Details on size at first maturity, embryo number and size, brood chamber volume and reproductive output of deep-sea armoured shrimp, Glyphocrangon investigatoris caught off the south-east coast of India by using EXPO trawl from 633 m depth in FORV ‘Sagar Sampada’ are reported here. Eighty-four female shrimps ranging from 17.29–36.31 mm carapace length and 2.28–16.54 g weight formed 7.73% of total catch, 30% of which was constituted by embryo-bearing females. Regression of weight on carapace length revealed negatively allometric growth (r2 = 0.85, P < 0.01). The size at first maturity was estimated as 19.96 mm. The embryo number ranged from 55 to 233 with a mean of 120.24 ± 34 embryos and showed a positive correlation to body size. Embryo diameter varied between 1.0 to 3.34 mm and more than 50% of embryos constituted the 2.0–2.5 mm size class. Brood chamber volume and percentage frequency of embryo stage development revealed a linear relationship with carapace length. Based on dry weight, mean reproductive output was estimated to be 0.16. The female armoured shrimps showed a high reproductive investment evidenced from few, large, yolky embryos, indicating their deep-sea adaptation.

The larval development of the hermit crab Areopaguristes nigroapiculus (Komai, 2009) (Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae) is described and illustrated from the material reared in the laboratory. The development included three zoeal and a single megalopal stages. At 22–25°C, megalop of A. nigroapiculus was attained 6–9 days after hatching. The present paper is the first description of the complete larval development in the genus Areopaguristes. Morphological characters of zoeas and megalop of A. nigroapiculus are compared with those described for the closely related Paguristes species. The comparison on the zoeal characters revealed that A. nigroapiculus is distinguished from Paguristes species by the absence of anterolateral carapace spines and by the fused fourth telson process in zoea III. These two features are possible generic characters of Areopaguristes. In the rest of larval characters, A. nigroapiculus agree well with Paguristes species having three zoeal stages. In the plankton of Peter the Great Bay, the larvae of A. nigroapiculus sporadically occurred only in July and August, at depths of 3–45 m and surface water temperatures of 18–22°C.

On February 29 1937 the larvae of Spirontocaris spinus var. lilljeborgi were hatched out in the Dove Marine Laboratory by Dr H. O. Bull and sent to me for examination. As the larvae differ in certain important points from those of other species known and there is no published account of them, it seems worth while giving a short description, although the later larvae have not been identified and it was not possible to rear them further.

The acoustic measurements made during the SOND cruise are presented in the form of vertical profiles of relative scattering coefficient at day and night and its time dependence over sunrise and sunset for the four echo-sounders used. These profiles are compared with the scattering which is calculated would be returned from the vertical distributions of biological samples reported by other workers, but particularly from the distribution ofswimbladder fish analysed by Badcock. The similarities between the calculated and measured profiles support the assumption that swimbladder fish dominate the scattering due to their high target strengths, particularly at frequencies up to and including 36 kHz. By correlating fish sizes, daytime depth, migration behaviour and acoustic scattering several of the layers may be tentatively attributed to particular species. A calibrated echo-sounder in the frequency range up to 36 kHz is size selective, but can nevertheless be useful for looking at broad distributional features. However, because the numerically more abundant small planktonic animals are inadequately represented by the sounder the records are little more than a guide to net sampling programmes.

Histriobdella homari is a polychaete annelid belonging to the Order Eunicida and Family Histriobdellidae. Histriobdella homari is normally found in the gill chambers or among the eggs of the lobster Homarus vulgaris from the English Channel (Roscoff) and in the southwestern part of the North Sea (George & Hartmann-Schroder, 1985). Two independent sightings of H. homari living on the pleopods of Nephrops norvegicus from the Irish Sea and Clyde Sea area are reported.

The snailfish Liparis tanakae is an annual fish, growing up to >300 mm in total length. This species is known as a predator of 0-year-old Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. To reveal when and where the predation occurs, monthly collections of both species at various depths were conducted off Fukushima, Japan. The snailfish inhabited shallow areas ≤50 m deep until June. Thereafter, they shifted their main habitat to offshore areas ≥100 m deep from July to September. The snailfish migrated to inshore areas with depths of ≤50 m again around October–December, during which time the habitat overlap between snailfish and 0-year-old Japanese flounder was observed. In that period, >40% of 0-year-old Japanese flounder were vulnerable to the snailfish. Larger snailfish showed stronger piscivory, and some flatfish were found in their stomachs. These results suggest that by not releasing hatchery-reared Japanese flounder until September can forestall predation by the snailfish.

As certain previous authors have observed, T. larynx is a species subject to much variation. Disregard of this has led to the erection of invalid species.

The descriptive characters used by Allman are discussed. In a comparison with material collected in Plymouth Sound these characters are shown to be so variable that used singly they are valueless. In particular, disregard of the stage of development and over-emphasis on size will be very misleading.

The causes of some of this variability are suggested.

