MicroCT imaging applied to description of a new species of Pagurus Fabricius, 1775 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae), with selection of three-dimensional type data.

A new species of hermit crab, Pagurus fraserorum n. sp. (family Paguridae) is described from rocky subtidal reefs off KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and illustrated using both conventional drawings and colour photographs, and via three-dimensional (3D) X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT).

Simple rules for construction of a geometric nest structure by pufferfish.

A small (~10 cm) male pufferfish (Torquigener albomaculosus) builds a large (~2 m) sandy nest structure, resembling a mysterious crop circle, to attract females. The circle consists of radially arranged deep ditches in the outer ring region, and maze-like shallow ditches in the central region. The configuration is geometrical.

Resolving deep-sea pelagic saccopharyngiform eel mysteries: Identification of Neocyema and Monognathidae leptocephali and establishment of a new fish family "Neocyematidae" based on larvae, adults and mitogenomic gene orders.

Deep-sea midwater "saccopharyngiform" eels of the families Cyematidae, Monognathidae, Eurypharyngidae and Saccopharyngidae (order Anguilliformes) are extraordinary fishes having major skeletal reductions and modifications compared to the general anguilliform body structure. Little is known about most aspects of the systematics, phylogeny, and ecology of these families, and few of the approximately 30 species described from adult specimens have been matched with their leptotocephalus larvae. Based on mitogenomic sequence data from rare new specimens, we show that the long-speculated-about larval form referred to as "Leptocephalus holti", which was thought to possibly be the larva of the rare orange-colored eels of Neocyema (5 known specimens; speculated to belong to the Cyematidae) are actually the larvae of the one-jaw eels of the family Monognathidae.

A revision of "blanket-hermit crabs" of the genus Henderson, 1888, with the description of a new genus and five new species (Crustacea, Anomura, Diogenidae).

For 130 years the diogenid genus Henderson, 1888 was considered monotypic for an unusual species, Henderson, 1888, described from the Philippines and seldom reported since. Although scantly studied, this species is known to live in striking symbiosis with a colonial sea anemone that the hermit can stretch back and forth like a blanket over its cephalic shield and part of cephalothoracic appendages, and thus the common name "blanket-crab". During a study of paguroid collections obtained during recent French-sponsored biodiversity campaigns in the Indo-West Pacific, numerous specimens assignable to were encountered.

Two new species of the crangonid genus Metacrangon Zarenkov, 1965 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from the Okinawa Trough, Japan.

Two new species of the crangonid shrimp genus Metacrangon Zarenkov, 1965, are described and illustrated on the basis of materials collected from the Okinawa Trough, Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan, during diving operations of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs): M. ryukyu n. sp.

A new species of the alpheid shrimp genus Thuylamea Nguyên, 2001 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from Yatsushiro Sea, Kyushu, Japan.

A new species of alpheid shrimp, Thuylamea shiranui, is described and illustrated on the basis of five specimens from Yatsushiro Sea, western Kyushu, Japan. It is closely related to T. camelus Nguyên, 2001, the type species of the heretofore monotypic genus Thuylamea Nguyên, 2001, known from South China, Vietnam and Singapore.

A new genus and new species of alpheid shrimp from a marine cave in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with additional record of Salmoneus antricola Komai, Yamada Yunokawa, 2015 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea).

Two species of alpheid shrimp collected from a marine cave off Ie Island, Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, are reported. Caligoneus cavernicola n. gen.

MitoFish and MiFish Pipeline: A Mitochondrial Genome Database of Fish with an Analysis Pipeline for Environmental DNA Metabarcoding.

Fish mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) data form a fundamental basis for revealing vertebrate evolution and hydrosphere ecology. Here, we report recent functional updates of MitoFish, which is a database of fish mitogenomes with a precise annotation pipeline MitoAnnotator. Most importantly, we describe implementation of MiFish pipeline for metabarcoding analysis of fish mitochondrial environmental DNA, which is a fast-emerging and powerful technology in fish studies.

First Detailed Record of Symbiosis Between a Sea Anemone and Homoscleromorph Sponge, With a Description of Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Edwardsiidae).

A new species in a new genus of sea anemone, Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov.

Demonstration of the potential of environmental DNA as a tool for the detection of avian species.

Birds play unique functional roles in the maintenance of ecosystems, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and thus monitoring bird species diversity is a first step towards avoiding undesirable consequences of anthropogenic impacts on bird communities. In the present study, we hypothesized that birds, regardless of their main habitats, must have frequent contact with water and that tissues that contain their DNA that persists in the environment (environmental DNA; eDNA) could be used to detect the presence of avian species. To this end, we applied a set of universal PCR primers (MiBird, a modified version of fish/mammal universal primers) for metabarcoding avian eDNA.

Multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the first molecular data from the rare and monotypic Amarsipidae places the family within the Pelagia and highlights limitations of existing data sets in resolving pelagian interrelationships.

The Pelagia is a recently delineated group of fishes, comprising fifteen families formerly placed in six perciform suborders. The Pelagia was lately recognized as it encompasses huge morphological diversity and only in the last few years have large-scale molecular phylogenetic studies been undertaken that could unite such morphologically disparate lineages. Due to the recent erection of Pelagia, the composition of the taxon is not entirely certain.

New Marine Antifouling Compounds from the Red Alga Laurencia sp.

