Contents of Proceedings of the Zoological Institute

A new species Lepidozona luzanovkensis sp. nov. from Paleocene deposits of Ukraine is described. This find is much earlier than the known finds from the late Eocene or Early Oligocene, which increases the age of the genus Lepidozona Pilsbry, 1892 by several million years.

136 bones of the postcranial skeleton and a part of the skull of a female Baikal yak (Poephagus mutus baikalensis N. Verestcthagin, 1954), originating from 18 cave locations and open-type Paleolithic sites in Altai-Sayan, Transbaikalia and Central Mongolia were examined. The material includes 38 metacarpals and 9 metatarsals of the yak. Morphometric differences in the structure of the postcranial skeleton of the yak and the bison (Bison priscus Bojanus, 1827) were revealed. The body size of the Baikal yak significantly exceeded that of the wild Tibetan yak (Poephagus mutus Przewalski, 1883). The largest representatives of P. m. baikalensis inhabited the Altai Mountains. In most of the sites, located in the mid-mountain landscapes of Southern Siberia (with absolute heights of 500–700 m), only a few remains of the Baikal yak were found, accounting for 0.01% to 1–2% of the number of megafauna remains. Most likely, herds of yaks did not live here permanently, but appeared only sporadically, during seasonal migrations. In higher mountainous areas (from 1000–1500 m) of Gorny Altai and Khangai Mountains in Central Mongolia, the proportion of the remains of the Baikal yak increases significantly – up to 16–22%. Like the contemporary P. mutus, the Pleistocene yak found its ecological optimum in the high-mountainous parts of ridges and mountain plateaus, dominated by cold, dry mountain-steppe landscapes with herb-grass vegetation and a small amount of snow. During the periods of cryochrones, the area of P. m. baikalensis apparently expanded significantly, incorporating the adjacent foothill territories. During the periods of thermochrones, it was most likely limited to the high-mountainous areas of the mountain uplifts of Southern Siberia.

The current review is devoted to topical issues of the origin of modern shrew’ subfamilies Soricinae Fischer, 1817 and Crocidurinae Milne-Edwards, 1868 (Soricomorpha: Soricidae), as well as to the consideration of the possibility of using morphological analysis to search for ancestral groups of modern soricine and crocidurine shrews within the extinct subfamily Crocidosoricinae Reumer, 1987. The data on the taxonomic composition of the Crocidosoricinae subfamily and the preliminary results of a comparative analysis of the Neogene shrews Miosorex Kretzoi, 1959 and Shargainosorex Zazhigin et Voyta, 2018 (Crocidosoricinae) shrews with the representatives of Soricinae and Crocidurinae according to the shape of the first upper molar M1 are presented as an example to substantiate urgent problems in this area. The problem of relations of molecular and morphological data are discussed using individual groups as examples. Modern approaches of geometric morphometry are described, which together with phylogenetic data allow assessing the expression of the phylogenetic signal when analysing the shape of morphological structures. Possible prospects for the practical application of these approaches for the study of fossil material and the search for ancestral lineages of modern shrews among Crocidosoricinae are described.

The field surveys were conducted in the Maninjau Lake region, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia, in February 2020, mainly on the north-eastern slope of the Maninjau caldera at 450–600 m a.s.l. The slopes of the Maninjau caldera are naturally covered by a tropical rainforest that remains quite undisturbed from an altitude of 900 m up to the crater ridge. Natural vegetation of the northern and eastern slopes at altitudes from 450 and 500 to 600 m a.s.l. is replaced by rice plantations or mixed forest gardens. The typical habitat consisted of an evergreen broad-leaved forest on the slopes along a mountain creek and around a waterfall. Herein, we report 11 new species records for the Maninjau caldera; 9 new species records for Agam Regency; 3 new species records for Sumatra and Indonesia and 1 species of Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 new for science. The morphology of rare and poorly known species of the bent toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus agamensis (Bleeker, 1860) is described for the first time. A high diversity of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 occurs in Indochina and on the Thai-Malay Peninsula (150 species) but only six species in Sumatra. The Malay-Indochinese genus Cnemaspis has a recent spurt of diversity and now reaches eight species in Sumatra and only one species reaches Java. Current gecko diversity in Sumatra comprises 29 species in eight genera. The level of endemism level in geckos is very high and reaches 48%. The herpetofauna of Maninjau Caldera includes 26 amphibian and 46 reptile species. The faunistic core of the West Sumatran herpetofauna consists of Malay-Sundaic, Sumatran endemic, Sunda-Indochinese and widely distributed Oriental elements. The West Sumatran herpetofauna is characterized by the presence of a mutual species with Indochina, Malaysia, east India, Myanmar, the Andaman and Nicobar islands and Sri Lanka, often with disjunction in the huge territory of Indochina; species with continuous distribution from the Indian subcontinent to Papua and Oceania; and generalist species with wide pan-Indopacific distribution.

Currently, more than 58 skeletal anomalies and pathologies are known in the recent Squamata reptiles. In this paper, eight pathologies of a complex nature are described in Agamidae and Lacertidae: Paralaudakia caucasia (Eichwald, 1831) and Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758. Description of tail pathologies was carried out based on the analysis of X-ray images and on the results of computer microtomography. In the specimen of P. caucasia (ЗИН 19116.1) complete ablation of the caudal vertebra was revealed, which provoked the detachment of chevron and the proliferation of soft tissues. In some Agamidae, after pseudoautotomy, partial ablation of the caudal vertebra occurs to promote wound healing. Complete ablation of the distal caudal vertebra has not been previously reported in literature. In females of L. agilis, deformation of the right transverse process of the vertebra with “false bifurcation” without the formation of a cartilaginous tube (VOLSU 98.2), scoliosis, hematoma and callus on the cartilaginous tube were noted, as well as the absence of an autotomy plane in the postpygal vertebra (ZIN 31549). An unusual pathology in L. agilis (ZIN 31549) is the absence of an autotomy plane in the postpigal vertebra and of its anterior neural spine. The loss of the plane of autotomy during ontogeny is characteristic of some Iguanidae, but it has not been previously noted in Lacertidae. The described cases of anomalies expand the spectrum of known pathologies in reptiles.

