Identification of the shell-boring parasite Polydora hoplura (Annelida: Spionidae) on wild stocks of Pecten maximus in Galician waters, NW Spain.

Infestations by shell-boring polychaetes have been gaining attention in recent years due to the harmful effects that their presence can pose to the growth and production of marine bivalves worldwide. The Galician region, located in the north-western corner of the Iberian Peninsula, is one of the major producers of marine bivalves in the word and therefore highly dependent on this industry. The recent finding of an unknown polychaete boring into the shells of the king scallop, Pecten maximus, has raised the attention of producers and authorities due to its potential harm to exploitable populations and the economical losses that could entail. The results from the morphological examination revealed the spionid Polydora hoplura as the only species present. DNA of a specimen was extracted and the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was partially sequenced for comparison with published sequences and confirmation of the morphological identification. Consequently, we report for the first time in the area the infestation of wild harvested populations of P. maximus by the mud worm Polydora hoplura. The presence of this shell-boring cosmopolitan invader could pose a threat to king scallop exploitation in Galicia; potential economic impacts need to be evaluated.

DNA Barcoding of the Genus Magnisudis (Aulopiformes: Paralepididae) with a Coastal Record and Biological Features of Magnisudis atlantica.

One specimen of the duckbill barracudina Magnisudis atlantica of 402 mm TL was caught in a shallow coastal area in Galician waters, northwest of Spain. Morphometric and meristic parameters along with DNA barcoding, based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, were used to confirm the specimen identity. Neighbor-joining analysis of nominal sequences of the genus Magnisudis obtained from the Barcode of Life Data System indicates the presence of six representative groupings of potential species, in contrast to the three that are currently recognized as valid. The stomach contents showed remains of digested crustaceans, tentatively identified as Euphausiids. Histological examination of the gonads revealed the specimen to be an immature female with oocytes at the primary growth stage, indicative of a lack of hermaphroditism. The results add new biological and taxonomic data that contribute to improved understanding of these poorly characterized, mainly deep-water species, demonstrating, once again, the effectiveness of DNA barcoding for identifying deep-sea fishes and characterizing their genetic differences.

Two new hermit crab species of Diogenes (Crustacea: Decapoda: Diogenidae) from Atlanto-Mediterranean coasts of Iberian Peninsula: Poleward migrants or merely overlooked indigenous species?

A new hermit crab species of the genus Diogenes with reddish-orange cheliped, Diogenes erythromanus sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on specimens from the Mediterranean coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, southern Spain. In addition, a second morphotype originating from Mauritanian waters and morphologically very close to D. erythromanus sp. nov. is described as a different species, D. arguinensis sp. nov. The new species are here compared to morphologically similar congeners, especially to those inhabiting the same geographical range. Diogenes erythromanus sp. nov. is distinguishable from other Diogenes primarily by the shape and armature of the left cheliped, with a palm slightly higher than long, with a ridge of spines running along the proximal lower margin that continues with a series of spinose rows forming a central band parallel to the upper margin of the palm. The palm in D. arguinensis sp. nov. is longer than high and shows similar proximal ridge, but without central spinose ridge. The shape of the cheliped is also different in D. arguinensis sp. nov., with long dactylus, which is also flattened and twisted. Sequences from two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes, and comparative analyses with other available sequences for the genus, are also included. Molecular phylogenetic analyses support the morphological delimitation, with D. erythromanus sp. nov. and D. arguinensis sp. nov. forming a separate group, more related to other tropical species, which raises different possible explanations for its presence in the Iberian Peninsula.

A new species of hermit crab of the genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775 (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridae) from north-western Africa.

One male and two female specimens of an undescribed species of the heterogeneous hermit crab genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775, were found during the study of the collections of the Oceanographic Institute of Cádiz, containing specimens from African and European coasts collected during the scientific cruises carried out between in years 2008-2013. The new species is named Pagurus pectinidactylus n. sp., in reference to the presence of a well-developed toothless pectinate masticatory border in the dactylus of the left cheliped, composed by a row of tightly placed bristles forming a brush-like structure. The new species is compared to morphologically similar congeners, especially those that are genetically closest. Molecular phylogenetic analyses support the morphological delimitation, with P. pectinidactylus n. sp. forming a separate clade, more closely related to a group of South African species belonging to the Pagurus anachoretus group.

New Acotylea (Polycladida, Platyhelminthes) from the east coast of the North Atlantic Ocean with special mention of the Iberian littoral.

Polyclad species diversity, although generally well known for European North Atlantic waters, is nearly unknown for the Iberian Peninsula. The "Ría de Arousa", located on the Atlantic coast of Galicia (Spain), is a place where many positive biological factors for species biodiversity converge. Therefore, it is an ideal location to study polyclad diversity. This research, which describes new records and new species, contributes to the knowledge of the distribution of Polycladida (Platyhelminthes), particularly of the suborder Acotylea, in the Atlantic waters of the Iberian Peninsula. The new records include the re-descriptions of Cryptocelis compacta Lang, 1884, Stylochus neapolitanus (Delle Chiaje, 1841-1844) and Discocelis tigrina (Blanchard, 1847), while the two newly described species are Hoploplana elisabelloi n. sp. and Armatoplana celta n. sp.

First records of Cotylea (Polycladida, Platyhelminthes) for the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula.

A study of polyclad fauna of the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula was carried out from 2010 to 2013. The paper reports nine new records belonging to three Cotylean families: the family Euryleptidae Lang, 1884, Pseudocerotidae Lang, 1884 and the family Prosthiostomidae Lang, 1884, and describes one new species, Euryleptodes galikias sp. n.