Refine
Document Type
- Part of Periodical (23) (remove)
Language
- English (23)
Has Fulltext
- yes (23)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (23)
Keywords
- biogeography (23) (remove)
Institute
- Extern (1)
The study of the Portuguese marine ichthyofauna has a long historical tradition, rooted back in the 18th Century. Here we present an annotated checklist of the marine fishes from Portuguese waters, including the area encompassed by the proposed extension of the Portuguese continental shelf and the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The list is based on historical literature records and taxon occurrence data obtained from natural history collections, together with new revisions and occurrences. It comprises a total of 1191 species, distributed among 3 superclasses, 4 classes, 42 orders, 212 families and 617 genera. If considering only the EEZ and present territorial waters, this list represents an increase of 230 species (27.8%) and of 238 species (29.0%), when compared to the information available in FishBase (2012) and in the last checklist of marine and estuarine fishes of Portugal (1993), respectively. The order Perciformes shows the highest diversity, with 54 families, 162 genera and 299 species. Stomiidae (80 species), Myctophidae (71 species) and Macrouridae (37 species) are the richest families. From the listed species, 734 are present off mainland Portugal, 857 off the Azores and 766 off Madeira. Within the limits of the examined area, three species are reported for the first time in mainland Portugal and twenty-nine records are identified as doubtful. A total of 133 species have been recorded from the extended Portuguese continental shelf (2 off mainland Portugal, 117 off the Azores and 14 off Madeira), two of which are common to the Azores and Madeira extensions. Biogeographically, the Atlantic group is the most important (548 species – 46.01%), followed by the Lusitanian group (256 species – 21.49%), the African group (71 species – 5.96%), the Boreal group (34 species – 2.85%), the Mediterranean group (31 species – 2.60%), the Macaronesian group (21 species – 1.76%), the Atlantic/African group (19 species – 1.60%) and the Mediterranean/African and the Arctic groups, each with only 1 species (0.08%). Regarding the preferences for vertical habitat, the demersal fishes are the most important group (305 species – 25.61%), followed by the mesopelagic group (228 species – 19.14%), the bathypelagic group (164 species – 13.77%), the benthopelagic group (147 species – 12.34%), the bathydemersal group (115 species – 9.66%), the reef-associated group (88 species – 7.39%), the pelagic group (74 species – 6.21%), the epipelagic group (58 species – 4.87%) and 1 species (0.08%) of the benthic group. The oceanic habitat is the best represented group comprising 446 species (37.45%), followed by the shelf group (199 species – 16.71%), the slope group (164 species – 13.77%), the inner shelf group (89 species – 7.47%), the coastal group (70 species – 5.88%), the outer shelf group (29 species – 2.43%) and the oceanic/shelf group (7 species – 0.59%).
Tortonian teleost otoliths from northern Italy: taxonomic synthesis and stratigraphic significance
(2017)
The Tortonian fish otoliths of northern Italy have been studied for more than a century and represent one of the best known otolith-based teleost faunas in the Miocene of the Mediterranean Basin. Yet with the growing knowledge on Recent otoliths, an updated taxonomic overview of this fauna is needed. Moreover, new material from hemipelagic Tortonian marls sampled at nine localities is described herein, revealing 109 taxa of which 88 are recognised at species level. Four of these are new: Coryphaenoides biobtusus sp. nov., “Merluccius” rattazzii sp. nov., Neobythites auriculatus sp. nov. and Lesueurigobius stironensis sp. nov. The compilation of previously studied and newly acquired material revealed a total of 118 nominal Tortonian species. At generic level, the fauna is characterised by many modern forms; more than 90% can be assigned to present day genera. At species level, however, more than half of the represented taxa are extinct. Based on the fossil otolith record, the Tortonian fauna of the Mediterranean is most similar to that of the Langhian (Badenian) of the Central Paratethys by sharing many extinct Miocene species, but it is also very close to that of the Pliocene Mediterranean, by sharing many modern Atlantic-Mediterranean forms. The Tortonian fauna is further characterised by many species that are apparently confined to the upper Miocene, resulting in a unique combination of its taxonomic composition.
