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In a parasitological survey of fishes from Moreton Bay (southeastern Queensland, Australia), 169 teleost fishes, representing 54 species from 28 families, were examined for larval cestodes. Of these 54 species, 36 were found to be infected by metacestodes. Metacestodes were characterised by morphological and molecular data (the D1-D3 region of the 28S rDNA gene); these data were analysed in parallel to inform larval type allocation. Metacestodes collected represented eight morphological types, seven previously reported (Types I, II, IV, V, VI, VII, and X) and one novel type (Type XVI). Phylogenetic analyses were conducted to genetically match larval types to adult cestodes. Six of the eight larval types found were matched to adult forms: Type I metacestodes matched species of Phoreiobothrium Linton, 1889 (Onchobothriidae); Type II metacestodes matched species of Acanthobothrium van Beneden, 1849 (Onchobothriidae); Type IV metacestodes matched species of Scyphophyllidium Woodland, 1927 and Alexandercestus Ruhnke & Workman, 2013 (Phyllobothriidae); Type VI metacestodes matched species of Anthobothrium van Beneden, 1850 (Tetraphyllidea incertae sedis); Type X metacestodes matched species of Ambitalveolus Caira & Jensen, 2022 (Tetraphyllidea incertae sedis); and Type XVI metacestodes matched species of Platybothrium Linton, 1890 (Onchobothriidae). Based on phylogenetic topology, Type V metacestodes are inferred to match Pedibothrium Linton, 1909 (Balanobothriidae) and Type VII metacestodes are inferred to match Spongiobothrium Linton, 1889 (Rhinebothriidae). These findings support and extend the unified morphological type system proposed previously, but suggest that morphological types will ultimately be informative to identify metacestodes to a group of related genera rather than any distinct genus., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Pleustonic organisms form an important part of pelagic ecosystems by contributing to pelagic trophic chains and supporting connectivity between oceanic habitats. This study systematically analysed the trematode community harboured by pleustonic molluscs and cnidarians from offshore Queensland, Australia. Four mollusc and three cnidarian species were collected from beaches of North Stradbroke Island, Queensland. Two mollusc species and all three cnidarians harboured large numbers of hemiuroid metacercariae (Trematoda: Hemiuroidea). Eight taxa from four hemiuroid families (Accacoeliidae, Didymozoidae, Hemiuridae and Sclerodistomidae) were distinguished via molecular sequencing. Four of those taxa were identified to species. All trematode taxa except one didymozoid were shared by two or more host species; five species occurred in both gastropods and cnidarians. It is hypothesised that the life-cycles of these hemiuroids are highly plastic, involving multiple opportunistic pathways of metacercarial transmission to the definitive hosts. Transmission and the use of pleuston by hemiuroids likely varies with sea surface use and ontogenetic trophic shifts of apex predators. The small number of trematode species found in pleuston is consistent with significant ecological specificity, and the inference that other pelagic trematodes use alternative pathways of transmission that do not involve pleustonic organisms. Such pathways may involve i) pelagic hosts exclusively; ii) benthic or demersal hosts exclusively, consumed by apex predators during their dives; or iii) both benthic and pelagic hosts in transmission chains dependent on vertical migrations of prey. The influence of the connectivity of open-ocean ecosystems on parasite transmission is identified as an area in critical need of research., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

We describe a new genus Cryptocroton n. gen. for Amblyomma papuanum Hirst, 1914, a tick of North Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea.

This research presents three new species of carnivorous sponges from the family Cladorhizidae from the Great Barrier Reef, in Queensland, Australia: Abyssocladia falkor sp. nov., Abyssocladia jeanvaceleti sp. nov. and Axoniderma wanda sp. nov. They were collected by ROV during the expedition FK200802-Seamounts, Canyons & Reefs of the Coral Sea Cruise on the RV Falkor from the Schmidt Ocean Institute. In addition, the ROV collection of two complete specimens enabled the redescription of two other Australian species of carnivorous sponge (Chondrocladia (Chondrocladia) zygainadentonis Ekins et al., 2020a and Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) maxisigma Ekins et al., 2020a), previously known from the East coast of Australia based on incomplete specimens.

A new species of Samadinia Richer de Forges & Ng, 2013, is described from deep-water off northeastern Queensland, Australia. Samadinia hela n. sp. is distinctive in having pseudorostral spines longer than the maximum carapace length, slender preorbital spines that are curved inwards over the base of the rostrum, and long and laterally flattened hepatic and lateral bracnchial spine plates. A new record of S. despereaux (Lee, Richer de Forges & Ng, 2019) from Queensland is also reported in this study.

This contribution details the morphology, distribution, and song characteristics of a new grass cicada species within the genus Mugadina Moulds, 2012, previously represented by only two much smaller species. The new species is M. superba sp. n. It occurs widely in central Queensland, occurring in a broad curved zone between the western desert areas and the eastern coast. Details of the morphology and the ticking calling songs presented are given, and detailed comparisons are made of morphology and songs between M. superba sp. n. and M. marshalli (Distant, 1911).

