A female great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, was caught by a tuna hand-liner in the Bosphorus Strait, in late March 1968. Its total length was estimated to be 551 cm and precaudal length 433 cm. Carcharodon carcharias now seems to be extinct from the Sea of Marmara due to the decline of tuna populations in the Marmaric waters.

We report the occurrence of a mature male Syngnathus folletti in the inlet channel of Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (37°44′S 57°25′W, Buenos Aires, Argentina). This record constitutes the southernmost report for the species. Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon is characterized by mudflats surrounded by a large cord-grass area but not by grass beds which are seen to be a suitable habitat for S. folletti. Therefore, oceanic winds that allow warmer northern waters to approach the coast of Argentina could be the cause of the presence of the species.

An egg mass of Loligo forbesi was observed in the field for the first time while conducting a remotely operated vehicle dive at a depth of 370 m, off the São Jorge Island (Azores, north-east Atlantic). This observation allowed the confirmation of two hypotheses previously suggested for the reproduction of this species: (i) that in the Azores this species spawns deeper than the previously recorded 144 m; and that (ii) it is likely that this species prefers to spawn within cavities. The way the observed egg strings suspended from the roof of a cavity, underneath a rocky block, surrounded by sediment, is a feature that interestingly seems to be shared between L. forbesi (in the Azores, all the previous naturally-laid egg masses were recovered from within cavities) and L. vulgaris that inhabit shallower waters off the Madeira archipelago.

This contribution focuses on the diversity of gastropods that lived in the Beagle Channel during the Early and Middle Holocene (from ca. 7500 to 4000 years BP). This temporal framework has special interest because it allowed us to evaluate the colonization process of a relatively recent marine ecosystem, the Beagle Channel (originated 8000–7500 years ago), and the possibility that this channel has represented a ‘faunistic corridor’ between the Atlantic and Pacific waters of the Magellan Region. Fossil material from four sampling localities was studied; 31 species of gastropods were identified. Additional records of four species of gastropods from six other sites at the Beagle Channel are provided. The fauna described in this work represents the ancestors of the living fauna in the region. In addition, most of these species are also currently found both in the Atlantic and Pacific Magellanic waters, strongly suggesting that the Beagle Channel represented a favourable route for the dispersal of molluscs.

Two marine areas (the northern Aegean Sea and southern part of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey) which have different trophic and hydrodynamic characteristics were compared regarding diversities of bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish and cetaceans. During the study period (2006–2007), a total of 27 taxa of aerobic heterotrophic mesophilic bacteria including ten bacterial classes were reported for the first time from both seas. A total of 103 taxa from seven algal classes were determined. Copepod species in the northern Aegean Sea and southern part of the Sea of Marmara were recorded as 44 and 27, respectively. A total of 523 underwater photographs were taken at ten stations and the benthic organism diversity were examined for the first time using the photo-quadrat technique. A total of 72 fish belonging to 36 families, were determined. During the study, a total of 1548 nautical miles of survey effort were conducted for cetacean observation. Living individuals of the Stenella coeruleoalba (striped dolphin) were recorded for the first time. This study is intended to be the first detailed description of the diversity of bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish and cetaceans and comparison of two different marine environments in order to put forth the situation of the ecosystem as it is today.

Certain members of the family Mytilidae have long been recognized either as major commercial species in aquaculture or as fouling pests. These sea mussels possess a remarkable capacity to get translocated to distant shores through driftwood and hull fouling in adult stages and through ballast water during larval stages. In a survey under the Ballast Water Management Programme, several individuals of the bivalve Modiolus auriculatus were collected from reinforced cement concrete harbour structures in Visakhapatnam. These collections constitute a new record of the species on the north-eastern coast of India.

On temperate and tropical shores around the world, a guild of sacoglossan opisthobranchs associates with filamentous green algae. This guild of four genera in three different families (Hermaeidae: Aplysiopsis; Limapontiidae: Ercolania, Limapontia; Plakobranchidae: Elysia) has been well studied in many geographical regions. Despite detailed information for Hong Kong, there is comparatively little information for Japanese shores. From 2000 to 2010, this guild of sacoglossans was investigated in two regions of Japan. On the Pacific shores of Honshu, Japan, at least ten species occupy this guild including Aplysiopsis minor, A. toyamana, A. nigra, A. orientalis, Ercolania boodleae, E. subviridis, Elysia hamatanii and E. abei. Two described species (Elysia nigrocapitata and E. hirasei) were not recorded but also occupy this temperate guild in Japan. On the west-coast shores of Okinawa (East China Sea), at least three species occur in this guild: Ercolania subviridis and two undescribed or unrecognized species of Ercolania. We quantified the size–frequency and abundance of specimens, characterized their spawn masses, and conducted feeding preference experiments. Many of the sacoglossans were seasonally frequent to abundant, their feeding activities were concentrated on uniseriate filaments of green algae (Order Cladophorales: Family Cladophoraceae and/or Order Siphonocladales: Family Boodleaceae), and their larvae were typically planktotrophic; yet, many of these species are regional endemics. Our results complement the wealth of ecological information available for other, more depauperate geographical regions.

This paper reports the yellowline arrow crab, Stenorhynchus seticornis, acting as cleaner of longjaw squirrelfish, Holocentrus adscencionis moray eels Gymnothorax funebris, G. moringa, G. vicinus and squirrelfish Holocentrus adscencionis at two reefs in the Baía de Todos os Santos, Bahia State, eastern Brazil. We believe that other species of reef fish are potential ‘clients’ of yellowline arrow crab and that this activity occurs throughout its distribution.

