Abstract Modern systematics integrating molecular and morphological data has greatly improved our understanding of coral evolutionary relationships during the last two decades and led to a deeply revised taxonomy of the order Scleractinia. The family Merulinidae (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) was recently subjected to a series of revisions following this integrated approach but the phylogenetic affinities of several genera ascribed to it remain unknown. Here, we partially fill this gap through the study of 89 specimens belonging to all 10 valid species from four genera ( Caulastraea , Erythrastrea , Oulophyllia and Dipsastraea ) collected from 14 localities across the Indo‐Pacific realm. Four molecular loci (histone H3, COI, ITS and IGR) were sequenced, and a total of 44 skeletal morphological characters (macromorphology, micromorphology and microstructure) were analysed. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the phaceloid Caulastraea species are split into two distinct lineages. A species previously ascribed to the genus Dipsastraea , Dipsastraea maxima , is also recovered in one on these lineages. Furthermore, Erythrastrea is nested within Oulophyllia . The molecular reconstructions of evolutionary relationships are further corroborated by multiscale morphological evidence. To resolve the taxonomy of these genera, Astraeosmilia is resurrected to accommodate Astraeosmilia connata , Astraeosmilia curvata , Astraeosmilia tumida and Astraeosmilia maxima, with Caulastraea retaining Caulastraea furcata and Caulastraea echinulata . Based on the examination of type material, Erythrastrea flabellata is considered an objective synonym of Lobophyllia wellsi , which is transferred to Oulophyllia following the obtained morpho‐molecular results. This work further confirms that an integrated morpho‐molecular approach based on a rigorous phylogenetic framework is fundamental for an objective classification that reflects the evolutionary history of scleractinian corals.

KAVIENG 2014

The original description of Macroparalepis elongatus Ege, 1933 (family Paralepididae) was based on a young specimen taken from Sri Lanka. No adult information is available since it was described. Six additional specimens, including three adults and three young specimens, were found in the museum collections. The adult morphology is described for the first time and its distribution range is now extended to South Pacific Ocean off New Caledonia and Australia, and the Western Indian Ocean off Madagascar. Detailed description and comparison of these specimens and the holotype, as well as a revised diagnosis for the species, are provided.

HALIPRO 2

PAPUA NIUGINI

30 new species in the Trichotropid CAPULIDAE in the genera Verticosta, Latticosta n. gen., Torellia and Trichosirius are described from tropical and subtropical deep water of Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Ocean: Verticosta ariane n. sp., Verticosta bellefontainae n. sp., Verticosta milleinsularum n. sp., Verticosta filipinos n. sp., Verticosta plexa n. sp., Verticosta lapita n. sp., Verticosta pyramis n. sp., Verticosta kanak n. sp., Verticosta vanuatuensis n. sp., Verticosta feejee n. sp., Verticosta lilii n. sp., Verticosta sinusvellae n. sp., Verticosta terrasesae n. sp., Verticosta uvea n. sp., Verticosta rurutuana n. sp., Verticosta bicarinata n. sp., Verticosta tricarinata n. sp., Verticosta quadricarinata n. sp., Verticosta cheni n. sp., Verticosta iris n. sp., Verticosta castelli n. sp., Verticosta biangulata n. sp., Verticosta reunionnaise n. sp., Verticosta lemurella n. sp., Verticosta madagascarensis n. sp., Latticosta guidopoppei n. sp., Latticosta tagaroae n. sp., Latticosta magnifica n. sp., Torellia loyaute n. sp. and Trichosirius omnimarium n. sp. Trichotropis townsendi is now Latticosta townsendi n. comb.. Shell material comes from expeditions by MNHN and collections of authors.

