In order to improve their quality before commercial distribution, oysters in the Marennes-Oleron region of France are placed temporarily in sea water in either natural basins or artificial canals known as 'claires' (Korringa, 1976). It has been known for some time that these marine enclosures provide an environment particularly rich in a variety of micro-organisms many of which are valuable sources of food thus contributing to the growth of the oysters; one species in particular, the diatom Navicula ostrearia (Gaillon) Bory, gives them a green hue and a special flavour much appreciated by French consumers (Neuville & Daste, 1972). For some years, two of us (D.N and Ph. D.) have been concerned with detailed investigations of the diatoms of the 'claires', especially N. ostrearia (Daste & Neuville, 1976).

The genus Desmoxya Hallmann, 1917, erected for south-east Australian Higginsia lunata Carter, 1885, was assigned to the synonymy of Higginsia Higgin, 1877 (Porifera: Halichondrida) by the latest revision of the taxonomy of the Porifera (Hooper & van Soest, 2002). The discovery of an undescribed species living in the bathyal reefs of the North Atlantic Rockall Bank with characters closely similar to H. lunata justifies the resurrection of Desmoxya. Accordingly the North Atlantic material is described as a new species in Desmoxya, viz. D. pelagiae sp. nov. The new species differs from its Australian congener in habit (smooth thin crusts vs massive with digitiform processes) and spicule sizes (smaller megascleres, twice-sized acanthoxeas and single vs two sizes of trichodragmas). A probable third member of this genus is Higginsia anfractuosa Hooper & Lévi, 1993, described from shallow-water reefs near New Caledonia. For reasons of priority the name of the family to which Higginsia and Desmoxya are assigned needs to be changed from Desmoxyidae Hallmann, 1917 to Heteroxyidae Dendy, 1905, as this senior synonym was overlooked when Heteroxya was assigned to the same family as Higginsia and Desmoxya in Hooper & van Soest, 2002.

To clarify the morphological variety of larval skeletons, a detailed morphological comparison among the species of the family Echinometridae was performed. Through conspecific comparison of larval skeletons among different ages, we found five skeletal characters of the body skeleton that are stable in the four-armed pluteus and thus useful in homologous comparison among the species. The morphological variation was summarized as the difference in the number of spines and posteroventral transverse rods, and differences in the shape of the body skeleton. Significant correlations were found between some skeletal characters, such as between upper body length and bottom width of body skeleton and between lower body length and the number of spines. We found that the larval skeletons of tropical species tend to have fewer spines and rods than those of temperate species, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a reduction in skeletal elements decreases the specific gravity of larvae as an adaptation to tropical waters.

The stranding of a female specimen of the genus Architeuthis, a species not previously recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, is reported from the southern Spanish coast (Alboran Sea, western Mediterranean). The geographical distribution of the species is discussed.

The veined rapa whelk is one of the most important invasive species in the Black Sea ecosystem since the 1940s. Following its introduction to the Black Sea, it destroyed most of the bivalve populations, mainly the Mediterranean mussel and oysters. However, the veined rapa whelk has commercial importance for the Black Sea fisheries as an alternative product. In this study, we aimed to determine some population parameters of the veined rapa whelk based on indirect ageing through length–frequency data by using the Bhattacharya method. We collected 1704 specimens by dredging along the coasts of Samsun Province in the Central Black Sea in 2011 from June to November. The age of the population varied from 0 to 6. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as L∞ = 112.35 mm, k = 0.310, t0 = −0.486 and W∞ = 243.94 g. Mean length and weight, length–weight relationship, mortality and exploitation rates were derived as L = 56.80 ± 0.36 mm, W = 45.67 ± 0.89 g, W = 0.0006 L2.719, Z = 0.96, M = 0.57, F = 0.39 and E = 0.40, respectively.

The sex ratio of 100 immature Kemp's ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempi) captured in Gullivan Bay, Ten Thousand Islands, south-west Florida was determined through radioimmunoassay analysis (RIA) of plasma testosterone levels. We determined the sex ratio to be 1·9F:1·0M, corroborating the female dominance reported from other studies. The mean sizes of female (N=57) and male turtles (N=30) were 40·9 cm (±6·9 SD) and 41·9 cm (±6·2 SD), respectively. There were an additional 13 turtles (41·3 cm±6·5 SD) for which sex could not be determined by this technique. Female-biased sex ratios are not uncommon in reptiles with temperature dependent sex determination. If fecundity is not male-limited, the occurrence of a female-biased sex ratio could enhance the recovery of the endangered Kemp's ridley turtle.

The first number of the Journal-of the Marine Biological Association appeared in August 1887, during the final stages of the building of the Laboratory, while research was being carried out from rented rooms in the Barbican. To celebrate the centenary of this outstanding serial publication in marine science, and the centenary of the opening of the Laboratory in June next year, we are including in the present issue an updated account of the history of the Association, based on a version originally published in 1984 to celebrate the founding of the Association in March 1884. We are indebted to the Council of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science for permission to reprint a substantial part of the text that appeared in their Transactions for 1984.

