As a serpulid, Pomatoceros triqueter L. realises to the highest degree the adaptation to a sedentary life. The calcareous tube in which this annelid lives is characterised by a keel running along its upper surface. It is rather misleading to say that this tube is triangular in section. Figure 2 shows a newly formed calcareous rod; it is spur-shaped; the two rami of the spur might approach each other so nearly as to simulate an almost complete tube. The substratum in this species not only serves as a support, but completes the tube. This is in accordance with the fact that the tubes of Pomatoceros never extend freely off the support as happens with tubes of other serpulids–Protula, for instance. The aim of this paper is to record some observations on the way an adult Pomatoceros endeavours to build a new calcareous tube if it is artificially removed from its old one. I undertook this observation as original work at Roscoff, where a complete literature was not available. I discovered later that Harms, in the course of his research on regeneration in Hydroides pectinata, arrived at identical results. My paper cannot therefore pretend to more than a confirmation of previous results.

In the course of investigations (1955–8) into the Ammodytidae of the south of the Isle of Man, five species of sand eel were identified: Gymnammodytes semisquamatus (Jourdain, 1879), the Smooth Sand Eel; Ammodytes lanceolatus Lesauvage, 1825, the Greater Sand Eel; A. immaculatus Corbin, 1950; A. tobianus Linnaeus, 1758 ( = A. lancea Cuvier), the Lesser Sand Eel; A. marinus Raitt, 1934.

Five different types of post-larvae were obtained and investigated. Four of these were the post-larvae of the above four Ammodytes species and the fifth type proved to be Gymnammodytes semisquamatus.

Four species of Laonice (Annelida: Spionidae) were collected from the lower bathyal depths (3300–3700 m) in the Whittard Canyon, NE Atlantic. Two are herewith described as new species: Laonice whittardensis sp. nov. and Laonice natae sp. nov. The other two are Laonice blakei Sikorski & Jirkov, 1988 and Laonice magnacristata Maciolek, 2000. Laonice whittardensis has genital pouches appearing from chaetiger 3, prostomium free of peristomium and bidentate hooks. Laonice natae belongs to the subgenus Appelloefia nov. with prostomium distinct from the peristomium, more than two vertical rows of capillaries in several anterior chaetigers, genital pouches present on a limited number of segments or totally absent. However, the absence of pronounced anterior widening of the body together with anterior branchiae, which are remarkably (nearly twice) longer than the notopodial postchaetal lobes, the narrow lanceolate notopodial postchaetal lobes, the pronounced pointedness of all postchaetal lobes (both notopodial and neuropodial) in the anterior half of body at least, and absence of genital pouches and the size of the body all distinguish L. natae from other species belonging to this subgenus. An identification key to all nine known deep-water (>400 m depth) Laonice species in North Atlantic is given and four previously recognized sub-generic groups are formally named: Laonice, Sarsiana subgen. nov., Appelloefia subgen. nov., Norgensia subgen. nov.

The presence of a male in a population of terrestrial isopods can accelerate the onset of female reproduction, a feature that has been suggested also to occur in bopyrid isopods. This paper aims to estimate the influence of the male presence on the ovarian maturation of Bopyrina abbreviata. Females of B. abbreviata of different sizes were collected at Términos lagoon, Campeche, Mexico. The organisms were morphometrically classified as immature or mature, the male presence or absence at female's marsupium was recorded, and the degree of ovarian development was determined histologically. The internal organization of B. abbreviata agrees with that described for bopyrids and isopods in general. The ovarian cells originate from a dorsal lamina germinal layer that extends horizontally. The ovarian development of lone and paired immature females was classified as incipient and medium, respectively. In mature females it was classified as advanced, in the paired females and in the one lone mature female studied. The lone mature female differed from paired mature females only in the presence of reabsorption process in some oocytes located closer to the ventral wall of the ovary. Morphology variations between lone and paired females suggests that the presence of a cryptoniscus larva or a male between the female's pleopods stimulates the onset of reproduction and accelerates the ovarian development of B. abbreviata.

A field survey to re-assess imposex and tributyltin (TBT) bioaccumulation in the gastropod Nassarius reticulatus over Galicia uncovered three populations of the invasive species Cyclope neritea, all showing some advanced imposex. One female was found to carry a mass of aborted egg capsules. The TBT pollution, now decreasing in the area, is the most likely explanation for these reproductive anomalies, and it may bear some relationship to the described population dynamics of C. neritea.

Mysids (Paramesopodopsis rufa) were tethered in both swarm and school formations in a flow tank to test whether food capture was influenced by orientation or position in the aggregation. Neither orientation nor position exerted a significant influence on food capture success. However, the two formations differed in that certain positions in the polarized configuration were significantly correlated. In addition individuals at the front of the aggregation captured more food (though non-significantly) with a significantly higher degree of variation. This experiment has demonstrated the feasibility of measuring food capture success in different locations within an aggregation of crustaceans.

