Alexandrium tamutum M.Montressor, A.Beran & U.John is a non-toxic, bloom-forming dinoflagellate species commonly reported in temperate waters. In this study, 8 cultures of A. tamutum established from Bolinao Channel and Manila Bay, Philippines were characterized in terms of their morphology, phylogeny and toxicity. Cells were roundish, measuring 25.5–29.84 μm long and 26.2–28.45 μm wide. The nucleus is equatorially elongated and located at the center of the cell. The chloroplasts are numerous, golden brown in color and radially arranged. Thecal tabulation is typical of Alexandrium: APC, 4′, 6”, 6c, 6s, 5”’, 2””. Shape of the taxonomically informative thecal plates such as sixth precingular plate (6”) and posterior sulcal plate (sp) was similar to A. tamutum, which confirms the species identity. However, the presence of anterior and posterior attachment pores observed in our cultured isolates is the first case in this species. Molecular phylogeny inferred from LSU rDNA and ITS supports our identification by forming a well-supported clade composed of A. tamutum strains from other geographic regions. HPLC analysis showed that A. tamutum is generally non-toxic except for strain ATC9 which has low amount of decarbamoylsaxitoxin (dcSTX), resulting to a toxicity of 0.07 fmole STX eq per cell. The present study reports the first verified occurrence of Philippine A. tamutum with reliable morphological and molecular information, including the first record in Manila Bay and first detection of PST in one strain at a certain culture period.
{"title":"Characterization of Alexandrium tamutum (Dinophyceae) isolated from Philippine waters, with the rare detection of paralytic shellfish toxin","authors":"","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2021a15009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2021a15009","url":null,"abstract":"Alexandrium tamutum M.Montressor, A.Beran & U.John is a non-toxic, bloom-forming dinoflagellate species commonly reported in temperate waters. In this study, 8 cultures of A. tamutum established from Bolinao Channel and Manila Bay, Philippines were characterized in terms of their morphology, phylogeny and toxicity. Cells were roundish, measuring 25.5–29.84 μm long and 26.2–28.45 μm wide. The nucleus is equatorially elongated and located at the center of the cell. The chloroplasts are numerous, golden brown in color and radially arranged. Thecal tabulation is typical of Alexandrium: APC, 4′, 6”, 6c, 6s, 5”’, 2””. Shape of the taxonomically informative thecal plates such as sixth precingular plate (6”) and posterior sulcal plate (sp) was similar to A. tamutum, which confirms the species identity. However, the presence of anterior and posterior attachment pores observed in our cultured isolates is the first case in this species. Molecular phylogeny inferred from LSU rDNA and ITS supports our identification by forming a well-supported clade composed of A. tamutum strains from other geographic regions. HPLC analysis showed that A. tamutum is generally non-toxic except for strain ATC9 which has low amount of decarbamoylsaxitoxin (dcSTX), resulting to a toxicity of 0.07 fmole STX eq per cell. The present study reports the first verified occurrence of Philippine A. tamutum with reliable morphological and molecular information, including the first record in Manila Bay and first detection of PST in one strain at a certain culture period.","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46095236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The occurrence of mermithism in ants is reported for the first time in the Philippines. The mermithergate worker and previously undescribed dealate queen of Pheidole sauberi are described. The mermithergate worker is intermediate in size between the major and minor workers and pale yellow in color, in contrast to the brown healthy workers, and has a much larger gaster than either uninfected subcaste. Colony demographics and nest ecology are also reported. This find offers an opportunity for interdisciplinary research on ant parasitism.
