DOCSLIB.ORG

California State University, Northridge

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
California State University, Northridge CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE THE EXTE~~AL MORPHOLOGY, fu~ATOMY AND LARVAL \l DEVELOPMENT OF SI!v!NIA AEQUALIS AND OF SI!V!NIA BARBARENSIS (GASTROPODA: PROSOBRANCHIA) A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology by Kevan L. Main / January, 1980 The Thesis of Kevan L. Main is approved: _:Dr. Ross Pohlo Dr. Earl Segal, Chdirman California State University, Northridge ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Dr. Earl Segal for introducing me to marine biology and especially to the family Ovulidae. I am grateful for his help and interest in this thesis and for his careful editing of my manuscript. I also thank Dr. Ross Pohlo and Dr. Jim Dole for their help and encouragement during my graduate career. I am deeply indebted to Janice Johnson. Without her technical assistance, daily laboratory work in the larval culture experiments and constant encouragement this research could not have been completed. I am especially grateful to Roger Smith for his .Photography of the adult snails, technical assistance, careful editing of my manuscript and most important his moral support throughout my graduate career. Throughout this research I received assistance from many individuals and I am deeply grateful to each of them. I would like to thank Dr. James Vallee, Dr. Kevin Daly, Jim Walker, Marc Rosenthal, Dave Gomberg, Mary Jane Teiman, Rosalyn Kutchins, Pat LaFollette, Richard Chao, Dr. James McLean, Dr. Erik Hockberg, Dr. Joseph Moore, Dr. Steven Oppenheimer, Dr. Anthony Gaudin, Dr. Peter Bellinger, and Lee Baresi. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements iii List of Tables v List of Plates vi Abstract viii Introduction 1 Materials and Methods 5 Results 10 Discussion 20 Literature Cited 26 Appendix: Plates 1-19 30 iv LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: Characteristics of egg masses of Simnia aequalis and~· barbarensis. ... 10 Table 2: Size dimensions of larval stages of Simnia aequalis and S. barbarensis ...... 12 Table 3: Mean time, in days, to reach each developmental stage . .13 Table 4: Mean time, in days, to hatching .... 15 Table 5: Survival time, in days, after hatching of Simnia aequalis and S. barbarensis ..... 17 v LIST OF PLATES Page Plate 1: Egg mass with egg capsules of Simnia aequalis on the gorgonian Lophogorgia rigida . 30 Plate 2: Egg mass with egg capsules of Simnia barbarensis on the skeletal axis of the sea pen Acanthoptilum gracile . 32 Plate 3: Early trochophores of Simnia aequalis and of Simnia barbarensis . 34 Plate 4: Late trochophores of Simnia aequalis and of Simnia barbarensis . 36 Plate 5: Veligers of Simnia aequalis and of Simnia barbarensis . 38 Plate 6: Photomicrographs of veligers of Simnia aequalis and Simnia barbarensis . 40 Plate 7: Empty egg capsules and exit hole on egg capsules of Simnia barbarensis . .... 42 Plate 8: View showing granular shell sculpturing on the veliger shell of Simnia barbarensis and of Simnia aequalis . 44 Plate 9: View showing shell edge on the veliger shell of Simnia barbarensis and of Simnia aequalis . 46 Plate 10: View showing shell lip and ridge along columellar base on the veliger shell of Simnia barbarensis and of Simnia aequalis 48 Plate 11: View showing shell surface of adult Simnia aequalis . 50 vi LIST OF PLATES, CONT. Page Plate 12: View showing mantle projections on adult Simnia aequalis and gorgonian polyps on Lophogorgia rigida . ..... 52 Plate 13: View showing ventral surface of adult Simnia aequalis . 54 Plate 14: Adult female of Simnia barbarensis showing contents of mantle cavity ....... 56 Plate 15: Adult male of Simnia barbarensis showing contents of mantle cavity ....... 58 Plate 16: View of adult Simnia barbarensis on the sea pen, Acanthoptilum gracile ........ 60 Plate 17: View showing mantle on Simnia barbarensis .... 62 Plate 18: Transverse row of teeth from the radula of Simnia barbarensis and Median tooth of Simnia aequalis . 64 Plate 19: View of Simnia barbarensis feeding on the sea pen, Acanthoptilum gracile ...... 