ATIMO VATAE, AURORA 2007, BATHUS 1, BATHUS 2, BATHUS 3, BATHUS 4, BENTHAUS, BENTHEDI, BIOCAL, BIOGEOCAL, BIOMAGLO, BIOPAPUA, BOA1, BORDAU 1, BORDAU 2, CONCALIS, EBISCO, EXBODI, GUYANE 2014, HALIPRO 1, INHACA 2011, KANACONO, KARUBAR, KAVIENG 2014, LAGON, LIFOU 2000, MADEEP, MADIBENTHOS, MD32 (REUNION), MIRIKY, MONTROUZIER, MUSORSTOM 10, MUSORSTOM 2, MUSORSTOM 3, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 6, MUSORSTOM 7, MUSORSTOM 8, NORFOLK 1, NORFOLK 2, PANGLAO 2005, PAPUA NIUGINI, SALOMON 1, SALOMON 2, SALOMONBOA 3, SANTO 2006, SMIB 8, ???msg.security.private???, TAIWAN 2000, TARASOC, TERRASSES

The swimming crabs (family Portunidae) are distributed worldwide and commonly inhabit estuaries, mangroves, reefs, shallow and the deep sea. Previously, 75 species and 19 genera in this family were known to Taiwan. Our study examined specimens in Taiwanese waters, including the islands, collected between 2016 and 2020 or deposited in museums. Through the cytochrome oxidase subunit I DNA barcode marker and morphological examination, 71 species were identified. The minimum interspecific distances were greater than 4.09%, except in two unresolved groups: Charybdis miles (De Haan, 1835) and Ch. sagamiensis Parisi, 1916, as well as Thranita pelsarti (Montgomery, 1931) and Thr. prymna (Herbst, 1803). In addition, 14 species belonging to nine genera were confirmed as new records to Taiwan, viz. Carupa ohashii Takeda, 1993, Lupocyclus inaequalis (Walker, 1887), Luu. tugelae Barnard, 1950, Lupocycloporus minutus (Shen, 1937), Monomia gladiator (Fabricius, 1798), M. lucida Koch & Ďuriš, 2018, Podophthalmus minabensis Sakai, 1961, Thalamita gatavakensis Nobili, 1906, Tha. spinifera Borradaile, 1902, Thalamitoides quadridens A. Milne-Edwards, 1869, Tho. tridens A. Milne-Edwards, 1869, Thr. cerasma (Wee & Ng, 1995), Thr. coeruleipes (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846) and Xiphonectes tuberculosus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1861). This study thus raises the total number of Portunidae species in Taiwan to 89.

ATIMO VATAE, LAGON, PAPUA NIUGINI

BATHUS 2, BATHUS 4, SMIB 6

The portunid crab Ovalipes iridescens (Miers, 1886) is reported for the first time from the marine waters of Taiwan, and is just the second Ovalipes species known from this region. The only previously known Ovalipes species from Taiwan is a commercially-used species, Ovalipes punctatus (De Haan, 1833). The present study provides morphological and distributional data, and discusses the variability of the external morphology. The colour pattern of the body and the shape of the male gonopods of the newly recorded O. iridescens are illustrated.

TAIWAN 2013

ATIMO VATAE, PANGLAO 2004, PANGLAO 2005

Voltage-gated sodium ­(NaV) channels are transmembrane proteins that play a critical role in electrical signaling in the nervous system and other excitable tissues. µ-Conotoxins are peptide toxins from the venoms of marine cone snails (genus Conus) that block ­NaV channels with nanomolar potency. Most species of the subgenera Textilia and Afonsoconus are difficult to acquire; therefore, their venoms have yet to be comprehensively interrogated for µ-conotoxins. The goal of this study was to find new µ-conotoxins from species of the subgenera Textilia and Afonsoconus and investigate their selectivity at human ­NaV channels. Using RNA-seq of the venom gland of Conus (Textilia) bullatus, we identified 12 µ-conotoxin (or µ-conotoxinlike) sequences. Based on these sequences we designed primers which we used to identify additional µ-conotoxin sequences from DNA extracted from historical specimens of species from Textilia and Afonsoconus. We synthesized six of these µ-conotoxins and tested their activity on human N­ aV1.1–NaV1.8. Five of the six synthetic peptides were potent blockers of human ­NaV channels. Of these, two peptides (BuIIIB and BuIIIE) were potent blockers of h­ NaV1.3. Three of the peptides (BuIIIB, BuIIIE and AdIIIA) had submicromolar activity at ­hNaV1.7. This study serves as an example of the identification of new peptide toxins from historical DNA and provides new insights into structure–activity relationships of µ-conotoxins with activity at ­hNaV1.3 and ­hNaV1.7.

