Studies of the feeding behaviour of aquatic species in their natural environment are difficult, since direct observations are rarely possible. In this study, a newly developed animal-borne underwater sound recorder (AUSOMS-mini) was applied to captive Amazonian (Trichechus inunguis) and Antillean (Trichechus manatus manatus) manatees in order to directly record their feeding sounds. Different species of aquatic plants were offered to the manatees separately. Feeding sounds were automatically extracted using a custom program developed with MATLAB. Compared to ground truth data, the program correctly detected 65–79% of the feeding events, with a 7.3% or lower false alarm rate, which suggests that this methodology is a useful recorder of manatee feeding events. All manatees foraged during both the daytime and night-time. However, manatees tended to be less active and masticated slower during the night than during the day. The manatee mastication cycle duration depended on plant species and individual. This animal-borne acoustic monitoring system could greatly increase our knowledge of manatee feeding ecology by providing the exact time, duration and number of feeding events, and potentially the plant species being fed on.

The marine amphipod fauna of Tunisian shallow water was studied during 2003 to 2009. In this paper, we report—for the first time—the presence of two lessepsian amphipod species Elasmopus pectenicrus and Stenothoe gallensis from the south-east Tunisian coast.

Spirorbis vitreus (Fab.), an arctic form, seems to be absent from Wales and most of England, but is generally abundant off the west coast of Scotland and also occurs in certain localities off Ireland, the Isle of Man, Cornwall and Brittany (which is probably its southern limit in Europe). Its range thus extends farthest down our western coasts, a distribution which is characteristic of various other northern and southern forms that are near the limits of their geographical ranges. Such species presumably benefit from the equable temperatures, adjoining deep water, and this winter-breeding species of Spirorbis also needs freedom from abrasion.

The tubes of juvenile S. vitreus are very different from those of adults. The distribution of uncini on the abdomen shows a remarkable bilateral asymmetry, as in S. spirillum.

A new species of Aoridae, Camacho faroensis is described and figured from Faroese waters and a new species of Isaeidae, Megamphopus raptor, is described and figured from Icelandic waters. The female of Chevreuxius grandimanus is described for the first time as is the hyperadult male of Autonoe borealis.

Growth increments in statoliths of Idiosepius paradoxus were observed for aging analysis. The rate of increment formation was examined by staining the statoliths with tetracycline at 5–14 d intervals. In 6 of 16 specimens, increments formed daily, but in the other specimens, increments formed less than one per day. The maximum number of increments observed in males and females were more than 150 and 140, respectively, suggesting a life span of ≥150 and ≥140 d. During the cool season (from November to April), the dorsal mantle length (DML) and the number of increments gradually increased. Specimens collected in June showed bi-modal patterns in DML and the number of increments. Only small specimens were collected from August to October. These results suggest that two generations alternately occurred in the cool season and in the warm season.

The long discussion on the identity of the large Eunice species from the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas is a result of the broader discussion on the identity and synonymy of Eunice roussaei and Eunice aphroditois. Here we show that the species occurring in the Adriatic Sea is Eunice roussaei and how this species can be differentiated from Eunice aphroditois; we also characterize the Mediterranean Eunice roussaei.

Thylacoplethus isaevae, a new species of colonial rhizocephalans, is described from the hermit crab Pagurus trigonocheirus collected in the Sea of Okhotsk, along the coast of Sakhalin Island. The new species differs from other known species of Thylacoplethus by the presence of complex spermatogenic bodies located within the mantle and the significantly larger size of its externae.

Various attempts have been made to substitute certain elements for those acknowledged as essential for plant growth. Using plant material, sodium is the element usually chosen as a possible substitute for potassium, but results show that whilst sodium may be taken up in fairly considerable quantities this is only possible if small amounts of potassium be present as well. Total replacement appears to be impossible (11,13,15).

The present study investigated the reproductive biology of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and Farfantepenaeus paulensis captured offshore and at two important fishing grounds, Guanabara Bay and Araruama Lagoon both on the south-eastern Brazil coast. The females’ size at first maturation was 37.90 mm of carapace length (CL) for F. brasiliensis and 41.95 mm of CL for F. paulensis. Both species presented continuous reproduction with two spawning peaks. For F. brasiliensis these peaks occurred during summer and winter and for F. paulensis during summer and autumn. The sex-ratio of the pink shrimp was favourable to the number of females which can be a strategy to guarantee the reproduction.

Specimens and nests of Pomatoschistus pictus adriaticus have been caught for the first time along the French Mediterranean shore (Gulf of Lions). Six types of nests are found on sandy-gravelly bottom at 10 m depth and 25.3 to 27.5 g 1−1 salinity, using in 84.7% of cases, a valve of Cardium edule (3.3≤weight g≤40.6; 507≤surface mm2≤2490). Nest size, egg patch, surface area and nesting fecundity are positively correlated. Nesting fecundity varies between 669 and 4690 eggs. For a similar egg diameter, the egg height is less than that of P. minutus which spawns on the same bottom and localities. Larval length at hatching varies from 1.70 to 2.67 mm.

