The Spionidae of southeastern Australia are described. Intertidal and subtidal collections come mostly from Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland. A few records from West Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Great Barrier Reef (Queensland) are also included. A total of 68 species in 19 genera have been identified. These include 4 new genera and 43 new species, with new synonyms and generic emendations also proposed. The genera with pointed prostomia include Scolelepis (9 species, 8 being new), Aonides (1 species) and Dispio (1 new species). Australospio trifida gen. et. sp. nov. is a unique spionid with both a distally pointed prostomium and lateral prostomial horns. The genera with frontal or lateral prostomial horns include Malacoceros (3 species, 2 being new), Rhynchospio (2 new species) and Scolecolepides (1 new species). The definition of Rhynchospio is expanded to include those species with branchiae free from dorsal lamellae. Laonice includes 3 new species, with 1 being a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Spiophanes includes 3 species, Spio with 3 species (2 being new) and Microspio with 1 new species. The genera of the Prionospio-compXex are reviewed and revised to include: Paraprionospio (1 species), Orthoprionospio gen. nov. (1 new species), Streblospio (not represented) and Prionospio (9 species, 5 being new). A generic revision of the Poly dora-comp\ex is presented with 6 genera recognized: Boccardia (3 species), Carazziella gen. nov. (4 new species), Polydora (15 species, 8 being new), Boccardiella gen. nov. (2 species, 1 being new), Tripolydora (not represented) and Pseudopolydora (5 species, 2 being new). Polydorella is synonymized with Pseudopolydora. Approximately I of the species reported herein are endemic to Australia; the remainder are species with more cosmopolitan distributions. Family Spionidae Grube, 1850 Diagnosis: Prostomium variable: anteriorly rounded or incised, anteriorly expanded to acutely pointed, with or without frontal horns. Occipital tentacle sometimes present on prostomial caruncle. A pair of long prehensile peristomial palps arising on either side of caruncle near junction of peristomium and setiger 1. Setiger 1 reduced to well-developed, often fused with peristomium. Parapodia biramous, with parapodial lobes conical, cirriform or foliose; posterior neuropodia often form low 16. Rhynchospio glycera sp. nov. 17. R. australiana sp. nov. 18. Scolecolepides aciculatus sp. nov. 1 9.

As an exoplanet orbits its host star it reflects and emits light, forming a distinctive phase curve 1,2 . By observing this light, we can study the atmosphere and surface of distant planets. The planets in our Solar System show a wide range of atmospheric phenomena, with stable wind patterns, changing storms, and evolving anomalies. Brown dwarfs also exhibit atmospheric variability 3,4 . Such temporal variability in the atmosphere of a giant exoplanet has not to date been observed. HAT-P-7 b is an exoplanet with a known offset in the peak of its phase curve 5,6 . Here we present variations in the peak offset ranging between -0.086 +0.033 -0.033 to 0.143 +0.040 -0.037 in phase, implying that the peak brightness repeatedly shifts from one side of the planet's substellar point to the other. The variability occurs on a timescale of tens to hundreds of days. These shifts in brightness are indicative of variability in the planet's atmosphere, and result from a changing balance of thermal emission and reflected flux from the planet's dayside. We suggest that variation in wind speed in the planetary atmosphere, leading to variable cloud coverage on the dayside and a changing energy balance, is capable of explaining the observed variation. Time (BJD-2454833)Peak Offset (Phase) Author ContributionsDJA obtained and detrended the data, developed and fit the phase curve models, implemented the atmospheric model, produced the figures and wrote the manuscript. EdM developed the discussion, contributed to the tests performed to check the results, and tested the results with his own models. HPO contributed to the phase curve model, and produced visual interpretations of the results. JBa developed the discussion of the atmospheric processes behind the peak offset variations. JBl provided the initial development of the phase curve model. NFS contributed to development of the figures. All authors commented on the manuscript.

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This paper provides a morphological description of Capitella teleta sp. nov., an opportunistic capitellid that is also commonly used as an experimental polychaete under the provisional designation Capitella sp. I. The species is widely distributed along the east and west coasts of North America and also reported from Japan and the Mediterranean. The species belongs to a group having distinct sexual dimorphism, yet with hermaphrodites occurring under certain conditions. Morphologically, C. teleta has a long, narrow body, with all thoracic segments similar except for sexual modifications on setigers 8–9; the prostomium/peristomium combined are long, narrow and about 2.5 times as long as setiger 1. Capillary setae are present in noto- and neuropodia of setigers 1–7; setigers 8–9 have hooded hooks in noto- and neuropodia of females; genital spines replace notopodial hooks in males. A methyl green staining pattern is limited to some thoracic setigers of females; males lack a distinct staining pattern. The cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequence is presented. Relationships of C. teleta with the type-species, C. capitata and other known species including siblings identified in laboratory culture are discussed. The syntype of Ancistria acuta Verrill, 1874, the only known species of Capitella described from New England was examined and determined to be incertae sedis. C. teleta is a highly opportunistic species and appears to be the same as the C. capitata identified from southern California as the “polluted zone indicator” by D.J. Reish in the late 1950s. An appendix with over 200 published references to research conducted on C. teleta is included.

Eight new species of cirratulid polychaetes of the genus Chaetozone from the Alaskan (Beaufort Sea) and Canadian Arctic (Baffin Island, Baffin Bay, Labrador, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay) and the Northeastern Pacific are reported together with two new species of Tharyx from the Alaskan Beaufort Sea and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The new species of Chaetozone and Tharyx are compared with related species; distinct species groups within these genera are discussed. A redescription of C. setosa Malmgren, 1867, the type species of the genus from Spitsbergen, based on a lectotype and associated paralectotypes designated by the late Dr. Mary E. Petersen is presented. A review of characters important in the taxonomy of the genera Chaetozone and Tharyx is presented. A key to species of Chaetozone from the Northeastern Pacific and North American Arctic is provided.

Eighteen species of Orbiniidae, 15 new to science, are reported from deep-sea habitats in the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. The collection includes specimens from continental slope and abyssal soft sediments as well as hydrothermal vent and methane seep sites. New collections of Califia calida Hartman, 1957, Naineris uncinata Hartman, 1957, and Phylo nudus (Moore, 1911) allow redescription and new distributional records of these species to be documented. Five species of Leitoscoloplos: L., cliffordi n. sp., L. gordaensis n sp., L. lunulus n. sp., L. sahlingi n. sp., and L. williamsae n. sp. are described together with a new species of Berkeleyia, B. lelievre n. sp., two new species of Scoloplos: S. californiensis n. sp. and S. sparsaciculus n. sp., and a new species of Leodamas, L. bathyalis n. sp. In addition, six new species of Orbiniella are described: O. abyssalis n. sp., O. eugeneruffi n. sp., O. grasslei n. sp., O. longilobata n. sp., O. rugosa n. sp., and O. tumida n. sp.