Cave-dwelling crabs of the genus Karstarma from lava tubes of the volcano ‘Piton de la Fournaise’, in Réunion Island, with description of a new species and redescription of Karstarma jacksoni (Balss, 1934) from Christmas Island (Decapoda, Brachyura, Sesarmidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4497 (3) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSEPH POUPIN ◽  
NICOLE CRESTEY ◽  
JEAN-PAUL LE GUELTE

Sesarmid crabs of the genus Karstarma Davie & Ng, 2007 are reported for the first time in the Western Indian Ocean: they were discovered in the lava tubes of the volcano ‘Piton de la Fournaise’, Réunion Island. A new species, morphologically similar to Karstarma jacksoni (Balss, 1934) from Christmas Island, Eastern Indian Ocean, is recognized and described. A redescription of K. jacksoni is also provided. A second species is recognized, but being represented in the collection by a single juvenile, it cannot be identified to species level until more collections are made in the lava tubes. [Zoobank: http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/C70A95B2-D667-491D-BD35-5DF32E3FFB08] 

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Schnegg

An Audio Magnetotelluric (AMT) profile has been carried out across the Plaine des Sables, a former caldera of the active Piton de la Fournaise volcano, Reunion Island. Located in the Western Indian Ocean, between the Mascarene and Madagascar basins, this basaltic shield volcano originates from the activity of a hot spot. Our aim was to determine the internal structure of the volcano, in particular the shallow electrical properties of an area extending between the old and the new caldera rims. Although several teams had already conducted AMT work in this region a few years ago, there was a need for more a detailed, in depth survey. Our final model displays a noticeable slope of the Plaine des Sables basement oriented toward the present Fournaise summit. This slope is interpreted as resulting from successive landslides toward the ocean. We conclude that this dipping, electrically good conducting layer, probably belongs to the flat layering of an older caldera.


Author(s):  
Peter K.L. Ng ◽  
Appukuttannair Biju Kumar

The taxonomy of the deep-water homolid crabs Moloha grandperrini Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995 and M. alisae Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995 is re-examined, and the types redescribed and figured. Moloha alisae is reported from South Africa for the first time. A new species with an inflated carapace, M. tumida sp. nov., is also described from southern India and compared with its closest congeners.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 962 ◽  
pp. 123-137
Author(s):  
Alexandra Magro ◽  
Julissa Churata-Salcedo ◽  
Emilie Lecompte ◽  
Jean-Louis Hemptinne ◽  
Lucia M. Almeida

We report here a new species belonging to Nephus (Nephus) Mulsant. Nephus (Nephus) apoloniasp. nov. was collected in the Reunion Island (Mascarene Archipelago, Indian Ocean). We describe this new species and redescribe and illustrate three other Nephus species already known from Reunion: Nephus (Nephus) oblongosignatus Mulsant, 1850, Nephus (Geminosipho) reunioni (Fürsch, 1974) and Nephus (Nephus) voeltzkowi Weise, 1910. Furthermore, we present a phylogenetic tree for these four species and calculate the genetic distances between them, using high-throughput DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial genome. The similar external morphology of N. apoloniasp. nov. and N. voeltzkowi very probably explains why individuals from the first species have been mistakenly identified as the latter and were not recognized as different until now. Other than external and genitalia traits, the present study provides molecular evidence confirming these are indeed two different species.


Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3630 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
NAOMI R. DELVENTHAL ◽  
RANDALL D. MOOI

Callogobius winterbottomi new species is described from the 33.8 mm SL holotype and two paratypes (32.2 mm SL and 22.9 mm SL) from the Comoros, Western Indian Ocean. It is distinguished from all other known Callogobius species by the following combination of characters: sensory pores absent, 23–26 scales in lateral series, and sensory papillae pre-opercular row not continuous with transverse opercular row. One additional specimen of Callogobius winterbottomi was located from South Africa. A new standardized naming system for Callogobius sensory papillae rows is presented for identification and clarification of character states among Callogobius species. The new species is tentatively placed among what we term the “sclateri group”, a clade including C. sclateri (Steindachner) and three other species that exhibit a modified female urogenital papilla with lateral distal flaps and elongate ctenii on the caudal peduncle scales. Callogobius tutuilae (Jordan & Seale) is removed from synonymy with C. sclateri because it has partially united pelvic fins (vs separate) and the preopercular sensory papillae row is continuous with the transverse opercular row (vs separate).


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léa Joffrin ◽  
Steven M. Goodman ◽  
David A. Wilkinson ◽  
Beza Ramasindrazana ◽  
Erwan Lagadec ◽  
...  

AbstractBats provide key ecosystem services such as crop pest regulation, pollination, seed dispersal, and soil fertilization. Bats are also major hosts for biological agents responsible for zoonoses, such as coronaviruses (CoVs). The islands of the Western Indian Ocean are identified as a major biodiversity hotspot, with more than 50 bat species. In this study, we tested 1,013 bats belonging to 36 species from Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion Island and Seychelles, based on molecular screening and partial sequencing of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. In total, 88 bats (8.7%) tested positive for coronaviruses, with higher prevalence in Mozambican bats (20.5% ± 4.9%) as compared to those sampled on islands (4.5% ± 1.5%). Phylogenetic analyses revealed a large diversity of α- and β-CoVs and a strong signal of co-evolution between CoVs and their bat host species, with limited evidence for host-switching, except for bat species sharing day roost sites.ImportanceThis is the first study to report the presence of coronaviruses (CoVs) in bats in Mayotte, Mozambique and Reunion Island, and in insectivorous bats in Madagascar. Eight percent of the tested bats were positive for CoVs, with higher prevalence in continental Africa than on islands. A high genetic diversity of α- and β-CoVs was found, with strong association between bat host and virus phylogenies, supporting a long history of co-evolution between bats and their associated CoVs in the Western Indian Ocean. These results highlight that strong variation between islands does exist and is associated with the composition of the bat species community on each island. Future studies should investigate whether CoVs detected in these bats have a potential for spillover in other hosts.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
GILLES GASSIOLE ◽  
RENÉ LE COHU ◽  
MICHEL COSTE

Recent survey of the epilithic diatoms in the running waters of Réunion Island led to the discovery of a new species of Achnanthidium. Achnanthidium palmeti sp. nov. belongs to the group of Achnanthidium taxa with terminal raphe fissures curved to the same side of the valve. The new species differs from other taxa in this group by a higher stria density and the areolae morphology along the axial area; moreover, apart from Achnanthidium latecephalum H. Kobayasi, A. palmeti sp. nov. is the only species having raphe vestiges. The new species was found in oligotrophic waters with very low conductivity and circumneutral pH. 


2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1413-1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwann Lagabrielle ◽  
Aurélie Botta ◽  
Williams Daré ◽  
Daniel David ◽  
Sigrid Aubert ◽  
...  

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