First record of a sea anemone of genus Bunodosoma with two oral discs: a clue to asexual reproduction?

Different reproductive strategies (both sexual and asexual) that may occur in individuals of the same species may explain the success of sea anemones (Cnidaria:Actiniaria) in colonizing different ecosystems around the planet. Here we provide the first record of a Bunodosoma specimen with two oral discs and discuss the possibility of asexual reproduction in this genus. One individual of Bunodosoma cangicum was found in Carneiros beach (Pernambuco state, Brazil) with two fully individualized oral discs but with column and pedal disc still connected.

The alien octocoral is a biogenic substrate multiplier in artificial Brazilian shipwrecks.

Despite the obvious negative effects caused by invasive species, some recent studies have shown that the impacts at local scale are diverse and not necessarily negative. Arborescent benthic organisms such as octocorals form three-dimensional structures capable of increasing the amount of substrate available and providing shelter for epibiont species. We investigated the role of the alien octocoral on the diversity of benthic communities in three shipwrecks on the north-eastern coast of Brazil.

Revised nomenclature of the sea pen genus Balticina Gray, 1870 (= Halipteris Kölliker, 1870) (Anthozoa: Octocorallia).

The pennatulacean genus Balticina has had a long and confusing taxonomic history, with serious nomenclatural problems that remain unresolved. Owing to disagreements about authorships and dates of publication, the names Pavonaria, Norticina and Halipteris have all been used as valid in place of Balticina, or else been regarded as its junior synonyms, even simultaneously. In this paper, after an extensive literature review, we determine the authorships and dates for all the taxa involved in accordance with the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and establish Balticina Gray, 1870 (=Halipteris) and Balticinidae Balss, 1910 (=Halipteridae) as the valid genus and family names, respectively, for this group of sea pens.

Modeling impacts of climate change on the potential habitat of an endangered Brazilian endemic coral: Discussion about deep sea refugia.

Climate and environmental conditions are determinant for coral distribution and their very existence. When changes in such conditions occur, their effects on distribution can be predicted through species distribution models, anticipating suitable habitats for the subsistence of species. Mussismilia harttii is one of the most endangered Brazilian endemic reef-building corals, and in increasing risk of extinction.

The Holo-Transcriptome of the Zoantharian (Cnidaria: Anthozoa): A Plentiful Source of Enzymes for Potential Application in Green Chemistry, Industrial and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

Marine invertebrates, such as sponges, tunicates and cnidarians (zoantharians and scleractinian corals), form functional assemblages, known as holobionts, with numerous microbes. This type of species-specific symbiotic association can be a repository of myriad valuable low molecular weight organic compounds, bioactive peptides and enzymes. The zoantharian (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) is one such example of a marine holobiont that inhabits the coastal reefs of the tropical Atlantic coast and is an interesting source of secondary metabolites and biologically active polypeptides.

Identification of long non-coding RNAs in two anthozoan species and their possible implications for coral bleaching.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play regulatory roles in a diverse range of biological processes and are associated with the outcomes of various diseases. The majority of studies about lncRNAs focus on model organisms, with lessened investigation in non-model organisms to date. Herein, we have undertaken an investigation on lncRNA in two zoanthids (cnidarian): Protolpalythoa varibilis and Palythoa caribaeorum.

Asexual reproduction and molecular systematics of the sea anemone Anthopleura krebsi (Actiniaria: Actiniidae).

In this paper we use allozyme analyses to demonstrate that individuals in Anthopleura krebsi aggregates are monoclonal. Additionally, sympatric samples of the red and the green colour-morphs of A. krebsi from Pernambuco, Brazil were genetically compared and no significant differences were observed between them (gene identity = 0.