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Brucethoa bharata gen. et sp. nov. is described from the host fish Glossanodon macrocephalus Bineesh and Endo, 2019 (Argentinidae), at depths of 300–600 metres from the south-west coast of India. This monotypic genus is characterised by a head weakly immersed in pereonite 1, dorsum strongly vaulted, pereonites 6 and 7 with posterolateral margin expanded and coxae not visible in dorsal view, relatively wide pleon, pleonite ventrolateral margins produced with lateral gaps evident, both antennae slender, with antennula slightly longer than antenna, and large pleopod rami that extend laterally well beyond the pleotelson margins. Ovigerous females were found in the branchial cavity of the hosts and have proximally thickened oostegites with the posterior marsupium partly enclosed by two sub-rectangular fleshy lobes. All life stages of the new species are described [including females (ovigerous and non-ovigerous), male, transitional and larvae (premanca and manca)]. The species is currently known only from the type locality and the type host. A revised key to the marine branchial cymothoid genera of the world is provided. Publication LSID: lsid: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ichthyodectiform fish, Amakusaichthys goshouraensis gen. et sp. nov. is described based on several specimens from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Hinoshima Formation of the Himenoura Group at Goshoura, Amakusa, Kumamoto in Kyushu, Japan. Amakusaichthys is hypothesized to form a clade with the genus Heckelichthys from the North Atlantic and western Tethyan regions. This new species is highly distinct from other ichthyodectiforms in having the long snout and small mouth with fine conical teeth, which indicates this group had greater diversity than it had been thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Movement of organisms is an important activity that has ecological and evolutionary implications, including individual reproductive success and survival, population growth and persistence, local adaptation, and gene flow. Expression of movement behavior has traditionally been termed dispersal and measured relative to home ranges. This simplistic approach belies the complexity of the process. Movement of freshwater stream fish has been at times viewed as predominantly restricted in nature, but recent research challenges this paradigm since some distribution of movement exists in every population. A better research approach is to understand the drivers that promote or limit movement. Drivers of movement can be categorized as extrinsic ecological factors (context dependent), e.g., habitat quality, habitat variability, and the presence of predators, and intrinsic traits of the fish (condition dependent), such as body size and condition. One intrinsic trait that has received relatively little attention is the inherent personality to be sedentary or mobile, and how this interacts with the suite of traits and behaviors to drive movement. Future movement behavior research should focus on the interaction of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers to better understand the evolutionary and ecological implications of movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant taxonomic ambiguity among snow trout species due to their morphometric similarities. In view of this, a morphometric and molecular study was conducted on five different species of genusSchizothoraxthat have been reported from Kashmir valley. Morphometric data analyzed using multivariate statistics (Principal component analysis and cluster analysis) indicated the significant grouping of species to individual clusters. Mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene analysis revealed 0.2%–4.5% genetic divergence among the five species. This study confirms that utility of cytochrome oxidase I in species delineation along with morphometric data. Phylogenetic tree obtained using Neighbor-Joining method revealed that all the five species represented distinct species group. TheSchizothoraxgenus formed two distinct clades; one containingS. niger, S. curvifronsandS. plagiostomus,while other clade containingS. esocinusandS. labiatus. This phlogeny trend was also supported by cluster analysis of morphometric characters. The phylogenetic analysis with other published COI sequences revealed distinct nature of these five species. The study may aid in the taxonomic identification of snow trout species in India. This may further increase the knowledge of the ichthyologists in planning conservation and management strategies for these important fish species along with their natural habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the acute toxicity of ammonia and nitrite to three developmental stages of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) larvae (11, 22, and 35 days after hatching, with mean total lengths of 4.63 ± 0.14, 5.83 ± 0.17, and 7.46 ± 0.23 mm, respectively). The results showed for the first time that the acute toxicity of ammonia and nitrite is closely related to the age of Pacific cod larvae, and the acute toxicity of ammonia or nitrite increased with increased Pacific cod larval growth. Lethal concentrations (LC50) of un-ionized ammonia nitrogen (UIAN) for a 48-h exposure in 11-day post-hatch, 22-day post-hatch, and 35-day post-hatch Pacific cod larvae were 1.72, 0.69, and 0.32 mg L−1, respectively. The 48-h LC50 of nitrite nitrogen to