Little is known about the Chondrichthyes fauna of the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, notably on the species composition, distribution, and biology. Historically, only a few studies have focused on these issues. Basic taxonomy is one of the main tools employed in cataloguing, organizing, and initiating other, more specific, assessments regarding regional diversity. In this context, this study presents the most comprehensive list of shark and ray species occurring in the state of Espírito Santo to date. The compiled data were obtained from specimens deposited in ichthyological collections, literature reviews, and samplings conducted at fisheries landings and onboard commercial fleet vessels. The findings indicate 79 species, comprising 51 sharks and 28 rays. A total of 53.2% of threatened Brazilian marine elasmobranch species occur in the area, indicating the importance of carrying out local studies focusing on this group. A first record for the Brazilian large-eyed stingray, Hypanus marianae, was also observed for the state, increasing the southern limit of the species known distribution, previously considered restricted to the North and Northeast coasts.

The present research documents new distributional records of two gobioid fishes, Acentrogobius vanderloosi Allen, 2015 and Pseudogobius fulvicaudus Huang, Shao, and Chen, 2014 from the southeastern coast of India. Indian coastal waters provide suitable habitats for many gobioid fishes due to its varied ecosystems. The confusion over the identity of a number of gobioid fishes in India suggests the need for more studies on these fishes to better understand their diversity, taxonomy, and geographical distribution. The present record of these species from the southeastern coast of India expands the known distribution of these species.

Odontostemma balfouriana (W.W.Sm.) Satish Chandra & D.S.Rawat is recorded here as a new record for the flora of India. Surprisingly, the species (previously known as Arenaria balfouriana W.W.Sm.) was erroneously considered to be a synonym of Stellaria depauperata Edgew. After examining protologues, fresh specimens and herbarium specimens housed in BSD, CAL and DD, the authors have resolved this taxonomic confusion and provided a new combination and lectotype for Arenaria balfouriana. Additionally, Stellaria depauperata, illegitimately combined under Arenaria, is resurrected and recognised as a distinct species.

Hyparrhenia cymbaria (boat thatching grass, ipopo grass) and Hyparrhenia variabilis (no common name), robust African savanna grasses with complex taxonomies, have not yet been reported for the Americas. Large populations were found in central Jalisco, northeastern Michoacán, and Morelos, Mexico. The species grow in maize and sorghum fields as well as on roadsides and in old fields, but always in association with present or past sorghum cultivation; this suggests introduction through contaminated seed material from Africa. Because of the size and density of the populations, and their native ecology, they are both agricultural pests as well as a potentially dangerous invaders for the American (sub)tropical grasslands and native scrublands, including the southern United States. The invasion underlines the importance of effective phytosanitary controls of the seed supply.

The giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and is extinct in several locations as a result of environmental pressures. We present the first records of the giant anteater in the largest continuous expanse of the Atlantic Forest biome, in southern Brazil, highlighting its occurrence in the highlands of the Serra do Mar mountain range. During a camera-trapping survey of medium and large mammals we obtained two records of the species, one in 2013 and the other in 2014. These records from dense rainforest highlands indicate the importance of this environment for the giant anteater and highlight these areas as possible foci for future studies of the species. In addition, we present a review of the species’ occurrence in protected areas in Brazil, to provide a resource for the conservation of this species and for future re-evaluations.

Lumbrinerids are amongst the most abundant and diverse polychaete families in worldwide continental shelves, and have received attention recently through the description of several new species and new occurrences. Herein, a total of four lumbrinerid species are firstly reported in the eastern and southern Spanish continental shelf, extending their biogeographic distribution to the western Mediterranean Sea and increasing up to 25 the number of species known in the Iberian Peninsula coasts. New insights on taxonomy, ecological and biogeographic preferences and an updated taxonomic key for Iberian coasts and surrounding areas are also provided.

We documented the existence of a population of the southern Caribbean pontarachnid mite Litarachna caribica for the first time on the Pacific coast of Panama. Based on morphological observations, this is the first record of a pontarachnid mite with a trans-isthmian distribution, which can be explained by either modern biological dispersal or historical vicariance hypotheses. Litarachna caribica had either passed through the Panama Canal, successfully colonizing the opposite coast, or previously continuously distributed populations had become disjunct after the rise of the Central American land.

