WoRMS Release Images June 2008

Examples of New Marine Species by Census Scientists

	Yeti Crab This new species of crab was discovered off the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge in the South Pacific Ocean (37°46.50'S, 110°54.70'W). It was named Kiwa hirsuta kiwa, after the goddess of shellfish in Polynesian mythology, but has become known as the "yeti crab" because of its hairy appearance. The crab was collected by slurp gun from the Alvin submersible at 2228 M water depth. Reference: Macpherson E., Jones J. & M. Segonzac, 2005. A new Squat lobster family of Galatheoidea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) from the hydrothermal vents of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge. Zoosystema 27(4): 709-723.		Ghost Shrimp A new species of ghost shrimp was found associated with mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz in the Northeast Atlantic Vulcanocalliax arutyunovi n.gen, n.sp. was collected from the Captain Arutyunov mud volcano at a depth of 1324 m by researchers using a Television-assisted grab. This unusual arthropod was only the second recorded thalassinidean crustacean, commonly known as ghost shrimp, to be found associated with deep-sea chemoautotrophic communities. Reference: Dworschak, P.C. and M.R. Cunha, 2007. A new subfamily, Vulcanocalliacinae n.subfam., for Vulcanocalliax arutyunovi n.gen,. n.sp. from a mud volcano in the Gulf of Cadiz (Crustacea, Decapoda, Callianassidae). Zootaxa 1460: 35-46.
	New Squid This new squid species, Promacoteuthis sloani, was collected in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 2004 and subsequently named for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a major supporter of Census research. Promachoteuthis sloani is known from two specimens: the smaller holotype, an immature female 58 mm ML and a paratype, an immature female, 102 mm ML. The paratype was captured by the R/V WALTER HERWIG in 1973 while the holotype was captured by the R/V G.O. SARS in 2004 and was in near-perfect condition. Both were taken from the North Atlantic in nets that fished to depths greater than 2,000 m. Virtually nothing is known of their biology. Reference: Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Uwe Piatkowskic. 2006. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, Promachoteuthis sloani, a new species of the squid family Promachoteuthidae (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). pp. 287-292.		Madagascar Lobster Census researchers have discovered more than 5300 potential new species, ranging in size from zooplankton (1cm-1mm in length) to a new giant Madagascar Lobster (4kg), Panulirus barbarae. The specimens were collected from the Walters Shoals on the Madagascar Ridge in the Southwest Indian Ocean approximately 720 km south of Madagascar and 1,100 km east of Durban, South Africa. They were first collected by commercial lobster fishermen and brought to the attention of Marine and Coastal Management officials when they arrived in port. Reference: Groeneveld, J.C., C.L. Griffiths, and A.P. Van Dalsen. 2006. A new species of spiny lobster, Panulirus barbarae (Decapoda, Palinuridae) from Walters Shoals on the Madagascar Ridge. Crustaceana 79(7): 821-833.
Examples of other new species available at WoRMS
	Haliclona (Soestella) xena, De Weerdt, 1986 Another new species of sponge was photographed by Bruno Van Bogaert.		) Liocarcinus marmoreus, Leach 1814 The photo of this marbled crab was taken by Hans Hillerwaert onboard the RV Belgica at Westhinder Bank on March 10, 2005.
	Graph from the World Register of Marine Species showing the rate at which marine fish species have been formally described in scientific literature.		Graph from the World Register of Marine Species showing the rate at which marine fish and flatworm species have been formally described in scientific literature. There is no sign of a decrease in the rate of discovery of new fish for the past 170 years, but the rate of discovery is even higher for flatworms whose discovery began more recently.
	Cliona celata This brilliant yellow sponge was found on Morlaix, Brittany at 38 meters. Photographer Yann Fontana.		Popularly called Breadcrumb Sponge, Halichondria panicea is the marine world's reigning champion of aliases, with 56 synonyms appearing in taxonomic literature since its first description in 1766.  Of no fixed address, it takes on many appearances (as shown in photos) and is also known as (AKA) Alcyonium manusdiaboli sensu (1794), Spongia compacta (1806), Halichondria albescens (1818), Seriatula seriata (1826), Hymeniacidon brettii (1866), Pellina bibula (1870), Amorphina appendiculata (1875), Isodictya crassa (1882), Microciona (1882), Menanetia minchini (1896), Trachyopsilla glaberrima (1931) and 44 other names. They have been given many different names because they look so very different. Identification of sponge species, however, is not based on visible external characteristics, but rather on the inner calcareous skeleton. Photos by: Rob van Soest, Arjan Gittenberger and Bernard Picton.