PAKAIHI I TE MOANA, TERRASSES

ATIMO VATAE, AURORA 2007, BATHUS 1, BATHUS 2, BENTHAUS, BERYX 11, BIOPAPUA, BOA0, BOA1, BORDAU 1, BORDAU 2, CONCALIS, EBISCO, EXBODI, KARUBAR, KARUBENTHOS 2, KARUBENTHOS 2012, KAVIENG 2014, LIFOU 2000, MAINBAZA, MONTROUZIER, MUSORSTOM 10, MUSORSTOM 6, MUSORSTOM 7, MUSORSTOM 8, MUSORSTOM 9, NORFOLK 1, NORFOLK 2, PANGLAO 2004, PANGLAO 2005, PAPUA NIUGINI, SALOMON 1, SALOMON 2, SALOMONBOA 3, SMIB 8, TAIWAN 2000, TARASOC, Tuhaa Pae 2013, ???msg.security.private???

ATIMO VATAE, AURORA 2007, BATHUS 2, BATHUS 3, BATHUS 4, BENTHEDI, BERYX 11, BIOPAPUA, BOA0, BOA1, BORDAU 1, BORDAU 2, CHALCAL 1, CONCALIS, EBISCO, EXBODI, KARUBAR, KARUBENTHOS 2, KAVIENG 2014, LAGON, LIFOU 2000, LITHIST, MADEEP, MONTROUZIER, MUSORSTOM 10, MUSORSTOM 7, MUSORSTOM 8, MUSORSTOM 9, NORFOLK 2, PANGLAO 2004, PANGLAO 2005, PAPUA NIUGINI, SALOMON 1, SALOMON 2, SALOMONBOA 3, SMIB 8, TAIWAN 2000, TARASOC, ???msg.security.private???, ZhongSha 2015

The integration of morphological and molecular lines of evidence has enabled the family Deltocyathidae to be erected to accommodate Deltocyathus species that were previously ascribed to the family Caryophylliidae. However, although displaying the same morphological characteristics as other species of Deltocyathus, molecular data suggested that D. magnificus was phylogenetically distant from Deltocyathidae, falling within the family Turbinoliidae instead. To elucidate the enigmatic evolutionary history of this species and skeletal microstructural features, the phylogenetic relationships of Deltocyathidae and Turbinoliidae were investigated using nuclear ultraconserved and exon loci and complete mitochondrial genomes. Both nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenomic reconstructions confirmed the position of D. magnificus within turbinolids. Furthermore, a novel mitochondrial gene order was uncovered for Deltocyathidae species. This gene order was not present in Turbinoliidae or in D. magnificus that both have the scleractinian canonical gene order, further indicating the taxonomic utility of mitochondrial gene order. D. magnificus is therefore formally moved to the family Turbinoliidae and accommodated in a new genus (Dennantotrochus Kitahara, Vaga & Stolarski, gen. nov.). Surprisingly, turbinolids and deltocyathids do not differ in microstructural organisation of the skeleton that consists of densely packed, individualised rapid accretion deposits and thickening deposits composed of fibres perpendicular to the skeleton surface. Therefore, although both families are clearly evolutionarily divergent, macromorphological features indicate a case of skeletal convergence while these may still share conservative biomineralisation mechanisms.

CONCALIS, EBISCO, EXBODI, KANACONO, KANADEEP, KANADEEP 2