{"title":"The real deal: the ant species, Pheidole sauberi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), first description of the queen and first record of a mermithergate in the Philippines","authors":"David Emmanuel M. General, P. Buenavente","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2021a15010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2021a15010","url":null,"abstract":"The occurrence of mermithism in ants is reported for the first time in the Philippines. The mermithergate worker and previously undescribed dealate queen of Pheidole sauberi are described. The mermithergate worker is intermediate in size between the major and minor workers and pale yellow in color, in contrast to the brown healthy workers, and has a much larger gaster than either uninfected subcaste. Colony demographics and nest ecology are also reported. This find offers an opportunity for interdisciplinary research on ant parasitism.","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47735225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Homalopsid snakes are monophyletic and contain two major subclades: a fangless clade and rear-fanged clade. They are distributed in South Asia, Australasia, and the Western Pacific. The fangless clade is restricted to the eastern Indonesian Archipelago and the island of Sumatra and is poorly known in terms of its natural history. Molecular data support the eastern Indonesian fangless endemic genus Brachyorrhos as the sister to the rear-fang clade. Here we recognize the identity of the Brachyorrhos population from the island of Morotai as B. wallacei and describe a new species of dwarf Brachyorrhos from the island of Seram, Malukus, Indonesia. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by a lower number of ventral scales, the presence of a preocular scale and a loreal scale, as well as its exceptionally diminutive size. The new species is a candidate for the smallest alethinophidian snake. The three fangless genera, Brachyorrhos, Calamophis, and Karnsophis, have been suggested to form a clade of homalopsid snakes restricted to the Indonesian Archipelago, and we discuss their biogeography. KEYWORDS: biogeography, Calamophis, Homalopsidae, Karnsophis, small snakes
{"title":"A new species of Brachyorrhos from Seram, Indonesia and notes on fangless homalopsids (Squamata, Serpentes)","authors":"John C. Murphy, H. Voris","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2020b14015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14015","url":null,"abstract":"Homalopsid snakes are monophyletic and contain two major subclades: a fangless clade and rear-fanged clade. They are distributed in South Asia, Australasia, and the Western Pacific. The fangless clade is restricted to the eastern Indonesian Archipelago and the island of Sumatra and is poorly known in terms of its natural history. Molecular data support the eastern Indonesian fangless endemic genus Brachyorrhos as the sister to the rear-fang clade. Here we recognize the identity of the Brachyorrhos population from the island of Morotai as B. wallacei and describe a new species of dwarf Brachyorrhos from the island of Seram, Malukus, Indonesia. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by a lower number of ventral scales, the presence of a preocular scale and a loreal scale, as well as its exceptionally diminutive size. The new species is a candidate for the smallest alethinophidian snake. The three fangless genera, Brachyorrhos, Calamophis, and Karnsophis, have been suggested to form a clade of homalopsid snakes restricted to the Indonesian Archipelago, and we discuss their biogeography.\u0000\u0000KEYWORDS: biogeography, Calamophis, Homalopsidae, Karnsophis, small snakes","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41721617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The potential of microsatellite markers to detect the spatial and temporal genetic structure of reef fish populations within a linear distance of 300 km in the absence of geographic barriers was tested in the Bohol Sea, central Philippines, using the three-spot damselfish Dascyllus trimaculatus. A total of 672 samples from 7 populations in the Bohol Sea were processed to determine temporal and spatial patterns of genetic variability using ten previously developed and tested microsatellite markers. The extent of differentiation was determined based on a variance-based measure of population structure FST and RST, and genetic distances Ds , DA, and dm2, each of which makes different assumptions on the process of migration, mutation, selection, and genetic drift. Patterns of temporal and spatial variation were consistent among 36 possible pairs of populations. Reef groups are defined as (1) the Mantigue-Dinagat on the northeast edge of the Bohol Sea; (2) the Selinog and Dapitan islands, to the southwest and central Bohol sea populations (3) Apo and (4) Sumilon to the west, and (5) Balicasag group to the northwest. The presence of structure in the absence of geographic barriers suggests the influence of strong surface circulation patterns that differ from the east to the west side of the region. The consistency of a population’s genetic signatures over multiple temporal sampling dates implies strong habitat selection for genotypes. Genetic breaks were detected at a distance 4x greater than the marine protected area’s average size, suggesting a minimum linear distance for networking of MPAs should be expanded to this scale. KEYWORDS: Conservation, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, marine protected area, microsatellite markers, population genetics, reef fish
