The scavenging fauna of the Patagonian slope (900–1750 m), east of the Falkland Islands was investigated using the Aberdeen University Deep Ocean Submersible (AUDOS), an autonomous baited camera vehicle designed to photograph scavenging fish and invertebrates. The AUDOS was deployed on ten occasions in Falkland waters. Nine experiments were of 10–14 h duration and baited with 800 g of squid and one experiment lasted six days, baited with a 10 kg toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides). Analysis of photographs revealed considerable patchiness in the composition of the scavenging fauna. Hagfish (Myxine cf. fernholmi) dominated three of the shallower experiments including the 6-d experiment, arriving quickly from down-current, holding station at the bait and consuming the soft tissues first, with consumption rates of up to 200 g h−1. In the other experiments, stone crabs (Lithodidae), the blue-hake (Antimora rostrata) and amphipods were the primary consumers, but the rate of bait consumption was lower. Patagonian toothfish (D. eleginoides) were attracted to the bait at each experiment, but did not attempt to consume the bait. The patchiness in the fauna may be a result of depth, substratum and topography, but in general the rapid response of the scavenging fauna indicates that carrion is rapidly dispersed, with little impact on the local sediment community.

To estimate the importance of the vertical daily migrations in the structure of the community of the epifauna associated with the leaf stratum of Posidonia oceanica, we compared to the vagil epifauna abundance in respect to the period of the day and the height of the sediment. The study was developed in the P. oceanica meadow of El Campello (Alicante, south-east Spain), during May of 1996, to a depth of 12 m, repeating the samplings in four sites to obtain a correct spatial interpretation. Three main behaviours were detected. Decapods, amphipods, isopods, mysids, ostracods and polychaetes showed a nocturnal increase in the leaf stratum of P. oceanica. By contrast, copepods showed a nocturnal decrease in the leaves and gastropods did not show any temporal change. Chaetognaths and acari did not show statistical differences because of the considerable spatial heterogeneity. These vertical migrations have an extreme importance in the configuration of the structure of the epifauna associated to P. oceanica, in addition to the diverse response of the different taxa.

The pattern of occurrence of medusae off the north-east coast of England are described for the period 1990–1996. The predatory role of the medusae, Aglantha digitale, was examined by comparison of estimated predation rates with those of other planktonic predators. Aglanthe digitale was found to have the potential to considerably reduce copepod abundances, particularly in winter. Other important predators were the amphipod Themisto compressa and the chaetognath Sagitta elegans. There was a great deal of seasonal and interannual variability in predatory impact, with predators such as Pleurobrachia pileus and Meganyctiphanes norvegica occasionally exerting a high predatory impact. Previous studies have identified an important community structuring role for predation in winter in this area, this study shows that planktonic predators can influence copepod abundances throughout the year.

While it is generally assumed that jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) are stably tetramerous, variation in symmetry (i.e. unimerous to octamerous) can be observed in most populations at a rate of approximately 2%, but sometimes as high as 10%. This type of variation has been observed among clonemates during strobilation in five taxa, namely Aurelia aurita, A. labiata, Chrysaora fuscescens, Pelagia colorata, and Phacellophora camtschatica. It is currently unclear whether the symmetry variation is caused by genetic, environmental, or developmental factors, or some combination. Although hexamerous lineages were not bred successfully, lineages were raised with rates of variation higher than normal. Thus, there may be some genetic component to the variation. In one lineage observed over 4.5 months, the rate of non-tetramery declined substantially from an initial high of 88.9% to a final cumulative low of 29%. Apparently this lineage was able to stabilize tetramery over time, possibly indicating some self-correcting developmental mechanism. Furthermore, no difference was found in variation rates between stressed and unstressed polyps, indicating that environmental factors may not play an important role in symmetry determination in these animals. These results indicate stabilizing selection in controlling the expression of variable symmetry.

