Three artotrogids (Crustacea: Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) from the Ross Sea, Antarctica

The Artotrogidae, one of the most primitive of siphonostomatoid families, consists currently of 117 species in 21 genera. Most of these species (65%) are poorly or incompletely described since they have been rarely recorded in recent decades and, when encountered, have been found in very low numbers. During the 19th Italian Antarctic Expedition, with the RV Italica, to the Ross Sea in austral summer 2004, some artotrogid copepods were collected. This paper redescribes two species of artotrogid copepods, which are known only from the Southern Ocean, Neobradypontius neglectus and Cryptopontius latus, and describes for the first time a male of the genus Neobradypontius. Furthermore, a new species is described and added to Sestropontius, increasing the number of known species of this genus to three. The main discrepancies between the original descriptions and the specimens of the two species collected from the Ross Sea redescribed here were on the armature of the antennary exopod and leg 5. The new species, Sestropontius italicae, shares with its most similar congener, S. mckinnoni, the armature of the third endopodal segment of leg 1 and leg 2 and that of the third exopodal segment of leg 4. However, the segmentation of the antennae and the armature on the antennary exopod are different

Relaciones entre las variables medioambientales y la abundancia de la fauna de peracáridos en la Bahía de Algeciras (sur de la Península Ibérica)

The distribution and abundance of peracaridean fauna associated with the bryozoan Bugula neritina have been analysed according to their possible relationships with environmental stress on the coastline of Algeciras Bay. The spatial environmental variability along this bay has been established based on the analysis of five abiotic variables (hydrodynamism, siltation, suspended solids, and organic matter content) at six stations over a 12-month period. The temporal variability of these abiotic variables was not taken into account due to the method used in collecting the samples. The abundance and beta diversity of the peracarid fauna were also calculated monthly. Hydrodynamism was the only abiotic variable significantly correlated with beta diversity, with a linear regression model between the two variables (r = 0.81). The distributional pattern of the peracarids (based on the abundance matrix) was correlated with the environmental variables by matching samples' similarities using the Spearman rank correlation. This analysis showed that the combination of variables that best explains the patterns of distribution is hydrodynamism and siltation (rs = 0.665). Of the species considered the amphipods Ischyrocerus inexpectatus, Jassa marmorata and Podocerus variegatus were negatively correlated with hydrodynamism and positively with temperature. The caprellidea Phtisica marina was also negatively correlated with hydrodynamism. On the other hand, the amphipods Cressa mediterranea and Stenothoe dollfusi preferred environments with high hydrological forces and low sedimentation rate. Due to the particular environmental conditions where they live and their requirements, Gammaropsis maculata, Corophium acutum, J. marmorata, I. inexpectatus, and P. variegatus were categorised as good indicator species in port environments. Others such as Aora spinicornis, Microjassa cumbrensis, and C. mediterranea were categorised as species well adapted to high hydrological forces.Se han estudiado las relaciones entre la distribución y abundancia de la fauna de peracáridos asociados al briozoo Bugula neritina con el estrés medioambiental producido en la costa de la Bahía de Algeciras. La variabilidad espacial del estrés medioambiental a lo largo de la Bahía de Algeciras se ha establecido en base a cinco variables abióticas (hidrodinamismo, sedimentación, materia orgánica disuelta en el agua, sólidos en suspensión y la materia orgánica de dichos sólidos en suspensión) a lo largo de seis estaciones de muestreo durante 12 meses de estudio. La temporalidad de las variables medioambientales no se ha estudiado debido al método de muestreo utilizado para éstas. Sin embargo, se calcularon mensualmente tanto la abundancia como la diversidad beta de la fauna de peracáridos en cada una de las estaciones. El hidrodinamismo fue la única variable abiótica correlacionada significativamente con la diversidad beta, existiendo una relación lineal entre ambas variables (r = 0.81). El patrón de distribución de los peracáridos (basado en la matriz de abundancia) se relacionó con las variables abióticas usando el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman. Este análisis determinó que las variables que mejor explican los patrones de distribución de los peracáridos son el hidrodinamismo y la sedimentación (rs = 0.665). Entre las especies consideradas, los anfípodos Ischyrocerus inexpectatus, Jassa marmorata y Podocerus variegatus se correlacionaron negativamente con el hidrodinamismo y positivamente con la temperatura. El caprélido Phtisica marina también estuvo relacionado negativamente con el hidrodinamismo. Por el contrario, los anfípodos Cressa mediterranea y Stenothoe dollfusi prefirieron hábitats con un fuerte hidrodinamismo y baja sedimentación. Debido a las condiciones ambientales particulares en las que estas especies viven y en base a sus necesidades alimentarias, Gammaropsis maculata, Corophium acutum, J. marmorata, I. inexpectatus, y P. variegatus han sido catalogadas como especies indicadoras de ambientes portuarios. Otras como Aora spinicornis, Microjassa cumbrensis y C. mediterranea se han considerado especies bien adaptadas a hábitats con fuerte hidrodinamismo

