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The Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, Pune (ZSI-WRC) contains 1887 specimens of mostly unstudied marine brachyuran crabs. The present systematic study on the marine crabs of ZSI-WRC reports 62 species in 44 genera, 18 families and nine superfamilies. Of these, four genera and 13 species are new distributional records within India. We also record three species for the first time from the Indian waters: Metopograpsus cannicci Innocenti, Schubart & Fratini, 2020 (Grapsidae MacLeay, 1838), Varuna yui Hwang & Takeda, 1986 (Varunidae H. Milne Edwards, 1853), and Ilyograpsus paludicola (Rathbun, 1909) (Macrophthalmidae Dana, 1851). The record of Varuna yui is significant as it is the first time it has been found from the western Indian Ocean. The subfamily Ilyograpsinae Števčić, 2005, has likewise not previously been reported from India. The taxonomy of the poorly known menippid crab, Sphaerozius scaber (Fabricius, 1798), is clarified with the designation of a lectotype, and its taxonomy is discussed. Sphaerozius scaber can be distinguished from the only congener S. nitidus Stimpson, 1858, by its prominently tuberculated carapace, palm and carpus of the chelipeds, and the strongly curved male first gonopod, with the distal part gently tapering into a truncate tip. Sphaerozius scaber is a new addition to the west coast of India. With the inclusion of the present new records, India is now known to have 939 species of marine brachyuran crabs in 375 genera of 63 families.

The new porcellanid crab Polyonyx deezi n. sp. is described on the basis of two specimens from Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. The new species belongs to the P. sinensis group and may be closest to P. socialis Werding & Hiller, 2019 in the comparatively broad proportions of the carpi of the chelipeds and meri of the ambulatory legs. However, P. deezi n. sp. is immediately distinguished from all other congeners by the median branchial margins of the carapace being bluntly angular and produced laterally and the dorsal surfaces of the carapace and chelipeds with distinct protuberances. The occurrence of P. deezi n. sp. from coral reefs may be unusual in species of the P. sinensis group because many of the known species have been recorded from estuaries or coastal embayments. An identification key to the Indo-West Pacific species of the Polyonyx sinensis group is provided.

The Bythograeidae is unique amongst brachyuran crab taxa as it is the only family where all 6 genera and 16 species are endemic to hydrothermal vents. During the research conducted by German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources to identify inactive polymetallic sulphide deposits along Central and Southeast Indian Ridges, the INDEX project collected from hydrothermal vent fields 6 Bythograeidae megalopae. Entire specimens and dissected appendages were stained, mounted on slides and examined using Light Microscopy and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy. Additional molecular analysis using mtCOI confirmed the identification of the specimens as Austinograea rodriguezensis Tsuchida & Hashimoto, 2002. The megalopal stage of A. rodriguezensis shows similarities and distinctions between the characters of two other bythograeid megalopae, Bythograea thermydron Williams, 1980, and B. microps Saint Laurent, 1984. Unlike other brachyuran megalopae, B. thermydron and A. rodriguezensis lack long serrate setae and stout serrate spines on the dactylus of the fifth pereiopod. In both species no coxal spines on the pereiopods were observed. The elliptical carapace of B. thermydron is broader than long vs longitudinally rectangular in A. rodriguezensis. This carapace shape resembles B. microps more than B. thermydron, however, the dorsal surface of B. microps carapace is densely covered in short setae vs only covered with short setae on the anterior 1/4 and the posterior 1/6 length of carapace in A. rodriguezensis. Furthermore, the amount of plumose natatory setae on the pleopods in B. microps is in total larger and more variable, than in A. rodriguezensis. Bythograeid megalopae seem quite generalized and miss specific features that reveal them distinctively as endemic vent crab. A distinction from other species is possible by observing the unique combinations of certain characters. This is the first megalopal stage description of Austinograea and the fourth within the Bythograeidae.