Heteroxenia fuscescens is a common zooxanthellate soft coral on the shallow reefs of the Gulf of Eilat, northern Red Sea. Its main nutritional sources are the uptake of dissolved organic material (DOM) and carbon fixation by its symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae). Recent studies have indicated that although colonies of H. fuscescens release planulae all year round, their fecundity was subject to seasonal changes. In this study the monthly per cent of ash, lipid, protein and carbohydrate in the coral tissue over a three year period was determined. It was found that the tissues of colonies of H. fuscescens contained a monthly per cent mean of 8.8±4 ash (without sclerites), 11±3.5 lipid, 19.2±6.4 protein, and 0.6±0.01 carbohydrate (N=36). This study is the first to present such values based on long term investigation of the biochemical profile of a coral, thus enabling an examination of temporal variability in biochemical composition among seasons and successive years. The results indicated seasonal fluctuations in lipid and protein content, while variation in the biochemical composition among years was expressed only in the protein content. The mean energetic content of H. fuscescens was relatively high at 23.3±1.2 kJ g−1 dry weight (DW). A significant difference in the energetic content of H. fuscescens was found among seasons. It is suggested that the increase in nutrient levels following the annual mixing event at the Gulf of Eilat and the raised light levels led to high energetic content during summer, which may reflect the increase in the number of embryos and developing planulae in H. fuscescens colonies. Furthermore, it is suggested that in the Gulf of Eilat seasonal fluctuations in the abiotic features of the water may have an impact on the biochemical composition and energetic content of the studied species.

Nematode species from three intertidal assemblages (St Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada) were studied in order to form an ecological interpretation of three allometric attributes: body width, size spectra, and morphotypes. The three assemblages were characterized by a very similar sediment grain median (Md) but different silt–clay proportions: A1 (upper-tidal level; Md=122 μm; silt=34.8%), A3 (mid-tidal level; Md=182 μm; silt=12.8%), and A5 (lower-tidal level; Md=122 μm; silt=6.8%). Silt–clay proportions were an influential factor in determining the mean nematode body width, used as a morphological discriminant between burrowing and interstitial organisms. A plot of the number of species vs the body width-classes showed two peaks: between 19.3 and 22.6 μm (interstitial), and between 32.0 and 45.5 μm (burrowers). As for the size spectra, in sandy sediments the mean nematode individual biomass was smaller than in muddy sediments. As a consequence, the estimated mean individual respiration rate was greater in muddy (A1=2.26 nl O2 h−1) than sandy sediments (A3=1.25 nl O2 h−1; A5=1.12 nl O2 h−1). In contrast, estimated metabolic ratios were lower in A1 (2.78 nl O2 h−1 μg−1 dry weight, DW) than in A3 (2.95 nl O2 h−1 μg−1 DW) and A5 (3.01 nl O2 h−1 μg−1 DW) suggesting different productivity and/or physiological adaptations to different lifestyles (burrowing vs interstitial) between species inhabiting muddy or sandy sediments. Morphotypes (body width/body length ratio=w/l ratio) were found to be associated with feeding groups. Small w/l ratios were typical of microvores, while greater ratios were typical of epigrowth feeders and predators. Ciliate-feeders, deposit-feeders and facultative predators had intermediate ratios. A morphotype food-related hypothesis is proposed: the species morphotype reflects the quality of exploited food; a small w/l ratio (i.e. long gut) would favour digestive efficiency and would be an adaptation to low quality food (microvores); inversely, a greater w/l ratio (i.e. short gut) would be an adaptation to high quality food (epigrowth-feeders and predators).

The present study investigates correlations between abundances of nematodes (at the genus level) and benthic microalgae on an intertidal mudflat in the Westerschelde Estuary (south-west Netherlands), using both multi- and univariate methods. Two sample series, covering surface areas of 10 cm2 (meioscale) and 1.25 cm2 (microscale) per sample were analysed. Trophic type analysis indicated that an average of 31% of the nematode community were candidate grazers of microalgae. Multivariate data analysis indicated that only a limited part of the variation in the nematode data could be explained in relation to pigments. Total nematodes did not show any correlation with the pigment data. On the meioscale, the genera Tripyloides and Calyptronema correlated negatively with chlorophyll concentration (chl-a and chl-c, respectively), while Prochromadorella correlated positively with the ratio of fucoxanthin to chl-a, a ratio which at the present sampling site can be considered to be a measure of the proportion of diatoms in the total microalgal standing stock. On the microscale, up to ten genera, comprising 76% of total nematode numbers, were correlated with pigments. A majority (74%) correlated specifically with the ratio of fucoxanthin to chl-a, while much fewer nematodes showed a direct correlation to pigment concentrations. Whereas many of these correlations could be explained in terms of direct trophic links, several others probably represented indirect relationships, trophic or other. Food densities may be less important structuring factors of nematode communities on tidal flats than relative abundances of particular food sources. It is suggested that nematodes actively migrate towards ‘optimal’ food patches, and that this dynamic aspect of nematode–microalgae correlations is best revealed at a spatial-scale small enough to allow a rapid response of nematodes to changes in adjacent patches. Apparently, the microscale used in the present study is more adequate for the study of such intricate interactions than the meioscale.

