Rabet N. 2010. — Revision of the egg morphology of Eulimnadia (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Spinicaudata). Zoosystema 32 (3): 373-391.

The egg morphology of Eulimnadia is presented on the basis of samples stored in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, representing 11 species one of which unidentified. Study of all specimens revealed the presence of nine different egg types. Seven types could clearly be assigned to one species, six of which after eggs produced by the type specimens of the species. In addition, the identification of the specimens labelled “E. colombica” as E. geayi was confirmed, the identification of an E. magdalensis population initially identified as E. compressa was corrected, the species E. chaperi is considered as valid, and a new egg type representing a potential new species was described. Seven instances of contamination from five species were identified, demonstrating that small eggs can easily contaminate samples during collection handling. Advice on museum collection management, a synthesis of the knowledge on egg morphology and an identification key of described Eulimnadia eggs is presented in order to prepare a general revision of this genus based on the egg morphology, which provides informative specific characters.

Suárez-Morales E., Mendoza F. & Mercado-Salas N. 2010. — A new Allocyclops (Crustacea, Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from bromeliads and records of freshwater copepods from Mexico.Zoosystema 32 (3): 393-407.

The cyclopoid copepod fauna of freshwater systems of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the Gulf coast of Mexico, was completely unknown. During routine surveillance for larval mosquitoes, several types of aquatic habitats, including ephemeral ponds, springs, and bromeliads, were sampled and cyclopoid copepods were taxonomically studied. Five species were identified, among them a new species of the cyclopine genus Allocyclops Kiefer, 1932. This species, collected from the bromeliad Tillandsia heterophylla Morren, 1873, resembles A. excellens Kiefer, 1956, A. consensus Karanovic, 2003, and A. silvaticus Rocha & Björnberg, 1988, but it can be easily distinguished by its strong, ornamented anal operculum and the shape of the genital double somite, among other characters. The new species is tentatively assigned to the subgenus Psammocyclops sensu Karanovic by having an exopodal seta on the antenna, but it is clear that the subgeneric limits should be revised with a complete set of characters. The genus has not been hitherto found from bromeliads. This is also the first record of Allocyclops in continental North America and the first records of freshwater cyclopoid copepods from this part of Mexico.

Scarabino V. & Scarabino F. 2010. — A new genus and thirteen new species of Scaphopoda (Mollusca) from the tropical Pacific Ocean. Zoosystema 32 (3): 409-423.

A new genus and 13 new species of Scaphopoda (ten Dentaliida and three Gadilida) are described from the tropical Pacific Ocean in the Coral Sea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Wallis Island and Tonga. The new genus is named Boissevainia n. gen. and the new species are Paradentalium choneides n. sp., P. danielleae n. sp., Fustiaria electra n. sp., F. diaphana n. sp., Gadilina lauensis n. sp., Episiphon joanae n. sp., E. wallisi n. sp., E. indefensum n. sp., E. kantori n. sp., E. lacteum n. sp. (Dentaliida); Bathoxiphus kathieae n. sp., Annulipusellum aenigmaticum n. sp. and Boissevainia mossiae n. gen., n. sp. (Gadilida). The new taxa not only highlight the diversity of the class in the tropical Pacific Ocean, but also indicate the presence of morphologies not yet recorded for the region or described for the class.

Roux M. & Bohn J. M. 2010. — Revision of the genus Gephyrocrinus Kœhler & Bather, 1902 (Echinodermata, Crinoidea, Hyocrinidae). Zoosystema 32 (3): 425-437.

The species Gephyrocrinus grimaldii Kœhler & Bather, 1902 (Echinodermata, Crinoidea, Hyocrinidae) is revised using additional information on arm and pinnule characters, ontogeny and intraspecific variation. The validity of the monospecific genus Gephyrocrinus is confirmed and its affinities are clarified and documented. It is known in northeastern Atlantic only at depths ranging from 1420 to 1968 m. Among hyocrinids, Gephyrocrinus belongs to the group of genera including Calamocrinus, Dumetocrinus, Feracrinus and Ptilocrinus which all bear the first pinnule on the fourth brachial. Gephyrocrinus grimaldii is remarkable in having a constant pattern of regularly alternating muscular (synarthries) and ligamentary (synostoses) articulations along the middle and distal arm, and small irregular lateral plates all along the pinnules. The proximal inflation of the genital pinnules in Gephyrocrinus is built with numerous lateral plates never in rows as in Calamocrinus and Ptilocrinus, unlike the H-shaped plates characteristic of several hyocrinid genera such as Dumetocrinus, Feracrinus and Hyocrinus. Long series of successive brachial pairs are also frequent among the genus Hyocrinus. Here, we interpret this character as an adaptive derived character independently appearing in different clades rather than as a synapomorphy. Arm branching occurs exceptionally at the fourth brachial in Gephyrocrinus and Dumetocrinus, whereas it never appears before the eighth brachial in Calamocrinus. Using pinnule architecture as the most discriminating character, Gephyrocrinus appears to have the closest affinities with Calamocrinus and Ptilocrinus.

Corbera J. & Segonzac M. 2010. — A new Styloptocuma species (Crustacea, Cumacea) from hydrothermal vent fields of the Lau and North Fiji basins (West Pacific). Zoosystema32 (3): 439-447.