{"title":"Spatial and temporal variation in the genetic structure of Dascyllus trimaculatus (Pomacentridae) in the Bohol Sea","authors":"","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2020b14017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14017","url":null,"abstract":"The potential of microsatellite markers to detect the spatial and temporal genetic structure of reef fish populations within a linear distance of 300 km in the absence of geographic barriers was tested in the Bohol Sea, central Philippines, using the three-spot damselfish Dascyllus trimaculatus. A total of 672 samples from 7 populations in the Bohol Sea were processed to determine temporal and spatial patterns of genetic variability using ten previously developed and tested microsatellite markers. The extent of differentiation was determined based on a variance-based measure of population structure FST and RST, and genetic distances Ds , DA, and dm2, each of which makes different assumptions on the process of migration, mutation, selection, and genetic drift. Patterns of temporal and spatial variation were consistent among 36 possible pairs of populations. Reef groups are defined as (1) the Mantigue-Dinagat on the northeast edge of the Bohol Sea; (2) the Selinog and Dapitan islands, to the southwest and central Bohol sea populations (3) Apo and (4) Sumilon to the west, and (5) Balicasag group to the northwest. The presence of structure in the absence of geographic barriers suggests the influence of strong surface circulation patterns that differ from the east to the west side of the region. The consistency of a population’s genetic signatures over multiple temporal sampling dates implies strong habitat selection for genotypes. Genetic breaks were detected at a distance 4x greater than the marine protected area’s average size, suggesting a minimum linear distance for networking of MPAs should be expanded to this scale.\u0000\u0000KEYWORDS: Conservation, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, marine protected area, microsatellite markers, population genetics, reef fish","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45520191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Verde Island Passage of the Philippines is renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and heterobranch mollusks are demonstrable models of that species richness of the region. Chromodorid nudibranchs represent a particularly rich taxon, with species of Chromodoris being one of the most iconic and abundant taxa in shallow water coral reef environments. Despite being one of the best-documented clades of nudibranch mollusks, recent work has shown that numerous cryptic and pseudocryptic species are abundant in the waters of the Coral Triangle region. This paper reviews the species richness and distribution of Chromodoris species in the Philippines and provides a description of a new species of Chromodoris from the region. Chromodoris alcalai Gosliner, n. sp. is named to honor Dr. Angel Alcala’s 90th birthday and his pioneering contributions to preserving the marine biodiversity of the Philippines. This species is most similar externally to C. dianae Gosliner and Behrens, 1998, with which it was erroneous lumped. Distinctness of molecular data, external morphology and coloration, and internal anatomical features clearly distinguish these two species. KEYWORDS: systematics, Nudibranchia, coral reefs, Indo-Pacific, Coral Triangle
菲律宾的佛得岛航道以其丰富的海洋生物多样性而闻名，异枝软体动物是该地区物种丰富程度的典型代表。染毛纲裸支是一个特别丰富的分类群，是浅水珊瑚礁环境中最具代表性和最丰富的分类群之一。尽管裸鳃软体动物是记录最完整的分支之一，但最近的研究表明，在珊瑚三角地区的水域中，有大量的隐生和伪隐生物种。本文综述了菲律宾色蛾的物种丰富度和分布情况，并介绍了该地区一种新的色蛾。“Chromodoris alcalai Gosliner, n. sp”的命名是为了纪念Angel Alcala博士的90岁生日，以及他在保护菲律宾海洋生物多样性方面的开创性贡献。这个物种的外部与C. dianae goslliner和Behrens(1998)最相似，但它被错误地归为一类。分子数据、外部形态和颜色以及内部解剖特征的独特性清楚地区分了这两个物种。关键词:系统分类学，海颌目，珊瑚礁，印度洋-太平洋，珊瑚三角
{"title":"Sleuthing cryptic Chromodorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia): adding to Philippine marine biodiversity","authors":"","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2020b14014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14014","url":null,"abstract":"The Verde Island Passage of the Philippines is renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and heterobranch mollusks are demonstrable models of that species richness of the region. Chromodorid nudibranchs represent a particularly rich taxon, with species of Chromodoris being one of the most iconic and abundant taxa in shallow water coral reef environments. Despite being one of the best-documented clades of nudibranch mollusks, recent work has shown that numerous cryptic and pseudocryptic species are abundant in the waters of the Coral Triangle region. This paper reviews the species richness and distribution of Chromodoris species in the Philippines and provides a description of a new species of Chromodoris from the region. Chromodoris alcalai Gosliner, n. sp. is named to honor Dr. Angel Alcala’s 90th birthday and his pioneering contributions to preserving the marine biodiversity of the Philippines. This species is most similar externally to C. dianae Gosliner and Behrens, 1998, with which it was erroneous lumped. Distinctness of molecular data, external morphology and coloration, and internal anatomical features clearly distinguish these two species.\u0000\u0000KEYWORDS: systematics, Nudibranchia, coral reefs, Indo-Pacific, Coral Triangle","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42267425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Rasmussen, A. Hay-Schmidt, Farnis B. Boneka, M. Allentoft, K. Sanders, J. Elmberg