The secondary production of Nereis diversicolor and Scoloplos armiger (Annelida, Polychaeta) was studied at Stiffkey saltmarshes (north Norfolk coast). Production estimation on the basis of monthly sampling (August 1992–July 1993) gives 17.91 g C m−2 y−1 for N. diversicolor, 3.37 g C m−2 y−1 for S. armiger. Oxygen consumption of individuals was studied using a respirometer at four temperatures (5, 10, 15 and 20°C). At 15 °C, the relationships between O2 consumption (mg h−1) and body dry weight (mg) is Y=0.003X0.695 for S. armiger and Y=0.003X0.498 for N. diversicolor. Ammonia excretion of S. armiger tends to increase with decreasing temperature whereas it increases from 5 to 15 °C for N. diversicolor. Carbon loss through respiration for the sampling period is estimated at 32 g C m−2 y−1 for S. armiger, and 31.7 g C m−2 y−1 for N. diversicolor. About 20% of the potential supply of phytobenthic carbon in the marsh would be converted by the populations of both species. Estimations of carbon and nitrogen budgets of S. armiger are discussed.

In 1994 a warm-water barnacle Solidobalanus fallax was recorded for the first time in the UK (Southward, 1995). The naupliar development of this immigrant species is now described, from larvae reared in the laboratory. The planktotrophic nauplii of S. fallax reached the cyprid stage 8 d after hatching, at 25°C. Larval development includes six naupliar and one cyprid stage, following the typical pattern of the thoracican Cirripedia. Naupliar stages have a broad rounded convex cephalic shield without dorsal and marginal spines. Nauplii have a trilobed labrum with the small teeth found in other warm-water species. The abdominal process becomes nearly equal to the dorsal thoracic spine in stage VI. The arrangement of abdominal spines and larval setation are in the usual balanoid pattern. The significant difference of the S. fallax larvae from those of the related temperate-water archaeobalanid species Hesperibalanus hesperius supports the classification of these species into separate genera.

Triplicate samples of rockpool algae were collected at each of three tidal elevations (upper, mid and low) from four shores on the north-east coast of England. Two moderately exposed (Ravenscar, the exposed shore at Filey Brigg), and two moderately sheltered (Selwicks Bay, the sheltered shore at Filey Brigg) shores were sampled during one week of spring tides during June 1996. A total of 6866 individual ostracods comprising of 26 ostracod species were recovered from the algal samples. Some species showed significant differences in abundance with tidal elevation across the four shores, e.g. Hirschmannia viridis was significantly more abundant in the upper shore pools. Other species, e.g. Heterocythereisalbomaculata, showed no significant difference in abundance either with tidal elevation or between shores. Significant differences in abundance occurred between shores at a given tidal height in some species, e.g. Semicytherura nigrescens was absent from Selwicks Bay but abundant on the remaining shores. Other species had markedly disjunct distributions, e.g. Callistocythere badia only occurred in the exposed upper shore pools at Filey Brigg. Ostracods were significantly less abundant in the low shore pools. Cluster analysis showed that low shore samples had a high degree of similarity between the four shores whereas the upper and mid-shore samples clustered primarily to shore. A two-way ANOSIM indicated that there was a significant difference in assemblage similarity between the four shores and also between the different tidal elevations.

