Natural history collections recapitulate 200 years of faunal change.

Changing species assemblages represent major challenges to ecosystems around the world. Retracing these changes is limited by our knowledge of past biodiversity. Natural history collections represent archives of biodiversity and are therefore an unparalleled source to study biodiversity changes. In the present study, we tested the value of natural history collections for reconstructing changes in the abundance and presence of species over time. In total, we scrutinized 17 080 quality-checked records for 242 epibenthic invertebrate species from the North and Baltic Seas collected throughout the last 200 years. Our approaches identified eight previously reported species introductions, 10 range expansions, six of which are new to science, as well as the long-term decline of 51 marine invertebrate species. The cross-validation of our results with published accounts of endangered species and neozoa of the area confirmed the results for two of the approaches for 49 to 55% of the identified species, and contradicted our results for 9 to 10%. The results based on relative record trends were less validated. We conclude that, with the proper approaches, natural history collections are an unmatched resource for recovering early species introductions and declines.

New species and records of the genus Syllis Savigny in Lamarck, 1818 (Annelida: Syllidae) from Socotra Archipelago (Indian Ocean).

Based on a census of the polychaete fauna of the Socotra Archipelago in the Indian Ocean we report here new findings on the genus Syllis Savigny in Lamarck, 1818. These ten species are newly recorded from this area: Syllis alternata Moore, 1908; Syllis bouvieri Gravier, 1900; Syllis broomensis (Hartmann-Schröder, 1979); Syllis compacta Gravier, 1900; Syllis crassicirrata (Treadwell, 1925); Syllis gerlachi (Hartmann-Schröder, 1960); Syllis hyalina Grube, 1863; Syllis lutea (Hartmann-Schröder, 1960); Syllis schulzi (Hartmann-Schröder, 1960); Syllis ypsiloides Aguado, San Martín Ten Hove, 2008. Additionally, Syllis qamhiyn sp. nov. is described as a new species, characterized by its conspicuously thick and short dorsal cirri filled with a gelatinous substance and reduced number of compound chaetae from medium to posterior parapodia, with enlarged shafts and short blades which become almost unidentate and do not fuse with shafts. Following an examination of the holotype of S. bouvieri, its status as a valid species and not as synonym of Syllis prolifera Krohn, 1852, as considered by some authors (see Licher 1999) is confirmed, and a redescription is included.

A new species and nine new records of Syllidae (Annelida) from the Socotra Archipelago (Indian Ocean).

In this paper, we report 10 species of Syllidae, collected in the Socotra Archipelago (Indian Ocean). They belong to eight different genera in four subfamilies namely, Syllinae: Haplosyllis Langerhans, 1879, Megasyllis San Martín, Hutchings Aguado, 2008, Opisthosyllis Langerhans, 1879, Trypanosyllis Claparède, 1864; Eusyllinae: Eusyllis Malmgren, 1867, Odontosyllis Claparède, 1863; Exogoninae: Salvatoria McIntosh, 1885; and Autolytinae: Myrianida Milne Edwards, 1845. Trypanosyllis mercedesae n. sp., is here formally described and distinguished from congeners. Trypanosyllis richardi Gravier, 1900 is re-described, adding important taxonomic information to the original description, based on specimens collected from Djibouti (Gulf of Aden). We provide new insight into the reproduction of Megasyllis heterosetosa (Hartmann-Schröder, 1991) with the description of a specimen with an attached female dicerous stolon, full of oocytes. Odontosyllis polycera (Schmarda, 1861) is described because it is newly recorded for the Indian Ocean. We also provide some remarks about Myrianida pachycera (Augener, 1913), collected with a chain of stolons.

Coming and going - Historical distributions of the European oyster Ostrea edulis Linnaeus, 1758 and the introduced slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata Linnaeus, 1758 in the North Sea.

Natural history collections are fundamental for biodiversity research as well as for any applied environment-related research. These collections can be seen as archives of earth´s life providing the basis to address highly relevant scientific questions such as how biodiversity changes in certain environments, either through evolutionary processes in a geological timescale, or by man-made transformation of habitats throughout the last decades and/or centuries. A prominent example is the decline of the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis Linneaus, 1758 in the North Sea and the concomitant invasion of the common limpet slipper Crepidula fornicata, which has been implicated to have negative effects on O. edulis. We used collections to analyse population changes in both species in the North Sea. In order to reconstruct the change in distribution and diversity over the past 200 years, we combined the temporal and spatial information recorded with the collected specimens contained in several European natural history collections. Our data recover the decline of O. edulis in the North Sea from the 19th century to the present and the process of invasion of C. fornicata. Importantly, the decline of O. edulis was nearly completed before C. fornicata appeared in the North Sea, suggesting that the latter had nothing to do with the local extinction of O. edulis in the North Sea.