The north-eastern coast of Venezuela hosts a high diversity of megafauna, particularly related with high productivity due to coastal upwelling. This area is mainly characterized by the existence of the primary fisheries in Venezuela, mostly supported by a great abundance of small pelagic species. This would explain why the area supports a wide range of marine top predators, including cetaceans. The current status of cetacean populations off north-eastern Venezuela is uncertain, mainly because research efforts have been very sparse. There are still many gaps of information in cetacean biology to establish a solid baseline that can be used for management decisions. Common dolphins (Delphinus spp.) are widely dispersed over the whole north-east basin, including waters off Araya and Paria Peninsula and around Margarita, Coche and Cubagua Islands. Areas of higher densities for Delphinus spp. coincide with the focal location of sardine fisheries and the most-active upwelling on the north-eastern coast. Therefore, a scheme of management should consider the areas of major productivity along the coast as potential critical habitat for the species. Further data collection is recommended, increasing aspects such as trophic ecology and the continuity of behavioural sampling, paired with systematic line transect estimation.

Colonies of Bowerbankia pustulosa, collected in July and August, 1911, in and near Plymouth Sound, contained a great many ovicells and produced numerous larvae, when kept in a flat glass trough and put under circulation during the night. The small yellowish larvae have a decidedly positive phototropism. They gather on the surface of the water on that side which is turned towards the light, from which position they sink to the bottom of the glass. Their movements slacken gradually in the course of a few hours, and at last are limited to revolving in a small circle until they fasten on the sides of the glass. Here they complete their metamorphosis, and in a few days the primary polypides are expanding their ciliated tentacles. The result was better when the just-hatched larvae were brought into a jar sterilised by hot water and filled with so-called outside water, i.e. water from beyond the Breakwater. This jar was fitted with a glass stand carrying a number of cover-glasses. When the larvae settled on these, it was easy to make total preparations of them without detaching them.

Cirrophorus nikebianchii sp. nov. is described from brackish-water and organically enriched marine environments of the Mediterranean Sea. The new species is characterized by a very small prostomial antenna and a high number of branchiae pairs. A phylogenetic analysis carried out through the use of three molecular markers (16S rRNA, 18S rRNA and COI) supports the distinction between C. nikebianchii and C. furcatus, a closely related species with which it has been misidentified. Preliminary results obtained show that the genera Cirrophorus and Paradoneis are not reciprocally monophyletic, with uncertain relationships with the remaining genera of Paraonidae. This outcome suggests that the evolutionary history of Paraonidae is less straightforward than previously supposed. Moreover, the uncertainty about the taxonomic status of Paraonides neapolitana, type species of the genus Paraonides, makes the revamping of the taxonomy of Paraonidae more challenging. Awaiting support from studies including more species, and based on morphological and genetic data as well, we suggest to provisionally maintain the current use of Cirrophorus and Paradoneis, and to assign to Paraonella the species traditionally assigned to Paraonides.

Two unusual specimens of Raja richardsoni Garrick from the N. Biscay area lacked part of the snout, apparently because it had been bitten off.

In considering the experiments of Buccich (6) on propagation of sponges by cuttings, two main questions present themselves:—

(1) If a sponge be divided into many fragments, will the total increase of such fragments and their progeny be greater than the increase of the intact sponge and its progeny would have been in the same time; the conditions of water, &c., being identical?

(2) Are sponges, grown as recommended by Buccich, more or less favourably situated than those on the sea-bottom?

The objective of this study was to describe associations between several species of seabirds and dusky dolphins. We investigated during what dolphin activities seabirds were most commonly associated, and the size of flock in relation to the number of dolphins in a group. Since both seabirds and dolphins may display different feeding strategies, we also investigated if benefits differed among seabird species. Data were collected in Golfo Nuevo (42°20′S65°00′W) on-board a research vessel between 2001 and 2008. A total of 224 mixed groups of seabirds were encountered during this study. The seabird–dolphin associations were mainly observed during dusky dolphin surface feeding. Shearwaters and kelp gulls were mainly observed in flocks that were associated with dolphins, while Magellanic penguins and cormorants were mainly observed without dolphins. Seabirds may be conditioned to the foraging strategy of dolphins, since birds are associated with dolphins only during dolphin surface feeding. This association probably helped seabirds to find prey, but there were no obvious benefits to dolphins.

Spirontocaris lilljeborgii is a dioecious species and no protandrous hermaphrodites have been seen.

The majority of males become sexually mature in the first year (7–9 months). Some of these may die after fertilizing the females and the majority die after fertilizing the females for a second year (18 months old).

Only a small proportion of the females breed in their first year, all breed during their second year and a few appear to live for a third year.

A first-year female lays from 130 to 160 eggs, and the usual output of a second-year female is from 450 to 650 eggs.

Egg laying begins at the end of November and hatching is complete by the end of March.

The total incubation period is about 90 days. Eye pigmentation first appears at about half the incubation period (47 days).

Juveniles can be distinguished as males and females by the shape of their pleopods within 4–6 months of hatching.

