A population of the neogastropod Ocenebra erinacea sited close to the shipyard at Falmouth (Cornwall: south-west England) has been monitored over a period of 20 years for the effects of exposure to the antifouling agent tributyltin (TBT). During the years 1986 to 1995 the proportion of females sterilized through abnormal development of the oviduct increased from 36% to 87%. Despite legislative restrictions on TBT paints, in 2006 there was little improvement in the reproductive capacity of the population in that over 75% of females still showed the same abnormality. At the sampling site, levels of TBT in surface water had a background of around 2 ng Sn l−1 throughout the period of study with higher peaks up to 50 ng Sn l−1. Much of the TBT pollution in the Fal estuary and environs in recent years appears to be the result of discharges from the shipyard at Falmouth within the estuary.

Recently developed methods allow quantification and examination of point patterns. Understanding patterns of aggregation or regularity of larval recruits at various spatial scales can help in identifying underlying ecological and biological processes determining their distribution. A rocky shore plot (30 cm wide × 100 cm tall) in southern Hokkaido, Japan was cleared each summer. Barnacle (Chthamallus challengeri) recruitment, after a period of approximately 134 days, was recorded using 40 photographs (25 cm2); 8 photographs per 20 cm horizontal band of tidal height, 5 bands total. Barnacle recruits within each photograph were mapped and co-ordinates used to analyse aggregation at scales from 0–2 cm using Ripley's K statistic and neighbourhood density function (NDF) (both models assumed heterogeneity of first-order density). Quadrat density counts at scales from 20–50 cm provided estimates of aggregation using Morisita's standardized index. These analyses showed that barnacle recruits demonstrate ordered spacing up to a distance of 6 mm. From 6 mm to 2 cm recruits show random spacing based on NDF, but ordered distribution based on the Ripley's K statistic. This discrepancy is likely a result of the cumulative nature of the Ripley's K statistic. At larger scales, Morisita's standardized index indicated aggregation. This result may be explained biologically by the trade off between maximizing need for space at small spatial scales, however being constrained by copulation with neighbours, resulting in aggregation at scales larger than the maximum penis length. The observed pattern was consistent among years with different recruitment densities and among tidal levels, indicating site specific characteristics and interspecific interactions may have a larger influence than desiccation stress or density dependence on spacing of recruits.

A new species of Leucosoleniidae, Leucosolenia microspinata sp. nov., from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Porto Vecchio pond, Marinello Marine Reserve, Messina) is here described. The species consists of a dense reticulation of ascon tubes having a colour ranging from white-cream to light-brown. Its spiculation consists of diactines sometimes serrated or microspined, not separable into size-classes, triactines of four types and tetractines with microspined apical actine. The comparison with other Mediterranean Leucosolenia is reported.

The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) was one of the most intensively hunted whales between the 17th and 20th centuries in the southern hemisphere. Recent estimates indicate that today there are around 7000 whales, representing 5 to 10% of its original population. On the other hand, recent studies estimated that the population that migrates to the Brazilian coast grew by 14% from 1987 to 2003. However, there is no information about sex-ratio for adults or for calves in this region, which is an important parameter for understanding the biology of the species. We present here the first estimate of calves' sex-ratio of southern right whales found along the southern Brazilian coast, one of the most important wintering grounds for the species. Sex was molecularly indentified for 21 biopsies collected from calves between 1998 and 2002, along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina States, in southern Brazil. The sex-ratio was two females for one male, however, it was not statistically different (χ2 test, α = 0.05; df = 1) from the expected ratio of 1:1. This result is in accordance with the sex-ratio estimated for the species of all ages using external morphology (and behaviour information), as well as for most species of baleen whales.

Barnacles are the common fouling organisms encountered in coastal waters around the world. In the present study, breeding biology of the intertidal barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite (=Balanus amphitrite) was studied for a period of two years (July 2003 to June 2005) in the Kudankulam coastal waters. Results showed that A. amphitrite breeds throughout the year in the study area. A high percentage of individuals with free nauplii in the mantle cavity was observed during March 2004 (47.6%) and May 2004 (41.7%). Barnacles with fertilized eggs in the ovary were high during November 2004 (56%), March 2005 (46.7%) and April 2005 (42.8%). Overall, a peak breeding activity was observed during the March–May period. The breeding activity showed a significant positive correlation with surface water temperature and phytoplankton abundance.

