An area in the English Channel of 20 × 40 nautical miles, centred on the Plymouth routine stations L, L and E, was sampled at almost monthly intervals from August 1969 to November 1970, using an improved version of the 1 m net towed at 4 knots on an oblique path. The area includes an inshore region where depths are about 20 fm (37 m) and salinities 35·0‰ or less, and an offshore region with depths over 40 fm (74 m), where salinities can exceed 35·3·. During the first year the offshore region was characterized by water of south-western origin, and temperatures were higher than in the following year when north-western plankton was more in evidence.

A new species of Ophiomisidium is described and regards about reproduction are presented. It is the first species in the genus to posses, apparently, a brooding development. Very few specimens of species of Ophiomisidium have previously been collected, but over 3000 specimens of the new species were collected on the continental shelf and slope (60–810 m depth) off southern Brazil. They were obtained during the REVIZEE Programme, the first extensive surveys to examine Brazilian ophiuroids from depths greater than 200 m.

In order to determine the changes in the relative importance of different kinds of preys as larval anchoveta Engralis ringens grows, the present study reports information about feeding incidence, type, size, and carbon content estimates of preys, at the beginning of the main spawning season in mid-winter off central Chile. Our results show a mixed diet initially dominated by phytoplankton and later switching to zooplankton in older larvae. While larval anchoveta grows, they feed on preys whose widths do not vary much compared to their body length and volume. These preys might be different taxa or a single species whose body widths vary little among life stages (i.e. nauplii and copepodites). Differences in estimated carbon content were observed among food items and a marked increase in carbon consumption was observed in the larger larval sizes (>9 mm standard length). These ontogenetic changes in feeding are coincident with the increased proportion of larger preys and also with the number of preys consumed by larger larvae.

This contribution reports the first record of intertidal reefs built by the sabellariid worm Sabellaria nanella in the lower intertidal at Monte Hermoso beach, Argentina (39°S). All previous records of S. nanella in the study area correspond to solitary individuals from shallow subtidal depths in coastal environments, while the present findings refer to well established reefs on stony rocks. Worms sort medium size sand grains to build the reefs, which contain higher amount of organic matter than the surrounding sediments. Size structure of worms shows multiple size cohorts that include recent recruits and mature adults. Many invertebrates, i.e. various annelids, arthropods, molluscs, nemerteans and nematodes, are the frequent organisms living within the reef, some of them already recorded in the area. The presence of intertidal reefs of S. nanella indicates that the species has plasticity to adapt to environments with different physical conditions (subtidal–intertidal areas).

Holacanthus ciliaris is an important benthic-feeding reef fish but the relationship between the composition of its diet and prey availability is still unknown. Here we determined the quantitative composition of the gut contents of H. ciliaris in São Pedro e São Paulo Archipelago, Brazil (SPSPA), and compared it to the abundance of benthic organisms in the area. Holacanthus ciliaris has a relatively diversified diet with more than 30 prey species in SPSPA, especially sponges (13 spp., average 68% of gut contents total weight), algae (12 spp., 25%) and bryozoans (3 spp., 5%). In contrast, the benthic community is composed mainly of algae (average 81% of total cover) and followed by sponges (13%), bryozoans (5%), cnidarians (0.5%), polychaetes (0.5%) and tunicates (0.5%). The most common species were the algae Caulerpella ambigua and Caulerpa racemosa var. peltata; the bryozoan Margaretta buski; and the sponges Scopalina ruetzleri, Chondrosia collectrix and Clathria calla. The Manly resource selection function showed that H. ciliaris preferred the sponges Geodia neptuni, Erylus latens, Clathria calla and Asteropus niger, among others, and avoided common species such as the sponges Scopalina ruetzleri, Dysidea etheria and Hemimycale insularis and the algae Caulerpella ambigua, Bryopsis plumosa and Neomeris annulata. Kendall's rank correlation index showed no significant correlation between prey abundance in the field and in the diet of H. ciliaris, which seems to actively choose relatively rare and less defended prey.

A number of excursions to the Celtic Sea have been made, first, to obtain for Dr D. P. Wilson water as contrasted as possible with that in the English Channel near Plymouth, and secondly to obtain answers to hydrographical queries. This paper presents some of the chemical findings which may prove to be relevant to Wilson's investigations on the development of the young planktonic stages of invertebrates. Since not all sea water in the Celtic Sea was likely to be equally suitable for his work, some means was needed for quickly assessing waters on the spot. There are a number of objections to the use of phosphate or other chemical analyses on board so that examination of plankton hauls was chosen. Suitable water was selected on the basis of the bulk and variety of zooplankton and the presence of species known to indicate ‘elegans’ water. The 2 m. stramin ring-trawl, fished for the standard half-hour oblique haul, was used.