The finding of larval and juvenile specimens from the Omani coast of the Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf waters of Saudi Arabia and Iraq is reported for the first time. Based on available information, one larva was a leptocephalus, Conger sp. (family Congridae) and one larva of an acronurus stage belonging to the genus Acanthurus (family Acanthuridae). Also juveniles of the following families are included in the present study: Clupeidae – Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) and Nematalosa sp.; Dactylopteridae – Dactyloptena orientalis (Cuvier, 1829); Gobiidae – Acentrogobius sp.; Bothidae – Arnoglossus aspilos (Bleeker, 1851); Scatophagidae – Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766); Sparidae – Acanthopagrus arabicus Iwatsuki, 2013 and Sparidentex hasta (Valenciennes, 1830); Tetraodontidae – Lagocephalus sp. The discovery of the barred rather than spotted juveniles of S. argus collected from pure freshwater environment of the Shatt al-Arab River, Basrah, Iraq was remarkable; it raises questions whether there is more than one species within the nominal S. argus. For both larvae and juveniles of bothid flounders, the olfactory organ is a useful character for the examination of the developmental stage of the metamorphosing specimens. The occurrence of the different early life history stages of fishes from the three Arabian countries shows the needs them to be studied further so that inferences about the areas and periods of spawning and development of these fishes can be made more accurately.

The paper presents the results of the study of communities of macroinvertebrates and cottoid fish inhabiting methane seeps of Lake Baikal. For the analysis, we used video surveillance and collection of animals carried out with the help of "Mir" deep-water submersible, as well as NIOZ-type box-corer samplers from the board of a research vessel. Posolskaya Bank and Saint Petersburg methane seeps are located in different basins (southern and middle) and at different depths (300–500 m and ~ 1400 m), characterized by the different underwater landscapes (slope of underwater upland and hills formed by gas hydrates), by the structure of gas hydrates and their depth location in sediments, as well as the composition of microbial mats and communities of microorganisms of bottom sediments. Both seeps are characterized by bubble discharge of methane gas and the formation of highly productive communities of large invertebrates and cottoid fish on seep habitats. Seep animal communities consisted of species-depleted invertebrates and fish of the surrounding deep-water benthal of the Lake. We showed the similarities and differences in the composition of the faunas of two seeps, as well as the quantitative characteristics of taxonomic groups of macroinvertebrates and cottoid fishes. Obligate species have not been revealed on the methane seep Posolskaya Bank. For the methane seep Saint Petersburg, the gastropod species Kobeltocochlea tamarae Sitnikova, Teterina et Maximova, 2021 (Caenogastropoda: Benedictiidae) was designated as an obligate species; among bottom cottoid fishes, Neocottus werestschagini (Taliev, 1953) (Cottoidei: Abyssocottidae) had possible a transitional state to obligate. We presented the data on the assimilation by seep animals of mixed photo- and chemosynthetic food with different proportions of methane-derived carbon. A hypothesis has been substantiated that deep-water seep areas could serve as refugium for the preservation of endemic fauna during the Pliocene-Pleistocene glaciations of Lake Baikal.

The presented work is the final part of the taxonomic revision of the Antarctic icefishes of the genus Channichthys Richardson, 1844 (Notothenioidei: Channichthyidae) from the Kerguelen Islands, the species composition of which was discussed until recently. Based on the morphological study of all available specimens from the ZIN and BMNH collections (including the holotype), a comprehensive redescription of the Red icefish Channichthys rugosus Regan, 1913 from the waters of the Kerguelen islands (South Ocean) was carried out, including external morphology, seismosensory system, gill apparatus, and axial skeleton. As a result, new diagnostic features of Red icefish were discovered and previously known ones were clarified, which made it possible to confirm the species validity. Comparison with other valid species icefishes was done. Channichthys rugosus differs from Ch. rhinoceratus Richardson, 1844 by a high anterior dorsal fin, the fin membrane of which reaches the apexes of its longest rays (does not reach in Ch. rhinoceratus), as well as a narrow and concave interorbital space (compared to the wider and flat one), by stronger granulation and a uniform reddish body color (dark spotted-marble in Ch. rhinoceratus). Channichthys rugosus differs from Ch. velifer Meissner, 1972 by the number of rays in the first dorsal fin (7–9 versus 9–12) and pectoral fin (18–20 versus 20–21), the presence of bone plaques in the proximal part of the medial lateral line (absent in Ch. velifer), and monochromatic reddish body coloration (spotted in Ch. velifer). Channichthys rugosus differs from Ch. panticapaei Shandikov, 1995 by the presence of only 1 row of gill rakers on the first gill arch (2 rows in Ch. panticapaei) and by light coloration (brownish-black in Ch. panticapaei).