New records of fish species are reported from Papua New Guinea: Gymnothorax angusticauda (Muraenidae) from Madang, Coloconger scholesi Chan 1967 (Colocongridae) from Madang and New Guinea, Acromycter longipectoralis Karmovskaya 2004 (Congridae), Doryrhamphus melanopleura (Bleeker, 1858) and Festucalex gibbsi Dawson 1977 (Syngnathidae) from Madang, Lioscorpius longiceps Günther 1880 (Setarchidae) from Madang, Morobe and New Guinea, Neomerinthe megalepis Fowler 1938 and Pontinus rhodochrous (Günther 1872) (Scorpaenidae) from Madang and New Guinea, Parabembras curtus (Temminck & Schlegel 1843) (Parabembridae) from Morobe and New Guinea, Chrionema chryseres Gilbert 1905 and Pteropsaron levitoni Iwamoto 2014 (Percophidae) from Madang and New Guinea, Blenniella caudolineata (Günther, 1877) and Petroscirtes xestus Jordan & Seale, 1906 (Blenniidae) from Madang, Synchiropus orstom Fricke 2000 (Callionymidae) from West Sepik, Sandaun and New Guinea, Rexea antefurcata Parin 1989 (Gempylidae), Lepidoblepharon ophthalmolepis Weber 1913 (Citharidae), Engyprosopon macrolepis (Regan, 1908) (Bothidae), Aseraggodes kimurai Randall & Desoutter-Meniger 2007 (Soleidae), Cynoglossus bilineatus (Lacepède, 1802) and Symphurus multimaculatus Lee, Munroe & Chen 2009 (Cynoglossidae) from Madang and Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan 1908) (Tetraodontidae) from Morobe and Papua New Guinea. This papers also includes new depths records for Coloconger scholesi, Lioscorpius longiceps, Neomerinthe megalepis, Pontinus rhodochrous, Parabembras curtus, Chrionema chryseres and Synchiropus orstom.

New records of the hyperiid amphipod Hyperia curticephala M. Vinogradov & Semenova, 1985 are presented based on the record of 43 specimens collected from several specimens of the pelagiid jellyfish Chrysaora plocamia (Lesson, 1830) (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa), washed ashore during January 2015 in the port of Caldera (27°S), Atacama Region, northern Chile. This is the second record of H. curticephala after its description, extending the previously known southern distribution record of this species by about 443 km and confirming its association with C. plocamia.

The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is a rare and poorly studied shark. In this paper, the first record of the megamouth shark is reported for Sri Lanka. The shark, a juvenile estimated at 180 cm in total length, was caught in a gillnet in close proximity (<92 km) to the Negombo fisheries harbour (7°12′11.67″N 79°49′44.35″E).

The whalefish Cetomimus gillii is reported for the first time in the Tropical Eastern Pacific on the basis of a single specimen captured from off Costa Rica. This new record represents the northernmost occurrence of the species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. A brief diagnosis and a photograph of the specimen, as well as comparative morphometric and meristic data from all species of the genus, are given.