The existing literature on the Odonata inhabiting the three large divisions of the Pacific Ocean (Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia) is revised taking into consideration earlier discussions on the species origin, historical faunistic records, various palaeogeographical models proposed for the area, general data on the biology and ecology of this insect order. Special emphasis is paid on the incomplete data set for the region and inconsistency of the exploration of this vast area. The taxonomy and fauna of the Pacific Odonata is far from complete which makes it very difficult to provide any plausible hypothesis on the biogeographical pattern that we observe today.
The widely accepted view of long distance dispersal from a centre of origin as the only possible means for species to occupy remote oceanic island archipelagos is critically reviewed. There are seven phenomena in the current Odonata distribution that cannot be explained only by random gene transfer mediated by wind dispersal.
Those are called “oddities”, however, they are believed to be regularities of past geological events and modern day human associated activities within the Pacific.
The rationale for each of them is explained in details and illustrated with distribution maps following the current taxonomy of the group.
A new approach is suggested to tackle the question of the origin of the Pacific Odonata by relating the higher taxa distribution to the geological events and palaeontology of the families. It is not intended to be a new hypothesis yet before more systematic studies of the taxonomy and fauna of the group. Therefore, it is believed that the new method suggested here will increase the attention of the scientific community and will boost studies on this insect order within the Pacific Ocean. Discussion on its applicability is provided with attention to details that are difficult to be explained with the Pacific Odonata palaeontology as we know it for the moment.
We revise the Panjange nigrifrons group in Borneo and document an unexpected diversity in western Sarawak forests. Five species occur within 80 km from Kuching, each species being known from its type locality only. Further species occur east until Niah, but the genus seems to be absent from Sabah. We contrast this with another pholcid genus (Aetana Huber, 2005), which is diverse in Sabah and westward until Niah, but does not seem to occur in central and western Sarawak. Five species are newly described: Panjange kapit Huber, sp. nov., Panjange kubah Huber, sp. nov., Panjange niah Huber, sp. nov., Panjange pueh Huber, sp. nov., Panjange seowi Huber, sp. nov.; Panjange tahai (Huber, 2011) comb. nov. is transferred from Pholcus.
The species of the genus Enicospilus Stephens, 1835 in Saudi Arabia are reviewed. Six species have previously been recorded from Saudi Arabia: E. brevicornis (Masi, 1939), E. capensis (Thunberg, 1822), E. nervellator Aubert, 1966, E. perlatus Shestakov, 1926, E. psammus Gauld & Mitchell, 1978 and E. oculator Seyrig, 1935. Five new species are described and illustrated in this paper: Enicospilus arabicus Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov., E. mirabilis Soliman & Gadallah sp. nov., E. pseudoculator Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov., E. shadaensis Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov. and E. splendidus Rousse, Soliman & Gadallah sp. nov. Twelve species are newly recorded for the fauna of Saudi Arabia, thus raising the total number to 23 species: E. bicoloratus Cameron, 1912, E. divisus (Seyrig, 1935), E. dubius (Tosquinet, 1896), E. grandiflavus Townes & Townes, 1973, E. odax Gauld & Mitchell, 1978, E. oweni Gauld & Mitchell, 1976, E. pacificus (Holmgren, 1868), E. pallidus (Taschenberg, 1875), E. rundiensis Bischoff, 1915, E. senescens (Tosquinet, 1896), Enicospilus sp. 1 and Enicospilus sp. 2 cf. bicoloratus Cameron, 1912. The unknown male of E. odax is described for the first time. The COI barcodes of 17 specimens were sequenced, compared to the existing data and uploaded to the BOLD Systems database. An illustrated key and an annotated faunistic list of all species of Enicospilus in Saudi Arabia are also provided. Finally, we discuss the biogeographical and ecological significance of the Enicospilus fauna in Saudi Arabia.
