Inventory of Annelida Polychaeta in Gulf of Oran (Western Algerian Coastline)

Bionomical research on the continental shelf of the Oran‘s Gulf enabled us to study the Annelida macrofauna. Sampling sites were selected according to the bathymetry, which was divided into eight transects. Collected samples with the Aberdeen grab separated the Polychaeta Annelids from other zoological groups. 1571 Annelida Polychaeta were inventoried and determined by the species, including ten orders (Amphinomida, Capitellida, Eunicida, Flabelligerida, Ophelida, Oweniida, Phyllodocidae, Sabellida, Spionida, Terebellidae), 24 families, 84 genus and 74 species. The analyzed taxa highlighted the dominant and main species on the bottom of the Gulf, including Hyalinoecia bilineata, which appeared as the major species, Eunice vittata, Chone duneri, Glycera convoluta, Hyalinocea fauveli, Pista cristata, Lumbrinerris fragilis and Chloeia venusta.

Egg Batches Parasitism of Processionary Moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera, Thaumetopoeidae) from Two Atlas Cedar Ecotypes in Algeria

In the Atlas cedar forests located on the northern massifs of the Blidean Atlas and at the eastern extension of the Saharan Atlas, 79 egg batches of processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) were collected during the summer period from two sites: Chrea National park (46), and Ouled Yagoub forest (33). To assess the effect of the egg batches characteristics on the parasitism, the eggs were monitored after the hatching of the larvae and/or the emergence of the parasitoids. The average number of eggs/batches in the Ouled Yagoub site (184 eggs) was significantly higher than of the population of Chrea (151). Data analysis showed that the means comparisons of the hatched and unhatched number of eggs between the two sites were significant. In the case of the population of Chrea, the egg mass was laid in the form of a cylinder on twigs of relatively small diameters while for the population of Ouled Yagoub eggs were laid in the form of plates on twigs of larger diameter, thus more exposed to parasitoids. For the two populations, three active egg parasitoids were identified: Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet, 1921) (Encyrtidae), Baryscapus servadeii (Domenichini,1965) (Eulophidae), and Trichogramma embryophagum (Hartig, 1838) (Trichogrammatidae), the most dominant. These parasitoids were heterogeneously distributed on the egg batches collected in the cedar’s plantation of the Chrea, but homogeneously on the egg batches collected in the Ouled Yagoub cedar forest. The activity and distribution of parasitoids on the egg-laying surface are influenced by the form on the branch chosen by the female.

Unique Short-Faced Miocene Seal Discovered in Grytsiv (Ukraine)

Numerous Miocene terrestrial mammal fossils have been discovered at the Grytsiv locality of Ukraine, but this is the first record of a fossil marine mammal at this site. Morphological analysis of the rostral portion of this middle-late Miocene (12.3–11.8 Ma) partial skull suggests that it belongs to the subfamily Phocinae. The small size and cranial morphology of this partial skull is compared with recent and fossil representatives of the extant subfamily Phocinae and the extinct subfamily Devinophocinae. Extinct and modern representatives of the extant subfamilies Cystophorinae and Monachinae were not incorporated in this study due to their extremely large size in comparison to this new find. This newly described skull belonged to a small-sized seal (likely similar in size to the modern sea otter based on the width of the rostrum) with an extremely short rostrum and several other diagnostic characters that differ from all other fossil and extant phocines. Due to the lack of preservation and fragility of fossil seal skulls, less than 20 have been described so far. This new skull is yet another example of an ancestral seal, supporting the suggestion that modern seals have become larger over their evolutionary history. Overall, any cranial information on fossil true seals is extremely important since it allows resolving contentious phylogenetic relationships between extinct and extant representatives of this group.

Effect of Farming and Rainfall on the Species Diversity, Population Density and Community Structure of Birds Breeding in the Kalahari Woodland, NE Namibia

The line transect method has been employed to assess species diversity, population densities and community structure of birds breeding in a mosaic of Kalahari Woodland and farmland, NE Namibia. The transect, 4.5 km long, was surveyed in 2014 and 2015. The total annual rainfall in 2014 was much higher than in 2015 (427 mm vs. 262 mm). In total, 40 breeding species in 2014, and 46 in 2015 were recorded. Six species were dominant in 2014 (Cape Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Emerald-spotted Dove, Blue Waxbill, and White-browed Scrub Robin) and only three species in 2015 (Cape Turtle Dove and Blue Waxbill and Yellow-fronted Canary). Although the cumulative dominance in 2014 almost doubled that in 2015, the Community Index in both years was almost identical. Also diversity indices and evenness index were very similar in both years compared. Granivorous birds were the most numerous feeding guild. Their contribution was similar in 2014 and 2015 (46.7 % vs. 43.4 %). Two other feeding guilds, insectivores and frugivores, comprised together more than 50 % in both years. The number of bird species and species diversity were not influenced by the differential rainfall. However, contrary to expectations, population densities of most bird species (at least the more numerous ones) were higher in the year with lower than in the year with higher rainfall. The number of species and species diversity was similar in the farmland and in neighbouring Kalahari Woodland in a pristine stage. However, population densities of most species were lower in the farmland than in the pristine woodland.

