Boccardia proboscidea is recorded for the first time in UK waters. Specimens were discovered at two intertidal sites on the Isle of Skye.

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.

Here we report on the first record of the family Microzoanthidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia) from Palau, and by extension in Micronesia. Unusually, the species Microzoanthus kagerou was found not in a coral reef environment as has been previously reported elsewhere, but instead inhabiting shaded seawater outflow pipes at the Palau Maricultural Developmental Center on Malakal Island, Koror.

Thirty-eight specimens collected along the intertidal zone from the southern Pacific of Mexico were examined, resulting in the extension of the distribution ranges for Eucinetops lucasii Stimpson, 1860 from Mazatlán, Sinaloa to San Agustín Bay, Oaxaca (approximately 1488 km southward), E. rubellulus Rathbun, 1923 from Maruata, Michoacán to La Tijera Beach, Oaxaca (802 km southward), and Uca musica Rathbun, 1914 from San Blas, Nayarit to La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas (1763 km southward).

The Red Sea goatfish, Parupeneus forsskali, was collected for the first time off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. This finding, in addition to another specimen reported recently from Lebanon and numerous observations by underwater divers, strongly suggests that this species has established a population in the eastern Mediterranean.

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.

The first list of epiphytic diatom species on the seagrass Thalassia testudinum from the Yalahau lagoon area in the Mexican Caribbean is given. One hundred and seven diatom taxa living on T. testudinum were identified including species and varieties. Nine taxa are new records for Mexico. The Bacillariophyceae with 87 taxa were the most diverse group. The most abundant taxa were: Cocconeis lineata, Mastogloia crucicula var. crucicula, Cocconeis thalassiana, Cocconeis scutellum var. scutellum and Mastogloia ovata, representing approximately 75% of the total valve count (N = 1527). Yalahau lagoon samples from site 1 yielded a high number of rare taxa. Species richness (S), diversity (H′, 1-λ) and equitability (J′) for the lagoon were lower than for Cabo Catoche (site 2). Based on presence/absence of species, the measured similarity (60%) suggests that the diatom assemblages growing on T. testudinum in the two localities are different.

Bryozoans are common fouling species present on ships and artificial substrates. A number of projects reporting the presence of bryozoans in Portugal have been carried out in recent years. As part of a field survey to examine and quantify the non-indigenous marine fouling species in several marinas in Portugal, we detected the bryozoan Celleporaria brunnea for the first time. The native range of C. brunnea seems to extend from British Columbia to the Galapagos, Ecuador. Our discovery indicates that this is the first record of C. brunnea across the East Atlantic and the first record of a species in this genus in the north-eastern Atlantic. The fouling nature of Celleporaria brunnea may have facilitated its spread to the western Pacific, the Mediterranean and now the eastern Atlantic from the Americas.

The type species of Licmophora, L. flabellata (Carm.) C. Ag., is atypical for the genus in having a row of intercalary rimoportulae along the sternum and four plate-like plastids with pyrenoids. The pattern of rimoportulae is sufficiently unique to have prompted the question of whether this species should be separated from the genus. We report here L. comnavmaria sp. nov., which also has a row of intercalary rimoportulae. Its plastids are numerous small plates with a pyrenoid, different from plastids in both L. flabellata and other Licmophora species. Like L. flabellata, the new species forms extensive colonies on long, branched, multistranded mucilage stalks. The new species is distinguished from L. flabellata also by the delicate silicification and the extremely fine striae (55 vs 30–35 in 10 µm). Only one other species, L. pfannkucheae Giffen, has been described with intercalary rimoportulae (plastids unknown) and that species may not be distinct from L. flabellata. Thus the present species is a significant addition to the genus.