Upogebia vasquezi inhabits the western Atlantic in the regions of southern Florida, the Bahamas, Central America and Brazil (from the States of Maranhão to São Paulo). Its occurrence has been extended to the coastal region of the State of Pará (northern Brazil). There are few descriptions of the larval development of the 116 known species of Upogebia. The present study offers the first description and illustrations of the first two larval stages (zoeas I and II) of U. vasquezi reared in laboratory. The larval features of U. vasquezi were compared with those of two other species of Upogebia, revealing very similar morphological characteristics among species in zoea I. The main variation in this larval stage was in the segmentation of the maxillulary endopod. In zoea II, the number of setae on the scaphognathite was different among some species of Upogebia. The present study contributes to the available literature on the identification of thalassinidean larvae.

Three species of Asterocheres, including two new species, are reported as associates of sponges in shallow Antarctic water. Asterocheres spinosus sp. nov. has a combination of diagnostic features: mandibular palp is one-segmented, caudal ramus is 1.88 times as long as wide, antennule is 20-segmented in the female and 18-segmented in the male, urosome is spinulose, and legs 1 and 2 display weak sexual dimorphsims. In A. rai sp. nov., the body is large, 1.66 mm long in the female, the lateral margin of genital double-somite is smooth without setules or spinules, the exopod of antenna bears only a single seta, with two mucilaginous substances transformed from setae, and the third endopodal segment of leg 1 bears a prolonged distal process. A supplementary description is given for A. hirsutus Bandera, Conradi and López-González, 2005, recorded previously from the Antarctic.

Morphometry has been used in the investigation of the common shrimp Crangon crangon subpopulation structure at a local scale (100 km) around the UK. In the present study C. crangon populations were sampled over the whole distributional range from northern Norway to the Mediterranean and Black Sea to test whether the same method could be applied to describe subpopulation structure at a much larger scale (1000 km). Spatial variability in morphometric characters was determined by sampling 25 locations across the distributional range. In addition, the temporal variability in morphology was studied at 4 sites (Bodo, Norway; Wadden Sea, The Netherlands; Minho and Lima estuaries, Portugal). Contrary to expectations, temporal variability was observed in three of those sites resulting in an inability to distinguish between populations at the local scale. However, the large scale subdivision of shrimp populations from the Adriatic, Black Sea, Mediterranean and Atlantic were clearly identified. It is concluded that, while there are clear morphological differences between major zoogeographical zones, at a local scale, subpopulations frequently cannot be identified because of individual variability.

Temporal variations in the taxonomic relatedness of periphytic ciliate microfauna during colonization periods were studied in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, northern China, from May to June 2010. Samples were collected at two depths of 1 and 3 m, using glass slides as artificial substrates. The colonization dynamics of ciliate microfauna on the slides revealed similar patterns in species composition at both depths. In the immature communities (1–7 days), the taxonomic patterns showed high variability compared to those in the mature ones (10 days and more). However, taxonomic relatedness parameters at the two depths differed during early stages of colonization (e.g. 1–3 days). Taxonomic diversity (Δ) was subject to high variability (coefficients of variation >10%) in both immature and mature communities, whereas taxonomic distinctness (Δ*), average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) and variation in taxonomic distinctness (Λ+) showed high stability (coefficients of variation <10%) during the colonization times of 3–21 days. These findings suggest that 3–21-day exposure times are sufficient to detect the taxonomic distinctness of periphytic ciliate microfauna at water depths of 1–3 m for the purposes of ecological research and monitoring of marine ecosystems.

In a collection made with a 2 m stramin ring trawl at 47°03′ N., 5° 47′ W. on 4 July 1956, with 800 fathoms of wire out, I have found a new species of medusa. This specimen is in a comparatively good state of preservation except that the stomach is badly damaged.

The umbrella is hemispherical and the jelly is moderately thick. The form of the stomach cannot be described for certain. Parts of it are to be seen as narrow strips hanging down from the upper ends of three of the radial canals. One of these strips is continued for a short distance along the subumbrella surface towards the summit. It has the form of two short curtains with a space between them which leads into the radial canal. It thus seems quite possible that the stomach is i n fact an open cross with mouth lips extending along each arm as in Staurophora.

