The deep-sea portunid crab Bathynectes maravigna, previously known from the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey, is reported for the first time from Mersin Bay on the Levantine Sea coast of Turkey. The record is based on three adult males and two adult females collected by trawling on a sandy bottom at depths between 300 and 450 m in Mersin Bay.

Numerous marine species are able to assess predation risk through chemical signals, and this capacity is usually found among animals that experience intense predation and possess chemoreception ability, such as brittle stars. We investigated the occurrence of chemical alarm signals and responses in four species of brittle stars: Amphipholis squamata, Ophionereis reticulata, Ophiactis savignyi and Ophiothrix angulata. Additionally, the effect of microhabitat on alarm-signal recognition was tested for O. savignyi. Brittle-star homogenate was released above individuals in an aquarium, and the duration of their immediate escape response was noted and compared to the control. The broadest recognition was observed for A. squamata, which showed an escape reaction to the damage-released stimuli of all brittle stars tested. Similarly broad recognition was observed for individuals of O. savignyi that were collected from the same algal species occupied by A. squamata, a microhabitat where these individuals co-occurred with each other and with juveniles of O. angulata. The similar size and habit of these species probably expose them to the same predators, and therefore, the alarm signal of one species represents a real risk of predation to the others. In contrast, individuals of O. angulata and O. savignyi collected from sponges did not respond to stimuli from either conspecific or heterospecific individuals. The reduction in predation pressure granted by their chemically protected hosts seems to be responsible for this lack of response. The fourth species, O. reticulata, only responded conspecifically. This brittle star is found buried among rubble, and is not observed associated with other organisms; it is known for its cannibalistic and predatory habit.

In March 2000 a 384 mm SL adult male specimen of the unicorn leatherjacket Aluterus monoceros was captured off the Chafarinas Islands (south-western Mediterranean). This report increases the list of fish species recently found for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea.

Lessardia elongata Saldarriaga & Taylor is identified for the first time in the north-western Black Sea in the present study. This species has probably been recorded with different names in the Black Sea due to lack of detailed investigations with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or fluorescence microscopy. Our identification is based on observations with an electron microscope in September 2004 and with an epifluorescence and light microscope in June 2006. Cells were 5–10 µm wide, 22–30 µm long in formaldehyde fixed samples, fusiform, transparent, and had a faint broad girdle. Epitheca was slightly larger than the hypotheca and recently ingested prey could often be seen in the antapical half of the cell within very conspicuous vacuoles. Thin and faint thecal plates were hardly visible under epifluorescence microscope after staining the cells with fluorescence brightener 28 in the fixed samples. Cell abundances up to 18,400 cells l–1 and 87,000 cells l–1 were observed in September 2004 and June 2006, respectively.

The mollusc Patella ferruginea, endemic to the Mediterranean, is presently in serious risk of extinction. Although the species was formerly distributed in the western Mediterranean Basin, today its Mediterranean range has contracted to a few restricted areas. This paper reports on the finding of a range extension of the historical distribution of this species in the Iberian Peninsula. The implication of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) effect is discussed.

The predaceous fish barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is recorded rubbing itself against the carapace of moving hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off north-eastern Brazil. To scrape against such a rough surface is probably employed by the fish to get rid of external parasites.

New records of a rare deep-sea decapod species Nematocarcinus romenskyi from the continental slopes in the vicinity of the Prince Edward Islands, south Indian Ocean are presented. The current finding fills the gap between the previous records of the species in the Atlantic (Discovery Seamount) and Indian (Crozet/Kerguelen Islands) Oceans.

We report the finding of two coral species of the family Caryophylliidae (Caryophyllia diomedeae and C. quadragenaria) significantly north of their known distribution limit in the eastern Pacific, and a new record of the family for the same region (Goniocorella dumosa, previously known only for the western Pacific).

Negaprion brevirostris and Ginglymostoma cirratum are large coastal sharks with a wide geographic distribution in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean whose southern populations are listed as vulnerable. Herein is reported the use of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago as a nursery habitat by both species in the equatorial Atlantic. Parturition time in N. brevirostris takes place between November and April whereas in G. cirratum it occurs from July to September.

