The aim of the study was to investigate the benthic foraminiferal fauna around the mineral water spring in Pamucak Cove, north-west Kuşadası (Aydın) and figure out the effects of the spring on the fauna. The spring was located 200 m off the coast at 12.4 m depth and its temperature was 19.6°C. The study area was found to include a rich population of Red Sea originated Amphistegina lobifera, of which the distribution pattern is noteworthy. It is abundant in the centre of the spring and its close vicinity; its abundance decreases when getting away from the spring. It is more abundantly observed on the southern and western sides of the spring, whereas, it is outnumbered by Ammonia compacta and Elphidium crispum on the northern and eastern parts. The water currents around the spring were in north–south and north–west directions. The observed diverse diatom population around the spring constitutes the main food source and dispersal according to the currents may explain the reason for the abundance of the Amphistegina population on the southern and western sides of the study area. High abundances of A. lobifera have not yet been observed elsewhere in the Aegean Sea, although large populations of this species have been recorded on the south-west coasts of Turkey and in several stations on the south-east of Gokceada. Abundance of coloured individuals and Red Sea originated benthic species suggests the presence of special environmental as well as ecological conditions around the spring.

Holothuria (Holothuria) dakarensis (Holothuroidea: Holothuriidae) is recorded for the first time in the south-western Atlantic, from mangroves in Macau, Rio Grande do Norte State, and deposited in the Coleção de Invertebrados Paulo Young, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Brazil.

The Bahamian archipelago is one of the richest regions in the Caribbean province and its importance as a hot spot of biodiversity and potential centre of origination of new species in the tropical western Atlantic has been suggested. In this paper I report on the sea slugs collected during a field trip to Eleuthera Island, the Bahamas. Animals were collected from the intertidal down to five metres deep by direct sampling. Nineteen species of opisthobranchs were found including two new records to the Bahamas (Berghia stephanieae and Gastropteron vespertilium) and three putatively new species of Haminoea. Colour variation was detected on adults of the species Chelidonura hirundinina and Bulla occidentalis, the latter suggesting isolation across a reduced geographical scale. Ontogenetic variation in Philinopsis cf. pusa was found and is here documented. The uniqueness of the Bahamian biodiversity is highlighted.

Manefish are not very common and there are few observations of associations with other organisms. An adult of the manefish Paracaristius maderensis and a juvenile of Paracaristius sp. are reported for the first time for the Pacific coast of Central America. The adult specimen (215 mm standard length) was captured off Panama, at a depth of 1000 m. The juvenile specimen (17.5 mm standard length) was recorded on video, in association with the siphonophore Praya reticulata at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, at a depth of 100 m. A brief description of specimens supporting this record as well as comparative morphometric data and distributional information are provided. The fish–siphonophore association is illustrated.

Two species of limid clams, Acesta sphoni and Acesta mori, were observed and sampled from seven localities in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The two species are known to occur on seamounts and escarpments along the north-eastern Pacific margin of the United States. This report provides the first records of each species in the Gulf of California and the greatest depth records for both species. Though they occasionally overlap geographically, the two species are clearly stratified by depth, with A. sphoni occupying shallower and warmer, hypoxic waters, and A. mori occupying deeper and colder, oxic waters. The species are easily distinguished morphologically. The shells of A. mori have very fine radial ribbing for a smooth appearance and are more rounded and inflated, whereas those of A. sphoni are narrower and more elongate with 31 to 77 strong radial ribs. The largest individuals sampled were A. sphoni. For each species, DNA analyses revealed arrays of mitochondrial haplotypes similar to those found previously at north-eastern Pacific localities along the California, Oregon and Washington margins, providing no evidence for geographical subdivision throughout this newly extended range.

Observations, photographs, and video footage of a 337 cm total length female smalltooth sand tiger shark, Odontaspis ferox made at a depth of 348 m on the northern slope of San Ambrosio Island in the Desventuradas Islands (26°19.456′S 79°52.281′W) on 25 February 2013 represent not just the first record of this species in Chilean waters, but the first in the entire south-eastern Pacific Ocean, marking a tremendous range extension of this species. We also summarize the few known occurrences of this species along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America.

Polycerella emertoni and Favorinus ghanensis were originally described from Connecticut and Ghana respectively. While the last species has been found only twice since it was described, P. emertoni has already been reported in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (Portugal, Gulf of Cadiz and Gulf of Naples). In this paper, we provide new records of both species from the region of Agadir (Morocco). Since the specimens studied in this paper were collected within harbour areas, we suggest shipping activities as the most plausible vector of introduction.

Some shells of Ophieulima minima are reported from the Tuscan archipelago. This is the first record of the genus Ophieulima from the Mediterranean Sea. Hypotheses about its host are considered.

Herein, we describe the use of scars to photo-identify the goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara. Three individuals were photo-identified and re-sighted several times at the same site along the Brazilian coast, including the longest report for site fidelity, with more than four years.

