The feeding behaviour of stage I–III phyllosoma of the spiny lobsters Jasus edwardsii and Jasus verreauxi was recorded to determine the sequence of events and sensory mechanisms involved in the feeding process. All phyllosoma exhibited a characteristic tumbling behaviour prior to making contact with an individual Artemia and feeding behaviour was similar between the two species. Tactile contact with pereiopods 1 or 2 was necessary to initiate a prey capture response which involved spearing of Artemia, using the terminal dactyl present on these two pereiopods and then passing the prey forward to the mouth with the maxillipeds.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the pereiopods revealed two morphologically distinct receptors present on the distal segments. These receptors are suggested to have tactile and chemoreceptive roles.

The seasonal distribution of Leonnates persicus was studied along depth transects (10–200 m) of three stations located in the Levant Sea during February–November 2000. Leonnates persicus particularly dominated the slightly gravelly sand bottom of stations between 10 and 150 m. Its distributional pattern showed a seasonal trend: it inhabited depths between 40 and 150 m in February and May when surface temperature was below 21°C, whereas it preferred shallower waters (10–60 m) during the warm season (>29°C in August). The density of the species in the area varied between 10 and 130 ind m−2, with a maximum at 25–30 m off Erdemli in August.

Patterns in community structure of meiofauna and macrofauna in relation to Portuguese clam dredging were compared during a 2-y-period off Lagos and Vilamoura, south Portugal. SCUBA divers randomly sampled corer and quadrat samples before and immediately after simulating commercial dredge fishery. Univariate measures (abundance, number of taxa, evenness, diversity and biomass) and multivariate analyses (Cluster, MDS and SIMPER) revealed changes in the meio- and macro-benthic community structure caused by dredge disturbance (short-term effects), with a general decrease in all measures. Macrofauna were found to be more sensitive to dredge disturbance, and aggressive predatory behaviour was observed after disturbance in the continuously dredged area. Nevertheless, higher significant natural changes were found between seasonal periods, indicating that dredging may only cause a small-scale and short-term impact.

Data came from the Irving, Meteor and Plato seamounts and, were obtained during the Seamount 2 Expedition on board the RV ‘Le Suroît’ in 1993. On the three seamounts, polychaetes were sampled at 44 sites from 260 to 1800 m: 8 sites on Irving, 27 on Meteor and 9 on Plato. In all five seamounts, 1753 individuals were collected: 403 on Atlantis, 346 on Hyeres, 523 on Irving, 387 on Meteor and 94 on Plato. The species richness from the five seamounts is 53: 31 on Atlantis, 24 on Hyeres, 20 on Irving, 28 on Meteor and 21 species on Plato. Only nine species are present on all five seamounts. Three families Onuphidae, Amphinomidae and Eunicidae are dominant. Two groups of seamounts were identified by cluster analysis: Atlantis and Hyeres and, Irving, Meteor and, Plato. The distribution of the polychaetes collected on these five seamounts are compared with the polychaete fauna from the North Atlantic ocean.

The abundance patterns of copepods on the Juan de Fuca Ridge was examined. One species was studied in detail. Twelve non-parasitic species are recorded from the Juan de Fuca, but only three dirivultid species and some unidentified harpacticoids are abundant in collections. Densities are estimated at 0·5 copepod cm−2 on vestimentiferan tubes to over 8 cm−2 on chimney surfaces. Aphotopontius forcipatus is most abundant at new vents and Benthoxynus spiculifer is most abundant at mature vents. Vents with reduced or undetectable fluid flow have higher diversity of copepod fauna.  The life cycle of the siphonostome Stygiopontius quadrispinosus begins with a centrolecithal egg brooded singly or doubly on the female. Hatching and naupliar stages are unknown in benthic samples. The preadult stage (copepodite V) recruits to the vent habitat. Pre-adult males attach to pre-adult females and fertilize at the final copepodite VI moult. As the sex ratio is highly skewed in favour of females, males probably inseminate many females and there may be mate competition in populations where males are rare. Reproduction is probably continuous or semi-continuous. Abundance is greatest on sulphide edifices near the points of hot water egress. This copepod co-occurs with the alvinellid polychaete Paralvinella sulfincola.