The genus Phylladiorhynchus Baba, 1969 currently contains 11 species, all occurring in the shallow waters and on the continental shelf of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Recent expeditions in these oceans have resulted in the collection of numerous new specimens in need of analysis. We have studied this material using an integrative approach analysing both morphological and molecular (COI and 16S) characters. We describe 41 new species and resurrect three old names: P. integrus (Benedict, 1902) and P. lenzi (Rathbun, 1907), previously synonymized with P. pusillus (Henderson, 1885), and P. serrirostris (Melin, 1939), previously synonymized with P. integrirostris (Dana, 1852). Most species of the genus are described and illustrated. Some species are barely discernible on the basis of morphological characters but are highly divergent genetically. Species of Phylladiorhynchus are mainly distinguishable by the number of epigastric spines and lateral spines of the carapace, the shape and the armature of the rostrum, the number and pattern of the ridges on the carapace and pleon, the shape of thoracic sternite 3 and the armature of the P2–4 dactyli. A dichotomous identification key to all species is provided.

A new species of the genus Alpheus Fabricius, 1798, A. mannarensis sp. nov. is described and represented based on the materials collected from the shallow and rocky reefs, Gulf of Mannar (Thoothukudi waters), Southern India. This is the first report of Alpheus species from the Gulf of Mannar region. The new species is assigned to the Alpheus brevirostris group, and is distinguished from other species of this group by the combination of the following features: rostral ridge lower than orbital hood in lateral view and postrostral carina not extended to the middle of the carapace, palm of major chela with a transverse groove near the base of dactylus, the ultimate segment of the third maxilliped slender, fingers of minor chela of male slightly longer than palm, the first carpal segment of second pereiopods shorter than second segment, merus of third pereiopods slender and unarmed, dactylus of third pereiopods slender and subspatulate, and unique colour patterns of longitudinal light lines on the reddish body.

Continued sampling of the latest Eocene to earliest Oligocene Gries Ranch Formation in Lewis County, Washington State, has yielded new heterobranch microgastropod species. Orbitestella kieli sp. nov., is the third fossil species of this genus and family Orbitestellidae from western North America. Two new species of Ammonicera, A. rolani sp. nov. and A. danieli sp. nov., are together only the second fossil record of this genus and the family Omalogyridae from the northeastern Pacific Ocean. New specimens of two previously recorded species, O. palaiopacifica Squires & Goedert and A. benhami Squires & Goedert, from early Eocene rocks of the Crescent Formation provide new data regarding shell morphology. The fossil record of both Ammonicera and Orbitestella in western North America is restricted to early Eocene to earliest Oligocene age rocks in Washington State.

A new a species of pinnotherid crab in the eastern Pacific coasts is presented. Twenty males and 21 females of small crabs were collected from burrows, presumably from ghost shrimp (Neotrypaea spp.), in sand-mud substrata from the Santa María-La Reforma coastal lagoon, SE Gulf of California. The new species was assigned to the genus Glassella because its morphological characteristics clearly match the amended diagnosis of the genus Glassella by Palacios Theil and Felder (2020) and Felder & Palacios Theil (2020), including the presence of a gonopodal plate (GP) inserted in the internal part of the male pleon, similar to that described for most of the species currently grouped into the genus Glassella. The new species is similar to G. miamiensis (McDermott, 2014) from western Atlantic, but it can be distinguished from this and the rest of the species of Glassella by differences in carapace margins and ridges, male pleon outline, and the shape of the GP.

This article lists and comments on the primary and secondary types represented in the collection of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum (BMSM), on Sanibel, Florida, USA. The collection includes 464 type specimens, of which 15 are holotypes, representing 149 taxa, of which 145 are species and four subspecies. The BMSM collection is fully catalogued and posted online via the Museum’s website, in addition to iDigBio and GBIF. The publication of this annotated list intends to improve on the accessibility and promote this important group of name-bearing specimens, which includes, among other cases, types originating from orphaned collections and material poorly documented in the original descriptions. Eighty-two types were selected for illustration, and the photos of all BMSM types are available as part of the BMSM online collection catalog.

