Gofas S. & Rolàn E. 2009. — A systematic review of “Asthenotoma spiralis (Smith, 1872)” in West Africa, with description of Two new species (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Conoidea).Zoosystema 31 (1): 5-16.

The West African marine species generally known as Asthenotoma spiralis (Smith, 1872) is revised, and transferred to the genus Tomopleura Casey, 1904. This specific name is shown to be preoccupied and a replacement name Tomopleura spiralissima n. nom. is provided. Two further species Tomopleura fuscocincta n. sp. and T. tricincta n. sp., hitherto confused with T. spiralis, are described with a type locality in Angola. All three species have larval shells indicating a planktotrophic development and therefore good ability for dispersal, and all three are broadly sympatric across the entire West African region from Senegal to Angola. They are nevertheless differentiated in microhabitat and normally do not occur together in the same samples.

Bréhier F. & Jaume D. 2009. — A new species of Pseudoniphargus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Melitidae) from an anchialine cave on the French Mediterranean coast. Zoosystema 31 (1):17-32.

A new species of the stygobiont melitid amphipod genus Pseudoniphargus Chevreux, 1901 is described from an anchialine cave located on the inner shore of the Salses-Leucate coastal lagoon, on the French Mediterranean coast. The new species is distinguished from other members of the genus by the combined display of: 1) gnathopod II not sexually dimorphic, with short carpus; 2) outline of basis of pereopods V–VII sexually dimorphic, with both margins convex and with overhanging posterodistal lobe in male, whereas margins subparallel and posterodistal lobe present but not overhanging in female; 3) uropod I protopod lacking basofacial robust seta; 4) protopod of uropod III sexually dimorphic, proportionaly more elongated in male; 5) exopod of male uropod III not strongly elongated (less than 12 times as long as wide), slightly upcurved and tapering; female exopod similar but shorter (about 8.8 times as long as wide); and 6) telson wider than long, with distal margin shallowly excavated and with two distal robust setae at each side. The relationships of this species are briefly discussed.

Ansín Agís J., Vervoort W. & Ramil F. 2009. — Hydroids of the family Halopterididae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) collected in the western pacific by various French expeditions. Zoosystema31 (1): 33-61.

This paper is the second result of the study of large collections of Plumularioidea (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Leptolida), collected in the seas surrounding New Caledonia, in the Philippines and in Indonesian waters by French expeditions. A total of 13 species belonging to the genera Antennella (five species), Cladoplumaria (one species), Halopteris (four species), Monostaechas (two species) and Corhiza (one species) are described or mentioned in the present report; most of which are illustrated. Three new species, Antennella sinuosa n. sp., Antennella megatheca n. sp. and Corhiza pauciarmata n. sp. are described and another, Halopteris concava (Billard, 1911) is recorded for the first time since the original description. Two species, Antennella sp. and Monostaechas sp. are only identified to the genus level.

Di Geronimo R. 2009. — A new species of Gruvelialepas Newman, 1980 (Crustacea, Cirripedia) from the northern Atlantic and remarks on living and fossil closely-related genera.Zoosystema 31 (1): 63-70.

The pedunculate barnacle Gruvelialepas leguillouxi n. sp. (Crustacea, Cirripedia), is described from the north east Atlantic (Armorican margin). It was collected on Madrepora oculata (Linnaeus, 1758), at a depth of 1000 m and represents the third known living species in the genus, besides G. pilsbryi (Gruvel, 1911) and G. kempi (Annandale, 1911), both recorded from Northern and Eastern Atlantic deep waters. Gruvelialepas leguillouxi n. sp. can be distinguished from its congeners in having the following characters: carina strongly arched, scutum with the apico-basal ridge dividing the plate unequally, tergum with a flat apico-basal ridge marked by a deep squared groove, rostrum higher than wide and rostrolatus strongly curved inwards. Moreover, the new species differs from G. pilsbryi in having the rostrolatus overlapping the carinolatus. Differences among all described Gruvelialepas Newman, 1980 species, based on morphological features of the plates, are discussed in detail. The geographic distribution of Gruvelialepas and the related genera Aurivillialepas Newman, 1980 and Scillaelepas Seguenza, 1876, are also reported. Frequent misidentifications in examining fossil taxa point out a necessary review of fossil material.

Golovatch S. I., Geoffroy J.-J., Mauriès J.-P. & Van den Spiegel D. 2009. — Review of the millipede genus Plusioglyphiulus Silvestri, 1923, with descriptions of new species from southeast Asia (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae). Zoosystema 31 (1): 71-116.

The small, basically Southeast Asian genus Plusioglyphiulus Silvestri, 1923 is redefined to incorporate, in addition to the five hitherto described species, nine new members: P. ampullifer n. sp. from Vietnam, P. deharvengi n. sp., P. foveatus n. sp. and P. steineri n. sp. from Laos, P. bessoni n. sp. from Thailand, P. bedosae n. sp., P. pallidior n. sp. and P. similis n. sp. from Kalimantan (Borneo, Indonesia), and P. hoffmani n. sp. from Sarawak (Borneo, Malaysia). All of the cavernicolous congeners are presumed to be only troglophiles. A key is provided to all 14 currently known species of the genus.

Moraza M. L., Iraola V. & Alemany C. 2009. — A new species of Ljunghia Oudemans, 1932 (Arachnida, Acari, Laelapidae) from a mygalomorph spider. Zoosystema 31 (1): 117-126.