Rodents are the most widespread and diverse order of vertebrate mycophagists and are key to the dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi. Rodents consume and subsequently disperse fungi through their feces on every continent except Antarctica. This study examines the fungal taxa consumed by the Hastings River mouse ( Pseudomys oralis ), an endangered Australian endemic rodent from the family Muridae. We analyzed 251 fecal samples collected over a 19-year period between 1993 and 2012 at sites throughout the distribution of the animal in New South Wales and Queensland. We show that at least 16 genera of mycorrhizal fungi are eaten by this species and that it is therefore playing an important role as a vector of ectomycorrhizal truffle-like fungi in eastern Australia. Similar to the fungal diets of other mammals in eastern Australia, seasonal fungal consumption was greatest in autumn and winter. The dietary diversity of P. oralis also appeared to follow a geographic trend from south to north; samples collected at sites in the southern part of the species' range had greater diversity than those from sites in the northern part of the range, and overall, diets from southern sites yielded more fungal taxa than did northern sites. This study provides novel insights into the diet of P. oralis and highlights the importance of previously overlooked ecosystem services this species provides through its dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi.

Ipsvicia Tillyard, 1919, and Ipsviciopsis Tillyard, 1922, in Tillyard's new family, Ipsviciidae, were two of the most impressive insects from the Denmark Hill locality of the Late Triassic (Norian) Blackstone Formation, Ipswich Coal Measures, south-eastern Queensland. Substantial new material, including several fragmentary body specimens, from the Dinmore locality in the same formation, has enabled a revision of the two genera, with the following results: Ipsvicia jonesi Tillyard, 1919 (= Ipsvicia maculata Tillyard, 1919, syn. nov., = Ipsvicia acutipennis Tillyard, 1919, syn. nov.), Ipsviciopsis elegans Tillyard, 1922 (= Ipsviciopsis magna Tillyard, 1922, syn. nov.). The tegmen of Ipsviciopsis is distinguished from that of Ipsvicia on its narrower shape and less convex costal margin, simpler surface sculpture, longer basal cell, sinuous R, only slightly angulate CuA, and sinuous base of 1A. The tegmina of both I. jonesi and I. elegans are noteworthy for their variability in apical venation and shape of the apex, with no two specimens quite the same. The tegmen of I. jonesi has extraordinary surface sculpture comprising patches of fine tubercles set in a coarser tuberculate/punctate groundmass, the patches extremely variable in shape and pattern, again with no two specimens the same. A new diagnosis of the Ipsviciidae has identified the unique form of the distal portion of Sc (dSc-a long groove running along the costal space and crossed by many costal veinlets), the complex and highly variable apical venation, and the simple CuA, as the most distinctive characters. Analysis of all previous taxa which have been referred to the Ipsviciidae restricts the family to the Middle to Late Triassic, with records from Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan and Kyrgyzstan, and with one Early Jurassic record from Kyrgyzstan. Ipsvicia langenbergensis Barth, Ansorge et Brauckmann, 2011, from the Late Triassic of Germany meets the diagnosis of Ipsviciopsis and is transferred as Ipsviciopsis langenbergensis (Barth, Ansorge et Brauckmann, 2011) comb. nov. All previous Permian records of the family have now been transferred to other families of the Scyctinopteroidea, and there are also numerous additional unconfirmed Triassic records. The new body specimens of both Ipsvicia and Ipsviciopsis show that the ipsviciids where robust hemipterans with tough, coriaceous, fairly flatly-folded tegmina, with a large, shield-like, highly sculptured pronotum covering all but the mesoscutellum, and apparently much of the head. The body form is not dissimilar to ground-dwelling cockroaches, or more especially some ground-dwelling moist environment Heteroptera, such as the nepomorph family Gelastocoridae. This body form, as well as their frequent occurrence among the rich Dicroidium-dominant flood plain and swamp flora of the Dinmore locality, where they represent nearly 20% of the preserved insect fauna (cockroaches represent 25%), suggest that the ipsviciids were ground-dwelling insects of moisture-rich floral environments.

This extinct cicadomorphan family Hylicellidae was a significant element of the Late Triassic (Norian) hemipteran fauna of south-eastern Queensland, represented by the tegmina of five monotypic genera from the fossil insect localities at Mount Crosby, Denmark Hill and Dinmore. Of the five, Mesothymbris Evans, 1956, from Mount Crosby, has previously been re-examined. The present work revises the remaining four genera: Hylicella Evans, 1956, with Hylicella colorata Evans, 1956, Mount Crosby; Crosbella Evans, 1956 (= Mesocicadella Evans, 1956, syn. nov.), with Crosbella elongata Evans, 1956 (= Crosbella alata Evans, 1956, syn. nov. = Mesocicadella venosa Evans, 1956, syn. nov. = Mesocicadella punctata Evans, 1961, syn. nov.), Mount Crosby; Triassoscelis Evans, 1956, with Triassoscelis anomala Evans, 1956, Mount Crosby; and Mesocixiodes Tillyard, 1922, with Mesocixiodes termioneura Tillyard, 1922 (= Mesocixiodes brachyclada Tillyard, 1922, syn. nov.), Denmark Hill, Dinmore. The Hylicellidae remains poorly defined as is its generic composition, however, the four Queensland Triassic genera are quite distinct. Hylicella is distinguished by the partial fusion of CuA1 with M3+4, and the very large intra-medial cell, and Crosbella and Triassoscelis by the peculiar parallelogram-like CuA1 cell and the widened peripheral membrane at CuA. Triassoscelis differs from Crosbella in its broader, more squat wing shape, CuA fork in line rather than proximal to the M fork, and much less proliferated apical venation. Mesocixiodes is distinguished by the alignment of the crossvein field at the claval apex to form a fairly even series of long, sub-equal apical cells. On the basis of the proliferated and variable apical venation, the presence of weakly developed costal veinlets, and the fusion of M and CuA at a single point to close the basal cell, Crosbella and Triassoscelis, are ascribed to the subfamily Vietocyclinae. The relationships of the three other Queensland genera, Hylicella, Mesocixiodes, and Mesothymbris remain obscure, and they are retained in the undefined catch-all subfamily Hylicellinae. With the exception of the hindwing, Mesojassula marginata Evans, 1956, the revision of the cicadomorphan fauna of the Mount Crosby Formation is now complete, resulting in an inventory of five species of Dysmorphoptilidae, four of Hylicellidae and two of Archijassidae, with the dysmorphoptilid Dysmorphoptiloides elongata Evans, 1956, as the dominant species.

