Marine Biodiversity最新文献

Holothuroids are conspicuous members of megabenthic assemblages, particularly in the deep sea. Some are capable of swimming and while this behaviour was once considered uncommon, deep-sea exploration and technological advances have increased the number of such observations. Swimming or drifting is now regarded to be a potentially common adaptation to deep-sea life that enables long distance dispersal at a low energetic cost and perhaps the ability to track ephemeral food sources. Swimming is well documented for some species, as well as the specialised structures such as brims, swimming lobes, modified podia, and other adaptations like gelatinous consistency, ossicle reduction and flattened bodies. Some species of Psychropotes Théel, 1882 have a long 'tail' (sail-like unpaired dorsal appendage) that has been suggested to facilitate drifting in near-seabed currents. Yet, to date, swimming had been mainly attributed to early life stages for these species, as these had been collected above the seafloor. While there is evidence that adults can also use this sail-like lobe to drift using bottom currents, the purpose of this dorsal appendage itself is still inconclusive. Here, we document a remotely operated vehicle observation of a long 'tailed' adult Psychropotes cf. semperiana Théel, 1882 actively swimming with the aid of anterior and posterior webbed podia fanning in synchrony, combined with dorso-ventral body flexing, while using the sail-like dorsal appendage to drift in the near-bottom water column.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12526-025-01618-w.

Seafloor elevations (e.g., seamounts, banks, mounds) are essential underwater features for supporting and maintaining global marine biodiversity. Such geomorphological features might be of particular relevance to preserve biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea, where a high number of anthropogenic impacts threaten deep-sea ecosystems. Using imagery from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), deep-sea megabenthic and demersal fish assemblages were identified and quantified in some of the less studied areas of the Seco de los Olivos Bank (also known as Chella Bank), a seafloor elevation considered a hotspot of biodiversity in the Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean. The 62 taxa identified were grouped into five well-defined benthic and demersal assemblages, mainly influenced by substrate type and typified by massive sponges, cold-water corals, sea pens, and ray-finned fishes. Nine taxa were identified as indicators of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) and/or endangered species. The heterogeneous distribution of substrate types plays a key role in assemblage composition, with hard substrates enhancing biodiversity at the local scale. A wide variety of indicators of anthropogenic activities were found, including bottom trawling marks, remains of fishing gears, and other types of marine litter, whose presence seemed to reduce the diversity of the observed assemblages. The results presented here improve the still scarce quantitative assessments of deep-sea benthic ecosystems to implement effective management measures in the framework of the main European policies (e.g., Habitats Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive) to reach 2030 conservation goals.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12526-025-01505-4.

Samples of bryozoans collected from two localities in the Bay of Cádiz with different levels of anthropogenic impact are studied. A total of 25 species was identified, of which 8 are considered non-indigenous (NIS), 12 as native and 5 cryptogenic. A new species of Hippopodina, Hippopodina similis sp. nov., is here described, and corrections to the diagnosis of the genus are proposed. The species appears to be a recent immigrant in Cádiz, although it could also be present in the eastern Mediterranean. Aeverrilla setigera and the genus Hippopodina itself are recorded for the first time in the eastern Atlantic. Anguinella palmata is recorded for the first time in Spanish waters. Amathia vidovici was already recorded in the Iberian Peninsula, but previous records should be confirmed. Other species, such as Amathia verticillata, Biflustra tenuis, Watersipora subatra and Schizoporella errata, were already recorded in the Bay of Cádiz very recently.

The clown wedgefish Rhynchobatus cooki (Last, Kyne & Compagno, 2016) is a recently described and threatened species whose geographic range is solely known from six records reported in 2020. An emerging and cost-effective methodology to locate range records of cryptic and data-poor animal taxa is iEcology, wherein social media posts and other online content are searched to locate sightings of target species. The authors employed regular iEcology searches over a period of 18 months to locate additional range records, with such effort yielding 11 new records for the clown wedgefish, with four landings in Dabo, Singkep Island, five landings in Merbau, Merbau Island, and two landings in Bengkalis, Bengkalis Island. Seven of these new records extend the identified geographic range for the species to islands of the Meranti and Bengkalis Regencies in the Riau Province of Sumatra, Indonesia. Such results affirm the utility of social media and other online searches to locate range records for cryptic and data-poor taxa.

The hydrozoan Blackfordia virginica Mayer (1910), recognized as a successful invader, has been identified in brackish waters globally, posing a growing threat to ocean biodiversity. The species was discovered at Sihwa Lake in the western region of Korea in 2013, where the jellyfish blooms almost every year. However, there was a sudden bloom in 2021 at the Seomjin River estuary in the southern region of Korea. This study investigated the population genetic structure of B. virginica using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) from the samples collected from Sihwa Lake (SWL) and Seomjin River Estuary (SRE). We found high COI haplotype diversity within the Korean population, comprising 16 unique haplotypes that were highly differentiated based on geographical locations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicates significant genetic variation (F_ST = 0.6), which suggests multiple introduction events. Furthermore, a comparison of B. virginica COI data from Korea with GenBank records from the USA, China, India, and the Baltic Sea uncovers a global genetic structure within the species. Notably, the Korean population exhibited significant genetic differences from other populations, further making it challenging to determine the haplotype source origin. Nevertheless, the emergence of high genetic diversity and considerable genetic distance between the Korean population and other populations poses an intriguing puzzle, warranting further investigations.