Molecular phylogeny, morphology, and distribution of Polygordius (Polychaeta: Polygordiidae) in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Low morphological diversity among interstitial taxa makes it difficult to delimit species and their geographic boundaries based solely on morphology and molecular data often reveal cryptic species. Polygordius (Annelida, Polygordiidae) have low morphological diversity, but are unusual among interstitial species in their comparatively large size due to their elongated form, high fecundity, and potential for long-distance dispersal via a planktotrophic larval stage. Polygordius species collected from 14 localities in the Northwest Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, and Southwest Atlantic including several of the respective type localities were analysed. This study presents the first phylogeny of the genus Polygordius and combines molecular data, sequences of COI, 16S and ITS1/2 genes, and morphological data for a systematic re-evaluation focusing on Atlantic species, with an emphasis on populations from European waters. Phylogenetic analyses recovered six valid species (P. appendiculatus, P. lacteus, P. neapolitanus, P. triestinus, P. jouinae, and P. eschaturus) and their distinctness is confirmed by haplotype network analyses. Thus, molecular data supported the validity of the previously recognized morpho-species and no new species were present. P. erythrophthalmus and P. villoti are invalid species being synonymous with P. lacteus. Subtle differences in head and pygidial morphology and larval type (endolarva vs. exolarva), were useful characters for discrimination. Yet seemingly significant variation in characters among individuals in some species was not diagnostic (e.g., number of pygidial cirri). Highly similar species based on adult morphology were shown to be sister taxa occurring in allopatry. Present day distribution patterns of species are summarized in light of this study.

Ampharetidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from cold seeps off Pakistan and hydrothermal vents off Taiwan, with the description of three new species.

The new ampharetid species Eclysippe yonaguniensis sp. nov. and Glyphanostomum bilabiatum sp. nov. from the Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field off the coast of Taiwan and Pavelius makranensis sp. nov. from the cold seeps in the Makran accretionary prism off the coast of Pakistan are described. Amage cf. ehlersi Reuscher, Fiege & Imajima, 2015 and Anobothrus dayi Imajima, Reuscher & Fiege, 2013 are newly recorded from the Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field.

Diversity of the genus Terebellides (Polychaeta: Trichobranchidae) in the Adriatic Sea with the description of a new species.

Based on specimens collected during the sampling campaigns in the Northern Adriatic from 2003-2010, the diversity of genus Terebellides (Polychaeta; Trichobranchidae) was studied and three species are reported for the Northern Adriatic Sea: Terebellides gracilis Malm, 1874, Terebellides mediterranea spec. nov., and Terebellides stroemii Sars, 1835. Terebellides stroemii was the only species previously reported from the area. Terebellides gracilis is reported for the first time for the Mediterranean Sea and its geographical distribution is extended south. Terebellides mediterranea spec. nov., is characterised by the presence of long notopodia and notochaetae in the first thoracic chaetiger. These three species are compared to other Terebellides species described or reported from North Atlantic waters, and a key to Terebellides species of the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean is provided.

Ampharetidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Japan. Part II: Genera with elevated and modified notopodia.

The second paper of the series about Ampharetidae from Japan includes twelve species of four genera with elevated and modified notopodia, Anobothrus Levinsen, 1884, Sosane Malmgren, 1866 (including species of the synonymized genera Muggoides Hartman, 1965, Sosanopsis Hessle, 1917, and Genus A sensu Uebelacker 1984), Tanseimaruana gen. nov., and Zatsepinia Jirkov, 1986. Tanseimaruana gen. nov. is related to Amphicteis Grube, 1850, but lacks prostomial glandular ridges and has a velum-like dermal outgrowth with two pairs of lobes across the dorsum of the first abdominal unciniger. The new genus comprises Tanseimaruana vestis comb. nov. (Hartman, 1965) (formerly Amphicteis vestis) and T. boninensis sp. nov. Seven additional new species, Anobothrus dayi sp. nov., A. fimbriatus sp. nov., A. flabelligerulus sp. nov., Sosane brevibranchiata sp. nov., Sosane trigintaduo sp. nov., S. uebelackerae sp. nov. (formerly Genus A sensu Uebelacker), and Zatsepinia jirkovi sp. nov., are described. Sosane cf. cinctus (Hartman, 1965), Sosane wireni (Hessle, 1917), and Zatsepinia rittichae Jirkov, 1986, all species previously known from the North Atlantic, are recorded from the North Pacific for the first time. A phylogenetic analysis of Sosane (including the synonymized genera Mugga Eliason, 1955, Muggoides, Sosanopsis, and Genus A sensu Uebelacker) suggests monophyly of the genus with Lysippe Malmgren, 1866 as sister taxon, and a monophyletic clade [Sosane cinctus, Sosane uebelackerae sp. nov., Mugga spp.] within Sosane. The monotypic genus Melinnata Hartman, 1965 has been found indeterminable.

Morphology and ultrastructure of the nephridial system of Hypania invalida (Grube, 1860) (Annelida, Polychaeta, Ampharetidae).

The excretory organs of the freshwater polychaete Hypania invalida have been examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Three pairs of macroscopically and ultrastructurally different nephridia are present in the thorax. Intersegmental septa in the thorax are absent, with the exception of a single diaphragm between second and third chaetiger. The first pair of nephridia is anterior to this septum, the second pair crosses the septum, with the nephrostomes anterior and the ducts and the nephridiopori posterior to it, and the third pair of nephridia is entirely posterior to the diaphragm. The first two pairs of nephridia have ciliated nephrostomes of moderate size and long nephridial ducts that extend the length of the thorax. In contrast, the third pair is characterized by short ducts and very prominent nephrostomes. Macroscopically, seven different sections of nephridial duct cells can be distinguished along the length of the first two pairs of nephridia, whereas, on an ultrastructural basis, only six different regions can be identified. Only two regions of different duct cells can be recognized in the third pair of nephridia. Cells of the two anterior pairs of nephridia show typical characteristics of transport epithelia and most likely function as excretory organs. In contrast, the duct cells of the third pair are not that much differentiated and might primarily be responsible for the release of sexual products, as sperm was observed passing through these ducts. Podocyte-like cells were observed to accompany nephridial ducts.