A new species of Achelia (Pycnogonida: Ammotheidae) and first records of intertidal sea spiders found on Zoanthus (Cnidaria: Zoantharia) from Karachi, Pakistan.

Ten intertidal sea spider (Pycnogonida) species from five families - Pycnogonidae (1 species), Ammotheidae (3 species), Callipallenidae (3 species), Phoxichilidiidae (2 species) and Endeidae (1 species) - are reported in the present study. Out of these ten species, four are first records from Pakistan, including a new species, Achelia karachiensis sp. nov. Intertidal zoanthid colonies have been found to provide shelter and food to a large and diverse Pycnogonid population at Sandspit and the Buleji, Karachi coast. This study highlights the significance of the intertidal fauna of pycnogonids of these areas and contributes to our understanding of the species diversity from the Karachi coast.

Pycnogonida (Arthropoda) from Uruguayan waters (Southwest Atlantic): annotated checklist and biogeographic considerations.

Records of pycnogonids from Uruguayan waters (south-western Atlantic) include 26 species cited from precise locations, and at least five other species based on unconfirmed records. Nearly half of the species in that fauna belong to the genus Nymphon (12 spp.). Most species (22) come from deep-water and were recorded and described by C. A. Child. Of these, at least twelve species have an extended Antarctic and Subantarctic distribution, showing the influence of these cold waters in the area; three others have a wide deep-sea distribution pattern. Five species are known only from the lower slope and abyssal basin off La plata river: Mimipallene Atlantis and four species of Nymphon. Records from coastal and shelf areas (four species) are poorly documented and should be the focus of future research. Of these, Colossendeis geoffroyi is considered endemic in the Southwest Atlantic between 34ºS and 40ºS, but presents clear Antarctic affinities. A small-sized species living in shallow waters, Pycnogonum cessaci, is here considered as cryptogenic.

An annotated checklist of Brazilian sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida).

The Brazilian coast is over 7000 km long. It is comprised of diverse environments such as reef, lagoons and mangroves. These diverse habitats support great biological diversity but, due to the extension of the coast, knowledge of the pycnogonid fauna is poor and fragmented. Records from Brazil began with Krøyer in the 1840s. Collections from Brazilian waters by the "H.M.S. Challenger" and "Vettor Pisani" expeditions were published by Hoek (1881) and Schimkewitsch (1888). For almost 50 years there were no further publications, until Marcus (1940c) published his comprehensive paper on the South American fauna. Publications peaked between the 1940s and 1960s, with papers by Marcus, Sawaya, Mello-Leitão, Corrêa, Du Bois- Reymond Marcus, Hedgpeth and Stock. Approximately 40 papers based on material from Brazilian waters were published at this time, which recorded 65 species for Brazil. The aim of the present work is to provide a checklist of the Brazilian pycnogonids while providing a historical review and a full account of the corresponding literature.

The first finding of Ostrea cf. puelchana (Bivalvia) living as epibiont on Callinectes exasperates (Decapoda) / Primeiro registro de Ostrea cf. puelchana (Bivalvia) vivendo como epibionte sobre Callinectes exasperates (Decapoda)

This paper describes the epibiosis of Ostrea cf. puelchana on Callinectes exasperatus (Gerstaecker, 1856), both collected from the estuary of the Paraíba River, in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. The basibiont crab was captured using a trap installed in mangrove area at a depth of about 2 meters. The oyster was closely attached to the left side of dorsal carapace covering most of the epibranchial, mesobranchial and metabranchial regions. Possible advantages and disadvantages for both the epibiont and the basibiont are discussed. We believe that young O. cf. puelchana may avoid a variety of potential predators due to the considerable movement capacity of C. exasperatus and may also serve as a small protective shield for the basibiont. However, the oyster, which is a bivalve with an epifaunal lifestyle, is likely to be negatively affected, mainly due to burrowing activity of the crab. This is the first record of epibiosis between bivalves of the genus Ostrea Linnaeus, 1758 and crabs of the genus Callinectes Stimpson, 1860.

O presente estudo descreve a epibiose de Ostrea cf. puelchana sobre Callinectes exasperatus (Gerstaecker, 1856), ambos coletados no estuário do Rio Paraíba, no estado da Paraíba, nordeste do Brasil. O caranguejo basibionte foi capturado usando uma armadilha instalada em área de mangue em cerca de 2 metros de profundidade. A ostra estava fixada sobre o lado esquerdo da carapaça dorsal cobrindo grande parte das regiões epibranquial, mesobranquial e metabranquial. Possíveis vantagens e desvantagens para ambos epibionte e basibionte são discutidas. O espécime jovem de O. cf. puelchana pode evitar uma variedade de predadores potenciais devido à considerável capacidade de deslocamento de C. exasperatus, ao mesmo tempo, essa espécie pode atuar como um escudo protetor para o basibionte. Entretanto, o ostreídeo possui um estilo de vida epifaunal, podendo ser afetado de forma negativa, principalmente devido à atividade de escavação do caranguejo. Este é o primeiro registro de epibiose entre bivalves do gênero Ostrea Linnaeus, 1758 e caranguejos do gênero Callinectes Stimpson, 1860.