A survey of the parasite fauna of freshwater fishes from the Wet Tropics Bioregion in Queensland, Australia, revealed the presence of a new species of Stemmatostoma Cribb, 1986 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae). Stemmatostoma cribbi n. sp. is described from the intestine and pyloric caeca of 2 species of grunter (Terapontidae), Hephaestus fuliginosus (Macleay) and Hephaestus tulliensis (De Vis), and the Jungle perch (Kuhliidae), Kuhlia rupestris (Lacepède), collected from the Barron and Mulgrave-Russell River drainage divisions in tropical north Queensland, Australia. Stemmatostoma cribbi is primarily distinguished morphologically from the type and only other species in the genus, Stemmatostoma pearsoni Cribb, 1986, in having consistently fewer oral spines (14 in S. cribbi vs. 16 in S. pearsoni). Alignment of novel molecular data for S. cribbi and S. pearsoni revealed that they differ genetically by 26 nucleotides (2.1%) over the 1,258 bp partial large subunit (LSU) region, 1 nucleotide (0.8%) over the 121 bp partial 5.8S region, and 23 nucleotides (7.2%) over the entire 318 bp ITS2 rDNA region. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the partial LSU region for the species of Stemmatostoma sequenced here were used to explore the relationships of these species to other cryptogonimid species reported from freshwater ecosystems., (© American Society of Parasitologists 2020.)

New specimens and a re-examination of their holotypes have clarified the status of six nominal species of the extinct membracoid family Archijassidae from the Late Triassic (Norian) fossil insect localities at Mount Crosby, Denmark Hill and Dinmore in south-eastern Queensland. The 57 available tegmina ostensibly attributable to one or other of the six species are remarkably similar in venation and only vary in size and to a lesser extent in shape. The latter character varies subtlety across a continuum and is of no use in species definition. The tegmina, however, fall into two distinct size groups, and in the absence of any other discernible or consistent diagnostic characters, these groups are adopted as separate species, acknowledging, of course, the artificial nature of fossil insect species based on the size only of isolated wings. The following taxonomic changes result: Mesojassus Tillyard, 1916 (= Triassojassus Tillyard, 1919, syn. nov., = Triassocotis Evans, 1956, syn. nov., = Hylicellites Becker-Migdisova, 1962, syn. nov.), Mesojassus ipsviciensis Tillyard, 1916 (= Triassojassus proavitus Tillyard, 1919, syn. nov., = Triassocotis stricta Evans, 1961, syn. nov.), Mesojassus australis (Evans, 1956) comb. nov. (= Triassocotis amplicata Evans, 1961, syn. nov., = Hylicellites reducta (Evans, 1956), syn. nov.). Mesojassus is one of the four genera of the subfamily Archija` ssinae, and differs from the Jurassic Archijassus Handlirsch, 1906, Mesoledra Evans, 1956, and Ardela Ansorge, 1996, in the separation of R and M well before the arculus (at the same level or slightly beyond in the others), the proximal position of dSc, well before the apex of the clavus (at or beyond the apex in the others), and the two-branched RA (simple in the others). The separation of R and M distinctly basal to the arculus, a character of frequent occurrence in extant membracoids, is proposed as a possible apomorphy for this otherwise most plesiomorphic genus of the Membracoidea. Mesojassus, the oldest member of the extant Membracoidea, is one of a growing inventory of genera from the Late Triassic of Queensland which are the oldest representatives of extant groups, adding further evidence of the Triassic as the dawn of much of the modern insect fauna.

Eutarsopolipus burwelli sp. nov. and E. echinatus sp. nov. (Acari: Podapolipidae) are described from Nurus medius Darlington, 1961 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a large burrowing carabid beetle found in the rainforests of coastal central Queensland, Australia. Eutarsopolipus burwelli belongs to the ochoai species group, which is herein refined, and E. echinatus is placed tentatively in the pterostichi species group. A revised key to the species groups of Eutarsopolipus is provided. The synhospitalic species of Eutarsopolipus are reviewed and synhospitality within the genus is discussed.

