Accurate discrimination of two morphologically similar species of Patella limpets has been facilitated by using qPCR amplification of species-specific mitochondrial genomic regions. Cost-effective and non-destructive sampling is achieved using a mucus swab and simple sample lysis and dilution to create a PCR template. Results show 100% concurrence with dissection and microscopic analysis, and the technique has been employed successfully in field studies. The use of highly sensitive DNA barcoding techniques such as this hold great potential for improving previously challenging field assessments of species abundance.

The family Thorectidae includes 23 valid genera and 130 species, characterized by the presence of laminated fibres and diplodal choanocytye chambers. Currently the genus Thorecta comprises approximately 20 valid species, distributed mainly in the Indo-Pacific. We describe here a new species of Thorecta that is the only valid species of the genus described in the Atlantic Ocean so far. Samples were collected by trawling on board of the RV ‘Astro Garoupa’ in Potiguar Basin, on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte State, north-eastern Brazil. Thorecta atlantica sp. nov. is greyish-brown to dark brownish-grey and presents a distinctive globular or clavulate shape, with 1–2 large apical oscules that open to deep atria. It was found between 61 and 160 m depth. A literature survey suggests that many species referred to Thorecta should be relocated to different genera due to absence of diagnostic characters, and that the genus Thorecta should group only 11 species: T. carteri, T. marginalis, T. prima, T. lata, T. farlovi, T. meandrina, T. polygona, T. reticulata, T. tuberculata, T. vasiformis and T. atlantica sp. nov. The tortuous history of the genus is an example of the damage that poorly-described species can cause to classification. Detailed descriptions of fresh material, well illustrated by photographs and including as many characters as possible, are essential tools for the clarification of the systematics of Thorecta in the future.

Two aspects of the physiology of the burrowing shrimp Caliianassa tyrrhena (Decapoda: Thalassinidea) were studied in order to investigate the effects of the general pollution load: total (TRR) and weight-specific respiration rate (SRR) as well as the digestive enzyme activity of the digestive gland.

Caliianassa tyrrhena exhibited a very low respiration rate (mean TRR=64-29 μl 02 animal−1h−1, N=60; mean SRR=0·18 μl 02mg DW−1h−1, N=61).

The slope of the TRR-DW logarithmic regression (b=0·64) showed that respiration in C. tyrrhena is proportional to body surface. Size is the dominant factor (among size, sex, season and locality) determining the variation in respiration rate. Comparison between the two sites with the different pollution load showed that there were no significant differences in the respiration rates of the same size class and season, except for the youngest animals in summer which showed a significant decrease in their respiration rate at the polluted site.

A similar ‘inhibitory’ effect of pollution has been observed in the activity of the majority of the 19 digestive enzymes tested. Only three e.g., trypsin, β-galactosidase and α-glucosidase showed an increase in polluted waters.

One could suggest, therefore, that C. tyrrhena can be considered to be preadapted to the low oxygen conditions encountered in the sediments, because of its burrowing mode of living.

Calyptogena gallardoi is a recently described species of vesicomyid clam associated to the extensive gas-hydrate field reported for the Chilean margin along 35°S to 45°S. Enzymatic analysis in foot, gill and abductor muscle tissues of C. gallardoi collected in central-south Chile (~36°21′S 73°44′W), show high activities for malate dehydrogenase (MDH), strombine dehydrogenase (STRDH) and alanopine dehydrogenase (ALPDH) and a low activity of citrate synthase (CS) and ETS (electron transport system). Positive significant correlations (log–log scale) were found between enzymatic activities involved in anaerobic metabolism (MDH versus LDH and ALPDH versus STRDH), as well as between CS and opines dehydrogenases. The ratio MDH/LDH or any other opine dehydrogenase assayed was >> 1 in all tissues analysed. These results indicate that C. gallardoi is highly adapted to the harsh anaerobic conditions of marine chemosynthesis-based communities inhabiting a reduced environment.

The Council of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom has determined to issue to its members notes and reports concerning the work of the Association in the form of a Journal, which will appear at intervals, determined by the amount of material ready for publication. It is not proposed to limit the contents of this Journal to formal reports, nor to publish in it lengthy scientific memoirs, but to include within its pages, besides the official statements of the Council, brief records of observations relating to the marine biology and fisheries of the coasts of the United Kingdom which may appear to have a definite bearing upon the work actually in progress under the auspices of the Association. With this object in view the Council of the Association invite communications from fishermen and naturalists, which may either be printed in full in this Journal or form the subject of a note.

