New meristic and descriptive data of Eckström's topknot Zeugopterus regius (Pleuronectiformes: Scophthalmidae) from Galician waters (north-west Spain) is presented. The presence of a higher number of dorsal and anal fin rays as well as more than one elongated ray in the dorsal fin is described for the first time. Furthermore, other distinctive characters poorly known as the fringe-like appearance of first dorsal ray and numbers of distinct round-blotches on the body are reviewed. Length distribution and length–weight relationship are also shown.

Guanabara Bay constitutes the most degraded habitat along the marine tucuxi dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) distribution. Considering that these mammals are found year-round in this area, where the dolphin population is estimated to be approximately 70 individuals, interactions between cetaceans and human activities are of concern. From 1995 to 2005, photo-identification techniques have been employed to study marine tucuxis in Guanabara Bay and data on the individual injuries has been collected. Seven out of 78 photo-identified and catalogued individuals presented noticeable injuries on their bodies, including cut-like wounds, skin ulceration and mutilation. Parts of fishing gear attached to the bodies of some dolphins were also observed. The concern elicited by the injuries reported here is amplified if we consider that this cetacean population is highly exposed to contaminants of known immunosuppressive action, such as organochlorine, organotin and perfluoroalkyl compounds.

A large number of Red Sea species are colonizing the eastern Mediterranean Sea after the opening of the sea-level Suez Canal in 1869, mainly following the Levantine and Anatolian coasts and then spreading westwards, at least in part, by shipping transport of larvae, juveniles, or adult specimens. Two of them are Cerithium scabridum and Fulvia fragilis, well established along the Italian coasts, where new large and stable populations have formed. Some other species, such as Anadara demiri, were accidentally introduced through shipping in our seas and have found good conditions to survive and develop. New distributional and ecological data about these alien molluscs are given and all the species found in association are listed to improve understanding of their living biocoenosis. The presence of a further lessepsian mollusc and of an intentionally introduced species, Brachidontes pharaonis and Ruditapes philippinarum, was also confirmed respectively from Vibo Valentia harbour and from the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Taranto. The nomenclature used is based on the CLEMAM Database (last research on 9 January 2008).

A male specimen of Leucoraja circularis was captured in January 2005 by a bottom trawler operating south-east off the Anzio coast (central Tyrrhenian Sea). Biometric and meristic characters of the specimen are presented. This capture represents the first documented record of the species in the central Tyrrhenian Sea.

During the winter of 2003–2004 a large number of the warmer water barnacle Perforatus (Balanus) perforatus were found in North Wales well beyond the normal rocky shore range of the species. They were found attached to plastic fish boxes and other plastic flotsam stranded on beaches after storms. Evidence from markings as well as oceanographic and meteorological conditions suggests that the flotsam with the barnacles may have originated in north-western Spain. Plastic flotsam that does not readily degrade could provide a means for range extension in sessile benthic organisms such as some barnacles.

This is the first report of morphological abnormalities in the longtail stingray Dasyatis longa in the Gulf of California, Mexico. A young female (36.7 cm disc width) captured in a gill-net had deformed and incomplete pectoral fins, the anterior margins of which were separated from the head. The mouth was also deformed and the eyes and spiracles were situated on the lateral part of the head instead of on the dorsal surface. Some morphometric measurements are included. We conclude that the malformation of its mouth would prevent this stingray from surviving to adulthood.

One specimen of the Atlantic polychaete Hydroides similoides is here reported as the first record for Brazil. After being first described from the Caribbean region (Puerto Rico—Venezuela), the range of distribution of this species is now extended to the Picãozinho reefs, State of Paraíba, Brazil (south-western Atlantic).

An additional record of one of the most successful lessepsian migrants in the Mediterranean, Fistularia commersonii (Osteichthyes: Fistularidae), indicates the spreading of this species in the Adriatic Sea. This is by far the only lessepsian migrant with multiple confirmed records, separated in time and space, for the Adriatic. Its fast spreading is followed by rapid population explosion at invaded areas and potential effects on the local fish fauna are emphasized.

The present paper reports the first record of two fish species and a second record of another species from Antalya Bay, Turkey. The record of Nemichthys scolopaceus is an eastward extension of its distribution and the record of the Red Sea migrant (lessepsian), Nemipterus randalli constitutes a substantial westward extension in its new region. Apterichthus caecus was recorded for the second time from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

In this study, the presence and description of Scorpaena loppei in the Turkish seas is reported. Two specimens were caught in Mersin-Taşucu Bay on 24 August 2006 by trawl net. The first specimen was 42.8 mm standard length, and the second specimen was 52.3 mm.