New records of fish species are reported from New Caledonia, including Polyipnus aquavitus Baird, 1971 (Sternoptychidae), Porogadus melampeplus (Alcock, 1896) (Ophidiidae), Hoplichthys citrinus Gilbert 1905 (Hoplichthyidae), Plectrogenium nanum Gilbert 1905 (Plectrogeniidae), Lioscorpius trifasciatus Last, Yearsley & Motomura 2005 (Setarchidae), Neomerinthe megalepis Fowler 1938 and Phenacoscorpius megalops Fowler 1938 (Scorpaenidae), Ocosia apia Poss & Eschmeyer, 1975 (Tetrarogidae), Hoplostethus atlanticus Collett 1889 (Trachichthyidae), Zenion longipinnis Kotthaus, 1970 (Zeniontidae), Plectranthias foresti Fourmanoir 1977, Plectranthias pelicieri Randall & Shimizu, 1994, Plectranthias rubrifasciatus Fourmanoir & Randall, 1979 and Rabaulichthys squirei Randall & Walsh, 2010 (Serranidae), Synagrops philippinensis (Günther 1880) (Acropomatidae), Stegastes insularis Allen & Emery 1995 (Pomacentridae), Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus Randall 1992 (Labridae), Pteropsaron neocaledonicus Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979 (Percophidae), Centrodraco ornatus (Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979) and Draconetta xenica Jordan & Fowler 1903 (Draconettidae), and Acanthurus maculiceps (Ahl 1923) (Acanthuridae). A record of Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch 1790) (Serranidae) from Grande Terre, New Caledonia is confirmed. This paper also includes new depth records of Zenion longipinnis, Plectranthias rubrifasciatus, Synagrops philippinensis, Centrodraco ornatus and Draconetta xenica.

The rare pilumnoid crab, Dentoxanthus iranicus Stephensen, 1946 (Galenidae), is recorded from Gujarat state in India for the first time. Originally described from a small female (Gulf of Oman), and subsequently reported twice from Pakistan on the basis of two males and a female, the species is not well known and has never been described to modern standards. On the basis of the present male specimen from India, as well as a previously unreported male specimen from Pakistan, the species is redescribed and its systematics discussed.

We report the first record in the Mediterranean Sea of the minute Indo-Pacific venerid bivalve Costellipitar chordatum. The species has recently established a small population off the central coast of Israel. Numerous live specimens of Gouldiopa consternans, at several locations off the Israeli coast, confirm the presence of a fast growing population. This is the first record of the species from Israel, following a recent report from Turkey.

Three adult specimens of the fish species Acentrogobius dayi were collected from Sawa Lake, south-west of Baghdad, Iraq. The current report represents the first record of A. dayi from Sawa Lake and from other inland water bodies of Iraq.

The Mediterranean endemic coral Maasella edwardsi (de Lacaze-Duthiers, 1888) is recorded for the first time from the Aegean Sea coasts of Turkey. A dozen colonies of the species were observed on rocks and the rhizomes of Posidonia oceanica meadows during the coral surveys carried out between 2012 and 2014. This record shows the northernmost occurrence of species in terms of geographic distribution in the Turkish coasts. The number of known species for the Anthozoan fauna of Turkey has increased to 76 with this new record.

The presence of the fish species Enneapterygius pusillus and confirmation of Parablennius opercularis occurrence in the Kuwaiti waters of the northern Arabian Gulf regions are both reported here. One adult specimen of each species was photographed in the Qit at Binaya patch reef off Al Khiran, in southern Kuwait waters. The pixie triplefin record is a new ichthyofaunal record for the northern Arabian Gulf.

The sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, is a common coastal shark in the regions of the world where it occurs. Here, the first documented record of the sandbar shark is reported from north-western Indian waters, off the coast of Gujarat. Two specimens, one male and one female, were recorded and landed by a trawl vessel in Porbandar on 23 October 2014, measuring 610 and 760 mm in total length, respectively. This occurrence represents the first confirmed record of C. plumbeus in both western and eastern Indian waters.

The porcellanid crab, Neopetrolisthes spinatus Osawa & Fujita, 2001, is reported from Rutland Island, south Andaman Islands. The specimen represents the first record of the poorly known species from Indian waters and was collected from a large sea anemone Heteractis crispa (Hemprich & Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1834).

Lobatolampea tetragona Horita, 2000, a member of the monotypic family Lobatolampeidae (Lobata), is reported from the Red Sea based on seven specimens collected during marine biodiversity surveys conducted in the southern and central Red Sea. The ctenophore is characterized by the following characters: paired oral lobes lacking visible auricles and bearing auricular ctenes; subpharyngeal meridional canals bearing aboral blind ends; and c-shaped gonads. Previously, the species was recorded only from Japanese waters. This finding represents the first record of L. tetragona outside of the North Pacific and represents a substantial range expansion for this species.