Southern California Assocation of Marine Invertebrate Taxonomists May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Munida tenella Benediet 1902 B’13 station 9073, 7 August 2013, 182 m Photo by N. Haring, CSD This Issue SCAMIT OFFICER NEWS.2 13 MAY 2013, MOEEUSCA, OCSD, KEEVIN BARWICK.2 6 JUNE 2013, POEYCHAETA, NHMEAC, S. SAEAZAR-VAEEEJO AND E. CARRERA-PARRA .5 10 JUNE, ARTHROPODS, CSD, DR. TIM STEBBINS AND DEAN PASKO.8 EITERATURE CITED.16 SCAMIT OFFICERS.19 The SCAMIT newsletter is not deemed to be a valid publieation for formal taxonomie purposes. Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 SCAMIT OFFICER NEWS Two new officers take the helm with this newsletter, Laura Terriquez takes over as Treasurer for Cheryl Brantley, and Dean Pasko takes over as Secretary for Megan Lilly. SCAMIT would like to extend its gratitude to Cheryl and Megan who have served SCAMIT well for the past 11 and 15 years, respectfully. We appreciate the time and dedication of the many volunteer hours spent by these two long time and faithful SCAMIT members. UPCOMING MEETINGS Visit the SCAMIT website at: www.scamit.org for the latest upcoming meetings announcements. 13 MAY 2013, MOLLUSCA, OCSD, KELVIN BARWICK Attendees: Larry Lovell, Bill Power, Terra Petri, Don Cadien (LACSD); Kelvin Barwick, Danny Tang, Michael Vendrassco (OCSD); Dot Norris (City of San Francisco); Dean Pasko (Private Consultant); Wendy Emight, Ron Velarde (City San Diego); Angela Eagleston (EcoAnalysts); Craig Campbell, Greg Eyon (CEAEMD); Sarah Briley, Kim Walker (CSU Fullerton, Zacherl lab), Emilia Gonzalez (Mexico, visiting NHMEAC). BUSINESS: The last of the Bight’ 13 preparatory meetings will be June 15, and cover Arthropoda. Dean Pasko will lead the meeting. The SCAMIT Picnic was held July 27, 2013 from 10 am - Sunset at Doheny State Beach Park. Those who attended enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, good snacks, good company and good conversation. The SCAMIT Species List Committee met recently and is working on revisions for Ed 8. They are requesting that all members provide suggestions for corrections to the current list or new species to be added very soon. Comments may be sent to Don Cadien or Earry Eovell, or posted directly to the general list server (general_topics@discussion.list.scamit.org). A meeting of interest to members is the all American Malacological Conference which will be held in Mexico City, June 23-27, 2014. Paul Valentich-Scott of SBMNH is organizing it and will include most of the major Molluscan scientific organizations in the Western Hemisphere. SCAMIT’s SCAS symposium at the May meetings was very successful, and included talks from members of our sister organizations SAFIT (Southwestern Association of Freshwater Invertebrate Taxonomists) and SCAITE (Southern California Association of Ichthyological Taxonomists and Ecologists). The talks included presentations of data as well as how SCAMIT works. There was a request that SCAMIT participate again next year. It is membership time again and the New Membership form will be available on the SCAMIT website. Please note the new mailing address as C/0 Eaura Terriquez, PO. Box 50162, Eong Beach, CA. 90815. U.S.A. SCAMIT Leadership: SCAMIT hosted the Second contractual EPA CBRAT workshop at SCCWRP May 15-18. Expert panels provided information on distributions, abundance, and ecology of species of economic value. Specifically they addressed issues of global warming, sea- level rise, changes in C02 concentrations, etc. 2 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 The SCAMIT Newsletter was discussed. There were requests that the Newsletter inelude Date of Publieation in header, and be published bi-monthly. In addition, as a result of the Southern California Regional Monitoring Program requirement that partieipating taxonomists partieipate in SCAMIT, a list of attendees will be ineluded in upeoming Newsletters, as it has in the past. Norma Emilia Gonzalez, a doetoral student, from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Chetumal, Quintana Roo Mexieo then spoke about her researeh on eulimd gastropods that live on eehinoderms. All eulimids are non-obligate parasites, endo- and eeto-parasites. However, of the 850 speeies and 90 genera of eulimds known, only 33 speeies and 15 genera have a known assoeiation with eehinoderms. In other words, there is a lot of work yet-to-be done on eulmid eeology and taxonomy. For example, two different speeies ean inhabit different parts of the same sea star (arm and internal part of dise) and in some eases, the male lives on the female as a tiny parasite. Norma summarized the knowledge of some of these relationships. There are 16 speeies of erinoid hosts that house nine genera of eulimds; 50 speeies of eehinoids host 14 different eulimid genera; 25 speeies of asteroids aeeommodate eight different eulimid genera; and six speeies of ophiuroids host seven different eulimid genera. When visiting museums, Norma realized that most eulimid speeies were diffieult to identify on shell morphology alone. She hopes to use this trip to different museums in Southern California to develop a key. So far she has found it diffieult to distinguishing genera, though there are many speeies deseribed that are fairly distinguishable. Some tidbits gleaned from the general diseussion inelude that the apex and aperture of the shell ean be useful beeause they are determined, in part, by the parasite nature of the speeies life-style. However, she also relies on internal eharaeters, the radula and sex organs, as well as sears of inner whorl of the shell. Additionally, mantle eolor is not praetieal for distinguishing speeies, but ean be used to distinguish eertain genera, e.g., Eulima and Melanella Kelvin Barwick, of the Orange County Sanitation Distriet, then reviewed seleeted Mollusk Fiterature. • Alleoek et al (2011). Diseussion of higher-level Cephalopod phylogeny, and generally good support for existing strueture. For the first time it established support for monophyly of Teuthoidea. Analysis did not inelude any loeal speeies. • Baez, et al (2011). Taxonomy and phylogeny of Armina spp.(Nudibranehia) via morphologieal methods, ineluding some loeal speeies and using radula strueture. Ineludes undeseribed speeies • MeFean, J.H. (2011). Re-ereeted Subfamily Hemitominae (Fissurellidae) with deseriptions of new genera based on shell and radula morphology. None of the loeal fauna are diseussed. Differs from earlier workers using DNA. • Bieler, R and R.E. Petit (2011). Catalogue of reeent fossil Caenogastropoda “worm snails” eovering Vermetidae, Siliquariidae, Turritellidae. Paper does eover some taxa found in the SCB, but mostly from hard bottom eolleetions. No ehange to SCAMIT nomenelature. • Brandt, A et al (2009). Diseusses the bathymetrie distribution of southern oeean speeies of Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Isopoda, Polyehaeta, by depth and number of taxa, and provides depth distributions by elass and family. 3 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 • Benaim, N P, D.C. Paone Viegas, et al (2011). Review of the features of the hinge plate of Yoldiella spp vs shell morphology using several taxa from Brazil, ineluding Y. aff. Jeffrey si and sp 1 and sp 2. They were able to obtain about 75% speeies diserimination based on general shell morphology, while the use of hinge morphology aehieved over 85% reliable distinetion among taxa. • Haga, T, and T. Kase (2013). Reviewed and eonfirmed the presenee of dwarf males in deep sea wood borers (Bivalvia: Pholadoidea: Xylophaga) relative to life history and distribution, and found an inereased prevalenee of dwarf males in deeper water taxa. They were previously thought to be juvenile brood. • Paalvast, Peter and Gerard van der Velde (2013). Reviewed the main food souree of shipworms {Teredo navalis)', suggesting that the main form of feeding is filter feeding, not the ship’s wood. • Oliver, PG. and J. Lotzen (2011). Deseribes a new fiuid feeding bivalve of Galeommatoidea, to whieh they assigned the appropriate name Draculamya porobranchiata. • Oliver, PG. and J.D. Taylor (2012). Baeterial symbiosis in Nueinellidae (Bivalvia: Solemyida) is eonfirmed and ineludes a deseription of two new speeies. Ineludes a niee illustration of shell morphology for the neweomer to gastropod taxonomy, and differentiation between Nucinella and Hwdeyia. • Cyrus, A.Z et al (2012). Sensory eeology of swash-zone living predatory Olivoidea, Agaronia propatula, ineluding diseussion of predation response and interesting photos and diseussion of predation on larger organisms. They rely heavily on physieal eneounters with prey items eonsuming anything they bump into. They take advantage of the swash zone to eover large areas. • Harbo, R. et al. (2012). The feeding of Evalea tenuisculpta (Odostomia) on the feeding siphons of Tresus capax. Problem Taxa. After luneh we diseussed some of the diffieult speeies that might ereate problems during Bight’13. Tellina: Tellina sp B vs T cadieni. The problem is that Tellina sp B is without voueher sheet doeumentation. OCSD, as well as the other monitoring ageneies, eall all offshore individuals Tellina sp B; and all bay speeies T cadieni. The question remains should we use loeation (offshore vs bay) to diseriminate the two for Bight’ 13? Paul Seott, SBNHM, did not see a differenee when Ron Velarde took speeimens of the two taxa from the City of San Diego. One problem is that the deseription of T cadieni is not very detailed. The other problems lie within the history of the usage and doeumentation within SCAMIT. The original voueher sheet for T carpenteri is aetually Tellina sp B; whereas the original voueher sheet for Tellina sp A (1995) turned out to be T carpenteri. This issue is diseussed in the last paragraph of the Comments seetion (page 2) of the Tellina sp A voueher sheet, whieh states that Tellina sp A (1995) beeame T. carpenteri, the “rose pink” speeimen from the offshore beeoming the undoeumented Tellina sp B, but does not distinguish T. cadieni, a bay form deseribed by Seott (2000). The group reviewed pietures of T. cadieni fide T. Phillips SMB Station FB15, 7/18/12, whieh everyone determined to be Tellina sp B. The group then eompared Phillip’s pieture to Seott’s plate of T. cadieni but that provided little resolution of the problem. After mueh diseussion, everyone deeided that absent a review of Tellina sp B and ereation of a voueher sheet, offshore speeimens should be referred to Tellina sp B and speeimens from true bays and harbors should be referred to 4 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Tellina cadieni. The noted exeeption being Santa Moniea Bay, whieh is generally eonsidered open eoast. Pyramadellids were next on the hit list, partieularly Turbonilla sp SDl vs. deseribed speeies Turbonilla santarosana. See SCAMIT NL Volume 29, No. 3&4. Diseussion about whether or not they one in the same, and what is the eorreet name to be used ensued. Generally the usage among the ageneies is Turbonilla sp; however, two primary people are using the deseribed names, ineluding Tony Phillips and Carol Paquette, both of whieh were absent from the day’s meeting. Notes deseribing the history of these problematie taxa ean be found in SCAMIT NL Vol. 29, No 3&4. There was some diseussion of leaving these identifieations at the generie level (e.g., Turbonilla sp and Odostomia sp) sinee both are eetoparasites that do not have direet eeologieal implieations for Bight benthie work. In the end, the group deeided to allow eaeh lab and taxonomist to proeeed with usage of the taxa listed on SCAMIT Ed 8 as eapable, as long as everyone remains eommitted to using the list-server to ensure that all other Bight mollusean taxonomists are informed if any new taxa are “found” in samples. Cadulus and Lirobittium were diseussed briefly and everyone was reminded to eheek the prior meeting minutes during whieh eharaeteristies to distinguish L. attenuatum and L. purpureum were outlined. Kelvin volunteered to ereate voueher sheets for these {Lirobittium and Cadulus) ahead of the formal publieation of the minutes for the meeting. For eulimids, everyone is direeted to the SCAMIT Tools and the eulimid voueher sheet tables and plates. Plate 1 shows eonflrmed Melanella rosa. Plate 2 shows eonflrmed Polygireulima rutila. Plate 3 illustrates Vitrolina Columbiana and Vitreolina macra, however Vitreolina yod is represented by juveniles whieh were eonsidered too small to be plaeed in a partieular speeies. Norma eonflrmed this latter determination based on her knowledge of the true size of V yod and the few whorls represented by the Plate 3 pieture. We also reviewed the original illustration of V yod whieh showed some differenees between the original and Kelvin’s photos. Among the other voueher sheets available. Figure 1 showing Balds sp A was eonflrmed, as were Balds sp SDl and Balds sp SD2. Kelvin then helped Sarah and Kim with speeifle speeimens that they had brought to the meeting for resolution. The meeting ended at approximately 3:00 PM. 6 JUNE 2013, POLYCHAETA, NHMLAC, SERGIO SALAZAR-VALLEJO AND LUIS CARRERA-PARRA Attendees: Larry Lovell, Cheryl Brantley (LACSD); Kelvin Barwiek, Ernest Ruekman (OCSD); Kathy Langan, Rieardo Martinez-Lara, Veroniea Rodriguez-Villanueva (City San Diego); Chip Barrett (EeoAnalysts); Leslie Harris (NHMLAC); Luis Carrera-Parra, Sergio Salazar-Vallejo (ECOSUR). Dr. Sergio Salazar-Vallejo, who works at ECOSUR in Mexico, began the polychaete review with a presentation entitled: Sternaspids: “Wide distribution or widespread confusion? ” The presentation is based on Sergio’s reeent publieation with Kelly Sendall (Sendall and Salazar- Vallejo, 2013), whieh diseusses the question of whether there’s a single speeies of Sternaspis with worldwide distribution or multiple speeies. Sergio began with a diseussion on the history of sternaspids. The first reeorded mention of a stemaspid was by Janus Planeus who thought it was a sea eueumber (Planeus, 1760). Ranzani Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 (1817) described Sternaspisscutata in the genus Thalassema. A few years later Otto (1821) established the genus Sternaspis. There was initially some confusion regarding the anterior and posterior ends; the shield is located on the posterior end. The current conundrum is whether or not Otto’s 1821 description of Sternaspis thalassemoides represents a single cosmopolitan species or one genus encompassing about 15 species. Sergio discussed shield morphology. The shield is a fan-shaped structure in the central posterior area that can be projected or truncate. The anterior, depressed margin of the shield is 3-dimensional which makes it difficult to illustrate the morphology in two dimensions. Careful brushing of sediment from the shield is necessary for examination and identification. Change in shield shape with growth can be a confounding issue. Sergio used analogies with variability in leaf shape in trees and shell shape in bivalves to explain this. Stemapsids employ phragmosis (the use of a body part to protect the opening to a burrow: many spiders and ants of the genus Cephalotes employ this strategy) to protect their tubes, using the anal shield. In stemaspids, the branchiae filaments are associated with the anal shield; consequently, the orientation of the animal must be posterior end up to keep the branchiae near the sediment/ water interface. Because of this feature, the anal shield has developed specific characteristics and has taxonomic value. In Sendall and Salazar-Vallejo (2013) three genera are established based on characteristics of the ventro-caudal shield, the introvert hooks, and number of abdominal segments. • Caulleryaspis - this genus has a very soft shield with sediment embedded in it. • Petersenaspis - this genus has 8 abdominal segments anterior to the shield. • Sternaspis - this genus has 7 abdominal segments anterior to the shield. Sergio showed an image with a growth series of eight specimens from the same sample. The shield is not well developed in juveniles. Chaetae along the margin start as 1 per bundle, but then additional chaetae are added to bundles as the animal grows. In addition, concentric lines develop with growth of the shield, then characteristics of the shield margin and striations. Various types of chaetae were shown. The shape of the distal portion of the anterior hooks may be an important diagnostic character, but wear confounds the issue. Chaetae in the posterior region are thin, and of less taxonomic value. Sergio also mentioned that the mouth papillae have patterns. Some are circular or U-shaped. In contrast, the genital papillae are not well known or defined. Locally we get Sternaspis affinis in shallower water, down to about 350 m. There is new species of Caulleryaspis in deeper water (350^ m), then another species in much deeper water (2500- 4000 m). There are possibly other species in shallow bays or intertidal mudfiats not yet known. A question was asked about the composition of the shield. Sergio explained that it is not true chitin (modified polysaccharide). Rather, it is sclerotized tissue. The animal utilizes iron compounds to give stiffness and a reddish color to the shield. Chip Barnett brought some specimens of Eastern Mediterranean stemaspids for examination. There were two vials of Sternaspis scutata. One contained juveniles with reddish, comma-shaped eyespots. He also brought two specimens of Caulleryaspis in another vial. All of Chip’s material was examined. Sergio will provide a pdf of his presentation for SCAMIT to post on the website. 6 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Dr. Luis Carrera-Parra, who also works at ECOSUR in Mexico, next led a discussion on Lumbrineridae. Luis began with some eautionary notes on the identifieation of fragments and juvenile lumbrinerid speeimens. Small, eomplete lumbrinerids should have at least 45 segments present in order to eonfidently identify them. He does not identify anterior fragments to speeies level. In situations where a taxonomist is very familiar with a partieular area and the regional fauna it may be OK to identify anterior fragments. Ideally, it’s best to have about 100 segments to observe full development of the posterior lobes. The distribution of ehaetae is important. Chaetae ean ehange along the length of the animal. In the anterior of the worm, hoods are approximately the same size whereas in the posterior of the worm, the size of the hoods ean vary by a faetor of 2. The ehaetiger where the dorsal ehaetae end is also a signifieant eharaeter. The length to width ratio of the blades of eomposite hooks is important. A long ehaeta is one where the length is about 11 times the width. Scoletoma ean be problematie and Luis reeommends eaution in identifying speeies in this genus. Although aeieulae “eolor” - some taxonomists use yellow and blaek and others use the terms light and dark - is often used in eonjunetion with other eharaeters for speeies identifieation, some speeies’ aeieulae ehange eolor along the length of the body. Luis reeommends looking at parapodia from three different regions of the body (e.g., anterior, median, and posterior). We then examined speeimens of Abyssoninoe that Chip brought from deep-water samples off the Eastern Mediterranean. These speeimens had long blades with limbate hooks. Little work has been done on lumbrinerid growth patterns. Larval development is poorly doeumented. In some speeies it oeeurs within a jelly mass. Small speeimens (less than 30 - 40 segments) will not have eomposite ehaetae. Luis does not like to use simple ehaetae as a taxonomie eharaeter beeause they show a high degree of variability. He has notieed that they ean have a long hood, short hood, or both long and short hoods within a faseiele. Leslie mentioned that she has reeently found the Caribbean speeies Lumbrinerisperkinsi in San Diego harbor in fouling habitats. There was some diseussion about the need to eheek hooks and jaws to eonfidently distinguish between Lumbrineris sp E and L. latreilli. There was also a brief diseussion of a new Terebelliformia paper elevating several subfamilies to family status (Nogueira et al. 2013). Polyeirrinae is not well supported aeeording to Kirk. The group reeommended that we wait before making this ehange to the SCAMIT speeies list. 7 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 10 JUNE, ARTHROPODS, CSD, DR. TIM STEBBINS AND DEAN PASKO Attendees: Larry Lovell, Don Cadien and Chase MeDonald (LACSD); Ken Sakamoto and Danny Tang (OCSD); Ross Duggan (City and County of San Franeiseo); Tim Stebbins, Ron Velarde, Katie Beauehamp and Andy Davenport (City of San Diego); Matt Hill (LeoAnalysts); Craig Campbell and Greg Lyon (CLAEMD); Tony Phillips and Dean Pasko (Private Consultants). BUSINESS: We diseussed upeoming meetings, most of whieh are available on the SCAMIT web-site (www. seamit.org). However, a speeial meeting was announeed. Dr. Buz Wilson of the Australian Museum will hold an asellote isopod workshop on Monday, September 30* at the City of San Diego Marine Biology Laboratory. On Oetober 7*, SCAMlT’s sister group for fishes, the Southern California Assoeiation of lethyologieal Taxonomists and Eeologists (SCAITE), will be holding a Trawled Fish FID (speeimens for further identifieation) review meeting at the SCCWRP Eaboratory. Plans for a separate meeting for invertebrate taxa is in the works. Please send a list of potential FlDs to Earry (llovell@lacsd.org) or Don (dcadien@lacsd.org). Finally, on November 8th, Dr. Pam Neubert and Don Cadien will host an Aplaeophoran workshop at the City of San Diego laboratory. Job openings were also announeed at the City of Eos Angeles (Water Biologist position) and the Orange County Sanitation Distriet (Senior Environmental Speeialist). Please see the SCAMIT web site for additional information. It is membership time again and the New Membership form will be available on the SCAMIT website. Please note the new mailing address as C/0 Eaura Terriquez, PO Box 50162, Eong Beaeh, CA 90815. USA. Dr. Tim Stebbins presented “Review of the Southern California Mysids.” Tim reeently started taekling the mysids when he ran into problems trying to identify speeimens eolleeted by the City of San Diego’s benthie monitoring program. Briefiy, he found himself using mostly “poor quality” eopies (2""^, 3*, 4*... generation) of speeimen identifieation sheets that left some details inadequate for eonfident identifieations. Many of these speeies’ old ID sheets are available in the SCAMIT Taxonomie Toolbox. Consequently, he started gathering and eompiling the neeessary literature and information in order to produee new elean eopies of these identifieation guides. Tim also noted that although several keys or draft keys exist eovering southern California speeies, none are eurrent or eomplete. For example, T im him self prepared a “Key to the Co mm on Mysids off Point Eoma” in 1991, but whieh ineluded only 11 speeies. A more eomprehensive draft “Key to the Mysid Speeies Reported from California” eovering about 31 speeies was ereated by Ron Velarde and others in early 1992 following Ron’s Mysid workshop (see SCAMIT NE Vol. 10, No. 9). Copies of both Tim’s and Ron’s keys are also available in the SCAMIT Toolbox (i.e., under Order Mysida, Family Mysidae, Other Useful Tools). Several other published keys are also available that SCAMIT members may find useful, ineluding those by Daly & Holmquist (1986: Paeifie Northwest mysids), Gerken et al. (1997: Santa Maria Basin mysids), and Modlin (2007: Central California to Oregon mysids). Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Tim distributed a species listing and updated comprehensive list of mysid literature, along with a table of introduced species. Although he intended to create a new key, this effort did not get beyond the concept prior to the meeting. Instead, Tim presented a new set of figure pages for most species that he intends to make available to the SCAMIT membership. The presentation began with an introduction to the mysids and overview of their primary characteristics. His preliminary list included 35 species representing 28 genera, 8 subfamilies, and 2 families in the Southern California Bight (SCB), although some of these may eventually be excluded as being non-marine. This was followed by drafts of the various new mysid figure pages. The presentation was in draft form and not for general distribution, so Tim did not provide an electronic copy for posting at this time. Don Cadien then reviewed the Tanaidacea literature. Most of the literature was not pertinent to SCB taxonomic issues, although he cited one very interesting publication on tanaid diversity and radiation within the world’s oceans (Blazewicz-Paszkowycz, et al, 2012). Absent other relevant issues, the session quickly deteriorated to a discussion of Leptochelia and the issue of L. dubia complex. Adding to this discussion (and confusion) are several publications by Bamber. Bamber and Costa (2009) describes L. caldera and revisits the confusion over L. savignyi. Bamber (2010) re-describes L. savignyi from topotype material and Bamber et al (2009) describes L tanykeraia, a species very similar to L. dubia in number and relative length of the uropodal articles. In addition, Edgar (2012) discusses the difficulty of Leptochelia identification as a result of ontological variability. Don Cadien then initiated a discussion of the preliminary phylogenetic results from 12 California L. dubia samples analyzed with Leptochelia Genbank sequences from the Western Atlantic and West Africa. Katie Beauchamp, Don Cadien, Ross Duggan, and Erik Pilgrim are working on a project using a combination of molecular techniques and traditional taxonomic procedures to explore the systematic relationships of species in the genus Leptochelia and related taxa. Katie provided a brief summary of phylogenetic results from Tanaidomorpha taxa sequenced thus far using the mitochondrial COl gene (mt COl). These results included 12 specimens sequenced from the Southern California Bight. When compared with Genbank sequences from the Atlantic Ocean, 11 of the California L. dubia specimens grouped together with strong statistical support. However, one OCSD L. dubia specimen (Specimen #599, collected for the SCCWRP barcoding project) was outside the California clade and linked more closely with Hargeria rapax, and L. dubia from Florida. Additional mt COl and nuclear gene sequences from morphologically Leptochelia species and other taxa in the family Eeptocheliidae should help clarify these preliminary findings. Dean noted that he had also been looking into this issue, particularly focusing on the L. dubia - L. savignyi question. Dean has seen L. savignyi reported from northern California, specifically in Humboldt Bay. Booking at the literature, the two notable differences between the two taxa were that L. savignyi is reported to have a uropod with 6 articles on the ramus (excluding basis) versus L. dubia, which only has 5. Additionally, L. savignyi is reported to have 4 strong setae on the maxilliped basis, whereas L. dubia has 5. He confirmed the characters of L. dubia from several specimens from the OCSD monitoring program. [However, in subsequently looking at a larger population of specimens. Dean found quite a bit of variability in number of setae on the maxilliped basis, but a very consistent number of articles (5) on the uropod.] 