New specimens and a re-examination of their holotypes have clarified the status of five species of the extinct cicadomorphan family Hylicellidae from the Late Triassic (Norian) Mount Crosby Formation of south-eastern Queensland. All were found to be conspecific, resulting in the following synonymies: Mesothymbris Evans, 1956 (= Triassoscytina Evans, 1956, syn. nov. = (in part) Triassoscytinopsis Evans, 1956, syn. nov.), Mesothymbris perkinsi Evans, 1956 (= Mesothymbris woodwardi Evans, 1956, syn. nov. = Triassoscytina incompleta Evans, 1956, syn. nov. = Triassoscytinopsis stenulata Evans, 1956, syn. nov. = Triassoscytinopsis aberrans Evans, 1956, syn. nov.). The Hylicellidae is still poorly defined as is its generic composition. Mesothymbris, however, is clearly distinct from the other Mount Crosby hylicellids, Hylicella Evans, 1956, and Triassocotis, Evans, 1956, in the quite distal primary fork of R, the angled RA at the point of separation of RA1 with RA2 directed towards the apex of the tegmen, the upright RA1, the shape of the intra-medial cell, and CuA just distal to the basal cell strongly curved and very closely approximating the claval suture. The new synonymies further clarify the composition of the cicadomorphan fauna of the Mount Crosby Formation, which as a result of this and other recent revisions, now comprises 16 nominal species in the Dysmorphoptilidae, Hylicellidae and Mesojabloniidae, as well as three species incertae sedis. In the presence of Dysmorphoptilidae and Hylicellidae, the Mount Crosby cicadomorphan fauna is similar to that of the younger Late Triassic Blackstone Formation at nearby Denmark Hill and Dinmore. It differs significantly, however, in the absence, after 90 years of collecting of 100s of specimens, of any representatives of the Dunstaniidae, Mesogereonidae, or Tettigarctidae, families so characteristic of the Denmark Hill/Dinmore fauna. Whether this difference is biogeographical, ecological, or simply as a result of differential preservation is unknown.

A species of the skink genus Lerista is described from Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.  The species is biogeographically interesting as it appears to be separated by at least 500 km from its nearest relatives, members of the Lerista allanae clade.  The role of Pleistocene sea level changes altering availability of suitable habitat for these sand specialists is discussed as a possible driver of isolation and speciation.

The present study assessed the prevalence and morphology of Leucocytozoon podargii from wild tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) in Western Australia (WA) and genetically characterised the cytochrome b gene (cyt b) of L. podargii in wild tawny frogmouths from WA and Queensland (QLD). The prevalence of L. podargii in wild tawny frogmouths from WA was 93.3% (14/15; 95% CI, 68.1-99.8%). The morphological characters of L. podargii from WA were similar to L. podargii from QLD: the gametocytes were round-oval shape, approximately 8-12 μm in diameter; the macrogametocytes were 12.4 μm in diameter; microgametocytes were 10.4 μm in diameter; and the ratio of macrogametocytes and microgametocytes was 3:2. Sequence analysis of partial cyt b gene fragments revealed that L. podargii sequences isolated from wild tawny frogmouths in WA shared the highest similarity (99.8% at nucleotide level and 100% at protein level) with L. podargii isolated from wild tawny frogmouths in QLD. The mitochondrial 18S rRNA gene of L. podargii gametocytes was quantified using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and the highest gametocyte load was detected in the lung. This finding corresponds to the results of the histological study. Based on the morphological and molecular studies, it was concluded that the Leucocytozoon parasite identified from wild tawny frogmouths in WA is consistent with L. podargii from wild tawny frogmouths in QLD, and the present study has genetically characterised two different L. podargii genotypes (QLD and WA) for the first time.

Ongoing surveys for skinks of the genus Lerista in north Queensland have resulted in the collection of voucher specimens from two populations formerly assigned to Lerista storri Greer, McDonald Lawrie, 1983 that are geographically isolated from the type population and show a degree of morphological variation differing from the type population. Analysis of recently collected material has confirmed both populations are specifically distinct to the type population, with one being more closely related to Lerista ameles Greer, 1979, another little known, north Queensland species. Consequently, these populations are described as Lerista alia sp. nov. and Lerista parameles sp. nov. The morphological diversity of L. storri is thereby restricted, necessitating a redescription. The conservation status of all these taxa is discussed.

Following earlier studies across 2115 → 33 m 2 scales (Barnes and Laurie, 2018), patchiness of macrobenthic abundance in intertidal Queensland seagrass was assessed by dispersion indices, spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis across a hierarchically-nested series of smaller scales (5.75 → 0.09 m 2 ). Overall patterns of distribution and abundance over larger extents and with greater lag were mirrored across these smaller ones. Assemblage abundance per station varied by a factor of >10, but all three approaches showed effective constancy of total assemblage patchiness across all sub-2115 m 2 scales (across-scales-mean Lloyd's I P of 1.06 and global Moran's I of 0.13). Equivalent constancy was also shown by most numerically-dominant species (scaling exponent β = 0.93-1.15). Decreasing patchiness of some species with decreasing scale, however, resulted in two no longer being patchily dispersed across small scales. Significant hotspots of abundance occurred at a constant proportion of stations across scales, against a background of randomly scattered peak-abundance points., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