A record body size, length of 1520 mm and weight of 12,600 g for the beach conger, Conger japonicus was recorded, which is approximately 120 mm and 2600 g larger than the previous international record. The specimen was female and obtained during an otter trawl survey on 4 April 2013 in the East China Sea (31°52.16′N 127°42.94′E) at a depth of approximately 140 m on the slope of the continental shelf. Morphometric measurements and meristic counts are reported in this paper. We also report profiles of water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a taken immediately prior to the trawl, and species composition of concurrent catch with the otter trawling as environmental and biological characteristics of the habitat.

A description of a specimen of Cynoscion nebulosus caught in the Spanish waters of the Gulf of Cadiz, in the north-east Atlantic is presented. This is the first record of this species at this longitude.

The brittle stars Ophiactis savignyi and Ophiothela mirabilis are documented for the first time from French Guiana. The latter species was associated with colonies of a gorgonian, Leptogorgia miniata, growing on a rocky reef beneath a brackish layer of water and above an unstable mud bottom. Ophiothela mirabilis is a recently established alien introduction to the Atlantic. Ophiothela discovered in French Guiana were located approximately midway between populations of O. mirabilis in Brazil and at St Vincent, and individuals from all three countries may represent a single lineage of ophiuroids. Evidence is presented that O. savignyi and O. mirabilis could have been transported to the Amazon Barrier region by shipping and/or by coastal currents linking Brazil, French Guiana and St Vincent. If oceanic circulation is responsible for its dispersal, it is predicted that O. mirabilis will spread from the Windward Islands toward the southern Caribbean coast, whereas dispersal by shipping could follow a more northerly route.

The Ponto-Caspian hydroid Cordylophora caspia has been found for the first time in the Tagus estuary. There is only one previous citation for this invasive species in Portuguese waters. The colonies of C. caspia were branched and had healthy gastrozooids and gonophores. The specimens were collected from a saline boundary zone characterized by high fluctuations in salinity (maximum of 15.3 and minimum of 0.2) and high suspended solids loading. Cordylophora caspia is capable of colonizing man-made infrastructures such as industrial facilities and can inhabit both brackish and freshwater environments. These features of C. caspia, together with its resilience when in a dormant stage (menonts), indicate that the monitoring of this invasive species is advisable in the Tagus estuary.

The dendrodorid slug Dendrodoris coronata (Kay & Young, 1969) was collected for the first time from Kadmat Island, Lakshadweep, India. This record confirms the extended known range of D. coronata into the Western Indian Ocean.

The shrimp scad, Alepes djedaba is known to be established in the eastern Levant. The present study describes a case of a school (100 specimens) caught with purse seine on 14 June 2012 in Tunisia (Gulf of Gabès: 34°10′240 10°58′180) that constitutes the first record of its westernmost appearance.

A new species of chirodropid box jellyfish belonging to the genus Chiropsella (Cubozoa: Chirodropida: Chiropsalmidae) is described from Madagascar. In addition to being a new species from Madagascar, this represents the first record of the genus from Africa, and more generally the Indian Ocean. So far the genus Chiropsella is represented by two species, both of which are endemic to tropical Australian waters. The species described here most closely resembles Chiropsella bart from Arnhem Land, Australia. However, the species from Madagascar differs from C. bart in the shape of their rhopaliar niche ostium cover, the maximum number of tentacles, as well as their lack of pedalial keels. Furthermore, striking differences in the size of p-rhopaloids of the tentacular cnidomes were recorded between the two species. A tabular key distinguishing the genera of the Chiropsalmidae and the species of Chiropsella is provided.

The present paper reports the first finding of two gastropod species, Aporrhais pespelecani and Turritella communis in the north-western part of the Black Sea more than 500 km north from the edge of their native range (the Bosphorus Strait). The possible role of different hydrological factors in a spread of the species range, their perspective influence on the local demersal community and probable vectors of dissemination are discussed.

The present paper reports new distributional record of Ablabys binotatus from India. A single specimen measuring 89 mm standard length was collected from a trawler operated in the Gulf of Mannar off the south-east coast of India during November 2007. Comparison of morphometric and other characters with the holotype and other reported specimens confirms the identification.