Shape Analysis of Otoliths of the Round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Gobiiformes, Gobiidae), from the Black Sea Basin

The aim of this study was to assess the discriminability of the stocks of the round goby Neogobius melanostomus based on the shape of its otoliths. Recent otolith-shape-based species and stock discrimination studies were using otolith contours in sagittal plane and we are following this approach. We hypothesized the possibility of existence of several geographically separated populations of the round goby. Round gobies have been sampled from different locations of the North-Western Black Sea, otoliths were removed in course of the full biological analysis and photographed in sagittal plane. Principal components of the otolith contour were processed by linear discriminant analysis aiming to cross-validate the discriminability of round gobies placed at different geographical locations. This would allow demonstration of different stocks or populations. This research allows to conclude the limited applicability of otolith contours for discrimination of stocks or populations of round goby based on multiple annual samples. However, neither classification matrices of discriminant analysis nor cluster analysis dendrograms showed a single pattern except for the high year to year otoliths variability. This allows to hypothesise a strong response of contour formation to habitat and feeding conditions. However, this assumption needs to be verified by further studies.

Th e Relationship Between Fish Length and Otolith Size and Weight of the Australian Ancnovy, En-graulis australis (Clupeiformes, Engraulidae), Retrieved from the Food of the Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator (Suliformes, Sulidae), Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand

Relationships between fish length and otolith length, width and mass were examined in the Australian anchovy Engraulis australis (White, 1790) recovered from the food of Gannet examined from colonies at islands of Horuhoru Rock and Mahuki Islands in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. The relationships between otolith length- fish total length (TL), otolith-weight-TL, and otolith-width-TL were investigated by means of non-linear regression models (TL = 0.54 OL 16.86, TL = 4.39 OW 7.61 and TL = 26.19 OWe 2.2). This study characterizes the first reference available on the relationship of fish size and otolith size and weight for E. australis obtained from bird’s food in the Pacific Ocean region

Diversity and Structure of Nesting Birds in the Coastal Riparian Zones of Great Kabylia in Algeria

The study of the nesting birds of the coastal riparian zones in Great Kabylia in Algeria, allowed us to identify 45 species of birds, belonging to 12 orders and 26 families. The richest site in terms of species is Takdempt (31 species). The lowest diversity is noted at the level of Boudouaou wadi with 16 species. The values of the Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H') for all sites are quite high (≥3 bits). Concerning the global abundance of avifauna, the site that represents the highest centesimal frequency is that of Takdempt (20.87 %) and this is due to the presence of a colony of Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758). The bird communities of the sampled sites are not identical, but the degree of similarity, in general, is quite high (≥ 50 %). The main factors controlling the diversity and the structure of the avifauna of Great Kabylia coastal riparian zones are represented by vertical and horizontal vegetation structure

The Alternative Distribution of Related Earthworms Aporrectodea caliginosa and A. trapezoides (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) in Ukraine as a Case of Geographical Parthenogenesis

Geographical parthenogenesis describes phenomenon when parthenogenetic hybrid forms or species have larger distribution areas or higher abundance than their amphimictic parental species, especially in climatically unfavorable conditions. This phenomenon was studied in Ukraine for the pair species of earthworms Aporrectodea сaliginosa (Savigny, 1826) s. l. We found that the hermaphroditic amphimictic A. caliginosa clearly predominates in the northern and western regions, and the apomictic parthenogenetic A. trapezoides (Duges, 1828) in the southern and eastern regions with a continental arid climate. In the sample sets of A. сaliginosa–A. trapezoides group, usually one of the species sharply predominated, and the equality of their abundance was very rare. The reason for this fact is both the alternative geographical distribution and the ability of A. trapezoides to form populations in habitats unfavorable for A. caliginosa. In general, the situation in this group agrees with the classical model of geographic parthenogenesis and confirms the high adaptive potential of apomictic organisms. This fact once again raises the question of non-adaptive reasons for the exclusion of the apomictic reproduction in highly organized animals.

Obtaining Oviparous Grass Snake, Natrix natrix (Serpentes, Colubridae), embryos at Early Developmental Stages by Caesarean Section

There is a specific feature in the developmental biology of oviparous snakes: embryos in the eggs, which were just laid, have already undergone significant development. This fact makes it significantly complicated to obtain data on organs’ development at early stages of embryogenesis. In addition, the fertilization time and the duration of snake pregnancy in the wild are unknown. In order to obtain the embryos of an oviparous grass snake Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) at successive developmental stages with minimal harm to gravid females we used caesarean section. The past known experience of performing caesarean section in snakes and anesthesia in reptiles were used. All the embryos were taken from the upper oviduct of a female simultaneously; in this way we eliminated the influence of medications on embryos’ development. The described method is valuable when it is necessary to obtain snake embryos and to preserve the life of the female and, possibly,its reproductive ability.

First Deep-Sea Shark Fossil Teeth from the Miocene of South Korea

Important vertebrate fossil remains were collected in the Pohang Basin in South Korea for many decades, but only few have been described up to now. Here, three deep-sea shark teeth are described, which most likely derived from the Duho Formation (middle Miocene) near Pohang City, South Korea. One of the teeth is identified as belonging to the genus Mitsukurina, while the others are assignable to Dalatias. None of these taxa were previously reported from the Korean Peninsula. The occurrences of these deep-water fishes in the Pohang Basin support the hypotheses that the Duho Formation was deposited in a deep-sea environment, and sharks, even including benthopelagic forms were already widely distributed throughout the East Sea when this sea was still developing.