66 vii ABSTRACT THE EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY, ANATOMY AND LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF SIMNIA AEQUALIS AND OF SIMNIA BARBARENSIS (GASTROPODA: PROSOBRANCHIA) by Kevan L. Main Master of Science in Biology The members of the family Ovulidae are always found living on cnidarian hosts, usually alcyonarians. The colors of the shells tend to blend with the host on which they are found being purple on purple gorgonians or yellow on yellow gorgonians. Simnia aequalis lives on the gorgonian Lophogorgia rigida in the northern Gulf of California. S. barbarensis lives on the sea pens, Acanthoptilum gracile, Ptilosarcus gurneyi and the gorgonian, Lophogorgia chilensis in Southern California. viii External morphology, mantle cavity and radula of Simnia aequalis and of S. barbarensis are described and compared to those of other members of the family Ovulidae. Larval development of both species was studied through laboratory culture over a one-year period. Development of S. aequalis is compared to that of S. barbarensis. This work is related to other researchers descriptions of the larvae of S. spelta and~· patula. Planktotrophic larval culture in a closed seawater system was carried out and the problems are discussed. Feeding behavior of adult snails was observed and is described. ix INTRODUCTION The members of the gastropod family Ovulidae are distributed throughout the world seas; however, they are most concentrated on the west and east coasts of Australia, the Philippines and Japan. The taxonomy of this group has been revised many times (Cate, 1969, 1973, 1974; Schilder, 1968, 1971) and is currently in a state of confusion (James McLean, personal communication). Very few species occur sympatrically (Cate, 1969) and they are always found living on cnidarian hosts, usually alcyonarians (Abbott, 1968; Cate, 1969, 1973; Hyman, 1967). The colors of the shells tend to blend with the host on which they are found being purple on purple gorgonians or yellow on yellow gorgonians (Hyman, 1967; Keen, 1971; Osburn, 1885). The mantle which covers and protects the smooth shell also blends with the host and may bear small white projections which resemble the host polyps (Abbott, 1968; Patton, 1972; Theodor, 1967). The adaptive coloration of the mantle and shell of ovulids has caused observers (Abbott, 1968; Keen, 1971; McLean, 1978; Robertson, 1970) to assume that the snail is feeding on the host alcyonarian. The relationship between some ovulids and their hosts has been studied. According to Lebour (1932), Simnia patula feeds on the alcyonacean, Alcyonium digitatum and the gorgonian, Eunicella verrucosa. Further Simnia spelta feeds on the host coenenchyme and may denude portions of branches of Eunicella stricta (Theodor, 1967). Berrill (1966) shows a photograph of Cyphoma sp. removing the coenenchyme of 1 2 Pseudopterogorgia sp. and Robertson (1970) states that both Jenneria pustulata and Pedicularia decussata feed on stony corals. However, Patton (1972) found no indication that living tissue of the gorgonian, Leptogorgia virgulata, was ingested by Neosimnia uniplicata but rather that the snails were feeding on thin sheets of mucus containing spicules shed by the host and material that settles on the colony. The placement of members of the family Ovulidae into species is based entirely on shell characteristics (Berry, 1916, 1946; Cate, 1969, 1973). In 1923 Vayssiere did the only anatomical description of the genus Simnia. He described the radula and general anatomy but ignored the reproductive system of several Atlantic and Mediterranean species. Later Ghiselin and Wilson (1966) described the anatomy and reproductive system of Cyphoma sp., a related Caribbean ovulid. The development of Simnia has been examined in Simnia patula (Lebour, 1932) and Simnia spelta (Thiriot-Quievreux, 1967). The larval descriptions of .§_. patula are based on plankton collected off the coast of England. Lebour feels that a long larval life is indicated in .§_. patula because the late larval stages lived for several weeks in a plunger jar without loss of the velum. In addition, .§_. patula has long velar lobes, a characteristic of long-lived gastropod larvae e.g. Nassarius incrassatus. The larval descriptions of.§_. spelta seem to be primarily based on plankton collected in the Mediterranean and on larvae Thiriot-Quievreux was 3 able to raise for short periods of time in the laboratory. She neither mentions how long she was able to keep the larvae alive nor the method of maintenance of the various stages in the laboratory. Thiriot-Quievreux estimated the larval life of S. spelta to be two to three months. Both S. patula and ~· spelta have planktotrophic larvae. Prosobranchs with planktotrophic larvae have been successfully reared through metamorphosis in the laboratory. They include the mesogastropods Littorina picta (Strusaker and Costlow, 1968, 1969) and Crepidula fornicata (Pilkington and Fretter, 1970) and the neogastropods Nassarius obsoletus and N. vibex (Scheltema, 1961, 1962a, 1962b), Strombus gigas (D'Asaro, 