Abstract The zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum secretes a large quantity of mucus that acts as a substrate for microbial communities. Culturable bacteria associated with P. caribaeorum mucus in northeastern Brazil were evaluated through 16S rRNA gene sequences. Proteobacteria was the dominant group, followed by Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Vibrio was the most common genus, although other groups with the ability to produce biosurfactants and compounds with antimicrobial activity were also present. The studies of culturable marine bacteria may contribute to the understanding of the associated microbial community, opening new opportunities to explore biotechnological potential of microbiota.

Abstract Mucus, produced by Palythoa caribaeorum has been popularly reported due to healing, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects. However, biochemical and pharmacological properties of this mucus remains unexplored. Therefore, the present study aimed to study its proteome profile by 2DE electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF. Furthermore, it was evaluated the cytotoxic, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities of the mucus and from its protein extract (PE). Proteomics study identified14 proteins including proteins involved in the process of tissue regeneration and death of tumor cells. The PE exhibited cell viability below 50% in the MCF-7 and S-180 strains. It showed IC50 of 6.9 μg/mL for the J774 lineage, and also, favored the cellular growth of fibroblasts. Furthermore, PE revealed activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC of 250 μg/mL). These findings revealed the mucus produced by Palythoa caribaeorum with biological activities, offering alternative therapies for the treatment of cancer and as a potential antibacterial agent.

O poliqueta Hermodice carunculata é um voraz predador de vários organismos bentônicos e um dos grupos preferenciais na sua dieta é o dos cnidários. No presente trabalho se apresenta o primeiro registro de predação do verme de fogo sobre o hidrocoral Millepora alcicornis. O verme engolfa os ramos terminais do hidrocoral e fica vários minutos raspando a superfície e retirando os tecidos moles. Apesar deste hidrocoral ser um dos representantes mais comuns dos recifes do norte e nordeste brasileiros e de albergar uma vasta comunidade associada, nunca tinha sido registrada esta associação. Esta nova descoberta alerta na necessidade de se estudar esta associação já que geralmente os danos ocasionados pelo poliqueta são irreversíveis e dependendo da quantidade de predadores pode alterar a saúde dos recifes ou modificar os componentes da comunidade recifal.

The polychaete Hermodice carunculata is a voracious predator of several benthic organisms and one of the preferential groups in its diet is that of the cnidarians. This note presents the first record of a fireworm preying on the calcified hydroid Millepora alcicornis. The fireworm engulfs the terminal branches of the fire coral and spends several minutes scraping the surface and removing the soft tissues. Despite this being one of the most common calcified hydroids of the Brazilian northern and northeastern regions (and home to a vast associated community), this kind of association had never been recorded. This discovery points to the need of studying such associations because the damage caused by this polychaete is irreversible and depending on the amount of predators might alter reefs' health or modify the components of the reef community.

The present work tries to elarify the taxonomic status of species Renilla chilensis <A HREF="#philippi92">Philippi, 1892</A>. This species was describes for the first time for <A HREF="#philippi92">R.A. Philippi (1892)</A>, but this diagnosis is very poor and don't have a description of sclerites and number of calicinal teeth, nevertheless its externa morphology, as soon as the bilobulate shape of the rachis and the geographical distribution coincide with the species Renilla octodentata <A HREF="#zamponi95">Zamponi & Pérez, 1995</A>. Since R. chilensis is a species of doubtful identity with the available elements in the present (original description, figures, samples examined for Dr. Philippi); for this reason the authors propose to consider the species R. chilensis as a species inquirenda keeping out R. octodentata as a valid species. If further investigations confirm the synonymy of both species, R. octodentata will be a junior synonym of R. chilensis

El presente trabajo pretende esclarecer, dentro de los límites posibles, el status taxonómico de la especie Renilla chilensis <A HREF="#philippi92">Philippi 1892</A>. Esta especie fue descrita por primera vez por <A HREF="#philippi92">R.A. Philippi (1892)</A>, pero dicha diagnosis es pobre y no cuenta con la descripción de estructuras diagnósticas actuales, como el tamaño y forma de las escleritas y número de dientes calicinales; sin embargo la morfología externa, así como la forma bilobulada del raquis y la distribución geográfica se asemejan con la especie Renilla octodentata <A HREF="#zamponi95">Zamponi y Pérez, 1995</A>. Dado que R. chilensis es una especie de identificación dudosa con los elementos disponibles en el presente (descripción original, ilustraciones, ejemplares de referencia examinados por el Dr. Philippi), los autores proponen considerar a la especie R. chilensis como especie inquirenda y mantener la validez de la especie R. octodentata. Si futuras investigaciones confirman a estas dos especies como sinónimos, R. octodentata pasaría a ser un sinónimo junior de R. chilensis

One specimen from collections of Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences "Bernardino Rivadavia" was analized, belonging to the Renillidae family. It was Renilla octodentata found in Valparaíso Bay, Chile, and it constitute the first record for Pacific Ocean. Apparently the chilean specimen is bigger and more heavy than the Atlantic's organisms.

Se analiza un ejemplar procedente de las colecciones del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", perteneciente a la familia Renillidae. Se trata de la especie Renilla octodentata hallada en la Bahía de Valparaíso, Chile, y constituye el primer registro para el Océano Pacífico. El análisis morfométrico comparativo muestra que este ejemplar es aparentemente más grande y pesado que aquéllos del Océano Atlántico.