Six new compounds, omaezol, intricatriol, hachijojimallenes A and B, debromoaplysinal, and 11,12-dihydro-3-hydroxyretinol have been isolated from four collections of sp. These structures were determined by MS and NMR analyses. Their antifouling activities were evaluated together with eight previously known compounds isolated from the same samples.

Molecular systematics of the anchovy genus Encrasicholina in the Northwest Pacific.

The anchovy genus Encrasicholina is an important coastal marine resource of the tropical Indo-West Pacific (IWP) region for which insufficient comparative data are available to evaluate the effects of current exploitation levels on the sustainability of its species and populations. Encrasicholina currently comprises nine valid species that are morphologically very similar. Only three, Encrasicholina punctifer, E.

Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes.

Background: Fish classifications, as those of most other taxonomic groups, are being transformed drastically as new molecular phylogenies provide support for natural groups that were unanticipated by previous studies. A brief review of the main criteria used by ichthyologists to define their classifications during the last 50 years, however, reveals slow progress towards using an explicit phylogenetic framework. Instead, the trend has been to rely, in varying degrees, on deep-rooted anatomical concepts and authority, often mixing taxa with explicit phylogenetic support with arbitrary groupings.

Enneophyllus ecarina, a new species of scaphopod shell dwelling hermit crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae) from deep-sea off the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan.

A second species of the pagurid genus Enneophyllus McLaughlin, 1997, E. ecarina n. sp.

Redescription of the pagurid hermit crab (Melin, 1939) and descriptions of two new species from deep-sea off the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura).

Three species of the pagurid hermit crab genus Catapaguroides A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1892, all from Japanese waters, are reported. Catapaguroides fragilis (Melin, 1939) is redescribed on the basis of the holotype and additional material from southern Japan.

Gebiacantha sagamiensis, a new species of upogebiid shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea) from Sagami Bay, central Japan.

A new species of the upogebiid shrimp genus Gebiacantha Ngoc-Ho, 1989, G. sagamiensis, is described and illustrated on the basis of a single male specimen collected from Sagami Bay, central Japan, at depths of 101-106 m. It appears closest to G.

Environmental DNA enables detection of terrestrial mammals from forest pond water.

Terrestrial animals must have frequent contact with water to survive, implying that environmental DNA (eDNA) originating from those animals should be detectable from places containing water in terrestrial ecosystems. Aiming to detect the presence of terrestrial mammals using forest water samples, we applied a set of universal PCR primers (MiMammal, a modified version of fish universal primers) for metabarcoding mammalian eDNA. The versatility of MiMammal primers was tested in silico and by amplifying DNAs extracted from tissues.

Establishment of a Direct-Injection Electron Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Method and Its Application to Lichen Profiling.

Direct-injection electron ionization-mass spectrometry (DI-EI-MS) is a multivariate analysis method useful for characterizing biological materials. We demonstrated the use of DI-EI-MS for metabolic profiling using several closely related lichen species: Cladonia krempelhuberi, C. gracilis, C.

Phylogenetic position of the rainbow sardine Dussumieria (Dussumieriidae) and its bearing on the early evolution of the Clupeoidei.

The fish family Dussumieriidae (suborder Clupeoidei), commonly called round herrings, is traditionally considered to be a key taxon for understanding the evolution of the Clupeoidei because some of its morphological characteristics have been interpreted as being either derived or primitive, such as the nearly complete absence of abdominal scutes. Recent molecule-based studies showed that the Dussumieriidae is likely not a monophyletic group. None of those studies, however, included the genus Dussumieria (rainbow sardines) which is the type genus of the family Dussumieriidae.

Evolution of bidirectional sex change and gonochorism in fishes of the gobiid genera Trimma, Priolepis, and Trimmatom.

Size-advantage and low-density models have been used to explain how mating systems favor hermaphroditism or gonochorism. However, these models do not indicate historical transitions in sexuality. Here, we investigate the evolution of bidirectional sex change and gonochorism by phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial gene of the gobiids Trimma (31 species), Priolepis (eight species), and Trimmatom (two species).

Rediscovery and redescription of the abyssal squat lobster Baba, 2005 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Munidopsidae) from the Northwest Pacific.

A poorly known abyssal squat lobster, Munidopsis petalorhyncha Baba, 2005 [= Munidopsis subsquamosa latimana Birstein & Zarenkov, 1970], is redescribed on the basis of the holotype from the Kuril Trench at depths of 5060-5130 m and two recently collected specimens from off Japan at depths of 5353-5382 m. Examination of those specimens enabled us to reassess diagnostic characters of the species. Munidopsis petalorhyncha appears closest to M.

Evolutionary affinities of the unfathomable Parabrotulidae: Molecular data indicate placement of Parabrotula within the family Bythitidae, Ophidiiformes.

Fishes are widely diverse in shape and body size and can quite rapidly undergo these changes. Consequently, some relationships are not clearly resolved with morphological analyses. In the case of fishes of small body size, informative characteristics can be absent due to simplification of body structures.

Use of a Filter Cartridge for Filtration of Water Samples and Extraction of Environmental DNA.

Recent studies demonstrated the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) from fishes to be appropriate as a non-invasive monitoring tool. Most of these studies employed disk fiber filters to collect eDNA from water samples, although a number of microbial studies in aquatic environments have employed filter cartridges, because the cartridge has the advantage of accommodating large water volumes and of overall ease of use. Here we provide a protocol for filtration of water samples using the filter cartridge and extraction of eDNA from the filter without having to cut open the housing.