A small series of shrews collected in Guatemala and registered in the British Museum between 1843 and 1907 includes parts of type series for three species: Corsira tropicalis Gray (1843), Sorex micrurus Tomes (1862), and Blarina tropicalis Merriam (1895). These three names are now considered equivalent, but my recent review of the specimens comprising the series indicates that they include three distinct species: Cryptotis merriami Choate (1970), Cryptotis oreoryctes Woodman (2011), and Cryptotis tropicalis (Merriam 1895). I review the taxonomic history of these specimens, provide current identifications tied directly to museum register numbers, describe how to distinguish the three species, and provide revised synonymies for these species.

Two subspecies of the turtle Cuora amboinensis have been reported from the Philippine Islands, C. a. amboinensis and C. a. kamaroma, distinguished primarily by their carapace morphology, and secondarily by their plastron patterns. We assessed the utility of using shell and postorbital-stripe morphology instead of plastron patterns to distinguish these putative taxa. Adult C. amboinensis from the Philippines were examined to determine the extent of occurrence of C. a. kamaroma on the islands. Several morphological carapace characters and one based on the postorbital stripe were found to differ significantly between the subspecies C. a. amboinensis and C. a. kamaroma, and were used to assign turtles to subspecies. Use of these characters often resulted in conflicting subspecific identifications for those previously assigned by their plastron patterns to C. a. kamaroma. This poses important questions. Using the carapace and postorbital-stripe characters, 95.2% of the turtles in the mainland chain of islands were identified as C. a. amboinensis, and only 4.8% as C. a. kamaroma. Surprisingly, most of those assigned to C. a. kamaroma were from the northern islands of Babuyan and Luzon, not from the southern main chain island populations closest to the likely geographic area of invasion by that subspecies. This may be due to the common practice of importation of C. a. kamaroma into these northern islands, especially Luzon, for food. Turtles with kamaroma-like or C. a. amboinensis × C. a. kamaroma plastron patterns have been reported from the Sulu Archipelago and Busuanga/Palawan chain, and those specimens we examined from those islands confirmed this. The questions of whether or not C. a. kamaroma actually occurs in the Philippines and, if so, what is its island distribution, cannot be answered at this time. All specimens previously identified as C. a. kamaroma by their plastron-patterns should be re-evaluated, using the significant carapace and postorbital-stripe characters identified by Rummler & Fritz (1991) and in this paper. Philippine Cuora amboinensis cannot be identified to subspecies by their plastron patterns alone.

Feducciavis loftini, new genus and species, is described from a single partial associated skeleton from the Middle Miocene Calvert Formation of Virginia. This bird was evidently most closely related to the noddy terns (Anoinae, Anous, Procelsterna). Compared with those genera, the tibiotarsus was much shorter and the ulna much longer in relation to the size of the humerus. The absolute size of the wing was considerably larger than in Anous stolidus, but the sternum was smaller. Aspects of the configuration of the quadrate and mandibular articulation are very distinct from any genus of modern gulls or terns, so that Feducciavis must have had singular feeding habits.

On a local scale, the biota of the Plummers Island, Maryland, vicinity is among the most intensively studied in the world. The fishes occurring in Potomac River and its tributaries in the vicinity of that island have been subjected to periodic scrutiny since the early 1900s, with the latest thorough analysis published in 2002. Herein, we present an updated and comparative analysis of this fish fauna using data gathered over the past decade. Our findings reveal that the complement of fish species that inhabits the area is particularly dynamic in nature. Compared to data presented in 2002, we report a net increase in the numbers of species (up to 93 species) occurring or formerly occurring near Plummers Island. These changes are the result of the return of several migratory species fostered by improved fish passage on the Potomac River, the return of some native resident fishes, and the establishment of additional nonnative species that now constitute 22–35% of the fauna, balanced against several probable extirpations. Species involved in these changes are treated in detail, and a number of novel records, vouchered and nonvouchered, are discussed. Factors that likely play key and interrelated roles in the dynamic nature of the Plummers Island area fish fauna, including hydrographic context and anthropogenic activities, are revisited and discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of improved practices in the documentation of local species occurrences in the future.

Thelytokous parthenogenesis has a distinct advantage for colonization in that single female dispersants can establish new populations. Most sexual nicoletiid (Zygentoma) species tend to have restricted geographical areas. On the contrary, populations of parthenogenetic females of Nicoletia phytophila Gervais, 1844 are cosmopolitan. It has been hypothesized that their global dispersion was caused by recent indirect human action, such as transportation of garden soil. DNA sequences of the 16S rRNA in N. phytophila populations from Mexico, Cuba, Grenadine Islands, and Puerto Rico revealed that on the contrary, they were considerably different, which is more consistent with a divergence origin millions of years ago.