New specimens of its type species from the Queensland Late Triassic (Norian) (~227-~208.5 Ma) fossil insect locality at Dinmore have revealed that the old and obscure Late Triassic genus Mesodiphthera Tillyard, 1919, from nearby Denmark Hill, is a tettigarctid cicada, the earliest record of the family and the oldest cicada. The genus is distinguished by the combined presence of three characters: the primary forks of R and M at about the same level, midway between the basal cell and the nodal line; RA2 with four or five terminal branches; and the inter-medial cross-vein backwardly inclined, running between M2 and M3. Of the three species originally ascribed to Mesodiphthera by Tillyard, only its type, M. grandis Tillyard, 1919, is retained in the genus. The other two species differ significantly from the type and are transferred to Tardilly gen. nov., which is similar to Mesodiphthera in the more or less aligned primary forks of R and M placed at about midway between the basal cell and the nodal line, and the backwardly inclined inter-medial cross-vein which runs between M2 and M3. It differs, however, in its smaller size, broader costal space, three-branched M3+4, and differently shaped CuA and CuA2. The new material, all of which is of M. grandis, provides a complete picture of the shape, colour and venation of its tegmen, whereas Tardilly prosboloides (Tillyard) comb. nov., 1922 and Tardilly dunstani (Tillyard) comb. nov., 1922 are still known only from their poorly preserved type specimens. Mesodiphthera and Tardilly exhibit a number of presumed plesiomorphies, viz the costal space much wider than the CuA cell, the basal cell strongly narrowed apically, and the post-nodal cross-vein series closer to the nodal line than the apex, which place it in the probable paraphyletic subfamily Cicadoprosbolinae. A more informed assessment of their relationships, however, must await a comprehensive analysis of the now 29 fossil genera of the family. The Tettigarctidae were the only cicadas of the Mesozoic and the discovery in the Triassic of Australia of Mesodiphthera and Tardilly clearly distinct from the 24 previously known Mesozoic genera, further demonstrates the family's high degree of structural diversity, and emphasises its almost world-wide distribution in that Era.

Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by thermal bleaching and tropical storm events associated with rising sea surface temperatures. Deeper habitats offer some protection from these impacts and may safeguard reef-coral biodiversity, but their faunas are largely undescribed for the Indo-Pacific. Here, we show high species richness of scleractinian corals in mesophotic habitats (30-125 m) for the northern Great Barrier Reef region that greatly exceeds previous records for mesophotic habitats globally. Overall, 45% of shallow-reef species (less than or equal to 30 m), 78% of genera, and all families extended below 30 m depth, with 13% of species, 41% of genera, and 78% of families extending below 45 m. Maximum depth of occurrence showed a weak relationship to phylogeny, but a strong correlation with maximum latitudinal extent. Species recorded in the mesophotic had a significantly greater than expected probability of also occurring in shaded microhabitats and at higher latitudes, consistent with light as a common limiting factor. The findings suggest an important role for deeper habitats, particularly depths 30-45 m, in preserving evolutionary lineages of Indo-Pacific corals. Deeper reef areas are clearly more diverse than previously acknowledged and therefore deserve full consideration in our efforts to protect the world's coral reef biodiversity.

Spatial patterns of abundance of the whole macrobenthic assemblage and of its 10 most numerous species were examined across hierarchically nested scales within a 0.85 ha area of intertidal seagrass in subtropical Moreton Bay, Queensland. Multifractality characterised the assemblage and all ten dominant species across those scales (c. 33, 130, 530 & 2115 m 2 ), with patchiness of assemblage numbers and those of at least some dominants exhibiting scale-invariance. The system displayed several abundance peaks, 12% of stations accounting for 88% of total variance, with many individual dominants showing a series of non-overlapping 'hot-spots'. Scale invariance and multifractality occurred notwithstanding low levels of species interaction consequent on maintenance at very low density. This suggests that critical self-organisation cannot be responsible for such patterning. Contrary to received wisdom, coefficient β of Taylor's power-law cannot form an index of aggregation, although it does indicate direction of change in dispersion pattern with changing numbers., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The discovery of a new genus of Heatherellidae in New Zealand has led us to revise this enigmatic family and its constituent genera. Aheatherella n. gen., based on A. mira n. sp. from the North Island of New Zealand, lacks some of the derived character states that link the Australian Heatherella, most notably the lack of sexual dimorphism in the dorsal shields and in the presence of peritremes in adult Aheatherella. Heatherella osleri n. sp. is described from New South Wales, extending the distribution of this genus beyond Queensland. New collection records of H. callimaulos and a key to the genera and species of the family are provided. We propose that the Heatherellidae-previously placed in its own cohort outside the Gamasina-are best considered a superfamily of gamasine mites within the subcohort Epicriiae.