In the present study, short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis L.) from the Bay of Gibraltar (GIB) and the Moray Firth (MF) were examined to document the relative frequency, distribution and shape of dorsal edge markings (DEMs) in the species and investigate potential causes for their occurrence. A dorsal fin layout system was used to map the relative positions and shapes of presenting DEMs along the anterior/posterior and upper/lower fin margin from 617 animals. A total of 1989 DEMs were extracted from the combined datasets, with individuals exhibiting between one and 11 nicks (median = 3). DEMs (in the form of tears, nicks, notches and indents) were primarily observed along the posterior trailing edges of fins, with the highest concentration being recorded in the upper region of the posterior fin (80.3%). Approximately 80% of all DEMs were round or rectangular in shape. Square (notched) and indented nick shapes were further recorded, but in significantly lower numbers. In contrast to all other nick shapes however, indented DEMs predominantly occurred along the anterior fin margin. Both natural and anthropogenic sources were implicated as causes of DEMs in the dataset. Interactions with fisheries were apparent in both GIB and MF animals and evidently present a threat to both populations. Indeed, the occurrence, prevalence and type of presenting DEM and/or fin injuries (e.g. missing fins or disfigurements) in the species may provide a useful measure of the type and intensity of fisheries interactions affecting different populations.

Phymactis papillosa is a rocky shore sea anemone that is commonly found in the Pacific Ocean, from the Gulf of California to Tierra del Fuego, and in the Mar del Plata region, Argentina. The genus Phymactis is closely related to Bunodosoma and, due to character plasticity, a number of misidentifications have occurred. Therefore, the presence of P. papillosa in Argentina has been doubted but the matter had not been investigated in detail. Here we analyse P. papillosa specimens from Argentina and compare them, using molecular and morphological markers, to specimens from the species' type locality. In a phylogenetic analysis using 19 allozyme markers and ribosomal internal transcribed spacers sequences of different sea anemone genera, including all West Atlantic Bunodosoma species, we have found that the specimens from Argentina were genetically divergent from P. papillosa from Chile and closely related to West Atlantic Bunodosoma species. The genetic and morphological analyses indicate that those specimens belong to a new species of the genus Bunodosoma, described here as B. zamponii sp. nov.

Tubiclavoides striatum, a new species of an athecate hydroid, was found on mud volcanoes, inactive carbonate chimneys, and cold-water coral stands in the Gulf of Cadiz (south-western Iberian Peninsula, Atlantic Ocean). The new family Tubiclavoididae and the new genus Tubiclavoides are proposed to accommodate the new species. The new hydroid is characterized by scattered filiform tentacles, sporosacs developing among the tentacles and hydrocauli covered with striated perisarc, often subdivided into imbricating cones. A full description and illustrations are provided, as well as some notes on the ecology and distribution of the new species.

The cetacean fauna at the Tristan da Cunha archipelago has been assessed from ship-based, aerial and land-based observations from 1983–2000, from strandings on Tristan da Cunha and Inaccessible Island between 1983 and 1995, and from whaling catch data from 1934–1967. Five species (Eubalaena australis, Megaptera novaeangliae, Tasmacetus shepherdi, Globicephala melas and Orcinus orca) have been sighted within the territorial waters of the archipelago, eight species (Balaenoptera physalus, B. borealis, B. acutorostrata/bonaerensis, Physeter macrocephalus, Mesoplodon mirus, M. bowdoini, Delphinus sp. and Lissodelphis peronii) have been seen or taken within 200 nautical miles (360 km) of the group or have been found stranded on its shores, while another two species (Caperea marginata and Lagenorhynchus obscurus) have been recorded close enough to be considered likely to occur within 200 nautical miles. The records of Mesoplodon mirus and M. bowdoini represent significant extensions to their known distribution. Apart from its possible importance as a mid-oceanic nursery area for southern right whales, the waters of the Tristan Archipelago seem to be a concentration area for T. shepherdi, one of the least-known of the world's cetaceans.

We tried to find discriminating features for sperm whale clicks in order to distinguish between clicks from different whales, or to enable unique identification. We examined two different methods to obtain suitable characteristics. First, a model based on the Gabor function was used to describe the dominant frequencies in a click, and then the model parameters were used as classification features. The Gabor function model was selected because it has been used to model dolphin sonar pulses with great precision. Additionally, it has the interesting property that it has an optimal time–frequency resolution. As such, it can indicate optimal usage of the sonar by sperm whales. Second, the clicks were expressed in a wavelet packet table, from which subsequently a local discriminant basis was created. A wavelet packet basis has the advantage that it offers a highly redundant number of coefficients, which allow signals to be represented in many different ways. From the redundant signal description a representation can be selected that emphasizes the differences between classes. This local discriminant basis is more flexible than the Gabor function, which can make it more suitable for classification, but it is also more complex. Class vectors were created with both models and classification was based on the distance of a click to these vectors. We show that the Gabor function could not model the sperm whale clicks very well, due to the variability of the changing click characteristics. Best performance was reached when three subsequent clicks were averaged to smoothen the variability. Around 70% of the clicks classified correctly in both the training and validation sets. The wavelet packet table adapted better to the changing characteristics, and gave better classification. Here, also using a 3-click moving average, around 95% of the training sets classified correctly and 78% of the validation sets. These numbers lowered by only a few per cent when single clicks, instead of a moving average, were classified. This indicates that, while the features may show too much variability to enable unique identification of individual whales on a click by click basis, the wavelet approach may be capable of distinguishing between a small group of whales.