9 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Discussion then moved on to Araphura sp SDl. This provisional species found in the shallow waters at the head of La Jolla Canyon is very mueh like A. brevaria. It differs from A. brevaria in the presenee of a line of granules on the ventral margin of the propodus of the ehela. Ron mentioned trying to find (or ereate) a voueher sheet for the speeies. Dean also eautioned everyone about the problems or eonfusion that he has experieneed with members of the genus Zewco and Synaptotanais. He has had diffieulty applying the eharaeters used by Sieg and Winn (1981) to distinguish the genera. The issue eame to a head in the Bight 2008 work. Fortunately, a true Synaptotanais notabilis was eolleeted from a station in the Channel Islands (B’08 Station 7553) that eonfirmed the differenees in the length of the uropod artieles between Zeuxo and Synaptotanais', however, there was never equally elear resolution of Zeuxo spp. Don mentioned that he has reeorded Z paranormani almost exelusively. Dean agreed, but has also used Z. normani, and reeently reported Z. coralensis from stations near the Sweetwater River in San Diego Bay, the latter having only 3 artieles on the uropodal endopod. Don suggested that Dean eontaet Peter Slattery to diseuss Zeuxo. Somehow an isopod entered this eonversation. The topie of Boreosignum sp A eame up and Dean and Tony diseussed the OCSD speeimen that was a Boreosignum sp A look alike. They noted differenees in the presenee (or absenee) of setae along the pleotelson margin, but eouldn’t remember if there were other differenees. Notes on this were left at the OCSD laboratory upon Dean’s retirement, and Ken Sakamoto volunteered to look for them. Tony Phillips conducted the Cumacea literature review. Tony eautioned everyone to be eareful when using the SCAMIT taxonomie tool box for information on Cumaeea. There are several old voueher sheets listed with the old names, and some ineorreetly listed. When looking at the tool box and speeifieally Cumella sp B (now Cumella morion), what is listed as Cumella sp B male is aetually Cumella sp E Phillips 1995 male. He noted that Don’s information on families and the ineluded keys are very helpful. Of the many publieations dealing with eumaeeans, Tony mentioned the following as of potential interest to the group. • Akiyama and Gerken (2012) deals with the Pseudoeumatidae group, partieularly Petalosarsia, noting the SCAMIT provisional Petalosarsia sp ADiener 1982. • Alberieo and Roeeatagliata (2013) deals with the genus Diastylis and eontains an exeellent eomments seetion at the eonelusion of the paper. • Gerken and Watling (1998) also provide a valuable review of Diastylis spp. • Shalla (2011) Identifieation guide to the British Cumaeea is an exeellent overview of the eumaeeans. It ineludes wonderful illustrations and explanations of morphologieal eharaeter states and useful keys to families and genera. • Donath-Hemandez (2011) has two publieations dealing with eumaeeans from Baja California, Mexieo. • Pilar Haye (2007) is an exeellent review of the systematies of Bodotriidae. Dean Pasko then eondueted the remainder of the review meeting. We began with a quiek diseussion of other pertinent literature. • Takeuehi, 1. and A. Oyamada (2012). Revisit the deseriptions of Caprella californica Stimpson, 1857 with material from California, partieularly in eomparison to Japanese material. They elevate C. scauroides Mayer, 1903 to speeies level for the Japanese material and provide detailed eomparative deseriptions and illustrations of the two taxa. 10 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 • Wicksten, M. K. (2012). Mary has updated her 2008 deeapod publieation with mueh improved figures and images, and, from what 1 ean tell from my initial use, re-edited and updated keys. 1 highly reeommend that this be your starting plaee for most deeapods. • De-la-Ossa-Carrtero, et al (2012). This paper diseusses amphipod sensitivity to sewage. It employs AMBl eategories to investigate amphipod sensitivity to sewage pollution, showing a general deerease in abundanee and diversity in stations elose to outfalls. Some of the affeeted speeies showed some differenees in level of sensitivity related to their burrowing and feeding behavior. For example, suspension and surfaee deposit feeders and tube builders showed less sensitivity to sewage disposal than others, and are thus even able to inerease in abundanee. The publieation should be of interest to all of the diseharging ageneies as they wrestle to interpret their monitoring data. • Lowry and Myers (2013). Provide a follow-up to their review of eaprellids and eorophioids, ereating a new suborder of Gammaridean amphipod: Sentieaudata, for those amphipods with embedded spines terminally on uropods. • Lowry and Stoddard also produeed two other 2012 publieations on Lysianassids (Conieostomatinae and Paehynidae) that inelude family and speeies keys. Eaeh ineludes useful keys involving loeal speeies. Dean briefiy ealled attention to the problems experieneed with eaprellid amphipods during the last Bight projeet, partieularly Caprella scaura, C. californica, C. simia, and Caprella sp WSl. Eaeh of these speeies has similarly shaped (and variable) head spines, and few other distinguishing eharaeters. Differenees used to distinguish them inelude the presenee/absenee and number of dorsal proeesses on several of the pereonites, although the size of these vary with size of the individual. The problem is espeeially keen when dealing with speeimens from embayments. Dean reeommended that everyone be eautious beeause there seem to be mixed lots, sometimes tens of speeimens at varying stages of development and gender, and, of eourse, varied maturity of the differentiating eharaeter states. A single key representing all the possible taxa does not exist and Dean reeommended using a eombination of keys: Eight’s Manual (Watling and Carlton 2007), Eaubitz (1970), and Watling (1995). A voueher sheet for Caprella sp WSl has been drafted, but not finalized for distribution. Dean plans to eomplete and distribute the voueher sheet in time for taxonomie analysis of these samples. Callianassids, in partieular Neotrypaea californiensis and N. gigas (See Pemet et al 2010) were diseussed. Although the issue was thoroughly reviewed in a previous SCAMIT meeting (SCAMIT NE Vol. 27 No. 3/4), Dean thought that revisiting the distinetion between these two taxa was important with regional Bight sampling and the large number of samples eolleeted in the various embayments. The simplest distinetion between the two taxa lies in the eyestalks (See Figure 2, Pemet et al 2010): • N. californiensis has short, blunt eyestalks that reaeh to or just beyond the artiele 2 of the first antenna • N. gigas has long, tapered, laterally eoneave eyestalks that extend well beyond the artiele 2 of the first antenna The key in Wieksten (2012) distinguishes these two speeies as well as N. biffari, whieh has an unprodueed, short, blunt eyestalk. We also diseussed the leueonid eumaeea Nippoleucon hinumensis vs. Leucon subnasica. The two genera are distinguished by the presenee or absenee (respeetively) of pleopods in the male, and 11 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 the females look suffieiently similar to have eaused problems in the past... at least for Dean. N. hinumensis, an introdueed speeies from Japan that oeeurs in embayments, differs from Leucon by the absenee of pleopods in the male; a trait that offers little eomfort when faeed with a sample ineluding only females. Consequently, Dean noted the following differenees in females that are useful to distinguish the two taxa: • The anteroventral eomer of the antennal noteh of N. hinumensis is blunt, whereas it is upturned and more aeute in L. subnasica; • In N. hinumensis the isehium + merus of pereopod 1 is notably longer than the propodus, whereas the two (i + m) are notably shorter than the propodus in L. subnasica; • In N. hinumensis the basis is mueh more setose than in L. subnasica (~6 long plumose setae vs. 2-3); • In N. hinumensis, the uropodal endopod is notably shorter than the exopod, but sub-equal in L. subnasica; • The pattern of dorsal erest teeth is also different, but it is diffieult to deseribe and one should eompare the illustrations for this eharaeter. Next on the list were eylindroleberid ostraeods. Dean provided a mini-training on several of the eharaeters typieally used to distinguish the genera and reeognized speeies eommon to the SCB. The primary eharaeters inelude: • Antenna 1 - length of sensory bristle, and presenee/absenee of an aeeessory filament; • Mandible - the size of the exopodite, pattern of primary and seeondary bristles along the anterior margin of artiele 2 of the endopodite, and the number and pattern of triaenid and spinose bristles on the endite; • Sixth limb - the number and general pattern of spinose bristles along the ventral margin. Dean also briefiy deseribed a potentially new eylindroleberid eolleeted from the OCSD monitoring program. This taxon is represented by two speeimens eolleeted from 50 m off Orange County, and has the following eharaeters: the sensory bristle of antenna 1 has an aeeessory filament and extends well beyond the tip of antenna 1; exopodite of the mandible is about one- half the length of the endopodite; there are two bristles proximal to the a-bristle and one between the a- and Z^-bristles of the mandible endopod, artiele 2; the endite of the mandible has 1 triaenid and 4 spinose bristles (although this eharaeter seems to vary slightly); and the 6^*" limb has 14 bristles along the ventral margin. Dean distributed an updated tabular key to the Cylindroleberididae from the SCB [older versions ean be found in the SCAMIT Taxonomie Toolbox]. He plans to review and update the table for greater distribution and posting. We also diseussed the differenees among several similar looking eorophiid amphipods, the males of whieh have a earpoehelate gnathopod 1 (Acuminodeutopus, Rudilemboides, and Paramicrodeutopus), and distinguishing between females Rudilemboides sp A vs. R. stenopropodus. Dean first reminded everyone not to rely on eolor to distinguish these speeies, partieularly Rudilemboides sp A and R. stenopropodus. Acuminodeutopus heteruropus is easily distinguished from the others by the shortened outer ramus of uropod 3. In eontrast, both Paramicrodeutopus schmitti and Rudilemboides have two well-developed rami on uropod 3. P. schmitti is easily distinguished from Rudilemboides by the rounded eye lobe, whieh is aeute in Rudilemboides. Female Rudilemboides sp A ean be separated from R. stenopropodus by the 12 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 presence of spines on the anterior margin of the gnathopod 2 basis instead of setae. The males are distinguished by the presence of large teeth on the gnathopod 1 propodus and carpus in Rudilemboides sp A, which are absent in R. stenopropodus. These differences are discussed in the SCAMIT voucher sheet available in the tools section of the SCAMIT website. Dean then moved on to another Corophioid group, the genus Aoroides (Aoridae), which creates some difficulty, particularly because correct identification requires examination of the teeth on the outer plate of the maxilliped. Basically, he reiterated that the key to the species of Aoroides in Conlan and Bousfield (1982b) works well. He relies heavily on the presence/absence of the seta on article 2 of the mandibular palp and cusps on the outer plate of the maxilliped, especially when dealing with female specimens (see Table 2 of Conlan & Bousfield 1982b). He again reminded everyone not to rely solely on color because he has noticed differences in definition of the color patterns according to location (e.g., north, central, and southern areas of the SCB). He showed several slides depicting several of the character states. The Photids, a perplexing group that everyone loves to hate, was next on the agenda. Dean [again] emphasized the use of the particular character states used in his 1999 key to the Photis and not color alone. Color patterns on certain species (e.g., a stripe of color in the antenna 1 of Photis californica) can be a useful tool to sort specimens into species groups; but they should not be used as the identifying character. Over the years. Dean and others have found mixed lots of P. brevipes and P. californica where all the specimens had this “characteristic line of pigment” in the antenna and female P. brevipes will sometimes have pigment distally on antenna 1 peduncular articles. Photids overall do show some differentiating pigment pattern that can be used to sort the specimens into groups, and may be helpful when identifying groups of specimens from one narrow region, but these color patterns may not (and probably do not) translate across regions and therefore should not be used for species-level identification. Dean also acknowledged the problems with his key and the difficulty some have had interpreting the character states (e.g., relative length of the anterior and posterior margins of the carpus on gnathopod 1), and indicated that he hoped to re-write and simplify the key later this year. Until then, he noted that the common taxa found within the SCB are not impossible to deal with. First, there are several taxa where the males and females are very distinctive (i.e., Photis sp A, Photis sp B, Photis sp C, and P. lacia). Second, size makes a difference when distinguishing among certain species (e.g., P. brevipes, P. californica, Photis sp OCl), and Dean provided a table that listed the reported sizes of SCAMIT Ed 7 species (Table 1). He suggested that a combination of the shape of gnathopods 1 and 2, along with certain other specific characters (setation on the coxae, or bend in antenna 2), can be employed fairly reliably with size to identify many specimens. For example, P. brevipes grow to 8 mm in length whereas P. californica mature at 4.5 mm. Males of the two are distinguished by the presence {P. brevipes) or absence {P. californica) of a tooth on the male dactyl. Immature (3-5 mm) specimens of P. brevipes will develop a noticeable bump on the gnathopod 2 dactyl where similarly sized specimens of P. californica will not. Similar comparisons can be made for the development of the concavity along the palm of gnathopod 1, or the development of the palmar tooth on gnathopod 2, etc. to distinguish other similar taxa (e.g., P. parvidons vs. P. californica). Dean then provided a slide show of several of these distinguishing characters and character states used in his key. 13 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Table 1. Reported sizes for Photis spp listed in SCAMIT Ed 7. All sizes from Conlan (1983) unless noted by an in whieh ease they are from Barnard (1962). Bolded taxa are >5.0 mm in size. Species Male Female P. hifurcata to 4.0 mm tHolotvpe 2.75 mm*l to 3.5 mm to S.Onini* to 6.0 mm P californica 4.5 mm* Hnlntvne S.O mm* to 4 5 mm* P. conchlcnla to S.S mm to 3 2 mm* P 1nrin to 3 0 mm to 3 3 mm Plinprnmnnys 3 4 mm P rynriyprypvi to 4 3 mm to 4 0 mm P macrotica to 3 3 mm* PpnrvMnn. to S.O mm to 6.0 mm P. viuda Holotvpe 5.0 mm* Photis sp A <3.0 mm 2.8 mm Photis sn B 2 5 mm 2 5 mm 3 0 mm 3 5 mm Phntis .nL 3 25 mm Photis ^x) OCA 4.0 mm Members of the family Corophiidae, speeifieally Grandidierella and Monocorophium, are eommon in bay and harbor samples. Dean reeommended the key in Light’s Manual (Chapman 2007) for this group. This key is extremely useful and easy to follow, but noted that it takes a little bit of eareful examination to understand and apply the deseription of the spines along the base of the antenna. He also noted that eouplet 20 requires some eaution. Monocorophium insidiosum is listed as having a “medial protrusion” (basieally a triangular medial proeess: Plate 270, Figure V) emanating from just below the dorsal margin of the antenna 1 pedunele, artiele 1; however, M. uenoi has a similar, though smaller, medial bulge emanating from the mid-point of the antennal pedunele (i.e., distinetly below the flattened dorsal margin), whieh is not illustrated. M. insidiosum is by far the more eommon of the two, but the both have very similar eolor patterns, so one must be eareful to examine the plaeement of the medial tooth when applying the eharaeters of eouplet 20. Dean and Tony Phillips related stories of mixed lots being very eommon, espeeially within embayment and river mouth samples; therefore ALL speeimens need to be examined with immature or damaged speeimens listed as “sp.” Dean had one story Ifom a Bight sample with >10,000 individual Monocorophium that he flgured eontained a single taxon. Unfortunately, at a eount of about 5,000 individuals he diseovered a seeond speeies with the same eolor pattern of the primary speeies, foreing him to review the entire lot to obtain an aeeurate eount. Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Ampithoe (Ampithoidae) is another corophioid that can create problems, particularly because there is no single key that includes all potential species. For example, the excellent keys in Chapman (2007) and Conlan and Bousfield (1982a) exclude two fairly common species {A. longimana and A. polex). In addition, females are particularly difficult (if not impossible) to reliably distinguish, even when mature. So all identifications should be verified against descriptions and illustrations carefully. Pleustids (Pleustidae) are another difficult group to identify with confidence in part because of their small size and reliance on the mouthpart morphology. Dean has been particularly vexed by this group, and has found the key in Light’s Manual difficult to apply, particularly with regards to several fairly common taxa within subfamily Parapleustinae: Chromopleustes oculatus (Holmes 1908), Gnathopleustes den (J.L. Barnard 1969), G. pugettensis (Dana 1852), and Incisocalliope newportensis (J.L. Barnard in J.L. Barnard & Reish 1959). Readers are referred to Don Cadien’s thorough review of the group during a prior SCAMIT meeting (See SCAMIT NL Vol. 15, No 8). The cautionary message: Approach this group carefully! Although SCAMIT Ed 7 lists only a few hyalid amphipods (four species), they are common enough in embayment samples to warrant a brief discussion. Dean has found that the characters in Light’s manual (Chapman 2007) for distinguishing the species of Protohyale and Apohyale difficult to apply. For example, the length of maxillipedal palp article 4 relative to article 3 is used to distinguish members of Protohyale, but Dean has found variability in this character between males and females in the samples that he has processed. The same was true for the length of the gnathopod 2 palm relative to the posterior edge of the propodus fox Apohyale. Consequently, one should be cautious when applying specific identifications for this group. Lastly, Dean introduced a modified version of John Chapman’s Key to the Families and Superfamilies of gammarid amphipods found in Light’s Manual (Chapman 2007). With John’s permission. Dean modified the key in an attempt to incorporate all of the families listed in SCAMIT Ed 7 [Edition 8 wasn’t out at the time]. Most of the character states used in the various couplets were left intact, with the original figure references maintained. The specific couplets that required major revisions to incorporate the new families were reviewed. Draff versions of the key were distributed for comment with a request that it not be distributed further since it is still in draff form. Several insignificant editorial errors were pointed out almost immediately, and any other comments are welcomed. Dean has the following corrections to the distributed key: Couplet 1 - Change “Caprellidae” to “Caprellida”; Couplet 2 - Change “Ingolfielllidea” to “Ingolfiellidea” (delete extra “1”); Couplet 16 both dichotomies - Change “lessor” to “lesser”; Couplet 17 first dichotomy - add “examine carefully” after “(plate 263M)” and delete “with” after “pereopods 5-7”; Couplet 19 - Change “LJnicolidae” to “Unciolidae”; Couplet 32 second dichotomy - change “pereopods 2 and 3 dactyls shorter... ” to “pereopods 3 and 4 dactyls shorter... ”; Couplet 44 first dichotomy - add “ posterior margin of coxa 4 not excavate; uropod 3 rami and telson never lined with robust spines”; Couplet 44 second dichotomy - add “coxa 4 often different size, excavate posteriorly, or lobed; if not excavate or lobed, then uropod 3 rami and telson often lined with robust spines (as in members of the Melitidae and Maeridae)”; Couplet 45 first dichotomy - add “although incisor may be prominenf’ after “Mandible lacking molar”; Couplet 51 second dichotomy - change “lower lip” to “upper lip”; Bottom of page 7, Footnote 2 - change “her” to “here”. 15 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 LITERATURE CITED MOLLUSCA LITERATURE Allcock, A.L., I.R. Cooke, and J.M. Stmgnell. “What Can the Mitoehondrial Genome Reveal About Higher-Level Phylogeny of the Mollusean Class Cephalopoda?” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 161, no. 3 (Mar 2011): 573-86. Benaim, N.P., D. Correa Paone Viegas, and R. Silva Absalao. 2011. “How Features of the Hinge Plate Aid in Diseriminating among Three Yoldiella (Peleeypoda, Protobranehia) Speeies from the Campos Basin, Brazil.” Zootaxa, no. 2883: 39-51. Bieler, R. and R.E. Petit. 2011. “Catalogue of Reeent and Fossil “Worm-Snail” Taxa of the Families Vermetidae, Siliquariidae, and Turritellidae (Mollusea: Caenogastropoda).” Zootaxa, no. 2948: 1-103. Brandt, A., K. Linse, and M. Sehueller. 2009. “Bathymetrie Distribution Patterns of Southern Oeean Maerofaunal Taxa: Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Isopoda and Polyehaeta.” Deep-Sea Research Part I-Oceanographic Research Papers 56, no. 11: 2013-25. Cyrus, Ariel Z., S.D. Rupert, A.S. Silva, M. Graf, J.C. Rappaport, F.V. Paladino, and W. S. Peters. 2012. “The Behavioural and Sensory Eeology of Agaronia Propatula (Caenogastropoda: Olividae), a Swash-Surfing Predator on Sandy Beaehes of the Panamie Faunal Provinee.” Journal of Mollusean Studies 78: 235-45. Haga, T., and T. Kase. 2013. “Progenetie Dwarf Males in the Deep-Sea Wood-Boring Genus Xylophaga (Bivalvia: Pholadoidea).” Journal of Mollusean Studies 79, no. 1: 90-94. Harbo, R., N. MeDaniel, D. Swanston, and P. Eafollette. 2012. “An Exeiting New Diseovery: The Tightly-Seulptured Odostome Snail, Evalea Tenuiseulpta (Carpenter, 1864) Feeding on the Siphon Tips of the Fat Gaper, Tresus Capax (Gould, 1850) in Vaneouver Harbour, British Columbia.” The Dredgings 52, no. 2: 3-4. MeEean, J. H. 2011. “Reinstatement of the Fissurellid Subfamily Hemitominae, with the Deseription of New Genera, and Proposed Evolutionary Eineage, Based on Morphologieal Charaeters of Shell and Radula (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda).” [In English]. M4LHC(9L(9G/H 54, no. 1-2: 407-27. Oliver, P. G., and J. Eotzen. 2011. “An Anatomieally Bizarre, Fluid-Feeding, Galeommatoidean Bivalve: Draculamyaporobranchiata Gen. Et Sp. Nov. (Mollusea: Bivalvia).” [In English]. Journal of Conchology 40: 365-92. Oliver, P. G., and J. D. Taylor. 2012. “Baeterial Symbiosis in the Nueinellidae (Bivalvia: Solemyida) with Deseriptions of Two New Speeies.” [In English]. Journal of Mollusean Studies 1^-. 81-91. Paalvast, P. and G. van der Velde. 2013. “What Is the Main Food Souree of the Shipworm {Teredo navalisf A Stable Isotope Approaeh.” Journal of Sea Research 80: 58-60. POLYCHAETE LITERATURE Nogueira, J.M.M., K. Fitzhugh, and P. Hutehings. 2013. The eontinuing ehallenge of phylogenetie relationships in Terebelliformia (Annelida: Polyehaeta). Invertebrate Systematies, 27, 186-238. Otto, A. G. 1821. Animalium maritimorum nondum editorum genera duo. Nova Aeta Physieo- Mediea Aeademiae Caesareae Eeopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum 10(2): 617- 634, Plates 50-51. Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Plancus, J. 1760. Ariminensis. De Conchis Minus Notis Liber. Cui accessit specimen aestus reciproci maris superi ad Littus Portumque Arimini. Editio Altera. Duplici Appendice Acuta. Roma, 136 pp, 14 PI. Ranzani, C. 1817. Descrizione di una nuova specie del genere Thalassema. Opuscoli scientifica 2, 112, Oken’s Isis 12-13(183): 1457-1461. [transl. German with additional comments in 1817] Sendall, K. and S. Salazar-Vallejo. 2013. Revision of Sternaspis Otto, 1821 (Polychaeta, Stemaspidae). ZooKeys 286: Special issue: 1-74. CRUSTACEA LITERATURE Akiyama, T. and S. Gerken. 2012. The Cumacea (Crustacea: Paracarida) genus Petalosarsia (Pseudocumatidae) from the Pacific Ocean. Zootaxa 3320: 1-35. Alberico, N.A. and D. Roccatagliata. 2013. On two South-West Atlantic Diastylis (Cumacea: Crustacea), D. obliquisulcata n. sp. and D. geocostae, with remarks on this speciose genus. Zootaxa 3640 (1): 001-022. Bamber, R. N. and A. C. Costa. 2009. The tanaidaceans (Arthropoda: Peracarida: Tanaidacea) of Sao Miguel, Azores, with description of two new species and a new record from Tenerife. A 9 oreana, Suplemento 6, Setembro 2009: 183-200. Bamber, R. N. 2010. In the footsteps of HemickNikolaj Kroyer: the rediscovery and redescription of Leptochelia savignyi (Kroyer, 1842) sensu stricto (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Leptochelidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 123(4): 289-311. Bamber, R. N., G. Bird, M. Blazewicz-Paszkowycz, andB. Galil. 2009. Tanaidaceans (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Peracarida) from soft-sediment habitats, off Israel, Eastern Mediterranean. Zootaxa 2109: 1^4. Barnard, J. E. 1962. Benthic marine Amphipoda of southern California: Families Aoridae, Photidae, Ischyroceridae, Corophiidae, Podoceridae. Pacific Naturalist. 3(1): 1-72. Blazewicz-Paszkowycz, M., R. Bamber, and G. Anderson. 2012. Diversity of Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) in the World’s Oceans - How Far Have We Come? PEoS ONE 7(4): e33068. doi: 10.1371/joumal.pone.0033068. Chapman, J.W. 2007. Amphipoda. In: The Eight & Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California to Oregon. Ed: J.T. Carlton. Ed. Pp. 545-618. Conlan, K.E. and E.E. Bousfield. 1982a. The amphipod superfamily Corophioidea in the northeastern Pacific Region: Family Ampithoidae: systematics and distributional ecology. Natl. Mus. of Nat. Sci., Canada, Pub. in Biol. Ocean. 10:41-75. Conlan, K.E. and E.E. Bousfield. 1982b. The amphipod superfamily Corophioidea in the northeastern Pacific Region: Family Aoridae: systematics and distributional ecology. Natl. Mus. of Nat. Sci., Canada, Pub. in Biol. Ocean. 10:77-101. Conlan, K. E. 1983. The Amphipod Superfamily Corophioidea in the Northeastern Pacific Region. 3. Family Isaeidae: Systematics and Distributional Ecology. Publications in Natural Sciences. 4:1-75. Daly, K.E., and C. Holmquist. 1986. A key to the Mysidacea of the Pacific Northwest. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 64(6): 1201-1210. De-la-Ossa-Carrtero, Y. Del-Pilar-Ruso, F. Gimenez-Casalduero, J.E. Sanchez-Eizaso, and J.-C. Dauvin. 2012. Sensitivity of amphipods to sewage pollution. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 96: 129-138. 17 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Donath-Hemandez, F.E. 2011. Cumella (Cumewingia) quintinensis sp. nov. (Cumacea: Narmastacidae) from Bahia de San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico. Cah. Biol. Mar. 52: 41 ^ 6 . Donath-Hemandez, F.E. 2011. Cyclaspis giveni sp. nov. (Cmstacea: Cumacea) from Bahia de Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico. Cah. Biol. Mar. 52: 125-129. Edgar, G.J. 2012. New Eeptocheliidae (Cmstacea: Tanaidacea: Tanaidomorpha) from Australian seagrass and macro-algal habitats, and a redescription of the poorly-known Leptochelia ignota from Sydney Harbour. Zootaxa 3276:1-37. Gerken, S. andE. Watling. 1998. Diastylis tongoyensis, anew diastylid (Cmstacea: Cumacea) from northern central coast of Chile, with an amendment to the description of Diastylis crenellata Watling & McCann, 1997. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 111(4): 857-874. Gerken, S., E. Watling, and l.P. Williams. 1997. Order Mysidacea. Pp. 123-142 in: Blake, J.A. and PH. Scott (eds.). Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel, Vol. 10: The Arthropoda - The Pycnogonida, and The Cmstacea Part 1 - The Decapoda and Mysidacea. 151 pp. Haye, PA. 2007. Systematics of the genera of Bodotriidae (Cmstacea: Cumacea). Zool. J. of the Finn. Soc. 151: 1-58. Eaubitz. D.R. 1970. Studies on the Caprellidae (Cmstacea, Amphipoda) of the American North Pacific. Natl. Mus. of Nat. Sci., Canada, Pub. in Biol. Ocean. No.l: 1-89. Eowry, J.K. and A.A. Myers. 2013. APhylogeny and Classification of the Senticaudata subord. nov. (Cmstacea: Amphipoda), Zootaxa 3610 (1): 001-080. Eowry, J.K. andH.E. Stoddart. 2012. The Pachynidae fam. nov. (Cmstacea: Amphipoda: Eysianasoidea). Zootaxa 3246: 1-69. Eowry, J.K. andH.E. Stoddart. 2012. Australian and South African conicostomatine amphipods (Amphipoda: Eysianasoidea: Eysianassidae: Conicostomatinae subfam. nov.). Zootaxa 3248: 43-65. Modlin, R.F. 2007. Mysidacea. Pp. 489-495 in: The Eight and Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California to Oregon.4th Edition. J. T. Carlton, ed. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1001 pp. Pemet, B., A. Deconinck, and E. Haney. 2010. Molecular and morphological markers for distinguishing the sympatric intertidal ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis and N. gigas in the eastern Pacific. J. Cmst. Biol. 30(2): 323-331. Shalla, S.H. 2011. Cumacea - Identification guide to British cumaceans. NMBAQC 2010 taxonomic workshop. Dove Marine Eaboratory. 46pp. Sieg, J. and R.N. Winn. 1981. The Tanaidae (Cmstacea; Tanaidacea) of California, with a key to the world genera. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 94(2). 315-343. Takeuchi, 1 and A. Oyamada. 2012. Descriptions of two species of Caprella (Cmstacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) from the North Pacific; C. californica Stimpson, 1857 and C. scauroides Mayer, 1903, with a new appraisal of species ranking for C. scauroides. Helg. Mar. Res. Vol. 67 issue 2 June 2013. p. 371-381. Watling, E. 1995. The Suborder Caprellidea. Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel. Volume 12, Part 3, pp. 223-240. Santa Barbara, CA: Special Publications of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Watling, E. and J.T Carlton. 2007. Caprellidae. In: The Eight & Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California to Oregon. Ed: J.T. Carlton. 4* Ed. Pp. 618-629. Wicksten, M.K. 2012. Decapod Cmstacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces. Zootaxa 3371: 1-307. www.mapres.com/zootaxa/ 18 Publication Date: October 2013 May/June, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 1 Please visit the SCAMIT Website at: www.seamit.org SCAMIT OFFICERS If you need any other information eoneeming SCAMIT please feel free to eontaet any of the offieers at their e-mail addresses: President Larry Lovell (310)830-2400X5613 llovell@laesd.org Viee-President Leslie Harris (213)763-3234 lharris@nhm.org Seeretary DeanPasko (858)395-2104 deanpasko@yahoo.eom Treasurer Laura Terriquez (714)593-7474 lterriquez@oesd.org Hard eopy baek issues of the newsletter are available. Priees are as follows: Volumes 1 - 4 (eompilation).$ 30.00 Volumes 5 - 7 (eompilation).$ 15.00 Volumes 8-15 .$ 20.00/vol. Single baek issues are also available at eost. The SCAMIT newsletter is published every two months and is distributed freely to members in good standing. Membership is $15 for an eleetronie eopy of the newsletter, available via the web site at www.scamit.org, and $30 to reeeive a printed eopy via USPS. Institutional membership, whieh ineludes a mailed printed eopy, is $60. All eorrespondenees ean be sent to the Seeretary at the email address above or to: SCAMIT C/0 The Natural History Museum, Invertebrate Zoology attn: Leslie Harris 900 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, California, 90007 Southern California Assocation of Marine Invertebrate Taxonomists September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Munnidae (Zoromunna sp.nov) from the Juan de Fuca - Gorda Ridge region. Photo by Dr. G. (Buz) Wilson This Issue 13 SEPTEMBER 2013, ANGEE VAEDES, NHMEAC, OPISTHOBRANCH MOEEUSKS.2 SCAMIT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ANNUAE MEETING,SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013.6 SEPTEMBER 30, 2013, DR. BUZ WIESON, ASEEEOTE ISOPODS.8 OCTOBER 13, 2013, DRS. CARRERETTE, CARVAEHO, HAEANYCH, AND STEIN, NHMEAC, POEYCHAETES AND DNA BARCODING.14 EITERATURE-ASEEEOTA.19 EITERATURE - OPISTHOBRANCH.20 EITERATURE - POEYCHAETA.21 SCAMIT OFFICERS.22 The SCAMIT newsletter is not deemed to be a valid publieation for formal taxonomie purposes. Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 SCAMIT Vol 32, No. 2: No meetings were held in July or August 2013 in order to accommodate the Bight’13 Regional Monitoring Program field coordination and sampling efforts. Consequently, there are no minutes for these months, which would have formed Vol. 32, No. 2 of the SCAMIT NL series. 