Tritodynamia bengalensis n. sp. is described on the basis of a male specimen dredged from the shallow coastal waters of West Bengal state, India. The new species is morphologically similar to T. bidentata Yang & Tang, 2005 and T. serratipes Anker & Ng, 2014, but can be distinguished by the carapace shape, dentition of the pollex, relative length of the dactylus of the third maxilliped, proportions of the propodus of the third pereopod, and structure of the male left gonopod. This is the first record of the genus Tritodynamia from India.

A new species of spider crab is described from two male specimens collected from the southeastern Arabian Sea. This species differs from its congeners in the absence of uograstric granule on carapace, the presence of two granules along lateral margin of carapace at branchial region, the presence of granules on P2–P4 dactyli and the constricted distal tip of the male first gonopod.

A new alpheid shrimp genus, Pachelpheus gen. nov., is established to accommodate Pachelpheus pachyacanthus sp. nov., described based on two specimens from the Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific coast of Panama. Pachelpheus pachyacanthus sp. nov. appears to be an obligate symbiont dwelling in burrows of yet unknown infaunal hosts, on shallow near-shore subtidal sand flats. The main morphological characters of Pachelpheus gen. nov. are: (1) frontal margin of carapace with broadly rounded rostral projection, without orbital teeth; (2) sixth pleonite with articulated plate; (3) telson with two pairs of cuspidate setae dorsally, without anal tubercles; (4) eyes concealed in dorsal view, partly visible in lateral view; (5) chelipeds equal in size, symmetrical in shape, moderately enlarged, stout, carried extended; (6) cheliped carpus without rows of setae mesially; (7) cheliped fingers without snapping mechanism, each finger armed with one stout tooth; (8) second pereiopod carpus with five sub-articles; (9) third, fourth and fifth pereiopods with ischia armed with single robust cuspidate seta, meri armed with one to several unusually robust cuspidate setae; (10) second pleopod with appendix masculina in males only; (11) uropodal exopod and endopod with rows of slender spiniform setae on their distal margins; (12) uropodal diaeresis unusually thickened laterally, with two very stout spiniform setae; and (13) lateral lobe of the uropodal protopod rounded. The new genus appears to be morphologically most similar to Jengalpheops Anker & Dworschak, 2007 and Leslibetaeus Anker, Poddoubtchenko & Wehrtmann, 2006.

Actinopus specimens from different localities in Uruguay that did not match any of the previously species present in the country were examined, and four new species are described: A. coboi sp. nov., from Colonia province; A. fernandezi sp. nov., from Salto province; A. simoi sp. nov., from Maldonado province; and A. uruguayense sp. nov., from Colonia and Cerro Largo provinces. The record of the species A. longipalpis for Montevideo is rejected and A. liodon is considered “species inquirenda”. Actinopus coboi has spermathecae with an apical lobe diagonally directed; A. fernandezi is characterized by a stylized copulatory bulb and its greater number of retrolateral thorns on tibia II. Actinopus simoi can be distinguished from A. uruguayense by its carapace with a dark coloration; a reddish coloration in the palpal tibia and the shape of its spermathecae and copulatory bulb. With the presence of the Argentinian species—A. gerschiapelliarum, A. puelche and A. insignis—the number of species known in the country is increased to nine. All new species are diagnosed and illustrated; a dichotomous key to all species of Actinopus from Uruguay is also provided.

A new species of protosquillid mantis shrimp is described from the coastal waters of Korea and Japan. Chorisquilla orientalis n. sp. is distinguished from congeners by the combination of deep grooves and pits on the dorsal surface of abdominal somite 5, 8–14 spines on lateral margin of the telson, numerous minute dorsal spines on the telson and abdominal somite 6, and large, pyriform submedian bosses on the telson preceded by a small rounded boss. Chorisquilla orientalis is morphologically closest to C. mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998, from Indonesia, but differs chiefly in the dorsal ornamentation of abdominal somite 6 and the telson and reaches a considerably larger size. Chorisquilla orientalis n. sp. shows developmental changes from juvenile to adult in the shape of the ocular scales and anterior margin of lateral plates of carapace, and in the number of lateral spines on telson. Also, C. mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998, which, to date has not been adequately illustrated, is redescribed and figured. A key to the Korean gonodactyloids is presented.