Field surveys and literature review revealed the capture of 50 bluntnose sixgill sharks from the Sea of Marmara. Total lengths of the observed specimens ranged from 1.2–6 m, and weighed between 10 and 1000 kg. Nine specimens were males, 23 were females and 18 were of unknown sex. Regarding the bathymetric distribution of the captured bluntnose sixgill sharks, majority of the specimens (78%) were recorded in slope and shelf waters of the eastern and northern Sea of Marmara. Fishing presents the only known proximate threat to bluntnose sixgill shark populations in Marmaric waters. Inclusion of Hexanchus griseus in the endangered marine fish list of the Turkish Fisheries Act, would be the first step before subjecting H. griseus to 100% protection.

This study documents direct evidence of nematode predation in the free living marine nematode Synonchiella spiculora recorded in the intertidal of Santa Clara beach in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico. The heavily armoured buccal cavity that allows S. spiculora to break larger particles and ingest other organisms is characteristic of nematodes categorized as predators and omnivores. The inferred feeding behaviour of S. spiculora and other Selachinematidae suggests that engulfing whole and relatively large prey items may be common in this group. Synonchiella spiculora could be classified in the guild of ‘predators’ sensu Jensen (1987) and Moens & Vincx (1997). Nevertheless, more direct observations are required to ‘ground truth’ inferences based on their morphological variation and to better understand their feeding ecology.

The invasive ascidian Ciona intestinalis is irregularly and narrowly distributed in a few areas on the Brazilian coast. It was recorded in the States of Paraná, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. In the State of Rio de Janeiro, all records refer to the Guanabara Bay, a polluted environment that probably hosts other introduced species. Ciona intestinalis was last recorded in this bay in 1991. Given the absence of records since then, researchers concluded that it had been extinct there, and even from the Brazilian coast. During our experiment, conducted with predator exclusion and light attenuation, we collected some samples of C. intestinalis, which suggests that it has either been reintroduced in the Guanabara Bay or that its presence there is a consequence of predator exclusion. Ciona intestinalis was found inside boxes with low luminosity, whose openings were turned to the bottom and protected with a net for predator exclusion. This method was successfully used 17 years ago, when numerous species samples were detected. Our conclusion is that the irregular recording of C. intestinalis on the Brazilian coast, in both time and space, probably derives from inappropriate techniques and methods to sample or observe it on natural substrate. Replicating this methodology in other regions of Brazil and in other South American countries, especially in port areas, would show that the distribution of C. intestinalis is possibly broader than previously reported.

The present paper reports the first record of occurrence in the Arabian Sea and extension of distribution of Meganthias filiferus from the Thailand coast of the eastern Indian Ocean. A single specimen measuring 211 mm SL was collected from a commercial trawler operating in the Arabian Sea off the south-western coast of India during August 2008. The two known specimens of this rare species are compared.

Trials with a new kind of fishing trap, the Japanese baited pot (JBP), were performed in the Atlantic for the first time, covering three target depths, 25 m, 75 m and 125 m in the Azores. The JBPs were proved to be efficient and highly specific to octopus. An average catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of 0.22 octopuses/trap/hour*100 was attained, and the highest mean value was reached at the shallowest depths (28 m ±4), with 0.33 octopuses/trap/hour*100. A decreasing CPUE with depth was observed, in accordance with what has been found for this species elsewhere. Considering the management measures enforced in the European Union for this species (minimum allowable catch size of 750 g), we found that ~25% of the caught octopuses by JBP were composed of marketable octopuses. The success of the JBP for Octopus vulgaris in the Azores and its specificity suggests that these traps may be useful for further stock assessment studies.

A total of 152 shark specimens of the genus Etmopterus were collected in southern Brazil between Chuí (34°20′S) and the Santa Marta Grande Cape (28°30′S). The specimens were caught by bottom-trawl cruises at depths ranging between 100 and 600 m from August to September 2001 and March to April 2002. The species, identified as Etmopterus gracilispinis, E. lucifer and E. bigelowi, occurred only in the south of 31°S at different depth layers. Etmopterus bigelowi occurred in the deep strata from 400–599 m, whereas E. gracilispinis occurred from 300–599 m. Moreover, two sampled E. lucifer males occurred at a depth of 540 m. The hydrographic conditions of temperature and salinity revealed no seasonal differences. The fact that most of the collected specimens were immature is strong evidence of size segregation, suggesting that the adults of these species occur at depths greater than 600 m. Sexual maturity in E. bigelowi occurred at 63–65 cm total length (TL) in females and 60 cm TL in males. All E. gracilispinis specimens were immature. One E. bigelowi female caught in August was pregnant. Birth was confirmed only in March for E. bigelowi and E. gracilispinis with TL at birth of about 17 and 13 cm, respectively.