1965) and~· gigas, S. costatus and~· pugilus (Brownell, 1977). The main difficulties encountered in culturing planktotrophic larvae are: 1. lack of an appropriate food, 2. parasites and 3. lack of a proper stimulus to trigger matamorphosis (Franz, 1975). Simnia aequalis Sowerby lives on the gorgonian Lophogorgia rigida in the northern Gulf of California. Simnia barbarensis Schilder lives on the sea pens, Acanthoptilum gracile, Ptilosarcus gurneyi and the gorgonian, Lophogorgia chilensis (Los Angeles County Natural Museum collection and James Vallee, personal communication) in Southern California. The only information available on these two simniids was the shell descriptions in Berry (1916), Cate (1969, 1973) and Sowerby (1848). 4 This study has four objectives. First, to describe the development of Simnia aequalis and ~· barbarensis from egg through the planktotrophic larval stage. Second, to compare the develop­ ment of S. aequalis and S. barbarensis. Third, to develop a method for rearing both species in the laboratory. Last of all, to describe the external morphology, contents of the mantle cavity and radula of the adults of each species.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Marlin Marine Information Network Information on the Species and Habitats Around the Coasts and Sea of the British Isles
    MarLIN Marine Information Network Information on the species and habitats around the coasts and sea of the British Isles Pink sea fan (Eunicella verrucosa) MarLIN – Marine Life Information Network Marine Evidence–based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) Review John Readman & Dr Keith Hiscock 2017-03-30 A report from: The Marine Life Information Network, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Please note. This MarESA report is a dated version of the online review. Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date version [https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1121]. All terms and the MarESA methodology are outlined on the website (https://www.marlin.ac.uk) This review can be cited as: Readman, J.A.J. & Hiscock, K. 2017. Eunicella verrucosa Pink sea fan. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. (eds) Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.17031/marlinsp.1121.1 The information (TEXT ONLY) provided by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own terms and conditions and they may or may not be available for reuse. Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available here. Based on a work at www.marlin.ac.uk (page left blank) Date: 2017-03-30 Pink sea fan (Eunicella verrucosa) - Marine Life Information Network See online review for distribution map Two fans of Eunicella verrucosa showing the two morphs, pink and white.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf Underwater Routes
    UNDERWATER ROUTES of the western Algarve CONTENTS CREDITS COORDINATION: Jorge M. S. INTRODUCTION 3 Gonçalves e Mafalda Rangel TEXT: Mafalda Rangel DIVING IN THE ROUTES 5 RESEARCH TEAM: Mafalda Rangel, Luís Bentes, Pedro MAP OF THE NETWORK OF UNDERWATER ROUTES 8 Monteiro, Carlos M. L. Afonso, Frederico Oliveira, Inês Sousa, SCUBA DIVING ROUTES 10 Karim Erzini, Jorge M. S. Gonçalves (CCMAR – Centre of GRUTA DO MARTINHAL (SAGRES) 10 Marine Sciences) PHOTOGRAPHY: Carlos M. L. PONTA DOS CAMINHOS (SAGRES) 12 Afonso, David Abecasis, Frederico Oliveira, João Encarnação/ “POÇO” (ARMAÇÃO DE PERA) 14 Subnauta (p.7), Jorge M. S. Gonçalves, Nuno Alves (p.19), SNORKELING ROUTES 16 Pedro Veiga ILUSTRATION_ Underwater P. 2 PRAIA DA MARINHA (LAGOA) 16 slates: Frederico Oliveira GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRAIA DOS ARRIFES (ALBUFEIRA) 18 ILUSTRATION: GOBIUS Comunication and Science PHOTOS 20 COLABORATION: Isidoro Costa ADB COORDINATION: José CURIOSITIES 25 Moura Bastos TRANSLATION: Mafalda DANGERS 26 Rangel, Fátima Noronha CONTACTS: INTEREST FOR CONSERVATION 26 _CCMAR - Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve: Universidade do READING SUGGESTIONS 27 Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, FCT Ed7, 8005-139 Faro Telf. 289 800 051 http://www.ccmar.ualg.pt HOW TO QUOTE THIS PUBLICATION: _ADB - Agência Desenvolvimento Rangel, M.; Oliveira, F.; Bentes, L.; Monteiro, P.; Afonso, C.M.L.; do Barlavento, Rua Impasse à Rua Sousa, I.; Erzini, K.; Gonçalves, J.M.S.. 2015. Underwater Routes Poeta António Aleixo, Bloco B, GENTES D’MAR of the windward Algarve. Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), R/c, 8500-525 Portimão, Portugal Algarve University; Agência Desenvolvimento do Barlavento Telf. 282 482 889 (ADB). GOBIUS Communication and Science, 27p.
