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1. A new genus of soft coral (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea, Cladiellidae) and three new species from Indo-Pacific coral reefs

   https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1188.110617  

   McFadden, Catherine S; Benayahu, Yehuda; Samimi-Namin, Kaveh (January 2024, ZooKeys)

   Molecular systematic studies of the anthozoan class Octocorallia have revealed widespread incongruence between phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic classification at all levels of the Linnean hierarchy. Among the soft coral taxa in order Malacalcyonacea, the family Alcyoniidae and its type genusAlcyoniumhave both been recognised to be highly polyphyletic. A recent family-level revision of Octocorallia established a number of new families for genera formerly considered to belong to Alcyoniidae, but revision ofAlcyoniumis not yet complete. Previous molecular studies have supported the placement ofAlcyonium verseveldti(Benayahu, 1982) in family Cladiellidae rather than Alcyoniidae, phylogenetically distinct from the other three genera in that family. Here we describe a new genus,Ofwegenumgen. nov.to accommodateO. verseveldticomb. nov.and three new species of that genus,O. coronalucissp. nov.,O. kloogisp. nov., andO. collisp. nov., bringing the total number of species in this genus to four.Ofwegenumgen. nov.is a rarely encountered genus so far known from only a few locations spanning the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. We present the morphological characters of each species and use molecular data from both DNA barcoding and target-enrichment of conserved elements to explore species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships within the genus. 

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2. Anchored phylogenomics and revised classification of the Miltogramminae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

   https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12609  

   Johnston, Nikolas P.; Pape, Thomas; Piwczyński, Marcin; Wallman, James F.; Wiegmann, Brian M.; Cassel, Brian K.; Akbarzadeh, Kamran; Szpila, Krzysztof (January 2024, Systematic Entomology)

   Abstract The Miltogramminae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) includes ~600 species across >40 genera, which constitute ~20% of global Sarcophagidae. While molecular phylogenetic hypotheses have been produced for this group, critical problems persist, including the presence of paraphyletic genera, uncertain relationships between genera, a bias of sampling towards Palaearctic taxa, and low support for many branches. The present study remedies these issues through the application of Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) to a sample including ~60% of the currently recognised genera (16% of known species) representing all biogeographic regions except the Neotropical. An alignment of 1,281 concatenated loci was analysed with maximum likelihood (RAxML, IQ‐TREE), Bayesian inference (ExaBayes) and coalescent‐based approaches (ASTRAL, SVDquartets), which resulted in highly supported and concordant topologies, providing unprecedented insight into the relationships of this subfamily of flesh flies, allowing a major update to miltogrammine classification. The AHE phylogenetic hypothesis supports the monophyly of a large proportion of genera. The monophyly ofMetopiaMeigen is restored by synonymy withAenigmetopiaMalloch,syn.n.To achieve monophyly ofMiltogrammaMeigen, eight species are transferred fromPterellaRobineau‐Desvoidy. The genusPterellais shown to be paraphyletic in its current circumscription, and to restore generic monophylyPterellais restricted to contain onlyPt. grisea(Meigen).ErioproctaEnderlein,stat.rev., is resurrected. The genusSenotainiaMacquart is reconstructed as paraphyletic. The monotypic genusMetopodiaBrauer & Bergenstamm is synonymised withTaxigrammaMacquart,syn.n.In light of our phylogenetic hypotheses, a new Miltogramminae tribal classification is proposed, composed of six tribes. 

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3. Phylogenetic Relationships Within Tribe Hibisceae (Malvaceae) Reveal Complex Patterns of Polyphyly in Hibiscus and Pavonia

   https://doi.org/10.1600/036364424X17114831879189  

   Hanes, Margaret M; Blanchard, Orland J; Valencia-D, Janice; McLay, Todd; Abbott, J Richard; McDaniel, Stuart F; Barrett, Russell L; Mathews, Sarah; Neubig, Kurt M (May 2024, Systematic Botany)