Melanoides tuberculatus is an Afro-Asiatic thiarid, common in freshwater environments, now present in a wide portion of the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. The present study had as its objective to register the occurrence of M. tuberculatus in the area of mangrove of the estuary of the Ceará River, verifying its density and the salinity which the specimens were submitted to verify its euryhalinity. Specimens of M. tuberculatus were collected in mangrove areas of the estuary of the Ceará River, located on the boundary of Caucaia and Fortaleza. Some specimens collected by hand in February 2006 were kept in an aquarium for a month. The abundance of M. tuberculatus in the studied areas varied from 0.76–10.22 individual/cm2. The salinity of the areas varied from 0–30 in the studied months. The presence of M. tuberculatus in these mangrove areas, whose salinity reached a peak of 30, and their survival in the laboratory, under a salinity of up to 35, prove the adaptation of this limnetic gastropod to euryhalinity.

The subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis is widely distributed north of the Antarctic convergence. We analysed data concerning vagrant individuals of A. tropicalis encountered on the beaches of Bahia and Sergipe, north-eastern Brazil, using the Instituto Mamíferos Aquáticos database of occurrences reported between 20 July 1990 and 18 August 2005. The information collected for each case included: date, location of the occurrence, condition of the individual, sex, and total length. Twelve occurrences of A. tropicalis were reported in the study area, with 42% corresponding to sub-adult specimens. All individuals were found alive, but only two were in good health. Most occurrences were reported during the months of July, August and September, a period in which south-eastern winds predominate. The importance of developing public educational campaigns as well as population dynamics studies of this species is discussed.

A young male of Mola mola, stranded along the coast of Taranto, Apulian, south Italy (17°14′9″E 40°25′33″N), was recovered on 11 November 2007, the first stranded specimen along the Ionian coasts. The specimen was subjected to necropsy. Some observations on the external dimensions, on the internal organs and their parasites are included.

The Asian date mussel Musculista senhousia, previously recorded from the Pacific coast of North America, Australasia and the Mediterranean, is reported for the first time from the Atlantic coast of Europe in Arcachon Bay, where it occurs intertidally and to depths of 5 m. It has been present in Arcachon Bay since 2002 and has since been found in 2006 within two further inlets of the Bay of Biscay, Hossegor Lake and the Bidasoa estuary. Their appearance is probably associated with oyster transfer from Thau lagoon in the Mediterranean Sea to Arcachon Bay.

The population of Loligo forbesi inhabiting the Azorean Archipelago achieves the largest size ever reported for this species but also for any Loliginidae. Despite their importance as a food source for local communities, very little is known about their biology and ecology. In this paper, we describe our efforts in capturing, transporting, handling, tagging and holding wild adult L. forbesi in the laboratory. Three culture trials were conducted in the Island of Faial, Azores. Over 84 squid were captured by jigging, transported in separate containers and placed in a recirculating seawater system composed of three 3.6 m circular tanks (8000 l capacity each). Drawings and technical details about the system (filtration system, tanks, liners, illumination, flow rates, etc.) as well as water quality parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, iron, pH, salinity and temperature) are presented. By keeping squid in separate bags and providing constant water flow, no mortality occurred during transport from fishing ground to the laboratory. Mean survival time for each trial was 8 days (1503 g mean weight), 17 days (595.1 g mean weight) and 11 days (826.1 g). A small female remained alive for 44 days. In this system, mortality was faster for larger squid. Low survival time could be attributed to bad water quality management, namely high ammonia levels and high temperature variations but also restricted swimming space for larger squid (>1000 g). Pin tags proved to be the most adequate method of distinguishing between individuals. Squid were fed a variety of fish species, either fresh or defrosted. Daily feeding rates varied between 0 and 7.8% body weight (BW day−1). Most squid lost weight or did not grow. However, some individuals showed a positive increase in BW, varying between 0.009 and 1.4% increase in BW day−1. Key factors to take into account for increasing laboratory survival are: (1) catching squid with jigs; (2) prevention of skin damage during transport; (3) maintenance of small individuals; (4) segregating sexes to reduce agonistic interactions; (5) providing good water quality; and (6) abundant food supply.