Dirivultus spinigulatus sp. nov. (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) is described from vestimentiferans at a deep-water hydrothermal site near Lihir Island in the South Pacific. The species is characterized by several features: sexual dimorphism in the second segment of the antennule, the rostrum with lateral spines, the oral cone with four conspicuous spines, the mandible without palp, the maxilla without an axillary seta, the endopod of leg 1 with segments 1 and 2 partly fused, and leg 5 in the female represented by a conspicuous ventrally located spine but in the male by a free segment having setae. A key is included to the 11 genera of the family Dirivultidae, whose members are endemic to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.

The new species Eugerda gigantea sp. nov. is described from the abyssal of the equatorial eastern South Pacific. For the genus Eugerda this is the first record from the South Pacific ocean, the other known species of the genus occur in the northern hemisphere or the equatorial Atlantic ocean.

Since the late 19th century, the accidentally introduced Gastropoda Crepidula fornicata has been invading sheltered coastal waters of western Europe. The consequences of this proliferation on macrozoobenthic communities were studied in the Bay of Marennes-Oléron, France. Crepidula fornicata was found in a wide range of sediment grain sizes and depths, with however, a predilection for shallow muddy areas where abundance and biomass reached 4770 ind m−2 and 354 g DW m−2, respectively. Soft-sediment macrofaunal assemblages were compared in similar habitats, in the presence and absence of C. fornicata. In muddy and medium sand areas, abundance, biomass and species richness of macrofauna were generally greater in presence of C. fornicata, with Annelida dominating, although the differences were significant (P<0.05) only in one location out of five. The species composition was moderately different in the presence of C. fornicata. In coarse sand, the abundance of C. fornicata was low and did not affect abundance, biomass and species richness of the macrofauna. However, species composition differed where C. fornicata was absent, with a higher proportion of mobile Crustaceana. The effect of C. fornicata on benthic communities differs in relation to the habitat they colonize: in muddy sediments, the presence of C. fornicata apparently stimulates zoobenthic community diversity and abundance (mostly deposit-feeders), whereas in coarser sediments, macrofauna community is different (more suspension-feeders) from the community associated with C. fornicata.

The radular activity of dogwhelks, Nucella lapillus, drilling mussels, Mytilus edulis, was monitored by piezoelectric transducers and recorded by an automatic digital system. In this way, for the first time, the drilling behaviour of dogwhelks was analysed in detail. Radular activity was similar to that previously recorded for limpets, each radular stroke (rasp) being formed by a sequence of 1–8 unit events, each probably corresponding to the application of one row of radular teeth on the substratum. During drilling, radular rasping followed a consistent pattern, each bout of radular rasping (lasting about 6–8 min) being followed by a period of radular inactivity (lasting about 35 min), when chemical dissolution is probably applied. The periodicity with which rasping was applied decreased during the drilling sequence (from about 25 min in the first quarter of the drilling process to about 40 min in the last quarter), together with a decrease in the rasping rate, i.e. number of radular rasps per min (from about 12 to about five rasps per min). Accordingly, the total number of radular rasps recorded during the first quarter of the drilling time was higher than during the other quarters (from about 3000 to about 500 rasps). The role of the radula in shell penetration was therefore rather extensive, accounting, during the first quarter of the process, for about 34% of drilling time. The results are discussed in relation to studies of chemical dissolution and mussel shell ultrastructure.

Octopuses (Eledone cirrhosa) feeding on crabs (Carcinus maenus) may penetrate the crab by a carapace borehole or puncture of the eye. In ad libitum feeding trials (632 crabs eaten), 31% of the predated crabs had a punctured eye, 57% had a borehole in the dorsal carapace. Eye puncture and boring occurred together in 6% of cases but 18% were neither punctured nor bored.

Feeding trials in which size of prey and size of octopus were controlled showed that the incidence of boreholes was greatest (>70%) in small crabs (<50 mm carapace width). Incidence of eye puncture (10% in small crabs) rose to 25% in crabs of over 50 mm carapace width and to over 40% in the largest crabs used (65–80 mm carapace width).