The pasiphaeid shrimp genus Eupasiphae Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1893 (Caridea: Pasiphaeidae) currently includes four bathypelagic species: Eupasiphae latirostris (Wood-Mason, 1891), E. gilesii (Wood-Mason, 1892), E. serrata Rathbun, 1902 and E. paucidentata Crosnier, 1988. The present work describes a further new species, Eupasiphae ostrovski n. sp., on the basis of material sampled at the continental shelf and slope of the Central Brazilian coast at depths of 200 – 2000 m. The new species is somewhat similar to E. paucidentata, only known from Madagascar, but can be easily distinguished from all other congeneric species by the number and shape of lateral carinae at carapace and by the middorsal carina of the carapace being without teeth anteriorly and with 0–3 posteriorly. The new species is the first Eupasiphae representative known from the southwestern Atlantic.

A new species of pinnotherid crab, Arcotheres shahi n. sp., is described on the basis of specimens collected during a crustacean survey along the coastal areas of Pamban fishing harbor in the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu state, east coast of India. The new species resembles A. pernicola (Bürger, 1895), A. winckworthi (Gordon, 1936) and A. rayi Ahyong & Ng, 2007, in having the dactyli of the longer fourth pereopod longer than that of fifth pereopod. Arcotheres shahi n. sp. differs from these three known species in the shape of female carapace, frontal region and chela, setal pattern on the dactyli of the fourth and fifth pereopods and relative length of the ambulatory pereiopods.

The genus Titidius Simon, 1895 belongs to the family Thomisidae Sundevall, 1833 and can be easily identified from the related genera Tmarus Simon, 1875 and Acentroscelus Simon, 1886 by the high carapace, anterior eye row straight and posterior eye row recurve-;pd in dorsal view, carapace smooth with moderate setation, abdomen longer than wide, legs long, slender and setose and clypeus vertical (Esmerio & Lise 1996). It is currently composed of 20 species, all occurring in Brazil with exception of Titidius ignestii Caporiacco, 1947 from Guyana (World Spider Catalog 2017). Eight species are distributed in the Amazon region (Esmerio & Lise 1996): T. caninde Esmerio & Lise, 1996, T. gurupi Esmerio & Lise, 1996, T. multifasciatus Mello-Leitão, 1929 and T. rubrosignatus (Keyserling, 1880) from Pará; T. galbanatus (Keyserling, 1880) from Amazonas and Pará; T. quinquenatus Mello-Leitão, 1929 and T. urucu from Amazonas; and T. rubescens Carporiacco, 1947 from Amazonas and Roraima.