Several empty shells of the Rissoid Alvania dorbignyi are found in the sea off Tabarka, north-western Tunisia. Alvania dorbignyi is a species known along Israeli and Cyprus coasts, generally considered to be a lessepsian migrant, but a full agreement on its origin does not currently exist. The present distribution of such species is here discussed, pointing out the lack of intermediate records between samples from Tabarka, here reported, and those from the Levantine Basin. It is emphasized that realistic conclusions will be suggested after an accurate search of the species in such intermediate areas.

The clubbed tunicate, Styela clava, normally has two siphons: one oral (incurrent) and one atrial (excurrent). This note describes an abnormal specimen of S. clava with a duplicated atrial siphon collected in November 2007 from an oyster culture tray on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

An unidentified species of hermit crab from the Maldives was photographed using a plastic box as shelter instead of a natural shell. This could be a result of increased pollution and shell collection disrupting the natural processes in coral reefs.

Callinectes danae and Callinectes ornatus are two Portunidae crabs which are an important portion of the fishing products of Guanabara Bay, but are being discarded by shrimp trawlers along the Brazilian coast. Instantaneous mortality rates Z, M, F and the exploitation rates E for both species and for both sexes were estimated. Total mortality (Z) was estimated by length-converted catch curves and natural mortality (M) was based on life history analysis where K and t0 were parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function. Fishing mortality rates presented low values of F for males of C. danae and C. ornatus (0.27 and 0.80), but not for the females (3.29 and 16.27). These females exhibited high values of fishing mortality and elevated exploitation rates (0.64 and 0.90). These high values may be a result of intense trawling in the region and/or the migration activity of these species to other coastal areas during the reproductive period, overestimating fishing mortality.

Air-breathing diving animals are capable of maintaining activity during prolonged dives fuelled by on-board oxygen stores. Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) perform the deepest and longest dives among sea turtles, and are among the most prolific air-breathing divers. Here we report the longest dive duration for D. coriacea during an extremely deep dive (1186 m) that lasted 86.5 minutes. This dive duration exceeded previously published calculated aerobic dive limits by almost two-fold and extends our knowledge of the diving capacity of this species.

An adult female of the guitarfish Rhinobatos percellens with a total length of 550 mm was captured with a bottom trawl net on the southern coast of Brazil. This female bore five developing embryos, one of which had two heads and pectoral fins separated from the heads. This malformation is described here as the first instance for R. percellens.

Little is known about the egg extrusion site and behaviour of the coconut crab Birgus latro. We first succeeded to observe a single instance of egg extrusion of this species in their habitat on Hatoma Island, south-west of Okinawa, Japan, on the night of 5 June 2008. In this paper, we present details of the egg extrusion site and behaviour of the coconut crab.

New findings of opisthobranch gastropods are reported to the Azores resulting from fieldwork undertaken in the islands of Faial and São Jorge (Central Group, Azores) during August 2007. Intertidal and subtidal areas down to 35 metres deep were sampled. Forty-four species were collected and eight are new records to the Azores, namely Chelidonura africana, Odontoglaja sabadiega, Aplysia juliana, Elysia flava, Thuridilla picta, Doris sticta, Catriona maua and Taringa armata. This increases the diversity of opisthobranchs in the archipelago to 141 species. Our results provide further support for the closer affinity of the Azorean marine diversity with the eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean Sea biota (75% of species) but they also show a biogeographic bound with the Caribbean province (25% of common species).

Scolelepis (Scolelepis) lighti was described in 2006 for the coast of the Gulf of México. Few Scolelepis species have been reported for the Brazilian coast: S. (S.) chilensis, S. (S.) goodbodyi and S. (S.) squamata. The polychaetes that live in intertidal sand beaches on the coast of João Pessoa city have not been studied before and to date nothing has been published on the Scolelepis species from the north-east region of Brazil.

Population changes and reproduction of the alien polychaete, Streblospio gynobranchiata, living in 5, 15 and 30 m depths of the south Caspian Sea (Noor coast) was studied seasonally during 2005. Density and biomass of S. gynobranchiata increased with increasing depth, total organic matter and decreased with sand percentage of the substrate. Maximum density was 10311.11 ± 1596.4 ind m−2 and biomass 2320 ± 359.19 mg m−2 were observed in 30 m depth in winter. The maximum and minimum densities and biomass were obtained in winter and summer, respectively. Mature females were observed in all seasons, but reproduction peaks were observed in summer and autumn.