Two copepod species largely confused: Asterocheres echinicola (Norman, 1868) and A. violaceus (Claus, 1889). Taxonomical implications

Due to its extremely brief description, Asterocheres echinicola (Norman, 1868) has been confused with some Asterocheres species such as Asterocheres suberitis Giesbrecht, 1897, Asterocheres parvus Giesbrecht, 1897 and Asterocheres latus (Brady, 1872). Furthermore, this species has been considered conspecific with Cyclopicera lata (Brady, 1872) and Asterocheres kervillei Canu, 1898. The objective of this paper is to study the syntypes of Asterocheres echinicola deposited in the Museum of Natural History of London together with abundant material from this and other institutions. Re-examination of these syntypes revealed that Asterocheres echinicola was conspecific with the currently known Asterocheres species, A. violaceus. Therefore, this latter species should be considered as a junior synonym of the former. The specimens described by Brady as Cyclopicera lata represent distinctively Asterocheres echinicola (=Asterocheres violaceus) and are identical to Sars’s Ascomyzom parvum and to Giesbrecht’s Asterocheres echinicola. We propose to rename Cyclopicera lata as Asterocheres latus (Brady, 1872), and raise Sars’ Ascomyzon latus, a species which is different from Asterocheres echinicola (=Asterocheres violaceus) and from Asterocheres latus (=Cyclopicera lata), as a new species. In this paper, we not only redescribe both species A. echinicola and A. latus, but also compare them with their previous descriptions, with the new materialavailable and with their congeners. The redescription of Asterocheres latus revealed new specific differences between this species and Asterocheres kervillei, a species considered as synonymous of Asterocheres latus for almost 40 years. We strongly recommend that these differences are suffcient to consider these two species different. Finally, we analyzed the implications of all these taxonomical changes with respect to the diversity of the hosts utilized by these copepods and their geographical distribution

Avances en ecotoxicología marina: comparación entre tests de laboratorio y estudios in situ para la evaluación de la calidad ambiental de los sedimentos

Ecotoxicology is concerned with describing and predicting the behaviour of substances in the environment and the response of biological systems, and ultimately with assessing the risks associated with emissions. These assessments are complicated from a basic-science point of view and they should be carried out by using integrative assessments. Contaminated sediments are a significant regulatory issue with important science implications. Determining the impact of contaminated sediments is a key element in environmental risk assessment and management of water resources. Tests for ecotoxicology assessment in sediments may be conducted either in the laboratory or field. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. Data from different studies performed in laboratory conditions and in field assessments are compared here. The principal advantages of sediment toxicity tests in the laboratory are the possibility to standardize methodologies and to provide direct evidence of sediments as causative agents of toxicity; however, the results are difficult to extrapolate to the field. The results obtained here show the importance of the end point selected in each test and the variability of the responses. Therefore, the results highlight the necessity and importance of the battery-of-tests approach for toxicity assessment. On the other hand, field sediment toxicity has the advantage of empirical evidence and strong correlative indication of the contaminants responsible for toxicity; however, the results obtained from these tests are highly affected by casualty, so it is not possible to isolate a single causative factor. When structural macrofaunal parameters are incorporated into field tests, the results are even more difficult to interpret, because their parameters can be mainly related to organic enrichment or another kind of natural stress, such as salinity gradient, tidal stress conditions, etc.La ecotoxicología es la ciencia que describe y predice el comportamiento de las sustancias en el medio ambiente y las respuestas biológicas del sistema para así, finalmente, evaluar el riesgo asociado con estas emisiones. Estas evaluaciones son difíciles de realizar desde el punto de vista científico y deberían ser elaboradas mediante métodos integrados. Los sedimentos se contemplan, desde el punto de vista científico, como un componente clave en el ecosistema para la evaluación de la calidad ambiental. Los tests de toxicidad de los sedimentos se pueden llevar a cabo tanto en el laboratorio como en el medio teniendo ambos ventajas y desventajas. En este trabajo se comparan los datos obtenidos de distintos experimentos realizados en el laboratorio y un estudio elaborado en el campo. Las principales ventajas de los tests que se han llevado a cabo en el laboratorio fueron la posibilidad de estandarizar la metodología y la evidencia directa que se obtiene de que el sedimento contaminado es el causante de la respuesta biológica; sin embargo, estos resultados son difíciles de extrapolar a la naturaleza. Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio muestran también la importancia de la variable seleccionada en cada test así como la variabilidad en sus respuestas. Por lo tanto, los resultados resaltan la necesidad y la importancia de la utilización de una batería de tests para la evaluación de la toxicidad. Por otra parte, los estudios realizados in situ tienen la ventaja de la evidencia empírica y la fuerte indicación entre la correlación de la toxicidad y los resultados obtenidos; sin embargo, estos resultados están muy afectados por el azar, lo que imposibilita aislar un único factor causante de la respuesta biológica. Los resultados son incluso más difíciles de interpretar cuando se realizan índices estructurales de la macrofauna porque éstos pueden estar más relacionados con el contenido en materia orgánica u otra causa de estrés natural, como puede ser un gradiente de salinidad producido por la marea, etc.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT) de España. AMB94-029

