An early and massive settlement of Lepas australis and Lepas pectinata attached to pumice from a recent volcanic eruption is described for the first time. The last 2010 earthquake of central Chile generated stress changes on the magma pathway and this reaction induced the Cordón-Caulle Volcanic Complex eruption on 4 June 2011. Only four months later, a great amount of pumice showing a massive settlement of goose barnacles (Lepas spp.) was drift-carried to the Chilean coast. Our results suggest that the larval attachment structures of Lepas australis and L. pectinata have a high capacity for adhering to the pumice surface, using it as an important dispersion vector.

A new record on the occurrence of Neobythites multistriatus which hitherto had not been recorded from the Bay of Bengal is reported. Two specimens measuring 160 and 180 mm standard length were collected from the landings of a deep-sea trawler by-catch at depths of 200–250 m off the Tuticorin coast in the Gulf of Mannar (part of the Bay of Bengal) during March 2010. This is the first record of Neobythites multistriatus from the Bay of Bengal. The specimen is described and figured.

The occurrence of noctilucoid dinoflagellates Abedinium dasypus and Scaphodinium mirabile is reported for the first time from the Indian Ocean (Kuwait's waters, north-western Arabian Gulf). The morphology of live cells is described on the basis of light microscopic examination and photographically documented for both species. The world distribution of these dinoflagellates is reviewed.

Twelve parasitic copepod species representing two families were opportunistically recorded from the skin of 13 elasmobranch species captured in the coastal waters of Oman. New host records include Alebion carchariae, Pandarus smithii and Pandarus cranchii on Carcharhinus amboinensis; Echthrogaleus denticulatus on Alopias superciliosus and Sphyrna lewini; Pandarus carcharhini on Carcharhinus altimus; Pseudopandarus longus on Carcharhinus sorrah; Caligus dasyaticus on Glaucostegas halavi. Previous records of Pseudopandarus australis are limited to the Pacific Ocean, and its occurrence in the northern Indian Ocean represents a large range extension.

The warm-water nemertean species Paradrepanophorus crassus, described from Mediterranean shores, was first recorded in Lough Hyne, County Cork, Ireland in 1931 by Renouf. This large nemertean that forms membranous tubes under low intertidal to shallow subtidal rocks has increased in frequency, particularly from 2009 to 2012 with peak values of 0.26 specimens per metre of shoreline. Eggs were noted within the membranous tube of one specimen collected in June 2012. Furthermore, based on digital photographs of specimens, the striped nemertean species Punnettia splendida was also noted in September 2011; this is a new species record for Lough Hyne.

The crocodile shark, Pseudocarcharias kamoharai previously unknown from the Arabian Sea of India is reported from the south-western coast (Kerala). The specimen is described and figured.

The porcellanid crab, Polyonyx boucheti, previously known only from the Loyalty Islands in the south-western Pacific, is reported from the south-western Indian Ocean based on two specimens collected from Mayotte, Comoro Islands. The present material agrees well with the original description of the species in every diagnostic aspect. Polyonyx boucheti is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific as is its closest congener P. utinomii, although the records of the two species are very limited.

The cetacean fauna inhabiting the poorly-studied waters of the eastern tropical Atlantic (ETA), along the west coast of Africa, is still being described. Information on the cetacean species occurring in specific ETA range states is important for understanding their geographical distribution ranges and for implementing conservation and management measures. Here we provide photographically-verified records for the occurrence of pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) off Côte d'Ivoire and of Fraser's dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) off Gabon. These records represent new range state records for both species, and are also the first verified at-sea sightings in the ETA and the Gulf of Guinea respectively.

The twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago has a thriving yachting industry with numbers of leisure craft having increased 10-fold from 1980 to 2000. Being geographically outside of the hurricane belt, the islands offer a prime hurricane Caribbean shelter with excellent boating and repair facilities. The Chaguaramas coastline (on the north-west peninsula) has seven (7) anchorages. One of these (the Chaguaramas Bay) was the study site for a survey of hull foulers on recreational boats. In that survey, twenty-seven (27) recreational vessels were sampled for biofoulers, one group being the Tunicates (Ascidiacea). In Trinidad and Tobago little is known about these organisms. Of the eighteen species (18) collected, eight (8) were solitary species and ten (10) were colonial species. Their distribution (all species collected) is wide and they can be found throughout the western Atlantic, the eastern Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. This survey is a preliminary one in terms of the ascidian fauna of Trinidad and represents only one (1) sampled habitat (boat hulls). There has however been a previous survey of the Tobago fauna. For completeness, there should be a full survey of the ascidians along Trinidad's coastline including their various habitats (rocky shores, mangroves, seagrass beds, etc.). These new data could be used to determine those species which occur in natural communities in Trinidad as compared with this survey (fouling community). In this paper these preliminary results are however used for comparison with the Tobago fauna.

A grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), representative of the North Atlantic species, has been recorded in the north-east Black Sea. It is the first documented case of successful long-term survival of an exotic pinniped. We have been receiving data about regular sightings of the seal identified as the observed individual since 2001. It is a 160–170 cm long adult female. The seal used an underwater cave as a shelter. The most likely way of introduction of the grey seal to the Black Sea is escape from captivity. According to available data (body size and moulting seasonality), we tentatively identify it as a representative of the Baltic subspecies. The biotope requirements of the grey seal and monk seal are similar: both species use coastal karst caves and grottos. In addition, the seal's presence in this region is a marker of the lack of anthropogenic disturbance. Thus, the survival of a seal in this region indicates the possibility of successful re-colonization of the Black Sea by monk seals.

The striated fusilier Caesio striata, is recorded for the first time in Indian waters. A single specimen was caught in the Gulf of Mannar and landed at Tuticorin fisheries harbour in September 2010.

One female specimen of Torpedo sinuspersici was collected from the trawl catch along the Saurashtra coast of Junagadh district, Gujarat, India. Although a total 486 species of marine fish have been identified so far from the State, the present paper describes the first record of T. sinuspersici from the coast of Gujarat State of India.

The few records of introduced barnacles in Brazil are most commonly reported on artificial (anthropic) substrates. Here we examine the barnacle assemblage in the intertidal regions of rocky shores and natural reefs and build a data base for future monitoring and study for Brazil. We sampled 24 locations between 3 and 29°S latitude. While we found three introduced (Amphibalanus reticulatus, Megabalanus coccopoma and A. amphitrite) and three cryptogenic species (M. tintinnabulum, A. improvisus and Newmanella radiata), they were uncommon at all locations and only M. coccopoma was widespread south of 20°. Native species still predominated in all samples. Management strategies should focus on preventing future invasions on locations where species have not reached yet.

Monotygma watsoni, a minute parasitic pyramidellid gastropod is newly recorded in the Mediterranean Sea from specimens recently collected off the Israeli coastline. The species, described and illustrated, matches the three syntypes of Ceratia watsoni collected in the southern Red Sea. The characteristic protoconch and teleoconch sculpture led us to assign it to Monotygma. It is the fourteenth Erythraean alien pyramidellid species recorded in the Levantine Basin. The large populations of a great number of Erythraean aliens in the Levantine Basin may serve as reservoir hosts for pyramidellids, many of which seem to be parasitic generalists, and may be introduced to native Mediterranean hosts.

The distribution range of several species of Ascidiacea is expanding due to human-based transportation between biogeographical regions. Ship movement in Brazil has increased over the past few years due to world commerce and oil exploration, which has increased the number of species transported and introduced to new areas. This ship movement has made harbour areas a suitable place to detect the introduction of many species. In this work, we report the first record in the south-west Atlantic of the solitary Ascidiacea Rhodosoma turcicum. This species has been recorded since 2009 at Forno Harbour, in Arraial do Cabo, but exclusively inside cages protected from predators. This suggests biological control of the species is preventing its spread throughout the area.

On 18 March 2012, a female specimen of the sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus, measuring 256 cm, was by-caught by a net fisherman targeting narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus commerson, off Dalma Island in Abu Dhabi waters. This occurrence represents the first documented record of C. taurus in United Arab Emirates waters. The geographical distribution of this species in the Arabian/Persian Gulf is discussed and updated. The limited records of this species in this body of water may be due to the absence of rigorous species landing reports across countries bordering the Arabian/Persian Gulf.

The presence of a shrimp necrotizing hepatopancreatitis bacterium (NHP) in zooplankton samples from the Gulf of California was confirmed by qPCR and DNA sequences analysis. Samples of zooplankton were collected from stations located on the eastern shore of the Gulf of California, an area adjacent geographically to the coast of Sonora, Mexico. Three zooplankton samples (NHP S3, S23 and S24) were detected. These samples were collected in Bahía de Agiabampo and Bahía de Guasimas, an area distributed along the length of the coast in the vicinity of a shrimp farm area. These results clearly indicate that NHP-B may be associated or colonizing zooplankton, which may serve as a potential vector of potential importance in the spread of this disease. The biological meaning of this finding is discussed.

The first record of Naso reticulatus from Indian waters is documented. This species was reported only by its type specimens from Indonesia and Taiwan previously. Our record of this species from Indian waters extends the distributional range of N. reticulatus to the east coast of India.

The longfin gunnel, Pholis clemensi, was previously reported to range as far south as Point Arena California in the Pacific Ocean. New observations are documented south to Point Lobos with geo-referenced photographs from remotely operated vehicles extending the known range to 304.5 km.

Four species of Ophelina, collected from the deep waters off southern Brazil (700–2000 m) between 21°18 S and 23° S, are described, viz., Ophelina abranchiata, O. cf. cylindricaudata, O. chaetifera and O. aulogastrella. These reports extend the distribution of O. abranchiata and O. chaetifera to the South Atlantic Ocean and the distribution of O. aulogastrella to the western South Atlantic.