The blue shark (Prionace glauca) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are two large apex predators sharing the same pelagic environment and exhibiting partial dietary overlap, which collectively lead to interactions that might include conflicts. This paper presents the first verified case of a blue shark surviving an impalement by a swordfish, marking the first incident of its kind in the Adriatic Sea. On February 17, 2023, an adult blue shark captured in Vlorë (southern Albania) was found with an 18.6 cm fragment of swordfish bill embedded in its suborbital shelf of the neurocranium, extending through the stapedial fenestra. Despite this injury, no major internal damage was observed and the shark exhibited active feeding behaviour. The paper further provides a detailed overview of all known incidents of blue shark impalements by swordfish to date. The findings presented herein highlight the need for further observations to understand the nature of these conflicts and the interactions between swordfish and sharks.

The cheilostome Bryozoa encrusting settlement panels deployed in the Azores between 0 and 500 m, which were retrieved after a time span of 1 and 2 years, are here described and figured. Of the 49 cheilostome species reported, 15 are new to science: Beania pauciserialis sp. nov., Caberea rylandi sp. nov., Micropora acorecia sp. nov., Cellaria acorensidolisi sp. nov., Hippothoa jakobseni sp. nov., Chorizopora lula sp. nov., Haplopoma freiwaldi sp. nov., Schizomavella (Schizomavella) reverteri sp. nov., Schizomavella (Schizomavella) kekrymmena sp. nov., Microporella avilai sp. nov., Microporella quadrispinosa sp. nov., Microporella lobopodia sp. nov., Microporella nodulifera sp. nov., Buffonellaria faialensis sp. nov., and Omalosecosa secunda sp. nov. The subspecies Glabrilaria orientalis azorensis (Harmelin, 1988) is here raised to species rank, resulting in Glabrilaria azorensis (Harmelin, 1988) comb. nov. Moreover, we designate a lectotype for Nimba praetexta Jullien in by Jullien & Calvet, 1903, type species of the genus Nimba Jullien in by Jullien & Calvet, 1903, redescribe the species based on scanning electron microscope inspection, and transfer the genus from the Lacernidae Jullien, 1888 to the Escharinidae Tilbrook, 2006. A lectotype is also designated for Schizobrachiella sanguinea (Norman, 1868). Based on the taxonomic account, we discuss changes concerning the recorded diversity of bryozoans in the Azores and their taxonomic assignment, now including 91 endemic species that account for 41% of a total of 221 bryozoan species reported from the archipelago. Finally, we discuss biogeographic relationships and the status of origin, including potential non-indigenous species, and demonstrate a strong relatedness with eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean faunas.

Anthopleura is one of the most speciose genera within the family Actiniidae. This genus is particularly characterized by its members having both verrucae on the column and acrorhagi on the margin. In the region of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican Pacific, six species of Anthopleura have been documented, which are relatively well defined by their morphological characteristics and coloration patterns. During recent visits to the intertidal zone of Cerritos, in Baja California Sur, we found individuals of Anthopleura displaying a variety of colorations that do not agree with known species for the region. We collected and examined specimens of four morphotypes of Anthopleura, analyzing them by integrating information about their external and internal anatomy, as well as their cnidome. Additionally, we obtained and analyzed genetic sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear markers through phylogenetic analyses. Our results reveal that the four morphotypes belong to a single, and undescribed species of Anthopleura. We provide a detailed description of the species Anthopleura variata sp. nov., which is characterized by a variety of coloration patterns, as well as having a circumscribed, palmate, and pedunculate marginal sphincter muscle, harboring zooxanthellae, and lacking directive mesenteries, among other characteristics. Anthopleura variata sp. nov. is the 49th species in the genus and the seventh species of Anthopleura documented for the Mexican Pacific.

The pervasive presence of marine litter represents a significant threat to Mediterranean biogenic reefs, leading to habitat degradation and a negative impact on associated structuring organisms, such as sponges and gorgonians. This communication highlights one of the detrimental effects caused by abandoned or lost fishing gear on colonies of Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1827) from MPA Asinara Island (Mediterranean Sea). The study is part of the Strong Sea Life project (Survey and Treatment ON Ghost Nets SEA LIFE), aimed at mitigating the effects of abandoned fishing gear and enhance the conservation status of priority habitats of Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813 and coralligenous reefs.