Large parts of the south-western Atlantic soft bottom intertidals are inhabited by the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata (previously known as Chasmagnathus granulatus) and the mud crab Cyrtograpsus angulatus, but adults rarely coexist in the same microhabitat. We describe the influence of burrows of N. granulata on the recruitment dynamic of C. angulatus and the effects of different ontogenetic stages of N. granulata on survival of recruits of C. angulatus. A two summer sampling shows that N. granulata burrows facilitate settlement of both species. To evaluate the mortality of recruits inside burrows, we performed a field experiment with juvenile and adult crab exclusion cages and inclusion of juveniles or adults of N. granulata. The results showed differences in crab sizes between treatments, due to predatory interactions that depended on prey size. When only juveniles of N. granulata were present, the higher mortality of C. angulatus was observed in smaller crabs. However when adults of N. granulata were present, larger juvenile crabs are the ones that suffered the highest mortality. These results show that adults are preying upon larger juveniles (of both species) reducing the mortality of the smaller ones that are preyed by the larger ones. We also measured emigration from these burrowing assemblages using bidirectional pitfall traps which showed that C. angulatus juveniles are leaving the burrows towards the subtidal. Here we demonstrate that N. granulata have positive and negative effects on the settlement of C. angulatus. These results highlight the importance of including stage-dependence relationships to analyse species interaction in marine ecology field works.

The cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is the most important traditional fishing activity in the Sado estuary. In order to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution patterns and to study the reproductive cycle of this species, twenty sampling areas were towed along the estuary on a monthly basis from May 2001 to April 2002. The higher densities were obtained in summer and autumn in the lower and southern area of the estuary while spring showed the higher biomass. Mature individuals prevailed in the inner zone of the estuary during spring while juveniles were dominant in autumn and concentrated in the lower part of the estuary. Almost all individuals leave the estuary during winter. The weight–length relationship was significantly different according to sex, being females heavier than males for individuals larger than 106 mm. Sex-ratio was similar to 1:1 in every season. Females had high values of gonadosomatic index during the spawning season with a major peak in June, while males showed similar values throughout the spawning season. The length at first maturity was estimated at 80 mm mantle length (ML) for females and 59 mm ML for males. In the Sado estuary only one generation of cuttlefish breeders were found with an average of 110 mm ML for males and 122 mm ML for females, which is consistent with breeders in their first year.

In studies carried out off the north-eastern and south-eastern coast of Brazil, three species of Prosphaerosyllis were found: P. isabellae, which was already recorded for Brazilian waters; P. xarifae, a newly recorded species for the area; and P. brachycephala sp. nov., a new to science species. Prosphaerosyllis brachycephala sp. nov., is characterized by having swollen anterior part of the body, prostomium retractable within the peristomium and anterior segments, short antennae, short peristomial and dorsal cirri, and falcigers with short, unidentate blades throughout. All these species are herein described and compared to the most similar congeners.

Presently, there is no information about the functionality of the immune system in the franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), a small dolphin from southern Brazil. As in the case of the franciscana, the population of southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) which inhabits Brazilian waters has not yet been surveyed in what concerns MHC expression. For the first time it was possible to observe the DQB gene expression in skin of these two species of cetacean using RT-PCR. Skin pieces of the animals were collected to RNA extraction. The fragment corresponding to DQB exon 2 was amplified, cloned and sequenced. A total of five alleles were found, one to franciscana and four to southern right whale. The observed dN/dS ratio of 2.77 (P = 0.03) suggests that this gene is under balancing selection pressure (positive Darwinian selection). The sequences indicate that, in both species analysed, the DQB gene is functional.

Two new species of Poecilosclerida Crella (Crella) aurantiaca sp. nov. (Crellidae) and Mycale (Aegogropila) denticulata sp. nov. (Mycalidae) are described on the basis of material collected during the XX Italian Expedition (2004–2005) in Antarctica. Crella (Crella) aurantiaca sp. nov. is based on presence of acanthostyles of two size-categories. Mycale (Aegogropila) denticulata sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of palmate anisochelae and styles.