Pacific cod larvae 11-day post-hatch, 22-day post-hatch, and 35-day post-hatch were 831.76, 269.15, and 223.87 mg L−1, respectively. The present findings demonstrate that the acute toxicity of ammonia for Pacific cod larvae is much higher than that of nitrite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of the callionymid fish genusDiplogrammusof the Red Sea are reviewed. Four species are recognized:D. gruveliSmith, 1963 from the northern Gulf of Suez and Suez Canal;D. infulatusSmith, 1963 from the western shores of the Red Sea and the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba;D. paucispinisn. sp. from the eastern shore of the Red Sea;D. randalliFricke, 1983 from the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba.Diplogrammus paucispinisn. sp. is characterized by having three or four curved spinules on the dorsal margin of the preopercular spine, first dorsal fin with a filament in males but not in females, first spine significantly longer than first ray of the second dorsal fin in males, anal fin translucent in males with outer one-third black, no bluish lines on head and body in males. A key to the species ofDiplogrammusis presented; endemism of Red Sea fish species is discussed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:848161AE-0E4C-456E-8743-E5E3F62AB507 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new genus and two new species of the Bathynellidae Grobben, 1905 family are described from Spain.Paradoxiclamousellagen. nov. has a unique combination of morphological characters, which includes eight-segmented antenna, medial seta on exopod of antenna, antennule slightly longer than antenna, three-segmented mandibular palp, three segments on endopod of thoracopods I to V and four on thoracopods VI and VII, four spines on the sympod of uropod and three lobes (plus a very long frontal projection) on the penial region of the male thoracopod VIII.Paradoxiclamousella fidelisp. nov. displays a unique combination of morphological characters and has two exclusive characters: the shape of the outer protuberance and the bilobulated inner lobe of the male thoracopod VIII.Paradoxiclamousella piratasp. nov. also displays a unique combination of morphological characters. Partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I have also been obtained from specimens of four populations, including the two type localities of the two new species. The analyses of molecular data demonstrate the presence of two highly divergent genetic units (from three localities), corresponding to two new species. The mitocondrial DNA information obtained in this study complements the traditional morphological taxonomic description supporting the validity of both new species.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DD85D5EB-D02D-40FE-BEE0-3FE26D645C4E [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allometric growth patterns of functional morphological variables that reflect resource use in fish were correlated with the diet of Diplodus capensis in southern Angola. A total of 114 individuals (76-336 mm FL) were collected for stomach content analysis and a further 35 individuals (80-320 mm FL) for morphometric analysis. The major dietary components belonged to the groups Chlorophyta, Cirripedia, Rhodophyta and Bivalvia, and made up 71.7 of the diet in terms of a computed ranking index. There was a clear ontogenetic dietary shift with small fish feeding predominantly on algae and large fish on barnacles and mussels. This increasingly durophagous diet corresponded with a positive allometric growth pattern in the gape dimensions (width, height and surface area), adductor mandibulae muscle process and incisor width. Conversely, the relative gut length followed an isometric growth pattern, suggesting a decreased absorptive capacity. This isometric growth pattern is attributed to the better digestibility of the durophagous prey items when compared with algae and further corroborates a link between the morphology and an ontogenetic dietary shift observed in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal variations in the abundance of cyanobacteria and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) were investigated in Lake Biwa of Japan. High CPUE occurred from late spring to autumn when cyanobacteria dominated the community of photosynthetic plankton. However, the CPUE decreased substantially when the population density of cyanobacteria increased dramatically within an hour. Seasonal variation in the body weight of the fish with a fixed length was estimated from the length-weight relationships, revealing that body weight increased rapidly in early spring and reached its first peak in late spring, eventually decreasing in autumn after reaching the second peak. In May, bluegill fed on extremely large numbers of Bosmina longirostris when it dominated the zooplankton community. From June, the main diet of the bluegill became epiphytic filamentous green algae, which are the competitors for cyanobacteria. The biomass of submersed macrophytes in Lake Biwa has increased recently, potentially affecting cyanobacteria adversely since submersed macrophytes release allelochemicals and provide a habitat for cladocerans. However, propagation of submersed macrophytes also benefits bluegill, possibly contributing to the dominance of cyanobacteria by reducing the amounts of cladocerans and epiphytic algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many evolutionary biologists have