Anterior regeneration of the annelid polychaete, Myxicola infundibulum (Montagu, 1808) is described from histological and SEM perspectives. This article provides additional evidence that anterior and posterior regeneration of isolated worm pieces does occur in this species, but that regenerative ability is restricted to abdominal pieces obtained from small individuals (less than 5 mm in thorax diameter and 10–20 mm in length). New cartilage tissue forms within the regenerating crown, but thoracic regeneration is limited to three segments. Anterior and posterior regeneration occurred within isolated pieces excised from the abdomen, resulting in the formation of 13 clones, with up to five individuals per clone.

The swimming and swarming behaviour of Tritodynamia horvathi (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) has been considered to be a seasonal activity related to summer mating. However, little information has been available regarding other seasons of the year as the crabs have not been observed at the sea surface in the cool months from October until May. This is the first report of swimming behaviour observed during this low temperature season. The swimming individuals were observed in March 1991 in Yatsushiro Sound, Japan. Tritodynamia horvathi were observed swimming at a depth of 15 m, using their maxillipeds to feed. The crabs also swam in the aquarium and caught Artemia nauplii in the same manner. These findings suggest that their swimming behaviour is not a seasonal mating activity as previously believed, but a habitual behaviour associated with feeding.

Preliminary examination of marine meiofauna from the Plymouth area, especially on mesopsammic representatives, resulted in the finding of several typically interstitial Mollusca. Among them, Caecum glabrum, Hedylopsis spiculifera, and Philinoglossa praelongata were recorded live for the first time in the area. This is also the first record of Ph. praelongata outside the Mediterranean Sea.

During a short stay at the Marine Biological Association Laboratory some preliminary studies on meiofauna were made. To obtain information especially about the interstitial fauna of marine sand, three typical samples of coarse sediment from different positions were examined.

Sample A: Plymouth Sound, Outer Cawsand Bay, Queens Ground, 50°20' 03“ N, 4° 10' 27” W; ca. 6 fathoms (=11 m); coarse sand, about 6 1 examined (14 September 1982).

Sample B: Plymouth Sound, southwest of Drake Island, 50° 21' 06“ N, 4° 09' 50” W; ca. 7 fathoms (= 13 m); coarse shell-sand, about 1 1 examined (15 September 1982).

Sample C: outer Plymouth Sound, 50° 18' 51“ N, 4° 10' 30” W; ca. 12 fathoms (– 22 m); fine gravel, about 1 1 examined (15 September 1982).

In this contribution only the gastropods are dealt with; other meiofauna will be treated ina later communication. The sole previous report of mesopsammic fauna from the Plymouth area is that of Spooner (1959). He examined two samples, one of which (Plymouth Sound) was taken fairlyclose to the above sample A, about 18“ more to the West at 4–5–5–5 fathoms (8–10 m; G. R. Forster, personal communication).

Three specimens of Stygiomedusa fabulosa Russell, 1959, identified recently in the collections of the Zoology Department of the British Museum (Natural History) (Table 1) extend the recorded distribution of this infrequently collected genus to the Southern Ocean, and provide the opportunity of assessing the specific distinctness of S. stauchi Repelin, 1967. The specimens are the first of either species recorded from south of the tropics.

Using vertical profile data from the upwelling system off northern Chile, the slopes of dissolved oxygen/nutrient concentration regressions have been analysed, in conjunction with a value of 1·4 for the molar ratio of net community oxygen production to nitrate-driven carbon dioxide assimilation, to investigate the stoichiometric inter-relationships between photosynthetic oxygen production and carbon dioxide and nutrient consumption. There was little interseasonal variation in ΔCO2/ΔDIN (nitrate+nitrite) molar ratios, ranging from 10·3 to 11·6 in the near-shore zone of active upwelling and 6·7 to 9·0 in mid-water, between 25 and 50 m depth offshore. Although the former range exceeded the value expected from Redfield-Richards stoichiometry (6·6) by more than 50%, it was in line with published ratios for phytoplankton blooms in coastal and oceanic waters. Mean ΔDIN/ΔPO4 ratios were similar for the near-shore stations and the mid-water, ranging respectively from 7·0 to 10·7 and 8·4 to 11·5, these subRedfield-Richards values mirroring the ratios of the nutrient concentrations in the water and probably implying ‘luxury’ consumption of phosphate. Seasonal variations in the ΔO2/ΔPO4 ratios for the near-shore zone are shown to be consistent with the view that, in the austral spring and summer when upwelling is strongest in the area, the main source of the water coming to the surface is the Peru-Chile Undercurrent, whereas in the autumn, it could be of subantarctic origin.