On the oviposition and egg masses of Conus regius (Neogastropoda: Conidae) from northeastern Brazil / Sobre a oviposição e massas de ovos de Conus regius (Neogastropoda: Conidae) no nordeste do Brasil

Abstract Characteristics of the egg masses of Conus regius Gmelin, 1791 are described and figured for the first time for the coast of Brazil based on a female specimen found in the process of oviposition during the day in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Two clusters of egg masses were found in the subtidal zone of Itapuã beach attached to rocky substrate in a completely unprotected site. Oviposition likely began at least one day earlier, since the specimen had already affixed an entire egg mass and was ovipositing a second cluster at the time it was found. The egg masses were arranged in short, irregular rows of three to nine closely spaced capsules in parallel and facing the same direction. One egg mass cluster consisted of 34 capsules. Conus regius capsules are semi-transparent, vasiform in side view, higher than broad and have flattened to slightly convex sides with slight wrinkles constituted by transversal ridges. Conus regius is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but is still intensively collected in the study area and surrounding coastal environment by fishermen for the purposes of selling shells and as a food source.

Resumo Características de massas de ovos de Conus regius Gmelin, 1791 são descritas e figuradas pela primeira vez para a costa do Brasil com base em um espécime encontrado em processo de oviposição, durante o dia, no estado da Bahia, nordeste do Brasil. Dois aglomerados de massa de ovos foram achadas na zona subtidal da praia de Itapuã fixa a substrato rochoso em uma área completamente desprotegida. O processo de oviposição, provavelmente, começou um dia antes, uma vez que o espécime já tinha afixado uma massa de ovos e estava depositando um segundo aglomerado de ovos no momento em que foi encontrado. As massas de ovos apresentaram arranjos em fileiras curtas e irregulares contendo três a nove cápsulas estreitamente espaçadas, paralelas e posicionadas na mesma direção. A primeira massa de ovos observada conteve um total de 34 cápsulas. As cápsulas de Conus regius são semitransparentes, vasiformes em vista lateral (mais altas do que largas) e possuem parte lateral suavemente convexa a achatada com rugas suaves constituídas por elevações transversais. Conus regius está na Lista Vermelha de Espécies Ameaçadas da IUCN, mas ainda é intensamente coletada na área de estudo e ambientes costeiros circunvizinhos por pescadores por conta da venda das conchas e como fonte alimentar.

Inventory of mollusks from the estuary of the Paraíba River in northeastern Brazil / Inventário de moluscos do estuário do Rio Paraíba no nordeste do Brasil

Abstract: Coastal ecosystems of northeastern Brazil have important biodiversity with regard to marine mollusks, which are insufficiently studied. Here we provide an inventory of mollusks from two sites in the estuary of the Paraíba River. Mollusks were collected in 2014 and 2016 on the coast and sandbanks located on the properties of Treze de Maio and Costinha de Santo Antônio. The malacofaunal survey identified 12 families, 20 genera and 21 species of bivalves, 17 families, 19 genera and 20 species of gastropods and one species of cephalopod. Bivalves of the family Veneridae Rafinesque, 1815 were the most representative, with a total of five species. Gastropods of the family Littorinidae Children, 1834 had the greatest species richness. The most abundant species were: Neritina virginea (Linnaeus, 1758), Brachidontes exustus (Linnaeus, 1758), Crassostrea brasiliana (Lamarck, 1819), Cerithium atratum (Born, 1778), Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791), Parvanachis obesa (C. B. Adams, 1845), Phrontis polygonata (Lamarck, 1822), Littoraria angulifera (Lamarck, 1822), L. flava (King, 1832), Tagelus plebeius (Lightfoot, 1786), Echinolittorina lineolata (d'Orbigny, 1840) and Iphigenia brasiliensis (Lamarck, 1818). The results show that the study area has considerable species richness of Mollusca, requiring environmental monitoring in the region mainly due to the economic importance of some species to the local population.

Resumo: Os ecossistemas costeiros do nordeste do Brasil têm uma importante biodiversidade de moluscos marinhos, a qual ainda é insuficientemente estudada. Este trabalho representa um inventário dos moluscos em duas localidades no estuário do Rio Paraíba. Moluscos foram coletados entre 2014 e 2016 na costa e área de restinga localizadas nas propriedades de Treze de Maio e Costinha de Santo Antônio. Este levantamento malacofaunístico identificou 12 famílias, 20 gêneros e 21 espécies de bivalves, 17 famílias, 19 gêneros e 20 espécies de gastrópodes e uma espécie de cefalópode. Os bivalves da família Veneridae Rafinesque, 1815 foram os mais representativos com um total de cinco espécies. Os gastrópodes da família Littorinidae Children, 1834 apresentaram a mais alta riqueza de espécies. As espécies mais abundantes foram: Neritina virginea (Linnaeus, 1758), Brachidontes exustus (Linnaeus, 1758), Crassostrea brasiliana (Lamarck, 1819), Cerithium atratum (Born, 1778), Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791), Parvanachis obesa (C. B. Adams, 1845), Phrontis polygonata (Lamarck, 1822), Littoraria angulifera (Lamarck, 1822), L. flava (King, 1832), Tagelus plebeius (Lightfoot, 1786), Echinolittorina lineolata (d'Orbigny, 1840) e Iphigenia brasiliensis (Lamarck, 1818). Os resultados mostram que a área estudada tem uma considerável riqueza de espécies de Mollusca, necessitando de monitoramento ambiental, principalmente devido à importância econômica de algumas espécies para a população local.

A new species of Anoplodactylus (Pycnogonida: Phoxichilidiidae) from Brazil, with a case of gynandromorphism in Anoplodactylus eroticus Stock, 1968.

A new species of Anoplodactylus was discovered in coral reefs from the State of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. A. mirim sp. nov. is very small and is characterized for having 3 teeth on the cheliphores and a very small cement gland. It belongs to the A. pygmaeus complex, which contains very small species. A. batangensis is recorded for the first time along the Brazilian coast, and A. eroticus is recorded for the first time in the South Atlantic. We record the fifth known case of gynandromorphism, the fourth for Anoplodactylus, based on two specimens of A. eroticus.