The occurrence of the hoplonemertean Emplectonema neesii in the north-east Atlantic has been reported from Iceland to France. This paper provides the first record of E. neesii in Galicia (north-west Spain), possibly the most southern location, if the previous records under this name from the Mediterranean referred to a different species. Morphological data and pictures of this species are provided.

We revised the zoogeographical distribution of mysids in the south-west Atlantic, from northern Brazil to Argentina (0° to 40°S), providing body length, and temperature and salinity range of occurrence for each species. All information concerning mysids from the south-west Atlantic was obtained from published/unpublished studies. Of currently 1128 mysids species described worldwide, only 31 were recorded in the south-west Atlantic which are distributed in 14 genera, 6 subfamilies and one family. This extremely low number of recorded species highlights the need for further studies focusing on mysids in the south-west Atlantic.

A specimen of Malthopsis gnoma was collected at 154 m on the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico in 2003. This constitutes the second record of this species for Mexican waters and the first for the southern Gulf of Mexico.

One female specimen of blue-spotted stingray, Neotrygon kuhlii was collected from a single day trawl catch along with other species of rays from the Saurashtra coast of Gujarat, India. The present paper describes the first record of the blue-spotted stingray from the State of Gujarat, thereby adding another species to the total recorded species list from the area.

Three specimens of the genus Corambe were found in the intertidal zone of Santos, São Paulo (Brazil); two of them were identified as C. evelinae and one as C. carambola. Both species are reported for the first time since more than about 40 years ago.

The leucosiid crab, Paranursia abbreviata, is recorded for the first time from the waters in Singapore. This record connects the known northern (as far south as Malaysia) and southern (Australia) distribution ranges of this species.

Western Australia has an extensive coastline extending 12889 km (excluding islands) from latitude 35 degrees in the south to 14 degrees in the north. The extensive coastline intersects the distribution of many species of beaked whale. A total of 74 Ziphiidae were recorded as stranded along the Western Australian coast between 1940 and 2010 (70 years). Ten of the 21 species of beaked whales currently recognized taxonomically worldwide have been observed in Western Australia with True's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus and Shepherd's beaked whale Tasmacetus shepherdi recorded more than elsewhere in Australia. Western Australia has the highest species diversity (10) of beaked whale strandings compared to other Australian states and regions. Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi, was the most commonly reported species (33 records) and had the largest mass stranding group size (seven) of the beaked whales stranded in Western Australia. The records presented in this paper confirm the distribution of Arnoux's beaked whale Berardius arnuxii, strap-toothed beaked whale Mesoplodon layardii, Shepherd's beaked whale, Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris in Western Australian waters. The records presented of True's beaked whale confirm its presence in Australian waters, with Western Australia a possible key location for this species. Factors causing strandings and death should be investigated in future wherever possible, particularly the rostral injuries reported for six beaked whales. Beaked whale species identification should be confirmed through genetic analysis in future to maximize certainty of species identification.

Zoobotryon verticillatum, a widely dispersed stoloniferous fouling bryozoan, has been recently recorded from specimens collected from the hulls of vessels berthed in an Israeli marina. Though conspicuous and distinctive, it has been rarely recorded in surveys of the bryozoan fauna along the Levant coastline conducted over the past half century. It is suggested the species is native to the Caribbean Sea, and an invasive alien elsewhere, including the Mediterranean Sea.

The present study reports on range extension of the suctorian species Praethecacineta halacari and Thecacineta calix to the region of Brunei Bay, Brunei Darussalam, Borneo.

The decapod Hippolyte prideauxiana is a cryptic commensal of the crinoid Antedon bifida, giving rise to its common name ‘the feather star shrimp’. In 2010 and 2013 H. prideauxiana was recorded in the Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands (‘north isles’), northern Scotland. These observations widen the known geographical distribution of this species by 400 km north from the west coast of Scotland where it was first recorded in 1997. Whilst it is possible that these new records are the result of a range expansion due to climate change it is more likely that this species has been overlooked due to its cryptic coloration, limited awareness of this species and increase in survey effort in the north of Scotland using SCUBA.

Sharp-tail sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus) occurrence in Indian seas is uncommon and its taxonomy is still in controversy. The species was hooked in a sub-surface long-line during an exploratory survey for oceanic tuna and allied fish within the Indian exclusive economic zone in the Lakshadweep Sea along the west coast of India by survey ship MFV ‘Yellow Fin’ attached to the Fishery Survey of India, Mormugoa, Goa, India. It is reported to be the first Masturus species in the Lakshadweep Sea. The sample weighted 100 kg and had a total length of 147 cm. The morphometric and meristic measurements were made and results indicated; the species recorded was the third largest in total length and the heaviest in terms of mass compared to earlier reports in Indian seas.