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Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 2:14a | [Mollusca • 2019] Okenia longiductis & O. problematica • What is really out there? Review of the Genus Okenia Menke, 1830 (Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) in the Mediterranean Sea with Description of Two New Species
Abstract The precise number of Okenia taxa inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their general taxonomy, varies according to different specialists. So far, eight valid species have been reported from the area: Okenia aspersa (Alder & Hancock, 1845), Okenia cupella (Vogel & Schultz, 1970), Okenia elegans (Leuckart, 1828), Okenia hispanica Valdés & Ortea, 1995, Okenia impexa Er. Marcus, 1957, Okenia leachii (Alder & Hancock, 1854), Okenia mediterranea (Ihering, 1886), and Okenia zoobotryon (Smallwood, 1910). Of these, only three (O. elegans, O. hispanica, and O. mediterranea) have their type localities in the Mediterranean Sea, whereas the others were described from different biogeographic areas and later included in the Mediterranean biota. We carried out a review on Mediterranean Okenia species through an integrative approach, based on a wide literature search and a morphological and molecular analysis of available type material and samples collected recently. The present study confirmed the presence of O. aspersa, O. elegans, O. hispanica, and O. mediterranea in the Mediterranean Sea, although leaving remaining questions about some of those taxa. The distribution of O. cupella, O. impexa, and O. zoobotryon is limited to the western Atlantic, and of O. leachii to the eastern Atlantic. All specimens previously identified as O. cupella, O. impexa, and O. zoobotryon by different authors in the Mediterranean Sea were repeatedly misidentified. Thus, we describe Okenia problematica sp. nov. and Okenia longiductis sp. nov., from the “Mediterranean” Okenia cupella/impexa and O. zoobotryon. We also consider here Okenia pusilla Sordi, 1974 a nomen dubium and include a redescription of the holotype of O. cupella. A molecular phylogeny, including all the sequenced Okenia species, was performed in order to evaluate the evolutionary relationships of the newly described species with the other congeneric taxa. Systematics Order Nudibranchia Cuvier, 1817 Family Goniodorididae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854 Genus Okenia Menke, 1830 Type species: Idalia elegans Leuckart, 1828 by monotypy
Okenia longiductis sp. nov. Etymology: Named longiductis due to its long reproductive ducts. Ecology: We always found this species living in the infralittoral zone (up to 5 m depth) on the arborescent bryozoan Amathia verticillata (delle Chiaje, 1822) (Fig 3B and 3D). The same depths and feeding association hold for previous records belonging to Okenia zoobotryon. White and ring-shaped egg-masses were present on this bryozoan (Fig 3C).
Okenia problematica sp. nov. Etymology: Named problematica due to its complex taxonomic history. Ecology: We always found Okenia problematica sp. nov. at depths below 10 m. The specimens collected in Gallipoli (Italy) were found on an artificial reef located on a sandy bottom, amidst unidentified hydrozoans and encrusting bryozoans. ... Marta Pola, Sofía Paz-Sedano , Armando Macali, Dan Minchin, Agnese Marchini, Fabio Vitale, Cataldo Licchelli and Fabio Crocetta. 2019. What is really out there? Review of the Genus Okenia Menke, 1830 (Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) in the Mediterranean Sea with Description of Two New Species. PLoS ONE. 14(5): e0215037. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215037 | ||||||
| 8:04a | [Ichthyology • 2020] A Century after! Rediscovery of the ancient catfish Diplomystes Bleeker 1858 (Siluriformes: Diplomystidae) in coastal river basins of Chile and its implications for conservation.