An unusual bloom of the cubozoan Carybdea marsupialis occurred at some beaches located near Denia (south-western Mediterranean Sea, south-eastern Spain) during the summer of 2008. The bloom was first detected and recorded by the local Red Cross first aid services. Densities of C. marsupialis in the area were characterized by quantitative sampling. The number of bathers stung totalled 3330 during the three months of summer. Sampling at shallow beaches from 15 September to 21 November 2008 gave insights into cubozoan density in the area, estimated at 265.9 individuals per 100 m2 as the highest value. These densities have never been recorded previously in the Mediterranean where the species was considered to be rare. Mean density along the 17 km of coastline which was sampled reached 5.4 ± 3.8 ind/100 m2. Data on size distribution are also given. This paper analyses the reasons behind these unusually high abundances of C. marsupialis in the north-western Mediterranean Sea and provides guidelines for future studies to elucidate the causes of this bloom.

During a series of submersible surveys of the Shiribeshi Seamount, northern Sea of Japan, by the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Dolphin 3K’ and the human-occupied vehicle (HOV) ‘Shinkai 2000’ in July 2001, dense patches of golden skate eggs were observed. Given the lack of information for this species, an analysis was performed to estimate the abundance of the eggs and to ascertain if any patterns could be determined from the distribution of eggs on the sea-floor as recorded by the ROV and HOV video cameras. Eggs, including some with viable embryos, were found on only one of four ROV benthic transect surveys and one crewed submersible dive in the same location. The site where eggs were laid was relatively small and appeared to have been revisited through time. This work is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between East Stroudsburg University and the Marine Biodiversity Research Programme at the Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology to characterize the midwater and benthic deep-sea faunas around Japan.

Cauloramphus spinifer, a cheilostome bryozoan, was found in samples from the Humber Regional Environmental Characterization survey in the North Sea. These records, at a maximum depth of 53.1 m, significantly increase the known depth-range for this species.

The opportunistic carnivore fish yellow jack (Carangoides bartholomaei) is recorded using swimming hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles as shelter to rove at Baía do Sueste, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, north-eastern Brazil. This behaviour is probably employed by the fish to disguise and ambush its prey while roving over the reef flat.

Six species of polyclads Pseudobiceros damawan, Pseudobiceros flavocanthus, Pseudoceros bifurcus, Pseudoceros concinnus, Pseudoceros gamblei and Pseudoceros goslineri are newly reported from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Not only do all recorded species constitute first records for the Andaman coast of India, but except for Pseudoceros gamblei, all species are new to Indian waters.

The poorly-known serpulid Nogrobs grimaldii was originally described based on specimens collected from off Azores at depths of 1846–1900 m. Its adults are characterized by thick pinnulated opercular peduncle and unusual free (unattached) quadrangular tube coiled into a flat spiral. Here we review and re-identify published material and report new records of this enigmatic deep-water serpulid.

An unidentified shark carcass (minus head, fins and entrails) was landed in Fortaleza, Brazil following its commercial fishery capture off Ceará State in north-eastern Brazil. The absence of key morphological characters precluded traditional identification, necessitating the employment of DNA bar coding techniques. The obtained 639 nts COI sequence fragment perfectly matched six of seven Odontaspis ferox sequences available on the Barcode of Life Data (BOLD) system database, and was 99.2% similar to the seventh.

We aimed to verify the effects of local environmental hydrodynamics on the individual size of two sand-reef sabellariids (Sabellaria wilsoni and S. nanella) on a tropical intertidal beach in north-east Brazil. We also tested the hypothesis that the richness and abundance of their reef-building associated fauna would be influenced by environmental conditions related to the wind and wave action intensity. Individuals from three distinct intertidal levels at Cabo Branco beach (7o8′46″S 34°47′55″W), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, were sampled, identified, sexed, measured and the fauna associated with the reef samples was identified and quantified. Our statistical tests indicated that reef builders have distinct organization patterns which are related to environmental conditions. The aggregates exposed to the strongest wave and wind conditions presented reduced density and sabellariids of smaller sizes in comparison with the other aggregates. The associated fauna abundance and composition was also influenced by the local hydrodynamic regime.

A calcareous sponge species was observed as a fouler in the onshore oyster culture tanks at Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). The sponge was collected and preserved for further studies. The material was deposited in the CMFRI museum. The species was identified as Clathrina clara (family Clathrinidae, order Clathrinida, subclass Calcinea, class Calcarea). The species is being recorded for the first time from Indian waters.

The midwater scorpionfish Ectreposebastes imus (Scorpaeniformes: Setarchidae) is distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the worldwide oceans, at depths of 150–800 m. It has previously been recorded from the Gulf of Guinea in the eastern Atlantic. The present work extends the northern limit for the distribution of E. imus in the Atlantic Ocean to the area of the Canary Islands.

The shrimps Neopontonides chacei, Tozeuma serratum and Periclimenes iridescens, a barnacle (Conopea galeata), two species of gastropods (Ovulidae) and the oyster Pteria colymbus live on Leptogorgia spp. in the northern Gulf of Mexico. For each species and related species in the area, we give records and notes on coloration and behaviour.

New records of the mantis shrimp, Rissoides desmaresti, are presented from broad scale regional environmental characterization surveys of the south coast, eastern English Channel, River Thames and the east coast regions of the UK. These records include the most northern sampling of this species off the coast of the UK, and emphasize the importance of large scale surveys in providing important ecological information on nationally scarce species.