A new species of Nannastacidae, Styloptocuma darwini n. sp., is described from three hydrothermal sites in the back-arc basins of the southwestern Pacific: White Lady (North Fiji Basin), Hine Hina and Tu'i Malila (Lau Basin). Styloptocuma darwini n. sp. resembles S. pleonserratum Mühlenhardt-Siegel, 2005, from the Angola Basin and S. spinosum Petrescu, 2006, from the southeastern Australian slope, but differs from both by having a serrate antennal notch margin and transverse rows of spines on pereonites. The new species is associated with hydrothermal vent assemblages known from the southwestern Pacific back-arc basins. Affiliation to known families tends to indicate that the modern vent cumacean fauna may have originated from the surrounding deep-sea environment but also from the shallow-water vents or cold seeps, which acted as refugia during past global anoxic events in the deep sea.

A specimen of the colubrid genus Ahaetulla Link, 1807 collected in 2002 in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, proves to be the first record of Ahaetulla mycterizans (Linnaeus, 1758) for this Indonesian island. This species was previously known from Java, West Malaysia and southern Peninsular Thailand. The discovery of this specimen constitutes an opportunity to redefine and illustrate this rare and poorly known species and to compare it with the more common Ahaetulla prasina (Boie, 1827). Additionally, an identification key of the species of Ahaetulla from the Indo-Malayan Region is proposed. This addition brings to 134 the number of snake species currently known from Sumatra Island.

The genus Bertorsonidra n. gen. is here proposed for Tremopora prenanti Gautier, 1955, a cheilostome bryozoan species from the Mediterranean area. The new description and first SEM illustration is mostly based on living material collected from infralittoral (17–19 m) bottoms off W Sicily and fossil specimens from lower Pleistocene, and possibly Pliocene, associations from three different localities in Sicily. The genus and species are characterized by a pseudoporous lepraliomorph frontal shield bordered by marginal areolae, with a prominent suboral umbo; a subcircular primary orifice with a shallow large sinus flanked by condyles, usually protected by oral spines; a prominent ovicell with an entirely exposed calcified entooecium sculptured by tubercles and pseudopores; a lateral suboral, hooked avicularium; and basal calcified pillar-like prominences for adhering to the substratum. The affinities of the genus with Robertsonidra Osburn, 1952, characterized by a frontal shield only perforated by peripheral areolae, are discussed. The erection of the new family Robertsonidridae n. fam. within the Lepraliomorpha is suggested for accommodating both Robertsonidra and Bertorsonidra n. gen. Information is given about ecological requirements of the species, persisting during time, and its morphological adaptation for colonising algal substrata, which Bertorsonidra prenanti n. comb, shares with some species of the genus Robertsonidra and other ones belonging to systematically unrelated genera.

Sinella colorata n. sp. and Coecobrya mulun n. sp., both pigmented and 3 3-eyed, are described from Guangxi Province in southern China. Coecobrya mulun n. sp., is the first 3 3-eyed species in the large genus Coecobrya Yosii, 1956. The two species live in syntopy and are similar in many respects, but easily separated by their mucro, bidentate in Sinella Brook, 1882 and falcate in Coecobrya, the ratio between the length of the non-annulated distal part of the dens and the mucro (3 vs 1.5), and the position of the tooth on inner side of the claw (at 45 vs 65% from base).

A new species of Bebryce Philippi, 1842 from the Gulf of Oman is described and figured, B. inermis n. sp. It is characterized by having tiny rosettes (< 0.05 mm long) with convex surface in the surface layer of the coenenchyme, it is compared with the only four other species of Bebryce having such small rosettes, B. boninensis Aurivillius, 1931, B, cinerea Deichmann, 1936, B. stellata Hentschel, 1903 and B. studeri Whitelegge, 1897. Sclerites of B. studeri are also presented, and newly collected specimens identified as B. stellata are also described and figured.

In this study, we describe the carapace ornamentation found in species of Lithodidae (Decapoda, Anomura), focussing primarily on the genus Paralomis, which displays the greatest diversity of forms, globally. Evidence of ontogenetic change in the surface ornamentation of lithodids has previously been highlighted for one species of Paralomis (P. granulosa Jaquinot, 1847); however, its wider occurrence within the family has never been formally examined. Growth-related change in dorsal spines and tubercles was considered using growth-series from eight species of Paralomis (P. mendagnai, S Pacific; P. multispina, N Pacific; P. spinosissima, P. granulosa, S Atlantic; P. inca, SE Pacific; P. erinacea, E Atlantic; P. cubensis, Caribbean; P. stella, S Indian Ocean). Tubercular structures from adult specimens of 24 additional species of Paralomis are figured in order to provide a reference for future diagnosis. This study shows that ontogenetic changes should be considered when identifying specimens of Lithodidae to species level.

A new genus and species of deepwater lobster of the family Nephropidae, Dinochelus ausubeli n. gen., n. sp., is described from the Philippine Sea off the island of Luzon. The new genus and species is most closely related to species of Thaumastocheles and Thaumastochelopsis, sharing the distinctive, strongly dimorphic chelipeds, and shares features of both genera. Most notably, D. ausubeli n. gen., n. sp. shares movable well-developed eyestalks with species of Thaumastochelopsis (versus highly reduced and fixed eyestalks in species of Thaumastocheles), and similar branchial formula and uropod structure with Thaumastocheles. Dinochelus n. gen. differs from species of Thaumastocheles and Thaumastochelopsis (as well as all other clawed lobsters) in having an inverted, T-shaped epistome. Phylogenetic analysis of 12S rRNA sequences indicated that Dinochelus n. gen. is sister to a Thaumastocheles Thaumastochelopsis clade. The new species is named after Jesse Ausubel at the occasion of the 10-year synthesis of the Census of Marine Life.