13 SEPTEMBER 2013, ANGEL VALDES, NHMLAC, OPISTHOBRANCH MOLLUSKS Attendees: Larry Lovell, Terra Petry, Don Cadien (LACSD); Kelvin Barwiek, Eriea Jarvis (OCSD); Wendy Enright, Ron Velarde (CSD); Eeslie Harris (NHMEAC); Angel Valdes (Presenter: Cal Poly Pomona). Business: The SCAMIT Exeeutive Board will hold its annual meeting later this month (9/28; minutes ineluded in this NE). No meetings were seheduled for July or August 2013 to aeeommodate the Regional Bight Survey field sampling sehedules. Monday, December 9: Tony Phillips will provide a review of Cnidarians based on the eolleetions and images of the late John Ejubenkov. The meeting will be held at the Orange County Sanitation Distriet Eaboratory. Anyone interested in attending the meeting should eontaet Kelvin Barwiek at kbarwiek@oesd.eom prior to the meeting. Trawl invertebrate FlDs. Meetings are expeeted, but eurrently unseheduled, in November and Deeember 2013 to address identifieation of B’13 trawl invertebrates. One meeting will deal with erustaeeans, the other with mollusks, enidarians, uroehordates, ete. Another is planned for late January 2014 eovering eehinoderms and foeusing on Brisaster. Other upeoming meetings - CERE (Coastal and Estuarine Researeh Federation) Annual Conferenee in San Diego, November 3-7. SCAMIT efforts will be represented in presentations dealing with the development of a national AMBl. There will be a Malaeology meeting in Mexieo City in June 2014. This will be a joint meeting with WSM, AMS, SMM, and AEM (the Mexiean and Eatin Ameriean eounterparts). Paul Seott is President of both Ameriean organizations this year. The Malaeologieal Soeiety of South Ameriea will hold their annual meeting eoneurrently, making this a meeting of the Amerieas. Larry introduced Dr. Valdes who began with a presentation of some reeent researeh eondueted by himself and his students. In partieular he diseussed their work on speeies eomplexes and the biogeography of “widespread” speeies. All this is right up SCAMlT’s alley sinee we have eome to distrust most reports of multi-oeean distributions. All of the work involves some measure of moleeular analyses of speeimens from various spots around the globe. The first problem taekled was the reported distribution of Doriopsilla areolata in the Atlantie. Valdes and Orea Rato (1997) suggested segregation into subspeeies, whieh has now been rejeeted based on moleeular analysis (Goodheart and Valdes 2013). While there were interesting loealized differenees in haplotype frequeney, no real reproduetive isolation was indieated in the analysis, and the subspeeifie taxa eould not be supported. Speeimens identified as D. miniata UPCOMING MEETINGS Visit the SCAMIT website at: www.seamit.org for the latest upeoming meetings announeements. Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 from South Africa proved to nest within D. areolata in the eladogram, raising the possibility that they might prove to be synonymous. D. areolata is distributed through mueh of the Indo-Paeifie, and speeimens from other areas were not ineluded in the study. It was premature to propose the synonymy, sinee the speeimens sequeneed might prove misidentified rather than eharaeteristie of the speeies as a whole. Broader sampling is needed before a definitive eonelusion ean be reaehed. The eephalaspid genus Navanax was the next problem area visited. We have N. inermis here in southern California, while N. aenigmaticus, a more southern speeies, is fairly eommon in the Gulf of California and rarely reported from the Southern California Bight (SCB) though it may eome into the area during El Nino eurrent flows. Within this radula-less group morphologieal eharaeters to distinguish taxa are elusive. The internal shell, for example, has proven largely uninformative for speeies separation. Consequently external eolor and eolor patterning have sometimes been used to separate speeies. The value of this was tested by moleeular analysis and found relatively umeliable. Navanax aenigmaticus has been eonsidered eireum-tropieal in the past, with populations in the NEP, tropieal west Afriea, and the Caribbean. The analyses of Omeles-Gatdula et al (2012) demonstrated that there are aetually three speeies, one in eaeh geographie area. N. aenigmaticus is the Paeifle speeies, N. gemmatus is found in the Caribbean, and N. nyanyana is found in tropieal west Afriea. This latter speeies has reeently been suggested to be synonymous with the earlier N. orbignyanus (see Ortea et al 2012). Another supposedly eireum-tropieal speeies, the sea hare Aplysia dactylomela was diseussed next. It is widespread in the tropies (Hawaii, China, Atlantie) but representative of two elearly different genetie groups, one in the Atlantie and one in the Indo-Paeifle. It was first reported as an invasive speeies from a small island in the southwest off Tunisia in the Mediterranean in 2002. Subsequent reports showed a rapid and steady spread to the east, a pattern at odds with the normal pattern of Eessepsian invasion through the Suez Canal. In an effort to see just where the Mediterranean speeies originated, Angel examined the genome. Speeimens were eolleeted from various loeations for sequeneing. Angel hypothesized that the invasion was from the Atlantie into the Mediterranean, rather than along the usual Red Sea-Canal pathway. His hypothesis was supported by genomie data. He found lots of genetie strueture in the Atlantie, but not mueh in the Indo- Paeifle. Oeeanographie barriers sueh as the Canary eurrent and strong upwelling off several parts of west Afriea have beeome weaker with elimate ehange, making the previously diffleult invasion of the Mediterranean from the Atlantie easier. With eontinuing elimatie shifts, sueh barriers will beeome sieves allowing the more optimally invasive taxa through, but may fail entirely with time. Onee that oeeurs free interehange will beeome possible in areas formerly separated, and the homogenization of the planet’s oeeans will aeeelerate. Our next diseussion involved a nudibraneh living at the oeean surfaee with the potential for a very broad distribution throughout entire oeeans and possibly between oeeans. Angel showed video of Glaucus feeding on Portuguese Man-of-War eolleeted in eollaboration with the University of Miehigan and the National Geographie Soeiety. Angel studied two speeies living in different oeean gyres. G. marginatus (the stouter speeies) is aetually a eomplex of four eryptie speeies. The issue proved to be a good example of sexual seleetion at work sinee G. marginatus have a bursa eopulatrix and regular eopulation, while G. atlanticus, injeets sperm via a penile spine. Using moleeular eloeks, Angel found that differenees in the Atlantie vs. Indo-Paeifle populations were established about 1.2 million years ago. This eoineides with the onset of the Agulhas leakage around the Cape of Good Hope in South Afriea. Prior to that date there had been an impervious Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 barrier at the Cape preventing interehange between the Atlantie and Paeifie populations. The leakage has varied with glaeial events, eurrents, and temperature allowing pulses of mixing between the two oeeans. The eurrent hypothesis is that this history is refleeted in the genomes of the animals affeeted. Investigations testing this hypothesis are in the proeess of publieation. Angel then went on to diseuss Caribbean diversity in another eephalaspidean genus; Chelidonura, a eoral sand dwelling form, whieh demonstrates a wide range of eolor variations in the Caribbean. Genetie analysis showed that there were two elades - one only in the Bahamas, the other throughout the Caribbean - with wide eolor variation in eaeh elade. Color eould not be used to separate the elades, but internal shell morphology did separate morphs. It turned out that the protoeoneh growth patterns refleet feeding dififerenees and larval life style: widespread speeies were planktotrophie, while endemies were leeithotrophie. These data were partially presented by Omeles-Gatdula et al (2011). Philinopsis has the same pattern of habitat with eryptie eoloration; although internal shell variation was evident. A study of two different eolor morphs of Philinopsis pulsa from the same habitat showed no differenee in haplotypes or burying behavior. There was no genetie basis for the eolor variation, and no indieation of the potential souree of the variation (Omeles-Gatdula and Valdes, 2012). This pattern repeats with some eryptie speeies of saeeoglossans as well. Angel also diseussed several new speeies. Anew Chromodoris from the Gulf of Mexieo is aposematie, using its dorsal eolor pattern as a warning and defense meehanism. It feeds on red sponge, against whieh its eoloration ean elearly be seen. He also mentioned that deseription of the first speeies of Melihe known from Florida is underway. This is an extremely transparent member of the genus, whieh is virtually invisible underwater. While most speeies of Melibe have eryptie eoloration and dermal elaboration, no other speeies has been this diffleult to see. Going baek to problems with existing deseribed speeies, the aeolid genus Dondice was addressed. Members of Dondice are enidarian feeders, and D. banyulensis, D. occidentalis, and D. parguerensis look very similar but are genetieally distinet. The first two speeies feed on hydroids, as do most aeolids, while D. parguerensis feed on the jellyfish Cassiopeia. This medusa lives upside-down on the sediments, farming symbiotie algae in its tentaeles on shallow sun¬ lit bottoms. Why this dietary differenee, and its possible eonsequenees, are subjeets of interest. Angel hopes to perform some lab experiments to test (1) if the two speeies that eo-oeeur in the tropieal west Atlantie {D. occidentalis and D. parguerensis) are inter-fertile, and (2) if switehing prey between the two speeies is an option. As an aside, Angel mentioned that although studies foeused on the Aglajidae (Aglaja, Navanax, and Chelidonura) have shown these taxa nest together, their synonymy has not been performed. Reviewers won’t support the idea of synonymizing these genera, and efforts to do so have been rebuffed. Researeh on the Philinidae has been spurred loeally by the invasion of several speeies, most notably Philine auriformis. In California, Philine have proven to be a eomplex in Northern California - partieularly in Bodega Bay. This eomplex ineludes three fusiform speeies: P. aperta, P auriformis, andP orientalis (similar gizzard plates to P. auriformis but with tiny holes). This eomplex was eonflrmed by Pat Krug and his students. The endemie P. alba, a lentieular speeies that is also large and white, is not part of this eomplex. All three members of this eomplex Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 are invasive; P. aperta from the North Atlantie, P. orientalis from the South China Sea, and// auriformis from New Zealand. In addition, Dendronotus frondosus, now D. venustus, was found to represent more than one speeies. Moleeular investigations indieated that the reputedly wide-ranging D. frondosus should be restrieted, and previously synonymized speeies sueh as D. venustus reeognized (Stout et al 2010). Angel thinks that there may be more eryptie speeies loeally under this name. It is an interesting group beeause they seem more speeious in temperate areas, whereas most nudibranehs reaeh maximum diversity in the tropies. Five taxa are listed in SCAMIT Ed 8. D. patricki, not on the list, is a vent speeies found on whale skeletons (Stout et al 2011). Under-reported diversity may also reside in Polycera. Members of the genus Polycera are typieally shallow water speeies that oeeur in embayments. P atra is the same up and down the eoast, but P alabe is represented by three elades with overlapping ranges that show some minor radular differenees. Investigations of this situation eontinue. Another interesting story, Haminoea japonica was first deteeted in Canada, down to San Franeiseo. It has a distinetive deep noteh in the eephalie shield, along with a distinetive radula when eompared to the native speeies. All the invaders to both Europe and North Ameriea eame from one small area of intense oyster farming in northeast Japan (Hanson et al 2013). When first deteeted in the NEP they were deseribed as a new speeies, H. callidegenita, by Gibson and Chia (1989). The North Ameriean populations show a different haplotype than Europe, but not enough to qualify as a different speeies. H. japonica has displaeed H. vesicula in bay and estuaries in North Ameriea. In Europe, it has invaded several eoastal lagoons previously oeeupied by endemie speeies sueh as H. fusari, H. templadoi, H. orteai, ete. In its non-native habitat, it is found in estuaries assoeiated with bivalve aquaeulture. It is not in southern California yet, but expeeted eventually. Angel deseribed a projeet that Jeff Goddard is pursuing (see Goddard et al 2013), and he eould use help finding speeimens. Felimare californiensis is a small opisthobraneh that feeds on sponges of the genus Dysidea. The speeies has historieally been found on the mainland and Channel Islands. In the mid-1980’s it disappeared from the mainland, although it was reeently found in Mission Bay and Ea Jolla. E californiensis has a history of variable abundanee; its eongener speeies F. porterae is doing fine. Jeff is interested in seeing if the genetie diversity has ehanged over time, or if there are links to pollution/runoff, or variability in the availability of prey. Jeff eould use speeimens of F californiensis for genetie analysis, BUT do not kill the speeimens, a elip from the tail preserved in 95% EtOH is just fine! Angel is also interested in members of Melanochlamys, M. diomedea being our loeal representative. Nine speeies worldwide have very tight, restrieted ranges, but initial analysis showed a distinet speeies, M. ezoensis (identified as that, but aetually a new speeies) in San Franeiseo Bay and Japan. Angel is still working on teasing apart the exaet story. Speeimens are morphologieally falling out along the same lines, but he needs more material if you eome aeross it. He has also found a Parvaplustrum and Philine from a whale fall; their identity still unknown. The Philine gizzard plates were not ealeified, so their purpose is rather obseure. Just another eonundrum awaiting more work. 5 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 SCAMIT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ANNUAL MEETING, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 Attendees: Cheryl Brantley, Don Cadien, Dean Penteheff, Megan Lilly, Larry Lovell, Dean Pasko, and Leslie Harris. Larry Lovell began the meeting by thanking Cheryl Brantley and Megan Lilly for their many years of serviee to SCAMIT, and presented eaeh with a eard signed by members of the exeeutive eommittee and a gift eertifieate of appreeiation. He then eommented on SCAMlT’s sueeessful 31st year that ended with a reeord number of members (170), and ineluded a full sehedule of meetings, a SCAS symposium, organizing and hosting two EPA/USGS workshops, and releasing edition 8 of the SCAMIT Speeies List. SCAMIT organized and eo-hosted two EPA/USGS-sponsored CBRAT workshops to evaluate potential target speeies that eould be impaeted by the effeets of Global Climate Change, sueh as warming water temperatures and ehanges in pH. These workshops eovered erabs, bivalves, and ehitons, and netted approximately $3,700.00 in 2012/13 and $4,000 for 2013/14. Several SCAMIT members were among the invited experts: Mary Wieksten, Doug Eemesse, Don Cadien, Ron Velarde, and Paul Seott. Future CBRAT workshops on annelids, arthropods, and other phyla are possible depending on EPA needs and budget demands. SCAMIT is likely to be approaehed to play a similar role. Earry also mentioned that the Taxonomie Database Tool (TDT) VI is nearly ready for release in antieipation of Bight’13 sample proeessing. The database tool will link taxa to SCAMIT voueher sheets, images, and keys from the SCAMIT Toolbox. The Committee diseussed the faet that the Toolbox has its share of problems that need to be eleaned-up, sueh as duplieate voueher sheets, voueher sheets with old names, ete. The Committee suggested that eaeh monthly meeting eould dedieate a small amount of time to reviewing the information in the toolbox that relates to the taxon being eovered at the meeting. In addition, these meetings eould be meehanisms by whieh notebooks and eomputers eould be mined for doeuments that eould be added to the toolbox. The diseussion then migrated to SCAMlT’s effort to build an image library, whieh was to be linked to the Taxonomie Database Tool. SCAMIT has $3,200 remaining from the OCSD funds that eould be used to hire an intern to seareh POTW lab eomputers for images. Several people eommented on the diffieulties assoeiated with eontinued submittal to Morphbank and the faet that it is not user friendly. Dean Penteheff deseribed Morphbank’s intended use as a baekground repository of images that eould be aeeessed through something like the SCAMIT Database, noting that Kelvin’s aplaeophoran images in the toolbox are stored in Morphbank. Despite this example of sueeessful usage, there was mueh diseussion about whether Morphbank would be there in the future, the eomplexities involved in loading images, that some of our TDT development partners at SCCWRP are not happy using Morphbank, whether there was some other option to meet our needs, and whether maintenanee of a database of this type is beyond SCAMlT’s area of expertise or funding. Still, the need to pull together the images was elear, and the Committee diseussed hiring an intern to find material from the various ageneies for potential uploading to the TDT or Morphbank. Support from SCCWRP for this effort may be on hold and Earry argued that SCCWRP needs to reeognize their history with taxonomy and eontinue to maintain the TDT. The two organizations are linked in many ways, sueh as AMBl development, development of the BRI tools, the BATMAN group to maintain data eonsisteney, DNA bareoding efforts, ete. and SCCWRP should reeiproeate by supporting the TDT. 6 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Vice-President Leslie provided a summary of the year’s meetings. SCAMIT held meetings every month of the year, with two meetings in some months. There will not be a Deeember Party sinee we held the summer beaeh party instead. Leslie is hoping to get inereased support from the loeal museums when various experts are visiting. It would be great if during their visits these seientists eould provide summaries of their work to SCAMIT. Leslie is now looking to fill the 2014 meeting sehedule whieh will inelude a fair amount of Bight- related taxonomie problems. We will likely deal with problem FID trawl animals at the beginning of the year sinee some Bight’ 13 eonsultants are eontinuing to work on their speeimens post- eolleetion. Additional diseussion foeused on the problem that there are fewer qualified people to perform FlDs within the ageneies and eonsulting firms. One suggestion was that SCAMIT eould fill the need for training during the trawl FID meeting(s) by faeilitating the transfer of information among ageneies. However, there are a lot of FlDs yet to be resolved and all of the data needs to be pulled together before they ean get to the FID effort. The Committee suggested ealling meetings at the end of January 2014 to get past the inertia. Plans for this meeting will be fortheoming. Leslie then deseribed the upeoming Oetober meeting that will inelude presentations by several visiting seientists ineluding Russell Carvalho (Texas A&M), Orlemir Carrerette (Universidad Sao Paulo, Brazil), Erie Stein (SCCWRP) and Ken Halanyeh (Auburn University). Ken will attend primarily to deseribe his work with WormNet, a large $4-5 million grant dedieated to the evolutionary development of polyehaetes. One goal of WormNET is to reaeh out to polyehaete workers worldwide for projeets that would benefit from DNA work. The Oetober 14 SCAMIT meeting at the museum will be followed by a separate meeting to diseuss eollaborative opportunities between WormNET and the various bareoding efforts that SCAMIT and its member ageneies have been involved in. Ken is willing to eonsider any interesting projeet. Megan Eilly and Dean Pasko provided the Seeretary’s report. The transfer of responsibilities is taking plaee with Dean having produeed the minutes for the May and June meetings, and Megan helping get those rough drafts into produetion-ready format. Megan spent the day showing Dean the ins-and-outs of produeing the Newsletter and graeiously volunteered to eontinue to help with editing, ete. as the year progresses. Beeause the transition will involve Dean publishing the 2013 and future meeting minutes in issues eovering 2-month periods, and Megan publishing the Volume 31 baeklog of 2012-13 issues, the Committee diseussed and agreed to add a publieation date to eaeh newsletter. In addition arrangements were made to have Dean Pasko purehase the required publieation software (InDesign) through TeehSoup, an organization that provides aeeess to software for non-profit organizations. Onee Dean has aeeess to his own version of the software, Megan will eontinue working on the baek issues and Dean will attempt to keep paee with eurrent meetings. The first issue of Volume 32 should be available soon. Treasurer Eaura Terriquez’s report (presented by Earry) showed that SCAMIT is healthy finaneially. SCAMlT’s modest Operating Budget of $22,396.81 (as of June 15), not ineluding the $3,267 remaining in the database-speeifie fund, leaves $5,599 available for publieation grants (25% of the Operating Budget). Over the eourse of the year SCAMIT generated $5,723 in ineome. SCAMIT spent $767 on Newsletter produetion and distribution, meetings, and travel, and $3,382.50 of our database funds on improving the toolbox eontent. 7 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 The Committee diseussed the desire to spend the grant money, and wished to eneourage members to apply for publieation support. Megan mentioned requesting support to produee a guide to the mega-benthie trawl invertebrates eolleeted by the monitoring programs. There was diseussion about whether sueh an effort would overlap the SCAMIT TDT, and how might the issue of photo eopy-write and release be handled sinee many of the photos would eome from publie ageneies. This brought the diseussion baek around to the issue of the SCAMIT TDT and diseussion of designating the proeeeds from the EPA Workshops for the speeifie purpose of funding the database projeet. Finally, we diseussed the idea of eontinuing to set aside some of the operating balanee in eertifieates of deposit. Currently, SCAMIT holds a 9-month $10,000 CD that has generated $7.17 in interest. The Committee will ask Laura to shop around for the best interest rate to roll these dollars into onee the eurrent holding expires. Dean Penteheff provided the Webmaster report. Dean deseribed the Advaneing Digitization of Biodiversity Colleetions (ADBC) grant to eneourage museums to digitize their eolleetions. Gustav Paulay (Florida Museum of Natural History) is leading the effort with Regina Wetzer and Dean Penteheff as the Pis for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Other major partieipating museums inelude the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and the California Aeademy of Seienees (CAS). The effort is being run through the CAS and is in need of taxonomie seaffolding for the listing. Dean requested that SCAMIT provide a letter of support and offer the use of the SCAMIT Speeies List. Dean also suggested that SCAMIT eneourage ADBC grantees to work with POTWs to get data on oeeurrenee, ete. Larry and Don mentioned that CBRAT has the entire list of invertebrate fauna from the entire eoast with distributional information that might also be helpful to the ADBC effort. We eoneluded the meeting with Don Cadien’s report noting that SCAMIT Ed 8 was done and posted to the website, and that the planning for Ed 9 was almost ready to start. The goal for Ed 9 is a July 1 “Publieation” date. The effort will likely inelude a lot of new information from Tony Phillip’s work with John Ljubenkov’s enidarian eolleetion and images. SEPTEMBER 30, 2013, DR. BUZ WILSON, ASELLOTE ISOPODS Attendees: Don Cadien, Larry Lovell, Chase MeDonald (LACSD); Katie Beauehamp, Greg Weleh, Paul Mattson, Ron Velarde, Andy Davenport, Tim Stebbins (CSD); Ken Sakamoto, Danny Tang (OCSD); Dean Pasko (Private Consultant); Regina Wetzer, Adam Wall (NHMLAC); George (Buz) Wilson (Australia Museum of Natural History, presenter). Business: The upeoming meetings (see the SCAMIT website) were briefly summarized, ineluding diseussion of SCAMIT getting more involved in the Bight’ 13 trawl identifleations via a January 2014 Trawl FID meeting. The meeting will likely be driven by a Bight’13 Trawl Committee due date. Larry also summarized the Exeeutive Committee meeting, the minutes of whieh are ineluded in this NL. Some of the ageneies eneouraged members to wateh for upeoming job openings that will be posted to the website. 8 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Tim Stebbins then introduced Dr. George (Buz) Wilson for the presentation on asellote isopods. Buz distributed several hand-outs for the meeting, all of whieh are available at the SCAMIT website under the Taxonomie Toolbox: Speeies Listing of Munnopsidae listed in Osborn (2009), Marine Asellotes from California and adjaeent regions. Key to the Superfamily Janiroidea (Asellota), Anatomieal Glossary of Isopoda Asellota, and a handout ineluding the presentation slide set: Isopod Crustaeeans Suborder Asellota Superfamily Janiroidea. Tim listed several taxa that people had brought for later review. Isopod Crustaceans Suborder Asellota Superfamily Janiroidea (presentation). Buz’s presentation eovered a variety of topies ineluding Janiroidea diversity and morphology, phylogenetie relationships among the taxa, eolleetion teehniques, what to expeet to find in California, identifieation of asellotes and a survey of the eommon families, and a demonstration of a Key to the Families using the interaetive DELTA INTKEY. Buz started by saying that most Janiroidea speeimens ean be identified to speeies without disseetion, at least for the purpose of pragmatie identifieation. All Janiroideans have a peeuliar sperm transfer organ; a bent (genieulate) pleopod 2. Transfer oeeurs from pleopod 1 to 2 and then to a mate. The pleopods are eovered by an opereulum eonsisting of 3 segments (male) or one segment (female). Pleopod 2 of males is like a hypodermie needle, it ean be a long whip-like thing or a erazy spiral. Buz reviewed the known speeies riehness by families. Janiroideans are primarily deepwater organisms, but there are likely many asellotes above 100 m that are simply unknown as of yet. The highest asellote diversity is sampled below 100 m with a 0.3mm sereen. For example, some of the most diverse families (e.g., Munnopsidae, Desmosomatidae, Haploniseidae, Isehnomesidae, Janiridae, Munnidae, and Paramunnidae) oeeur almost exelusively in deep water, or both deep and shallow shelf Buz’s speeialty is deep sea Munnopsidae, Paramunnidae, Dendrotionidae, Desmosomatidae, Maerostylidae, and Isehnomesidae. He estimates a possible diversity of 400,000 speeies in the deep sea if he were to extrapolate his data from the North Paeifie to the area of the deep sea. In shallow waters, the Mieroparasellidae, Pleuroeopidae, Munnidae, Santiidae, Janiridae, Joeropsidae, and diverse Paramunnidae predominate. He maintains a list of isopods that ean be aeeessed via the Smithsonian Institution website: http://invertebrates.si.edu/isopod/about.html. The list was transported to WoRMS but it is not edited well. He reeommends eaution when using the WoRMS listing. We then reviewed some of the interesting adaptations of deep sea isopods. Many of these adaptations, sueh as body and leg type, are useful for separating families without disseetion. Some of these inelude long legs to walk over substrate (Munnopsums: Munnopsidae), or a large abdomen that infiates with water (Paropsurus: Munnopsidae). Isopods have been around for a long time. The oldest known isopod fossil, Hesslerella, represents a fairly derived isopod. An analysis of Janiroidean relationships suggests that deep sea taxa derived from multiple aneestors, with the Janiridae likely being made up of multiple family groups. Asellotes ean be found in shallow marine habitats, on plants, or as epibiotes on sponges and tunieates. They ean be sueeessfully eolleeted by divers, espeeially on algae, and bueket washes of roeks and eobbles ean produee many speeimens that are not easily seen otherwise. In general. Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 asellotes tend to be highly abundant on their prefered habitat. So if one ean get to the eorreet substrate, the eolleetion of quality speeimens is fairly eertain in shallow waters. On the other hand, the sueeess rate ehanges when sampling from abyssal habitats via box eores. Sueeessful sampling in the deep sea is limited to only a few families (Isehnomesidae, Nannoniseidae, Desmosomatidae, Haploniseidae, Maerostylidae, and Munnopsidae). When preserving speeimens for analysis, sodium biearbonate seems to work best for buffering to reduee the aeidity of formalin, whereas sodium borate ean maeerate material, espeeially if its eoneentration is too high. Pure ethanol and eold storage works great for genetie work, but makes speeimens brittle. Adding glyeerin helps keep tissues more pliable and minimizes brittleness. Buz found that 85-95% ethanol and 5% glyeerin worked well for nearly all groups, and DNA ean still be reeovered. In general, one doesn’t have to disseet Janioideans. Many ean be elassified by leg morphology, and even when legs are lost one ean use the basis as a proxy of leg size/robustness. Munnopsids ean be plaeed into genus by eharaeteristies of the head. Unfortunately, many speeies were deseribed by taxonomists with little asellote experienee, so taxonomie eharaeters are not well illustrated. Some of the more important eharaeters are summarized below. (See examples on slides 17 - 25 of Buz’s presentation) • The frontal margin of the head is important taxonomieally. The presenee of a rostrum - projeetion of dorsal surfaee of head - is distinet from a frontal projeetion or “pseudorostrum” whieh emanates from below the dorsal margin and may or may not projeet anteriorly. • The antennulae and their direetion of attaehment, as well as the distanee between antennulae, is of value. The basal artiele of antennulae and direetion of emergenee from head anteriorly, dorsally, or antero-dorsally is also important. • The antennae and whether or not they are genieulate (knee-like, bent) is helpful. In Paramunnidae, artiele 1 is diffieult to see, whereas artiele 3 is enlarged, and artiele 4 is genieulate. The Janiridae have no bend (i.e., not genieulate); whereas the Joeropsididae have genieulate antennae with a large 5th artiele against whieh distal artieles ean nest. Haploniseidae have a slightly genieulate juneture, but have a large dorsally direeted spine. • The relative size of the distal three artieles (earpus, propodus, daetylus) of pereopod 1 (thoraeopod 2), setation, spination, ete. is helpful. Asellidae, Stentriidae, Pseudojaniridae show primitive form with a large and prehensile propodus-daetyl and small triangular or quadrate earpus. In Munnidae and Janiridae by eontrast, the earpus has beeome quite enlarged, representing more advaneed eonditions, and the grasping portion beeomes the link between earpus-propodus rather than propodus-daetyl. • The daetylar elaws require a eompound seope to view, but provide good elues. Note the presenee and shape of sensillae (small, elongate modified seta(e) between elaws). The presenee of a 3rd elaw, derived from spine-like seta of the Stenetriidae, is indieative of Janiridae. Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 • The position of coxae and how they fit into the body (i.e., do they fit "into" the body; can you see them in dorsal view, ventral view only) and setation. Deep sea isopods tend to have a narrow, elongate 4th pereonite with an anteriorly positioned coxa vs. the wider, narrower pereonite IV and a centrally positioned coxa of shallow species. • The mouthparts, particularly the mandibular palp, which is lost differentially within families and genera. Its presence/absence can be used to narrow species search. The size of the mandible can also separate groups. • The pleotelson shape, dimensions, and margin structure. • The uropod shapes and relative sizes. If the uropods are broken off, it typically means that they are large and elongate, so don't try to place the specimen in a family that has small uropods, for example the Munnidae. Buz then reviewed some of the more co mm on eastern Pacific families and their representatives. He recommended that local workers consult the multivolume monograph by Kussakin (1979, 1982, 1988, 1999, 2003), which covers North Pacific species. All these volumes are available on-line at the Los Angeles Co. Museum Crustacea section webpage (http://research.nhm.org/ publications/). Within the Janiridae, Janiralata is common in Eastern Pacific waters. It is a shallow-water group with sexual dimorphism of pereopod 1, and characteristic notches in the coxae. The male pleopod can be helpful. All described NEP Janiralata are covered by Kussakin (1988). Several additional provisional species are described in Wilson (1997). laniropsis, another common taxa, has a large male maxilliped, and uropods are typically biramus, large, and easily visible; the rami are in the same plane, and the anntenna and annula are positioned pointing forward (primitive status). Adult male members of the genus Caprias have enormous carpus of pereopod 1. Several Janirids listed in the world list are probably not among the Janirid clade: Ectias, Caecianiropsis, Microjanira, for example. In species of Joeropsis, pigmentation can be helpful as a quick visual cue for grouping specimens for identification, especially when dealing with high numbers of individuals. In general, Joeropsids have geniculate antennae and conjoined fiagellar articles, and most of the legs are maintained upon collection. Their legs, antennae, and (often) hooked uropods are all valuable taxonomic characters. Representatives of Joeropsis and Rugojoeropsis noted for the distal hooks present on the uropods, and Scaphojoeropsis with its anterolateral projections medially between antennae, will likely not be encountered in the SCB. The Acanthaspidiidae have elongate biramous uropods that distinguish them from Janiralata. Acanthaspids represent a transitional group between shallow and deep water. They have lappets (which resemble coxae, but are actually projections of the tergites) on pereonites that are long pointed lateral projections, and the first pereopod appears to be a walking leg. The Janirellidae are deep sea species that often have large bodies. They have large antennae and highly variable lateral lappets of the pereonites. All have broad heads with projecting lateral margins, tiny uropods, and grasping, pre-hensile pereopod 1. The Munnidae are common in the SCB. They tend to live on hard substrates, as well as sponges, plants, and soft substrate. They have long legs, large pedunculate eyes, and operculate male pleopod 1. Munnids and Paramunnids are quite similar and both are present in SCB samples. 11 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Muimids have the anus direeted posteriorly, towards the baek of the pleotelson where it is eovered. The anus is ventral in Paramunnidae. Paramunnidae have pereopods VI and Vll stieking out laterally vs. Munnidae, whieh have them direeted posteriorly due to eompressed pereonites VI and Vll. Among the eommon Munnids, two genera, Munna and Uromunna, ean be separated by their respeetive presenee or absenee of a mandibular palp, for the most part (exeeptions oeeur!). We broke for luneh during whieh we had a vigorous diseussion about Munnogonium tillerae (speeifieally from San Diego) vs. M. erratum (from off Palos Verdes) vs. M. waldronense. Buz eonvineed us all that they are distinet and therefore the SCAMIT Ed 8 listing synonymizing the three is ineorreet. [Buz subsequently explained that he has started work on this suite of taxa. Stay tuned.] After luneh Buz eontinued his summary of the major families, starting with the hard substrate Santiidae (Syn = Antiasidae). Representatives of this taxon have a propodo-earpoehelate pereopod 1 distinetly different from pereopods 11 - Vll, straight antennae, and unexposed anus, and large, biramus uropods. The peduneulate eyes, short antennula that is typieally shorter than the head is wide, and setose dorsum, also help distinguish this group. Paramunnids are a speeiose group that inelude some of our eommon taxa {Munnogonium tillerae and Pleurogonium californiense). In this group, pereopod 1 is fundamentally propodus-earpus- daetyl ehelate, and the male first pereonite is enlarged - Buz likened them to having “football player shoulders.” Paramunnid speeies are distinguished by spine/projeetion pattern of body, serrations of telson, and proportions of the pereonites. The Dendrotionidae are transitional to deep sea. The genus Dendrotion eontains eyeless, long- legged speeies whose antennae are on stalks, but the uropodal endopod is highly redueed. Acanthomunna tannerensis is the SCB speeies found by the City of San Diego staff and has huge biramous uropods that are generally lost during sampling. The Haplomunnidae are deep sea taxa related to the Dendrotionidae, that are rare in most areas. They are a heavy-bodied lot, so that they are often eolleeted with the body fully intaet. The uropods are tiny! Haplomunna sp has been reeorded in the SCB, but it is too deep for the typieal oeean monitoring programs that make up the SCAMIT speeies list. The Pleuroeopidae is a monotypie family, represented in southern California by Pleurocope sp A. They are an interesting taxon; the uropods are dorsomedial and loeated proximally on the pleotelson, the pereonites have lateral projeetions with paired setae, the body also has several long dorsal setae, while the eyes are situated on long, laterally projeeting peduneles. The Munnopsidae are good swimmers with paddle-like pereopods. Five speeies are represented in SCAMIT Ed 8 and most ean be separated by head eharaeters alone, sueh as the relative size and projeetion of the rostrum in Eurycope. Nannoniseidae is another deep sea family that is not often found in our SCB samples. The antennule and biramous uropods are typieally short, and the head has a projeeting frons with eephalie keels present laterally alongside the projeeting frons. All eoxae are ventral and eoxa Vll is rotated inwards. Desmosomatidae are also deep water, but may be found as shallow as 90 m. Two speeies are represented in SCAMIT Ed 8 {Momedosa symmetrica and Prochelator sp A). They have 12 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 uniramous uropods and powerful anterior limbs with robust setae that are used for burrowing. The genus Desmosoma has a small first pereonite but is not taken loeally. Reported loeal members have been realloeated to other genera. Isehnomesidae are a deep sea family reeognizable by their elongate pereonites IV - V, but espeeially pereonite V. Some genera have lost pereonite Vll entirely. The Haploniseidae have legs that are all similar and generally have the appearanee of true “isopods”, or pillbugs. They have a large spine on the 3rd artiele of the antenna, the details of whieh ean be used to identify speeies. Suture lines of posterior pereonites are visible, but the pereonites are aetually funetionally fused. The deep sea Maerostylidae have a large stylet-like, stiff uropod, and a large sternal spine on pereonite 1 behind the maxilliped. The isehium of pereopod 111 is diagnostie for the family and speeies. The Family is under revision by Torben Riehl. Buz also briefiy diseussed a new family being deseribed in Riehl et al. (in press). They look a little like members of the Maerostylidae, but differ in struetures of telson and uropods, but have mandibles that are virtually identieal. Next Buz diseussed DELTA and ran through an example of DELTA using IntKey. Using laniropsis as an example, the group seleeted eharaeter states for eyes (presenee/absenee), head margin (projeeting/not), ete. It took nine eharaeter states to get to family Janiridae. Buz mentioned that you ean also get distanee matrix, and develop interaetive keys via IntKey. DELTA has not been re-eompiled for over 13 years, so there are some problems with the site, but it remains a useful tool. Open-souree DELTA is available for all platforms, but also has some problems. Use of Buz’s key requires that you know it is an Asellote beeause there is no hierarehieal key in DELTA. After a short break we jumped into specimen reviews: Matt brought representatives of Desmosomatidae from the Mediterranean. They were probably Mirabilicoxa speeies. We reviewed and eonfirmed the City of San Diego’s speeimen of Pleurocope sp A SCAMIT 2012, whieh is likely to be the same as Buz’s speeies. Dean brought a speeimen of Munnogonium tillerae that was eonfirmed, thankfully! Tim Stebbins brought speeimens of Belonectes and Eurycope from Bight’ 13. We initially thought Tim had a male of Eurycope californiensis but we found differenees in the shape of the rostrum (truneate in present speeimen(s) vs. rounded in E. californiensis). The speeimen(s) seemed more similar to E. complanata eomplx from the Atlantie (See eomment Wilson 1997). In all likelihood, Tim’s speeimens probably represent a new speeies beeause of the truneate rostrum and length of basal antennal artiele, whieh exeeeds lateral projeetions, and length of artiele 2 is longer than in E. californiensis. The speeimens were from 850 m off San Diego, the same depth range as E. californiensis. The Belonectes sp. is also likely a new speeies due to do the different uropodal endopod whieh is long, the shape of the keel of the opereulum whieh was sinuous and projeets forward with an aeuminate eomer, and the more dentieulate head and anterior pereonites. In addition, the pereopod basis and antenna seemed longer. 13 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Caecianiropsis sp A specimens from LACSD and CSD were reviewed and confirmed as being distinct from C. psammophila. [Buz subsequently reported that his review of Caecianiropsis specimens from the NHMLAC suggest at least three species present in their collections.] llyarachna profunda from Stebbins Bight’ 13 was compared to I. acarina from Pasko Bight’03 (334 m off SCB). Dean’s acarina” may be different. It has pedestal setae, but several subtleties seemed to distinguish it. For example, the shape of the pleotelson was similar to illustrations of /. profunda (not I. acarina), but pedestal setae were fewer and smaller. We considered whether or not this difference may be a size-related issue since we were dealing with a juvenile female. In addition, the lateral margins of pereopods V - Vll were of different shape with the anterolateral margin of pereopod V being rounded. Tim brought out other /. acarina specimens from 260+/- m from San Diego Regional station 8038 collected in 2010. Both were determined to be different from true /. acarina due to the lack of regular setae between pedestal setae, relative to specimens from San Diego Regional station 2147 (1997, 638 ft), which did have both setal types. Buz confirmed these differences, but none of us were sure what to do about them since we could not be sure if any of this variability was associated with development or gender. Dean pulled a specimen of Janiralata sp B from Bight’03 for review. It was also confirmed. Don brought out several specimens of Microcharon sp A collected off Catalina Island that were confirmed. A specimen identified as Munnogonium tillerae from 1372 m off Oregon prompted a strong “NO” from Buz, since this was way too deep and too far north for this species. His examination confirmed this was a new Munnogonium distinguished by, among other things, elongate abdominal somites and pleotelson. OCTOBER 13, 2013, DRS. CARRERETTE, CARVALHO, HALANYCH, AND STEIN, NHMLAC, POLYCHAETES AND DNA BARCODING Attendees: Ron Velarde, Kathy Langan, Veronica Rodriguez (City of San Diego); Larry Lovell (LACSD); Victoria Gray, Lindsay Fitzgerald, Tania Asef (Endemic Environmental Services); Emmanuel Riclet (CEA-EMD); Ernie Ruckman, Kelvin Barwick, Rob Gamber (OCSD); Terrance Champieux, Christine Whitcraft, Jessica Eee (CSUEB); Eeslie Harris (NHMLAC); Dean Pasko, Tony Phillips (DCE); Russell Carvalho (Texas A&M, presenter); Orlemir Carrerette (Universidad Sao Paulo, Brazil, presenter); Ken Halanych (Auburn University, presenter); Eric Stein (presenter), David Gillett (SCCWRP). Business: The upcoming meetings (see the SCAMIT website) were briefiy summarized [again!]. Most of the 2014 meetings will likely focus on Bight’ 13 taxonomic issues. Earry also noted that there are many members who have still not paid their 2013 membership dues, and some are several years behind. SCAMIT will soon drop from the email listing and general discussion list server those members who do not pay their requested dues. Orlemir Carrerette (Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil) Leslie Harris introduced Orlemir Carrerette, PhD. student of Dr Joao Nogueira from Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Orlemir started out describing his work on the diversity of p^chaetes occurring in the intertidal zone of sandstone reefs off the states of Paraiba and 14 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, with a special focus on Terebelliformia and Sabellidae. Collections were made at low tide from reefs off fifteen beaches along these states. Algae, sponges, ascidians, and other organisms from mussel beds and similar substrates were scrapped from the rocks then examined under stereomicroscope. Polychaetes were removed from the samples, relaxed in menthol solution, preserved in 10% formalin solution and later rinsed in fresh water and transferred to 70% ethanol. He found -5,000 specimens distributed among 13 genera and 22 species of terebelliforms and 8 genera and 13 species of sabellids. 23 of the total species found are new to science. After a short and general explanation of his work, Orlemir presented an amazing animated slide show on some of the important morphological characters of the family Polycirridae. The Polycirridae are a well-known group of polychaetes characterized by the absence of branchiae, presence of a circular upper lip, at least two types of buccal tentacles, and segment 2 distinctly narrower than following segments, constricting the body posterior to the mouth and separating the body into ‘head’ and ‘trunk’ regions. The trunk is further divided into an anterior part with paired ventro-lateral glandular pads, frequently densely papillated, with pairs separated by a mid-ventral groove extending posteriorly from segments 2-3, and a posterior region which only has neuropodia or is achaetous. Polycirridae contains six genera: Amaeana Hartman, 1959; Biremis Polloni, Rowe and Teal, 1973; EnoplobranchusWobster, 1^79; Hauchiella LQyinsQn, 1893; Zy^/7/a Malmgren, 1866; and Polycirrus GmhQ, 1850. The most important characters used in the taxonomy of the group are: • Anterior end characters of prostomium and peristomium - Location of prostomium; Shape of distal part of prostomium; Prostomial buccal tentacles; Peristomial palps; Shape of both upper and lower lips • Anterior segments - Glandular ventral surfaces; Paired glandular pads; Nephridial/genital papillae - number and placement • Notopodia - Number of pairs of notopodia; Notopodia shape; Digitiform expansion on post-chaetal lobes; Notochaetal characters • Neuropodia - Start of neuropodia relative to notopodia; Neurochaetae • Pygidium - Smooth or papillate Orlemir’s presentation generated a discussion on the difficulty of identifying species of polycirrids, mainly due to loss of the anterior region of body and regeneration in most specimens collected. Also there was another discussion about tube-building by some species of Polycirridae. Although most of the publications on polycirrids consider that members of this family do not produce tubes, it is possible to find some individuals inhabiting tubes, probably tubes produced by other species of polychaetes. Leslie commented that at least one undescribed west coast species preferentially lives in old isopod-burrows in Macrocystis holdfasts. Kelvin Barwick and others mentioned that another local species was almost always found in soft sediment tubes and would rapidly rebuild their tubes when placed in petri dishes with sediment. Larry introduced Dr. Russell Carvallo, student of Dr Anja Shultze and recent PhD candidate from Texas A&M. Russell started out describing his work at Texas A&M. He worked on the 15 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Deep Gulf of Mexieo Benthos (DGoMB) program maerofauna and analysis, with a speeial foeus on faetors affeeting maero faunal polyehaete eommunities in the deep Gulf of Mexieo. He looked for variation in the funetional diversity of the benthos, sinee funetional diversity plays a key role in eommunity strueture and speeies diversity. The DGoMB eolleeted sediment and water samples from 51 stations from 200 m to 3700 m using a box eorer. Russell used the feeding guild eategories from Fauehald and Jumars (1979) to eharaeterize the polyehaetes into funetional group and test two hypotheses: (1) Distinet speeies eommunities would be eonstrueted of distinet feeding guilds; and (2) The level of food supply would manifest as differenees of guild strueture. Russell eharaeterized 17,881 speeimens and 532 speeies into 16 guilds. He found three distinet groups using speeies eomposition and the number of guilds deelined sharply with depth. Interestingly, he did not find a parabolie diversity eurve with mid-depth-max (MDM) using speeies eompositions, but did find an MDM using the feeding guild analysis. Russell believes that funetional diversity may show the same MDM in other oeeans but a large data set is required to perform the analysis. Russell’s presentation generated a niee diseussion during whieh other tid-bits of interesting information eame forward. Russell found no strong eorrelation between speeies diversity and guild diversity, however guild diversity was a good estimator of funetional redundaney. As found by many of us who have looked at sueh things before, “depth” showed the highest eorrelation with diversity; but diversity was also highest at mid-depth where the diversity of habitat strueture was greatest. There was some additional diseussion about whether or not eategorizing speeies into feeding guilds is legitimate. Russell explained that the proeess was laborious. He went through a fair amount of trouble to expand upon Fauehald and Jumars by emailing various experts for speeies- speeifie information whenever eategorization of a taxon wasn’t known or multiple feeding modes were possible. Sinee the data set was so large, he felt that issues of uneertainty or slight mis-eategorization were likely to be drowned out by sheer seope. David Gillett suggested using "interfaee" feeders for those taxa that show multiple feeding types. Overall, however, Russell felt that Fauehald and Jumars (1979) provides a good breakdown of speeies and guilds and that by determining the number of speeies that form a feeding guild, we ean estimate the degree of funetional redundaney that may be important to eeosystem resilieney. He strongly feels that the analysis of feeding guilds provides insight into food sourees for polyehaetes and other interaetions with their environment (e.g. burrowing, bioturbation). Additionally, feeding guild diversity ean be used as a proxy for eeosystem funetion when assessing the impaet of natural and anthropogenie disturbanees on benthie eommunities. Russell’s work has been published in the researeh journal Deep-Sea Researeh 1 (Carvalho, et al. 2013). Dr. Ken Halanych next spoke about Morphology, Genes, and Taxonomy Collaborative Possibilities. WormNetll is a projeet dedieated primarily to the evolutionary development of polyehaetes and is in year 2 of its 5-year $3 million grant funding. The Projeet poses several questions: What is the phylogeny of Annelida? Whieh lineages are basal? It aims to generate a database of 2000 annelid transeriptomes, ineluding analysis of 10 nuelear loei for >400 annelids; eoordinate eommunity-wide programs that will faeilitate researeh in reeent annelid evolution and eeology; and provide resourees to all levels of annelid researeh. The effort to look deep into annelid phylogeny via the use of transeriptomes is a eollaborative work. Anja Shulze and Andy Anderson are tasked with the Community Sequeneing Effort (outreaeh) in order to resolve phylogeny among elosely related annelid taxa. The initial findings 16 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 suggest that magelonids and oweniids are falling out at the base, along with ehaetopterids. They are foeusing on mitoehondrial markers beeause they are easy to use. They have already data based a large number of speeimens and their genetie information. Ken provided the following examples of researeh topies that benefited from WormNetll projeets. • Investigations into and resolution of speeies eomplexes . Neanthes acuminata (Nereididae) - This is a large speeies eomplex that has been used historieally in various toxieologieal studies beginning with Dr. Reish in the early 1970’s. Using morphologieal data informed by genetie data Andy Anderson’s group found that N. acuminata represents up to five separate taxa (work in progress). The morphology results indieate that eye eolor may distinguish two SCB taxa. • Researeh into speeies boundaries . Hermodice carunculata (an amphinomid). - Ahrens et al. (2013) have used data from H. carunculata to investigate speeies boundaries. Eight speeies were synonymized under the name H. carunculata, but one Mediterranean speeies was subsequently re-instated. Ahrens et al. (2013) found very little COl diversity; although the Mediterranean speeies did eome out as being different, it also eo-oeeurred with other groups. The results suggested that H. carunculata is one taxon with a wide distribution aeross the Atlantie. • Genetie variability and reproduetive strategies . Boccardiaproboscidea (Spionidae) - Oyarzun et al (2011) looked at reproduetive variation in this poeeilogonous speeies eompared to geographie distribution. They examined B. proboscidea speeimens eolleeted from Mexieo to northern Washington that showed some morphologieal differenees and erossed known biogeographie breaks (e.g.. Point Coneeption). Results from analyses of eytoehrome b and 16S rDNA did not show distinet taxa. Though there were some genetie differenees between populations by geographie region the differenees supported the natural variability in reproduetion of B. proboscidea. • Invasive speeies. - Simon et al (2009) looked at impaets of B. proboscidea on Afriean abalone aquaeulture. When Simon et al looked at speeimens of B. proboscidea found in South Afriean abalone farms, they found that the worms had originated from southern California, most likely the result of oyster imports. • Cryptie speeies/umeeognized speeies. Diopatra (Onuphidae) - Berke et al (2010) found an undeseribed speeies of Diopatra mistaken for D. neapolitana while investigating Diopatra range shifts in western Europe. It was later deseribed as Diopatra biscayensis Fauehald, Berke & Woodin (2012). • Determining taxonomie eharaeters . Eunieidae - Zanol, Halanyeh, and Fauehald (2013) first used phylogenetie analysis to establish monophyletie groups as well as the utility of both traditional and new physieal eharaeters, and were able to demonstrate whieh eharaeters were the most useful for taxonomy. After the eonelusion of Ken’s wonderful examples demonstrating the exeellent use of genetie work, we dove into many interesting diseussions about how SCAMIT members and SCAMIT member ageneies eould eollaborate with WormNetll. SCAMIT members ean provide the taxonomie expertise to resolve poor taxonomy, but many members (at least those present) work for government ageneies that for a variety of reasons eannot release the resourees to support the neeessary work (eolleetion, identifieation, storage, transport of speeimens, and eost of supplies). Regina Wetzer reiterated the idea that if the ageneies eould partieipate in the eolleetion of 17 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 representative samples fixed in 95% EtOH the museum eould hold them for eventual use by staff or visiting researehers. The issue is gathering the bulk samples, then figuring out the proeessing that would eome later. Larry mentioned that SCAMIT member ageneies are already working with SCCWRP to resolve different fixation teehniques (sueh as short-term formalin exposure before transfer to 95% EtOH versus initial preservation in 95% EtOH) and argued that even the eolleetion of speeial samples remains an issue beeause just maintaining the EtOH-preserved speeimens takes time and resourees. Another problem is that soft bodied ereatures sueh as worms need speeial handling during fixation to maintain their shape. Polyehaetes eoming out of bulk- fixed 95% samples are typieally too eontorted and shrunken to be easily identified and may not be identifiable past genus or even family. The group diseussed several different possible goals. Regina again expressed the museum’s desire to simply eolleet bulk samples, an approaeh better suited to animals with exoskeletons sueh as erustaeeans (her partieular speeialty). Ken would like SCAMIT to help find interesting problems for eollaborative projeets. The various monitoring ageneies would be grateful for help in speeies resolutions (e.g., Leptochelia, Cirratulidae, eryptie speeies). SCCWRP has an interest in developing a store of eorreetly identified and vouehered representative speeimens with genetie data. We also briefiy diseussed how the SCAMIT Newsletter and website eould be used to eommunieate the need for and/or availability of material that needs taxonomists or money. The ehallenge of WormNetll (or similar projeets) reaehing out to members of SCAMIT (or other eonsultants) is that grant money is generally restrieted to in-house use, and it is often diffieult to bring in outside experts after the faet. Even if the money eould be written into a grant, the question still eomes down to why is this taxon in southern California more important than others. After a break for luneh. Dr Eric Stein shared information about SCCWRP’s research interests in the use of DNABareoding as a tool for Marine and Freshwater Bioassessment. They are looking at Mitoehondrial COl (eytoehrome oxidase) gene as a marker. It is not exeellent, but it represents a good start. SCCWRP has teamed with BOLD to establish a referenee library of vouehered speeimens with eorresponding genetie information. However, even when eomplete, there remains the question, “How do we move from researeh to routine bioassessment?” Currently, the investigations foeus on developing standard methods (preservation, referenee library, effieaey of moleeular approaehes, test performanee indiees, standardization of speeies delimitations). Freshwater investigations have provided some good results with 20% variability. SCCWRP eurrently has a suite of marine samples fixed with 95% EtOH with 5% glyeerin, 95% EtOH with 15% glyeerin, and straight 95% EtOH. The samples have been sorted and identifieations are in progress. The question is whether we ean find a fixation/preservation method that works for both monitoring and DNA assessment. SCCWRP is also building referenee library through regional monitoring. In the freshwater system there are eurrently 3,800 reeognized southern California taxa, but only 600 are aetually used in the various indiees. Of those, 260 are registered in BOLD. In the marine environment, 4,400 speeies are reeognized in SCAMIT, and 1200 have been used in index development, but only 180 speeies are housed in BOLD. Some of the goals are to aid in marine benthos identifieations to potentially streamline the assessment proeess and to help resolve eosmopolitan and eryptie speeies. For example, in their freshwater investigation of three stream types they found an inerease in speeies riehness using genetie teehnique vs. morphologieal identifieation (181 reeorded taxa vs. 101, respeetively). Part of this differenee is simply a matter of some taxa being distinguishable to speeies by moleeular methods that are routinely left at genus or family when using morphology-based taxonomy. The genetie data provided an inereased resolution of 18 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 differences between impacted and non-impacted sites relative to morphological data alone. In the marine environment, SCCWRP has found that some indexes (e.g., BRI and AMBl) yield similar results whether using a full data set of species and abundance or species presence/absence alone. They are also developing new Bioinformatics tools (e.g., data queries to perform specific analysis). The areas ripe for additional research include: finding additional genetic markers, improved primers, next generation sequencing, methods for processing bulk samples, evaluation of environmental DNA (surrounding contaminations), species delimitation, revised bioassessment scoring tools, additional taxonomic groups, adequate vouchering, data management and analysis. There was some follow-up discussion about the need to have a minimum amount of replication of individuals (minimum of 10) representing each individual taxon. David Gillett raised the issue of scoring the taxa for the test of the different preservation methods. How do you rate a sample as a whole, and how do you rate the different taxa types (polychaetes in tubes vs. arthropods vs. molluscs, etc.). We also delved into issues surrounding where to take this information moving forward, and how does it get down to the taxonomy and resolutions. Concern was also expressed about the huge need to curate the regional product. There are few freezers and ultra freezers on the west cost to store the tissues and samples even if we were able to collect and analyze them. LITERATURE - ASELLOTA Kussakin, O. G. 1979. Morskye 1 solonovatovodnye ravnonogie rakoobrasnye (Isopoda) cholodnix 1 umerennix vod sevemogo polushariya. Podotryd Flabellifera. Nauka, Leningrad. Kussakin, O. G. 1982. Morskye 1 solonovatovodnye ravnonogie rakoobrasnye (Isopoda) cholodnix 1 umerennix vod sevemogo polushariya. Podotryadi Anthuridea, Microcerberidea, Valvifera, Tyloidea. Nauka, Leningrad. Kussakin, O. G. 1988. Morskye 1 solonovatovodnye ravnonogie rakoobrasnye (Isopoda) cholodnix 1 umerennix vod sevemogo polushariya. Podotryad Asellota. Part 1. Cemeistva Janiridae, Santidae, Dendrotionidae, Munnidae, Paramunnidae, Haplomunnidae, Mesosignidae, Haploniscidae, Mictosomatidae, Ischnomesidae Nauka, Leningrad. Kussakin, O. G. 1999. Morskye 1 solonovatovodnye ravnonogie rakoobrasnye (Isopoda) cholodnix 1 umerennix vod sevemogo polushariya. Podotryad Asellota. Chast 2. Semeistva Joeropsididae, Nannoniscidae, Desmosomatidae, Macrostylidae). Nauka, St. Petersburg. Kussakin, O. G. 2003. Morskye 1 solonovatovodnye ravnonogie rakoobrasnye (Isopoda) cholodnix 1 umerennix vod sevemogo polushariya. Podotryad Asellota. Chast 3. Semeistva Munnopsidae. “Nauka”, Leningradskoe otd-nie, St. Petersburg. Osborn, K. J. 2009. Relationships within the Munnopsidae (Cmstacea, Isopoda, Asellota) based on three genes. Zoologica Scripta 38: 617-635. Riehl, T, G.D.F. Wilson, and M. Malyutina, (in press). Urstylidae - A new family of abyssal isopods (Cmstacea: Asellota) and its phylogenetic implications. