Lumbrineris magalhaensis Kinberg, 1865 (Annelida: Lumbrineridae) is a marine polychaete worm that was first described from the Magellan Strait, Chile; thereafter it was also reported in sub-Antarctic, temperate and tropical regions, where it was likely misidentified. In South African waters, Lumbrineris magalhaensis may have been erroneously synonymised with Lumbriconereis pettigrewi McIntosh, 1885, which was first described from off the Cape of Good Hope. Specimens collected from the Knysna Estuary on the south coast of South Africa were recently identified as Lumbrineris magalhaensis based on identification keys for local fauna. However, the specimens all differ from descriptions of the type material and previous descriptions of Lumbrineris magalhaensis, as well as from re-examined specimens of Lumbriconereis pettigrewi (three syntypes, collected off the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa), with regard to prostomium shape, numbers of teeth on maxillae III and IV, shape of maxilla II, size and colour of maxilla II connecting plates, arrangement of limbate chaetae and the habitat. The specimens from Knysna have therefore been designated as Lumbrineris knysnaensis van Niekerk, Kara, Alvarez Aguilar & Simon sp. nov. Furthermore, the synonymisation of Lumbriconereis pettigrewi and Lumbrineris magalhaensis has been reversed, owing to differences in prostomium shape, number of teeth on maxilla IV, depth of collection and habitat type; therefore, Lumbrineris pettigrewi comb. nov. reinst. is supported. Analysis of mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) indicated that the Knysna specimens represent a single species and do not match any other known species, corroborating the morphological data. Further morphological and genetic investigations of Lumbrineris magalhaensis from other regions are needed to resolve the taxonomy of this species. ZooBank: This article is registered in Zoobank under urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D740599A-4A9B-4DC0-8948-C7BB7628FE5D The new species is registered in ZooBank under urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:03727E90-9743-460F-ABCA-BEBF9FBB1CD2

Here we summarise and map available records of the spionid polychaetes Marenzelleria spp. from the Arctic and Pacific Oceans based on morphology and analysis of sequences of five gene fragments (COI, 16S, 18S, 28S and Histone 3). We define for the first time the complex of M. arctia species, including M. arctia-1 from the Baltic, Barents and White Seas, and M. arctia-2 from the Kara Sea east to the Bering Strait. The relationships of these groups to M. arctia (Chamberlin, 1920) from the type locality of this species in the Beaufort Sea remain unclear. We report a new record of M. neglecta Sikorski and Bick, 2004 from Oregon, USA, and consider the presence of this species in the Canadian Arctic and USA Pacific due to introductions for which routes and vectors remain unclear. We also report M. wireni Augener, 1913 for the first time from Arctic Canada (Nunavut). Molecular analysis showed a genetic similarity of the Canadian specimens with worms identified as M. wireni from the Greenland and Laptev Seas. We expect that a future phylogenetic analysis of the relationships of the Asian population, which is currently referred to M. arctia and has never been studied genetically, will shed light on the origin and evolution of the entire genus. Study of the type specimens of Spio gorbunovi Averincev, 1990, described from the Laptev Sea, revealed that this species is a junior synonym of M. arctia, rather than M. wireni as proposed by previous authors.

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) play a significant role in the modification of their habitat, foremost by decreasing woody vegetation cover and density. Little is known regarding the effects of elephant habitat disturbance (EHD) on medium-to-large mammal and bird communities. While the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts species richness and diversity will be maximised in areas of moderate EHD, high levels of EHD could result in habitat degradation and negatively impact certain wildlife communities. To examine this relationship, we compared mammal and avian community assemblages, richness, and diversity across differing severities (low, medium, high) of elephant disturbed habitats (woodland, shrubland, and mixed wood/shrubland) within Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) in south-eastern Kenya. From June–November 2022, we collected wildlife detection data via driving transects and surveyed EHD through observation of elephant tree damage. While EHD level did impact community assemblage, possibly through vegetation modification and/or increased habitat heterogeneity, EHD had no negative impacts on species richness and diversity in the three habitat types. In contrast to our IDH prediction, richness and diversity were highest in high EHD areas within shrubland habitat and showed no difference across EHD levels for the other two habitats. Overall, this study provides evidence that elephants in RWS are not disturbing habitats to an extent that negatively impacts sanctuary viability, and at least for shrub habitat appear to enhance it. Additionally, smaller wildlife habitats may be able to mitigate lasting elephant overpopulation damages through increased connectivity to other protected areas.

