RCAAP Repository

Seven species of Syllidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) inhabiting colonies of the bryozoan Schizoporella unicornis (Johnston), a common species on the beaches of Ubatuba and São Sebastião, São Paulo State, Brazil are described: Exogone occidentalis Westheide, 1974; Haplosyllis spongicola (Grube, 1855); Opistosyllis corallicola Hartmann-Schröder, 1965; Syllis gracilis (Grube, 1840); Trypanosyllis taeniaformis (Haswell, 1866); Typosyllis maculata Imajima, 1966 and Typosyllis variegata (Grube, 1860). Among these, E. occidentalis, O. corallicola, T. taeniaformis and T. maculata are cited for the first time for the Brazilian coast. The most abundant of these species was S. gracilis.

The present study reveals that the excretory system of Glossoscolex paulistus is formed by open holonephridia (exonephridia). It is noticed that different zones are recognized in the nephridial canal, with defined histological and histochemical characteristics: 1) primary canal; 2) lobed canal; 3) first rounded segment; 4) afferent thin segment; 5) efferent thin segment; 6) second rounded segment; 7) ciliary tube; 8) clear canal; 9) pigmented canal; 10) intermediate canal; 11) bladder; 12) terminal canal; 13) nephridiopore. All these regions are intercellular and cilia are found in regions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 13. The connections between afferent and efferent capillary of the vascular supply of the nephridium are made of capillary loops and dilatations which we call "glomeruli" in this paper. Filtering functions are suggested for the "glomerulus". The response of the lobed canal and the first and second rounded segments to Gomori's reaction is strongly positive and this is found to coincide with the largest concentration of "glomeruli" in the main loops 1 and II, that suggests a higher filtration capacity for the canal and segments.

No summary/description provided

The family Plateremaeidae is revised, and includes the following taxa: Plateremaeus Berlese, with the only species P. ornatissimus (Berlese), from Brazil; Allodamaeus Banks, with the species ewingi (Banks), from the USA, coralgablensis, sp. n. (type-locality: USA, Flórida, Coral Gables), and ornatos Balogh & Csiszár, from Argentina; Lophoremaeus, gen. n., with two species: mirabilis Csiszár, from Bulgaria, the type-species, and laminipes (Berlese), n. comb., from Italy; Paralopheremaeus, gen. n., with the species legendrei (Balogh), n. comb., from Madagascar; Calipteremaeus, gen. n., with the species yaginumai (Aoki), n. comb., from Japan; the following species are considered incertae sedis: Plateremaeus carinulatus (Berlese), from Brasil, P. complanatus (Berlese), from Chile, P. rotundatus Berlese, from Japan, and P. tunicatus ( Balogh, from Zaire.

The new family Pheroliodidae, herei nproposed, includes the following genera and species Pheroliodes Grandjean (in whose synonymy Pedrocortesia Hammer is placed), with the species: casa-branquensis, sp. n. (Brazil, São Paulo, Casa Branca), pellitus, sp. n. (Brazil, São Paulo, Piracicaba), nemoricultricis, sp. n. (Brazil, São Paulo, Piracicaba), wehnekei (Willmann) (Guatemala, Venezuela), roblensis Covarrubias (Chile), mirabilis (Hammer), n. comb. (Argentina): Pedrocortesia elegans Hammer, P. intermedia Hammer, both from Peru, P. fissurata Balogh & Mahunka and P. inaequalis Balogh & Mahunka, both from Mongolia, P. franzi Balogh (Chad), P. africana Balogh (Kenya), P. vermicularis Balogh (New Guinea) and P. sculptrata Aoki (Corea) are considered incertae sedis; Lopholiodes, gen. n., includes the species micropunctinatum, sp. n., the type-species (Brazil, São Paulo, Anhumas) and macropunctinatum, sp. n. (Brazil, São Paulo, Piracicaba): Octoliodes, gen n., includes the species leuteomarginatus (Hammer), n. comb., the type-species (New ealand) and rotoruensis (Hammer), n. comb. (New Zealand): and Licnoliodes Grandjean, with the species: andrei Grandjean, type-species (Spain and Algeria), adminensis Grandjean, type-species (Spain and Algeria), adminensis Grandjean (Maroc, Algeria, Spain) and apunctatus Mahunka (Greece).