In the Rio de la Plata salinity, temperature, chlorophyll a (chl a), and densities (ind. m−3) of the copepods Acartia tonsa and Paracalanus parvus were measured from January to November in 2003 by following a nested weekly and monthly design. Such sampling yielded two separate datasets: (i) Yearly Dataset (YD) which consists of data of one sampling effort per month for 11 consecutive months, and (ii) Seasonal Weekly Datasets (SWD) which consists of data of one sampling effort per week of any four consecutive weeks within each season. YD was assumed as a medium-term low-resolution (MTLR) dataset, and SWD as a short-term high-resolution (STHR) dataset. The hypothesis was, the SWD would always capture (shorter scales generally captures more noise in data) more detail variability of copepod populations (quantified through the regression relationships between temporal changes of salinity, temperature, chl a and copepod densities) than the YD. Analysis of both YD and SWD found that A. tonsa density was neither affected by seasonal cycles, nor temporal variability of salinity, temperature and chl a. Thus, compared to STHR sampling, MTLR sampling did not yield any further information of the variability of population densities of the perennial copepod A. tonsa. Analysis of SWD found that during summer and autumn the population densities of P. parvus had a significant positive relationship to salinity but their density was limited by higher chl a concentration; analysis of YD could not yield such detailed ecological information. That hints the effectiveness of STHR sampling over MTLR sampling in capturing details of the variability of population densities of a seasonal copepod species. Considering the institutional resource limitations (e.g. lack of long-term funding, manpower and infrastructure) and the present hypothesis under consideration, the authors suggest that a STHR sampling may provide useful complementary information to interpret results of longer-term natural changes occurring in estuaries.

The enzymatic activity of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathways in Hyalinoecia artifex, a polychaete inhabiting the deep ocean, is reported. In addition, the allometry of its anaerobic and aerobic enzymatic activity is analysed. The aerobic metabolism was measured using the electron transport system activity technique (ETS), whereas the anaerobic metabolism was estimated using the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), octopine dehydrogenase (OPDH), alanopine dehydrogenase (ALPDH), strombine dehydrogenase (STRDH), and ethanol dehydrogenase (EtOHDH). The ETS activity was about 296.18 (µLO2 h−1 g−1), which is within the range described for polychaetes and other benthic metazoans. The anaerobic enzymatic activity expressed as µmol NADH min−1 g−1 was: LDH = 0.35, OPDH = 0.11, ALPDH = 12.66, STRDH = 10.78 and SDH = 0.48. The slope of the allometric relationship between specific aerobic metabolism and body size was −0.35. In the case of the allometric scaling of the anaerobic metabolism, only LDH presented a significant relationship, with a slope of b = 0.44. This positive scaling is consistent with the pattern emerging from the scarce literature on the allometry of anaerobic metabolism in marine biota.

In the summer of 1995 a massive kill of the dog-whelk, Nucella lapillus, occurred in Bude Bay on the north Cornish coast. High mortality was detectable along 12 km of shoreline. The only other intertidal species affected appeared to be another neogastropod, Ocenebra erinacea. The cause of the kill is unknown but the evidence suggests that it occurred in early July following an extended period of warm, calm weather in June. Possible causes of this event are discussed: algal toxicity may have been responsible since an algal bloom was detected offshore in July in the area. Laboratory experiments exposing gastropods to different species and concentrations of microalgae, designed to test whether N. lapillus is more sensitive than Monodonta lineata and Littorina littorea, gave inconclusive results. No comparable kill has occurred in the Bude area for at least 20 y, but it is suggested that nutrients from a newly-constructed, offshore sewage outfall may now stimulate local algal bloom development during calm weather periods.

Ostracods and foraminifera are excellent indicators of environmental change and can act as proxies for the presence of seagrass meadows. These proxies have been under-utilized in vulnerable coastal ecosystems in South-east Asia, and the fundamental habitat and environmental parameters required for such application in environmental monitoring have not yet been established. We investigated the habitat preferences of ostracods and foraminiferal species in seagrass and non-seagrass habitats within Sungai Pulai Estuary (Johor, Malaysia), a system currently undergoing major coastal changes. Samples consisted of surficial and downcore sediments collected from two seagrass meadows and a non-seagrass habitat. Multivariate analysis determined the variations in spatial and depth distribution of the meiofauna. Species dominance, abundance and distribution varied between sites, whereas diversity and community structure varied with sediment depth. We found fewer ostracod individuals (N = 1133) than foraminifera (N = 7242). Ostracods were more species-diverse (H′ = 3.34) in the non-vegetated area compared with seagrass areas (H′ = 2.74), whereas foraminifera species were most diverse (H′ = 3.60) in seagrass areas. Opportunistic species, such as Loxoconcha lilljeborgii, Asterorotalia pulchella, Murrayinella globosa, Ammonia tepida and Elphidium neosimplex dominated the meiofaunal assemblages. The presence of Nummulitidae and Paracyprididae in downcore samples provided information related to rare species and families. Salinity, organic matter and percentage of sand explained much of the meiofaunal distribution. Our findings provide new insight into the factors influencing the presence and distribution of ostracods and foraminifera in the estuary, comprising baseline information for understanding the vulnerability of such habitats to anthropogenic changes.

The variation in convexity of the valves and the development of the pedicle opening in M. echinata is described in shells from a length of 1·2 mm to 13·5 mm and it is concluded that the differences in shell shape and form of the pedicle opening between M. truncata and echinata are of no more than specific value and that the latter species should be transferred from Pantellaria back to Megerlia.

Having attempted to investigate the Polychæte fauna of the Plymouth district during those favourable opportunities which have occurred during the past three years, I now put upon record some few notes respecting a small section of this interesting but extremely perplexing group.