stressed that functional uncouplings play an important role in morphological macroevolution, as they facilitate diversification and speciation by increasing the number of degrees of freedom and allowing more mechanical solutions for functional problems. In the present paper, the importance of functional uncouplings in the evolution of six major catfish structural complexes is briefly discussed, namely those constituted by the mandibular barbels and associated structures, the pectoral girdle complex, the elastic spring apparatus, the suspensorium, the palatine-maxillary system, and the adductor mandibulae complex. The overview of these major structural complexes indicates that functional uncouplings did effectively play an essential role on catfish evolutionary history. The study of this cosmopolitan and particularly diverse group representing about one-third of all freshwater fishes thus supports the importance of functional uncouplings in morphological macroevolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genomes are sequenced in two individuals representing two morphological forms, ‘usual’ (U) and ‘gray’ (G), of the short-spined sea urchinStrongylocentrotus intermedius. The genome sequences are 15,705 bp in size, and the gene arrangement, composition, and size are very similar to the other sea urchin mitochondrial genomes published previously. A low level of sequence divergence (Dxy = 0.0083 ± 0.0007) is detected between the forms. The GenBank (KC490912) mt genome ofS. intermediusis much closer to the U form (Dxy = 0.0013 ± 0.0003) than to the G form (Dxy = 0.0085 ± 0.0006), demonstrating unique evolutionary trajectories for each form, which we previously suggested based on thebindingene and symbiont analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The golden drum (Chrysochir aurenus) is an important food fish of Indo-West Pacific and China. To study the phylogenetic status, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome ofC. aurenus. The mitogenome is 16 505 bp in length and composed of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and a control region. The gene composition and the structural arrangement ofC. aurenuscomplete mtDNA were identical to most of other vertebrates. The phylogenetic analysis using the complete mitochondrial genome revealed that theC. aurenusmight be grouped in different genera of Argyrosominae, but not belonged to Otolithinae, which was highly consistent with that based on the morphology. The present study will be helpful for the evolution and conservation genetic studies ofC. aurenus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We present the complete mitochondrial genome ofSinibotia robustain this study. The mitochondrial genome is 16 575 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region. The nucleotide compositions of the light strand are 31.9% A, 25.7% T, 26.9% C and 15.5% G. Except ND6 and eight tRNA genes, all other mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy strand. The genus most related to Botia Gray was Leptobotia Bleeker and Parabotia Sauvage, as revealed by phylogenetic relationships derived using a maximum likelihood tree. This mitogenome will help elucidate the morphological systematic complexity and phylogenetic structure of Cobitidae and related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly diverse tropical freshwater fish family Cichlidae is sparsely represented in the fossil record. Here we describe the new cichlid †Tugenchromis pickfordi, gen. et sp. nov., from the Upper Miocene (9–10 Ma) of central Kenya. The new taxon possesses a unique combination of characters, including six lateral line foramina on the lacrimal, three lateral line segments, cycloid scales, and a low number of vertebrae (29), dorsal fin spines (13), and dorsal soft rays (9). Its lacrimal morphology and tripartite lateral line suggest an affinity with the present-day Lake Tanganyika tribes Ectodini and Limnochromini, and thus with members of the ‘East African Radiation’ among the African cichlids. To further elucidate the relationships of †T. pickfordi, we used a comprehensive comparative data set comprising meristic data from all present-day tribes of the ‘East African Radiation.’ Principal coordinates analyses support links between the fossil and Ectodini + Limnochromini, and additionally with modern Haplochromini. We conclude that †T. pickfordicould be an extinct lineage within the ‘most ancient Tanganyika tribes,’ or a stem lineage of the ‘ancient Tanganyika mouthbrooders.’ A direct relationship to the Haplochromini is unlikely because its members do not exhibit the derived characteristics of the lacrimal as seen in †T. pickfordi. Because Lake Tanganyika is located in the western branch of the East African Rift System, †T. pickfordifrom the eastern branch supports the ‘melting-pot Tanganyika hypothesis,’ which posits that the cichlids of modern Lake Tanganyika are derived from riverine lineages that had already diversified prior to the lake formation. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:37520070-99B3-463C-B8E6-9452D1F62722 SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP. Citation for this article: Altner, M., U. K. Schliewen, S. B. R. Penk, and B. Reichenbacher. 2017 . †Tugenchromis pickfordi, gen. et sp. nov., from the upper Miocene—a stem-group cichlid of the ‘East African Radiation’. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1297819. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]