It is possible to mark octopus (Octopus vulgaris) paralarvae on a massive scale (up to 3500 paralarvae l−1) with 100% marking reliability using alizarin complexone (ALC). The whole statolith is marked and the best results obtained were with concentrations of 60-300 mg l−1 and bath duration of 3-24 h. Taking into account the quality of marking, mortality and ALC costs suggest using from 60 to 200 mg l−1 for 3-6 h. The only treatments causing significant mortalities were 300 mg l−1 over 6 and 24 h.

A survey was conducted from 1986 to 1987 to determine the spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of Ichthyophonus hoferi Plehn & Mulsow, 1911 in marine fishes, especially yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea, from the Nova Scotia shelf, Canada. Ichthyophonus hoferi was found in 56 of 6759 (0·83%) yellowtail flounder, in one of 613 (0·16%) haddock, Melanogrammus aelgefinus, but in none of the other 1485 fishes representing seven species sampled from this area. Within the yellowtail flounder population, the fungus was distributed in patchy manner with infection prevalence ranging from 0·4% at Banquereau Bank to about 13% at Brown's Bank. Infection prevalence was the same in both the male and female flounder. There was no apparent seasonal cycle in infection, although pathogen recruitment into L. ferruginea was from early summer through to early fall months.

A new species of Australonuphis Paxton, 1979 from the Ecuadorian coast, eastern Pacific, is described. The new species is characterized by seven modified parapodia, cirriform ventral cirri on the anterior 16 to 19 chaetigers, subacicular hooks beginning from chaetigers 43 to 57, and cirriform interramal processes on chaetigers 7–10 to 16–18 transformed back in a rounded lobe. This species belongs to the species group with unidentate pseudocompound hooks. Other species of this group are A. beltrani de León-González & Góngora-Garza, 1993, A. hartmanae (Friedrich, 1956), A. parateres Paxton, 1979 and A. teres (Ehlers, 1868).

During the trawling work of the past year within and around the bays on the south coast of Devon, my attention was drawn to the peculiar phenomena displayed by the tides and currents in Start Bay, and a subsequent endeavour to trace their connections and consequences led to a wider survey of the region within the line from Start to Portland. The bottom samples brought up by the trawl and lead afforded excellent opportunities of ascertaining the nature and distribution of the different soils, and thus of tracing out their changes during the seasons. My own observations, moreover, were supplemented by those of the friendly Brixham fishermen, who had many years’ experiences behind them. Their theories, it is true, were somewhat numerous and divergent, as becomes such an energetic and independent race, but the phenomena were described with a wonderful definiteness and unanimity. Knowledge of the bottom-soil—its changes through the month and year—and of the tidal phenomena is absolutely essential to the fisherman because his living depends upon it, so that one need not be surprised at, though appreciating, the great accuracy with which they can tell where they are and what they should catch in their trawls from a brief examination of the soil brought up by the lead.

A total of 75 specimens belonging to four species of thalassinoids were collected in the intertidal and estuarine zones of two localities along the Pacific coast of Mexico. Callianassa tabogensis is recorded for the first time in Mexico, and is transferred to the genus Neotrypaea. Material of Callichirus is assigned to Callichirus seilacheri with some doubts due to taxonomic problems related to this genus in the eastern Pacific. Neocallichirus cf. grandimana, an amphi-American species described for the western Atlantic and previously reported in Ecuador and along the Pacific coast of Panama and Colombia, is reported for the first time in Mexico. Upogebia dawsoni is recorded for the second time from the coast of Jalisco. An updated list of Axiidea and Gebiidea known from the Mexican Pacific is provided, including 35 species.

An analysis has been made of plaice fecundity at four localities in Norway. The fish tended to be larger than those used in other fecundity investigations, and the comparison between localities has been made by considering the average egg number expected in a 50 cm fish. In general the plaice off Norway had more eggs than in the North Sea or round the British Isles. At Arendal in the Skagerrak the fecundity was 355 thousand for 50 cm, which is lower than has been found in the Kattegat, but a little higher than I found at Bergen (317 thousand eggs). At Arendal and Bergen the fecundity was higher than has been found in the North Sea but lower than in localities farther north in Norway. In Trondheim Fjord the plaice fecundity was very high indeed. Among the eleven fish examined it varied from 673 thousand to nearly ½ million eggs, and for an average 50 cm plaice would be 819 thousand. The female fish on the coast outside the fjord were quite different and contained about half the number of eggs (407 thousand for 50 cm). These coast plaice were very similar to those caught in the vicinity of Tromso where a 50 cm fish would have about 400 thousand eggs.