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Wilson, G. D. F. 1997. The Suborder Asellota. pp. 59-109 in R. Wetzer, R. Bmsca and G. D. F. Wilson (eds.). Taxonomic atlas of the benthic fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and western Santa Barbara Channel. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California, USA. [Note from Buz: do not use the key! It has errors.] 19 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 LITERATURE - OPISTHOBRANCH Gibson, G. D. and F.S. Chia. 1989. “Description of a new species of Haminoea, Haminoea callidegenita (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia), with a comparison with two other Haminoea species found in the northeast Pacific.” Canadian Journal of Zoology 67: 914-922. Goddard, J. H. R., M. C. Schaefer, C. Hoover, and A. Valdes. 2013. “Regional extinction of a conspicuous dorid nudibranch (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in California.” Marine Biology. VoL 160 (6): 1497-1510. Goodheart, J. and A. Valdes. 2013. “Re-evaluation of the Doriopsilla areolata Bergh, 1880 (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) subspecies complex in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and its relationship to South African Doriopsilla miniata (Alder & Hancock, 1864) based on molecular data.” Marine Biodiversity 43: 113-120. Hanson, D., Y. Hirano, and A. Valdes. 2013. “Population genetics of Haminoea (Haloa) japonica Pilsbry, 1895, a widespread non-indigenous sea slug (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) in North America and Europe.” Biological Invasions 15: 395^06. Omelas-Gatdula, E., Y. Camacho-Garcia, M. Schrodl, V. Padula, Y. Hooker, T. M. Gosliner, and A. Valdes. 2012. “Molecular systematics of the 'Navanax aenigmaticus' species complex (Mollusca, Cephalaspidea): coming full circle.” Zoologica Scripta 41(4): 374-385. Omelas-Gatdula, E., A. Dupont, and A. Valdes. 2011. “The tail tells the tale: taxonomy and biogeography of some Atlantic Chelidonura (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea: Aglajidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial gene data.” Zoological Journal of the Einnean Society 163: 1077-1095. Omelas-Gatdula, E. and A. Valdes. 2012. “Two cryptic and sympatric species of Philinopsis (Cephalaspidea: Aglajidae) in the Bahamas distinguished using molecular and anatomical data.” Journal ofMolluscan Studies 78: 313-320. Ortea J., M. Caballer, E. Moro, and J. Espinosa. 2012 “Notas en Opistobranchia (Mollusca, Gastropoda) 1. Sobre la validez de la especie Posterobranchus orbignyanus Rochebmne, 1881 (Cephalaspidea, Aglajidae)”. Revista 'de la Academia Canaria de Ciencias 23(3): 39^4. [Journal issue for 2011; published April 2012] Stout, C.C., M. Pola, and A. Valdes. 2010. “Phylogenetic analysis of Dendronotus nudibranchs with emphasis on Northeastern Pacific species.” Journal ofMolluscan Studies 76(3): 1-9. Stout, C.C., N.G. Wilson, and A. Valdes. 2011. “Anew species of doop-SQa Dendronotus Alder & Hancock (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) from California, with an expanded phylogeny of the genus.” Invertebrate Systematics 25: 60-69. Valdes, A. and J.A. Ortea Rato. 1997. “Review of the genus Doriopsilla Bergh, 1880 (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) in the Atlantic Ocean.” Veliger 40(3): 240-254. Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 LITERATURE - POLYCHAETA Ahrens, J.B., E. Borda, R. Barroso, RC. Paiva, A.M. Campbell, A. Wolf, M.M. Nugues, G.W. Rouse, and A. Sehulze. 2013. The eurious ease of Hermodice carunculata (Annelida: Amphinomidae): evidenee for genetie homogeneity throughout the Atlantie Oeean and adjaeent basins. Moleeular Eeology. Vol. 22(8): 2280-91 Berke, S.K., A.R. Mahon, F.P. Eima, K.M. Halanyeh, D.S. Wethey, and S.A. Woodin. 2010. Range shifts and speeies diversity in marine eeosystem engineers: patterns and predietions for European sedimentary habitats. Global Eeology and Biogeography 19: 223-232. Carvalho, R., C.E. Wei, G. Rowe, and A. Sehulze. 2013. Complex depth-related patterns in taxonomie and fimetional diversity of polyehaetes in the Gulf of Mexieo. Deep Sea Researeh Part 1: Oeeanographie Researeh Papers, v. 80, p. 66-77. Fauehald, K., S.K. Berke, and S.A. Woodin. 2012. Diopatra (Onuphidae: Polyehaeta) from intertidal sediments in southern Europe. Zootaxa 3395: 47-58. Fauehald, K., and PA. Jumars. 1979. The diet of worms: a study of polyehaete feeding guilds. Oeeanography and Marine Biology Annual Review. Vol. 17: 193-284 Oyarzun, F.X., A.R. Mahon, B.J. Swalla, and K.M. Halanyeh. 2011. Phylogeography and reproduetive variation of the poeeilogonous polyehaete Boccardia proboscidea (Annelida: Spionidae) along the West Coast of North Ameriea. Evolutionary Development. Vol. 13(6): 489-503. Simon, C.A., D.J. Thornhill, F. Oyarzun, and K.M. Halanyeh. 2009. Genetie similarity between Boccardia proboscidea from Western North Ameriea and eultured abalone, Haliotis midae, in South Afriea. Aquaeulture 294: 18-24. Zanol, J., K.M. Halanyeh, and K. Fauehald. 2013. Reeoneiling taxonomy and phylogeny in the bristleworm family Eunieidae (polyehaete, Annelida). Zoologiea Seripta. http:// onlinelibrary.wiley.eom/doi/10. Ill 1/zse. 12034/abstraet 21 Publication Date: 2 December 2013 September/October, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 2/3 Please visit the SCAMIT Website at: www.seamit.org SCAMIT OFFICERS If you need any other information eoneeming SCAMIT please feel free to eontaet any of the offieers at their e-mail addresses: President Larry Lovell (310)830-2400X5613 llovell@laesd.org Leslie Harris (213)763-3234 lharris@nhm.org DeanPakso (858)395-2104 deanpasko@yahoo.eom Laura Terriquez (714)593-7474 lterriquez@oesd.org Viee-President Seeretary Treasurer The SCAMIT newsletter is published every two months and is distributed freely to members in good standing. Membership is $15 for an eleetronie eopy of the newsletter, available via the web site at www.scamit.org, and $30 to reeeive a printed eopy via USPS. Institutional membership, whieh ineludes a mailed printed eopy, is $60. All eorrespondenees ean be sent to the Seeretary at the email address above or to: SCAMIT PO Box 50162 Long Beaeh, CA 90815 Southern Cali fornia Assocation of Marine I NVERTEBRATE Taxonomists November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Paguristes bakeri inhabiting a shell fully covered by the sponge Suberites and with an Ophiopholis bakeri for a neighbor. Bight’13 Trawl Station 9287, 201.5 m Photo by Greg Lyons, CLA-EMD This Issue APLACOPHORA, 8 NOVEMBER 2013, PAM NEUBERT, CSD. BIGHT’ 13 TRAWE EIDS, ARTHROPODA, 18 NOV 2013, EACSD CNIDARIA, 9 DECEMBER 2013, TONY PHIEEIPS, OCSD. B’13 TRAWE EIDS, 16 DECEMBER 2013, OCSD. BIBEIOGRAPHY. SCAMIT OEEICERS. ,.2 ,.7 10 17 19 22 The SCAMIT newsletter is not deemed to be a valid publication for formal taxonomic purposes. Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 APLACOPHORA, 8 NOVEMBER 2013, PAM NEUBERT, CSD Attendees: Don Cadien, Larry Lovell (LACSD); Kelvin Barwick (OCSD); Wendy Enright, Megan Lilly, Kathy Langan, Ron Velarde, Adriano Feit (CSD); Seth Jones (Marine Taxonomic Services); N. Scott Rugh (Invertebrate Paleontologist); Pam Neubert (EcoAnalysts - Presenter), Susan Kidwell (University of Chicago - Presenter), Tony Phillips, Dean Pasko (DCE). Business: Larry opened the meeting with his usual announcement of upcoming meetings. Tony Phillips took a minute to remind attendees that at his December 9th cnidaria review meeting, he will be dealing with infauna species and will not be discussing trawl specimens. Larry then reviewed all the upcoming B’ 13 trawl invertebrate review meetings which are as follows: Monday, November 18th - Arthropods at LACSD’s marine biology lab in Carson. Monday, December 16th - sponges, cnidarians, mollusks, urochordates, sipunculids (if needed), echiurans, polychaetes, and ectoprocts at LACSD. Tuesday, January 7th - Wrap-up meeting for any remaining specimens for further identihcation (FID) not previously addressed (except Echinoderms) at LACSD.Wednesday, January 29th - Echinoderms (including assessment of all Brisaster specimens) to be held at CSD. Many of the 2014 SCAMIT meetings will be dealing with difficult species encountered during the processing of the Bight’ 13 samples. As of now there are no meetings scheduled for 2014, but that will be changing soon. There was discussion of how the meeting will handle trawl Brisaster identihcations and how will participants deal with the large number of specimens to be identihed and the mixed lots likely expected. Megan anticipated that the specimens will be segregated by depth and that the expectation of mixed lots may be overblown. The group also discussed use of Bight’ 13 list server, particularly that it should be used more fully. Larry encouraged everyone to also use the list server to raise questions and issues early in the process. Kelvin reminded everyone to “respond to all” when using the list server to keep everyone in the loop. Responding to just the originator of the email can inadvertently prevent other Bight’ 13 taxonomists from receiving important information. We also discussed the potential of having meetings or workshops to which participants could bring the not-yet-funded specialty taxa (i.e., Photis, Cirratulids, Oligochaetes). Everyone was reminded that Bight’ 13 taxonomists should separate these groups into separate vials within their sample vial (1/4 dram would be hne), so that they could be easily pulled for the specialty taxonomy, should funds become available, or for identihcation “workshops” early in the year. The need to revisit Tellinids was also suggested, but there was no resolution as to who would lead it, or when it might occur. Finally, Larry summarized the status of the Taxonomic database tool. There is a beta version housed on the SCCWRP website that is nearly ready to release. Larry is preparing documentation to seek additional/continued support from SCCWRP and the major POTW agencies. Additionally, SCAMIT will be hiring an intern to mine images from various computers, etc., to populate the Database tool and clean-up existing vouchers and names in Taxonomic Toolbox. Some of the clean-up will require the expertise of the local taxonomists and we may dedicate portions of monthly meetings to address these issues. 2 UPCOMING MEETINGS Visit the SCAMIT website at: www.scamit.org for the latest upcoming meetings announcements. Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Next Susan Kidwell of the University of Chicago presented a summary of her past decade of work, “Putting the dead to work...” Susan was visiting Southern California to attend the CERF conference and agreed to update SCAMIT on her recent work. Her visit to the CERF conference involved introducing this community to the value of death assemblages for ecological analysis, especially in settings with various kinds of human impacts. She has two new publications providing an overview of her team’s hndings: “Time Averaging and Fidelity of Modern Death Assemblages: Building a Foundation for Conservation Paleobiology,” published in Paleontology, July 2013 (v56, p 487-522); and “Implications of time-averaged death assemblages for ecology and conservation biology”, due out in November in the Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics (v44). She will be happy to send you pdfs if you email her (skidwell@ uchicago.edu). Her team includes former post-doc Adam Tomasovych, who many of you have probably met during previous visits to southern California (he is now back home at the Slovak Institute of Geology), and new post-doc Jill Leonard-Pingel, a recent PhD out of Scripps. Susan and her lab have been using the grunge (the shelly debris of benthic sediment samples after all the “live” animals have been removed for taxonomic identihcation) from the monitoring programs of the City of San Diego, Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Orange County Sanitation District and from regional Bight programs. Death assemblages are “time-averaged” accumulations of the skeletal remains of past generations of living organisms. If not too biased by loss or too influenced by exotic input, they should provide insight into local historical ecological conditions. Susan and her team have been using grunge samples from the 1975 BLM survey and Bight’03 as well as recent agency samples from 2004 through 2012, generating species data from dead mollusk assemblages to compare with living assemblages at the same sets of sites. They use far-field reference sites to evaluate the fidelity of death assemblages under relatively natural conditions, and use sets of samples along pollution gradients to evaluate the ability of dead shell remains to detect historical change in ecological conditions. The following is a brief summary from the wealth of information presented on some very interesting research. Using radiocarbon-calibrated amino-acid racemization dating, Susan’s lab can determine the absolute magnitude of time-averaging that these dead shell assemblages represent. She presented Nuculana taphria shell-age distributions showing some specimens from agency-sampled Southern California Bight (SCB) sediments to be 12,500 years old. Overall, however, the time-averaged assemblages usually have a L-shaped shell-age frequency distribution, with most shells being less than 100 years old. Another local species, Parvilucina tenuisculpta, showed a much younger profile with most shells less than 50 years old. It was interesting that both taxa had older average shell ages on the San Pedro shelf than on the other shelves (e.g., off San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange County). This might be a signal that living populations there have been especially suppressed during the urban 20* century. Susan then described her most recent sampling program in the SCB. Using insights into the preservation quality of currently forming death assemblages, she was able to generate a successful NSF grant application to evaluate how the reliability of shell assemblages might change with progressive sedimentary burial, using sediment cores. This work would also give her and her team a chance to reconstruct historical responses to urbanization in the marine environment, going back before the Clean Water Act. Susan collected box and sediment cores using the R/V Melville in September 2012 off Malibu (muddy sediments with no DDT), off the Palos Verdes Shelf and LACSD outfall (muddy sediments with DDT contamination), and near the OCSD outfall (sandy sediments without DDT). They are focusing first on a 50 m site along LACSD’s Line 10 where 3 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 cores have abundant shells. They use the bivalve portion of LACSD’s “live” data from 1972 to 2009 to create a prediction of what they should hnd down-core if the cores are effective recorders of ecological history. In the live data, the bivalve community sampled in the 1970s and early 1980s exhibit high community stability, dominated by the indicator species P. tenuisculpta, a signal of anthropogenic stress (steady high nutrients). Over the next several decades, the living bivalve community has contained fewer Parvilucina and exhibited greater inter-annual variability in species composition: you get greater instability with cleaner environments, and these samples also had greater evenness among a larger number of functional groups. Their box cores collected sediments ranging in age from 2009 to 1954 with each 2 cm representing 5 years, based on Lead- 210 age-dating by collaborator Clark Alexander. The core increments from the 1970s and early 1980s show a peak of Parvilucina, consistent with the known ecological history. Moving beyond the known history since 1972, her comparative analysis showed that shell assemblages from mid-to late 2000s were comparable to those of the 1950 increment. The core thus recognizes that the PV shelf has changed remarkably from its highly degraded state when the Clean Water Act started, and specihcally that its recovery has progressed to a state comparable at least to the middle of the 20* century. She and her team are now processing samples from longer vibracores at this PV site in order to get pre-outfall (1937) assemblage information and reach several additional centuries into the pre-urban past. Susan and her colleagues have gone through extraordinary efforts to rescue historical information on living bivalve communities. For example, they have digitized 6000 pages of CSD data from pre-and post-discharge samples, by quarter and station, collected between 1962 and 1984. In addition, they have digitized the “live” Mollusca data from both the 1954-56 State Water Board and the 1975 BLM surveys along the SCB. The 1975 BLM live data along with the dead data they produced from the grunge of some of those samples is already available publicly at DRYAD (www.datadryad.org), a non-proht organization and general purpose repository of data that provides long-term storage of and access to ecological data used in publications. However, the other historical data will require some taxonomic clean-up, and she hopes that SCAMIT may be able to help in this effort. Larry mentioned that Shelly Moore of SCCWRP has built a tool based on prior SCAMIT lists to take historical data sets and match old records to current SCAMIT names. Pam Neubert, Aplacophorans Pam started with a little background on the Aplacophorans. The aplacophorans represent a monophyletic group that is exclusively benthic and marine, occurring across all the world’s oceans. All modern forms are shell-less and form two distinct clades, Solenogastres (Neomeniomorpha) and Caudofoveata (Chaetodermatomorpha). There are currently thought to be 18 families and 320 species but this is an underestimate given there are numerous undescribed species. Aplacophorans are traditionally considered ancestral, but as is often the case, that idea is not uniformly held. They have their greatest diversity at 1000 m or deeper. Amelie Scheltema and Luitfried von Salvini-Plawen are the two dominant workers in the held. Prof. Scheltema believes in the use of hard parts (spicules, radula) to distinguish taxa, whereas Prof. Salvini-Plawen uses anatomical/histological character states. Prof. Scheltema believes they are derived mollusks, whereas Prof. Salvini-Plawen suggests they are ancestral. Aplacophorans have the following in common with the “typical” mollusc: Radula, mantle cavity, aragonite spicules, but no shell. But are they monophyletic? Most recent evidence 4 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 suggests yes. Using genetic data, Kocot et al (2011) found that the Aculifera were monophyletic (Chaetodermompha, Neomeniomorpha) and were sister taxa to the Monoplacophora. Sherholz et al. (2013) looked at internal anatomy of monoplacophorans and neomeniomorphs and determined that these two groups share developmental traits further supporting the concept of Aculifera. Once they develop to adulthood, the shared traits are lost. Additionally for the hrst time Todt and Kocot (in manuscript) have found brooding Neomeniomorpha. Pam then reviewed some of her post-doc work on Spiomenia, which has capitate spicules and a radula with denticles lateral to the radular buttress. Pam’s work as a post-doc investigated whether Simrothiellidae was monophyletic but that Cavibelonia was not. Dimitry Ivanov shared with Pam how to quickly distinguish four genera of prochaetodermatids. He provided four drawings that demonstrated different patterns of the surface spicules and how they are aligned along the body axis: Spathoderma have spicules that spiral outward from antero-ventro center; Prochaetoderma have linearly arranged spicules lying longitudinally along the body axis; Claviderma have obliquely arranged spicules angled from ventrum-to-dorsum towards the posterior; and Chevroderma spicules are arranged in a diagonal chevron type pattern from anterior to posterior. Having been updated on recent research on aplacophorans, we moved on to discuss the practical aspects of sectioning them. Sectioning is important for new species descriptions and provides useful insights as noted above regarding phytogeny. Prior to such invasive analysis, however, information on the external features should be gathered, particularly the morphology and arrangements of the aragonitic spicules that cover the body. These should be carefully scraped off from several areas of the body including the margins of the pedal groove and the mid dorsal area. If there are different types of spicules in different areas all should be gathered and documented. Use of polarized light birefringence patterns can help describe these spicules by providing information of their thickness and three-dimensional forms. Once the spicules have been documented, the spicules and tissues need to be removed to allow for radular dissection. Bleaching the specimens helps rid them of spicules; but maintains the radula. Preparing aplacophorans for sectioning requires multiple steps. Pam showed histological slides of Spiomenia from her post-doctoral work and discussed methods for preparing and drawing aplacophorans, and reconstructing internal structure of whole organisms from the histological sections. We also reviewed some of the permanent slides of these specimens, during which Pam demonstrated the capitate spicules of Spiomenia. Spicules usually vary in different regions of the body, and many Solenogastres have special modihed spicules, which tend to be located on the postero-dorsal portion of the body. We also saw examples of the copulatory apparatus, including spicules with hooked ends and bifurcate tips. The morphology of the hook and general shape is diagnostic for different genera. These types of copulatory spicules are present only in the Solenogastres. We next looked at slides of radula structure. There was some discussion of the functioning of the radula and how it works without large musculature attachments. Pam has seen specimens with cnidarian nematocysts as well as sponge spicules in the gut. We discussed the difficulty of aplacophoran identihcations, during which Pam congratulated Kelvin and Don on their key, noting that she uses it all the time. However, there is still some ambiguity regarding Chaetoderma pacificum vs. C. marinelli vs. Chaetoderma sp A, which should be resolved with the discovery of additional specimens. With the various presentations complete, we jumped into the examination of specimens for FID. Wendy had pulled CSD 5 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 specimens for review by Pam. Two specimens came from 676 m, station 9095 near Encinitas/ Carlsbad area, along the lower slope. The hrst specimen had a large fat oral shield or “lips”. We performed a spicule preparation. There was some discussion of the preferred media for spicule preparations - H20 (Pam) vs. EtOH (Kelvin) - but both preferred to get them from the same area of the body by routine. The sample included two species, one denuded specimen originally thought to C. pacificum based on general gestalt and the other was something different. Kelvin removed the few remaining spicules from the denuded specimen and mounted them for view via Nomarski polarization. These were long with a narrow base, almost parallel sided, but there were not enough of them to identify the specimen. They then dissected spicules from the second specimen, which had spicules over the entire body. After careful review by Pam, Kelvin, Wendy, Tony, and Ron this specimen was determined to be Chaetoderma sp A SCAMIT 2005. As it turns out. Station 9095 was just north of Station 4100 from which Chaetoderma sp A had been originally collected. This was only the second specimen of this species found to date. The second set of specimens came from off the South Bay Ocean Outfall (CSD), Station 9009, 648 m. Of the three specimens, two were determined to be Falcidens hartmanae, while the other was Chaetoderma hancocki. Larry took this opportunity to segue into SCAMIT’s Taxonomic Database Tool (DBT). Kelvin and Don’s key to the chaeteodermatidae is an excellent example of how the DBT could be used. Each species is linked to the color images of the specimens and their spicules. The beta version of the DBT allows you to click on a species, and pull up information on depth range, phytogeny, distribution map, and, most importantly, images. We’re all looking forward to seeing how this tool develops. Don then introduced a specimen from the Oregon slope that Pam thought might be interesting. It was a member of the Neomeniomorpha, which is as far as Don was able to go with it: Neomeniomorpha sp CS14, a.k.a. the plump C-shaped neomeniomorph. Pam dissected spicules from the dorsal ridge, some of which turned out to be hollow, elongate, and spatulate (thinning and distally curved). There was discussion about whether hollow spicules were specihc to Philodoskepia. Kelvin, under guidance of Pam’s direction, then dissected out the radula, which was hooked. Kelvin cleaned and mounted it revealing a bilateral radula with rows of broad- based, closely packed denticulate bars. This made Pam speculate that it was in the family Simrothiellidae, quite likely Kruppomenia sp, representing the hrst west coast record. Kelvin and Wendy then brought back some beautiful images of the radula. Don brought out another specimen from the same station. This specimen was full of grouped spicules. It generated a lot of curiosity, but alas as the meeting was reaching the end of a long day, interest dwindled. However, before packing up for the day, Pam and Don identihed this second neomeniod from off Oregon as a possible Tegulaherpia sp, which would also be a new geographic record for this genus. Kruppomenia sp radula (ID Pam Neubert). Specimen courtesy of Don Cadien: Cascad.ia slope station EBS - 64 950m 05 july 1975 photo credit: Kelvin Barwick 6 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 BIGHT’13 TRAWL FIDs, ARTHROPODA, 18 NOV 2013, LACSD Attendees: Larry Lovell, Chase McDonald, Cheryl Brantley, Don Cadien (LACSD); Kelvin Barwick, Danny Tang, Ken Sakamoto (OCSD); Wendy Enright, Megan Lilly, Matt Nelson, Maiko Kasuya, Ron Velarde (CSD); Kelly Tail (AMEC); Mark LeBlanc (NHMLAC); Wayne Dossett (MBC); Emmanuel Riccet, Greg Lyon (CLAEMD); Jim Mann (ABC); Tony Phillips, Dean Pasko (DCE); Emile Fesler (BioNeyda). Business: This was the hrst SCAMIT sponsored Bight Trawl identihcation meeting. There was some discussion about the upcoming meetings, their meeting dates and locations. Please see the SCAMIT website or read the General Membership emails for the latest developments. After some discussion, the group decided to hold the January 2014 meeting to discuss Echinoderms at the City of San Diego laboratory. Specimen review: Don began by asking what had been brought for further identihcation (FID). • CLAEMD - Shrimp conhrmations; along with Paguristes bakeri, and Pachycheles pubescens • MBC - One peneid shrimp • AMEC - Several anomurans, shrimp, and brachyurans • OCSD - Several samples of shrimp for verihcation • CSD - Squat lobster (Munidopsis aspera) to show and tell, and, if time allows, incidentally collected sergestid shrimps and mysids, • ABC labs - A number of shrimp, brachyurans, and pycnogonids Ron asked if anyone pulled Neocrangon recima/zacae from their trawls for hxation in 95% EtOH for genetic analysis. Ethanol hxed specimens of both species were collected by CLAMED, CSD, LACSD, and OCSD. Eric Pilgram of the EPA Cincinnati lab will be performing the genetic analysis to resolve these co-occurring species. We decided to take specimens in order of pycnogonids, brachyurans, anomurans, hnishing with the more numerous shrimp. Larry suggested that we also discuss relevant literature that laboratories should consider using in the held or in the laboratory to complete these identihcations in the future. Although the workshop was successful in hnalizing the identihcations of all of the specimens brought to the meetings, not every identihcation was documented in detail. For the most part, the Secretary took notes of specimens being identihed by D. Cadien while other taxonomists worked at other microscopes available at other locations in the laboratory. During the latter part of the day, R. Velarde conhrmed shrimp specimens from other laboratories to insure that all specimens were completed before day’s end. Pycnogonida ABC brought a few specimens of Nymphon pixillae for identihcation. No other species of pycnogonids were examined. Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Anomura: CLAEMD brought a beautiful specimen of Paguristes bakeri that had burrowed deeply into a shell overgrown by the sponge Suberites. Greg had an excellent cross-section photo of the specimen within the sponge (see cover photo). We discussed the application of a mechanism for deciding whether the chelae are “very broad” or not. Dean had measured many specimens (large and small) when working for the City of San Diego, and found that the width of chelae - measured at the widest portion of propodus behind the dactyl - in P. bakeri is >75% of the length; where as it is <66% in P. turgidus. In addition, Tony noted that the corneal spines of P. bakeri are much less pronounced and less pointed than those in P. turgidus. The primary references for this group is Janet Haig’s key updated by SCAMIT (J. Haig: A preliminary key to the hermit crabs of California. AHF, Revised 14 February 1990) or Wicksten (2012). ABC Labs brought another, smaller, P. bakeri housed in a Megasurcula shell. This specimen was collected from the Santa Barbara Channel, and was verihed by D. Cadien. CLAEMD also brought in a specimen of Munnidopsis aspera, from 466 m that was conhrmed. The primary reference for this group is Cadien (1997: California Galatheids, D. Cadien, CSDLAC, 10 December 1997) or Wicksten (2102). M. aspera differs fromM. depressus in absence of a strongly upturned rostrum or ventro-lateral spines, and the presence of setose chelae. Munnidopsis are easy to quickly separate from other galatheids by their “white” eyes. M. aspera is an addition to the SCAMIT species list. It is not often collected due to preference for hard bottom substrates; whereas M. depressa is thought to be associated with multi-armed seastars. Ron then passed around their specimen of Munnida tenella (see photo in SCAMIT NL, Vol. 32, No. 1). We then reviewed a CLAEMD specimen of Pachycheles pubescens, which was conhrmed using Wicksten’s key (2012). The specimen initially keyed to P holosericus, but is distinguished by the presence of 7 telson plates vs. 5 in P holosericus. Brachyura We made a valiant effort to work our way through the Brachyurans before lunch. AMEC brought a number of vials for review, most of which were immature Majoids (left in Majoidea). Nearly all of these were very small (carapace diameter < 1cm), and although many looked like juvenile Pyromaia, they were determined to be not reportable because they did not meet the criterion of having a diameter of >1 cm. Only one or two specimens were considered countable by this criterion, and then conhdently identihed as P. tuberculata. The primary identihcation aid for this group remains Debbie Zmarzly’s Understanding Majid Crabs (we all need a little understanding) an internal publication of the City of San Diego Lab that has been widely circulated among SCAMIT member agencies, along with Wicksten (2012) and Garth (1958). Kelly also had several specimens labeled as Lophopanopeus. Unfortunately, many of these specimens were also < 1 cm and considered too small to identify. However, one station contained several specimens that exceeded the 1 cm mark, and also retained their chelae. All keyed to L. frontalis with the absence of several key characteristics: a large proximal tooth on the dactyl, bilobed carpus of ambulatory legs, and granulate chelae. Don reviewed several other specimens from other stations and all were conhrmed as L. frontalis based on one or more of the above characters. ABC brought a small, densely decorated Loxorhynchus that was determined to be L. grandis 8 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 by the presence of the two vertically stacked hepatic spines, relative to one in L. crispatus. Wicksten (2012) conhrms the use of this character over the spread or deflexed nature of the rostrum or use of the crab’s carapace decorations. Several other Majoidea samples brought for review contained mixed batches of P. tuberculata and Podochela lobifrons. A different sample contained a specimen decorated with an anemone {Urticina sp A, recognized by the uneven rows of verrucae on the column) with a nearly 1 cm broad disc, and a large barnacle (Paraconcavus pacificus). Although this specimen was relatively large, it could not be easily identihed because the barnacle had completely overgrown the carapace along the posterior margin and obscured the key characters; however, after some debate, the specimen was identihed as P. lobifrons. P tuberculata was then conhrmed from another station. The OCSD representatives brought a kelp crab collected from 78 m off northern San Diego County. There was some debate over the identity of the specimen as it did not readily key using Wicksten (2012). No one was sure if the difficulty was the result of the specimen (roughly 5 mm in carapace width) being an immature representative of a large taxon, or a poor specimen of something smaller. The key in Wicksten and descriptions in Garth (1958) kept leading us in the direction of Pugetia, but the specimen just didn’t ht any description or image correctly. Eventually, recognizing that it was a male, we pulled the gonopods and, comparing these to the hgures in Garth, Dean concluded that the specimen might represent an immature Chorilia longipes (Plate P, Figure 4). However, the specimen did not show the extended rostral horns. There was some debate that the gonopod also resembled that of P. producta (Plate L, Figure 2), but again the carapace did not resemble the images or description. Alternatively, there was some resemblance to the gonopod represented of P. richi in (Plate L, Figure 3), which everyone was initially leaning towards based on the Wicksten’s key. In the end, the specimen and gonopods were return to the OCSD staff with some conhdence that it belonged to the family Epialtidae, but unsure of the specihc identihcation, with a blessing to decide for themselves given all the information that had been discussed and debated. Shrimps Wayne (MBC) brought a specimen of Sicyonia from Station 8355 in the Harbor area that had been collected with many S. penicillata, but the specimen just “looked different.” The key literature for this group is Perez-Farfante (1985). The specimen was fairly small, relative to the co-occurring adults, and had a broken rostrum. The dehning characters of the spination of the rostrum, carapace, and abdomen were not developed to the point of allowing for a conhdent identihcation. It had some characteristics of S. penicillata, but could not be verihed, although better judgment suggested that it was probably the same as the other specimens from the same trawl. ABC brought several samples containing large numbers of crangonids. These were predominantly mixed lots of N. zacaelresima, and one Neocrangon alaskensis from Station 9424 (63 m). AMEC brought a Heptacarpus palpator conhrmed by R. Velarde, from Mission Bay, Station 8152, about 12 m, while a Metacrangon spinosissima from station 9431 was conhrmed. Station 9419 from 191 m contained a mixed bag of N. resima, N. zacae, and Heptacarpus tenuissimus. CLAEMD received conhrmations from R. Velarde of H. stimpsoni (Stn 8318, in LA Harbor); Lysmata californica (Stn 9319, SMB), Spirontocaris holmesi (Stn 9287, SMB), S. prionota (Stn 8322, LA Harbor). 9 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 CNIDARIA, 9 DECEMBER 2013, TONY PHILLIPS, OCSD Attendees: Carol Paquette (MBC); Terra Petry, Larry Lovell (LACSD); Erica Jarvis, Rob Gamber, Ken Sakamoto, Laura Terriquez, Kelvin Barwick (OCSD); Greg Lyon (CLA-EMD); Megan Lilly, Nick Haring, Wendy Enright (CSD); Beth Horvath (SBMNH); Tony Phillips, Dean Pasko (DCE) Business: The Jan 7th meeting will be follow-up from the December 16* B’ 13 Trawl meeting covering all things not arthropod or echinoderm. The January 29th meeting will cover trawl Echinoderms at CSD. Larry put out a general request for 2014 meetings. Most will likely be Bight’ 13-related. Megan suggested a meeting dealing with small sipunculids in grab samples and how to distinguish them (e.g., Siphonosoma ingens vs. Sipunculus nudus); although the single topic may not be enough for full meeting. Tony mentioned that he is getting Thysanocardia from Puget Sound that look different externally. This prompted additional discussion of potential Bight’ 13 meetings in a workshop format to take some burden off the host. For example, one or more individuals could host the workshop where Bight’ 13 taxonomists could bring their troubling specimens for further ID, resolution, conhrmation, or just to inform others (e.g., provisional taxa demonstrations), without the host(s) being burdened with creating large presentations. Larry also reminded everyone to vial specialty taxonomy taxa (oligochaetes, cirratulids, Photis spp) into separate vials and within jars by taxa. This effort will facilitate the identihcation of these taxa should the funding come through in succeeding years. Don Cadien will be divesting himself of a large portion of his literature collection. He intends to donate it to SCAMIT members and SCAMIT so that it could be sold to raise money for SCAMIT. Tony then began the presentation titled: Infaunal Anthozoa of the SCB, Big John’s Legacy. Tony explained how he came about getting these samples when helping clean out John’s storage and collection. During the clean-out and organizational effort, Tony found many of John’s personal voucher specimens, including a number of provisional taxa that had not been clearly documented. He added other donated specimens from Carol, Don, Dean, and his own collection to compile this presentation. Tony also paid tribute to John’s work and the reliance we all had on John such that many of us let this very difficult group go without giving it a lot of effort. [We all owe Tony a big favor for spending many hours and hours photographing and documenting as well as possible John’s legacy in this presentation. It was a Herculean effort!] In going through John’s material and notebooks, and in his efforts to give himself a better understanding of the subject, Tony found the following material of great value: The MMS Atlas, Volume 3 has a lot of value including an excellent glossary and great species descriptions; Light’s manual has an excellent key, but poor glossary; the British Anthozoa (Manuel 1981) is a great resource for general family and generic descriptions and illustrations; and John’s notebook that provided a great history of the evolution of his thinking on these taxa. He discussed the difficulty of the soft internal characters used by Cnidarian specialists to identify specimens that has been a stumbling block for us all (e.g., siphonoglyph; actinopharynx; primary, secondary, tertiary 10 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 mesenteries; acontia; etc.). Tony did not try to deal with the scleractinia but suggested Bythel (1986) “Guide to the Living Corals”, and Cairns (1994) “Scleractinia of the Temperate North Pacihc”. Carlgren (1949), the survey of the actiniara includes keys to all taxa but uses internal characters that are often difficult to interpret or apply. Dehnitions of the various families and genera can be found in Carlgren’s publication. Tony explained that he was not trying to provide a workshop of “how to id the anthozoans” but wanted to provide us an opportunity to get on the same page by providing images of material collected from the SCB. The presentation of images followed the organization of SCAMIT Ed. 8, and using John’s identihcations and names as he applied them; however, this was not intended to be an exhaustive review of all the taxa listed in SCAMIT Ed 8, only a review of John’s collection. Some of those IDs were changed according to collective discussions that took place during the meeting. An updated presentation will be made available at the December 16 Trawl Review meeting. Tony also said that this is a “living” presentation: As other species listed in Ed 8 or new species are identihed from Bight’ 13 samples, he will photograph them and add them to this presentation. Tony started with describing the list of taxa he would be covering. [Secretary’s clarihcation: in the polyp phase of cnidarians, the proximal end is the basal end where the physa or pedal disc is located, and the distal end is the mouth-tentacle end.] Heterogorgia tortuosa - Beth Horvath looked at these in 2012 and initially believed them to be something else (probably Leptogorgia). Tony followed Beth’s lead and went to literature and found support for Beth’s claim that our Heterogorgia is probably not so. The species referred to as H. tortuosa by members of SCAMIT actually has a calix with “flaps” that fold over the polyps, which are characteristic of Leptogorgia. Real H. tortuosa have polyps placed irregularly over the rachis, and are bright yellow. However, Beth clarified that the sclerite form of this species was more true to Eugorgia. Beth will be describing this species as a Eugorgia sp nov (not Leptogorgia). For now, SCAMIT members should continue to use Heterogorgia tortuosa to reference this white gorgonian with alternating polyps arranged opposite each other, and with slits that fold over the polyps because Bight’ 13 identifications are to be based on the SCAMIT Edition 8 listing. Tony then showed Thesea sp B with polyps placed randomly around stalk, colored gray to yellow-white and calyx with 8 lobes surrounding opening of polyp. Eugorgia, Eiligorgia and Thesea all have eight lobes. The ensuing discussion of Thesea sp A (stalk is white) vs Thesea sp B, concluded that no one really sees a Thesea sp A; however Beth later mentioned that she has some specimens that she got from John. Her recollection was that they were the same. Thesea typically has “football” sclerites, but some specimens/colonies will develop without them. Beth plans to revisit some of these specimens from John to help resolve this question. [At the trawl FID meeting on December 16* a specimen of Thesea thought to be sp A was shown by San Diego. The specimen was white like Thesea sp A, but differences in general morphology (width of stalk, placement of polyps and difference in sclerite size) had Beth come to the conclusion that this could be another species. At this time it will be called Thesea sp SDl. Pictures have been taken by Tony of the individual and will be added to the presentation.] We then looked at juvenile Renillidae, Renilla koellikeri. Juveniles, taken from shallow waters in fine sediments, look very different from the adults with 4 mm specimens having a single main polyp. Stachyptilum superbum was next, another juvenile, but this time from deep water. This juvenile 11 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 specimen had a single calyx with large spines that surrounded a solitary polyp, and had spicules along the axis. Tony then moved into the members of the Virgulariidae. Acanthoptilum has sclerites at the base of each extended leaf. The MMS Atlas includes descriptions of two species, A. album Nutting 1909 and A. gracile (Gabb 1863), and makes mention of a third, A. annulatum Nutting 1909. One species, Acanthoptilum sp Type 1, is probably A. annulatum. It has reddish sclerites below the extended leaf. Another species, Acanthoptilum sp Type 2, appears to have white sclerites below the leaves. However, the distinctive SCB shelf species with the reddish peduncle will continue to be referred to as Acanthoptilum sp per SCAMIT Edition 8 protocol. Stylatula elongata is another common taxon collected in our trawl and benthic samples. S. elongata has many sclerites below the tightly grouped polyps of each leaf. Megan has observed specimens in the held with pigment at the base of the polyps, even though the species is described as being white. The pigment is generally uniform on the polyps, like that on Virgularia californica, but fades with time in EtOH. We also discussed juvenile S. elongata, which will have tightly packed leaves vs. Stylatula sp A, which has the polyps widely separated and fewer supporting spicules per leaf. We then clarihed that counts of S. elongata are handled a little differently than other sea pens. We typically include a count of one (1) even when the peduncle is not present because S. elongata have a very elongate rachis with the peduncle oft well below the penetration depth of the van veen grab, and the rachis is often broken to ht the specimen within the sample vial. This method of counting is not followed with the other sea pens. Virgularia agassizii, V. californica, and E sp B do not have sclerites below the leaves. V. agassizii has just a few polyps (three to hve) and with very little color. V. californica has six to eight polyps per leave, although 17-18 are reported in the literature. The polyps have dark pigmented cores and the siphonozooids are also darkly pigmented. Tony noted that the polyp color can fade with time, but the siphonozooids maintained their color. Virgularia sp B has 5-7 polps per leaf and siphonzooids that are n^ darkly pigmented. Instead Virgularia sp B has a brownish ground color at the base of each polyp which extends down to the rachis. The actual tips of the polyps are white. The specimens came from OCSD samples, in 50-60 meter water. Tony also showed some beautiful pictures of Pennatula phosphorea, a deep-water animal from depths >400 m. It has sweeping reddish polyp leaves with long sclerites that all bend to one side, with a rachis base that is white, and which contains groups of small sclerites within. Tony noted that the MMS Atlas is a very good reference for these deep-water taxa. We hnished the sea pens with a few pictures of Ptilosarcus gurneyi, the brightly colored orange- red pen with a thick peduncle and large rachis. 12 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 CSD, SD-17, July 08. 32m Stylatula elongata with pigment November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 We next dove into the Ceriantharia, a difficult group for most of us. Cerianthids are true tube¬ dwelling anemones that are exclusively infaunal. They are defined as having simple tentacles in two cycles: longer marginal and shorter oral tentacles, and unpaired complete mesenteries. They are quite distinctive in having a long, tapering, smooth column that ends in a typically narrowed end. Tony noted a difference in color between the different cerianthids in John’s collection, particularly Arachnanthus and Pachycerianthus. Pachycerianthus is distinguished by having a chocolate brown column, whereas Arachnanthus are typically a fighter shade of brown and some specimens from the Channel Islands were white. Arachnanthus have mesenteries that reach toward the end of the body and end in acontoids. Arachnanthus sp A is defined as a brown cerianthid with a single pair of mesenteries running the length of the body, each ending with a single acontoid. However, during a review of Molodtsova 2003, Tony learned \hdX Arachnanthus can vary from having zero to two acontoids. In Arachnanthus sp A the acontoids are typically cream colored, but those from the Chanel Island specimens were bright white. Another specimen from the Channel Islands had a brown column but two acontoids per mesentery. Tony found a couple of vials labeled as Ceriantharia sp C, which John had defined as a cerianthid with mesenteries that stop about 1/2 to 2/3 the way down the base. However, Dean raised the point that John had told him that he had stopped recognizing Ceriantharia sp C because he considered it an invalid taxon. After some discussion, the group decided that we should keep a lookout for specimens representing this mesentery arrangement, but would report it as Ceriantharia. Pachycerianthus, in addition to being chocolate brown, are very large by comparison. The largest Pachycerianthids can be 50-i- cm, and live in meters-long tubes. Carol mentioned that she has seen specimens that are large enough to fill a quart jar. In reviewing the specimens, Tony noted that Pachycerianthus has labial palps and a ribbed actinopharynx, which were absent in Arachnanthus, and mesenteries that are much more thickened in the middle of the column. We then discussed how to deal with specimens that are tangled such that they cannot be reliably dissected or that have broken bases. These should all be referred to the Order Ceriantharia. In addition, some are clean but do not have acontoids or other distinguishing characters. These too are referred to Ceriantharia. Tony and others recommended that when collecting benthic grabs, it is good practice to separate the cerianthid tubes from the remainder of the sample by placing them in a whirl pack or separate container because they can create such a mess when dismantling them to collect the anemone. After a lunch break, we moved into Part II of Big John’s Legacy: The actiniarians, corallomorphs and provisional/unidentified species. Tony noted that the actiniarians are the most commonly encountered anthozoans in our samples and that for the purposes of identification, cross-sections seem to be more valuable than longitudinal sections. We began with the Edwardsiidae. Edwardsids are elongate, infaunal anthozoans, whose body is divided into several distinct regions: capitulum, scapus with periderm, scapulus without periderm, and an aboral end that may be differentiated into a physa. They have eight primary mesenteries - enumerate the primary mesenteries only, i.e., those attached to body wall and pharynx. The presence or absence of nemathybomes - ectodermal invaginations of the mesogela containing nematocyst batteries - is of generic value. 13 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Drillactis sp (=Nematostella vectensis) is a small edwardsid with brownish coloration to the column and very thin tentacles. There were no descriptions of the species from preserved material. They differ from Edwardsia and Scolanthus by the presence of hne tentacles, tapered distal end, and absence of nemathybomes. This species has only been found in estuaries between 1 and 5 meters. As Tony looked through vials of Edwardsia and Scolanthus he found vouchered specimens that did not match the descriptions. This group has represented a conundrum for many years among those of us performing cnidarian identihcations in the SCB. Tony spent quite some time trying to make sense of the publication (Daley and Ljubenkov 2008) relative to the specimens at hand, but ran into some difficulties. Edwardsia califomica - Tony mentioned the disconnect between the description of E. californica relative to the key, particularly couplet 4B, which suggests that the nemathybomes are inconspicuous. However, Tony noted that the nemathybomes are very prominent and quite easily seen in straight rows raised above the epidermis. He also noted that the physa is very thin and the body has a soft, flimsy structure. Do not use presence of debris on the physa as a distinctive character as this was seen on several different species. Megan showed an image of a San Diego specimen that may be a new species of Edwardsia. They are hoping to collect more specimens. E. handi - Daley and Ljubenkov (2008) note that E. handi replaces E. californica north of Point Conception. E. handi has large protrusive nemathybomes in low density between mesenteries, with basotrichs of two different sizes. E. juliae - a compact animal with small nemathybomes that do not protrude notably above the epidermis. There are two forms pictured: a smooth form and one that is tightly packed and wrinkled. They are typically collected from 10 - 15 m in outer harbor areas, but can be found on the shallow shelf to 45 meters. Tony noted that many of the specimens he has seen have an ivory white physa. E. olguini - The basal end of E. olguini is expanded, making them look like Scolanthus, but the nemathybomes appear smaller and more depressed than those of Scolanthus. E. profunda - This deep water species is distinguished by the rosette-shaped physa. It also has tiny nemathybomes that occur in a single row proximally and spread out as you move away from the base. Scolanthus scamiti - This bay species is reddish brown and has small nemathybomes in irregular rows that occur in higher concentrations proximally than distally. S. triangulus - This nearshore edwardsid has large nemathybomes arranged in irregular rows. The large nemathybomes have large basotrichs that lay one on another and appear like stacked bananas. The Halcampoididae are also elongate, vermiform anthozoans, without a sphincter, and with a physa-shaped, rarely flattened, proximal end. Pentactinia californica is our local representative. It has tenaculi with adherent sand grains along the column, white tentacles without internal pigment, and five pair of perfect mesenteries. Juveniles generally do not have the full complement of mesenteries. For example Tony reviewed one 4 mm specimen with eight mesenteries. 14 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 The Limnactiniidae are a vermiform anemone that do not have any tentacles, nor a sphincter. There are eight to 10 perfect mesenteries and the oral disc has a very thickened ectoderm. John had recognized one species, Limnactiniidae sp A, and Tony provided some excellent images. It has no tentacles, but typically retains some coloration in oral region where tentacles might be placed if present, and a long actinopharynx. Among the Haloclavidae, we discussed Anemonactis sp A, Harenactis attenuata, and Peachia quinquecapitata. There are supposed to be 20 tentacles in Anemonactis, but Tony never found one with that many. The tentacles often have pigment within, and have capitate tips, which can be wider than the remainder of tentacle, while the wrinkled column has rows of papillae externally, and a large basal pore. Juvenile Anemonactis have fewer tentacles, but the tentacles are still capitate. Harenactis attenuata has a physa-like aboral end that is often flattened. It has 24 tentacles, a smooth column with cinclides (pores). The specimen reviewed was collected from 30 m on D transect off LACSD. Peachia quinquecapitata has 12 tentacles that are nipple-like to digitiform, six pairs of primary mesenteries that are continuous along the entire column. A longitudinal section is valuable to verify that the mesenteries run the full length of the animal. The Halcampidae are not too different from the Haloclavidae. John had a specimen of Cactosoma arenaria, which had 24 tentacles, and the columns of a couple of specimens were covered in adherent material. These also had six pairs of mesenteries. Halcampa decemtentaculata has 10 tentacles and five pairs of perfect mesenteries. Generally, H. decemtentaculata is white, with a clear physa, and tentacles without pigment, although CSD staff mentioned that they get specimens with pigment, both associated with the tentacles and occasionally with a pigmented column. Halianthella sp A has six pairs of mesenteries, groups of 12 tentacles with pigment, and a physa. The column is almost always found with encrusting material, typically of uniform sized sand grains. In contrast, Pentactinia has more heterogeneous sand grains adhering to the column. Halianthella sp B was not covered here, but is included in John’s presentation of Anthozoa from Bight 2003. Among the members of Actiniidae, Tony showed a small, 2.5 mm specimen that had been labeled as Anthopleura sp; however, the group felt that there was not enough evidence to identify the specimen at the generic-level. Tony then showed a few pictures of specimens labeled as Epiactis prolifera. These had a distinct pedal disc, many tentacles, and a wrinkled to smooth column. Tony noted that the mid-portion of the tentacles was larger than either the base or tip, which may be something worth watching for. Urticina sp A is a relatively large specimen with large veruccae on the distal end of the column, beneath the tentacles. The veruccae occur in tight longitudinal rows. Tony mentioned that U. macpeaki was described from the Pacific Northwest by Hauswaldt & Pearson (1999), but the authors made no reference to MacPeak’s Urticina sp A. Zaolutus actius (Isanthidae) is another common elongate anemone with a slightly papillated column, elongate tentacles, and a pedal disc. We had a lot of discussion about whether all of the 15 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 specimens John referred to Zaolutus were representative of a single taxon. Some specimens were very similar to other lots listed as Diadumene. We found there to be a discrepancy in several pictures, which Tony noted for correction. Flosmaris grandis (Isopheliidae) has a large pedal disc, with many tentacles (from 80 - 100) and occurs in shallow water. The specimens that Tony photographed were quite large. Sagartia catalinensis (Sagartiidae) often occurs on hard substrates (rock, shell, etc.) and forms to the shape of the substrate. Bunodeopsis sp A (Bolocerodidae) is a small species with long tentacles for its small size. A large specimen is only 2-3 mm tall. These tentacles are not retractile, and are often shed upon collection. Bunodeopsis are hard to cross-section because they reproduce asexually and you get mixed counts of mesenteries. We looked at a few pictures of Metridium sp (Metridiidae) which have up to 100 tentacles, a pedal disc, generally ribbed column, and an outer lip that is always ribbed (vs. Epiactis or Urticina, each of which has smooth lips). Metridium also have numerous primary mesenteries. Corynactis californica (Corallimorphidae) is another small species found attached to rocks and debris, but is distinguished by the clearly capitate tentacles. We then reviewed several pictures of John’s provisional taxa that could not be neatly placed into any of the existing anthozoan families. Actiniaria sp 10 (as recorded in Bight’03) is the same, we think, as Acontifera sp A (recorded from Bight’08). This is a small species reported from off the Channel Islands, that has adherent shell hash, or not, but is often attached to shell hash. There is very little else to go on. Anthozoa #49, commonly referred to as “The Brown tent anemone,” is a distinctive creature sometimes overlooked because of how it tightly compresses against the substrate to which it attaches (shell or other material). It has six pairs of mesenteries, with muscles positioned towards middle. Zoanthidea sp A is a small, elongate species from Bigth’03 that is completely encrusted with sand grains and shells. It has tentacles that appear cupped. Zoanthidea sp B, also from Bight’03, is similar in basic appearance to Zoanthidae sp A except that the specimens are connected. It also has cupped tentacles, and is likely the same species: We couldn’t distinguish any differences between the two species! At the very end Tony showed pictures of specimens that none of us could identify, but were good for all of us to see. Species (?) 1 had been taken from 45 m at a couple of sites in Santa Monica Bay in 2010 and 2011. It had a brown mottled column with distinctive mesenteries. Species (?) 2 is another small, 5 mm specimen collected in Bight’08 from shallow waters. It is a clean, de-nuded species with eight clear mesenteries visible through the body wall, and clear in cross- section. Species (?) 3 is another Bight’08 species collected at 42 m, and distinguished by a dense mesoglea in cross section and a large number of mesenteries. There were specimens labeled as Species (?) 4 but looked like juvenile Halcampa decemtentaculata. Tony showed a few slides comparing Species ?1 and ?5 which seemed to represent two different species. Although very similar in overall appearance, the number of mesenteries differed. Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Finally, Tony showed specimens that one should only list as “Actiniaria.” These are specimens without any clear qualities or which are exploded leaving one without anything to go on other than the fact that you have a countable specimen. B’13 TRAWL FIDs, 16 DECEMBER 2013, OCSD Attendees: Mark LeBlanc (NHMLAC); Greg Lyon (CLAEMD); Megan Lilly, Matt Nelson, Maiko Kasuya, Wendy Enright (CSD); Beth Horvath (SBMNH), Kelly Tail (AMEC); Jim Mann (ABC); Tony Phillips (DCE); Ken Sakamoto, Laura Terriquez (OCSD); Larry Lovell, Cheryl Brantley, Don Cadien (LACSD). Business: Larry called the meeting to order with a round robin of introductions and reminded us that Part 2 of the Mollusca & Miscellaneous Phyla review will occur at LACSD Tuesday, January 7th. The hnal Trawl EID meeting will be Wednesday January 29 at CSD to address Echinodermata. There seem to be some continuing issues with emails to/from the Bight’ 13 taxon listserver either not coming in or going out. If you’re having problems, please check with your local IT staff for potential issues. Tony clarihed a couple of corrections to his Cnidarian (Anthozoan) presentation from last week and re-distributed his corrected power points (e.g., Heterogorgia tortuosa will be transferred to Eugorgia sp 1, Edwardsia handi is actually E. californica, etc.). However, these changes will be proposed for Edition 9 and name usage for Bight’ 13 identihcations will follow Edition 8 of the SCAMIT Species List. Larry turned the meeting over to Don and the meeting broke up into Mollusca, Cnidaria, and other groups with Beth Horvath on hand to help ID the gorgonians right away. ID resolutions: Mollusca - We conhrmed specimens of Tegula eiseni, Caesiafossatus, Argopecten ventricosus, Norrisia norrisi, Megastraea undosa for Kelly and then identihed Janolus barbarensis. During the process we realized that the picture of J. barbarensis in David Behrens’ nudibranch book (Behrens 1991) is “awful” and not representative of the actual animal. A picture of a live specimen brought in by Kelly looked like a Limacina crockerelli upon initial inspection. The key character is the indigo blue band beneath the tips of the cerata, which can be either white or more commonly golden. Platydoris macfarlandi, Elabellina, and Polygireulima rutila were idenhed for the CLA-EMD staff. There were no specimens of the Elabellina, photos only, so we were unable to identify the specimen any further. Conhrmed Calliostoma keenae for CSD and identihed specimens of Antiplanes thalea and Borsonella merriami, a new record of live occurrence in the SCB. Conhrmed Octopus rubescens for ABC and identihed Calinaticina oldroydii, Cancellaria crawfordiana, Calliostoma tricolor. Antiplanes catalinae, Rossia pacifica, Acanthodoris brunnea, and Tritonia tetraquetra. A Simnia sp was put off for the January meeting when Ron Velarde could attend. 17 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Confirmed Lamellaria diegoensis for OCSD. The specimen was without the dermis, and the shell looked quite a bit like Sinum scopulosum. The CSD lab also had a specimen of Opisthoteuthis for conhrmation. Don Cadien reminded us that Opisthoteuthis californica has a larger web and is more disc-shaped/flatter than Opisthoteuthis sp A. Megan will still perform a dissection of SD’s specimen to do a gill lamellae count to conhrm her identihcation. Cnidaria - Don also reminded us that Thesea sp A Ljubenkov 1986 is bright white, very thick, with scattered polyps (i.e., a 5 cm section will have about 8-10 polyps). Wendy brought a white Thesea that was not sp B, and which will become Thesea sp SDl. A voucher sheet is in preparation. Thesea sp SDl is white and otherwise very similar to Thesea sp B; however, Beth conhrmed that the sclerites are different: smaller and without the “footballs” common in Thesea spB. Beth looked at many gorgonians for us, including Muricea californica (CLA-EMD), Thesea sp SDl (CSD), Eugorgia sp 1, which Beth will be describing in her upcoming manuscript, Thesea sp B, Adelogorgia phyllosclera, and Eugorgia rubens (OCSD). Other Cnidarian identihcations/conhrmations included Virgularia agassizii, Tubularia sp A, Aglaophenia and Plumularia (CLA-EMD), Stephanauge sp, Stylatula elongata (CSD), Parazoanthus, V. agassizii (OCSD) Sind Acanthoptilum sp (ABC). Other Miscellaneous Phyla -We then dove into the few remaining specimens of various sorts. Echiura - Nellobia eusoma was conhrmed for OCSD. Ectoprocta - Membranoporidae, Scrupocellaria diegensis, Crissiidae were reviewed for CLA- EMD. Annelida - Ap/zroJ/to longipalpa, notable for the absence of eyes, longer palps, and presence of a cirriform median antennae, A. negligens,md Chloeia pinnata were conhrmed for ABC Labs. A few specimens of “trawl caught”, but true infaunal annelids were examined and identihed for AMEC. Sponges will be addressed at a separate meeting since most (all?) specimens brought for EID by AMEC were from SD Bay. Megan will set up a separate meeting to review those. The meeting successfully handled all the trawl EID material that was brought to the meeting. Thus the Jan 7 meeting will not be necessary and was cancelled. Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 BIBLIOGRAPHY APLACOPHORA LITERATURE Kocot, K., Cannon, J.T., Todt, C., Citarella, M.R., Kohn, A.B., Meyer, A., Santos, S.R., Schander, C., Moroz, L.L., Leib, B. And K.M. Halanych. 2011. Phylogenomics reveals deep molluscan relationships. Nature. Vol. 477: 452-457. Scherholz, M., Redl, E., Wollesen, T.,Todt, C. and A. Wanniger. 2013. Aplacophoran molluscs evolved from ancestors with polyplacophoran-like features. Current Biology. Vol. 23: 1-5. TRAWL FID MEETING LITERATURE - 18 NOVEMBER Farfante, I.P. 1985. The rock shrimp genus Sicyonia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Penaeoidea) in the eastern Pacihc. U. S. Fishery Bulletin 83 (1): 1-79. Garth, J.S. 1958. Brachyura of the Pacihc Coast of America. Oxyrhyncha. Allan Hancock Pacihc Expedition. Vol. 21, Parts 1 and 2. Wicksten, M.K. 2012. Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces. Zootaxa3371: 1-307. CNIDARIA LITERATURE Bethyl, J.C. 1986. A Guide to the Identihcation of the Living Corals (Scleractinia) of Southern California San Diego Natural History Museum. Cairns, S. 1994. Scleractinia of the Temperate North Pacihc. Smithsonian Contribution to Zoology. No.557. Carlgen, O. 1949. A survey of the Ptychodactiaria, Corallimorpharia and Actiniaria. Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar. Fjarde Serien Band 1, No. 1. Hauswaldt, J.S., and K.E. Pearson. 1999. Urticina mcpeaki, a new species of sea anemone (Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Actiniidae) from the North American Pacihc coast. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 112(4): 652-660. Manual, R.L. 1981. British Anthozoa (Synopses of the British Fauna, No. 18). Academic Press, London and other cities. 241 pp. Molodtsova, T.N. 2003. On Isarachnanthus from Central Atlantic and Caribbean region with notes on Isarachnactis lobiancoi (Carlgren, 1912). Zoologische Verhandelingen, 345: 249-255. TRAWL FID MEETING LITERATURE - 16 DECEMBER Behrens, D.W. 1991. Pacihc Coast Nudibranchs: A Guide to the Opisthobranchs Alaska to Baja California. Second Edition. Sea Challengers, Monterey, CA. 19 Publication Date: 5 February 2014 November/December, 2013 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 4 Please visit the SCAMIT Website at: www.scamit.org SCAMIT OFFICERS If you need any other information concerning SCAMIT please feel free to contact any of the officers at their e-mail addresses: President Larry Lovell (310)830-2400X5613 llovell@lacsd.org Leslie Harris (213)763-3234 lharris@nhm.org Dean Pakso (858)395-2104 deanpasko@yahoo.com Laura Terriquez (714)593-7474 lterriquez@ocsd.org Vice-President Secretary Treasurer The SCAMIT newsletter is published every two months and is distributed freely to members in good standing. Membership is $15 for an electronic copy of the newsletter, available via the web site at www.scamit.org, and $30 to receive a printed copy via USPS. Institutional membership, which includes a mailed printed copy, is $60. All correspondences can be sent to the Secretary at the email address above or to: SCAMIT PO Box 50162 Long Beach, CA 90815 Southern California Assocation of Marine Invertebrate Taxonomists January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 Scolanthus triangularis nemathybomes at 600x. Photo by Dean Pasko The SCAMIT newsletter is not deemed to be a valid publieation for formal taxonomie purposes. Publication Date: May 2015 January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 BIGHT’13 TRAWL ECHINODERM EID, 29 JANUARY 2014, CSD Attendees: Greg Lyon (CLAEMD); Ron Velarde, Megan Lilly, Matt Nelson, Kathy Langan, Wendy Enright (CSD); Kelly Tail (AMEC); Jim Mann (ABC); Seth Jones (MTS); Tony Phillips (DCE); Kelvin Barwiek, Ernest Ruekman, Eaura Terriquez (OCSD); Earry Eovell, Cheryl Brantley, Chase MeDonald, Fred Stem, Don Cadien (EACSD). Business Earry ealled the meeting to order by announeing that many of the 2014 meetings will likely foeus on Bight taxonomie issues. The Monday Febmary 24 meeting will be at CSD and will eover Bight’ 13 infauna miseellaneous phyla and Megan may inelude a short segment on sipuneulids, speeifieally how to deal with small speeimens. Larry also called for more meeting topics for 2014. We diseussed the reeent posts to the SCAMIT General list server emails dealing with Nuculana minuta (Mollusea: Bivalvia: Nueulanidae), an invalid taxon. There was also some diseussion about the panopeid deeapods, Lophopanopeus bellus and L. diegensis, now synonomized under L. bellus. We then moved on to how to address juvenile speeimens of Cyclocardia crebricostata (Mollusea: Bivalvia: Carditidae). The diseussion eame about beeause we had C. crebricostata on the list based on a John Ljubenkov identifieation from some regional material. Paul Seott (Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History) found this very unlikely and asked SCAMIT to review the ID if possible. We did, and the speeimens proved to be something other than C. crebricostata, whieh eliminated the need for a eonsiderable southern range extension. Paul was happy, and the SCAMIT List got simpler. Unfortunately, the five speeies within Cyclocardia remain diffieult to distinguish, espeeially as juveniles. The reeommendation is to leave juveniles at the generie level. Tony announeed that he had updated the Cnidaria presentation parts 1 and 11, whieh will be posted to the SCAMIT website. ID resolutions Kelly announeed that AMEC has partially worked up the SD Bay sponges, but the effort is ongoing. Megan reviewed ophiuroid speeimens for Kelly (AMEC) and eonfirmed many identifieations. There was some eonfusion and diseussion as to the desired proeessing proeedures for measuring Brisaster for the meeting. The idea was that individuals were to have arrived with some efforts to measure and identify their speeimens prior to the meeting. Brisaster measurements were reviewed for EACSD and CEAEMD. OCSD had already measured their speeimens. Aquatie BioAssay Consulting (ABC Eabs) and AMEC were fortunate enough to have none sinee their Bight’ 13 trawl stations were too shallow for the eehinoid fauna. 2 Publication Date: May 2015 UPCOMING MEETINGS Visit the SCAMIT website at: www.seamit.org for the latest upeoming meetings announeements. January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 ABC Labs and Vantuna Research Group (VRG) brought specimens of Aphrodita for review (a polychaeta - just for clarification!). ABC labs collected^, castanea and VRG specimens were identified as A. negligans and^. japonica. Megan and Wendy assisted everyone with Asteroid identifications in the afternoon. Bight’13 Miscellaneous Phyla, 24 February 2014, CSD Attendees: Greg Lyon, Craig Campbell (CLAEMD); Ron Velarde, Megan Lilly, Wendy Emight, Nick Haring, Robin Gartman (CSD); Seth Jones (MTS); Tony Phillips (DCE); Ken Sakamoto, Eaura Terriquez (OCSD); Earry Eovell, Don Cadien (EACSD); Chip Barrett (EcoAnalysts); Dean Pasko (DCE-presenter). Business Earry called the meeting to order by announcing that there were no new meetings scheduled for 2014. Earry offered to host a SCAMIT Taxonomic Toolbox Workshop and Tony offered to help host a discussion workshop on Chaetozone (Annelid: Cirratulidae). Dean then suggested that he could try to manage an arthropod workshop, particularly if Don and Ron were willing to assist with FlDs. The two meetings were tentatively scheduled for April and March respectively. See the SCAMIT webpage and General Discussion EistServer for additional information. Workshop Earry then turned the meeting over to Dean who began by announcing that this was indeed intended to be a workshop since none of us were really “expert” in any of the various taxa that make up the Miscellaneous Phyla category. And with the recent passing of John Ejubenkov (“Big John”), we have an even smaller pool of people with broad ranging experience or expertise. Although several of us have tried hard to grasp these difficult groups over the years, they remain a challenge for all of us. Dean then opened with a few slides and a short discussion of the Edwardsiidae, specifically Scolanthus triangulus and Edwardsia olguini. Dean had a couple of slides showing the difference in nemathybome basotrich size between S. triangulus and E. juliae. The difference in size is very clear (see comparison photo). He offered up the idea that the basotrichs can be used, in some cases, to separate species or individuals when there is a difference between specimens. However, he pointed out that he had had difficulty differentiating S. triangulus from E. olguini because the absence of a physa in S. triangulus, versus its presence in a very reduced form in E. olguini, was nearly impossible to differentiate. He wondered if the basotrichs could be used to distinguish between them, and though he had tried there did not seem to be a notable difference. On the other hand, he couldn’t know for sure if this difficulty was the result of not having truly distinct species to examine or not. Additional work will be required going forward. Dean then explained that he had found the nemathybome basotrichs less difficult to isolate and examine than he had thought. John had always sliced off a portion of the epidermis of his specimens, laid that piece on a slide, diced it up with a blade, smashed it under a coverslip, and examined the result for basotrichs. While trying to repeat the process. Dean discovered that the nemathybome tissue seems to dissolve readily in glycerin! So it became much easier to simply pinch off a nemathybome or two, place them into a drop of 50% glycerol on a slide, place a coverslip over it, and, using a dissecting scope, smash the material with the base or tips of his 3 Publication Date; May 2015 January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 forceps. Doing the manipulation under a eompound seope is not impossible, but more diffieult beeause of the restrieted working distanee. In just a few seeonds the tissue falls apart leaving the basotriehs mostly intaet and ready for viewing. The slide ean then be moved to the eompound seope onee the tissue is dissoeiated for examination of basotriehs. Hopefully sharing the simplieity of this proeess will faeilitate a broader examine basotriehs for eomparison by everyone. Later on, after luneh and during the workshop portion, we were able to take speeimens identified as E. olguini by Megan and S. triangulus by Big John and eompare them. We noted differenees in the external appearanee that, although apparently elear in these two speeimens, remain potentially diffieult to apply. S. triangulus has nemathybomes that are sunken into the wrinkled mesoglea/ epidermis of the animal, while the nemathybomes of E. olguini tend to be more bulbous and protruding (blister-like) out of a smoother epidermis. When we mounted the basotriehs however, we were able to distinguish the E. olguini basotriehs (approximately 25 mierometer units at 400x) were about one-half the size of those from the S. triangulus speeimen (about 80 mierometer units at 400x). See the comparison figure. at <40 um. Magnification is 600x. Measurements are estimated using a Motic compound microscope with internal measurement tool. Dean then gave a short presentation on the eorymorphines (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Corymorphidae). Big John had been working with this group for a while and helped prepare the MMS Atlas Volume 3 Cnidaria seetion on Hydrozoa. He ereated a key to the southern California eorymorphines in about 2004, whieh Dean later revised to ineorporate Corymorphidae sp SDl. During the presentation we were able to add distribution information to the key, and elarify and eorreet the usage of eertain terms. The revised key is ineluded in this NL. This key was distributed via the Bight’ 13 taxon list server and should be used for all Bight’ 13 identifieations. We then moved on to a presentation of Nemertea that had been modified from Megan Lilly’s 2006 presentation: “Palaeonemertea of the SCB.” The presentation began with a short deseription/ differenees between Heteronemertea and Palaeonemertea, and Carinomidae 4 Publication Date: May 2015 January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 and Tubulanidae within the latter. Dean emphasized the need to perform eross-seetions to eonfirm museulature and/or elear the speeimens as neeessary, partieularly for the Enopla, whieh were not diseussed. Throughout the presentation we made additions and elarifieations to the pietured and refereneed taxa. Niek Haring shared his preferred blade for making nemertean eross-seetions: Feather Hi-stainless double edged razor blades. You ean get paeks of 10 for about $5 from Amazon. All of these additions to the presentation and more were ineorporated into a final presentation that will be posted to the SCAMIT website and distributed via the Bight’ 13 Listserver for use during Bight’ 13 sample proeessing. After luneh we dove into a review of speeimens. Dean started by showing a few slides of a large polyelad fiatworm that he eould not identify eleanly. The speeimen was about 20 mm long, had eyes within the tentaeles, and a small group of eyes between the tentaeles and extending anteriorly. No marginal eyes were present. There was some diseussion of potential taxa, and Tony suggested that the speeimen was a styloehoplanid and perhaps Emprosthopharym gracilis. Though the number of eerebral eyes was small by eomparison, the shape of the general body strueture was suggestive of E. gracilis. [Editor’s note: Dean was able to eonfirm the ID.] We had a more lengthy diseussion of Heteronemertea sp SD2, Heteronemertea sp HYPl, and what Laura, Dean, and Ken had ealled Anopla sp OCl. Laura and Megan had already eonsidered Heteronemertea sp SD2 and Anopla sp OCl and determined them to be the same. Some question remained in Dean’s mind beeause he had not yet seen a speeimen of Anopla sp OCl with a eaudal eirrus. Unfortunately, there is little to distinguish the two taxa sinee both have the same distinetive C-shaped eerebral sense organ (CSO), aeeompanied by a group of eells lining the CSO invagination with a unique sheen or glistening eharaeteristie to them that make the CSO stand out. And both have the same museulature that ineludes a narrowed band of outer longitudinal musele. The only eharaeter that eould be used to distinguish them was the presenee/absenee of the eaudal eirrus; but that remained an elusive eharaeter sinee only one damaged eomplete speeimen of “Anopla sp OCl” had been eolleeted. On the other hand, there was also a fair amount of debate about whether Heteronemertea sp SD2 and Heteronemertea sp HYPl are the same. After quite a lively diseussion, we deeided to attempt to separate them based on differenees of the museulature. Heteronemertea sp SD2 museulature ineludes a very narrow outer longitudinal musele band that is not mueh wider than the middle eireular musele band, if at all. Heteronemertea sp HYPl, on the other hand, has a quite large, notieeable outer longitudinal musele band that is about 1.5 to 2 times as thiek as the inner eireular musele band. Heteronemertea sp HYPl also has a different presentation than Heteronemertea sp SD2. The former does not have the eharaeteristie “puekered” mouth opening, nor the glistening C-shaped CSO - it is typieally round in form. In addition the head seems to preserve with a ventral furrow. We also diseussed Dean’s speeimens listed as Heteronemertea: Lineidae, whieh only added to the eonfusion diseussed above between Heteronemertea sp SD2 - Heteronemertea sp HYPl. Megan and a few others thought they might represent Zygeupolia rubens beeause of the tapered head, wrinkled anterior region, and eaudal eirrus. However, Dean’s speeimens have a distinet, though shallow, eephalie slit and a less strongly tapered head. These speeimens also do not have a strong eerebral sense organ, like that found in Z. rubens. Dean mentioned that, in his experienee, finding the CSO on Z rubens is often diffieult due to the eontraeted/wrinkled nature of the head; it is not an obvious eharaeter of the speeies. In the end. Dean renamed the speeies as Lineidae sp LAHl in reeognition that the speeimen was eolleeted from Bight’ 13 samples eolleeted from Los Angeles Harbor/Port of Long Beaeh area. 5 Publication Date; May 2015 January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 A specimen of Tubulanidae sp C that Dean had brought was also confirmed. Finally, Megan confirmed an echiurid specimen from 363 m off the Santa Barbara Channel. Dean had identified it as Listriolobus hexamyotus at first, but then changed his mind to Arhynchite californicus because he could not distinguish the muscle bands. However, upon additional dissection and review, Megan was able to confirm the long nephrostomal lips of L. hexamyotus. 6 Publication Date: May 2015 January/Febmary, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32, No. 5 Please visit the SCAMIT Website at: www.seamit.org SCAMIT OFFICERS If you need any other information eoneeming SCAMIT please feel free to eontaet any of the offieers at their e-mail addresses: President Larry Lovell (310)830-2400X5613 llovell@laesd.org Leslie Harris (213)763-3234 lharris@nhm.org DeanPakso (858)395-2104 deanpasko@yahoo.eom Laura Terriquez (714)593-7474 lterriquez@oesd.org Viee-President Seeretary Treasurer The SCAMIT newsletter is published every two months and is distributed freely to members in good standing. Membership is $15 for an eleetronie eopy of the newsletter, available via the web site at www.scamit.org, and $30 to reeeive a printed eopy via USPS. Institutional membership, whieh ineludes a mailed printed eopy, is $60. All eorrespondenees ean be sent to the Seeretary at the email address above or to: SCAMIT PO Box 50162 Long Beaeh, CA 90815 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol 32 No. 5 A Key To Corymorphine Polyps Modified from J.Ljubenkov (2004) bv D.Pasko 26Feb2015 1. Both tentacle whorls hliform (smooth) to serially bulbous, tips bulbous; papillae at base of hydrocaulus . Corymorpha 2 — Aboral and/or oral tentacles moniliform (beaded). 3 2. [Note: 3 choices] Gonangia are cryptomedusae (elongate, fusiform bodies); hydrotheca transparent... . Corymorpha palma — Gonangia are quadrate eumedusoids with one tentacle longer; hydrotheca transparent. . Corymorpha bigelowi — Hydranth equal to or larger than hydrocaulus; hydrotheca not transparent, rugose... Corymorpha sp A 3. Oral tentacles moniliform, tapering distally, 10 in number; aboral tentacles hliform, up to 12 in number; papillae above oral tentacles at base of hypostome; San Diego Bay.Corymorphidae sp SDl — Oral tentacles hliform or moniliform and capitate; aboral tentacles moniliform; papillae below oral tentacles at top of hydrocaulus. Euphysa 4 4. More than 10 oral tentacles; oral and aboral tentacles long, moniliform, capitate; hydrocaulus short and relatively thick, not tapering; hydranth tapering distally; gonosome formed by quadrate eumedusoids with 4 equal tentacles; from Point Arguello. Euphysa sp B — Less than 10 oral tentacles; hydrocaulus long, thin for entire length or tapering; gonosome of medusoids or buds without 4 equal tentacles. 5 5. Oral tentacles typically 4 in number, short and capitate; aboral tentacles about 10 in single whorl; hydrocaulus tapering; hypostome short and blunt; quadrate hydromedusa with 1 longer tentacle. . Euphysa sp A — Oral tentacles 3-7, short and capitate; aboral tentacles 4-12 in two alternating whorls; hydrocaulus thin with uniform diameter; hypostome elongate, ovoid; buds polyps that often contain one aboral tentacle of parent. Euphysa ruthae References: Barwick, K. 1993. Common Hydrozoa off Point Loma. http://www.scamit.org/taxontools Hochberg EG. & J.C. Ljubenkov. 1998. Chapter 1. Class Hydrozoa. In: Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and the Western Santa Barbara Channel, Vol. 3: Cnidaria. Scott PV & Blake JA, eds., pp. 55-1 12. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California. Ljubenkov, J.C. 2004. A Key to Corymorphine Polyps. SCAMIT NL Vol 23, No 1&2, May/June 2004. Norenburg, J.L. and M.P. Morse. 1983. Systematic implications of Euphysa ruthae n. sp. (Athecate: Corymorphidae), a psammophilic solitary hydroid with unusual morphogenesis. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 102(1): 1-17. A Key To Corymorphine Polyps Modified from J.Ljubenkov (2004) bv D.Pasko 26Feb2015 Corymorpha palma Southern California Assocation of Marine Invertebrate Taxonomists March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 1.5 mm male Rutiderma lomae; OCSD Station 4; 4Jan2011; 56m. Photo by Dean Pasko This Issue 17 MARCH 2014, BIGHT’13 ARTHROPOD PREPARATION, SCCWRP.2 17 APRIL 2014, TAXONOMIC TOOLBOX & CIRRATULIDAE (POLYCHAETA), SCCWRP.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY.11 SCAMIT OFFICERS.12 The SCAMIT newsletter is not deemed to be a valid publieation for formal taxonomie purposes. Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 17 MARCH 2014, BIGHT’13 ARTHROPOD PREPARATION, SCCWRP Attendees: Andrew Davenport, Katie Beauehamp, Ron Velarde, Tim Stebbins (CSD); Chase MeDonald, Don Cadien, Larry Lovell (LACSD); Greg Lyon, Craig Campbell (CLA-EMD); Tony Phillips, Dean Pasko (DCE); Ken Sakomoto, Danny Tang, Eriea Jarvis (OCSD); David Dmmm (Eeo Analysts). Business Meeting: Earry opened the meeting noting that this meeting and many of the upeoming meetings will likely foeus on Bight’ 13 taxonomie issues, and that we need more suggestions for speeifie topies to diseuss. The next meeting will inelude a presentation by Earry about the Taxonomie Database Tool, ineluding a demonstration of the features and tools available, along with a review of the eirratulid genus Chaetozone by Tony. Earry apologized for getting a late start on the SCAMIT eleetions, but promised to have the ballots out soon, with a due date of Mareh 31 baek to Eeslie Harris. All of the eurrent offieers were willing to run again, and Earry opened the floor for additional nominations. Hearing none, he elosed the nomination proeess and turned the meeting over to Dean. Bight’13 Arthropod Preview Dean started his review of potentially problematie or interesting arthropods with a look at a eommon taxon, Heterophoxus ellisi (Phoxoeephalidae). He notieed a different form in bays and harbors that he has ealled Heterophoxus cf ellisi. The offshore form of H. ellisi has singly inserted setae on the posterior margin of pereopod 6, artiele 6, and multiple sets of a single spine paired with single plumose seta on the posterior margin of artiele 5, along with a strong (long), slender hooked tooth on epimeron 3. In eontrast, the bay/shallow water H. cf ellisi has singly inserted setae on the posterior margins of both artieles 5 and 6 of pereopod 6, and a very small, aeute tooth on epimeron 3. The latter is not prolonged into a hook. A eomparative slide helped demonstrate the differenees. He then moved on to diseuss an interesting ostraeod eneountered in samples from OCSD’s monitoring program (Station 4, 56m; Station 86, 57m). He had referred these speeimens to Sarsiellidae sp OCl and noted that they had a flnely serrated rostrum, two longitudinally running elevated earapaee ridges that are distinetly elevated at their posterior termination, and a 4-elawed furea. [Secretary’s note: Danny Tang of OCSD has subsequently identifled these speeimens as the male of Rutiderma lomae. See eover photo. Oops!] Dean then began a diseussion of Hippomedon (Eysanassidae), partieularly Hippomedon sp A. and H. columbianus. Dean was eoneemed that H. columbianus was being missed and wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page as to the distinguishing eharaeter employed in Jarrett and Bousfleld’s key (Jarrett and Bousfleld 1982) subsequently modifled by Doug Diener to aeeommodate Hippomedon sp A (Diener 1990): the length of the gnathopod 2 palm relative to the daetyl. In H. columbianus the gnathopod 2 palm is longer than the daetyl by nearly the entire length of the daetyl, whereas in Hippomedon sp A the daetyl, when elosed, fully eovers the palm reaehing just shy of the posterior-distal (deflning) eomer of the palm. Dean showed a eouple of pietures depleting this differenee quite elearly. 2 UPCOMING MEETINGS Visit the SCAMIT website at: www.seamit.org for the latest upeoming meetings announeements. Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 Americhelidium was next on the list. Dean had been having some doubt about the distinetion between Americhelidium sp SD4 and A. rectipalmum. To resolve the issue for himself, he revisited the distinguishing eharaeters as well as his 2005 key. He reviewed his key and presented pietures of the distinguishing eharaeters for eaeh speeies in a set of slides, partieularly the provisional speeies Americhelidium sp SDl and sp SD4 (see voueher sheets at www.SCAMIT. org). Americhelidium sp SDl is easily reeognized by the relatively sparse setation of the propodus and the elongate setae emanating from the distal end of the gnathopod 2 propodus and running dorsally (anteriorly) for the length of the daetyl. Americhelidium sp SD4 ean be distinguished from A. rectipalmum by the absenee of a postero-distal lobe on the basis of pereopod 7, the sparse postero-marginal setae on pereopod 7, and the single, short seta loeated along the proximal quarter of the gnathopod 2 daetyl. In eontrast, A. rectipalmum has a distinet lobe on pereopod 7 basis, of whieh the posterior margin has numerous long setae, and two or more pleonites with pairs of relatively long setae mid-dorsally along their posterior margin. Dean also eonfirmed with everyone thatH. shoemakeri is now being reeognized as a eomplex by SCB SCAMIT members. Several members (Dean, Don Cadien, Ron Velarde, among others) have noted a lot of variability in the shape and setation of the gnathopods as well as uropodal setation and spination, and none have been able to distinguish these apparently variable morphs with eonsisteney. With some trepidation we ventured into eaprellids. This group, partieularly the bay speeies, has eonfounded Dean. Dean’s presentation ineluded images of Caprella californica, C. mutica, C. scaura, C. simia, and Caprella sp WSl. All but C. mutica have a distinet head spine. Dean suggested that everyone pay attention to the position and size of the head spine, position of the gnathopod 2 on pereonite 11, and presenee/absenee, length and density of swimming setae on antenna 2. He had also noted differenees in the size and shape of the gills. After luneh we examined speeimens of C. simia and Caprella sp WSl, and determined them to be synonymous. [Secretary’s note: In a subsequent meeting on 13 April 2015, we eneountered great diffieulty distinguishing C. calif arnica and C. scauroides. Readers are referred to the April 2015 meeting minutes for a diseussion of Bight’13 eaprellid amphipods.] Another perplexing group, at least for Dean, has been the tanaids, partieularly the Zemo eomplex. To get the diseussion started, however, we dealt with something simpler, distinguishing Araphura sp SDl from the elosely relatedH. brevaria. Both have the fused uropodal exopod (pseudo¬ biramus) hut Araphura sp SDl, a deep-water speeies, has a granulate ridge on the ventro-mesial margin of the fixed finger of the ehela and the pseudo-exopodite is shorter than in A. brevaria. A. brevaria does have a ridge on the inner margin of the ehela, but the ridge is smooth and sharp, without granulations. In addition, the pseudo-exopod is more robust, elongate, and distinetly eurved inward, whereas the short pseudo-exopod of Araphura sp SDl is nearly straight. Dean then showed images of Zemo coralensis, a speeies that he has been eneountering in shallow water samples from San Diego Bay, near the Reynolds Desalination Faeility. Z. coralensis is easily distinguished from the other possible Zemo in SCB in having fewer artieles of the uropod, eonsistently four ineluding the pedunele, relative to 5-6 for the other taxa. It also has weakly produeed eoxae of pereonite 1, and one seta on the inner margin of the pleopodal endopod. He suggested that we attaeh “eomplex” to reeords of Zemo normani beeause of the variability he has found in the uropodal artieles sueh that Z normani and Z. pseudonormani eannot be distinguished. For the Bight’ 13 proeess. Dean reeommended the use of Z. normani Cmplx. We also had images of Zemo maledivensis identified by Tony and eolleeted from Los Angeles Harbor Station B, Settling Plate by Dr. Reish. These speeimens had a 5-artieulate uropod and a 3 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 pleon without dorsal setae, and one seta on the inner border of the pleopodal endopod. Tony also provided Dean with a speeimen of Anatanais ? pseudonormani from Avalon (42m). Anatanais differs from Zeivco in having antenna 1, artiele 1 only twiee as long as artiele 2 instead of 2.5 times as long (as in Zeuxo). In addition, the speeimen had 6-artieulate uropod and five setae along the inner border of the pleopodal endopod. [Secretary’s note\ Larsen et al. (2014) subsequently synonymized Z normani and Z pseudonormani thus eliminating the need to use Z. normani Cmplx.] We moved forward with a eouple of slides of a new braehyuran Dean eneountered in a sample from Mission Bay (Bight’ 13 Station 8157, 3.3m). It was a small speeimen that Dean originally keyed to be Eurypanopeus hyperconvexus in Wieksten (2012), but then eonsidered it to be Rhithropanopeus harrisii. We examined the small erab and after some time and diseussion, the group leaned towards Gonopanope areoloata as the proper identifieation. Following the meeting, however. Dean had a few email exehanges with Dr. Wieksten and Dr. Terrenee Boyle, a student of Mary’s who had studied Rhithropanopeus in the U.S. for his doetoral dissertation. After a series of exehanges. Dean settled on Gonopanope nitida (Rathbun 1898) based on the dark eoloration of the fixed finger and daetyl of the ehelae, but whieh does not extend onto the palm, as it does in G. areoloata. After this exeitement, we diseussed the validity of reeords of Heterophoxus conlanae in the SCB. Dean had some doubt about the reliability and eonsisteney of the 3-setal group on pereopod 6, noting the great amount of asymmetrieal setal pairing in Heterophoxus. However, Ron Velarde brought out a speeimen eolleeted from an offshore sample (Station B-11, 90m) that was quite eonvineingly adorned with 3-setal sets along the posterior margin of pereopod 6. In the end, we deeided to eontinue reeognizing H. conlanae and distinguishing it from H. ellisi and H. oculatus based on the setal patterns, and hoped that someone would make an effort to find at least one additional eharaeter to distinguish them. The City of Los Angeles staff brought out a vouehered speeimen of Americhelidium shoemakeri for eonfirmation. Unfortunately, the speeimen was in poor eondition. Dean tentatively identified it as Americhelidium sp SDl, but the speeimen’s eondition prevented eonfirmation. Lastly, we reviewed a speeimen of Listrella sp from a 202m Bight station. It was not taken any further. 17 APRIL 2014, TAXONOMIC TOOLBOX & CIRRATULIDAE (POLYCHAETA), SCCWRP Attendees: David Vilas (MBC); Leslie Harris (NHMLAC); Chip Barrett (LeoAnalysts); Ananda Ranasinghe (PC); Cheryl Brantley, Bill Furlong, Larry Lovell (LACSD); Greg Lyon, Craig Campbell (CLA-EMD); Rieardo Martinez-Lara, Veroniea Rodriquez, Ron Velarde, Maiko Kasuya, Kathy Langan (CSD); Eriea Mason, Kelvin Barwiek, Rob Gamber, Eaura Terriquez, Ken Sakamoto, Matthew Garehow, Danny Tang (OCSD); Russell Carvallo (OCCR); Tony Phillips, Dean Pasko (DCE); Dot Norris (SFPUC). Business Meeting: Earry announeed that the next several meetings would foeus on eonsistent taxonomy for the Bight’ 13 Regional Monitoring and eoordination of taxonomie identifieation. There was also a round of questions about the Bight’ 13 voueher speeimens and the request by the NHMLAC staff that taxonomists try to pull good eondition speeimens for the museum where praetieal. Poor speeimens pulled beeause they were the first speeimen(s) eneountered should be 4 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 replaced with good quality specimens for the museum. Museum staff also asked that we make an effort to use our best hand writing for recording species names and data. The museum can accept slides (e.g., parapodia, setae, mouthparts, etc.), if properly labeled. It was preferable, however, to put dissected parts into properly labeled micro-vials; it is often difficult to track permanent slides back to the originating specimen, even when properly labeled. The upcoming meetings will include Polychaetes (May 12) at the NHMLAC; a Cnidaria Meeting (June 9) at OCSD; and a Micro-Crustacea meeting (June 23) at CSD. Taxonomic Database Tool History of the database tool started with Dave Montagne in 2004. He called together a group of SCAMIT taxonomists to discuss the concept of a database tool for taxonomy. In 2005 we determined that the fiow would include the SCAMIT Species List as the backbone. In 2006, the expanded version came into concept, which was based on a large, complicated “pie in the sky” approach. Dr. Todd Haney, then a recent UCLA graduate, led an effort to secure some sort of grant funding; unfortunately, that effort didn’t pan out. What followed was a period of dormancy due to the shear complexity of the project. With Bight’08 and a need to develop SCAMIT Ed 5, Rick Rowe re-invigorated the idea of putting the species list into a database. BATMAN, the Benthic Assessment and Taxonomic Management group, grew out of that effort. From 2008- 10, OCSD granted $15K to push the process along, help retrieve database species images in Morphbank and link those to the Database Tool in the hopes of creating dynamic identification pages. Unfortunately, that effort came to an abrupt stall in 2011 when Katja Seltmann became too busy to further consult with SCAMIT, and substitute efforts failed. BATMAN continued to meet and Cheryl Brantley took the lead from a discussion at one of the meetings. She met with Steve Weisberg (SCCWRP) to get things moving forward again. Ananda, Cheryl, Shelly Walther, Wendy Emight, and the recently hired Data Group Manager at SCCWRP, Steve Steinberg, kept the database effort moving forward. SCAMIT applied some of the OCSD funds to hire an intern to mine the various agencies for missing taxonomic documents (voucher sheets, keys, etc.), which have been added to the toolbox. Although hugely helpful at consolidating the wealth of information from the different agencies, the effort has produced a number of duplicate documents, some with old, outdated names. Progress has been made however and Tarry showed a chart showing the items from the “Pie in Sky” document that have been implemented: species maps, depth, latitude, distribution, synonymy, voucher sheets, Morphbank image links, definitive diagnosis, links to WoRMS, IBIS, EOF, SCAMIT NE content, character tables, keys, and BOED and Genbank l ink s. Future efforts will focus on the following items: • Update species names from Edition 8 to 9 [Ed 10 at the time of publication of this NE] • Building a name update tool for future editions of the list • Eink assessment tools (BRI, P-code, SQO, etc.) to the species list • Seek a solution to long-term image storage • Seek additional funding ($5 - 20K), perhaps teaming with SCCWRP, State of CA, or CTAG to complete the basic structure of the database including a Species Fist update tool. • Hire an intern to clean-up the duplicate pages in the tool box, remove erroneous pages, and update filenames, etc. 5 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 Members ean help by suggesting eorreetions to tool box files, seareh their individual labs and their own eomputers for images of speeies and taxonomie eharaeters, provide suggestions for member-funded aetivities, and eneourage their laboratories to submit their monitoring data to SCCWRP for inelusion in the mapping and distributional tools. Larry noted that Morphbank is having funding issues and although the images are available on mirrored websites, we’re not sure how long this will last. We need to deeide whether to host the images ourselves or look for another image server. Why did we feel it was neeessary to build the database tool? SCAMIT thought it was important to monitoring assessment, espeeially for maintaining data eonsisteney through time. SCAMIT believes it is important to provide a eomprehensive information souree (e.g., P-eodes), to have a long-lasting taxonomie legaey, a training tool for future taxonomists, and to standardize the use of speeifie eodes (P-eodes, BRI, AMBl) for assessment. There was open diseussion of how individual laboratories eould help support funding meehanisms, and how SCAMIT ean get funded to eomplete this projeet. Staff was eneouraged to understand how the data are used/analyzed and how the eodes are applied to their identifieations so that they ean talk to their laboratory managers and request support for SCAMlT’s effort to inerease their own effieieneies. Russell Carvalho asked if SCAMIT had eonsidered hosting it on a GIS database. Shelly Moore said it ean be done, but there hasn’t been any thought on it. Right now the plan is to use the SCAMIT server. Larry then distributed the Toolbox User Guide 1.0 DRAFT, and we went through a demonstration of the existing tools. The toolbox works best on FireFox, Google Chrome, and Safari, and is a little elunky on Explorer. It also works best on high sereen resolution. It is eurrently based on SCAMIT Ed 7 names. Here are some highlights. • The edition of the speeies listing (SCAMIT Ed 7) is displayed in the synonyms box when browsing speeies names • Speeies display information page ineludes phylogeny and synonyms, and links to toolbox doeuments and external links (Morphbank, ITIS, uBio, NCBl Entrez, WoRMS, EOE, GenBank, BOED) • The Photo links direetly to Morphbank • Mapping Tab is populated by Regional Bight sample data (up to B’03), WEMAP surveys, and some POTW data. More data is needed. The tool displays the data underlying eaeh oeeurrenee (depth of sample, origin of sample, ete.) • Outside links have been maximized. For example, when you eliek on the link to ITIS, ITIS automatieally understands that you want that speeifie taxon so that you do not have to re- seareh within the site Earry performed demonstrations using Euphilomedes carcharodonta, Nuculana sp A, and other taxa. Eeslie asked if the underlying data would be available for download via Exeel or database? These data will not be made available through the SCAMIT site, but ean be aeeessed through CDEN (California Environmental Data Exehange Network) or at the SCCWRP website for Bight data. The Nuculana sp A demonstration showed the need to get more monitoring data into the database as the toolbox showed seanty reeords for a speeies that is very eommon in CSD and OCSD. 6 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 Leslie Harris noted that the reeords are not representative of “true” distribution but only publie reeords from SCB and speeifie monitoring programs (E-map, ete.). Others agreed that this limitation should be posted prominently, so that there is no misunderstanding about the intended use for these data (i.e., limited to our own efforts here in the SCB). Cheryl suggested that perhaps an abbreviated table listing speeies and depth range, rather than a detailed listing of station and abundanees would be appropriate. Shelly agreed that this was possible. Kelvin and Leslie suggested that the addition of a eomment tool and “report error” page (e.g., dead link, distributional error) might also be helpful. Kelvin then asked if there would be an opportunity to download an eleetronie form of the speeies list (Aeeess or Exeel)? At present this is available on request, but not as an automatie download. Someone asked, “If all money were available to eomplete the proeess, would it simplify the proeess of [SCAMIT Speeies] list maintenanee?” The answer was “yes!” Ideally, the intention is for a name ehange to easeade through the SCAMIT Website from the Speeies List as well as the voueher sheets, ete. A few seleet individuals would eontrol the Toolbox and Speeies List with “Super User” aeeess. This lead to a diseussion of sueeession management relative to the flexibility of the website and database going forward (20 years into the future); and the neeessary aetivities of the members to support the effort overall. How to maintain the effort and progress should the eurrent leaders retire is always a eoneem. Somehow this lead to the diseussion, with a little admonition, that the synonymy listing of SCAMIT Speeies List is not exhaustive and is only intended to update eommonly used literature in the SCB and historieal SCAMIT usage. The users of the list need to understand this, but that information is eontained in the introduetory material to the List, and it is up to the user to read this material for a elear understanding of the ineluded taxa. Some also suggested that we limit the sites to whieh the toolbox links. SCAMIT linkage to a site provides some legitimaey to a site (e.g., WoRMS or ITIS), and therefore links should be applied eautiously and eaeh should reeeive approval at some level before a link is established. Dot suggested that there should be an effort to involve northern Ca. We eoneluded with a short list of Aetion Items: (1) And funding and support funding via your ageneies or suggest funding; (2) look for errors and report the errors to Larry (ee’d to Shelly Moore); (3) identify errors in names and links to the toolbox; and (4) look into Crowd Funding. After a brief luneh we eelebrated Cheryl Brantley and her many years of serviee to SCAMIT. Larry showed several pietures of Cheryl from her first days at LACSD, thanking her for her nearly 20 years of SCAMIT serviee as Seeretary and then Treasurer; as well as her years of serviee at the Distriets. Larry then gave Cheryl several gifts from SCAMIT in her appreeiation for her many years as friend, taxonomist, and edueator representing the Distriets. We then moved on to diseuss Cirratulidae (Polyehaeta). Veroniea Rodriguez-Villanueva introdueed the topie. Veroniea began with a referenee to her list of eharaeters of importanee: • Where neuroaeieular setae start (although growth related): first of body, middle, or last third • Number of aeieular spines at the partial einetures (first, seeond, third portion) • Aeieular setal arrangement (w/ or w/o gap) between dorsal and ventral portions of body • Shape of prostomium (with or without erest) and peristomium Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 • First pair of branchiae in relation to insertion of dorsal tentaele on the body • Shape of pygidium eup-like, dome-like, fan-shaped She generated some diseussion with a brief deseription of Chaetozone sp 1 Morph 1 vs. Morph 2 vs. Morph 3, all pulled from the Chaetozone setosa eomplex of taxa. All have a dorsal erest, but position of branehiae differs relative to erest. Right now they are all ealled Chaetozone sp 1 beeause of the plaeement of the neuroaeieular setae in the first 1/3 of the body. Head shape is similar to C. hedgpethi. Morph 3 also has a dorsal erest but differs in the position of the first tentaele. All have the same methyl green stain. None have eyes. The dififerenees in dorsal erest morphology may be due to relaxation. Dot asked if the first position of the aeieular setae was size dependent? Veroniea has a table showing that the individuals differ in exaet setiger plaeement of aeieulae, however, they still oeeur in the same body region (i.e., same third of the body). In response to this diseussion, Tony read from an email exehange he had had with Riek Rowe. Riek had mentioned that the head shape is variable, as is staining, when not done with some eonsisteney. Riek reeommended hours of soaking in stain rather than just minutes! Tony leaves them in for a minimum of 2 hours and sometimes overnight before reading the staining patterns. Tony then began to introduee his 72-slide presentation, reeognizing Veroniea’s efforts to wrestle with this diffieult group and pull together eharaeteristies of Cirratulidae taxa. Tony introdueed the topie with a short diseussion of the wide variation of staining for speeies of Chaetozone, where the same speeies may demonstrate two or three separate staining patterns. Other eharaeters, sueh as eineture types in some of the setae, are also variable. In short, the diffieulty of the group is that so many of the eharaeters show themselves to be variable, thus ereating eonfusion. Tony modeled his presentation on the MMS Atlas key by Jim Blake (1996). The presentation was quite exhaustive and ineluded beautiful eolor photographs of all speeies represented in Blake (1996), as well as three SCAMIT provisionals: Chaetozone sp SD3 of Riek Rowe 1997; Chaetozone sp B from Channel Is; and Chaetozone sp C from Santa Moniea Bay (SMB). His presentation, listing the speeies aeeording to the major eouplets of Blake’s key (e.g., those taxa with paired dorsal tentaeles first present from setiger 4-7, and speeies with neuropodial spines present from setiger 1), is summarized below. He also mentioned that the Atlas key has one mistake: C. commonalis was plaeed in the seetion of the key with neuropodial spines starting at 65+ setigers, when it should be in the seetion of the key where neuropodial spines begin at setigers 20^0. Tony eautioned everyone that the Channel Island samples from previous Bight projeets have been a Chaetozone nightmare! With spines starting between Blake’s two groupings, variable spination, and plaeement of tentaeular eirri, speeiation has been diffieult. High abundanees are also a problem in proeessing. Leslie eommented that Blake no longer eonsiders C. setosa to be found on west eoast. Consequently, we ean eall our C. setosa whatever we want. Tony noted that he would not be diseussing C. spinosa and C. gracilis, whieh are both deep-water 1000+ m depth. Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 The following notes are from Part 1 of Tony’s Cirratulidae presentation: Chaetozone, the bi-tentaculate cirratulid. This group includes the following SCB taxa: C. acuta, C. armata, C. bansei, C. Columbiana, C. corona, C. commonalis, C. hartmanae, C. hedgpethi, C. lunula, C. senticosa, C. setosa Cmplx, Chaetozone sp A (= sp SD3 of Rowe 1997), Chaetozone sp B SCAMIT 2014 (Santa Barbara Channel), Chaetozone sp C SCAMIT 2014 from Santa Moniea Bay (SMB) and 150m. Paired dorsal tentacles found from setigers 4-7 (All other species with paired dorsal tentacles have them first present from the peristomium or from setiger 1) • Chaetozone bansei has been eolleeted at LACSD Station 0 and in Carpenteria. It has a very distinetive stain where ridge pattern and posterior prolongation of dorsal ridge show a dark staining elongate, triangular extension from prostomium. The dorsal tentaeles start on setigers 3-5. The speeimen pietured in Tony’s presentation eame from San Luis Obispo. Species with neuropodial spines from setiger 1. • C. armata is typieally eolleeted from 45-100m. It has single spines in neuro- and notopodia, a pointed prostomium that may be with and without slight posteriorly direeted dorsal ridge. There are typieally two annulations on peristomium. The position of branehiae relative to tentaele is eonsistent, but has some variability of staining pattern. Tony found one speeimen with dark stain on the posterior portion of peristomium. • C. corona ranges from Gulf of California to Goleta, and from 15 to 120m. It has a grub-like, irideseent body, with eyes, and spaghetti-like branehiae. Species with neuropodial acicular spines starting between setigers 60-100+. • C. senticosa was found onee in Bight’08 by Tony, but that speeimen eould not be loeated, and Tony’s deep-water speeimens have now been referred to Chaetozone sp C SCAMIT 2014. C. senticosa eomes from shallow water bays and harbors (5-1 Om). The type material is deseribed as having setiger 1 larger/wider than following setigers and as having partial einetures on thoraeie segments, but Tony has had diffieulty seeing these eharaeters. It’s a large speeies, reaehing greater than 20mm in length. The dorsal tentaele starts anterior to first setiger. Tony had some pietures of paratypes from the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, whieh were supplied by Leslie Harris. In general, the spines start on setigers 65-80, and the einetures are weak with 5-6 spines/eineture, and there is no distinetive staining. Tony has observed that C. senticosa has a pear-shaped prostomium, narrowing in the post-peristomium region,with the thoraeie setigers beeoming quite narrow. • C. hedgpethi is a large animal without eyes that oeeurs from San Diego to Goleta, north of Pt. Coneeption, and the Channel Islands. The dorsal tentaele and first branehiae are anterior to setiger 1, and there is a pear-shaped, infiated erest posteriorly on posterior margin of the peristomium. C. hedgpethi has partial einetures housing 13-15 spines, and a very distinetive staining pattern, with no stain between neuro- and notopodia. Tony also showed a pieture of a speeimen from Goleta that had a different staining pattern: It was missing the white band on the posterior portion of the peristomium. • C. Columbiana is the most eommon speeies, oeeurring from San Diego to Goleta, found at depths between 15 to 45m. It should have three faint, indistinet annulations on peristomium that are not very strongly grooved. It always has a depression at the posterior margin of prostomium; although this eharaeter is also present in other speeies. The dorsal tentaele is anterior to first setiger, and there are no distinet deep einetures. Eaeh of the partial einetures have 11-14 spines. The rounded pygidium fiips upward and matehes the illustrations in Blake (1996) very well. The staining pattern is distinetive with head/peristomium very different from setigers. 9 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 • Chaetozone sp A (=Chaetozone sp SD3 Rowe 1997 and Chaetozone sp 1 Lovell and Phillips 1998) is found from San Diego to Goleta, 45-lOOm, in eoarser sands. It has a small seetion of inflated setigers between 12-25 and flattening at the pygidium. The speeies has distinet spines on posterior of body, and a very distinetive methyl green banding at the inflated seetion and on the head, with no eolor anterior to the band in the inflated region and nothing posterior to it, exeept for pro- and peristomium. The eyes are evident. The einetures are very visible with 13-16 spines, and the neuropodial spines start on setigers 40-65. Tony ealls sueh speeimens a “tweener” sinee the spines start between Blake’s two major groupings. A voueher sheet is available in the SCAMIT toolbox. • Chaetozone sp C is another “tweener” that was originally thought to be C. senticosa based on where spines start (setigers 59-75) with 11-12 spines. It differs from C. senticosa beeause the first two setigers are equal in width, with sueeeeding setigers beeoming wider moving posteriorly, rather than uniform in width. In addition, Chaetozone. sp C is found at 150+ m, while C. senticosa is found in bays and harbors, 5-1 Om. There is a large tentaele anterior to the first setiger that is twiee as large as the branehiae (whieh start on first setiger). The speeies has a distinetly triangular head, and there is a elear gap between the dorsal and ventral group of setae, whieh may be related to how eontraeted or inflated the speeimen was at the time of fixation. Chaetozone sp C has a dark staining pro- and peristomium, with narrow bands of non-staining ventrally. The represented speeimen eame from Station E8, SMB, 152m. Species with acicula starting on setigers 20-40 • C. commonalis has been found off Palos Verdes, but not yet in SMB nor in OCSD samples. This is a small speeies, 5-7 mm. It has a short prostomium/peristomium with a triangular prostomium. The peristomium has three elear annulations. The tentaele and first branehiae are just anterior of setiger 1 and more eentrally plaeed, away from parapodia. Neuropodial spines start at setigers 40^8, and there are weak einetures in the posterior setigers. There is no distinetive staining pattern. A key eharaeter is the distinet shape of the neuropodial spines; the tips bend baek along the shaft, attaehing to the spine (see Blake 1996). • C. hartmanae is eommon in eoarse-grained sediments from 45-150m, from San Diego to Goleta. This speeies also has an inflated region anteriorly; neuropodia that often have an orange tinge, and faleate spines with slight serrations. The staining pattern is distinetive with lateral staining that begins posterior to the inflated region and does not extend on to the dorsum. This is a very eharaeteristie speeies with the golden spines and speeifle staining eolor pattern. One of the few speeies that is so distinetive that it ean be readily identified with little eonfusion to others. • C. acuta is another small speeies, ranging between 8-10 mm that oeeurs from 30-125m in SMB and Goleta. It has two weak annulations on the laterally rounded/bulbous peristomium, and a fairly large separation between tentaele and first branehiae. Spines start at 18^0; but Tony has seen them only as far baek as 30. Partial einetures are present with 7-9 spines. The staining pattern ineludes a pale band on the posterior of the prostomium, a dark stain between parapodia, and weak staining ventrally. • C. lunula is yet another small speeies, reaehing only 8 mm. Tony examined the paratypes from Santa Cruz, and his own speeimens from SMB (113m). C. lunula has a distinetive dorsal groove in the thorax, a pointed prostomium, with semi-einetures in the posterior portion of body, but does not have a staining pattern. There was some diseussion of whether the bifid setae in posterior region illustrated by Blake (1996) are a eharaeter worth watehing for. For example, Veroniea argued for the faet that they were seeing this animal in San Diego, based on the presenee of the bifid setae; however, Ron was of the opinion that it was a juvenile speeimen. On the other hand, the pietured speeimen represented a 5 mm holotype, whieh was gravid. Tony’s speeimens did not show any staining pattern. 10 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 • Chaetozone sp B was originally called Chaetozone sp MECl from Bight’98, Channel Island sample. Tony has seen it in 45m samples from the Santa Barbara Channel. The first branehiae are anterior to first setiger and there are massive, golden, thiek, pointed spines in posterior region. Neurospines start at 37^0; and notospines from setiger 60. Pygidium is a little different from others and is fiattened dorso-ventrally, but slightly produeed laterally. Staining shows banding posteriorly on the dorsum and ventrum of eaeh segment, and between the parapodia from about mid-body to posterior. Tony reeommended that everyone look at the ehart that Veroniea put together, whieh was modified from Rowe. The presentations from today’s meeting will be distributed via Dropbox. [Seeretary’s note: Whether or not these presentations make it to the SCAMIT website will be left with the originating taxonomist; however, please feel free to eontaet any individual direetly for information regarding these taxa or their presentations.] Tony’s presentation brought about a question eoneeming the uniformity of stain formulations. Ron knows of two different green stains, methyl green, and ethyl green (listed as “methyl green”), and suggested that we perform a study of the differenees between them. Leslie has researehed this a little when helping another group establishing their lab, and found that different eompanies may use different formulations. She suggests that everyone bring material and their bottles of stain to the May 12 meeting at the museum. BIBLIOGRAPHY Arthropod: Diener, D. 1990. Key to North Paeifie Speeies of Hippomedon. SCAMIT NL. Vol. 9, No. 8. Jarrett, N.E., and E.L. Bousfield. 1982. Studies on amphipod erustaeeans of the Northeastern Paeifie region. 1. 4. Studies on the amphipod family Eysianassidae in the Northeastern Paeifie region. Hippomedon and related genera: systematies and distributional eeology. National Museums of Canada, Publications in Biological Oceanography 10: 103-128. Earsen, K. 2014. “New speeies of the genus Zeuxo (Peraearida, Tanaidaeea).” Crustaeeana 87: 715-754. Wieksten, M.K. 2012. Deeapod Crustaeea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographie Provinees. Zootaxa 3371. 307 pp. Polychaeta: Blake, James A. 1996. Chapter 8. Family Cirratulidae Ryekholdt, 1851. pp. 263-384, In: Blake, James A., Brigitte Hilbig, and Paul H. Seott (eds). Taxonomie Atlas of the Benthie Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel. Volume 6, The Annelida Part 3. Polyehaeta: Orbiniidae to Cossuridae. 418 pp. 11 Publication Date: 2 November 2015 March/April, 2014 SCAMIT Newsletter Vol. 32 No. 6 Please visit the SCAMIT Website at: www.seamit.org SCAMIT OFFICERS If you need any other information eoneeming SCAMIT please feel free to eontaet any of the offieers at their e-mail addresses: President Larry Lovell (310)830-2400X5613 llovell@laesd.org Leslie Harris (213)763-3234 lharris@nhm.org DeanPakso (858)395-2104 deanpasko@yahoo.eom Laura Terriquez (714)593-7474 lterriquez@oesd.org Viee-President Seeretary Treasurer The SCAMIT newsletter is published every two months and is distributed freely to members in good standing. Membership is $15 for an eleetronie eopy of the newsletter, available via the web site at www.scamit.org, and $30 to reeeive a printed eopy via USPS. Institutional membership, whieh ineludes a mailed printed eopy, is $60. All eorrespondenees ean be sent to the Seeretary at the email address above or to: SCAMIT PO Box 50162 Long Beaeh, CA 90815