Raahauge Meldgaard (drawermosque02)

In this article we report on a hexactinellid sponge new to science, Tretopleura weijicus sp. nov., which was collected from the Weijia Seamount in the northwestern Pacific Ocean at a depth of 1995 m. Its blade-like and branching body form, the primary choanosomal framework consisting of multiaxial longitudinal strands without synapticula, and the presence of sceptrules suggest placement within the family Uncinateridae Reiswig, 2002, which is also supported by molecular phylogenetic evidence from COI and 16S sequences. The absence of swollen dermal spurs or regular pentactins and the presence of two types of discohexasters characterize it as a new species. More specimens should be collected to revise the generic characters.We describe a new species of the Scinax catharinae group from one of the last remaining fragments of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Minas Gerais. The new species is distinguished from most species of the group mainly by having the mucronate snout in dorsal view, the unique light-yellow coloration on the gular surface in life contrasting with its overall color pattern, and the m. depressor mandibulae with an origin on the dorsal fascia at the level of the m. dorsalis scapulae. These two latter features are novelties in the diagnosis of Scinax species. The new species is currently known only from municipality of Santa Maria do Salto, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This locality is a remaining fragment of Atlantic Forest and has a peculiar geomorphic feature that has been poorly sampled so far.In this paper, we describe Coarazuphium lundi sp. nov., from a single male specimen collected in Gruta 06L cave located in the municipality of Prudente de Morais (Minas Gerais state, Brazil). The two most striking differences between C. lundi and other species of the genus is the presence of two pairs of posterior supraorbital setae and the elytra shape with parallel, not rounded sides. Coarazuphium pains Álvares Ferreira 2002 is an endemic species restricted to a few caves at the Bambuí Carbonatic Group in the midwest of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The holotype of C. pains was unfortunately lost in 2010, due to a fire that destroyed almost the entire zoological collection at the Butantã Institute, São Paulo state in Brazil. In recent years, several species of the genus have been described and compared to C. pains only based on its paper description, clearly prompting the need for the C. pains neotype designation. In order to provide a necessary standard for comparison, a neotype is designed for this species based on the material collected from the best approximation of the type locality (caves). Lastly, we also provide a brief discussion on the presence of eyespots of C. cessaima, originally described as blind.Tardigrades from Argentina are poorly known. Two new species from the Salta province are described in the present contribution Pseudechiniscus saltensis sp. nov., and Doryphoribius cephalogibbosus sp. nov. The former species belongs to the novaezeelandiae group and, apart from the nominal species of the group, it is similar to nine congeneric species by the following characters the absence of spines on legs I and lateral papillae, the scapular plate with a transversal fold, the presence of projections at the posterior margin of the pseudosegmental plate, caudal plate not faceted, and cuticular ornamentation in the form of heads (capituli) of endocuticular pillars, protruding through epicuticle and joined by striae. However, the new species differs from all of them in important qualitative (e.g. colour, different division of plates, details of cuticular ornamentation, claws etc.) and morphometric characters. The new species exhibits a unique morphology of gonopore and anus. Doryphoribius cephalogibbosus sp. nov., by the presence of two macroplacoids, dorsal gibbosities, and inhabiting terrestrial environment, belongs to the flavus group and differs from all members of the group in having ten, instead of nine, rows