Large octopuses used eye puncture less frequently than small octopuses. Increasing the proportion of small crabs in the diet increased the subsequent incidence of carapace boring at all crab sizes. The results are discussed in relation to differences in prey handling efficiency at different prey sizes.

Microstructural prominent discontinuities (checks) were observed within the statoliths of the short-finned squid Illex coindetii from the Strait of Sicily. Two hundred and forty-two pairs of statoliths were extracted from specimens (52–175 mm of mantle length, ML) sampled during autumn 1995 and analysed. Beside the check delimiting the postnuclear zone, up to four peripheral checks were detected in the peripheral zone. The occurrence of peripheral checks in the statoliths of immature squid was low (5–15%), whereas 80–95% of mature squid had peripheral checks. The mean number of peripheral checks within statoliths of mature males and females did not differ significantly (1.53–1.68 peripheral checks per squid). In mature and spawning females, the number of peripheral checks corresponded well with the number of spermatophoric bundles inside the mantles. Age at peripheral check formation was estimated for each sex, indicating that the first peripheral check formed at a significantly younger age in males than in females. Formation of the first peripheral check coincided with the start of maturation in both sexes, at a wide age range. The number of increments between peripheral checks subsequent to the first one declined sharply and remained similar in the two sexes, with a predominant mode between three and seven increments. A possible relationship between the number of peripheral checks and mating events in I. coindetii is discussed.

The study of the digestive epithelium in Sagitta setosa, S. serratodentata, and S. pacifica revealed only a few morphological and cytological differences among the three species. The gut was divided in two main regions. The first is the cephalic region where the epithelium is composed of three distinct cell types (S1, S2, and S3), the ultrastructure of which is probably specialized either for the synthesis of mucosubstances (S1), or enzymes (S3), or both (S2). The second region of the gut extends to the trunk and is mainly composed of the intestine and a short vertical rectum. No intestinal diverticula were observed. The intestinal epithelium displayed two ciliated cell types, anteriorly, a secretory cell type (S4) containing large mucus-like granules, and a second cell type (A) predominated in the posterior part of the intestine. A-cells appear to have two main functions. Although they exhibit secretory granules, they also display typical endocytotic features in their upper half, i.e. coated vesicles, a well-developed tubulo–vesicular network and two distinct types of digestive vacuoles corresponding to an endosome–lysosome-like system. From the distribution and presumed function of the cells, the gut may be divided in two main functional units, i.e. the cephalic and trunk units.

Different marine invertebrates have different tubular or vesicular systems within their locomotor muscle fibres. The siphonophores Chelophyes, Abylopsis and Muggeia have invaginated tubules which are the morphological equivalent of the vertebrate invaginated tubular system, but lack a sarcoplasmic reticulum. In Chelophyes the previous suggestion that Ca2+ channels in the extensive invaginated tubule system allow ingress of Ca2+ is shown to be incorrect. Contraction of the swimming muscles in Chelophyes is not blocked by 20 μM ryanodine, nor is it induced by 10 mM caffeine, hence intracellular Ca2+ stores appear absent. Contraction is, however, maintained by replacement of the greater part of the usual external Na+ by Li+ or by or N-methyl-D-glucamine, although action potentials can still be evoked. Hence we conclude that following contraction, internal Ca2+ is reduced by a Na/Ca2+ exchange mechanism.

Abiotic and biotic aspects of the covering behaviour of the purple sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) were systematically examined in situ and in the laboratory to analyse potential intra-population differences in the nature of this behaviour. In the field, significant differences in the occurrence of covering behaviour were found between age groups. Smaller P. lividus covered at higher frequencies than larger individuals. Higher proportions of individuals were also observed to cover during afternoon sampling periods. Significant differences in the types of covering material used were found between P. lividus observed in the laboratory and in the field. These findings suggest that the benefits and/or opportunities of covering behaviour may change with size and habitat.

Some meiobenthic harpacticoid copepod species cannot be successfully cultured, therefore empirical models were developed to estimate their development times, using literature data, but taking into consideration several empirical rules previously formulated to model the development of planktonic copepods. The present models demonstrated the overwhelming influence of rearing temperature on egg development time, and of body length on total development time and indicate a capacity to adapt development rates to environmental temperature.