Two new species of myxosporeans are described from the gallbladders of estuarine stonefish, Synanceia horrida, and reef stonefish, Synanceia verrucosa, from localities off Cairns, in tropical north Queensland and in Moreton Bay in southern Queensland, Australia. Sphaeromyxa horrida n. sp. can be distinguished from congeners in the morphologically distinct "balbianii" species group within Sphaeromyxa on the basis of morphometric differences in length and width of mature spores, length and width of polar capsules, and unique small-subunit (SSU) ribosomal (rDNA) sequence composition relative to other taxa. Replicate SSU rDNA sequences generated from Sph. horrida n. sp. collected from Sy. horrida and Sy. verrucosa in tropical north Queensland and from Sy. horrida in Moreton Bay were identical, suggesting that this species is widely distributed along the east coast of Australia. Myxidium lapipiscis n. sp. can be distinguished from the majority of described Myxidium species on the basis of its relatively small mature spore size (6.1-7.9 μm long × 3.1-3.9 μm wide), and its unique SSU rDNA sequence. Specimens putatively identified as M. lapipiscis n. sp. were found in Sy. horrida from both tropical north Queensland and Moreton Bay, suggesting that this taxon is also widely distributed along the east coast of Australia. However, no molecular data were available for the specimens from tropical north Queensland for comparative genetic analyses. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analysis of the SSU rDNA sequences for these 2 new species revealed that Sph. horrida n. sp. formed a strongly supported clade with Sphaeromyxa zaharoni Diamant, Whipps, and Kent, 2004, which was described from the scorpaeniform, Pterois miles, from the Red Sea. This is the first report of myxozoans infecting stonefish (Synanceiidae).

Landscape genetics lacks explicit methods for dealing with the uncertainty in landscape resistance estimation, which is particularly problematic when sample sizes of individuals are small. Unless uncertainty can be quantified, valuable but small data sets may be rendered unusable for conservation purposes. We offer a method to quantify uncertainty in landscape resistance estimates using multimodel inference as an improvement over single model-based inference. We illustrate the approach empirically using co-occurring, woodland-preferring Australian marsupials within a common study area: two arboreal gliders (Petaurus breviceps, and Petaurus norfolcensis) and one ground-dwelling antechinus (Antechinus flavipes). First, we use maximum-likelihood and a bootstrap procedure to identify the best-supported isolation-by-resistance model out of 56 models defined by linear and non-linear resistance functions. We then quantify uncertainty in resistance estimates by examining parameter selection probabilities from the bootstrapped data. The selection probabilities provide estimates of uncertainty in the parameters that drive the relationships between landscape features and resistance. We then validate our method for quantifying uncertainty using simulated genetic and landscape data showing that for most parameter combinations it provides sensible estimates of uncertainty. We conclude that small data sets can be informative in landscape genetic analyses provided uncertainty can be explicitly quantified. Being explicit about uncertainty in landscape genetic models will make results more interpretable and useful for conservation decision-making, where dealing with uncertainty is critical., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To investigate the causes of the remarkable similarity of emergent assemblage properties that has been demonstrated across disparate intertidal seagrass sites and assemblages, this study examined whether their emergent functional-group metrics are scale related by testing the null hypothesis that functional diversity and the suite of dominant functional groups in seagrass-associated macrofauna are robust structural features of such assemblages and do not vary spatially across nested scales within a 0.4 ha area. This was carried out via a lattice of 64 spatially referenced stations. Although densities of individual components were patchily dispersed across the locality, rank orders of importance of the 14 functional groups present, their overall functional diversity and evenness, and the proportions of the total individuals contained within each showed, in contrast, statistically significant spatial uniformity, even at areal scales <2 m(2). Analysis of the proportional importance of the functional groups in their geospatial context also revealed weaker than expected levels of spatial autocorrelation, and then only at the smaller scales and amongst the most dominant groups, and only a small number of negative correlations occurred between the proportional importances of the individual groups. In effect, such patterning was a surface veneer overlying remarkable stability of assemblage functional composition across all spatial scales. Although assemblage species composition is known to be homogeneous in some soft-sediment marine systems over equivalent scales, this combination of patchy individual components yet basically constant functional-group structure seems as yet unreported., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We describe, diagnose and illustrate eight new species in the genus Anabarhynchus Macquart, 1848 as follows: Anabarhynchus cretatus sp. n., Anabarhynchus darembal sp. n., Anabarhynchus iancommoni sp. n., Anabarhynchus longiseta sp. n. Anabarhynchus lyncurium sp. n., Anabarhynchus moretonensis sp. n., Anabarhynchus neboensis sp. n. and Anabarhynchus wintertoni sp. n. These represent all new species in collections from south east Queensland. These new species bring the total number of described Australian species in the genus to 112.

A further new species of Periclimenaeus (Crustacea: Pontoniinae) from Heron Island, Queensland, Australia, is described and illustrated. Periclimenaeus colemani sp. nov., an ascidian associate, was collected from coral reef spur and groove zone and increases to 30 the numbers of Periclimenaeus known from Australia and to 17 the number of species known from Heron Island.

An unusual species of the genus Periclimenaeus Borradaile, 1915 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae Pontoniinae) from Heron Island, Queensland, Australia, collected by Dr Niel Bruce in 1979, is described and illustrated. Periclimenaeus denticulodigitus sp. nov., an ascidian associate was collected from coral reef at 7.0 m and presents some interesting new features. It increases to 17 the number of Periclimenaeus known from Heron Island, Queensland, and to 28 the number of species known from Australia. The new species has the second pereiopod fingers minutely denticulate and unique to the genus.