Recently, the task of artificial cultivation of especially valuable fish species in aquaculture has become more and more urgent. The value of salmon fish, and in particular rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) available for breeding, is largely determined by the high content of biologically active essential and polyunsaturated fatty acids of the group ω-6 and ω-3, necessary for vital activity and not synthesized by the human body. Since the natural stocks of many popular fatty fish have decreased, farmed fish can help meet consumer demand for this product. Based on this, the assessment of the content of the main ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids in the fat of rainbow trout grown in closed-loop water supply installations (USV) was made. The fat was extracted from the fish by thermal method with further distillation by supercritical fluid extraction on the SFT-150 unit. The ratio of fatty acids in the fish oil sample was determined using the Chromatek-Kristall-5000 M hardware and software complex. The results obtained were compared with the standard for salmon fish oil “Aquaculture products” and “Wild fish”. It is established that trout cultivated in the UZV in the Penza region, in terms of the content of the main essential fatty acids, is not inferior to the quality indicators of the standard in terms of the requirements for salmon fish of “Aquaculture products”. In fish, all essential fatty acids are present in sufficient quantities, the ratio of ω-6 to ω-3 is 2.6:1, which indicates a high nutritional value of the product and allows it to be used in human food to provide the body with essential fatty acids, as well as a raw material for obtaining therapeutic and preventive products.

The freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus,1758) is endangered in Europe and is now listed in the Red Data Book of many countries and regions. The diet of the species in the Syskyänjoki River (a tributary of Lake Ladoga) has been studied. The contents of the intestine generally correspond to the composition of seston, and include organic detritus, filamentous and unicellular algae, fragments of invertebrates and macrophyte tissues mixed with silt and sand. The total biomass of the intestinal contents of varied from 0.8 to 30.6 mg per organism (absolutely dry weight). Margaritifera margaritifera consumes a wide range of particles, from 0.5 μm³ (bacteria and unicellular algae) to 200 000 μm³ (fragments of invertebrates and macrophyte tissues). About 90–95% (by volume) of the intestinal contents was consisted by fine organic detritus. The food composition did not differ significantly for mollusks of different sexes and size. In the intestinal contents, 63 taxa of algae were identified. The number of algal species in the content of one intestine varied from 3 to 17, with their abundance from 250 to 9560 cells per organism. The most abundant and constant in the contents of the intestines are unicellular algae. Diatoms are the most diverse, they make up 50.8% of the total number of species.

Private Auchenorrhyncha collection and the archive of well known Russian entomologist, Georgy A. Anufriev (1943–2017), is donated by his widow, Nina P. Belova, to the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in July 2020. The collection and the archive were moved to Saint Petersburg in the original boxes and housed in the Hemiptera section of the laboratory of Insect Systematics.

Interannual variation in proportion of left-sided individuals has been studied in the populations of the European flounder from Onega (2002–2019), Mezen (2010–2016), and Dvina (2005–2019) bays of the White Sea. It was found that the flounder populations show no statistically significant and consistent changes in this character. The frequency of left-sided individuals in the local populations and the character of interpopulation differences in different years of the observation period remain relatively constant. The comparison of the results of this study with those of earlier studies reveals a similarity in proportions of left-sided fish over the past 40–60 years in flounder populations of the Kandalaksha Bay and Onega Bay. These results highlight the importance of the proportion of left-sided morphs for the analysis of population differentiation of the European flounder in the White Sea.

A new material on the Neotropical genus Anaulacomera Stål, 1873 from its subgenera Anallomes Stål, 1875, Stenotegmora subgen. nov., Irisovia subgen. nov. and Munticercora Gorochov, 2020 is considered with description of six new species and one new subspecies: A. (Anallomes) galarzai sp. nov. from Peru (Junin Department: Satipo Prov.); A. (A.) monicae sp. nov. from Peru (Junin Department: Satipo Prov.); A. (S.) adunca sp. nov. from Peru (Junin Department: Satipo Prov.); A. (S.) spinifera sp. nov. from Peru (Ucayali Department: Atalaya Prov.); A. (S.) originalis sp. nov. from Peru (Junin Department: Satipo Prov.); A. (I.) grigoryi sp. nov. from Peru (Junin Department: Satipo Prov.); A. (M.) sclerogenitalis woronovi subsp. nov. from Colombia (“Penas Blancos, Rio Magdalena”). The above-mentioned new subgenera are distinguished from all the other subgenera of this genus by the following features: Stenotegmora subgen. n. by narrower tegmina, and the male genitalia with a large median inflation on the dorsal fold; Irisovia subgen. n. by the male last abdominal tergite with strongly denticulate posterior lobes, the male cerci short but thick and with distal processes having numerous spinule-like setae, and the male genitalia membranous. For A. (M.) psedoepiproctalis Gorochov, 2020 and A. (M.) s. sclerogenitalis Gorochov, 2020, some important geographical mistakes in their type data are corrected (Ecuador and Mexico instead Peru, respectively), and for the latter taxon, a previously unknown female is described.

The tribe Adelungiini Baker, with Platyproctus agraphopteron Bergevin, 1932, P. melichari (Kusnezov, 1929), and P. emir sp. nov., collected on Calligonum crinitum Boiss. arabicum Sosk., is recorded for the first time from the United Arab Emirates. Symphypyga omani Kameswara Rao et Ramakrishnan, 1983 and Assiuta camena Linnavuori, 1969 are transferred to the genus Platyproctus Lindberg, 1925 based on male genitalia structure, with new combinations proposed – Platyproctus omani (Kameswara Rao et Ramakrishnan, 1983), comb. nov. and P. camena (Linnavuori, 1969), comb. nov. Platyproctus emir sp. nov. is closely related to P. camena and P. omani in general male genitalia structure, but well differs by the aedeagus with denticles on dorsal surface of the shaft and wider pygofer lobes. The genus Assiuta Linnavuori 1969 is treated as monotypic Canarian endemic, monophage on Traganum moquini Webb ex Moq. Assiuta salina is close to Emelyanogramma proxima (Dlabola, 1960) by strongly dentate ventral margin of aedeagal shaft. The lectotype is designated for Symphypyga melichari Kusnezov, 1929. Platyproctus flavidus Dubovsky, 1966 is placed in synonymy under P. marmoratus (Horváth, 1894) while P. maculatus (Pruthi, 1930) and Symphypyga melichari fuscopunctata Kusnezov, 1929 are placed in synonymy under P. melichari (Kusnezov, 1929). Illustrations of male genitalia structure for E. proxima and the photos of external views for A. salina and P. camena are given for the first time.