INTRODUCTION

Venus striatula (da Costa) (= Venus gallina L.) occurs in high densities in shallow water on a bottom of clean fine sand in the Bay of Douarnenez. The environmental conditions are characterized by an obvious sediment instability due to a high exposure to westerly swells (Guillou & Le Moal, 1978). This species is preferentially distributed in the fine sands (Petersen, 1913; Thorson, 1957), but is relatively tolerant towards certain ecological factors and so is sometimes found in very muddy sediments. It also shows an extended latitudinal range, since it is recorded from the Lofoten Islands to the Canaries, in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Tebble, 1966).

During quantitative surveys two new species of Cirratulidae from subtidal bottoms of the Atlantic coast of Argentina were collected. They belong to the genera Monticellina and Chaetozone. Monticellina morae sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of a long peristomium of smooth appearance, but triannulated at SEM, bearing the dorsal tentacles in the posterior part, with the first pair of branchiae posterolateral to the dorsal tentacles in chaetiger 1. The body is divided into three parts, an anterior region laterally expanded and with crowded segments, a middle region with beadlike chaetigers and an inflated and crowded posterior region. Chaetozone larae sp. nov. is characterized by an inflated dorsally and laterally expanded anterior crowded region. Peristomium biannulated laterally, with a dorsal crest on the first and second annuli that occupy the entire width, and then a narrow crest in the following annulus (interpreted as an achaetous segment). Capillaries are lanceolate, short and long, with acicular spines curved, forming partial cinctures. In addition, a comparative table of all described species of Monticellina is included and the distinctive characters are discussed.

Parablennius gattorugine and Parablennius ruber are closely related sympatric western European species. In this note, traits that distinguish the larvae of both species are presented and it is demonstrated that conflicting descriptions reported in the literature on the larvae of P. gattorugine stem from confusion between the two species.

It is generally assumed that there are two species of the genus Podocoryne, in northern waters, in which free swimming medusae are produced, P. carnea M. Sars and P. areolata Alder. Of these, the hydroid of P. carnea is known for certain, and that of P. areolata is thought to be the hydroid described by Alder under that specific name. Recently, I have found that there are two more species of Podocoryne medusae in British waters, P. hartlaubi Neppi & Stiasny and P. minima (Trinci). There are, therefore, two more hydroids to be found and it will be shown that the identity of the hydroid of the so-called medusa P. areolata must remain in doubt.

The genus Opaliopsis from Brazil is revised based on three deep-water species. Opaliopsis atlantis (Clench & Turner, 1952) is confirmed as occurring in north-eastern and south-eastern localities. Opaliopsis opalina (Dall, 1927) is reported for the first time in the south-western Atlantic. A new species, Opaliopsis cearense, is described from the north-eastern Brazilian coast, and is distinguished by its large number of fine spiral cords per teleoconch whorl.

The present investigation was undertaken at the invitation of H.M. Treasury, in consequence of an application to the government from H.M. Inspectors of Irish Fisheries for a scientific investigation into the life-history of the mackerel. The problem to the solution of which the inspectors attached particular importance was the relation to one another of the spring and autumn schools of mackerel which regularly visit the Irish coasts. In the spring a multitude of large fish approach the south and west coasts of Ireland to breed. In the autumn schools of immature, but usually well-grown, mackerel come around the island. According to one of the inspectors, the Rev. W. S. Green, there is a sharply defined interval between the two visitations of fish.

A new species of the genus Celleporella (Celleporella galaica sp. nov.) is described from material collected in Galicia (north-west Spain).

Measurements of pH, oxygen content, O2-combining capacity, and haemoglobin concentration were made for the vascular blood of the burrowing polychaete Neoamphitrite figulus in order to assess the role of its two respiratory pigments in respiration. The oxygen equilibrium curve of the erythrocruorin (extracellular haemoglobin) in the vessels was sigmoidal, having an n50 value of 1·5 and a low affinity for oxygen as determined by the P50 which was 26 mmHg at pH 7·31 and 18 °C. O2-binding by the erythrocruorin is sensitive to changes in pH (Δ log P50/Δ log pH = –0·24 to –0·29). The coelomic cell haemoglobin has a hyperbolic equilibrium curve (n50 = 1·0) and a high affinity for oxygen (P50 = 4·5 mmHg) independent of pH, suggesting an oxygen transfer system from the erythrocruorin to the coelomic cells.