Marine crustaceans constitute one of the best studied groups in the Cuban waters. However, the level of systematic knowledge about them differs among the ecoregions of the platform. This paper presents the systematic list of hermit, porcelain and brachyuran crabs of the coast of Santiago de Cuba, on the southeast platform of Cuba. The records of the species have been compiled between 2009 and 2013, in ten locations, which differ in the type of habitats. Additional material was examined in the collection of the Universidad de Oriente Museum Charles Ramsdem. Eighty-one species are represented (seven hermits, eight porcelains and sixty-six true crabs). Data on their local and global distribution, their habitat, and notes on their reproductive period and fishing use are also provided.

We investigated the distribution of epiphytic macroalgae on the thalli of their hosts at eight localities along the southeastern coast of Cuba between June 2010 and March 2011. We divided he epiphytes in two groups according to their distribution on the host: those at the base of the thallus and those on its surface. We determining the dissimilarity between the zones and the species involved. We identified 102 taxa of epiphytic macroalgae. There were significant differences between the two zones. In 31 hosts, the number of epiphytes was higher on the surface of the thallus, whereas the number of epiphytes was higher at the thallus base in 25 hosts, and the epiphytes were equally distributed between the two zones in five hosts (R=−0.001, p=0.398). The mean dissimilarity between the two zones, in terms of the species composition of the epiphytic macroalgae, was 96.64%. Hydrolithon farinosum and Polysiphonia atlantica accounted for 43.76% of the dissimilarity. Among macroalgae, the structure of the thallus seems to be a determinant of their viability as hosts for epiphytes

Se identifican las algas epibióticas en tres braquiuros que habitan en pocetas intermareales. Los braquiuros se recolectaron mediante buceo SCUBA y se le retiraron todas las algas presentes en el exoesqueleto. Se identifican 15 algas epibióticas sobre Macrocoeloma trispinosum (Latreille, 1825), Omalacantha bicornuta (Latreille, 1825) y Actaea bifrons Rathbun, 1898. Las especies más frecuentes son algas filamentosas y pequeñas de las familias Ceramiaceae y Cladophoraceae. Las algas Sphacelaria tribuloides y Cladophora catenate se identificaron sobre los exoesqueletos de las tres especies de braquiuros.

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Desde la publicación del libro sobre las macroalgas marinas de Cuba en 2015 se han publicado nuevos registros y cambios taxonómicos. Por lo anterior, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue presentar una quinta revisión sistemática actualizada, que incluye Ochrophyta (Clase Phaeophyceae), Rhodophyta y Chlorophyta. Métodos: Se recopiló la información disponible en publicaciones científicas, tesis de licenciatura, maestría y doctorado, e informes científico-técnicos de especialistas reconocidos, considerando aquellas que no fueron comprendidas en la revisión anterior o que fueron publicadas después de 2015. Los taxones encontrados fueron ordenados sistemáticamente, los nombres actualizados y la sinonimia revisada según AlgaeBase y la literatura más reciente. Las especies se ordenaron alfabéticamente dentro de cada familia. La distribución de cada taxón se resumió para nueve zonas consideradas como Distritos Ecológicos (zonas) de la plataforma cubana.Resultados claves: Se presenta un listado florístico actualizado con 569 especies, una subespecie, 25 variedades y 21 formas. Se añaden a la anterior revisión 38 especies, de las cuales siete son nuevos registros para Cuba: Hydrolithon boergesenii, Neogoniolithon mamillare, N. propinquum, N. rhizophorae, Lithothamnion crispatum, Liagoropsis schrammii y Peyssonnelia rubra. Se da la distribución de cada uno de estos taxones en las nueve zonas de la plataforma cubana.Conclusiones: Las zonas que presentaron más especies son aquellas que han tenido un mayor esfuerzo de muestreo o donde predominan los fondos rocosos arrecifales, aunque no se han inventariado detalladamente las macroalgas en la zona mesolitoral, bahías y lagunas costeras.

Elevation and anthropopression are important factors affecting terrestrial water bear dynamics. In the present study, we characterize the taxonomic composition, diversity, and community structure of tardigrades along an elevational gradient with different anthropopression in Alturas de Boniato, Santiago de Cuba. Samples were collected in four sampling sites and all tardigrades were extracted. Alpha diversity indices were calculated. Hierarchical community organization was determined and variation among sampling sites was calculated using the Jaccard index for beta diversity. Some variables that influenced composition and taxon diversity were also evaluated. A total of 413 tardigrades belonging to seven taxa and five eggs were found. The most abundant taxa were Paramacrobiotus sp., Macrobiotus sp. and Milnesium sp. 1. Differences between sampling sites were largely due to turnover, especially at the higher-elevation sites. Nesting characterized the lower-elevation sites. The variables that had the greatest influence on species composition were anthropopression and a mixture of various macro- and microenvironmental variables.