The Chimarra lehibemavo species-group, new and endemic to Madagascar (Trichoptera, Philopotamidae)
(2017)
The Chimarra lehibemavo group is described to include thirteen new species: Chimarra lehibemavo sp. nov., C. cebegepi sp. nov., C. fenoevo sp. nov., C. forcellinii sp. nov., C. fotobohitra sp. nov., C. gattolliati sp. nov., C. gensonae sp. nov., C. jejyorum sp. nov., C. hamatra sp. nov., C. makiorum sp. nov., C. moramanga sp. nov., C. saha sp. nov. and C. tamara sp. nov. The adults are easily recognizable by their large size, yellow colour and the structure of the male genitalia. The membranous tergum IX and the absence of the mesal lobe of tergum X are observed in other lineages, but the strong asymmetrical deformation of the phallotheca is apomorphic. The group is monophyletic with unknown affinities, but a preliminary phylogenetic placement is suggested following genetic analysis of two specimens. With one exception, the species have restricted geographical distributions in Madagascar and inhabit rivers in eastern pristine rainforests.
The island arc of the Lesser Antilles lies at the eastern margin of the Caribbean Sea in the Western Hemisphere, and stretches from the eastern end of the islands of the Greater Antilles (at the Virgin Islands), south to a position near the continental islands of Trinidad and Tobago at the north eastern corner of South America. The islands are a part of the West Indian Islands biodiversity “hotspot” and have been available for terrestrial colonization for about the past 15 million years. This is a status report on present knowledge of the beetle faunas of these islands, which is composed of 90 families, 1210 genera, and 2612 recognized species. Many additional species are not yet identified, or are unnamed, or remain to be discovered. Reported for the first time from the Lesser Antilles are four families, 49 genera, 105 species, and 1253 new island records. The largest families are Curculionidae (588 species), Staphylinidae (389 species), Chrysomelidae (181 species), Tenebrionidae (142 species), Cerambycidae (138 species), Scarabaeidae (127 species), and Carabidae (126 species). There are differing patterns of species distributions: 154 species are probably introduced by human activities; 985 are endemic species (limited to a single island); 465 are species endemic to more than one island of the Lesser Antilles; 212 are species limited to just islands of the West Indies; and 800 are native (naturally occurring) species which also have part of their distributional range in North, Central, or South America. Most of the widely distributed beetle fauna has probably come from South America by over-water dispersal. There is no compelling evidence for a vicariance origin of any part of the beetle fauna. Earlier colonists have had more time to form endemic genera (18) and endemic species. The more widely distributed species probably represent distributions achieved in and since the Pleistocene.
Revision of the endemic Malagasy leafhopper tribe Platyjassini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae)
(2020)
The leafhopper tribe Platyjassini, endemic to Madagascar, is revised, largely based on specimens obtained in a recent bioinventory project led by the California Academy of Sciences. Platyjassini was previously known based on the type genus, Platyjassus Evans, 1953, and four described species. Betsileonas marmorata (Blanchard, 1840), the largest leafhopper recorded from Madagascar, presently known from a few specimens collected > 100 years ago and recently considered a genus and species incertae sedis within Cicadellidae, is newly placed in Platyjassini. Fourteen new genera and 54 new species are described and illustrated, and three new combinations are proposed. Pachyjassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pachyjassus alatus sp. nov., Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov. and Pachyjassus ranomafanensis sp. nov. Pallijassus gen. nov. is erected to include two species previously placed in Platyjassus, Pallijassus reticulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. and Pallijassus stenospatulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. Petalojassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Petalojassus ochrescens sp. nov. Phaiojassus gen. nov. includes seven new species: Phaiojassus acutus sp. nov., Phaiojassus bispinosus sp. nov., Phaiojassus constrictus sp. nov., Phaiojassus grandis sp. nov., Phaiojassus spatulatus sp. nov., Phaiojassus undulatus