The family Pedrocortesellidae, fam. n., includes the following genera and specie : Pedrocortesella Hammer, with the species: puchra Hammer (Peru) and gymnonota Hammer (New Zealand), which are redescribed; Pedrocortesella africana Pletzen (South Africa), P. parva Pletzen (South Africa) and P. hardyi Balogh (New Guinea) are considered incertae sedis: and Hexachaetoniella, gen. n., with the species sexpilosa (Hammer), n. comb., the type-species, and japonica (Aoki & Suzuki), n. comb. (Japan).

The families Licnodamaeidae and Licnobelbi ee are recharacterized. Licnodamaeidae includes the sole genus Licnodamaeus Grandjean, with the species: undulatus (Paoli), pulcherrimus (Paoli) and costula Grandjean, all from Europe; the gen b Licnocepheus Woolley is removed from the family Licnodamaeidae. Licnobelbidae includes also one single genus: Licnobelba Grandjean, with the species: alestensis Grandjean, caesarea (Berlese) and montana Mihelcic, all from Europe. Licnodamaeus granulatus Balogh & Csiszár) (Argentina), Licneremaeus latiflabellatus Paoli and Licneremaeus tuberculatus Paoli (both from taly) are considered incertae sedis.

The south American genus Idiodamaeus Paschoal (with 3 espécies) is removed from the Gymnodamaeidae, to constitute the family Idiodamaeidae, fam. n., herein characterized.

Rhythmic activity patterns are demonstrated for 15 species of fish in várzea lakes of the Solimões river by analyzing catch per hour-of-day data. Supplemented by visual observation, an array of six gillnets of equal length but different mesh size was used for collecting. The data, in general, show a bimodal pattern of activity. The two peaks of catch can be related to movement during twilight periods, while low catches can be ascribed to reduced activity during times close to mid-day or night Observed activity peaks correspond to local displacements of fish between feeding and shelter sites. In the case of piscivorous fishes, activity peaks could be explained by facility in prey localization, which is greatest during twilight periods when prey species are moving.

The Stannius corpuscles of Prochilodus scrofa are studied microscopically (both optically and electronically) as well as macroscopically. Two CS, and sometimes 3 or 4, are found per animal. They are pink-coloured organs, rounded in shape and scattered laterally in the first anterior third of the kidney. Each CS is enveloped by a thick connective tissue capsule. The grandular parenchyma consists of only one cellular (PAS-/AF-) type, cylindrical in shape, with oval or rounded nucleus located eccentrically with visible nucleolus. The ultrastructural description is as follows: well developed Golgi complexes, rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in moderate quantities. Electron-dense granules numerous. CS highly vascularized.

Hyla ranki, sp. n., is described from the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This new species resembles Hyla rizibilis Bokermann, 1964. The advertising call and the tadpole are also described. Observations on the biology of the new species are referred and the recognition of the group rizibilis, constituted by H. rizibilis and H. ranki, sp. n., is proposed. Hyla mirim B. Lutz, 1972 is synonymized with H. rizibilis.

The case of the Indigo, or Lear's Macaw, Anodorhynchus leari, is unique in South American ornithology. The species, although described more than 100 years ago, was known only through very few living specimens, which entered occasionally the bird trade, without any indication of their origins. It was presumed "probably some part of Brazil" (Salvadori, 1891). The last speculation was that it was unlikely, though not impossible, that the Indigo Macaw might not be an independem species, but rather, a hybrid between the two other well known blue macaws, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus and A. glaucus (Voous, 1965).

No summary/description provided

No summary/description provided

Phragmatopoda lapisosa Kinberg (Polychaeta, Sabellariidae), originaliy described from the Brazilian coast, has had its distribution much enlarged lately. As the original description is not sufliciently clear, I add here some characteristics for its recognition the shape of the opercular paleae is a decisive character for its identification.