ABSTRACT The ancient catfish family Diplomystidae, with seven species endemic to rivers of southern South America, represents one of the oldest branches of the diverse order Siluriformes. With most species endangered, new reports of these species become extremely valuable for conservation. Currently, it is assumed that Diplomystes species inhabit only Andean (large) basins, and that they are extinct from coastal (small) basins from which their presence have not been recorded since 1919. Here, we document new records of the family Diplomystidae in the Laraquete and Carampangue basins, two coastal basins from the Nahuelbuta Coast Range, Chile, with no previous reports. This finding represents the rediscovery of the genus in coastal basins in more than a Century. Based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences, the collected specimens were found to be closely related to Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis from the Andean Biobío Basin, but sufficiently differentiated to suggest that coastal basin populations are a different management unit. These populations are important because, contrary to previous thoughts, they prove these catfish can survive in small river networks, providing unique opportunities for research and conservation. The conservation category of Critically Endangered (CE) is recommended for the populations from the Laraquete and Carampangue basins. Keywords: Management Unit; Mitochondrial DNA; Rare Species; Streams; Threatened Species
  Carlos P. Muñoz-Ramírez, Raul Briones, Nicole Colin, Pablo Fierro, Konrad Górski, Alfonso Jara and Aliro Manosalva. 2020. A Century after! Rediscovery of the ancient catfish Diplomystes Bleeker 1858 (Siluriformes: Diplomystidae) in coastal river basins of Chile and its implications for conservation. Neotropical Ichthyology. 18(1); DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-2019-0073 RESUMEN: La familia de bagres Diplomystidae, con siete especies endémicas de ríos del sur de Sudamérica, es uno de los linajes mas antiguos del diverso orden Siluriformes. Al estar la mayoría de las especies amenazadas, nuevos registros de éstas son extremadamente valiosos para su conservación. Actualmente, se ha asumido que los Diplomystidos se distribuyen solo en cuencas Andinas (más grandes), y que sus especies estarían extintas en cuencas de menor tamaño como las costeras, sin registros desde 1919. En este trabajo documentamos la familia Diplomistidae en las cuencas de Carampangue y Laraquete, dos cuencas costeras de la Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, Chile, lo que representa el primer registro de esta familia en estas cuencas costeras. Además, este hallazgo representa el re-descubrimiento de la familia en cuencas costeras después de un siglo. Sobre la base de análisis de ADN mitocondrial, los especímenes colectados se relacionaron más cercanamente con poblaciones de la especie Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis presente en la cuenca del Biobío. Sin embargo, existen diferencias genéticas suficientes entre las poblaciones costeras y las del Biobío para justificar su separación como unidad de manejo distinta. Estas poblaciones costeras son importantes porque demuestran que los Diplomístidos pueden sobrevivir en cuencas de pequeño tamaño, ofreciendo oportunidades únicas para su investigación y conservación. Se recomienda la categoría de conservación En Peligro Critico de Extinción (CR) para las poblaciones de las cuencas Laraquete y Carampangue. Palabras clave: ADN Mitocondrial; Especie Amenazada; Especie Rara; Esteros; Unidad de Manejo | ||||||
| 8:16a | [Botany • 2024] Carrierea leyensis (Salicaceae) • A New Species from Limestone Areas of Guangxi, China
Abstract Carrierea leyensis Z.C.Lu & W.B.Xu, a new species of Salicaceae was discovered from limestone areas of Guangxi, China. The morphology of C. leyensis is similar to C. dunniana, but differs by its evergreen nature; shorter petioles, only 3–8 mm long, and tomentose or glabrous when old; elliptic leaf blade with cuneate base; shorter inflorescence (1.8–4.5 cm long); smaller flowers; and smaller capsules (1.7–2.7 cm long, 5–9 mm in diam.). Key words: Carrierea calycina, Carrierea dunniana, morphology, new taxa, taxonomy
 Carrierea leyensis Z.C.Lu & W.B.Xu, sp. nov. Chinese name: 乐业山羊角树 (lè yè shān yáng jiǎo shù) Diagnosis: Carrierea leyensis Z.C.Lu & W.B.Xu differs from C. dunniana H.Lév. in its evergreen nature; shorter petioles, only 3–8 mm long, and tomentose or glabrous when old; elliptic leaf blades with cuneate base; shorter inflorescences; smaller flowers; and smaller capsules. Zhao-Cen Lu, Zhi-Rong Liu, Ming-Lin Mo, Shi-Li Chang, Wei-Bin Xu. 2024. Carrierea leyensis, A New Species of Salicaceae from Limestone Areas of Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys. 248: 305-313. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.248.129824 | ||||||
| 8:31a | [Entomology • 2017] Pukupuku arunachalensis • A New Species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India
