Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) have one of the most extensive global distributions of any cetacean, but distribution and movement patterns vary significantly between sexes. Adult male sperm whales are predominantly solitary and have an expansive distribution, whereas females and their offspring typically form groups of both sexes, remaining in the tropics and sub-tropics throughout the year. Here we present observations and photographs from a rare winter sighting of a group of female and immature sperm whales near Koniuji Island, in the Central Aleutians, in the high-latitude waters of the Bering Sea. This sighting is consistent with historic whaling catches of sperm whales of both sexes, including pregnant females, above 50°N in the North Pacific, but no groups of females and immatures have been observed in ten years of summer sighting surveys in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea region, despite regular sightings of adult males. We discuss possible reasons for the absence of recent sightings of these mixed schools.

A single specimen of Bermuda sea chub Kyphosus saltatrix was caught in the Ionian Sea (western Greece). It is the first occurrence of this species in Greek waters and it constitutes its easternmost verified distribution in the Mediterranean. The specimen was a 4-year old male, fully adapted to benthic life and its occurrence adds to the increasing rate of detections of this species in the basin during the last decades.

From the deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps ecosystems, more than 600 species containing many endemic species have been discovered. The deep-sea mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are dominant species at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps throughout the world. They are known to rely on the nutrients produced by the chemosynthetic symbiont in their gills. In 2009, we found a colony of bathymodiolin mussels at a hydrothermal vent of Myojinsho (Myojin Reef), which is a hardly investigated area. Myojinsho lies in the northern segment of the Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) Arc and had been volcanically active until recently. We collected specimens from the colony using a remotely operated vehicle. We identified them as Bathymodiolus aduloides by morphological observation and phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial DNA sequencing. We could not find any other species of mussels during the dive. This result is interesting because this species has not been discovered from hydrothermal vents in this region; the dominant species in this region, including the neighbouring Myojin Knoll Caldera, is B. septemdierum.

The carnivorous gastropod Xandarovula patula is a species being known to mainly occur west and south-west of the UK, down to the Atlantic coast of Spain. It also was recently reported from the central parts and the periphery of the North Sea, up to Trondheim (Norway). Now, it was also recorded during a survey of the epibenthic faunal composition from the Dogger Bank in winter 2011. The collecting stations are located on a routine station on the western Dogger Bank at a depth average of 25 m, as well as off the south-western edge of the Dogger Bank at a mean depth of 65 m. The bottom of both stations is covered with sparse boulders and rubble with a dense cover of Alcyonium digitatum, the preferred food of Xandarovula patula. This is another example for the spreading of oceanic ‘warm water’ species towards the central North Sea along the main, northern currents. The present work summarizes all records of X. patula from the North Sea available in the literature up-to-date and verifies rising water temperatures at the main area of recent records at the Dogger Bank, possibly promoting the species' spreading.

New distribution records from Britain and Ireland for six species of rare goby from nearshore areas are reported. The value of photographic records obtained by recreational SCUBA divers using digital cameras in underwater housings is demonstrated. The six species included are Buenia jeffreysii, Gobius couchi, Gobius cruentatus, Gobius gasteveni, Lebetus scorpioides and Lebetus guilleti.

The recent collection of four specimens of the royal spiny lobster Panulirus regius in the eastern part of the Ligurian Sea (Italy) is reported. Earlier records of this eastern Atlantic species along the coasts of the western Mediterranean Sea are revised and the possible ways of introduction are discussed.

A mass stranding of several species of teleostean fish occurred on the south-eastern beaches of Los Cabos on Mexicós Baja California peninsula between 16 and 21 June 2011. At least 22 species belonging to 17 families, an estimated 50 t, were stranded along 43.5 km of beach from 9 km north-west of the Cabo San Lucas harbour (22°54′ 54.06″N–109°50′ 07.45″W) to Playa San Luis (23°10′41.78″N–109°28′39.49″W). Stranding of fish was attributed to a bloom of the photosynthetic planktonic ciliate Myrionecta rubra by local health authorities; however the information derived from necropsies was not available to the authors, so other causes cannot be excluded.

