The current diagnosis and description of the octocoral genus Briareum ascribes to it a single Caribbean species, Briareum asbestinum. Nonetheless, the combination Briareum polyanthes is commonly used in the scientific literature for the encrusting form of this species, and it has been proposed that growth form, allozyme differences, and secondary chemistry support recognition of the digitate form and the encrusting form as separate species. Through comparison of sclerite sizes and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences, as well as a review of studies of secondary metabolites, we find that variation in these characters is not correlated as much to growth form as to location or habitat. Analyses of traditional morphological characters and molecular data support the monotypy of Briareum in the western Atlantic. The subjective junior synonymy of Ammothea ( = Briareum) polyanthes with B. asbestinum is reiterated and a modified description of the species is provided, including an assessment of intraspecific sclerite variation. Partial mitochondrial gene sequences showed no variation among all forms and locations (Bermuda and The Bahamas), whereas the 18S-ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S nuclear ribosomal locus contained multiple unique genotypes within and among individuals, growth forms and geographic locations. Extensive intragenomic heterogeneity in the nuclear ribosomal locus, existing in excess of normal heterozygosity, indicates that the multiple copies of the 18S-ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S array are not homogenized through concerted evolution. Since this intragenomic variation requires extensive screening to determine the homology of haplotypes and can confound comparison between individuals, we recommend the future use of single-copy nuclear markers in studies of octocoral systematics and evolution.

Two new species of the phylum Tardigrada belonging to the genus Milnesium are described. Two specimens of Milnesium zsalakoae, new species, were collected from foliose lichens on rocks in Arizona and New Mexico, U.S.A. and mounted in Hoyer's medium. Milnesium zsalakoae has primary claw branches of great length and slenderness, substantially longer relative to the length of the buccal tube than those of any other species of Milnesium. Eleven specimens of Milnesium jacobi, new species, were found in foliose and fruticose lichens collected in eastern Texas, U.S.A. and mounted in Hoyer's medium or polyvinyl lactophenol. Milnesium jacobi differs from all species of Milnesium in having a very broad, cylindrical buccal tube and in the posterior placement of its stylet support insertions.

A new species, Goniopsyllus dokdoensis, is described from the adjacent waters of Dokdo Island in the East Sea of Korea. The new species is closely related to G. clausi in the triangular shape of the rostrum, the length of the thoracopod 5 exopod, and the constricted genital double somite. However G. dokdoensis is distinguished from G. clausi by its smaller body size, genital field with additional pores adjacent to the copulatory pore, urosomites without dorsal ornamentation, and differences in the length of caudal setae. Also, the sixth pair of legs in the male has two setae at the outer distal corner of each lobe. This study is the first to report the presence of the genus Goniopsyllus in Korean waters.

Enterocola hessei Chatton & Harant, 1924 is redescribed, based on females living in the compound ascidian Clavelina lepadiformis (Müller, 1776) collected at Roscoff. The name of the ascidian host is established for the first time in this paper, because females of Enterocola in C. lepadiformis have been identified as E. hessei on the basis of the characteristic features of this species as described by Chatton & Harant: antennule indistinctly 2-segmented, and small second segment with truncated apical margin; antenna flat, rectangular, with six simple setae, and its mediodistal margin (with two long setae) not protruded; long rectangular endopods of legs 1–4 with two unequal, extremely long simple setae terminally; long cylindrical caudal ramus with rounded terminal margin; eggs in ovaries and egg sacs orange.

The male of Eragia profunda Markham is described for the first time. The only known host of this species is Prionocrangon paucispina Kim & Chan and parasitized hosts have been collected from New Caledonia and Taiwan in 2100–2543 m depth. Morphology of the male and female parasites indicates that the species belongs to a group of argeiine bopyrids consisting of Argeia, Parargeia, Eragia, and Stegoalpheon.

A single specimen of Neamia xenica, new species, was collected at 93 m utilizing mixed-gas rebreathers. This cardinalfish has pored lateral-line scales (extending from the posttemporal to caudal fin) at a smaller length than in Neamia articycla, a quasi-ovoid cluster of melanophores on the opercle without associated narrow dark marks (a round or oval dark opercular spot with pale outer region outlined with narrow dark marks in N. articycla and N. notula, respectively), and 14 pectoral fin-rays (14 fin rays in N. articycla and N. notula and 17–21 fin rays in N. octospina). Dorsal and anal insertion patterns of supraneurals, pterygiophores, and vertebral spines are reported for all species of Neamia. Species of Apogonichthys with 14 pectoral-fin rays may be confused with species of Neamia but do not have an opercular spot and have five free hypurals.

Two species belonging to the Amphilophus citrinellus (Günther, 1864) species complex endemic to Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua are described. Both species exhibit unique phenotypic characters that have not been found in other members of the species complex. Furthermore, they breed assortatively in Lake Apoyo and can readily be distinguished in the field from all other described species found in that lake. Including the two herein described species, six species that form a monophyletic species assemblage within the Midas cichlid complex inhabit Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua.

A new genus, Kurziella, is named to accommodate the Southeast Asian species Vernonia gymnoclada Coll. & Hemsl., a species often determined in herbaria as Vernonia juncea Kurz in Hook.f., nom. nud.