The mudsnail Hydrobia ulvae, primary host to a number of digeneans, was studied to check whether parasite effects on individual hosts could have repercussion on population size structure and dynamics. Three different mudsnail populations were monitored monthly in Arcachon Bay, south-west France. Arguin is a moderately sheltered oceanic sandflat and a bird reserve, La Canelette is a sheltered sandflat near a harbour and Lette Douce is a sheltered salt marsh. Parasite prevalence differed among the three stations, with no obvious seasonal pattern: 0–16% at Arguin, 0–6% at La Canelette and 1–5% at Lette Douce. Between four and five digenean species were identified, with Haploporidae dominating at Arguin and Notocotylidae dominating at Lette Douce. Prevalence increased with snail shell height. Large snails from Arguin were heavily parasitized, but suddenly disappeared between December 1998 and January 1999. The snail size distribution was consequently modified. To test whether digenean-induced mortality could be involved, a 50-d laboratory experiment was performed. Mudsnails hosting digeneans with rediae (as Haploporidae or Heterophyidae) displayed significantly higher mortality rates than mudsnails hosting sporocysts (as Microphallidae) or healthy mudsnails. The present study demonstrates that digenean parasites induce population structure changes and shorten lifespan of mudsnails, through increasing size-dependent mortality.

Kalliapseudes schubartii (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) is a tube dwelling invertebrate living in estuarine soft bottoms with distribution along the south-east and southern Brazilian and Uruguayan coasts. Individual growth, and reproduction were examined by taking samples for a year in the estuarine region of the Lagoa dos Patos (southern Brazil). The von Bertalanffy model described growth of K. schubartii (K=4.54 y−1, L∞=13.22 mm). Reproductive activity was observed in spring and summer. No relationship was observed between total length of females and brood size. Eggs, embryos, and mancas were often observed in a marsupium. Relative growth analysis showed two levels of allometry in the growth of chelipeds of males.

The effect of light–dark cycle on the timing of larval release from jelly masses of the Mediterranean polychaete Eupolymnia nebulosa (Terebellida) was investigated. The larval emergence from the jelly mass occurs mainly during daylight. Results suggest that the larvae of E. nebulosa do not track the light–dark cycle endogenously.

The fecundity and occurrence of intersexuality in the amphipod, Echinogammarus marinus, collected from populations on the east coast of Scotland are reported. Intersex specimens have significantly smaller mean brood sizes than normal specimens. Embryo survival, as measured by the ratio of eggs/embryos in early and late stages of development, is lower in intersex specimens than normal specimens. Greater differences in the number of early stage eggs compared with late stage eggs in intersex specimens is suggested to arise by the active ejection of non-viable eggs, or from the passive loss of eggs through malformed brood plates in females. An apparent reduction in brood sizes between early and late stages of development in ‘normal’ specimens, emphasizes the importance of quantifying different egg/embryo stages in amphipod toxicology and fecundity studies.

Samples of the New Zealand cockle Austrovenus stutchburyi (Veneridae) collected at two different intertidal levels were found to be heavily infected by the echinostome trematode Curtuteria australis which use the mud flat whelk Cominella glandiformis and shorebirds as first and definitive host, respectively. Parasite loads were on average more than 2-fold higher at the high site than at the low site, whereas the density of Curtuteria australis metacercariae per square metre showed the opposite trend. This pattern appeared unrelated to the abundance of first intermediate hosts and C. australis prevalence within this host that did not differ between sites. At both sites there was a positive relationship between parasite load and cockle condition, a likely by-product of the relationship between condition-based filtration capacity and the rate at which individual cockles encounter the free-swimming trematode larvae. The results suggest that the between-site variation in parasitism is a consequence of the much higher density of cockles at the low site. There, the dense cockle population is able to clear the water column of parasites and consequently individual cockles virtually ‘compete’ for parasite larvae. This will depress mean infection intensity per cockle but elevate mean parasite density per square metre.