The structure of the pectoral fins spine of 4 catfish species Heterobranchus longifilis, Clarias gariepinus, Chrysichthys auratus, Synodontis schall and Synodontis serratus were described. The fish specimens were collected from Asyut City and Lake Nasser about 319 and 900 Km south of the capital Cairo, Egypt respectively on 10 November 2017 are described. The species examined showed variation in the shape of the spine-shaft tip varies from finely to broadly and rounded pointed; the curvature of the spine-shaft is either straight or curved partially or complete; the anterior serrae varies between is either broad or irregular; the anterior ridge groove is well developed, deep, and curved, with some pores in some species; the anterior dentations varies between short and sometimes are merged together or curved and their number decreased towards the tip; the posterior dentations can vary between absent or long and numerous and sometimes increased in their number towards the tip of the spine; the dorsal, anterior and ventral processes are well developed structures, with rounded, flange-like, and the shape of the basal fossa varies in having narrow, elongated, boat-shape, with high walls at sides; and very wide fossa and lunate in shape. It is usually deep with high walls.

On the basis of material from the ZIN collection, as well as literature data, the species composition, taxonomic and biogeographic structure of the prosobranch gastropod fauna in the southern part of the Kara Sea were clarified. The analysis of the peculiarities of the distribution of gastropods of the Kara Sea by depth, temperature and salinity has been carried out. It has been established that the species composition of this fauna is extremely poor in comparison with other Arctic seas. It contains around 90 species belonging to 16 families. But at least 10 percent of them are represented by only single finds made on the border of the Kara Sea with other water areas. Therefore, it remains to be determined whether these species belong to the mollusk fauna of the Kara Sea. The biogeographic structure of the fauna turned out to be opposite to that described in the literature. Boreal species are absent, and the proportion of Atlantic species is much lower than that of the Pacific. It was also found that these two groups prefer different depths and are partially separated in space. The reasons for the separation of different biogeographical groups of gastropods in space and depth are not clear. It is assumed that the southern and northern parts of the sea are different faunal regions.

According to standardized bird trapping for banding purposes the population trends of Wrynecks (Jynx torquilla Linnaeus, 1758), Lesser Whitethroats (Sylvia curruca Linnaeus, 1758), Tree Pipits (Anthus trivialis Linnaeus, 1758), and Red-backed Shrikes (Lanius collurio Linnaeus, 1758) over 45 years in the Courish Spit, Eastern Baltic, indicate two periods, an initial population growth and a subsequent significant decline. All results, including the already published data on the Barred Warblers, indicate that 5 species of long-distance trans-Saharan migrants experienced a significant decline in numbers since the mid-1970s. Ringing protocol included determination of age and taking biometric measurements, the wing length as a proxy of structural size, and body mass. During the period of population decline, neither wing length, nor body mass of birds changed. None of the indicators of population productivity (clutch size, average brood size, breeding success) did not change, either. Presumably this may mean that the reasons for the population decline of the species are related to factors affecting birds on migration route or in wintering areas, and not on their breeding grounds. It is known that in catastrophic droughts on the African continent, the quality of habitats deteriorates, and competition for food leads to an increase in the mortality rate of wintering birds.

Modern remote sensing methods contribute to the study of previously unexplored features of the vital activity of animals, including mineral nutrition of the largest terrestrial mammals in the North-West of the Russian Federation. In the article, seasonal observations of individual moose [Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)] on artificial salt licks were analyzed. The attendance of salt licks was monitored using automatic photo-video recorders (cam-era traps) from 2015 to 2020 on the territory of various hunting farms in 3 districts of the Leningrad Province. The annual, seasonal and daily cyclicity in the use of mineral feeding places by moose was revealed. For this research, from the total sample (n = 372) of registered individuals, 118 most reliably identified moose were specially selected, of which 72 (61%) showed cyclicity in salt licking with a certain frequency. In the remaining 46 individuals, the cyclicity was not observed for explainable objective reasons. Females, to a greater extent than males, are more settled in relation to places of mineral feeding, which is indirectly confirmed by the percentage in the selected groups. The time intervals between the periods of salt licking vary individually. Based on similar patterns of attendance inherent in most individuals, the nature of visiting artificial salt licks by moose during the active period of salt licking (April-November) is as follows: each “group of visits” consists of several (1–11 times per day) periods of salt licking for 1–5 days in a row, followed by a break of 10 to 20 days, followed by a repetition of the “group of visits”.

This paper presents data on species composition and peculiarities of distribution of Decapoda in the southern part of Kara Sea obtained during trawl surveys in 2012 and 2016. In total, 11 species of decapod crustaceans were collected. In the last decade the fauna has been enriched by the invasion of the snow crab Chionoecetes opilio. Brief information on the environmental conditions of occurrence and maps of distribution in the studied area are presented for each species. The highest values of species richness (up to 6 species per catch), biomass and abundance of decapods were detected on the western slope of Priyamal shallow at 50–150 m depth range. According to the patterns of distribution and environmental conditions, three groups of species were distinguished: associated with cold and salty waters of Novaya Zemlya Trough; inhabiting lower salinity waters with a wide temperature range of the Priyamal and Ob-Yenisei shallows; and a group that is widespread within the area in wide range of conditions. In comparison with the neighboring Barents Sea, the decapod fauna of the Kara Sea is qualitatively and quantitatively depleted. The obtained data on the distribution of individual species and ecological groups can be used for the background assessment of the state of the decapod fauna, including the period of population formation of the alien species.