The morphology of the parts and the configuration in situ of the worker digestibe tube of the 8 soilfeeding genera with nasute solidiers from the Neotropical Region are studied. All genera showed a reduced or incomplete gizzard armature, a tubular first proctodeal segment terminating in the left half of the abdomen, an enteric valve armature with trilateral symmetry and often with strong spines, a paunch of two large sections separated by a constriction, and a long colon. In addition, a mixed segment at the mesenteron-proctodeal junction is absent in Convexitermes, Atlantitermes, Araujotermes, Coatitermes, Subulitermes and Agnathotermes, and present in Cyranotermes and Angularitermes, the latter having also a gizzard armature stronger than usual in the soilfeeding nasutes. The coiling of the gut and the morphology of some gut parts provide a good means for the identification of undissected workers of all genera.

The morphology of the mandibles of the alates and workers of the 8 soil-feeding genera with nasute soldiers from the Neotropical Region is studied. Three mandibular patterns are recognized : (1) Convexitermes, Atlantitermes, Araujotermes, Coatitermes, Subulitermes and Agnathotermes have mandibles with complete marginal dentition and no reduced teeth, (2) Angularitermes has mandibles with complete marginal dentition but two teeth are vestigial, and in (3) Cyronotermes the marginal dentition is incomplete. A set of other characteristics is associated with each of these mandibular patterns. Intraspecific variation are registered, either between the alate and the worker castes of all genera, as between the worker types of the dimorphic worker caste of the genera with complete and developed marginal dentition. Such dimorphism was previously unreported for the soil-feeding Nasutitermitinae; the soldier arises from one worker type.

In this study a number of caves from various Brazilian limestone regions were surveyed. The information gathered expands and improves that of our preliminary article, allowing a reasonable good picture of the Brazilian cave fauna. There doesn't seem to be any striking difference between the composition of the Brazilian cave fauna and that of the other tropical regions that have been studied. Animals commonly found throughout the studied area include: Phalangopsidae crickets, Reduviidae heteropterans, Polydesmida and Juliformida millipedes, Opilionida Laniatores, and spiders, particularly Scytodidae, Ctenidae, Theridiosomatidae and Pholcidae. Among the vertebrates the commonest are barts and catfishes. Amblypygi are common in all regions except São Paulo State, which is outside the group geographical distribution. Cockroaches are frequent in the warm caves to the north of Vale do Ribeira (São Paulo State) where these animals are rarely seen. The cave fauna of the Vale do Ribeira is better Known than that of other Brazilian regions. Those small secretive species often found in Vale do Ribeira are probable also common elsewhere: beetles (partilarly the Carabidae, Leiodidae Catopinae, and, to a lesser exyent, the Pselaphidae and Otilodactylidae); dipterans (in special Chironomidae and Keroplatidae); and typically soil animals like collembolans and earthwormos. The sandstone cave fauna is basically the same found in limestone. The only difference seems to be the larger amount of batguano found in the former, conditioning larger populations of guano-feeding arthropods such as crickets and juliformid millipedes. The fauna of the entrance and twilight zone is characterized by the predominance of the Arachnida like opilionids Goniosominae and spiders Pholcidae, and heteropterans Reduviidae; the only typical dipteran of this fauna is the larval form of the fungus gnat Neoditomyia sp. (Mycetophiloidea). It was also observed a stratification within the studied cave communities as a result of the preference of various species toward determined substrates. As in other tropical regions, terrestrial predator troglobites are rare in Brazil, in contrast with temperate caves, characterized by a larger number of such species (particularly among the spiders and beetles). For Brazil only a genus of carabid beetle (Schizogenius spp ), an unidentified species of pselaphidae beetle and some pseudoscorpions, among the terrestrial predators, have been found bearing troglomorphic characters. The Brazilian troglobites are mainly aquatic organisms (catfishes and crustaceans) or terrestrial detritivores/omnivores like isopods and polydesmide millipeds.

No summary/description provided

Using material collected by the Oceanographic Expedition MD04 in the Continental Shelf of Kerguelen Islands, Subantarctic Region, we focused the dominance and the density of the different zoological groups found to be present in relation to the Annelida Polychaeta.