The pelagic thresher shark Alopias pelagicus is a large, wide-ranging Indo-Pacific Ocean pelagic shark. In this paper, the first record of the pelagic thresher shark, caught from the Lakshadweep Sea is reported. The shark 275 cm in total length was caught by drift longline operation at depth of 60 m in the Lakshadweep Sea (10°52N latitude 72°13E longitude).

In this study we present data on 46 strandings of Bryde's whales along the coast of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States, south-eastern Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stranding pattern of Bryde's whales in south-eastern Brazil. The results show a relationship with annual increasing of strandings in a 20 year period of data collection (1990–2010). No significant seasonal trend was observed among four seasonal categories, but most whales stranded during winter (July–September). Males stranded more frequently than females. There was a significant trend in strandings of sexually mature whales (>11.12 m; 53.6%), but juveniles (≤8 m; 21.9%) were also relatively common. The present work confirms that Bryde's whales are common on the south-eastern Brazilian coast. Some discrepancy in published results from sightings and our results on strandings (e.g. seasonal pattern) was observed and may be related to environmental condition and the presence of inshore and offshore populations with differences in life history and behaviour. No whales showed signals of impact caused by human interactions, despite the potential threats in the study area. Future studies comparing morphology with genetics are suggested to be carried out to elucidate the taxonomic status of the Bryde's whales in Brazil.

Polyonyx gibbesi—commonly known as the porcelain crab—lives commensally with an annelid that builds U-shaped tubes in shallow waters along the Atlantic coast. Polyonyx gibbesi is considered to have a mostly anti-tropical distribution, since it has been found only sporadically in tropical waters (e.g. the Caribbean). A total of 27 tubes of the polychaete host were collected from the estuarine mudflat of the Vaza-Barris River, State of Sergipe, Brazil; 23 of these tubes were inhabited by at least one individual of P. gibbesi. In the hosts examined, 42 crabs were found (21 males and 21 females). A total of four hosts harboured a single commensal crab. In all cases in which more than one crab was found per host, they were a male and female pair. A total of five females were recorded carrying eggs (1171.6 ± 534.5). The frequency of P. gibbesi in the host was high (about 85%), suggesting that the occurrence of this porcelain crab was not accidental or sporadic at the study site. The presence of ovigerous females in the population further indicates the existence of mature and sexually active individuals, which are effectively reproducing. The expansion of the known distribution of P. gibbesi to the State of Sergipe in Brazil challenges the current idea of an anti-tropical distribution for P. gibbesi. Most probably, the current status of knowledge about this species' distribution is the result of its commensal lifestyle, which makes it difficult to collect, and also the paucity of investigations along the north-eastern Brazilian coast.

New Records of Dendrobrachia bonsai have been reported in various locations along the western coast of Corsica. These findings offer additional information on the northern distributional limits of this very scarcely-known gorgonian in the western Mediterranean basin.

A comprehensive review of the literature on shallow-water asteroids (Echinodermata) recorded in Azores was carried out to establish a definitive list for the Archipelago. A total of 49 echinoderm species was compiled, comprising members of all extant classes; Crinoidea (1), Asteroidea (12), Ophiuroidea (11), Echinoidea (10) and Holothuroidea (7). References of asteroids occurence in the Azores, including historical records and distribution of asteroids from the Azores are given. Seven asteroid species recorded found in the Azores are found also in the Mediterranean and adjoining Atlantic coastlines, three are recorded from the Mediterranean and both sides of the Atlantic, one is limited to the Eastern Atlantic and one is circumtropical. Differences between the littoral hydrological conditions found on the North American coast and those in Azores makes the colonization from American coasts particularly difficult and probably are related to chance events like the episodic anomalies found in the general pattern of oceanic circulation. Asteroids are important in determining habitat structure for other species and can represent a substantial portion of the ecosystem biomass.

