Description of a new species of Nannopus Brady, 1880 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Nannopodidae) from Argentinean waters, including an updated key to species

Both sexes of a new brackish-water species, Nannopus sinusalbi sp. nov. (Nannopodidae) are described from the Bahía Blanca estuary (38°53’S, 62°07’W) in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The only previous record of the genus in the study area was identified as the type species, Nannopus palustris Brady, 1880, with no description or illustrations, hence its authenticity cannot be confirmed. Nannopus brasiliensis Jakobi, 1956 is relegated to species inquirenda in the genus rather than being considered a junior synonym of the type species. Nomenclatural issues related to the usage of the alternative spellings Iliophilus Lilljeborg, 1902 and Ilyophilus sensu Sars (1909) and the unavailability of Ilyophilus canui Kim, Choi & Yoon, 2017 are discussed. An updated key to the 18 identifiable species of Nannopus (excluding the type species N. palustris) is presented. The harpacticoid assemblage at the type locality showed a distinct seasonality with N. sinusalbi sp. nov. representing about 8% of the community. The new species showed densities below 5 ind.cm‑2 during most of the year, reaching an abrupt peak of 40.17 ind.cm‑2 towards the end of the summer, when the maximum proportion of ovigerous females was recorded.

Mastogloia jahniae sp. nov., a new diatom (Bacillariophyceae) from the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden

Described is here Mastogloia jahniae sp. nov. a species new to science from Skatan on the Baltic Sea, east coast of Sweden. Description of this new species is based on light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species is classified in the Mastogloia section Ellipticae and is characterized by having radiating short and long striae around the central area, sinuous raphe branches and partecta displaced toward the middle of the valve by a siliceous flange. M. jahniae sp. nov. in terms of size is rather small whereas in terms of ecology appears an epipelic brackish water species. The new species was rather rare in all samples collected from Skatan and has not been found in the other adjacent regions sampled. A comparison with similar established Mastogloia species is provided.

Biological Conservation of Molluscs Based on Spatial and Temporal Distribution in Tropical Tidal Lake, Medan-Indonesia

The tidal lake ecosystem is formed by the flow of the Belmera River and seawater through a tidal process along a course of 12 km from Belawan (Malacca Strait). This lake has a tidal lake that has the characteristics of fresh water to brackish water and Mollusc communities from freshwater species to brackish water species. This study was performed to develop a mollusc conservation strategy based on the spatial and temporal distribution of Mollusca in the tides. The study was conducted from September 2018-August 2019. Mollusc samples were taken every month at high tide and low tide using a Petersen grab tool. Nine Mollusca species, consisting of three bivalves and six gastropods, were identified. Polymedosa expansa is a mollusc species that is considered for conservation. The population size of P. expansa is small, and its distribution is limited to the northern lake. P. expansa was found only in September at high tide and in December at low tide. Competition among Mollusca and habitat availability are obstacles to the survival of P. expansa. The habitat of P. expansa is mangrove, and therefore a conservation approach was carried out through improvement of mangrove quality.

Biodiversity of benthic diatom flora in the coastal zone of Puck Bay (southern Baltic Sea): a case study of the Hel Peninsula

The paper presents the results of the analysis of diatoms from surface sediments (stones, sands) and macroflora (seagrass, macroalgae) collected at 16 sampling sites located along the inner coastal zone of Puck Bay (southern Baltic Sea) along the Hel Peninsula. The main diatom species of epilithon, epipsammon and epiphyton were characterized with respect to their autecological preferences (habitat, salinity, trophic status, saprobity). Three groups of diatoms were distinguished with respect to the type of substrate based on the results of benthic flora analysis: diatoms (i) of one type of substrate, (ii) of two types and (iii) those occurring on all types of substrates. Moreover, the distribution of benthic diatom communities indicates ecological differences in the study area. Marine and brackish-water species were observed in large numbers in the coastal zone of the Outer Puck Bay, whereas freshwater flora occurred with a higher frequency in the coastal zone of the Puck Lagoon. The content of polysaprobionts and of α-mesosaprobionts indicates that the region of the Hel Tip is highly eutrophicated and very polluted. The coast in the vicinity of Kuznica is less polluted, whereas the best environmental conditions are found in the Jurata–Jastarnia region, as evidenced by the frequency of diatoms that are β-mesosaprobionts.

Salinity tolerance and geographical origin predict global alien amphipod invasions

Invasive alien species are driving global biodiversity loss, compromising ecosystem function and service provision, and human, animal and plant health. Habitat characteristics and geographical origin may predict invasion success, and in aquatic environments could be mediated principally by salinity tolerance. Crustacean invaders are causing global problems and we urgently require better predictive power of their invasiveness. Here, we compiled global aquatic gammarid (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Gammaroidea) diversity and examined their salinity tolerances and regions of origin to test whether these factors predict invasion success. Across 918 aquatic species within this superfamily, relatively few gammarids ( n = 27, 3%) were reported as aliens, despite extensive invasion opportunities and high numbers of published studies on amphipod invasions. However, reported alien species were disproportionately salt-tolerant (i.e. 32% of brackish-water species), with significantly lower proportions of aliens originating from freshwater and marine environments (both 1%). Alien gammarids also significantly disproportionally originated from the Ponto-Caspian (20% of these taxa) when compared with all ‘other' grouped regions (1%), and principally invaded Eurasian waters, with translocations of salt-tolerant taxa to freshwaters being pervasive. This suggests habitat characteristics, alongside regional contexts, help predict invasibility. In particular, broad environmental tolerances to harsh environments and associated evolutionary history probably promote success of aliens globally.

Shell and appendages variability in two allopatric ostracod species seen through the light of molecular data

Ostracod crustaceans are among the most abundant microfossil animals. Understanding intra- and interspecific variability of their shell is of pivotal importance for the interpretation of paleontological data. In comparison to appendages, ostracod shell displays more intraspecific variability (in shape, size, and ornamentation), often as a response to environmental conditions. Shell variability has been studied with sophisticated methods, such as geometric morphometrics (GM), but the conspecificity of examined specimens and populations was never tested. In addition, there are no GM studies of appendages. We build on previously published high cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) divergence rates among populations of a brackish water species, Ishizakiella miurensis (Hanai, 1957). With landmark-based GM analyses of its shell and appendages, and additional genetic markers (ITS, 28S, 18S), we test if the genetic variability is structured in morphospace. This approach is the core of integrative taxonomy paradigm which has been proposed to bring the gap between traditional taxonomy and other disciplines such as evolutionary biology. The results show that it is the shell shape, and not the shape of appendages, that mirrors the molecular phylogeny, and we describe a new species. Our results suggest that the landmark-based GM studies may be useful in paleontological datasets for closely related species delineation. We implement molecular clock and population statistics to discuss speciation processes and phylogeography of the two congeners in Korea and Japan.