‘A monograph on the Polychaeta of Southern Africa’ by J. H. Day, published in 1967 and covering over 700 species, was considered an essential reference text for marine biologists. Nonetheless, despite the major contribution it has made, we now know that the biodiversity of Polychaeta (commonly known as bristleworms) in southern Africa has been underestimated by more than 500 species. As one of the top 20 polychaete families highlighted as requiring revision in southern Africa, direct observation of magelonids in the collections of Iziko Museums of South Africa and Natural History Museum, London identified by John Day, and additional material has been carried out. This has revealed that the original description of Magelona capensis was based on two species. Consequently, an additional redescription of the holotype of M. capensis is provided herein, and the additional material is described as Magelona ekapa sp. nov. The new species shares similarities with eight species comprising the ‘Magelona pitelkai group’, which is further discussed. A redescription of M. cincta is also provided based on the holotype and freshly collected material. A specimen from Morrumbene Estuary, southern Mozambique, originally identified as M. cincta likely represents an undescribed species: images and a description are provided here, but the species will remain undescribed until further material becomes available. A dichotomous indentification key and a table of characters is provided for all known southern African species of the Magelonidae.

The reef-building serpulid polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus is an invasive species in brackish waters in tropical and temperate zones worldwide and often has massive impacts on ecosystems and anthropogenic activities. In Prokopos Lagoon in Greece, the species has constructed large reefs over the past few decades which occupy a large area of the lagoon. In this study, we used high-resolution aerial photography to map the distribution of these reefs, and conducted a one-year field survey to investigate settlement and growth parameters, including abundance, biomass and body length, using artificial settlement panels. We correlated our findings with physicochemical measurements, specifically focusing on temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. Salinity exhibited marked and rapid fluctuations, ranging from less than 2 to over 42 Practical Salinity Units (PSU). These variations did not affect the adult population, but settlement only occurred at salinities above approximately 10 PSU and only when water temperatures surpassed 18–20 °C. Settlement was reduced when temperatures were high (> 28 °C) but was not affected by high salinity. The maximum abundance measured was 880 000 individuals m−2, and reefs attained a weight of 18 kg m−2 in 11 months. This study contributes further to understanding the species’ environmental tolerances and life cycle, which in turn may help to design future management measures.

Climate and land use changes are eroding biodiversity globally, and reptiles are highlighted as being particularly susceptible. In South Africa, global changes threaten the persistence of an assemblage of dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion) located in a biodiversity hotspot. We used ecological niche modelling to assess the combined effect of climate change and habitat transformation on these species and assessed their susceptibility in a vulnerability framework under optimistic and pessimistic change scenarios. Although our models showed a gain in suitable climatic space for all coastal species in some scenarios, considerable losses were predicted for most species under the most pessimistic change scenarios. Bradypodion ngomeense, for example is predicted to incur a complete loss of climatic suitability by 2050. The vulnerability framework predicts inland species to be more adversely affected by climate change than coastal species. However, no species show resilience to the combined effects of climate change and habitat transformation. Our models predicted a loss of climatically suitable habitat for most species in protected areas. These findings highlight the importance of a protected area network design to remain a step ahead of these anticipated changes.

Despite the medical importance of North African scorpions, many aspects of their ecology which may be important to understand envenoming patterns throughout their range, remain understudied. The region of Souss-Massa in central Morocco exhibits a high incidence of scorpion envenomings, with 29 437 cases reported between 2005 and 2010, resulting in 32 deaths. In the present study, we provide an updated inventory of scorpions occurring throughout the Souss-Massa region, with additional information about their distribution and notes on preferred habitats for each species observed. Sampling was carried out at 39 stations over a three-year period: June and August 2020, April and June 2022, and July and August 2023. Twelve species belonging to two families were recovered over the course of the study. The families Buthidae and Scorpionidae were represented by eleven and a single species respectively. Overall, this represents 71% of all species reported to occur in the Souss-Massa region. Apart from Androctonus mauritanicus, A. bourdoni, A. sergenti and Hottentotta gentili which are present in and around human dwellings, all other species were found in uninhabited areas. Apart from Scorpio mogadorensis, all the species of scorpions we recovered can cause severe envenomation with potentially fatal outcomes. Field-based ecological investigations should be encouraged to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of scorpion distribution patterns and habitat preference. In turn, this will inform the health-science community of the etiological factors responsible for scorpion envenoming.

Anurans are subject to strong anthropic pressures in Benin, as in most of the West African countries, due to their socio-economic and environmental importance. To protect these organisms and to gather basic knowledge, an anuran biodiversity study was conducted in the lower Ouémé Valley in Benin. Anurans were inventoried in five types of habitats in four municipalities. Visual and auditory detections were used to observe, count and/or catch specimens at night, aided by headlamps. Five physico-chemical parameters were simultaneously measured. Species were determined using identification keys, authenticated by specialists at the Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science’s Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Our study observed 28 species, with several species living in degraded forests. Afrixalus fulvovittatus (Cope 1860) was recorded for the first time in Benin; and the taxonomic status of three anuran species, Sclerophrys sp., Hyperolius sp. and Arthroleptis sp., still require clarification. Among the species inventoried, Hyperolius torrentis is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN category. Anuran distribution was closely related to ambient air temperature and soil humidity, with abundance increasing with low ambient air temperature and high soil humidity. We note the importance of protecting these organisms’ habitats in order to maintain the optimal environment for their growth and breeding.