Ljunghia (Ljunghia) luciae n. sp., associated with mygalomorph spiders, is described on the basis of material from Cyclosternum fasciatum (Cambridge, 1892) (Araneae, Theraphosidae) kept in captivity. Adults with dorsal shield reaching the posterior margin of dorsum and bearing 31 or 32 pairs of setae long and slightly serrate, except setae J5 short (21 podonotal and 11 opisthonotal); 15 or 16 pairs of ventral setae. Male sterno-genito-ventrianal shield with 11 pairs of ventral setae. A key to species of the genus, based on adult females and males, is given.

Gerecke R. 2009. — Revisional studies on Thoracophoracarus K. Viets, 1914 (Arachnida, Acari, Hydrachnidia, Arrenuridae). Zoosystema 31 (1): 127-145.

Five species from Europe and Africa attributed to the genus Thoracophoracarus K. Viets, 1914 are redescribed from type material. Thoracophoracarus sinearcus (K. Viets, 1924), probably based on a deformed Arrenurus Dugès, 1834 male, is considered a species incerta. Thoracophoracarus mammosus (K. Viets, 1925) is synonymized with T. petioluriger (K. Viets, 1925). Thoracophoracarus cooki n. sp., T. silvarum n. sp. and T. felix n. sp. are described from Madagascar, representing a distinct species group endemic to the island, characterized by absence of idiosomal humps and round, not longish, acetabular fields. The phylogeny of the genus is discussed.

Sanfilippo R. 2009. — New species of Hyalopomatus Marenzeller, 1878 (Annelida, Polychaeta, Serpulidae) from Recent Mediterranean deep-water coral mounds and comments on some congeners. Zoosystema 31 (1): 147-161.

Calcareous tubes of the micro-serpulid Hyalopomatus madreporae n. sp. (Polychaeta, Serpulidae) are described from the central Mediterranean. Like congeners, the new Hyalopomatus species has a deep-water distribution (497 to 1146 m). Only empty tubes have been collected, from Madrepora oculata (Linnaeus, 1758) mounds and from muddy sediments associated to the coral framework. The species has been described considering characters of the tube which is small-sized, circular in cross-section and free on its distal end, with a smooth shiny surface. Tube is rather flexible owing to some disruptions and its parts are kept joined by the inner chitinous layer. Way of life of H. madreporae n. sp. is put in relation to such tube feature. Micromorphology of the outer surface and ultrastructure of the tube wall are also described. Morphological characters observed on more than 150 tubes of H. madreporae n. sp., permitted to keep H. madreporae n. sp. apart from the other known Hyalopomatus species. Tubes of H. claparedii Marenzeller, 1878 and H. marenzelleri Langerhans, 1884 from Icelandic waters have been compared with those of H. madreporae n. sp. X-ray microanalyses showed that the organic content in H. madreporae n. sp. is more abundant than in H. claparedii tubes. The discussion covers aspects of tube features used for taxonomy within the genus.

Harmelin J.-G., Bitar G. & Zibrowius H. 2009. — Smittinidae (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) from coastal habitats of Lebanon (Mediterranean sea), including new and non-indigenous species.Zoosystema 31 (1): 163-187.

The still poorly-known marine benthos of the Levant (warmest area of the Mediterranean) continuously undergoes changes due to the immigration of exotic species arriving from the Red Sea via the Suez canal, and likely from other tropical and subtropical regions via ship transport. The study of a large collection of bryozoans from the coastal zone (3–35 m) of Lebanon revealed the presence of seven species of Smittinidae belonging to two genera, Parasmittina Osburn, 1952 and Smittina Norman, 1903, whose morphological features and habitat requirements are described here in detail. Only two of these (P. raigii (Audouin, 1826) and P. rouvillei (Calvet, 1902)) were previously known from other Mediterranean areas. Parasmittina serruloides n. sp. and P. spondylicola n. sp., together with P. egyptiaca (Waters, 1909), are presumed to be Red Sea immigrants. The geographic distribution of P. profecta (Thornely, 1905) and S. nitidissima (Hincks, 1880), as well as their habitat in Lebanon and their capacity as fouling species strongly suggest that they are not indigenous to the Levant and that their source populations may be either in the Red Sea or in west Africa. However, alternative hypotheses are also conceivable, such as their persistence in the Levant area as relicts from former warm periods of the Mediterranean, or their existence as groups of sibling species with a more restricted geographical range.

Lozouet P. 2009. — A new Neritopsidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Neritopsina) from French Polynesia. Zoosystema 31 (1): 189-198.

Neritopsis richeri n. sp., the fourth Recent species of a group of “living fossil” molluscs, is described from the Austral Islands (French Polynesia). Most of the material was collected during the BENTHAUS cruise. This species differs from its congeners in teleoconch sculpture, which has 1 to 4 secondary cords in the interspaces between the primary cords. The spiral ribs are also weakly beaded. In addition, and in contrast to the common species N. radula (Linnaeus, 1758), N. richeri n. sp. has a multispiral protoconch that implies a planktotrophic larval development. Its relationship to N. aqabaensis Bandel, 2007 described from an immature specimen is difficult to assess, the sculpture of adults suspected to be N. aqabaensis being identical to that of N. radula. Neritopsis richeri n. sp. appears to be restricted to French Polynesia but possibly has been confused with N. radula in previous publications.