The eleven western Atlantic species belonging to the two ellisellid genera Riisea and Nicella are described and illustrated. Six new species of Nicella are described, and another distinguished as new but not described. A dichotomous key and a table of comparisons is provided for the eleven western Atlantic species of Nicella. An annotated list of the 19 species of this genus is given. Detailed morphology of the double head sclerites and the type of body wall sclerite were used to distinguish species. Specimens of these genera were common at shelf and upper slope depths throughout the tropical western Atlantic, the deepest record being at 819 m. Specimens from 140 stations were examined as well as the types of all previously described species of western Atlantic Nicella.

In this paper the description of Murrindisyllis kooromundroola, an enigmatic new genus and species of Syllidae (Polychaeta), is given. The new genus is characterized by having palps totally fused that are also fused with the prostomium, a single pair of eyes, a distinctly long, coiled median antenna, segments of the midbody with 2 or 3 chaetigers fused, dorsal cirri of the midbody smooth, ending in a webbed, “hand-like” structure, interiorly maintained by five rows of vacuolated cells, similar in shape to a frog's “foot,” simple chaetae on posterior segments produced by partial fusion of unidentate blades with the shafts, an unarmed pharynx, and a very long proventricle. These very unusual characters are unique among the syllids; webbed, “hand-like” structures on dorsal cirri are also unique among polychaetes. The combination of different characters assigned to different subfamilies and the presence of distinctive and unique features makes the systematic position of the new genus in the family Syllidae uncertain.

A new species of Maldanidae (Annelida: Polychaeta), Axiothella isocirra, is described from soft bottom samples taken at shallow depth at Blue Ground Range, Belize. The new species is characterized by a combination of few chaetae in the anterior setigers, the presence of four achaetous preanal segments and the equal length of the pygidial cirri. Variability of certain characters is shown, and its utility for taxonomy is discussed.

A new genus, Lemaitreopsis, and a new species, Lemaitreopsis holmi, assigned to the paguroid family Pylojacquesidae are described and illustrated. The new taxa are based on a single female specimen collected from off the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. The generic placement in the heretofore monotypic Pylojacquesidae is based primarily on the development of a median projection on the sternite of the third maxillipeds and on the calcified, posteriorly directed projection on the first pleonal sternite. Both characters are unknown in other paguroid families. Lemaitreopsis holmi is unique in the development of the external distal angle of the ischium of the third maxilliped into a very large, stout, spine-like hook.

Calaxius kensleyi, new species (Axiidae), is described from three specimens collected on the continental shelf off Gabon, West Africa, in the course of an environmental impact survey. The new species is characterized by having cornea level with the subterminal rostral spines; a bidentate median carina on the carapace, 4–5 denticles on the submedian carina; larger chela with moveable finger as long as palm, smaller chela with moveable finger twice as long as palm; and abdominal pleura 3–5 ventrally rounded. It is the first member of Calaxius recorded from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The monospecific genus Manaxius Kensley 2003, is synonymized with Calaxius Sakai & de Saint Laurent 1989.

The first zoeas of two shallow-water galatheids, Lauriea gardineri (Laurie 1926) and Phylladiorhynchus integrirostris (Dana 1853), are described and illustrated from laboratory-hatched materials. The first zoeal morphology of L. gardineri is very similar to that of Galathea amboinensis De Man 1888, and there are only a few minor morphological differences between the two species. The first zoea of P. integrirostris is readily distinguished from other known galatheid larvae by the presence of a pair of posterodorsal spines on the fourth and fifth abdominal segments.

We describe a new arboreal, cophyline, microhylid frog from the rainforest of northeastern Madagascar belonging to the genus Anodonthyla. Anodonthyla hutchisoni, new species, is named in honor of a lifetime of dedication to excellence in herpetology by V. H. Hutchison. Anodonthyla hutchisoni differs from a close relative, A. boulengeri, in having generally larger morphometric features and in aspects of pattern (most A. hutchisoni have distinct lightly colored spots on their dorsum). Furthermore, A. hutchisoni is genetically divergent from two close relatives, A. boulengeri and A. moramora (11–12% uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence for a fragment of the mitochondrial ribosomal 12S ribosomal RNA gene). Anodonthyla hutchisoni is likely an endemic species to northeastern Madagascar inhabiting and breeding within tree holes.

A hummingbird specimen collected by W. W. Brown in 1917 in the Huachuca Mountains, southeastern Arizona, is a hybrid of Hylocharis leucotis (white-eared hummingbird) × Selasphorus platycercus (broad-tailed hummingbird). Brown's specimen, which exhibits a blended mosaic of plumage characters of the presumed parental species, represents the first known instance of hybridization between species currently placed in Hylocharis and Selasphorus.

A hummingbird specimen from Ramsey Canyon, Huachuca Mountains, southeastern Arizona, represents a hybrid of Lampornis clemenciae (Blue-throated Hummingbird) × Calypte anna (Anna's Hummingbird). The specimen, which constitutes the only verified instance of hybridization between a species in the “mountain gem” group of hummingbirds and a species in the “bee” group, exhibits a blended mosaic of plumage characters of the parental species.