   Abstract—The diverse and spectacular Hibisceae tribe comprises over 750 species. No studies, however, have broadly sampled across the dozens of genera in the tribe, leading to uncertainty in the relationships among genera. The non-monophyly of the genusHibiscusis infamous and challenging, whereas the monophyly of most other genera in the tribe has yet to be assessed, including the large genusPavonia.Here we significantly increase taxon sampling in the most complete phylogenetic study of the tribe to date. We assess monophyly of most currently recognized genera in the tribe and include three and thirteen newly sampled sections ofHibiscusandPavonia,respectively. We also include five rarely sampled genera and 137 species previously unsampled. Our phylogenetic trees demonstrate thatHibiscus, as traditionally defined, encompasses at least 20 additional genera. The status ofPavoniaemerges as comparable in complexity toHibiscus. We offer clarity in the phylogenetic placement of several taxa of uncertain affinity (e.g.Helicteropsis,Hibiscadelphus, Jumelleanthus,andWercklea). We also identify two new clades and elevate them to the generic rank with the recognition of two new monospecific genera: 1)BlanchardiaM.M.Hanes & R.L.Barrett is a surprising Caribbean lineage that is sister to the entire tribe, and 2)AstrohibiscusMcLay & R.L.Barrett represents former members ofHibiscus caesiuss.l.CraveniaMcLay & R.L.Barrett is also described as a new genus for theHibiscus panduriformisclade, which is allied toAbelmoschus. Finally, we introduce a new classification for the tribe and clarify the boundaries ofHibiscusandPavonia. 

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4. A New Paramoeba Isolate From Florida Exhibits a Microtubule‐Bound Endosymbiont Closely Associated With the Host Nucleus

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.70011  

   Tekle, Yonas I; Smith, Atira R; McGinnis, Michael; Ghebezadik, Saron; Patel, Priyal (May 2025, Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology)

   ABSTRACT The generaParamoebaandNeoparamoeba, within the family Paramoebidae (order Dactylopodida), are distinguished by their dactylopodial pseudopodia and the presence of an intracellular eukaryotic symbiont, thePerkinsela‐like organism (PLO). Taxonomic classification within these genera has been challenging due to overlapping morphological traits and close phylogenetic relationships.Theyare marine, with some playing significant roles as parasites. Notably, they have been implicated in sea urchin mass mortality events and are known causative agents of Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) in fish. Despite their ecological and economic importance, many aspects of their diversity, biology, evolution, and host interactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we describe a novel amoeba species,Paramoeba daytonin. sp., isolated from Daytona Beach, Florida. Morphological and molecular analyses confirm its placement within theParamoebaclade, closely related toP. eilhardi,P. karteshi, andP. aparasomata. Phylogenetic assessments using 18S rDNA (18S) and Cytochrome c Oxidase I (COI) markers demonstrate the limitations of the 18S gene for species delineation, highlighting COI as a more reliable genetic marker for this group. Additionally, observations on PLO morphology, movement, and microtubule association provide insights into the endosymbiotic relationship, reinforcing the need for further research into this unique eukaryote‐eukaryote symbiosis. 

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5. A review of the genus Narcissia Gray, 1840 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Ophidiasteridae)

   https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315421000783  

   Cunha, Rosana; Tavares, Marcos (September 2021, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom)

   Abstract Since the taxonomic revision of the Ophidiasteridae by H.L. Clark (1921), in which 20 genera were recognized as valid, several new genera and species were included in this family, and the boundaries between some of them became largely arbitrary. This also applies toNarcissiaGray, 1840, whose morphology and taxonomy are still very poorly understood today. The main goals of this research were: review the taxonomy of the genusNarcissia, from morphological studies; redescribeN.trigonariaSladen, 1889s.str.; characterizeN.canariensis(d'Orbigny, 1839) andN.gracilisA.H. Clark, 1916, the two valid species most similar toN.trigonaria; review the validity ofN.ahearnaePawson, 2007 andN.trigonariavar.helenaeMortensen, 1933; review the validity ofN.gracilis malpeloensisDowney, 1975. Altogether 370 specimens were analysed. All morphological structures of taxonomic importance have been illustrated, and, for the first time, the internal characters of this group were studied, from electron microscopy and microtomography. A new diagnosis for the genusNarcissiawas constructed.Narcissia trigonariawas redescribed from a large specimen, from the type locality (Bahia, Brazil).Narcissia ahearnaeis considered a valid species, andN.canariensisandN.trigonariadistinct entities.Narcissia trigonariavar.helenaeis placed in the synonymy ofN.trigonaria, andN.gracilis malpeloensisinto the synonymy ofN.gracilis. The dataset obtained in this work is by far the most complete acquired for the genusNarcissia. 

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