The feeding biology of Bathypecten vulcani, a peri-hydrothermal vent pectinacean, was investigated using histological and scanning electron microscope studies of the gills and stomach contents of specimens sampled from the 9° and 13°N sites of the East Pacific Rise. Salient characteristics were compared with those of Bathymodiolus thermophilus from the same and similar habitats. The gills of Bathypecten vulcani displayed heterogeneous organic and mineral particles on their frontal surface. The digestive tract possessed well-developed structures (whose anatomical and cytological characteristics indicated full functionality), typically found in bivalves from littoral aerobic environments, as well as in Bathymodiolus thermophilus, which is capable of suspension-feeding: oesophagus, stomach, crystalline style, digestive gland, and intestine. Observations of stomach contents revealed diverse particles from the photic zone, including debris from diatoms and coccolithophorans. In contrast to Bathymodiolus thermophilus, bacteria were rarely observed in the digestive tract, indicating a more complete reliance on surface-originating particles.

The consumption or scavenging of fish in the water column at depths from 75 to 275 m in Algarve (southern Portugal) trawl fishing grounds was evaluated. Longlines were used to suspend baits throughout the water column while electric fishing reels were used to simulate sinking discards. Eighteen species were caught, with higher catch rates near the surface than near the bottom. However, scavenging rates were generally highest near the bottom and lowest in the middle of the water column. At depths less than 100 m the majority or all the fish were scavenged throughout the water column, while at depths greater than 200 m most of the fish were untouched after periods of time greater than would be required for them to sink to the bottom. Since other studies have shown that most small fish discards are scavenged at the surface by sea birds and most of the discarded species that sink are either too large or not attractive to pelagic predators, these results suggest that mid-water scavenging of trawl discards in deep water is relatively unimportant.

A revision of polynoids from the Grand Caribbean region demonstrated that Harmothoe aculeata had been confused with similar species. It is here redescribed and three similar species, H. vossae sp. nov., H. longidentis sp. nov., and H. fuscaspinae sp. nov. are described from the Grand Caribbean region. The four species share certain characteristics such as (a) the presence of papillated antennae and dorsal cirri, and (b) elytra with microtubercles and macrotubercles centred on distinct, separate areolas and surrounded by erect filiform papillae. The species differ mainly in the form and distribution of the macrotubercles, relative thickness between notochaetae and neurochaetae and their ornamentation. A key differentiating these species is included.

The regeneration of cirri was followed in two common intertidal barnacle species, following non-lethal predation by an intertidal teleost. While >50% of damaged Semibalanus balanoides individuals showed some degree of cirral re-growth within 16 days, this level of regeneration was not reached in Chthamalus montagui until 32 days after removal of the cirri. Full re-growth of cirri required at least two moults in both species.

The comparative tolerance and accumulation of the trace metals zinc, copper and cadmium in populations of the littoral polychaete worm Nereis diversicolor from three sites: (a) heavily metal-contaminated Dulas Bay in Anglesey, north Wales, (b) the Blackwater estuary, Essex, as a control site, and (c) West Thurrock, the Thames estuary as a site of intermediate metal contamination, were investigated. Worms from Dulas Bay did not show increased tolerance to any metal, but worms from West Thurrock showed significantly increased copper sensitivity compared to the worms from Dulas Bay and the Blackwater. Worms accumulated zinc and copper from sediments with raised zinc and copper concentrations, and all three metals from solution in proportion to dissolved concentration. Accumulated metal was not excreted in 21 days and field concentrations of zinc and copper in the worms differed between sites. There was no evidence for inter-populational differences in accumulation rates of zinc and cadmium from solution, but worms from Dulas Bay accumulated copper from solution at a significantly higher rate than did worms from the other two sites. Nereis diversicolor takes up and accumulates zinc and cadmium from solution at similar rates per unit molar exposure, but cadmium is taken up at a greater rate per unit free metal ion molar exposure. Although N. diversicolor from Dulas Bay is exposed to very high availabilities of zinc and copper, accumulation and detoxification mechanisms are sufficient to cope with the extra metal influx (accentuated for dissolved copper) without selection for a metal-tolerant population.

