod family Cylindroleberididae is based on the genus Cylindroleberis Brady, 1868, and has a complicated nomenclatural history. The type species of Cylindroleberis is Cypridina mariae Baird, 1850. Baird described only the carapace, which had been considered lost. Thus, there was no reference point for the concept C. mariae or the genus Cylindroleberis. Baird's material has now been found in the Natural History Museum, London, U.K., and is illustrated here. To clarify the taxonomic status of C. mariae and Cylindroleberis, specimens were obtained from near the type locality, and a supplementary description is presented. This includes description of appendages, particularly the first antenna and mandible, which contain important diagnostic characters. This supplementary description provides important information about C. mariae, allowing a revision of the genus Cylindroleberis, and establishing a framework for future biological research on this ostracod group

Digging deeper: new gene order rearrangements and distinct patterns of codons usage in mitochondrial genomes among shrimps from the Axiidea, Gebiidea and Caridea (Crustacea: Decapoda)

BACKGROUND: Whole mitochondrial DNA is being increasingly utilized for comparative genomic and phylogenetic studies at deep and shallow evolutionary levels for a range of taxonomic groups. Although mitogenome sequences are deposited at an increasing rate into public databases, their taxonomic representation is unequal across major taxonomic groups. In the case of decapod crustaceans, several infraorders, including Axiidea (ghost shrimps, sponge shrimps, and mud lobsters) and Caridea (true shrimps) are still under-represented, limiting comprehensive phylogenetic studies that utilize mitogenomic information. METHODS: Sequence reads from partial genome scans were generated using the Illumina MiSeq platform and mitogenome sequences were assembled from these low coverage reads. In addition to examining phylogenetic relationships within the three infraorders, Axiidea, Gebiidea, and Caridea, we also investigated the diversity and frequency of codon usage bias and mitogenome gene order rearrangements. RESULTS: We present new mitogenome sequences for five shrimp species from Australia that includes two ghost shrimps, Callianassa ceramica and Trypaea australiensis, along with three caridean shrimps, Macrobrachium bullatum, Alpheus lobidens, and Caridina cf. nilotica. Strong differences in codon usage were discovered among the three infraorders and significant gene order rearrangements were observed. While the gene order rearrangements are congruent with the inferred phylogenetic relationships and consistent with taxonomic classification, they are unevenly distributed within and among the three infraorders. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest potential for mitogenome rearrangements to be useful phylogenetic markers for decapod crustaceans and at the same time raise important questions concerning the drivers of mitogenome evolution in different decapod crustacean lineages

The Magnitude of Global Marine Species Diversity

Background: The question of how many marine species exist is important because it provides a metric for how much we do and do not know about life in the oceans. We have compiled the first register of the marine species of the world and used this baseline to estimate how many more species, partitioned among all major eukaryotic groups, may be discovered. Results: There are ∼226,000 eukaryotic marine species described. More species were described in the past decade (∼20,000) than in any previous one. The number of authors describing new species has been increasing at a faster rate than the number of new species described in the past six decades. We report that there are ∼170,000 synonyms, that 58,000–72,000 species are collected but not yet described, and that 482,000–741,000 more species have yet to be sampled. Molecular methods may add tens of thousands of cryptic species. Thus, there may be 0.7–1.0 million marine species. Past rates of description of new species indicate there may be 0.5 ± 0.2 million marine species. On average 37% (median 31%) of species in over 100 recent field studies around the world might be new to science. Conclusions: Currently, between one-third and two-thirds of marine species may be undescribed, and previous estimates of there being well over one million marine species appear highly unlikely. More species than ever before are being described annually by an increasing number of authors. If the current trend continues, most species will be discovered this century

Atlantic Deep-water Response to the Early Pliocene Shoaling of the Central American Seaway

The early Pliocene shoaling of the Central American Seaway (CAS), ~4.7–4.2 million years ago (mega annum-Ma), is thought to have strengthened Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The associated increase in northward flux of heat and moisture may have significantly influenced the evolution of Pliocene climate. While some evidence for the predicted increase in North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation exists in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic, similar evidence is missing in the wider Atlantic. Here, we present stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope records from the Southeast Atlantic-a key region for monitoring the southern extent of NADW. Using these data, together with other δ13C and δ18O records from the Atlantic, we assess the impact of the early Pliocene CAS shoaling phase on deep-water circulation. We find that NADW formation was vigorous prior to 4.7 Ma and showed limited subsequent change. Hence, the overall structure of the deep Atlantic was largely unaffected by the early Pliocene CAS shoaling, corroborating other evidence that indicates larger changes in NADW resulted from earlier and deeper shoaling phases. This finding implies that the early Pliocene shoaling of the CAS had no profound impact on the evolution of climate

Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Ctenocheloides boucheti n. sp., a new ghost shrimp from Papua New Guinea (Decapoda, Axiidea, Ctenochelidae)

Poore, Gary C. B. (2015): Ctenocheloides boucheti n. sp., a new ghost shrimp from Papua New Guinea (Decapoda, Axiidea, Ctenochelidae). Zootaxa 3955 (1): 142-146, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3955.1.1

The ecology of the New Zealand Haliotis species (Mollusca).

Cox (1962) gave an excellent historical review of all published works on Haliotis beginning with Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. Because the genus is world-wide there is a great deal of literature including detailed anatomical studies (e.g. Crofts, 1929), studies of larval stages (e.g. Crofts, 1937; Ino, 1952) and ecological studies (e.g. Ino, 1952; Leighton & Boolootian, 1963). Many more papers have appeared since 1963. Abalones have long been a basic food item in the Orient and are gaining appeal as a delicacy in Western countries. As the level of fishing has increased so has research, particularly in Guernsey (United Kingdom), California, Japan, South Africa and Australia. In Guernsey recent work has been done on density and on growth rate (Forster, 1962, 1967). In California, work on abalones has been associated with a five-year study of the decline of kelp beds (Leighton, 1966) and has been concentrated on their feeding habits. In Japan, research is now concentrating on ecology (Sakai, 1962 a-d) and on methods of mass culture (Oba, 1964a, b) and in South Africa and Australia on population dynamics with a view to regulating the fishery (Newman, 1966, 1967, 1968), Anon., 1967). In New Zealand where an export fishery is just beginning, published work is limited to comments on the use of paua-shell by the Maori (Phillipps, 1935), a general ecological study (Sinclair, 1963), and papers on body proportions (Cleaver, 1966) and feeding (Tunbridge, 1967). The Marine Department has carried out other work, as yet unpublished. This thesis is a comparable ecological study of two Haliotis species. It aims to establish basic ecological information for H. iris and H. australis at Kaikoura and to compare the species. Incidental to this are a comparison of some aspects of the ecology of H. iris at Kaikoura with that at Taylors Mistake, and some comments on H. virginea

Caribbean species of Eiconaxius (Decapoda: Axiidea: Axiidae)

Poore, Gary C. B. (2018): Caribbean species of Eiconaxius (Decapoda: Axiidea: Axiidae). Zootaxa 4524 (1): 139-146, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4524.1.1

Paranthura (Crustacea, Isopoda, Paranthuridae) from south-eastern Australia

Volume: 45Start Page: 33End Page: 6