Pionosyllis Malmgren, 1867 is revised based on a cladistic analysis of the 41 species considered herein as valid, two newly described species in this paper (Basidiosyllis victoriae and Opisthodonta russelli), 11 species from other genera actually belonging, or related to, Pionosyllis, and 13 syllid species from different subfamilies. The phylogenetic analysis is based on 55 characters; a strict consensus of 1200 equally parsimonious trees (length = 314 steps) was obtained. The clades containing species usually included within Pionosyllis are newly named within the frame of a new Linnean classification of the group (except for one, belonging to another subfamily). The diagnosis of Pionosyllis is emended, and five new genera are proposed: Synmerosyllis, Basidiosyllis, Westheidesyllis, Perkinsyllis and Brevicirrosyllis. Paraehlersia San Martín, 2003, proved to be closely related to Pionosyllis. Seven species are transferred to Opisthodonta Langerhans, 1879, here emended, and three transferred to Nudisyllis Knox & Cameron, 1970 (according to San Martín & Hutchings, 2006). Opisthodonta uraga (Imajima, 1966) comb. nov. and Perkinsyllis longisetosa comb. nov. are redescribed. Pionosyllis compacta Malmgren, 1867, P. stylifera Ehlers, 1913, P. gigantea Moore, 1908, P. enigmatica (Wesenberg-Lund, 1950), and Nudisyllis magnidens (Day, 1953) comb. nov., are redescribed. Pionosyllis marquesensis Monro, 1939 and P. procera Hartman, 1965 likely belong to the Syllinae, thus they are not treated in the taxonomic account.

This study presents the first extensive investigation of echinoderm distribution in the area of mobile bottoms in the open part of the northern and middle Adriatic Sea. Five hundred and eighteen bottom trawl hauls were performed at 56 predetermined permanent stations along ten transects over different sediment types, at depths of 10 to 430 m. A total of 34 species of Echinodermata were identified (9 from the class Holothuroidea, 12 from the class Asteroidea, 4 from the class Ophiuroidea and 9 from the class Echinoidea). The list of the species, together with data on depth and sediment distribution, and the stations where individual species were found, are presented.

Tributyltin (TBT) exposure experiments at 5 and 50 ng l−1 concentrations were carried out in the laboratory on female Hexaplex trunculus collected during the reproductive season from a site weakly-affected by imposex (12.1%). The imposex intensity estimated by the imposex incidence or frequency (I%), the average length of the vas deferens (VDL), the average length of female penis (FPL) and the vas deferens sequence index (VDSI) showed significant variation with TBT concentration. The number of spawning females decreased with TBT concentration. TBT had no effect on the number of egg-capsules laid per female nor on the number of eggs per capsule. The egg-capsules laid in the control and 5 ng TBT l−1 aquaria showed harder texture of the wall compared to those exposed to 50 ng TBT l−1. The mortality rate increased proportionally with TBT concentration and duration of exposure.

Ovaries of 39 large jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas (415–875 mm mantle length (ML)) of different stages of maturity from the Gulf of California and Nicaragua were analysed. Oocyte development is asynchronous during female ontogenesis, with predominance (>85–90%) of small protoplasmic oocytes 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter for all stages of female maturity. Potential fecundity (PF) is determined at late immature stage II with average values around 18–21 million oocytes. The maximum PF estimated, 32 million oocytes, is so far the largest recorded for any cephalopod. PF is closely related to female size. Nicaraguan females, of smaller size (415–720 mm ML), show lower fecundity (5–15 million oocytes). Eggs were analysed in oviducts of mature females (540–875 mm ML), 7 from the Gulf of California and three females from Nicaragua. Eggs measured 0.9 × 1.1 mm in diameter and weighed 0.45 mg on average. The oviducts of the largest female (875 mm ML) held 1.2 million eggs, representing 4.6% of PF and no more than 14% of all vitelline oocyte stock of that squid. Variability in oviduct filling is very high and unrelated to ovary weight. However, a strong correlation was found between oviduct fullness and nidamental glands development. These observations suggest that spawning is extended and intermittent. A female spawns no less than half of the initial PF, and the minimal number of spawning activity events (egg batches) is roughly estimated at 8–12. During this terminal spawning stage females continue actively feeding and grow between egg-mass laying periods.

The seasonal dynamics of Acartia tonsa and the invader Eurytemora americana were analysed in relation to the environmental variability occurring from April to November in the Bahía Blanca Estuary. Twice a month, the abundance of eggs, nauplii, copepodites and adults was examined and some environmental variables were recorded. Multivariate statistics (CCA) was applied to analyse the data of variables. Acartia tonsa eggs and nauplii diminished from April–May and they were almost absent between June and September, although a small larval peak could be detected from the end of July to October. All the stages of this species increased in number through spring. Eurytemora americana was registered as from June and only nauplii larvae were observed, with a peak increase during September. Copepodites and adults were observed as from July, increasing in number until peaking at the end of September. The number of all stages of this species decreased abruptly, the whole population disappearing from the plankton. The A. tonsa developmental stages were most positively correlated with temperature, photoperiod and other light variables whereas those of E. americana showed positive correlations with chlorophyll-a and salinity. The gradients of the main environmental factors likely give rise to a certain niche separation facilitating the coexistence of the two copepod populations within the period studied.