sp. nov. and Phaiojassus unispinosus sp. nov. Pictojassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pictojassus kirindiensis sp. nov., Pictojassus productus sp. nov. and Pictojassus tulearensis sp. nov. Platyjassella gen. nov. includes six new species: Platyjassella ancora sp. nov., Platyjassella andohahelensis sp. nov., Platyjassella attenuata sp. nov., Platyjassella cormorana sp. nov., Platyjassella emarginata sp. nov. and Platyjassella immaculata sp. nov. Platyjassula gen. nov. includes four new species: Platyjassula cyclura sp. nov., Platyjassula heterofurca sp. nov., Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov. and Platyjassula mahajangensis sp. nov. In addition to the type species, Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953, Platyjassus includes 11 new species: Platyjassus acutus sp. nov., Platyjassus asymmetricus sp. nov., Platyjassus fisheri sp. nov., Platyjassus griswoldi sp. nov., Platyjassus harinhalai sp. nov., Platyjassus irwini sp. nov., Platyjassus pedistylus sp. nov., Platyjassus pennyi sp. nov., Platyjassus pictipennis sp. nov., Platyjassus symmetricus sp. nov. and Platyjassus vestigius sp. nov. Plerujassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plerujassus brunnescens sp. nov., in addition to Plerujassus appendiculatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov., previously placed in Platyjassus. Plexijassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plexijassus caliginosus sp. nov. Pseudocurtara gen. nov. includes three new species: Pseudocurtara minima sp. nov., Pseudocurtara nigripicta sp. nov. and Pseudocurtara quadrata sp. nov. Pseudocyrta gen. nov. includes one new species, Pseudocyrta hyalina sp. nov. Pseudomarganana gen. nov. includes two new species: Pseudomarganana olivacea sp. nov. and Pseudomarganana rosea sp. nov. Pulchrijassus gen. nov. includes eight new species: Pulchrijassus anjozorobensis sp. nov., Pulchrijassus eunsunae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus pallescens sp. nov., Pulchrijassus roseus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus rubrilineatus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus sindhuae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus talatakelyensis sp. nov. and Pulchrijassus toamasinensis sp. nov. Punctijassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Punctijassus circularis sp. nov., Punctijassus compressus sp. nov. and Punctijassus ivohibensis sp. nov. Illustrated keys to genera and species are provided.
The genus Dadagulella gen. nov. is described to include 16 species of small, dentate, ovateacuminate Afrotropical snails. An identification key is provided and biogeography, anatomy and systematics are discussed. The type species is the Kenyan D. radius (Preston, 1910) comb. nov., whose name has informally been used for part of the group in the past. Substantial intraspecific variation occurs in three species: D. radius itself, D. browni (van Bruggen, 1969) comb. nov. and D. minuscula (Morelet, 1877) comb. nov. (= Ennea fi scheriana Morelet, 1881) (non Gulella minuscula Emberton & Pearce, 2000) . We recognise subspecies within each of these: D.radius radius (Preston, 1910) comb. nov., D. r. calva (Connolly, 1922) comb. et stat. nov., D. browni browni (van Bruggen, 1969) comb. nov., D. b. mafi ensis subsp. nov., D. b. semulikiensis subsp. nov., D. minuscula minuscula (Morelet, 1877) comb. nov., D. m. mahorana subsp. nov. Six new Tanzanian species are described: D. cresswelli sp. nov., D. delta sp. nov., D. ecclesiola sp. nov., D. frontierarum sp. nov., D. minareta sp. nov., and D. pembensis sp. nov. The genus includes seven other previously described species: D. cuspidata (Verdcourt, 1962) comb. nov.; D. rondoensis (Verdcourt, 1994) comb. nov.; D. conoidea (Verdcourt, 1996) comb. nov.; D. selene (van Bruggen & Van Goethem, 1999) comb. nov.; D. meredithae (van Bruggen, 2000) comb. nov.; D. nictitans (Rowson & Lange, 2007) comb. nov.; and D. delgada (Muratov, 2010) comb. nov.
We re-examined the type material of five of the seven described species of the marine tardigrade genus Angursa Pollock, 1979, namely, A. abyssalis Renaud-Mornant, 1981, A. bicuspis Pollock, 1979 (type species), A. capsula Bussau, 1992, A. lanceolata Renaud-Mornant, 1981, and A. lingua Bussau, 1992. In addition, we describe A. seisuimaruae sp. nov. from the Sea of Kumano, Japan. Based on new data obtained, we amend the diagnosis of this genus, provide a taxonomic key to species, and discuss their geographical distributions.