A specimen of the Indo-Pacific blacktip grouper was collected at a depth of 20 m from off the coast of Lebanon. This constitutes the first record of the species in the Mediterranean and adds to the number of exotic serranids in the Mediterranean Sea.

In Iran, sea cucumbers are not well known and they are not consumed as food. With this and the lack of scientific knowledge about them, this study has been conducted in order to identify the present species in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Samples were collected in the sub-tidal zone of Larak Island (Persian Gulf) via SCUBA diving in August 2011. The literature review on the distribution revealed that this is the first report of Holothuria impatiens from Larak Island (Persian Gulf). The species identification was made using morphological keys and review of their ossicles.

The first record of the southern ocean sunfish Mola ramsayi in Omani waters is reported based on a single 916 mm total length specimen found stranded on the coasts of Sur City 193 km south of the Omani capital Muscat, 22°35′10.22″N 59°30′18.91″E. This account also represents the third northernmost record of a south ocean sunfish in the Indian Ocean. Morphometric and meristic data are provided and compared with those of 5 specimens caught off United Arab Emirates, Brazil and India. The southern ocean distribution of M. ramsayi is corrected in this report.

Paracartia grani originates from high latitudes and has progressively been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea since the 1980s. In Thau lagoon, while Acartia clausi and Acartia discaudata present maximum peaks of abundance from January to April and in November and December, both species being perennial over the year, P. grani and Paracartia latisetosa appear in May, develop during summer, in July and August, and slowly decrease in autumn before disappearing from the water column in December. The Acartiidae populations have changed over the years at our monitoring station. Indeed, P. latisetosa was last recorded in August 1983 while P. grani appeared in the lagoon in 1998.

Based on specimens deposited in the scientific collections of the Reef Environment Laboratory of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, National Museum/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Oceanography Department of the Federal University of Pernambuco, the first occurrences of the azooxanthellate scleractinians Polycyathus senegalensis and Eguchipsammia cornucopia from Brazilian waters are reported. In addition, latitudinal and/or bathymetric range extensions are reported for Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana, Caryophyllia antillarum, Premocyathus cornuformis, Deltocyathus calcar, Paracyathus pulchellus, Flabellum apertum, Sphenotrochus auritus, Madracis asperula and Astrangia solitaria.

The occurrence of Zenion hololepis in Portuguese continental waters is reported for the first time. A total of five specimens were collected in two separate fisheries research surveys, in 2008 and 2009. Analyses of morphometric and meristic characteristics confirmed all five specimens as Z. hololepis, while DNA barcode sequence data delivered a genus-level assignment. The records here described constitute a new extended northern limit for the distribution of Z. hololepis in the eastern Atlantic and the first DNA barcode data for this species.

The occurrence of the brown mussel Perna perna is reported for the first time from the European Atlantic coast, on the southern Portuguese coast. Several specimens of this mytilidae species were identified in exposed rocky intertidal habitats in Vilamoura (37°04′19.70″N 8°07′19.71″W) and Ilha do Farol (36°58′29.38″N 7°51′42.51″W). It is suggested that, under warming climate conditions, this subtropical/tropical species might have extended its geographical distribution from North Africa.

Members of the genus Spurilla are nudibranchs with circumtropical distribution. Spurilla neapolitana is reported for the first time inhabiting subtidal soft-bottom habitats of the central coast of Peru. Adult specimens were found in Bahía Ferrol (09°04′S 78°35′W) at 10 m depth in November of 2009. Spurilla neapolitana is characterized by the presence of a long body with numerous cerata along the dorsal side of the body and a distinctive orange colouring with white dots. This finding extends the geographical range of Spurilla spp. into the south-eastern Pacific and adds a new contribution to the macro-mollusc diversity thriving in the Humboldt Current Upwelling Ecosystem.