Unprecedented frequency of mitochondrial introns in colonial bilaterians.

Animal mitogenomes are typically devoid of introns. Here, we report the largest number of mitochondrial introns ever recorded from bilaterian animals. Mitochondrial introns were identified for the first time from the phylum Bryozoa. They were found in four species from three families (Order Cheilostomatida). A total of eight introns were found in the complete mitogenome of Exechonella vieirai, and five, 17 and 18 introns were found in the partial mitogenomes of Parantropora penelope, Discoporella cookae and Cupuladria biporosa, respectively. Intron-encoded protein domains reverse transcriptase and intron maturase (RVT-IM) were identified in all species. Introns in E. vieirai and P. penelope had conserved Group II intron ribozyme domains V and VI. Conserved domains were lacking from introns in D. cookae and C. biporosa, preventing their further categorization. Putative origins of metazoan introns were explored in a phylogenetic context, using an up-to-date alignment of mitochondrial RVT-IM domains. Results confirmed previous findings of multiple origins of annelid, placozoan and sponge RVT-IM domains and provided evidence for common intron donor sources across metazoan phyla. Our results corroborate growing evidence that some metazoans with regenerative abilities (i.e. placozoans, sponges, annelids and bryozoans) are susceptible to intron integration, most likely via horizontal gene transfer.

Alien hotspot: Benthic marine species introduced in the Brazilian semiarid coast.

In this study, we provide a baseline assessment of introduced marine species along the extensive (~600 km) Brazilian semiarid coast. We reported 27 introduced and 26 cryptogenic species. Moreover, the main vectors of introduction were ballast water, shipping lines, oil and gas activities, biofouling, and rafting on plastic debris. The taxa were Ascidiacea (17 species) and Bryozoa (17), followed by Crustacea (6), Mollusca (6), Cnidaria (3), Echinodermata (3), and Porifera (1). Among these invertebrates, some species are recognized as drivers of impacts such as the invasive corals (Tubastraea tagusensis and Tubastraea coccinea), the bivalves Isognomom bicolor and Perna viridis, the crab Charybdis hellerii, the brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis, and, finally, the bryozoan Membraniporopsis tubigera. These species threaten the biodiversity of unique ecosystems such as intertidal sandstone reefs, shallow-water coral reefs, and mesophotic ecosystems. Moreover, the up-to-date results highlight that this region is a hotspot of bioinvasion in the tropical South Atlantic.

Checklist dos Entoprocta do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil / Entoprocta Checklist of the State of São Paulo

O Filo Entoprocta compreende cerca de 180 espécies de metazoários aquáticos e sésseis, na grande maioria marinho. Esses animais são encontrados em substratos diversos, incluindo seixos, algas, conchas e outros animais. Apesar da semelhança com outros organismos coloniais, como hidrozoários e briozoários, os entoproctos são distintos pelo corpo constituído por um cálice distal com tentáculos ciliados, sustentado por um pedúnculo fixo no substrato através do pé ou estolão. A relação do grupo é bastante obscura, e estudos taxonômicos e morfológicos são escassos em todo mundo. Devido sobretudo ao trabalho de Ernest Marcus e Eveline Du Bois-Reymond-Marcus, realizado entre as décadas de 1930 e 1970, são conhecidas 18 espécies na costa brasileira, 16 das quais relatadas para o estado de São Paulo. Infelizmente, grande parte do material tipo descrito por eles está provavelmente perdido, sendo localizados apenas alguns nas coleções do Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP) e Natural History Museum em Londres (NHMUK). Assim, o conhecimento sobre a taxonomia, biologia e ecologia é restrito a algumas espécies e localidades. A ausência de levantamentos faunísticos e monitoramentos dificulta uma avaliação detalhada da composição e alteração da fauna em regiões impactadas. Atualmente, não existem especialistas em Entoprocta em São Paulo ou no Brasil, e devido à baixa diversidade do filo, só se justifica a capacitação de especialistas que se dediquem também a outros grupos, como Ectoprocta (Bryozoa). A formação de coleções científicas, como a do MZUSP, pode atrair o interesse de pesquisadores para estudo taxonômicos e de outros aspectos dos espécimes brasileiros, até agora pouco conhecidos.

The phylum Entoprocta comprises about 180 species of aquatic, sessile metazoans, the vast majority marine. These animals are found on many substrata, such as stones, algae, shells and other animals. Despite the similarity with other colonial organism, such as hydrozoans and bryozoans, the entoprocts are distinct by having a body that comprises a cuplike calyx with ciliated tentacles, supported by a stalk attached on substrata by a foot or stolon. The evolutionary history of the group is still obscure, and taxonomic and morphological studies are scarce. Due to the work of Ernest Marcus and Eveline Du Bois-Reymond-Marcus, published between the 1930's and 1970's, 18 species are so far known for the Brazilian coast, 16 of those reported from São Paulo state. Unfortunately, most of type material of species described by them is probably lost, only a few being preserved in the Museum of Zoology, University of São Paulo (MZUSP), and at the Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK). Thus, the knowledge on taxonomy, biology and ecology is restricted to some species and localities. The absence of biological surveys and monitoring makes it difficult to evaluate changes in the composition of fauna in impacted regions. Today, there are no experts on Entoprocta neither in São Paulo nor in Brazil, and due the low diversity of this phylum, it is only justified the capacitation of experts who also embrace other taxa, such as Ectoprocta (Bryozoa). The formation of scientific collections like the one of MZUSP, can be an attractive for researches to investigate taxonomy and other aspects of the Brazilian specimens, hitherto little known.