The present study reports the occurrence of two exotic species of polychaetes in Izmir Bay, the eastern Mediterranean: Streblospio gynobranchiata, newly reported for the Mediterranean, and Polydora cornuta. Their establishment in the area is most probably transport by ballast water since these two species greatly dominated polluted muddy bottoms near and in Alsancak Harbour. The maximum density and biomass of S. gynobranchiata in the area were 34,270 ind m−2 and 9·4 g wwt m−2, and those of P. cornuta were 3170 ind m−2 and 2·1 g wwt m−2, respectively. These two species accounted for more than 60% of total faunal populations in the majority of samples collected in winter. Both species are capable of reproducing in the area both in summer and winter. The morphological, ecological and distributional characteristics of these species as well as their impacts on the prevailing ecosystem are analysed and discussed.

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Amphotericin B remains the standard of care for the treatment of invasive and disseminated fungal infections. Various lipid-based formulations of amphotericin B have been developed to improve its therapeutic index by decreasing toxicity. Previous bioanalytic methods using microbial inhibition or high-pressure liquid chromatography quantified total amphotericin B (free, plasma protein-bound, and lipid-complexed). Sensitivity of this method with a low limit of quantitation of 0.05 microg/mL was inadequate to determine free (unbound) amphotericin B. A sensitive LC/MS/MS method was developed to determine the total amphotericin B value in human plasma and other biologic matrices and the free amphotericin B concentration in plasma. For determination of total plasma amphotericin B concentrations, the sample was diluted and injected onto the LC/MS/MS. For total amphotericin B in other matrices and free amphotericin B in plasma, solid-phase extraction was used. Natamycin served as an internal standard. A PE Sciex API 3000 (Sciex; Concord, Ontario, Canada) was used to assess free amphotericin B in plasma ultrafiltrate determination and an API 3+ for the other matrices, with electrospray interfaced to a C18 analytic column. The low limit of quantitation was 1 ng/mL for ultrafiltrate. For total amphotericin B, the low limits were 2 microg/mL for plasma, 0.05 microg/mL for urine, and 0.4 microg/mL for fecal homogenate. The methods were validated to show the standard range linearity, sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, and stability of amphotericin B in the matrices tested.

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The scaleworm genus Pholoe (formerly referred to Sigalionidae) is common and often abundant in marine benthos. In northern Europe, 1–3 species may be present in a single sample but not recognized as distinct, or one species may be reported under different names in different studies. This results in an underevaluation of diversity and precludes comparison between data sets. Four valid species of Pholoe are common in nearshore European waters, but inadequate descriptions and species misinterpretation have resulted in most of these being misidentified as the western North Atlantic P. minuta, not known to occur in European waters. The present note attempts to resolve this confusion; it is based on examination of thousands of specimens, many of them alive, from northern Europe and elsewhere. An illustrated key and notes with brief synonymies for four nearshore northern European species are provided; use of Shirlastain A for temporarily darkening protruding structures is described. Pholoe inornata (type species of the genus), P. baltica and P. assimilis (resurrected) are briefly characterized.

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A neotype of Amphitrite Müller (1771) is established and re-described, using material collected in 2001 from near the type locality on the southwest coast of Iceland. We examined material from Iceland, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, identified as Pseudopotamilla reniformis, showing scissiparity and commonly found in aggregations within kelp holdfasts or amongst encrusting fauna. By contrast, scissiparity has not been seen in a population recorded as P. reniformis from Wales (broadcast spawning is presumed, Chughtai & Knight-Jones 1988), which bores into limestone and that the present analysis shows to belong to a different species from P. reniformis. Sabella oculata Krøyer (1856, Norway) is a junior synonym of P. reniformis. Sabella aspersa Krøyer (1856, Greenland) and Sabella saxicava (Quatrefages, 1866, France) are re-instated and re-described in Pseudopotamilla. Pseudopotamilla saxicava (= Potamilla ehlersi Gravier, 1906) has a widespread distribution from Britain to the Arabian Gulf, Pseudopotamilla aspersa is found in Greenland and the distribution of P. reniformis is reduced to Iceland, northern Norway, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The genera Eudistylia Bush and Schizobranchia Bush are discussed in relation to Pseudopotamilla.

Two new species of Euzonus from the Brazilian coast are described and figured. Both differ from other species of the genus with bifid branchiae in having a dorsoventrally oriented patch or band of papillae dorsal to the notopodia of chaetiger 10. Euzonus papillatus sp. n., from beaches of north and northeastern Brazil, has 20 pairs of branchiae, an oval patch with 3 rows of papillae, and posterior noto-/neuropodia with 5 6 modified spines of a type not previously reported for the family, possibly because the modifications are very delicate and may have been overlooked. Euzonus mammillatus sp. n., from southeastern Brazil, has 18 pairs of branchiae, a band with 2 rows of papillae and no modified spines. Based on information from J. M. Orensanz, the 1974 report of E. furciferus in southeastern Brazil is questioned. The original material could not be located and this record plus a more recent one need to be reconfirmed. Described species of Euzonus and the similar Lobochesis Hutchings & Murray, 1984 are briefly reviewed and the status of the two genera is discussed. We find that the supposed differences are not present and suggest that Lobochesis be considered a junior synonym of Euzonus.