Abstract A new species of the genus Pukupuku Muramoto, 2006 is described from the state of Arunachal Pradesh (Northeast India): Pukupuku arunachalensis sp. nov. Relevant diagnostic characters are illustrated and compared with closely related species, Pukupuku curtus (Arrow, 1919) and Pukupuku katsurai (Muramoto, 2002). The distribution of the new species is mapped. Keywords. New species, taxonomy, Northeast India, diagnosis, Palaearctic Region. Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758 Suborder Polyphaga Emery, 1886 Superfamily Scarabaeoidea Latreille, 1802 Family Scarabaeidae Latreille, 1802 Subfamily Rutelinae MacLeay, 1819 Genus Pukupuku Muramoto, 2006 Pukupuku arunachalensis sp. nov. Diagnosis: The newly described species can be easily distinguished by its unique structure of aedeagus, shape and size of mandibles which are sharply pointed at end with a small tooth in middle at outer edge (in lateral view), and four times as long as clypeus, pronotum smooth without setae, pygidium smooth (setae absent in male, present in female). See Table 1 for detailed differential characters separating P. arunachalensis sp. nov. from P. curtus and P. katsurai. Etymology: The name arunachalensis refers to the Northeastern Himalayan state of India, Arunachal Pradesh. Devanshu Gupta, Kailash Chandra and Aleš Bezděk. 2017. Pukupuku arunachalensis sp. nov. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India. European Journal of Taxonomy. 257: 1–11. DOI: doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2017.257 Researchgate.net/publication/312038578_Pukupuku_arunachalensis_sp_nov_from_Arunachal_Pradesh_India | ||||||
| 1:08p | [Invertebrate • 2024] Rhabdopleura chathamica, R. emancipata, ... • Four New Species and A ribosomal Phylogeny of Rhabdopleura (Hemichordata: Graptolithina) from New Zealand, with A Review and Key to all described extant taxa
Abstract All eight extant species of Rhabdopleura described between 1869 and 2018 are provisionally accepted as valid based on a review of the literature and new data on two little-known species from the Azores. Additionally, four new species are described from the New Zealand region, increasing global diversity by 50%, and a dichotomous key to all 12 described species is provided based on morphological criteria. The distinction between colony morphologies based on erect-tube inception is regarded as particularly helpful in initial characterization of species. Erect ringed tubes are either produced directly from the surface of creeping-tubes or indirectly, i.e. a short adherent side branch from a creeping tube is interpolated between the creeping tube and an erect tube; such side branches are blind-ending. These two modes of erect-tube origination are here respectively termed direct and indirect. Species with indirect erect-tube budding are predominant in the North Atlantic whereas species with direct erect-tube budding dominate in New Zealand waters. The only indirect-erect species from New Zealand, Rhabdopleura chathamica n. sp., was discovered on deepwater coral from 1008‒1075 m, constituting the deepest record of the genus to date. Rhabdopleura emancipata n. sp., collected only in a detached state, constitutes a three-dimensional tangled growth that grew freely into the water column—a unique morphology hitherto unknown among extant species. Owing to this growth mode, it provided a substratum for epibionts from several phyla. Rhabdopleura francesca n. sp. and Rhabdopleura decipula n. sp. are morphologically very similar but are distinguishable by their distinct placements in a phylogeny based on 16S mitochondrial and 18S nuclear rRNA genes. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on rRNA and mitochondrial genome data contribute to an updated phylogeny of all Rhabdopleura species sequenced thus far, some of which require more molecular sequences and morphological analyses for taxonomic determination. Hemichordata, Pterobranchia, Rhabdopleurida, mitogenome, erect-tube inception, deepest record epibionts, ribosomal phylogeny   Dennis P. GORDON, Z. B. Randolph QUEK and Danwei HUANG. 2024. Four New Species and A ribosomal Phylogeny of Rhabdopleura (Hemichordata: Graptolithina) from New Zealand, with A Review and Key to all described extant taxa. Zootaxa. 5424(3); 323-357. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5424.3.3 [2024-03-14] | ||||||
| 4:14p | [Herpetology • 2025] Same but Different: A Systematic Reassessment of the Hebius khasiensis Boulenger, 1890 (Squamata: Natricidae) Species Complex from the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot supports the Revalidation of Natrix gilhodesi Wall, 1925 as A Valid
Abstract This study provides new insights into the systematics of the natricid species Hebius khasiensis Boulenger sensu lato. Our findings are based on recent collections from northeast India, including the type locality in the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, and the examination of its syntypes. There is a species named Natrix gilhodesi Wall from Kachin State, Myanmar, which is currently considered a subjective junior synonym of H. khasiensis, but molecular data based on the mitochondrial gene analysis show that populations from northeast India and Kachin, Myanmar are deeply divergent from each other. Here, we redescribe H. khasiensis and designate an adult female from its syntypes as the lectotype for the taxonomic stability of the given species. We also revalidate Natrix gilhodesi from Myanmar as a valid species of the genus Hebius based on molecular and morphological parameters. Reptilia, cytochrome b, keelback, snake, taxonomy, north-east India   Sanath Chandra BOHRA, Tan Van NGUYEN, Gernot VOGEL, Hmar Tlawmte LALREMSANGA, Lal BIAKZUALA, Madhurima DAS, Holiness WARJRI, Goldenstar THONGNI, Nikolay A. POYARKOV, Jayaditya PURKAYASTHA. 2025. Same but Different: A Systematic Reassessment of the Hebius khasiensis Boulenger, 1890 (Reptilia: Squamata: Natricidae) Species Complex from the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot supports the Revalidation of Natrix gilhodesi Wall, 1925 as A Valid Species. Zootaxa. 5604(4); 465-504. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5604.4.3 [2025-03-17]  |
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