Darina solenoides (Mactridae), a common intertidal bivalve in the Argentine Patagonian coast, serves as both first and second intermediate host for the gymnophallid Bartolius pierrei (Trematoda: Digenea). Cercariae enter the clams actively by piercing the mantle border; young metacercariae ascend along the space between the outer mantle epithelium and shell and they settle in the dorsal general extrapallial space just ahead of the posterior adductor muscle. Host reaction comprises mantle tissue alterations (hyperplasia and metaplasia) leading to the encapsulation of the metacercariae by the formation of a one-cell-layer thick sac, which progressively detaches from the mantle epithelium. Sacs containing fully developed metacercariae, which are surrounded by a hyaline non-cellular envelope, become internal and are found in the postero-dorsal region of the visceral mass. Two sacs usually containing from two to 44 metacercariae, one at each side of the clam, were observed. In some cases, in which the infection seems not to proceed as usual, dead and dying metacercariae and their debris were found in the same position within the extrapallial space where the host reaction usually starts. In these cases, the mantle reaction is accompanied by an inner shell surface alteration consisting of calcium carbonate deposits partially surrounding the reaction complex or other abnormal calcifications in the form of loose mineral concretions.

Enoplometopus callistus is reported for the first time from the Cape Verde Islands. In January 2001 two specimens were captured in depths of 100–150  m as by-catch in the lobster fisheries. One of them was dissected and kept in alcohol for future reference, the second one was put into an aquarium. The existing data on the distributions of the two Atlantic species of this genus, E. antillensis and E. callistus, indicate that the latter is restricted to the waters of the East Atlantic.

The anthozoan Actinostella flosculifera, the polychaete Lygdamis wirtzi, the decapods Gnathophyllum americanum and Periclimenes platalea, the phoronid Phoronis australis, the holothurian Euapta lappa, and the asteroid Goniaster tesselatus are recorded from São Tomé Island for the first time. The marine zoogeography of the area is briefly discussed, with special emphasis on the high proportion of amphi-Atlantic species.

Evidence of female preference for dominant males during mating is reported for the rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus. Two sexually mature males of different ontogenetic stage were tethered at opposite sides of a large tank. Tethering restricted males from actively pursuing the receptive female but allowed females to choose between males. Surprisingly most (10 out of 11) females first approached the subordinate typus male, but after these initial contacts all females chose the dominant robustus male. Following antennal and corporal contacts of variable duration seven (out of 11) females initiated the mating process with the robustus male, while four females did not initiate mating during the 90 min observation period. The fact that all mating females selected the robustus shows strong female preferences for these males. It is suggested that female preference for large and dominant males is common among crustaceans with sexual size-dimorphism.

The sediment surface within the Osbornia belt of a mangal on Pulau Hoga, Tukang Besi Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia, is dominated inter alia by deposit-feeding gastropod molluscs at a mean density of some 230 ind m−2 although, unusually, species of Cerithidea do not occur. Densities of the two most numerous species, the potamidid mud-whelk Terebralia sulcata and the Cerithidea-like cerithiid mud-creeper Cerithium coralium, are inversely correlated, although the species occurred together in 42% of quadrat samples. Within and beyond the normal range of field densities of each species (C. coralium mean 153 m−2; T. sulcata mean 75 m−2) there was no evidence of intraspecific depression of feeding rate, as assessed by the production of faecal pellets, although this was significantly reduced in the occasional very high density aggregations of C. coralium (>1100 m−2). The presence of the larger T. sulcata did appear to have a strong inhibitory effect on feeding in C. coralium; the converse, however, could not be demonstrated. Abundances of Terebralia palustris and C. coralium were also inversely correlated where the two co-occurred.