The paper considers the species composition of the fauna of several cnidarian groups of the Kara Sea. The author presents a list of species of the studied groups and indicates the types of habitat for each species. The analysis was based on the literature data, the collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and material collected in the Kara Sea during the expedition to the R/V Professor Multanovsky in 2019. In total, 87 species of Hydrozoa, 3 species of Scyphozoa, 4 species of Staurozoa, and 5 species of the order Alcyonacea from the class Anthozoa were recorded for the fauna of the Kara Sea, based on the new material obtained by the author and published literature data. The report presents the biogeographic structure of the discussed cnidarian groups. According to the types of biogeographic ranges, the fauna of the above-mentioned cnidarian groups in the Kara Sea mostly consists of representatives of the Boreal-Arctic type of habitat (63%), the Boreal and Amphiboreal biogeographic groups each containing 12% of the total number of described species, and the Panoceanic and Arctic groups together accounting for only 9% and 4% of the fauna of the Kara Sea. Two species new for the Kara Sea, Neoturris pileata (Forsskål, 1775) and Neoturris pileata (Forsskål, 1775), are described. Neoturris pileata is an element of the warm-water Atlantic fauna that penetrated into the Kara Sea with waters of Atlantic genesis. Nausithoe werneri is an element of the cold-water Arctic fauna that penetrated into the Novaya Zemlya Trough of the Kara Sea from the north-western side from the St. Anna Trough, which was open to the Polar Basin.

Based on the study of new collection material and literature data, the composition of the sea anemone fauna of the Kara Sea is described. It includes 13 species of 7 families. Among them are 10 species that have previously been known for this region: Urticina crassicornis (O.F. Muller, 1776), Aulactinia stella (Verrill, 1864), Hormathia digitata (O.F. Muller, 1776), Allantactis parasitica Danielssen, 1890, Actinostola callosa (Verrill, 1882), A. spetsbergensis (Carlgren, 1893), Anthosactis janmayeni Danielssen, 1890, Halcampa arctica Carlgren, 1893, Edwardsia arctica Carlgren, 1921, Ptychodactis patula Appellof, 1893, and 3 species reported for the Kara Sea for the first time: Cactosoma abyssorum Danielssen, 1890, Haliactis arctica Carlgren, 1921, and Edwardsia vitrea Danielssen, 1890. The ranges of the species are described. A detailed consideration of the species’ geographical distribution, determined by the temperature, depth and salinity, allows the anemones to be subdivided into 3 groups: a) inhabiting the shelf and associated with high salinity; b) eurybathic, associated with the high latitudes, high salinity and a narrow interval of low temperatures; c) the most widespread, withstanding desalination and low temperatures. The geographic ranges of epibenthic polyps of the infraorder Thenaria have now been thoroughly studied, but the distribution of the representatives of the infraorder Athenaria in Arctic is known only from several finds. The distribution of the only Arctic representative of the suborder Ptychodacteae, Ptychodactis patula, is known from a fairly large number of finds, but its habitat requirements are little known. Therefore, our reasoning about the sources of the formation of the Kara Sea fauna is based mainly on the data derived from the thenarians. Our analysis has confirmed the participation of the species of Atlantic origin, most resistant to low temperatures, in the formation of the Kara Sea fauna, but no convincing evidence has been found for the participation of Pacific elements in the settlement of this region.

As a result of processing materials from the expeditions of the Saint-Petersburg State University in 2012–2013 and the Transarctic expedition of 2019, 131 polychaete taxa were recorded, of which 124 were identified to species. On the basis of data from previous and recent collections, the general list of polychaetes in the Kara Sea was updated; it includes 209 species belonging to 98 genera, 37 families, and 15 orders. The following species are reported for the first time from the sea: Abyssoninoe hibernica (McIntosh, 1903), Ampharete falcata Eliason, 1955, Brada rugosa Hansen, 1882, Microclymene acirrata Arwidsson, 1906; Nephtys pente Rainer, 1984; Ophelina abranchiata Stop-Bowitz, 1948, Scolelepis burkovskii Sikorski, 1994, and Travisia forbesii Johnson, 1840. Polychaetes were found at all stations; the number of species per station ranged from 1 to 28. Shannon’s indices (H'_SpA and H'_spB) showed that at most stations the diversity of species was high and resistance to stress (D_E') was quite satisfactory. Only in a few cases some tension existed in the ecological situation, estimated by the index of difference in evenness and this applies, to an overwhelming degree, to the shallow water stations in the area of the outlet from the Ob and Yenisei bays. New data show a more pronounced Arctic character of the Kara Sea fauna in comparison with the polychaete fauna of neighboring seas. The influence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans both on the polychaete fauna of the Kara Sea and on the polychaete fauna of the neighboring seas is noticeable and natural, which is confirmed by changes in the proportion of species of Pacific and Atlantic origin. The trophic structure of polychaetes is represented by four main groups; the distribution of trophic groups is closely related to environmental conditions.