Three new species are described in the genus Drymopsalta Ewart, previously known only from D. crepitum Ewart and D. daemeli Distant. The three new species occur in Southern Queensland and Northern Territory. D. wallumi sp. nov. occurs along coastal S.E. Queensland, whereas D. hobsoni sp. nov. is restricted to the Bringalily State Forest, near Inglewood, southern inland Queensland. D. acrotela sp. nov. is found in the Litchfield National Park and other locations near Jabaluka, Cahills Crossing, E. Alligator River and Nourlangie, all across the northern Northern Territory. D. crepitum occurs on the Cape York Peninsular extending into the southern Gulf, while D. daemeli occurs in two localised regions in central coastal N.S.W. Each of the species inhabits heath vegetation, often spilling-over into adjacent tree foliage. The species of Drymopsalta are small and inconspicuous cicadas (< 15 mm body length) with relatively high frequency songs (~15 to 22 kHz). The temporal structures of the normal calling songs follow a similar pattern in each species, consisting of the emission of short chirps (comprising 2-16 ticks). Between the chirps are emitted one (D. wallumi, D. hobsoni, D. acrotela), two (D. daemeli) or 1-9 (D. crepitum) intervening single ticks. The species can be distinguished by the timing and the number of these single ticks relative to the adjacent chirps with the notable exception of D. hobsoni and D. acrotela. The calling songs of these two allopatric species are indistinguishable, an unusual feature in Australian cicadas. Two additional song variants are described, a more unstructured chirping song without intervening single ticks observed in each of the species except D. crepitum, and periodic extended buzzing echemes emitted within the calling songs (excepting the D. wallumi song).

Following the discovery of a new population of Phyllurus ossa on Whitsunday Island in the Cumberland Island Group, eastern Queensland, we conducted both genetic and morphological analyses to assess differences between all known populations. The analyses revealed three genetically distinct, morphologically diagnosable, geographical units. The differences are such that we recognise these as subspecies: Phyllurus ossa ossa restricted to the Mt Ossa/Mt Pelion/ Mt Charlton/ St Helens Gap area; P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. on Mt Dryander and in the Conway Range and P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. currently only known from Whitsunday Island. There are now 11 recognised taxa in Phyllurus. The three P. ossa subspecies are narrowly distributed and closely associated with exposed rock in low to mid-elevation vine forests. Their current distributions are shaped by past climate change that progressively contracted and fragmented the distribution of rainforests in eastern Australia. The recognition of these subspecies has land management/conservation implications.

Kudoa leptacanthae n. sp. was identified within the pericardial cavities of two apogonid species, Zoramia leptacantha and Zoramia viridiventer, from waters off Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. The species shows a close taxonomic affinity, both morphologically and genetically, to Kudoa shiomitsui Egusa & Shiomitsu 1983 reported from a tetraodontid and scombrid, both from Japan. The infection was at high prevalences (average = 75.8% ± 0.63, n = 343) within schools of the two host species. Different sporogonic stages ('developing' and 'fully-developed') were observed in pseudocysts within the pericardium of the hosts. Kudoa leptacanthae n. sp. appears to be a persistent infection within the Zoramia species hosts. No seasonal variation was detected for this host/parasite system and the parasite did not affect host condition, when assessed using host length/weight ratio as a coarse indicator. We hypothesise that a source of infection in close proximity to the home patch reef of apogonid schools may lead to the high prevalence and intensity of infection reported in this study., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A survey of the myxosporean fauna of Australian marine fishes revealed the presence of a number of putative species of Kudoidae (Multivalvulida) forming pseudocysts between the outer meningeal layer and the outer surface of the brains of the lutjanids Caesio cuning, Lutjanus carponotatus, Lutjanus ehrenbergii and Lutjanus fulviflamma and the mugilid Liza vaigiensis from Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and Lutjanus lemniscatus off Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Morphometric data combined with Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses of small subunit (SSU) and large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was used for species identification and to explore relationships among these taxa. The brain-infecting taxa examined here formed a well-supported clade to the exclusion of non-brain infecting species in the phylogenetic analyses. The combined diagnostic approach identified an undescribed taxon, Kudoa lemniscati n. sp., from the brain of L. lemniscatus (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) off Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, which we describe and characterise here. K. lemniscati n. sp. can be distinguished from all other species of Kudoa based on the combination of the distinct tropism for forming pseudocysts in the brain tissue, spores with 7 or 8 equal shell valves and 7 or 8 polar capsules, spore size and the differences in the SSU and LSU rDNA sequence data relative to other kudoids. Kudoa chaetodoni was found in the lutjanids C. cuning and L. carponotatus, expanding the known host range for this species to include chaetodontids and lutjanids. L. ehrenbergii and L. fulviflamma were infected with Kudoa lethrini off Lizard Island, a parasite previously known only from lethrinids. Specimens putatively identified as Kudoa yasunagai from Liza vaigiensis and Lutjanus ehrenbergii were morphologically similar and genetically identical over the SSU rDNA dataset to previously reported specimens, but differed by 4 to 11 nucleotides over the LSU dataset from the remaining isolates examined here. While these data are not definitive, they suggest the presence of a K. yasunagai complex., (Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The taxonomy of trematodes of Great Barrier Reef (GBR) fishes has been studied in some detail for over 20 years. Understanding of the fauna has been informed iteratively by approaches to sampling, understanding of morphology, the advent of molecular methodology and a feed-back loop from the emergent understanding of host specificity. Here we analyse 658 host-parasite combinations for 290 trematode species, 152 genera and 28 families from GBR fishes. These are reported from 8 orders, 38 families, 117 genera and 243 species of fishes. Of the 290 species, only 4 (1·4%) have been reported from more than one order of fishes and just 23 (7·9%) infect more than one family; 77·9% of species are known from only one genus, and 60% from only one species of fish. Molecular studies have revealed several complexes of cryptic species and others are suspected; we conclude that no euryxenous host distribution should be accepted on the basis of morphology only. The occurrence of individual trematode species in potential hosts is patchy and difficult to predict reliably a priori or explain convincingly a posteriori. These observations point to the need for a vigorous iterative interaction between the accretion of host specificity data and its interpretation.