A new species of crayfish, Cambarus (Tubericambarus) stockeri, is described from northern Georgia and southern Tennessee within the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province of North America. Of the recognized members of the subgenus, it is the most physically divergent form discovered to date. It is easily distinguished from other recognized members of the subgenus, and all other members of the genus Cambarus Erichson 1846, by the extensive tuberculation of the chelae. Cambarus (T.) stockeri has tubercles over most of the dorsal and ventral chelae surface, a character state common in members of Procambarus Ortmann, 1905b. This new species was frequently found in association with Cambarus (T.) acanthura, Hobbs, 1981 and Cambarus (Depressicambarus) cymatilis, Hobbs, 1970 and shares a close zoogeographic association with the latter species.

A new species of the genus Heterolaophonte is described from tidal pools near the King Sejong Station at King George Island, Antarctica. This species is described and named as Heterolaophonte heejinae, new species. The new species is closely related to H. pauciseta from the South Georgia Islands and H. livingstoni from Livingston Island, Antarctica. Both species share several characters with the new species, including the seven-segmented antennule, segmentations of swimming legs and setal numbers on P5. However, the new species is distinguishable from its congeners with the combined characters of spinules on the terminal claw of the P1 endopod, the antennary exopod with only two setae, and the seta numbers on the second exopod segment of the P4 and the distal segment of the P2 endopod. A key to species of the genus Heterolaophonte is also provided.

Symbiosis is an evolutionary trend in several phylogenetic clades of the taxonomically and functionally diverse Copepoda. However, little attention has been paid to associated and parasitic taxa that infest macroalgae. Harmful effects of phytal harpacticoids that are borers or produce galls, have been reported for several species of wild and farmed macroalgae. Besides being food for human consumption, marine macroalgae provide promising products for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries and biomass for the production of biofuel. A study of their consumers and parasites is, therefore, of great significance for fundamental marine ecology, as well as for their mass production in mariculture. We describe here the naupliar and copepodid stages of Amenophia orientalis, with illustrations of naupliar stages II–IV and copepodid stages II–V. Postembryonic characters of the naupliar and copepodid phases of development are discussed in the context of phylogenetic relationships among the Thalestridae. Remarks are provided on the ecology of the species.

The specimens of Enterocola sydnii Chatton & Harant, 1924, as studied for this paper, were found in the following compound ascidians (Aplousobranchia: Polyclinidae) collected by the author at Roscoff in 1992: females and males in Aplidium argus (Milne Edwards 1841); females and males in A. nordmanni (Milne Edwards 1841); and females in A. turbinatum (Savigny 1816). The female E. sydnii is fully redescribed, based mainly on specimens in A. argus. The male E. sydnii is described for the first time, primarily from specimens in A. nordmanni. In living females, the color of the ovarian eggs in the metasome is a pale rose.

Branchiosyllis differs from other syllid genera by possessing claw-shaped falcigers. There are 18 valid species in the genus, but only five have been reported from Mexico: B. diazi Rioja, 1958, B. exilis (Gravier 1900), B. oculata Ehlers, 1887, B. pacifica Rioja, 1941, and B. salazari Ruiz-Ramirez & Harris, 2008. During diverse sampling campaigns along Western Mexico, specimens of two undescribed species were found. Branchiosyllis sanmartini, new species, was collected in La Paz Bay, in rocky bottoms. Its body is subcylindrical anteriorly, depressed in median and posterior regions, and with segments that are strongly pigmented black on the dorsal side. The palps are divided by a dorsal groove appearing bilobed; without branchiae; anterior parapodia with bidentate falcigers in dorsal position, ventral ones unidentate, in median parapodia all falcigers unidentate, posterior parapodia with claw-shaped falcigers. This species differs from all others in the genus due to its color pattern, the shape and distribution of falcigers along the body, the subcylindrical shape of the anterior end, and the dorsoventrally flattened shape of the middle and posterior region. Branchiosyllis riojai, new species, was collected in Phragmatopoma sp. beds in Manzanillo, Colima, and María Madre Island, Nayarit, among algae and sponges. This species has a cylindrical body, without color pattern; branchiae absent; bidentate dorsal falcigers on anterior and median parapodia; claw-shaped falcigers from median chaetigers. Branchiosyllis riojai has been reported for the Mexican Pacific as B. exilis (Gravier 1900), described from the Red Sea, but it differs from the nominal species in falciger distribution along the body, shape of antennae, tentacular cirri and dorsal cirri, as well as in the number and shape of aciculae. A key to all species of Branchiosyllis from Mexican waters is included.