Shallow tropical marine ecosystems are under great anthropogenic pressure due to habitat destruction, overfishing, shrimping, climate change, and tourism. This is an issue of global concern as such environments hold a tremendous biodiversity much of which remains to be described. The present situation urgently calls for time- and resource-efficient methods to identify and delineate the most valuable remaining areas and to set up priorities for their management and conservation. Using indicator species can be a way to accomplish this goal. In this paper we evaluate whether viviparous sea snakes can serve as bioindicators for other rare or cryptic tropical marine fauna. Based on seven generally acknowledged criteria for bioindicators, we argue that using viviparous sea snakes as bioindicators can help monitoring marine habitats to gauge the effects of climate change, habitat change and loss, decline in biodiversity and other anthropogenic changes. However, to maximize their efficacy as bioindicators, deeper knowledge about viviparous sea snakes natural history is urgently needed. Topics for expanded research programs include the taxonomy of some groups, their breeding and feeding biology, habitat selection and their geographical distribution. Despite these gaps in our understanding, we argue that viviparous sea snakes can be utilized as bioindicators of marine ecosystem health. KEYWORDS: anthropogenic changes, conservation, herpetology, marine habitat, monitoring
{"title":"Viviparous sea snakes can be used as bioindicators for diverse marine environments","authors":"A. Rasmussen, A. Hay-Schmidt, Farnis B. Boneka, M. Allentoft, K. Sanders, J. Elmberg","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2020b14013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14013","url":null,"abstract":"Shallow tropical marine ecosystems are under great anthropogenic pressure due to habitat destruction, overfishing, shrimping, climate change, and tourism. This is an issue of global concern as such environments hold a tremendous biodiversity much of which remains to be described. The present situation urgently calls for time- and resource-efficient methods to identify and delineate the most valuable remaining areas and to set up priorities for their management and conservation. Using indicator species can be a way to accomplish this goal. In this paper we evaluate whether viviparous sea snakes can serve as bioindicators for other rare or cryptic tropical marine fauna. Based on seven generally acknowledged criteria for bioindicators, we argue that using viviparous sea snakes as bioindicators can help monitoring marine habitats to gauge the effects of climate change, habitat change and loss, decline in biodiversity and other anthropogenic changes. However, to maximize their efficacy as bioindicators, deeper knowledge about viviparous sea snakes natural history is urgently needed. Topics for expanded research programs include the taxonomy of some groups, their breeding and feeding biology, habitat selection and their geographical distribution. Despite these gaps in our understanding, we argue that viviparous sea snakes can be utilized as bioindicators of marine ecosystem health.\u0000\u0000KEYWORDS: anthropogenic changes, conservation, herpetology, marine habitat, monitoring","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42245051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biodiversity and the function of tropical shallow-water marine environments are threatened by numerous anthropogenic factors, especially climate change, overharvesting of resources, and destruction of habitat. Marine snakes are important components of coastal shallow-water systems and should be considered as indicators of the health of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves. Acrochordid snakes (Acrochordidae: Acrochordus) represent a highly distinct evolutionary lineage with unusual adaptations to shallow water habitats and importance to biodiversity of tropical coastal regions. One of three congeneric species, Acrochordus granulatus (file snake), is an interesting and common inhabitant of coastal estuaries and mangroves in the Philippines. This paper reviews unusual attributes of A. granulatus and provides a perspective for its conservation in coastal habitats. Morphological, physiological, and behavioral characters of this snake are specialized for life in shallow-water marine environments such as mangroves. Unusual and specialized features confer abilities for