The survey of shell-bearing heterobranchs of the order Cephalaspidea of the Kara Sea has been done based on unpublished and literature data. The studied material includes that collected during expeditions aboard R/V Professor Multanovskiy in August–September 2019 and R/V Dalnie Zelentsy in August 2012. Additionally, the material of collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint Petersburg) has been studied. The fauna of heterobranch molluscs of the order Cephalaspidea in the Kara Sea includes 18 described and 1 undescribed species that belong to 10 genera and 6 families. It has been specified that the type locality of Retusa semen Reeve, 1855 (Port Refuge) is located at Port Refuge National Historic Site of Canada, Devon Island, Nunavut, not in the Kara Sea. Retusa semen is considered here as species inquirenda because of the brief original description, significant differences in drawings of the shell of this species made by different authors, and the absence of type specimens. The presence of Diaphana minuta Brown, 1827, Laona quadrata (Wood, 1839), Philine sinuata Stimpson, 1851 and Retusa semen in the Kara Sea needs confirmation. Species numbers of heterobranch molluscs of the order Cephalaspidea decrease from the Barents Sea (21) through the Kara Sea (19) to the Laptev Sea (15) because of the decreasing proportion of boreal-arctic species. Among cephalaspids of the Kara Sea, the highest average abundance (individuals/m²) was observed for Cylichnoides densistriatus (Leche, 1878), and the highest average biomass for Cylichna corticata (Møller, 1842). The proportion of live individuals in the populations does not exceed 18% in late August – early September. The taxonomic structure of the cephalaspid fauna of the Kara Sea has been studied based exclusively on morphological characters. Further study of the fauna is needed based on molecular analyses of the material fixed in 96˚ alcohol.

Until now, information on the bryozoan fauna of the Kara Sea was as the most unordered in comparison to other Arctic seas of Russia. The information in literature is mainly based on the data collected more than 80 years ago. Collections carried out over the last 30 years made it possible to expand the understanding not only of the species richness of this group, but also to study its spatial variation within the sea. At the moment, the species list of bryozoans in the Kara Sea includes 230 names. Of these, 42 species were recorded for the first time in this area of the Arctic. The fauna richness varies with depth and geographic location of sampling sites. Comparison of the species composition of bryozoans within 6 sectors defined on the basis of differences in environmental parameters indicates the presence of a single faunistic complex. The biogeographic composition of the fauna is characterized by the predominance of the boreal-arctic species (67%) over the arctic (30%); the share of boreal species is only 3%. Comparison of bryozoans from the Kara Sea with faunas from other areas of the Arctic region indicates a closer similarity of its fauna with the fauna of the Barents Sea than with the fauna of bryozoans from the Laptev Sea.

Brittle stars are one of the leading components of the benthic communities in the Kara Sea. The fauna of the Kara Sea brittle stars is represented by 12 species. Ophiocten sericeum (Forbes, 1852), Ophiopleura borealis Danielssen et Koren, 1877, Ophiacantha bidentata (Bruzelius, 1805), and Ophioscolex glacialis Müller et Troschel, 1842 are most widespread within the sea. Based on the available data, distribution maps for each species were constructed. A comparative analysis of the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea fauna was carried out. It was found that during evolution the fauna of Kara Sea brittle stars at the genus level was under balanced influence of autochthonous and allochthons processes; at the species level the autochthonous processes were predominant. The obtained value of the taxonomic uniqueness index characterizes the fauna of the Kara Sea brittle stars as quite isolated at all taxonomic levels. Six biogeographic groups were distinguished in the biogeographic structure of the fauna of the sea, of which the boreal-Arctic and high-boreal-Arctic forms are the most represented. The use of the Jaccard species similarity coefficients and Pearson correlation showed that the greatest similarity at the species level is observed between the Kara and the Laptev seas.

Data on the fishes of the high-latitude Severnaya Zemlya archipelago (the North Land) is presented. The archipelago is located in the Arctic on the border between the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. The ichthyofauna of the archipelago has not been studied; therefore, even small collections are of interest. Fish samples were obtained during the expedition “Open Ocean: Arctic Archipelagos – 2019: Severnaya Zemlya”. In addition, the samples from this area in the collections of the Zoological Institute (ZIN) were studied, which have been received from polar expeditions to the Kara and Laptev seas during the entire era of polar research. The most significant fact is the discovery of mass accumulation of polar cod Boreogadus saida (Lepechin, 1774) larvae in Mikoyan Bay (Bolshevik Island), which gives evidence of important spawning grounds near Severnaya Zemlya. Indirect evidence of this can be found in the publications of polar explorers who overwintered on Severnaya Zemlya in the 1930s–1950s and have reported that the polar cod approaches the shores for spawning in August, in huge schools. The waters of Severnaya Zemlya represent the spawning area of polar cod in the central part of the Eurasian shelf, which is not mentioned in current literature. In addition to polar cod, a few more species are registered in samples from the coastal waters of the archipelago (depths to 38 m), rough hookear sculpin Artediellus scaber Knipowitsch, 1907, twohorn sculpin Icelus bicornis (Reinhardt, 1840) (family Cottidae), Liparis tunicatus Reinhardt, 1836, black-bellied snailfish L. cf. fabricii (Liparidae), Knipowich eelpout Gymnelus knipowitschi Chernova, 1999 (Zoarcidae) and three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gasterosteidae). In the deepwater straits, snailfish Careproctus sp. (174–234 m) and pale eelpout Lycodes pallidus Collett, 1879 (105–348 m) were found. The Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Salmonidae) inhabits some lakes of the archipelago. This is the first finding of a three-spined stickleback in the east of the Kara Sea.