The Australian wolf spider (Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833) genus Tasmanicosa Roewer, 1959 with Lycosa tasmanica Hogg, 1905 as type species is revised to include 14 species: T. godeffroyi (L. Koch, 1865), comb. nov. (= Lycosa tasmanica Hogg, 1905, syn. nov.; = Lycosa zualella Strand, 1907, syn. nov.; = Lycosa woodwardi Simon, 1909, syn. nov.); T. fulgor sp. nov.; T. gilberta (Hogg, 1905) comb. nov.; T. harmsi sp. nov.; T. hughjackmani sp. nov.; T. kochorum sp. nov.; T. leuckartii (Thorell, 1870), comb. nov. (= Lycosa molyneuxi Hogg, 1905, syn. nov.); T. musgravei (McKay, 1974) comb. nov.; T. phyllis (Hogg, 1905) comb. nov. (= Lycosa stirlingae Hogg, 1905, syn. nov.); T. ramosa (L. Koch, 1877), comb. nov.; T. salmo sp. nov.; T. semicincta (L. Koch, 1877) comb. nov.; T. stella sp. nov.; and T. subrufa (Karsch, 1878) comb. nov. Within the Australian wolf spider fauna, the genus Tasmanicosa can be diagnosed by the distinct pattern of radiating light and dark lines forming a “Union-Jack” pattern on the carapace. Male pedipalp morphology identifies the genus as part of the subfamily Lycosinae Sundevall, 1833 due to the presence of a transverse tegular apophysis with dorsal groove guiding the embolus during copulation. However, genital morphology is variable and a synapomorphy based on male pedipalp or female epigyne morphology could not be identified. Members of Tasmanicosa are comparatively large spiders (body length ca. 12–30 mm), that build a shallow burrow, which is sometimes covered with a flimsy trapdoor. Species of Tasmanicosa are largely a Bassian faunal element with preference for open woodlands and/or floodplains, although some species can be found into the semi-arid Australian interior. Two Australian wolf spider species may represent Tasmanicosa based on their original descriptions, but due to immature types in combination with the somatic similarities of all Tasmanicosa species, cannot be identified with certainty. They are therefore considered nomina dubia : Lycosa excusor L. Koch, 1867 and Lycosa infensa L. Koch, 1877. The type species of Orthocosa Roewer, 1960 is transferred to Tasmanicosa ; however, in order to prevent some non-Australian wolf spiders in the genus Orthocosa to be transferred into Tasmanicosa, which is considered endemic to Australia, we here place these species into more appropriate genera based on their original descriptions pending a future revision of these species: Arctosa ambigua Denis, 1947 comb. reval.; Alopecosa orophila (Thorell, 1887) comb. nov.; Hygrolycosa tokinagai Saito, 1936 comb. reval. Orthocosa sternomaculata (Mello-Leitao, 1943) is considered a junior synonym of Hogna birabeni (Mello-Leitao, 1943) comb. nov.

The Miocene Conidae and Conorbidae of the central- and south-eastern European Paratethys Sea are revised. In total, 74 species are described of which 10 are new species and 5 are documented for the first time from Paratethyan localities. Species descriptions and delimitations are partly based on morphometric data. In addition, colour patterns are described for the first time for the majority of species. In respect to the ongoing discussion on the supraspecific treatment of extant Conidae, we strongly focus on generic allocations and provide a key for the genera as understood herein. Biogeographically, the larger part of the assemblage indicates affiliation with modern western African faunas as indicated by the occurrence of genera such as Lautoconus, Kalloconus, Monteiroconus and Pseudonoduloconus . The relationship with Indo-West Pacific faunas is comparatively low. The high alpha-diversities observed for localities in the Pannonian, Transylvanian and Vienna basins, with up to 44 species, is a marker of tropical conditions in the Paratethys Sea during middle Miocene times. Conasprella minutissima nov. sp. , Kalloconus hendricksi nov. sp., Kalloconus letkesensis nov. sp. , Kalloconus pseudohungaricus nov. sp. , Lautoconus kovacsi nov. sp. , Lautoconus pestensis nov. sp. , Lautoconus quaggaoides nov. sp. , Leporiconus paratethyianus nov. sp. , Plagioconus breitenbergeri nov. sp. and Plagioconus bellissimus nov. sp. are described as new species; Conilithes eichwaldi nov. nom. is proposed as new name for Conus exiguus Eichwald, 1830 [non Lamarck, 1810].