Zidona dufresnei (Donovan, 1823) is a big-sized and long-lived snail endemic to the south-western Atlantic where it dwells in sandy bottoms between five and 115 m; females lay big egg capsules from which crawling juveniles emerge. An unusual population of Z. dufresnei inhabits the low intertidal and shallow subtidal zone of San Antonio Bay, the southernmost location of the species, where it faces many threats. The aim of this study is to describe some of the demographic and reproductive characteristics of this population and to compare them to those located in northern zones. Monthly samples of adults and egg capsules were obtained from October to April and their position was recorded; snails and capsules were gathered for examination in the laboratory. Sex-ratio was near 1:1 for the whole sampling period and the size–frequency distributions were similar for both sexes; females were wider and heavier than males at the same shell length. Maximum shell length was 120.5 mm in our study and so no female reached the minimum size at first gonadal maturity reported for other populations (128 mm); female size seems to limit the capsule diameter and the number and size of embryos that are lower than in other populations. Egg capsule and adult densities in the intertidal zone peaked in February and March respectively, averaging 1.34 capsules and 1.91 snails by 100 m2 during the sampling period; egg capsule deposition elapsed from November to March and peaked in December; females select cobble by size to lay egg capsules. Due to its restricted distribution and the low juvenile and adult dispersal, the unusual Z. dufresnei population dwelling in San Antonio Bay seems to be quite vulnerable to diverse anthropogenic impacts.

Sepia officinalis produces a dark ink constituted of a suspension of melanin granules in a viscous colourless medium showing a large variability in composition. The examination of the spectra obtained by scanning electron microscopy of crude and the melanin-free ink showed slight variation in elemental composition related to the elimination of melanin substance after centrifugation. Ink elemental content varied also depending on the period of sampling. Temperature, light and oxygen can be considered as coagulation factors. Temperature around ambient temperature (e.g. 30°C) gave strong coagulation, while lower temperature (2–4°C), lack of oxygen and darkness greatly inhibited the ink coagulation process. Moreover, we showed that hydrogen peroxide activated the ink coagulation process and the coagulation rate depends on the amount of H2O2 added. Heat treatment (100°C for 5 minutes) of ink inhibited the coagulation. Interestingly, the addition of an adequate volume of fresh melanin-free ink to the heated sample activated significantly the coagulation process.

The reproductive cycles of four limpet species, Patella depressa, Patella ulyssiponensis, Patella vulgata and Patella rustica are described for several locations in northern and central Portugal. Patella depressa and P. ulyssiponensis displayed almost continual gonad activity, with two main spawning periods, September–January and March–June, and minor spawning events dispersed throughout the year. Patella vulgata and P. rustica exhibited highly synchronized reproductive cycles, with well-defined breeding and resting periods. Gonad development in P. vulgata started in September and spawning took place from November–December to March. In P. rustica development started in June and spawning occurred from September–October to December–January. Compared to the 1980s these results suggest that breeding periods are becoming longer in southern species and shorter in northern species.

Acoustic surveys can have several advantages over visual methods in surveys of cetaceans, although verification is required that novel techniques are effective. The T-POD is an autonomous acoustic data logger with inbuilt filters that can be set to match the click characteristics of the target species. We tested the performance of the T-POD for detecting Hector's dolphins at Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. Simultaneous visual surveys were conducted from a hillside overlooking the bay, with distances between the T-POD and dolphins measured using a theodolite. Wideband sound recordings confirmed that T-POD detections were echolocation clicks made by Hector's dolphins. Detection probability and click train detection rate decreased with increasing distance, with no detections made beyond 500 m. By fitting detection functions to the probability of detection versus distance we showed that the T-POD effectively detected all dolphin groups within a radius of 198–239 m, depending on the click train categories utilized. The T-POD shows considerable promise as a tool for passive acoustic surveys of Hector's dolphins, with possible applications in studies of distribution, habitat use and echolocation behaviour.

Cymbastela sodwaniensis sp. nov. (order Halichondrida: family Axinellidae) is described from the subtropical waters of Sodwana Bay on the north-east coast of South Africa. The genus was previously unknown from southern Africa or the western and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean. This record represents the westernmost extent of this predominantly Indo-Pacific to Australasian genus. This new species record brings the number of Cymbastela species described to a total of nine.