New genus, three new species and new records of Herpyllobiidae Hansen, 1892 (Crustacea, Copepoda) parasites of polychaetes from Antarctica

During the Antarctic Polarstern cruises ANT XIX/3 (ANDEEP-I), XIX/5 (LAMPOS), and XXI/2 (BENDEX) new material of symbiotic copepods associated with polynoid polychaetes was collected. Here the authors present results for the highly modified family Herpyllobiidae Hansen, 1892. New records of Herpyllobius antarcticus Vanhöffen, 1913 and Herpyllobius polarsterni López-González, Bresciani and Conradi, 2000 are provided from the eastern Weddell Sea and Bouvet Island respectively. A new species of the genus Eurysilenium Sars, 1870, E. australis, is described from specimens collected at the eastern Weddell Sea. A new genus, Gottoniella gen. nov., is proposed to include two species, G. antarctica sp. nov. and G. andeepi sp. nov., described from material collected from the Weddell Sea and Scotia Arc

Asterocheres hirsutus, a new species of parasitic copepod (Siphonostomatoida : Asterocheridae) associated with an Antarctic hexactinellid sponge

The asterocherid siphonostomatoid copepod Asterocheres hirsutus, a new species, is described from a hexactinellid sponge of the genus Rossella Carter collected during the Polastern cruise ANT XVII/3, off South Shetland Islands. The distinctive features of this new species are: a female with 21-segmented and a male with 17-segmented antennules, praecoxal endite of maxillule more than four times longer than palp and the ornamentation of the posterior surface of legs 1–4. A detailed description of both sexes is presented

Five new coexisting species of copepod crustaceans of the genus Spaniomolgus (Poecilostomatoida: Rhynchomolgidae), symbionts of the stony coral Stylophorapistillata (Scleractinia)

Spaniomolgus is a symbiotic genus of copepods of the poecilostomatoid family Rhynchomolgidae and is known to be associated with shallow-water reef-building hermatypic corals. Three species of this genus were previously found only in washings of Acropora and Stylophora in northern Madagascar. Four coral morphotypes of Stylophorapistillata (Pocilloporidae) were collected by SCUBA at 1 to 28 m depth in five sites in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea in 2013. Copepods found on these colonies were studied using light, confocal and scanning electron microscopy. Five new, and one known, species of the genus Spaniomolgus were discovered in washings and inside the galls of the hermatypic coral S.pistillata. The description of these new species (Spaniomolgusglobussp. n., S.stylophorussp. n., S.dentatussp. n., S.maculatussp. n., and S.acutussp. n.) and a key for the identification of all of its congeners is provided herein