Neocaridina davidi is a caridean shrimp that has gained popularity in recent years as an ornamental species. Using geometric morphometrics, we investigated sexual dimorphism in carapace and second abdominal segment shape of N. davidi. Adult females displayed a more elongated carapace and a longer rostrum than males. However, male carapace shape was similar to that of juvenile females. The second abdominal pleura was more elongated and wider in adult females than in males. Significant differences were found in centroid size for the carapace and the second abdominal segment between sexes, which is consistent with sexual size dimorphism. These results support the hypothesis of a "pure search" mating system in N. davidi, where small males search actively for receptive females, and after insemination they continue searching. Fil: Sganga, Daniela Eliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Fernandez Piana, Lucas Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Investigaciones Matemáticas "Luis A. Santaló". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Matemáticas "Luis A. Santaló"; Argentina Fil: Lopez, Laura Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina

Stenocionops furcatus (Olivier, 1791) and S. coelatus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1878) have been treated either as subspecies or as species in their own right, but never as each other's synonyms. Compared to S. coelatus, S. furcatus has been regarded as having smoother dorsal surface carapace, shorter rostral spines, straighter and less divergent rostrum. and smaller interorbital width. These morphological differences between the two species, however, can be attributed to changes over ontogeny and, therefore, cannot be used as distinguishing characters. Adults of S. coelatus and S. furcatus can, however, be safely separated from each other by the presence in S. coelatus of a strong crenation on the anterior margin of the male sterno-abdominal cavity, which is absent in S. furcatus. A lectotype for S. coelatus is designated. The synonymy between S. furcatus, Cancer cornudo Herbst, 1804, and Chorinus armatus Randall, 1839, is confirmed based on the holotypes of the latter two species.

The genus Bucardium J. E. Gray, 1853 has been widely used in the past literature, either for living and fossil cardiids, but only a single species was known, its type species B . ringens (Bruguiere, 1789), living in the tropical waters of West Africa. Another species, from the Lower Miocene of the Aquitaine Basin, turned out to be undescribed, though known since the 19th century. It is herein described as Bucardium grateloupianum n. sp. The genus seems to have always had a low diversity and a tropical distribution. Its disappearance in Europe coincides with the general cooling trend recorded after the Middle Miocene. Several poorly known cardiids from the Lower-Middle Miocene of France and Austria and from the Upper Oligocene of Hungary show closer morphological affinities with the living Cardium indicum Lamarck, 1819, rather than with the genus Bucardium or with Cardium costatum Linnaeus, 1758, the type species of Cardium Linnaeus, 1758. These affinities suggest the need of a systematic reappraisal of the living and fossil species currently assigned to Cardium .

Architectonicidae is a diverse family of heterobranch sea snails comprising over 11 genera and 140 extant species distributed worldwide (Bieler & Petit, 2005). They live in shallow to deep water, and have turbinate to discoidal shells, with a typically wide umbilicus and a downward-pointing (heterostrophic) protoconch (Healy, 1998). Pseudotorinia phorcysi Cavallari, Salvador & Simone, 2013 is a deep-water species known only from its type locality in the SW Atlantic, off Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (23°41'S 42°06'W, 430–450 m depth). Its original description was based on a single eroded juvenile specimen collected by the French-Brazilian expedition “Marion Dufresne” MD55 in the late 1980s (Cavallari et al ., 2014).

Based on morphological data a total of nine native species of Philinidae are recognized from the northeastern Pacific including the Bering Sea and the adjacent Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea). Four of them have been previously described: Philine ornatissima Yokoyama, 1927, Philine bakeri Dall, 1919, Philine polystrigma (Dall, 1908), and Philine hemphilli Dall, 1919. Five of them are new and described herein: Philine mcleani sp. nov., Philine baxteri sp. nov., Philine malaquiasi sp. nov., Philine wareni sp. nov., and Philine harrisae sp. nov. These species display a substantial degree of variation in internal and external morphological traits (i.e., presence/absence of gizzard plates, different radular structure and tooth morphology, various reproductive anatomical features) and it is likely that they belong to different clades (genera). However, in the absence of a comprehensive phylogeny for Philine, they are here provisionally regarded as Philine sensu lato. In addition to the nine native species, two introduced species: Philine orientalis A. Adams, 1854 and Philine auriformis Suter, 1909 are here illustrated and compared to the native species to facilitate identification. Finally, two species previously considered members of Philinidae are examined anatomically and confirmed as members of Laonidae, Laona californica (Willett, 1944) and Philinorbidae, Philinorbis albus (Mattox, 1958), based on morphological data.