A new species of the genus Rosacea (Siphonophora: Calycophorae: Prayidae) is described from the Gulf of Oman, where its eudoxid stage was found in abundance. It is distinguished from other Rosacea species by the course of the lateral radial canals on the nectosac of the nectophore, and the shape of the eudoxid bract and the arrangement of its bracteal canals.

Postmarsupial development and growth of Natatolana borealis were studied from Skogsvåg and Raknesvåg on the western coast of Norway. Growth was determined from size and instar stage distributions. Growth was also examined in laboratory kept isopods that were collected from Skogsvåg. The postmarsupial instar stages were identified using the number of articles and the position of setae on the flagellum of the first antenna and other morphological features. The mean size of isopods in instar stages 1—3 did not show any significant seasonal variation in Raknesvåg. The estimated growth and mortality rates of males and females were not significantly different. Nine and 11 postmarsupial instar stages were found in material from Skogsvåg and Raknesvåg, respectively. The life span from instar stage 1 to 9 of male and female N. borealis from western Norway was estimated to be 3—4 y. Mortality rate increased significantly from instar stage 9 to 10 of both sexes. Isopods that attained instar stage 10 and instar stage 11 in Raknesvåg, may have lived 4—5 y. The mean size of instar stages 8 and 9 and the size-to-weight relationships were significantly higher in material from Raknesvåg relative to that from Skogsvåg and may have been caused by differences in food access and predation pressure at the two study sites. Specimens sampled from the Bay of Monaco attained smaller adult size than the isopods from the Norwegian population.

One new dorvilleid species belonging to the genus Ophryotrocha Claparède & Mecznikow, 1869 is described. The studied material was collected in circalittoral seabeds (70–100 m depth) in the Cantabrian Sea (north-east Atlantic Ocean). The new species Ophryotrocha cantabrica is characterized by having well-developed antennae and palps, parapodia with long dorsal cirrus, sub-triangular acicular lobes and inferior chaetal lobe well-developed, as well as the presence of P-type maxillae and bifid mandibles slightly tagged. The most closely related Ophryotrocha species are O. longidentata Josefson, 1975 and O. lobifera Oug, 1978; however, both species have biarticulated palps. Other differences with O. cantabrica sp. nov. are: body size and shape, parapodia morphology and number of setae, as well as the shape of mandibles and maxillae.

Diel rhythms in feeding and spawning were investigated in Centropages tenuiremis from Xiamen Bay in March to May, 2006. Circular statistics were used to determine the peak time of spawning. The results showed that the feeding activities of females were stably higher at night-time, and there was a remarkable earlier shift in spawning peak time with warmer seawater. Thus, the lag times between peak times of gut pigment content and spawning were shortened with the increase of temperature. It suggested that there was a direct effect of feeding rhythms on egg production variations in copepods, and the seawater temperature would work on the converting time and then influence the spawning peak time. So the effect of temperature cannot be ignored in the investigation of the effects of feeding on egg production.

The ability of the ophiuroid Amphiura filiformis to alert conspecifics to the presence of a predator was investigated. Our preliminary findings indicate that intraspecific communication of an alarm signal does not occur and that, ultimately, the motivation for altering behaviour in response to a stimulus is not oriented to the population as a whole

There was a time, and that not many years ago, when the fishing-hoats of Brixham sailed round to the east coast of England and joined with the fleets of London, Lowestoft, Yarmouth, and Grimsby in exploiting the fishing-grounds of the North Sea. This carries us back at least two generations, but if one chose to hunt through old records, one might find mention of Brixham and its fishing many centuries ago. The records may even go back to an earlier date than the Armada, but its past history, though of exceptional interest, is of no importance to our present purpose, and we may turn to the doings of the men of Brixham at the present day.

The Council and Officers.

The work of the Council has this year been considerably augmented in consequence of the fact that a commission has been accepted from H.M. Government to carry out in the southern British area the programme of scientific fishery investigations adopted by the International Conference, which met at Christiania in 1901. In addition to the four ordinary meetings of the Council, three special meetings have been held, these being entirely devoted to the organisation of the international work. The average attendance at the meetings has been nine. The Council have again to thank the Royal Society for allowing all the meetings to bo held in their rooms at Burlington House.