Evolutopy: problem based learning in Zoology

Zoología es una asignatura troncal del Grado de Biología, con 12 créditos ECTS. Durante el curso 2011-12, ensayamos el aprendizaje basado en problemas (ABP) como una metodología activa de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Al comienzo del curso se presentó el proyecto a los alumnos. La participación era voluntaria y sin recompensa académica (sólo por el deseo de aprender y formarse). Se apuntaron 45 alumnos (de los 371 matriculados). Los alumnos trabajaron a lo largo del curso y sucesivamente los siguientes problemas: 1. Guía de campo y características de los Phyla animales. 2: Controversia creacionismo (diseño inteligente)-evolución. 3. Corales, hormigas y ranas: Respuestas de invertebrados y vertebrados al cambio global. El tamaño de los grupos cambió según los casos (5 alumnos en los dos primeros, y 10 en el tercero). Uno de los objetivos fue evaluar el trabajo de los equipos de alumnos en pequeños grupos de distintos tamaños. Las tutorías fueron personalizadas con los profesores responsables. Para favorecer el contacto entre todos los grupos se diseñaron varias herramientas vía internet: Dropbox , web (Evolutopia: http://asignatura.us.es/ evolutopia/). Al finalizar cada problema, se realizaba una presentación al gran grupo . Algunos grupos optaron por realizar éstas en Ppoint, teatrales, imitaciones a concursos. Todas las presentaciones fueron grabadas en video. Se valoró la asistencia a las sesiones presenciales y la participación en los trabajos de grupo. Finalmente, los alumnos fueron invitados a contestar encuestas (OPINA http://portalapps.us.es/opina/ ). Más del 70 % de los alumnos se mostró contento con su participación en el proyecto y el 90 % encontraron interesantes los problemas planteados. Las capacidades que más desarrollaron, según los alumnos, fueron, además de un mejor conocimiento de la asignatura, la expresión oral y escrita, manejo de informática, búsqueda de información y originalidad e innovación. Y, en menor medida, su capacidad de organización, trabajo en grupo y liderazgo.Zoology is a main subject of the Degree in Biology, with 12 ECTS. During the 2011-12 year, we essayed problem based learning (PBL) approach as an active methodology of education-learning. We presented the project to all the students. The participation was voluntary and without any academic reward, only for the pure desire to learn and get formation. Only 45 students (of 371 enrolled) accepted the challenge. The students worked successively along the course the following three problems: 1. Field guide to the animal Phyla. 2: The controversy creacionism (Intelligent design) vs. Evolution. 3. Corals, ants and frogs: Responses of invertebrates and vertebrates to global change. The size of the groups changed according to the cases (from 5 in the first and second problems, to 10 in the third one). One of the project aims was to evaluate the work of students in small groups of different sizes. Tutorships were personalized, whenever were required by the groups, and assumed by the two teachers in charge. To facilitate the contact, the groups used several internet tools: Dropbox, web (Evolutopia: http: //asignatura.us.es/ evolutopia/) and Facebook . At the completion of each case, a presentation was displayed to the big group (all the 45 students). Some groups decided to present it as a PPoint, other in a theatrical way, imitations to TV contests, etc. All the presentations were recorded on video. We evaluated participation in the meetings and degree of participation in the works of the group. Finally, the students were invited to answer surveys (OPINA: http: // portalapps.us.es/opina/). More than 70 % of the students were satisfied with his participation in the project and 90 % found interesting the suggested problems. The capacities that more they developed, according to the students, were besides a better knowledge of Zoology, the oral and written expression, informatic skills, search of information and originality and innovation. And, in minor degree, their organization and team work habilities and leadership

Frist record of Lichomolgus canui G. O. Sars, 1917 (Copepoda, Lichomolgidae) in the Iberian peninsula

The fauna of copepods associated with invertebrates is relatively unknown in the Iberian peninsula. Recently, the Laboratory of Marine Biology from the University of Sevilla and Cádiz (Spain) initiated a program to study these copepods from the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas. Lichomolgus canui G. O. Sars, 1917 is reported for the first time from the Iberian peninsula, associated with the ascidian Styela plicata (Lesueur, 1823). The extemal anatomy is described and compared with other congeneric species, L. albens Thorell, 1859 and L. marginatus Thorell, 1859 which have been confused several times with L. canui. The diagnostic characters of L. canui are: length of body, first antenna, terminal claws of the second antenna, third segment of the exopod of the third leg, terminal spines of the last segment of fourth leg and the length of the caudal ramus. Some notes about the ecology of L. canui, its usual hosts, and its geographical range are discussed.Compañía Española de Petróleos, S. A. (CEPSA), Ayuntamiento de los Barrios, Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar y la Agencia de Medio Ambiente (Junta de Andalucía). Proyecto "Bahía de Algeciras

New records of copepods associated with marine invertebrates from the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas

In this work, 16 species of commensal or parasitic copepods associated with marine invertebrates from the Strait of Gibraltar are recorded. Eleven species are included into the order Cyclopoida, three into Poecilostomatoida, one into Siphonostomatoida, and another into a family incertae sedis. They have been found mainly associated with Ascidians, but also in Pelecypods, Polychaetes, Opisthobranch molluscs, Ophiuroids and Anthozoans. Among these, 13 are new records for the Iberian peninsula fauna, and three are also new for the African coasts. Moreover five species, Haplostomella malacocera Chatton & Harant, 1924; Haplostomella tuberculata Chatton & Harant, 1924; Periproctia falsiarcuata Stock, 1967; Anthessius arcuatus López-González, Conradi, Naranjo & García-Gómez, 1992 and Botryllophilus conicus Conradi, López-González & García-Gómez, 1994, are recorded for the first time since their original descriptions. Furthermore, new hosts and bathymetrical data of most of the species are provided