Limestone and marl from Maria Farinha Formation (Paraíba Basin, NE Brazil) accumulated in a shallow continental shelf environment during the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean in early Paleocene (Danian). It contains a rich paleontological record, which comprises many marine invertebrates, several species of bony and cartilaginous fishes, a crocodyliform and turtle remains. Here, we describe a new genus and species of pleurodire turtle from Maria Farinha Formation, based on a nearly complete plastron, an incomplete left pelvic girdle, and four dermal plates of the carapace. We tested the phylogenetic position of Inaechelys pernambucensis gen. et sp. nov. by including it in a comprehensive cladistic analysis of pleurodires. The new species is included within Botrhemydidae, with affinities to Bothremydini, positioned as sister group of Rosasia soutoi. Inaechelys pernambucensis gen. et sp. nov. differs from R. soutoi for the almost straight anterior lobe cranial edge of its plastron, as well as for its pentagonal shaped entoplastron and its abdominal shield midline, which is considerably smaller than the respective femoral shield midline. Inaechelys pernambucensis is the first turtle species formally described from Brazilian Paleocene strata. Within Bothremydidae, it is also the first conclusively fully marine species described for this country. This new record contributes to the understanding of the ecology and paleobiogeographical distribution of Bothremydidae family.

In many Opiliones (notably the Laniatores) the five most anterior opisthosomal tergites are fused with the carapace forming the so called dorsal scutum (DS) (Latreille 1804; Simon 1879; Hadži 1942) with a highly variable shape arising from multiple factors, such as differential development of musculature (especially of coxa IV), internal organs and influence of appendages (Loman 1903; Winkler 1957). The different degrees of fusion of the tergites were first studied by Hadži (1942), who proposed a terminology for them. This terminology was adopted and enhanced by Kratochvíl (1958) and Martens (1978). A shield formed by the fusion of the carapace with abdominal tergites I to V is called scutum magnum (Hadži 1942). The shield formed by the fusion of carapace with abdominal tergites I to VII is called scutum complexum (Kratochvíl 1958) and occurs in the males of Heteropachylinae Kury, 1994 (Kury 1994) and Paralolidae Kratochvíl, 1958 (Kratochvíl 1958). Finally, the scutum completum (Hadži 1942) is formed by the complete fusion of the carapace and abdominal scutum, formed by tergites I to VIII, and occurs in the Sandokanidae (Martens 1978). In this paper we focus on the different forms of the scutum magnum.

A new polydorin species, Polydora lingshuiensis sp. n., which is found not only in burrows of pearl oyster shells (shell-boring type) but also in mudtubes on the surface of pearl oyster cages (tube-dwelling type), is described with the use of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and molecular phylogeny. Morphological and molecular distinctions between P. lingshuiensis and other related species reveal that P. lingshuiensis is a valid new species. The reproduction characteristic that the eggs of P. lingshuiensis are gathered together in one hollow cylinder is another piece of evidence confirming that it is indeed a valid new species. Sequence comparisons based on nuclear 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and mitochondrial 16S rDNA show that strains of the shell-boring type possess as high as 99.9% to 100% sequence identity relative to those of the tube-dwelling type. This finding evidently indicates that these species types are conspecific. We also find that a comparison of mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences can provide a higher resolution of polydorin species than those of the nuclear 18S rDNA because the former has a higher interspecific/intraspecific difference ratio. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rDNA sequences indicate that all P. lingshuiensis samples group together to forming a sister clade to Polydora uncinata and thus fall within Polydora aura/P. uncinata clade.