The glands which secrete the byssus in bivalve molluscs are located in the foot. Some glands discharge into a duct at the proximal end of the foot whilst others discharge into a ventral groove which runs forward from the opening of the duct for about two thirds of the length of the foot. In Mytilus edidis a stem or ‘rachis’ is formed by the gland which surrounds the duct (Brown, 1952). The secretions of this gland are formed into flat sheets or ribbons as a result of being discharged between numerous lamellae which occupy the blind end of the duct. The secretions are derived from two types of secretory cell. One produces large granules, packed with banded filaments, which are secreted into the crypts formed by the lamellae (Tamarin, 1975). The other produces smaller, cylindroid shaped granules which are secreted along the two faces of each lamella. The stem serves as a point of attachment for collagenous threads, produced in the groove (Mercer, 1952; Pujol, 1967 a, b) by the collagen gland which secretes globules displaying regular banding (Pujol, Houvenaghel & Bouillon, 1972). The proximal end of each thread is attached to the stem by means of a collagenous cuff, each one overlapping the previous one to form a concentric arrangement of cuffs around the stem. The distal ends of the threads are attached to the substratum by a holdfast.

A multinucleate, monopodial, lobose amoeba from a Cornish rock pool was identified as Amoeba flavescens Gruber, 1889, originally described from the Mediterranean. It is the type species of a genus Gruberella. Although its locomotive form and activity resemble those of the uninucleate Vahlkampfiidae and its Golgi system, like that of the vahlkampfiids, is not organized into dictyosomes, its mitotic pattern differs from that of the vahlkampfiids. The presence of mitochondria and other characters distinguish it from Pelomyxa. The only other similar marine amoeba is Hyperamoeba fallax Seravin & Goodkov, 1982, from the Far East. The process of ‘paracopulation’ reported for H. fallax was not observed in the Cornish isolates. Pending more evidence of familial relationships, Gruberella remains incertae sedis within the suborder Gymnamoebia Haeckel, 1862.

The introduction of non-native predator fish is thought to have important negative effects on native prey populations. Opsanus beta is a non-native toadfish that was originally described in the Gulf of Mexico, between the west coast of Florida and Belize. In the present study, we describe, for the first time, the occurrence of O. beta in Sepetiba Bay (22°55′S), south-eastern Brazil, probably brought into the bay through ships' ballast water. Thirteen specimens were recorded in this area near to Sepetiba Port. Similarly, three other records of this species in the Brazilian coast were also reported near to port areas at Rio de Janeiro (22°49′S), Santos (23°59′S) and Paranaguá (25°33′S) ports. To confirm the species identity, we employed DNA barcoding and compared our samples with sequences deposited on public databases, which indicated that our samples are highly similar (>99.9% of genetic similarity) to O. beta samples collected near its type locality. Several individuals were found in the capable spawning phase, according to histological analysis of the reproductive cell stages. The environmental plasticity of this species and the favourable local environmental conditions probably enabled the establishment of O. beta in this region. This raises concerns of potential high invasion impact due to this species' diet and reproductive capacity.

Although the medusa Dipurena halterata (Forbes, 1846) is well known, and has been figured by a number of authors (e.g. Forbes, 1848; Browne, 1897), the hydroid of this peculiar species has remained unknown. This medusa is rather scarce at Plymouth (Russell, 1938). On May 3 1938 I had the good fortune to find at Plymouth a small hydroid of the Syncoryne type which later liberated young medusae, and these proved to be young specimens of Dipurena halterata.

Mediterranean fish of the Trachinidae and Uranoscopidae families are characterized by a poison apparatus on the 1st dorsal fin. These fish hide by burying themselves in the sand using cryptic mimicry. Nevertheless, if they are discovered before they have completely buried themselves, or perceive a potential source of danger when already covered, they will raise their 1st dorsal fin which has a bright black spot on the inter-radial membrane. We have shown that this black vexillum acts as a threatening visual cue and that the movements accompanying black mark display can be defined as aggressive mimicry.  We therefore thought it interesting to investigate the black mark display in some species of Soleidae, a behaviour never before reported in the literature. In these fish, the black marks are situated on the right pectoral fin which, as a result of the distortion and re-arrangement of some anatomical parts during development, shifts to a dorsal position in adults. Soles also bury themselves in the sand, and they too display their marked fins on the approach of a possible predator, just like fish belonging to the above dangerous families.

Adults of the isopod genus Holophryxus (Dajidae) occur as ectoparasites on natant decapod crustaceans, but little is known of the ecology and life-history of most species. Species of Holophryxus are thought to have a typical dajid life cycle involving an intermediate host (copepod), a definitive host (prawn) and three larval stages (epicaridium, microniscus, cryptoniscus), and the one species for which details are available fits this pattern (Coyle & Mueller, 1981). The final host is infected by the cryptoniscus, a stage superficially resembling a cirolanid isopod, and the first cryptoniscus to settle loses its isopod-like appearance and develops through a juvenile stage into a rather inflated, highly modified female (Coyle & Mueller, 1981). Any subsequent settler becomes a male, retains the small cryptoniscus body form and lives within the marsupium of the female.