    [Show full text]
  • Contributions to the Knowledge of the Ovulidae. XVI. the Higher Systematics
    ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Spixiana, Zeitschrift für Zoologie Jahr/Year: 2007 Band/Volume: 030 Autor(en)/Author(s): Fehse Dirk Artikel/Article: Contributions to the knowledge of the Ovulidae. XVI. The higher systematics. (Mollusca: Gastropoda) 121-125 ©Zoologische Staatssammlung München/Verlag Friedrich Pfeil; download www.pfeil-verlag.de SPIXIANA 30 1 121–125 München, 1. Mai 2007 ISSN 0341–8391 Contributions to the knowledge of the Ovulidae. XVI. The higher systematics. (Mollusca: Gastropoda) Dirk Fehse Fehse, D. (2007): Contributions to the knowledge of the Ovulidae. XVI. The higher systematics. (Mollusca: Gastropoda). – Spixiana 30/1: 121-125 The higher systematics of the family Ovulidae is reorganised on the basis of re- cently published studies of the radulae, shell and animal morphology and the 16S rRNA gene. The family is divided into four subfamilies. Two new subfamilîes are introduced as Prionovolvinae nov. and Aclyvolvinae nov. The apomorphism and the result of the study of the 16S rRNA gene are contro- versally concerning the Pediculariidae. Therefore, the Pediculariidae are excluded as subfamily from the Ovulidae. Dirk Fehse, Nippeser Str. 3, D-12524 Berlin, Germany; e-mail: [email protected] Introduction funiculum. A greater surprise seemed to be the genetically similarity of Ovula ovum (Linneaus, 1758) In conclusion of the recently published studies on and Volva volva (Linneaus, 1758) in fi rst sight but a the shell morphology, radulae, anatomy and 16S closer examination of the shells indicates already rRNA gene (Fehse 2001, 2002, Simone 2004, Schia- that O.
    [Show full text]
  • New Records of the Rare Gastropods Erato Voluta and Simnia Patula, and First Record of Simnia Hiscocki from Norway
    Fauna norvegica 2017 Vol. 37: 20-24. Short communication New records of the rare gastropods Erato voluta and Simnia patula, and first record of Simnia hiscocki from Norway Jon-Arne Sneli1 and Torkild Bakken2 Sneli J-A, and Bakken T. 2017. New records of the rare gastropods Erato voluta and Simnia patula, and first record of Simnia hiscocki from Norway. Fauna norvegica 37: 20-24. New records of rare gastropod species are reported. A live specimen of Erato voluta (Gastropoda: Triviidae), a species considered to have a far more southern distribution, has been found from outside the Trondheimsfjord. The specimen was sampled from a gravel habitat with Modiolus shells at 49–94 m depth, and was found among compound ascidians, its typical food resource. Live specimens of Simnia patula (Caenogastropoda: Ovulidae) have during the later years repeatedly been observed on locations on the coast of central Norway, which is documented by in situ observations. In Egersund on the southwest coast of Norway a specimen of Simnia hiscocki was in March 2017 observed for the first time from Norwegian waters, a species earlier only found on the south-west coast of England. Also this was documented by pictures and in situ observations. The specimen of Simnia hiscocki was for the first time found on the octocoral Swiftia pallida. doi: 10.5324/fn.v37i0.2160. Received: 2016-12-01. Accepted: 2017-09-20. Published online: 2017-10-26. ISSN: 1891-5396 (electronic). Keywords: Gastropoda, Ovulidae, Triviidae, Erato voluta, Simnia hiscocki, Simnia patula, Xandarovula patula, distribution, morphology. 1. NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Biology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
    [Show full text]
  • Best Research Practices in Systematic Zoology
    Non-indigenous species from a scientific point of view Arjan Gittenberger GiMaRIS Marine Research, Inventory, & Strategy solutions Institute of Biology, (IBL); Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Naturalis Biodiversity Center The study of non-indigenous species concerns the study of population dynamics in time and space Systematics Phylogenetics Population genetics Ecology Ethology Anthropology …Politology Species concept of Ernst MAYR, 1940 Species are: Groups of natural populations forming a reproductive community or capable of doing so, that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. Subspecies concept of Ernst MAYR, 1940 Subspecies have their own, exclusive range within that of the species, but are not reproductively isolated, so that hybridisation occurs whenever individuals of two