Recently, the Caucasian viper was found in a number of localities in South Ossetia (Tuniyev et al. 2017a,b; Tuniyev et al. 2019) and in the lower gate of the Borzhom Gorge of Eastern Georgia. Animals from the new localities are compared to Pelias kaznakovi from the Western Caucasus – northeastern Turkey and P. dinniki. The canonical discriminate analysis (CDA) showed that the snakes from the left-bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River in East Georgia and South Ossetia differ significantly from Pelias kaznakovi from Krasnodar Territory and Abkhazia in the mean values of several plastic and meristic characters. Thus, there is discrimination of the groups allocated according to geographic location and gender. Cluster analysis based on meristic characters of pholidosis showed the distance between P. dinniki and the remaining “kaznakovi” complex forms. Based on the results of the analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, the snakes from the left-bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River form a separate cluster, not sister to Pelias kaznakovi. The results obtained on morphology, genetics and ecology of the studied vipers suggest the taxonomic validity of the vipers from the left bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River in Eastern Georgia and South Ossetia. The species is named after Boris Tuniyev, who made a significant contribution to the study of the Caucasian herpetofauna and taxonomy of the shield-head viper snakes. Among the representatives of the “kaznakovi” complex, males of the new species are characterized by the minimal values of body length, pileus length, head width, number of ventral and subcaudal shields, as well as the shields around the eyes; differences are also noted in the structure of the hemipenis; the females have the minimum values of body length, pileus length, head width, number of shields around the eyes and loreals, fewer wings of zigzag. All known finds are located in the left bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River from the Borzhom Gorge (east slope of Meskheti Ridge) in Georgia to the mid-altitude mountain districts of South Ossetia (east foothills of Likhsky Ridge and south spurs of Central Caucasus). Biotopes of the new species are character- ized by more xero-mesophilic traits and a moderately warm mezo-climate than the typical mesophilic biotopes of North-Colchian (Krasnodar Territory – Abkhazia) and, especially, Adzharo-Lazistanian (Georgia – Turkey) P. kaznakovi living in the humid subtropical climate.

Zoarcid fishes of the genus Gymnelus Reinhardt inhabit the shelves of the North Pacific Ocean and the Arctic. A new species, G. pseudosquamatus sp. nov., is described from trawl samples taken at depths off South-West Greenland. It is most similar to the type species of the genus, Common Fish Doctor G. viridis, inhabiting the coastal waters of Greenland. The characters of the latter are specified on materials from the type locality, including the neotype and specimens of J.C.H. Reinhardt. Both species are in the group of Gymnelus with an interrupted supratemporal commissura, two supratemporal sensory pores (1+0+1), and a dorsal fin originating above the pectoral fin. The two species differ in a complex of characters, including habitus. In G. viridis, the trunk is roundish in cross section, highest above the beginning of the anal fin; the anterior rays of the dorsal fin are shortened, and covered with a thick and somewhat fleshy skin. In G. pseudosquamatus, the body is compressed and deeper anteriorly, the dorsal-fin rays are evenly elongated, and the fin membrane is thin. Differences in counts and measurements are statistically significant, including the number of vertebrae and rays in the dorsal, anal and pectoral fins, the number of teeth on the jaws, as well as the length and depth of the head, predorsal length, the length of pectoral fins, eye diameter and length of the gill slit. The color of G. pseudosquamatus, with 8–16 wide brown mottled bands, is also unusual, as the skin is dotted with light speckles that create the illusion of tiny scales, which is the reason for the name “pseudosquamatus”, the Deceptive Fish Doctor. While G. viridis is found inshore in a zone of macroalgae, the new species is found in deeper waters (100–457 m) along the shelf edge of South-West Greenland. The name Ophidium stigma Lay et Bennett, 1839 (=Gymnelus stigma) should be excluded from the synonymy of G. viridis, since the original description mentions the presence of scales on the body, which are absent in Gymnelus.

The range of superspecific complex of rock lizards Darevskia (caucasica) (D. alpina, D. c. caucasica, D. c. vedenica, D. daghestanica) includes the Main Caucasian ridge and its spurs on the southern and northern macroslopes within heights from 500 m to 3200 m above sea level. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1096 bp) was analyzed in 48 specimens of these lizards. Specimens were collected in 23 localities. We have found 39 unique haplotypes. The minimum genetic diversity was found in D. c. vedenica, maximum in D. c. caucasica. All taxa of the complex, except for D. c. vedenica, demonstrate genetic heterogeneity. Four clades can be distinguished on the dendrogram of phylogenetic relationships. They correspond to D. alpina, D. c. caucasica, D. c. vedenica, D. daghestanica. D. c. caucasica forms two distinct haplogroups. On the phylogenetic tree, the sample of D. c. vedenica formed an independent clade close to D. c. caucasica. The Darevskia (caucasica) complex is polyphyletic according to the analysis of the mitochondrial marker. Nucleotide sequences of D. alpina formed a single clade with Darevskia (saxicola) complex representatives and combined with the sequences of D. brauneri into subclade. On the example of the population of D. daghestanica, found in a forest biotope without rocky outcrops and genetically not differing from individuals from the adjacent territory, the ability of rocky lizards to master biotopes unusual for them in a short period of time was demonstrated. This example demonstrates the ability of rock lizards to adapt to unusual biotopes in a short period of time. Genetic distance between D. c. vedenica and D. c. caucasica is comparable to the distance between D. c. caucasica and D. daghestanica. We assume the existence of an independent form of D. caucasica ssp. inhabiting South Ossetia and adjacent territories.

This is first review of the planthopper family Achilidae of the United Arab Emirates. Two achilid species are reported from the country – Akotropis fulgens Linnavuori, 1973 and Deferunda incompta Dlabola, 1961. The finding of D. incompta in the UAE is the most western point of the genus Deferunda Distant, 1912 distribution and the first record of this genus from the Arabian Peninsula. External view photos of A. fulgens and D. incompta are provided and the latter is illustrated for the first time.