In summer 1997, the stomach contents of 235 red pandora collected by bottom trawl from Hisarönü Bay in the southern Aegean coast of Turkey, were analysed. It was observed that red pandora is predominantly a diurnal feeder. More intensive feeding started in the afternoon, reaching its maximum value in the evening and continued until dusk. The minimum feeding intensity occurred during the night. The diet was found to consist primarily of polychaetes, especially Glyceridae, and crustaceans, mainly Natantia. No significant diel variation was observed in the diet composition of red pandora.

Crabs are thought to play a vital role in structuring gastropod populations. Studies quantifying the frequencies with which crabs attack gastropods in natural settings are, however, scarce. Although a wide variety of techniques exist with which predator–prey interactions can be investigated (e.g. laboratory experiments, exclusion caging, tethering and population surveys), there is a need for methods that can provide large amounts of quantitative data, particularly documenting the frequency with which crabs attack gastropods. This study examines the utility of using wax replicas of gastropods to determine crab attack frequencies. Replicas of Chlorostoma funebralis, Nucella ostrina and Nucella lamellosa were bolted to mesh screens and deployed in the rocky intertidal. Crabs attacked wax replicas of gastropods, leaving characteristic marks in the wax. In most cases, the appendage used in the attack could be identified from the marks (i.e. chelae vs walking legs). The effectiveness of this technique was verified using surveys of repair scar frequencies of the gastropod populations; patterns in attack frequency, determined from the number of marked wax replicas, were consistent with those of repair frequency, in that both were greater at the wave protected, quiet water locality. This study confirms the value of wax replicas in investigations of crab predation to determine the frequency and type of attack, and illustrates the potential of this method for quantifying predation intensity. The development of techniques that quantify the magnitude and exact nature of the effects of crab predation on intertidal communities is pivotal, given the intensity of commercial fishing of some species of crabs.

The sexual system of two caridean shrimps (Processa riveroi and P. bermudensis) was investigated, stimulated by reports of male to female sex change (protandry) in Processa edulis from European waters. Shrimps used in the study were obtained from monthly samples taken from March 1982 to February 1983 in a Thalassia–Syringodium seagrass meadow in Puerto Rico. Observations on size, sex, and reproductive condition were used to construct monthly size–frequency distributions and sex-ratios by size-class (SC). Males were smaller than reproductive females, but there was extensive overlap in size between males and immature females. A sex-ratio (SR) analysis by SC of the overall year-long population sample showed an equal or female-biased SR in the smallest SC, a male-biased SR in 1–3 intermediate SC, with larger SC dominated by females incubating embryos. Such a population structure might result from slower growth in males than females and higher mortality in larger males. Observations on and allometric analysis of sexual characters failed to identify transitional individuals (sex-changers) intermediate in reproductive morphology between males and females. Thus, a hypothesis of protandry is rejected, and that of gonochory (separate sexes) is accepted in these two Processa species, revealing possible variation in sexual systems among Processa species.

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are the only phocid species found in Mexico. There is evidence that harbour seals at other latitudes exhibit non-migratory behaviour; however, there is lack of knowledge regarding this species' movements in Mexico. In contrast, elephant seal migrations to high latitudes are documented. In order to analyse this behaviour in harbour seals, hair samples (N = 19) were collected from weaned, or nearly weaned, pups on Natividad Island, Baja California (BC), during the 2013 breeding season (February). Lanugo samples (N = 20) were also collected from elephant seal pups on the San Benito Archipelago (60 km north of Natividad) during the same season, providing information on maternal foraging during the last 4–5 months before sampling. Of the two species, BC harbour seals had higher isotope values, reflecting their non-migratory behaviour. These differences may be due to the depleted base values in the higher latitude foraging areas used by northern elephant seals relative to the areas around Natividad frequented by harbour seals. A lower trophic position by elephant seals was considered but taken as an unlikely explanation for this variation. Bayesian analysis confirmed the distinction, with a low overlap value (0.4) and different isotopic spaces (Phoca: 0.5, Mirounga: 1.6). Building upon previous studies of the trophic ecology of the two phocids that inhabit the region, we provide new information by comparing the two species during the same season using the same tissue type sampled from individuals of similar age classes.