prolonged submergence and include low metabolic rate, large capacity for oxygen storage, cutaneous gas exchange, nearly complete utilization of oxygen stores during aerobic submergence, intracardiac and cutaneous shunts for regulating blood flow, and reclusive behavior. Fresh water is required for water balance, and file snakes are dependent on rainfall in many habitats where they drink from freshwater lenses formed by precipitation on the surfaces of marine water. File snakes feed largely on fishes and are candidates as bio-indicators of the health of shallow-water coastal habitats. Attention should be given to threatening insults on coastal environments including climate change, habitat destruction, harvesting of resources, and other factors in need of research, monitoring, and plans for abatement. Importantly, conservation can be promoted by educating people about the docile behavior, unusual traits, and interesting ecology of A. granulatus. KEYWORDS: mangrove, shallow water, Acrochordidae, little file snake, conservation physiology, ecophysiology
{"title":"The unusual biology of marine file snakes with a perspective for the conservation of Acrochordus granulatus","authors":"H. Lillywhite","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2020b14010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14010","url":null,"abstract":"Biodiversity and the function of tropical shallow-water marine environments are threatened by numerous anthropogenic factors, especially climate change, overharvesting of resources, and destruction of habitat. Marine snakes are important components of coastal shallow-water systems and should be considered as indicators of the health of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves. Acrochordid snakes (Acrochordidae: Acrochordus) represent a highly distinct evolutionary lineage with unusual adaptations to shallow water habitats and importance to biodiversity of tropical coastal regions. One of three congeneric species, Acrochordus granulatus (file snake), is an interesting and common inhabitant of coastal estuaries and mangroves in the Philippines. This paper reviews unusual attributes of A. granulatus and provides a perspective for its conservation in coastal habitats. Morphological, physiological, and behavioral characters of this snake are specialized for life in shallow-water marine environments such as mangroves. Unusual and specialized features confer abilities for prolonged submergence and include low metabolic rate, large capacity for oxygen storage, cutaneous gas exchange, nearly complete utilization of oxygen stores during aerobic submergence, intracardiac and cutaneous shunts for regulating blood flow, and reclusive behavior. Fresh water is required for water balance, and file snakes are dependent on rainfall in many habitats where they drink from freshwater lenses formed by precipitation on the surfaces of marine water. File snakes feed largely on fishes and are candidates as bio-indicators of the health of shallow-water coastal habitats. Attention should be given to threatening insults on coastal environments including climate change, habitat destruction, harvesting of resources, and other factors in need of research, monitoring, and plans for abatement. Importantly, conservation can be promoted by educating people about the docile behavior, unusual traits, and interesting ecology of A. granulatus.\u0000\u0000KEYWORDS: mangrove, shallow water, Acrochordidae, little file snake, conservation physiology, ecophysiology","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43330093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We describe a new species of reed snake of the genus Calamaria Boie 1827, from Mindoro Island, Philippines. The new species differs from all other species of Calamaria by having the following combination of characters: a high number of subcaudal scale pairs (> 40 in males, > 30 females) and ventrals + subcaudals (> 205 in males, > 210 in females); mental scale not contacting chin shields; dorsal surface of head, body, and tail uniformly dark brown; and ventral surface of body (extending to include part or all of first longitudinal row of dorsals) uniformly pale (yellow or white in life). The new species is likely most closely related to Calamaria schlegeli Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril 1854, which also has a high number of subcaudal scales compared to other Calamaria species. The new species is the second Calamaria species known from Mindoro Island and the eighth known from the Philippines, and its presumed distant relationship from other Philippine Calamaria suggests an additional colonization of the Philippines by this genus from continental Asia. KEYWORDS: biodiversity, biogeography, Calamaria alcalai new species, Serpentes, Squamata, systematics