Four species of palicoid crabs, Neopalicus jukesii (White, 1847) and Rectopalicus ampullatus Castro, 2000 of the family Palicidae, and Crossotonotus spinipes (De Man, 1888) and a new species of Pleurophricus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873 of the family Crossotonotidae, are recorded from the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Diagnostics for the new species are the protruded bilobed front, six subacute lobate teeth at each lateral margin of the carapace, six rounded lobes at the posterior margin of the carapace, a crested armature of the cheliped carpus, and the strongly depressed ambulatory legs, which readily distinguish it from its two congeners, P. cristatipes A. Milne-Edwards, 1873 known by two males from Australia and the Kai Islands in Indonesia, and P. longirostris (MoosaSerène, 1981) known by a female from the Sunda Strait, Indonesia.

The Polystira clade (here comprising Polystira and Pleuroliria) is a poorly known but hyper-diverse clade within the neogastropod family Turridae (sensu stricto). It has extensively radiated within the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, to which it is endemic. In this paper we present a synthetic overview of existing information on this radiation together with new information on estimated species diversity, systematic relationships, a species-level molecular phylogenetic analysis and preliminary macroecological and diversification analyses, to serve as a platform for further study. We currently estimate that about 300 species (122 extant) are known from its 36 million year history but this number will undoubtedly increase as we extend our studies. We discuss the relationships of Polystira to other Neotropical Turridae (s.s.) and examine the taxonomy and systematics of the geologically oldest described members of the clade. To aid taxonomic description of shells we introduce a new notation for homologous major spiral cords. Focusing on key publications, we discuss in detail the changing historical understanding of the taxonomy of the clade and the relationships of its component genus-level taxa: Polystira Woodring, 1928, Pleuroliria de Gregorio, 1890, Josephina Gardner, 1945 and Oxytropa Glibert, 1955. We designate a neotype for Pleurotoma (Pleuroliria) supramirifica de Gregorio, 1890, to stabilize our understanding of this, the type species of Pleuroliria. Application of the name Oxytropa is restricted to the type species. The genus Polystira is conchologically re-described and for the first time we synthesize available information on the anatomy, feeding and toxinology, reproduction and life history, larval modes and life habits, and geographic and bathymetric ranges of its species. We give an updated list of the 19 formally described living species and present the pitfalls of the currently poor species-level taxonomy of Polystira using case examples. We present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 22 extant species using three mitochondrial gene fragments (COI, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). This reveals undescribed species and indicates that Recent genetic clades ('biospecies') are consistent with finely divided conchological 'morphospecies'. Historically, there has been a slow realisation of the high species diversity of the Polystira clade and we consider that this may be due to inadequate precision of morphological description of shells and a lack of clear homology statements. We suggest how these both might be improved. Finally, using a data compilation based on museum specimens we examine species range-size distributions and species abundance distributions for 85 of the 112 extant western Atlantic species that we have delimited to date. Our results indicate that the majority of species are rare and have short geographic ranges; only a few are wide-ranging and abundant. This has important implications for surveys of biodiversity.

Bela Leach in Gray is a misapplied and broadly defined genus within the family Mangeliidae Fischer, 1883. Examination of material from the Montagu collection at the Royal Albert Memorial MuseumArt Gallery (RAMM) in Exeter (UK) led to the discovery of six specimens of Murex nebula Montagu 1803 (the type species of Bela). This material is considered to belong to the original lot used by Montagu to define his species. We selected the best-preserved specimen as a lectotype. The lectotype and paralectotypes deposited at the RAMM are fully described and illustrated. Furthermore, diagnostic characters for recognizing B. nebula specimens are presented: protoconch shows weak ornamentation; teleoconch is fusiform with slightly convex whorls characterized by broad, suture-to-suture ribs and dense but weak spiral elements; outer lip is thin; anal sinus is shallow, placed on the shoulder ramp. These key features are of basic importance for: i) restricting the usage of the genus Bela and promoting its stability and consistent usage in literature and ii) separating two allied (and sometimes interchanged) genera: Bela and Mangelia Risso 1826.