Background: Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids., Methodology/principal Findings: We describe three new dinosaurs from the late Early Cretaceous (latest Albian) Winton Formation of eastern Australia, including; Wintonotitan wattsi gen. et sp. nov., a basal titanosauriform; Diamantinasaurus matildae gen. et sp. nov., a derived lithostrotian titanosaur; and Australovenator wintonensis gen. et sp. nov., an allosauroid. We compare an isolated astragalus from the Early Cretaceous of southern Australia; formerly identified as Allosaurus sp., and conclude that it most-likely represents Australovenator sp., Conclusion/significance: The occurrence of Australovenator from the Aptian to latest Albian confirms the presence in Australia of allosauroids basal to the Carcharodontosauridae. These new taxa, along with the fragmentary remains of other taxa, indicate a diverse Early Cretaceous sauropod and theropod fauna in Australia, including plesiomorphic forms (e.g. Wintonotitan and Australovenator) and more derived forms (e.g. Diamantinasaurus).

Ceratomyxid parasites from the gall bladder of fishes from the family Labridae were examined for their taxonomic identity and their relatedness to other species of myxozoans. This paper describes four novel species Ceratomyxa choerodonae n. sp. from Choerodon cyanodus; Ceratomyxa cheilinae n. sp. from Cheilinus chlorourus; Ceratomyxa oxycheilinae n. sp. from Oxycheilinus digramma; and Ceratomyxa thalassomae n. sp. from Thalassoma lunare. Each species is characterised morphologically and small subunit (18 S) rDNA sequences were used in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Comparison of the small subunit rDNA sequences revealed four distinct species even though morphological differences indicated the presence of only two morphologically distinctive spore types. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the ceratomyxids from labrid fishes did not form a clade to the exclusion of all other myxosporeans and provides evidence that host relatedness is not a good character to discriminate between species within the genus Ceratomyxa.

Three new species of Kudoa, each having 6 polar capsules, are described from the somatic muscle of fishes collected on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Kudoa grammatorcyni n. sp. was observed in the shark mackerel Grammatorcynus bicarinatus. Spores are stellate in apical view, width (all measurements in microm) 8.62 (8.03-8.95); thickness 8.14 (7.63-8.68); suture width 7.7 (7.24-8.16); length 6.54 (6.32-6.71); polar capsule length 3.68 (3.55-3.82); polar capsule width 1.72 (1.65-1.84). Kudoa scomberomori n. sp. is described from the Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson. Spores are stellate in apical view, width 7.56 (6.84-8.16); thickness 6.79 (6.18-7.63); suture width 5.92 (5.26-6.32); length 5.43 (5.00-6.18); polar capsule length 3.24 (3.03-3.55); polar capsule width 1.37 (1.25-1.51). Kudoa thalassomi n. sp. is described from the moon wrasse Thalassoma lunare. Spores are stellate in apical view, width 10.66 (9.47-11.84); thickness 9.37 (8.55-10.79); suture width 7.98 (6.84-8.82); length 6.65 (6.18-7.11); polar capsule length 4.92 (4.74-5.00); polar capsule width 2.12 (2.04-2.24). All 3 species differ in spore morphology from the 1 previously described myxozoan with 6 polar capsules, Hexacapsula neothunni from yellowfin tuna Neothunnus macropterus, which has since been reassigned to Kudoa.

A study was undertaken on the pathology and associated schizont morphology of apicomplexan species of avian haematozoa. Some 32 birds from the families Artamidae, Meliphagidae, Oriolidae, Podargidae, Columbidae, Alcedinidae and Psittacidae were identified as having schizonts in various tissues. Based on blood stages observed, the probable relationship to tissue stages was considered. The majority of schizonts were referable to the genera Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus. The comparative morphology of tissue stages previously described in the literature is discussed and the involvement of protozoa other than haematozoa considered. The naturally occurring infections in wild birds described in this study represent previously unreported data on the life-cycle stages involved. Some schizonts measured up to 640 microm. While pathological changes in some hosts were noticeable, in others no significant findings were observed. The role of endogenous stages in avian morbidity is discussed briefly., (Copyright 2004 Houghton Trust Ltd)