{"title":"A new species of reed snake, genus Calamaria (Colubridae: Calamariinae), from Mindoro Island, Philippines","authors":"Jeffrey L. Weinell, A. Leviton, Rafe M. Brown","doi":"10.26757/pjsb2020b14006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14006","url":null,"abstract":"We describe a new species of reed snake of the genus Calamaria Boie 1827, from Mindoro Island, Philippines. The new species differs from all other species of Calamaria by having the following combination of characters: a high number of subcaudal scale pairs (> 40 in males, > 30 females) and ventrals + subcaudals (> 205 in males, > 210 in females); mental scale not contacting chin shields; dorsal surface of head, body, and tail uniformly dark brown; and ventral surface of body (extending to include part or all of first longitudinal row of dorsals) uniformly pale (yellow or white in life). The new species is likely most closely related to Calamaria schlegeli Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril 1854, which also has a high number of subcaudal scales compared to other Calamaria species. The new species is the second Calamaria species known from Mindoro Island and the eighth known from the Philippines, and its presumed distant relationship from other Philippine Calamaria suggests an additional colonization of the Philippines by this genus from continental Asia.\u0000\u0000KEYWORDS: biodiversity, biogeography, Calamaria alcalai new species, Serpentes, Squamata, systematics","PeriodicalId":37378,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42453460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-09DOI: 10.26757/10.26757/pjsb2019a14010
The main objective of this study was to characterize the assemblages of myxomycetes on isolated Philippine islands through a correlational study using geographical and ecological distance in the Caramoan Islands, including an updated checklist of the myxomycetes of the Bicol Peninsula. Four islands of varying sizes and distances from each other, but all within relatively close proximity to the mainland of the Bicol Peninsula, were surveyed. A combination of traditional and more contemporary ecological tools was used to analyze diversity indices among and between the islands. Among the four islands, Matukad Island recorded the highest species richness (46.8) and taxonomic diversity index (2.6), while ranking next to Lahos island in terms of species diversity (7.9). Pairwise comparisons using community similarity indices and clustering analysis consistently showed that Lahos and Matukad are the most similar to each other, while also being closer to one another but situated farthest from the mainland. On the other hand, the two smallest islands, which were also closest to each other and to the mainland, grouped together using clustering analysis but recorded the lowest pairwise percentage similarity value. The ecological patterns in this study appear to follow the unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography more than the insular biogeography theory. In addition, this study added 16 new morphospecies to the list of myxomycetes known from the Bicol Peninsula, which brings the total to 73, including one new record for the country [Lamproderma arcyrioides (Sommerf.) Rostaf.] KEYWORDS: slime molds, insular, biodiversity, paleotropics, unified netural theory
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J. Saco, N. A. Rula, John Matthew Arcega, Alvin Tabuga, A. Persia, Mark Anthony Alub
Verde Island Passage is the world’s center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity, located in southwestern Luzon Island in the Philippines. The passage is named after Verde Island, which is located at its middle. Although the island is located within a key biodiversity area, studies on its marine macrophyte biodiversity are scant. The present study was conducted to determine the composition, distribution, and dominance of marine macrophytes, specifically seaweeds and seagrass, during the northeast monsoon, summer, and southwest monsoon in four coastal areas in Verde Island using the line transect-quadrat method. Results revealed 63 macrophyte species, of which 92% were seaweeds and 8% were seagrass. The majority of the seaweeds were green (41%), followed by red (35%) and brown (16%) seaweeds. In most sites, the brown seaweed Padina sp. was dominant during summer and cover decreased during both monsoons. The green seaweed Neomeris annulata was present in all sites and seasons. The differences in cover across sites may be due to substratum type and topography where a relatively wider intertidal zone with different substratum such as rocky and sandy to muddy provides complex habitat promoting higher macrophyte cover. Temporal differences in marine macrophyte composition were more pronounced in macroalgae-dominated sites than in the seagrass-dominated site. Several important seaweeds that could be studied as bioindicators were recorded, such as Padina sp., which registered high cover especially in sites near populated areas and backyard pig pens. Ulva spp., which are known to form green tide blooms, and Caulerpa verticillata were also noted and should be monitored. Some red seaweeds with potential for cultivation were observed (i.e., Halymenia durvillei and Portieria hornemannii). Claudea sp., an uncommon red seaweed with limited distribution in the Philippines, was recorded and needs verification. This study is the first extensive marine macrophyte assessment at the heart of the Verde Island Passage. KEYWORDS: biodiversity, bioindicator, eutrophication, microbenthic algae, seagrass, Verde Island Passage
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