subspecies of the same species are in contact (in a contact-zone) Subspecies A Hybrids of A & B Subspecies B Subspecies concept of Ernst MAYR, 1940 Should Mytilus edulis galloprovincialis be considered a non-indigenous species in northern Europe? Mytilus edulis edulis Hybrids Mytilus edulis galloprovincialis The mystery dripping sea-squirt Didemnum sp. ? http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/stellwagen/didemnum/index.htm Phylogenetics: The identity of Didemnum sp. in Didemnum sp. from Japan, Japan, North New Zealand, America, New Zealand, North America & Europe & Europe ? = Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002 Stefaniak, L., G. Lambert, A. Gittenberger, H. Zhang, S. Lin & R.B. Whitlach, 2009. Genetic conspecificity of the worldwide populations of Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002. Aquatic Invasions 4(1): 29-44. Population genetics: The origin of Didemnum vexillum Stefaniak, L., Zhang, H., Gittenberger, A., Smith, K., Holsinger, K., Lin, S. & R.B. Whitlatch, 2012. Determining the native region of the putatively invasive ascidian Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002.
    [Show full text]
  • Invertébrés Benthiques Des Marquises
    Invertébrés benthiques des Marquises Bernard Salvat 5 Sylvain Petek 1, Éric Folcher 2, Cécile Debitus 1 pour les éponges Francesca Benzoni 2, Michel Pichon 3 pour les coraux Philippe Bouchet 4, Jean Tröndlé 4, Bernard Salvat 5 pour les mollusques Joseph Poupin 6 pour les crustacés Gustav Paulay 7, François Michonneau 7, John Starmer 7, Nathaniel Evans 7 pour les échinodermes Photo Y. Hubert RÉSUMÉ Les îles Marquises ne présentent plus de formations récifales comme elles en possédaient avant l’ho- locène. Malgré une grande diversité des habitats littoraux et profonds dans un milieu océanique riche en plancton, la richesse en invertébrés est moindre que celles des autres archipels de la Polynésie française. Seuls quelques groupes taxonomiques ont été étudiés; ceux dont les espèces sont de taille conséquente. Le nombre d’espèces d’éponges, coraux, mollusques, crustacés et échinodermes est de près de 1 200 avec une dominance à 90 % des mollusques et des crustacés. En raison d’un iso- lement océanographique, une très forte spéciation s’est développée dans certains groupes comme les mollusques et les crustacés alors qu’elle est nulle pour les coraux et pour l’instant impossible à évaluer pour les éponges. Histoire récifale au cours du quaternaire, habitats particuliers et importants taux d’endémisme de certains groupes font tout l’intérêt de cette faune d’invertébrés des îles Marqui- ses qui est loin d’avoir été bien inventoriée. ABSTRACT The Marquesas Islands have no longer a reef formation as they possessed before the Holocene. Despite an
    [Show full text]
  • South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
    FOREWORD Abundant fish and wildlife, unbroken coastal vistas, miles of scenic rivers, swamps and mountains open to exploration, and well-tended forests and fields…these resources enhance the quality of life that makes South Carolina a place people want to call home. We know our state’s natural resources are a primary reason that individuals and businesses choose to locate here. They are drawn to the high quality natural resources that South Carolinians love and appreciate. The quality of our state’s natural resources is no accident. It is the result of hard work and sound stewardship on the part of many citizens and agencies. The 20th century brought many changes to South Carolina; some of these changes had devastating results to the land. However, people rose to the challenge of restoring our resources. Over the past several decades, deer, wood duck and wild turkey populations have been restored, striped bass populations have recovered, the bald eagle has returned and more than half a million acres of wildlife habitat has been conserved. We in South Carolina are particularly proud of our accomplishments as we prepare to celebrate, in 2006, the 100th anniversary of game and fish law enforcement and management by the state of South Carolina. Since its inception, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has undergone several reorganizations and name changes; however, more has changed in this state than the department’s name. According to the US Census Bureau, the South Carolina’s population has almost doubled since 1950 and the majority of our citizens now live in urban areas.