Fully ten years having elapsed since the Report on Trawling on the eastern shores was presented to the Trawling Commission (composed of the late Earl of Dalhousie, chairman; Right Hon. Edward Marjoribanks, M.P., now Lord Tweedmouth; Prof. Huxley; Mr. W. S. Caine, M.P.; and Mr., now Sir, T. F. Brady), it appears to be desirable to review the statements contained therein in the light of the information which the impetus given by the Commission has produced. Moreover this examination of results is all the more nececssary, since last year another important body—viz. the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Fisheries, presided over by Mr. Majoribanks, M.P.—issued a new blue-book containing the finding of the Committee, and a mass of evidence.

Normal behaviour traits control the ability of fishes to form conditioned motor responses. This is shown by a series of experiments upon various species of fish in which it is found that Pleuronectids are found incapable of forming such responses for at least 200 associated presentations whilst other fishes have done so in less than 40. The bearing of the results on current theories of animal learning is briefly discussed.

These notes arise from the difficulty met with in identifying a pinkish encrusting sponge which has been frequently collected by hand from rocks at 5–10 fathoms. The sponge was at first identified, by a process of elimination, with the deep water genus Inflatella. Fortunately some preparations were shown to Dr Lévi at Roscoff to whom the species was at once familiar as Stylotella columella (Bowerbank). It was then found that this species had been described originally by Bowerbank from an Exmouth specimen, and subsequendy by Topsent from both south and west coasts of France. Topsent found the unusual, if not unique, character of this sponge in possessing, besides siliceous spicules, a great abundance of calcareous granules. These granules are almost certainly the ‘gemmules’ described and figured by Bowerbank. De Laubenfels in 1928 collected one specimen from Plymouth Sound which he identified as Stylotella columella; but proposed (1932) that the species should be included in the genus Prianos Gray. Burton in 1934 renamed the species Hemimycale columella, figuring the spicules as styles. Arndt (1935) returned to Stylotella and retained Burton's figure of the spicules. As the styles have been found, so far, only as a small minority amongst the spicules, it has been thought worth while to provide a further description; and to discuss the differing views on the systematic position of the species.

The study characterized the structure of juveniles and sub-adults of Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis in the Cananéia-Iguape estuarine lagoon system and its adjacent coastal area by evaluating the period of juvenile recruitment, sex ratio, growth, longevity, natural mortality, and development time until the late juvenile phase. Samples were collected from July 2012 to June 2014. Shrimps were identified by species and sex, and measured (carapace length – CL mm); 889 individuals of F. brasiliensis and 848 of F. paulensis were analysed. Females were more abundant than males for both species. The growth parameters of F. brasiliensis were: CL∞ = 45.5 mm, k = 1.8 year−1 for males and CL∞ = 55.2 mm, k = 1.6 year−1 for females; longevity of 2.52 years (males) and 2.88 years (females); and natural mortality of 1.71 (males) and 1.55 (females). For F. paulensis, the following values were observed: CL∞ = 40.7 mm, k = 2.3 year−1 for males and CL∞ = 56.5 mm, k = 1.9 year−1 for females; longevity of 2.04 years (males) and 2.37 years (females); and natural mortality of 2.39 (males) and 2.05 (females). The juvenile recruitment of both species peaked in January 2014. The development time until late juvenile phase was ~7 months (F. brasiliensis) and ~5 months (F. paulensis). Even though the highest abundance of juveniles did not occur in the closed season, fishing is forbidden in the estuarine area and the migration towards the adult population occurred close to or even during the closed season.

To elucidate the details of both the current status of contamination and the accumulation of organotin compounds (OTs) in mangroves in coastal ecosystems, we determined the concentrations of butyltin compounds (BTs) and phenyltin compounds (PTs) in sediment and mangrove leaves collected from mangrove forests in Merambong and Tinggi Island, Malaysia. Butyltins were detected in all sediment samples collected from both regions, whereas PTs were not detected. The levels of tributyltin (TBT) compounds in the sediment samples were lower than those from previous studies conducted in Malaysia and at other sites in South-east Asia. In both Merambong and Tinggi Island, the average proportions of dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), which are degradation products of TBT, were ~70%. This result suggests that the input of TBT has decreased in Malaysia. The proportions of DBT and MBT in the sediment from Merambong were higher than those from Tinggi Island. The concentrations of TBT in mangrove leaves from Tinggi Island were significantly higher than those from Merambong. MBT was the most dominant type among the BTs in mangrove leaves from both Merambong and Tinggi Island. The ratios of the BTs burden in mangrove leaves to the BTs concentration in sediment from Merambong and Tinggi Island averaged 3.1 and 6.2, respectively. Among the values of BTs, the MBT values were found to be the highest in both regions.

During the course of collecting trips made in 1976–8 two anthozoans, the actiniarian Aiptasiogeton comatus (Andres), and the octocoral Cornularia cornucopiae (Pallas) were found in Portland Harbour. Neither species has been previously recorded in British waters. A third species, Isozoanthus sulcatus (Gosse), was collected on the shores of the Gower Peninsula, South Wales. Since this species was last recorded in British waters in 1861 and its true taxonomic status is uncertain it is described here.