The Epigravettian site of Yudinovo (Bryansk oblast, Russia) was discovered in 1930 by K.M. Polikarpovich. It is located in the Sudost’ river valley and has a unique stratigraphy. This article presents the results of the study of the remains of large mammals from Yudinovo and also discusses their significance in revising the former interpretation of the existence of the site during the very end of the final part of the Late Pleistocene. In total, 38 268 mammalian bones were identified from cultural layers excavated between 1947–2019. The faunal assemblage is relatively small with a dominance of woolly mammoth and arctic fox, typical of a cold and dry tundra-steppe environment. We undertook stable isotopic tracking from samples of bones. Our analyses confirm the hunting of both adult and juvenile larger mammals by ancient humans. Based on the eruption sequence and wear of the milk teeth from young animals, we were able to clarify the season of their death. It seems that these individuals were hunted during the late spring or early autumn. Traces of gnawing by dogs were recorded on a few bones. We also present in this article the results of the study of so-called “dwellings”, constructed by stacking up body parts and bones that were extracted from carcasses of freshly killed mammoths. We interpret these structures as middens representing the remains of ritually deposited hunted game. It can be assumed that these “dwellings” were probably an important part of the socio-symbolic system of the peoples, who created them.

The Early Pleistocene locality Muhkai 2 was discovered in Central Dagestan, northeastern Caucasus, Russia, in 2006. Archaeological investigations of the site have been directed by Corresponding member of RAS H.A. Amirkhanov (Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow). The article presents the results of the study of osteological material from the excavations of 2006–2017. The cultural layers with stone tools and mammal bones are found within stratum of brownish-grey petrified loams with reversed magnetization. We identified 14 large species of mammals, which are indicators for the dating of the faunal assemblage and crucial in identifying the specific characteristics of the natural environment at the time of site formation. Stenon horse and Etruscan wolf dominate the spectrum of species at Muhkai 2. All large mammal species from the site are inhabitants of open and semi-open landscapes and animals indicative of closed biotopes are absent. The biotope appears to have been a dry savannah-steppe with small areas of forest vegetation. The climate at this time was warm and quite arid. Most likely, the animals died here due to natural causes and their carcasses were buried at the bottom of an ancient, slightly saline and shallow, temporary body of water. Data from the theriofauna place the age of the site Muhkai 2 within the chronological range of 2.1–1.77 Mya.

The parameters of individual development and population cycle in in vitro nematodes Panagrolaimus detritophagus were revealed. The nematodes are bacterial feeders and commensals of the cerambycid Monochamus galloprovincialis from the pine Pinus sylvestris; nematodes use beetles as vectors. Mean development time (T) from egg to juvenile is 1–2 days for J2, 3–4 days for J3, and 4–7 days for J4; to adults (G, generation) 7 (6–8) days. In vitro the population cycle is equal to 4 generations and ends with 90% of survival juveniles (J3, day 34). In the growth phase of the population, the proportion of eggs exceeds the proportion of other stages of the developmental cycle: 39±11% for 7 days; 53±10% for 21 days. The average oviposition rate of females is 4.5±1.3/day and only 56±12% of eggs proceed to immediate development (hatching and molting of juveniles). The remaining mass of eggs enter development only after 27 days (4 individual generations). This feature may be considered as a form of delay or a brief diapause at the egg stage. Individual females may accumulate up to 4 synchronous eggs in the body and lay them simultaneously. The average life span of an adult female is 13–20 days. Formulas for the exponential growth of the number of females and the total nematode population have been developed.

The results of processing the data of continuous recording of body temperature using loggers obtained with the enclosure keeping 23 individuals of the common viper Vipera berus L. in Karelia (62.068310°N, 33.958824°E) are presented. Nine temperature characteristics, subdivided into 2 groups, were quantitatively evaluated – thermoecological, describing the dependence of the course of the viper’s body temperatures on the heat flux of the medium, and thermophysiological, stable parameters of thermoregulation. The factors that determine the variability of temperature characteristics are considered: time of day, weather conditions, morphometric indicators of an individual. A wide individual variability of thermoecological indicators and low variability of thermophysiological indicators were revealed, which was not associated with significant differences in different individuals. The parameter “maximum voluntary temperature”, which characterizes body temperature while avoiding overheating, is the closest to the physiological parameter of thermoregulation; obtaining such data is a very laborious process associated with deciphering the snake’s behavior from video recordings. An indicator that gives close values to the maximum voluntary temperature, which has a very simple calculation algorithm – “median active temperature (for a sample of temperatures above 30°C)”; however, it requires a volumetric series of continuously recorded temperature records for analysis. An accurate, statistically robust “maximum typical temperature” parameter gives an idea of the true maximum temperature characteristic of a species, but has a complex calculation method. These thermophysiological parameters are recommended to be used for intrapopulation and interspecies comparisons.

The work examines the circumstances of the transfer of the largest collection of butterflies, collected by Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov for 26 years, to the Zoological Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg in 1899–1900. The gift was made on the condition that the collection would retain the name of the donor; that, because of its considerable size, there will be a special custodian; that it would remain untouchable and without resupply, except for the species that may come from the Russian Empire; that it will be available for the work of scientists and professionals interested in the field. Two requirements were added a little bit later. The collection should have been kept in the same cabinets as it was at the Grand Duke’s palace. Otto Hertz was to be left the custodian with the position of senior zoologist. The main sources of the article are the minutes of the meetings of the Physics and Mathematics Department of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, museum reports, books of receipts from the Scientific Archives of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, materials of the St. Petersburg branch of the Archive of RAS and the Russian State Historical Archives.