    [Show full text]
  • Epibenthic Mobile Invertebrates Along the Florida Reef Tract: Diversity and Community Structure Kristin Netchy University of South Florida, [email protected]
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 3-21-2014 Epibenthic Mobile Invertebrates along the Florida Reef Tract: Diversity and Community Structure Kristin Netchy University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Other Education Commons, and the Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Netchy, Kristin, "Epibenthic Mobile Invertebrates along the Florida Reef Tract: Diversity and Community Structure" (2014). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5085 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Epibenthic Mobile Invertebrates along the Florida Reef Tract: Diversity and Community Structure by Kristin H. Netchy A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Marine Science College of Marine Science University of South Florida Major Professor: Pamela Hallock Muller, Ph.D. Kendra L. Daly, Ph.D. Kathleen S. Lunz, Ph.D. Date of Approval: March 21, 2014 Keywords: Echinodermata, Mollusca, Arthropoda, guilds, coral, survey Copyright © 2014, Kristin H. Netchy DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to Dr. Gustav Paulay, whom I was fortunate enough to meet as an undergraduate. He has not only been an inspiration to me for over ten years, but he was the first to believe in me, trust me, and encourage me.
    [Show full text]
  • Vulnerable Forests of the Pink Sea Fan Eunicella Verrucosa in the Mediterranean Sea
    diversity Article Vulnerable Forests of the Pink Sea Fan Eunicella verrucosa in the Mediterranean Sea Giovanni Chimienti 1,2 1 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; [email protected]; Tel.: +39-080-544-3344 2 CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00197 Roma, Italy Received: 14 April 2020; Accepted: 28 April 2020; Published: 30 April 2020 Abstract: The pink sea fan Eunicella verrucosa (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Alcyonacea) can form coral forests at mesophotic depths in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the recognized importance of these habitats, they have been scantly studied and their distribution is mostly unknown. This study reports the new finding of E. verrucosa forests in the Mediterranean Sea, and the updated distribution of this species that has been considered rare in the basin. In particular, one site off Sanremo (Ligurian Sea) was characterized by a monospecific population of E. verrucosa with 2.3 0.2 colonies m 2. By combining ± − new records, literature, and citizen science data, the species is believed to be widespread in the basin with few or isolated colonies, and 19 E. verrucosa forests were identified. The overall associated community showed how these coral forests are essential for species of conservation interest, as well as for species of high commercial value. For this reason, proper protection and management strategies are necessary. Keywords: Anthozoa; Alcyonacea; gorgonian; coral habitat; coral forest; VME; biodiversity; mesophotic; citizen science; distribution 1. Introduction Arborescent corals such as antipatharians and alcyonaceans can form mono- or multispecific animal forests that represent vulnerable marine ecosystems of great ecological importance [1–4].
    [Show full text]
  • (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) from the Western Hemisphere, with a Description of a New Species from the Eocene of Washington
    THE NAUTILUS 109(4):113-116, 1995 Page 113 First Report of the Genus Proadusta Sacco, 1894 (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) from the Western Hemisphere, with a Description of a New Species from the Eocene of Washington Lindsey T. Groves Richard L. Squires Malacology Section Department of Geological Sciences Natural History Museum of Los California State University Angeles County 18111 Nordhoff Street 900 Exposition Boulevard Northridge, California 91330-8266 Los Angeles, California 90007 USA USA ABSTRACT Fossil-bearing rocks at both localities consist of a thin section of richly fossiliferous and conglomeratic silty A new species of cypraeid gastropod, Proadusta goedertorum mudstone interbedded with basalt. Extrusion of the ba- n. sp., is reported from the middle lower Eocene ("Capay Stage") upper part of the Crescent Formation, Thurston Coun- salt caused shoaling and the establishment of a rocky ty, Washington. This new species was found at two localities shoreline community where gastropod and bivalved mol- where shallow-water marine deposits are interbedded with rocky lusks lived with colonial corals and abundant coralline shoreline-forming basalt flows. Proadusta Sacco, 1894 was pre- algae. Shells were transported a short distance seaward viously known only from the lower Eocene to lower Miocene where they were deposited as a matrix of coquina that of Europe, Myanmar (= Burma), and Indonesia. infilled spaces between basalt boulders. Many of the shells Key words: Proadusta, Cypraeidae, Western Hemisphere, Eo- in the coquina are small to minute, and their size pre- cene, Washington. vented them from being destroyed during transport. Within the coquina are a few larger shells, like those of the new species, that apparently lived in the shallow- subtidal environment where coquina accumulation took INTRODUCTION place (Squires & Goedert, 1994; in press).
    [Show full text]
  • Phenetic Relationship Study of Gold Ring Cowry, Cypraea Annulus
    Aquacu nd ltu a r e s e J i o r u e r h n s a i l F Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal Laimeheriwa, Fish Aqua J 2017, 8:3 ISSN: 2150-3508 DOI: 10.4172/2150-3508.1000215 Research Article Open Access Phenetic Relationship Study of Gold Ring Cowry, Cypraea Annulus (Gastropods: Cypraeidae) in Mollucas Islands Based on Shell Morphological Bruri Melky Laimeheriwa* Department of Water Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Unpatti, Center of Marine and Marine Affairs Pattimura University Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia *Corresponding author: Bruri Melky Laimeheriwa, Department of Water Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Unpatti, Center of Marine and Marine Affairs Pattimura University Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia, Tel: +62 911 322628; E-mail: [email protected] Received date: July 17, 2017; Accepted date: August 08, 2017; Published date: August 15, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Laimeheriwa MB. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract This study aims to construct taxonomic character of Cypraea annulus based on shell morphological; analyzed the developmental stages of the snail shell and investigated the similarities and phenotypic distances of snails with numerical taxonomic approaches. This research lasted four years on island of Larat and Ambon. The sample used was 2926. Construction of morphological taxonomic characters using binary data types with 296 test characters and ordinal types with 173 test characters; and 32 specimens of operational taxonomic units. The data is processed and analyzed on Lasboratory of Maritime and Marine Study Centre, University of Pattimura.
    [Show full text]
  • First Record of Xandarovula Patula (Pennant, 1777) in the Dutch North Sea (Gastropoda, Ovulidae )
    B75-Schrieken:Basteria-2010 28/11/2011 14:49 Page 107 First record of Xandarovula patula (Pennant, 1777) in the Dutch North Sea (Gastropoda, Ovulidae ) Niels Schrieken BiOrganized, Grenadiersweg 8, NL-3902 JC Veenendaal, The Netherlands; [email protected]. ANEMOON Foundation, P.O. Box 29, NL-2120 AA Bennebroek, The Netherlands [Corresponding author] Arjan Gittenberger GiMaRIS, J.H. Oortweg 21, NL-2333 CH Leiden, The Netherlands; [email protected] NCB Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands . Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) & Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9516, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands . ANEMOON Foundation, P.O. Box 29, NL-2120 AA Bennebroek, The Netherlands & Wouter Lengkeek Bureau Waardenburg, Varkensmarkt 9, NL-4101 CK Culemborg, The Netherlands; [email protected] . Duik de Noordzee Schoon, Duyvenvoordestraat 35, NL-2681 HH Monster, The Netherlands Introduction The ovulid gastropod Xandarovula patula (Pennant, 1777) 107 was found 14.vi.2011 on the soft coral Alcyonium digitatum For a long time, Xandarovula patula (Pennant, 1777) has been Linnaeus, 1758 (Dead man’s fingers) during a dive in the referred to as Simnia patula (e.g. Reijnen et al., 2010) , regard - central North Sea on the wreck ‘Jeanette Kristina ’ on the less of the fact that Cate (1973) designated this species as the Dutch Dogger Bank. Later on additional specimens were type species of a new genus Xandarovula Cate, 1973. Dolin & found, sometimes with egg-capsules, on A. digitatum again, Ledon (2002), Fehse (2007) and Høisæter et al. (2011) even at two locations on the Dutch Cleaver Bank.
    [Show full text]