Dear Members of the Zoological Society of Japan

Two papers scheduled for publication in Volume 43, Issue 2, and two papers scheduled for publication in Issue 3 have been published as early access.

All papers published in 2026 are available in open access.

Vol. 43, No. 2

ORIGINAL ARTICLES: TAXONOMY

Morphology and Phylogeny of Notospermus psittacinus comb. nov. (Nemertea: Pilidiophora: Lineidae) from Mindanao, Philippines
Jamael Abato, Archie Along, Nonillon Aspe, Caryl Kaye Awa, Nick Anthony Burias, Laurence Calagui, Shirlamaine Irina Calagui, Meljan Demetillo, April Joy Jovita, Julius Anthony Leones, Allexc Mae Niez, Romell Seronay, Hiroshi Kajihara
Zoological Science 43 (2), (4 March 2026) https://doi.org/10.2108/zs250101 Open Access
KEYWORDS: biodiversity, cryptic species, DNA barcoding, Heteronemertea, STMIP

ORIGINAL ARTICLES: REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Effect of Relaxin-Like Gonad-Stimulating Peptide on Ovaries of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria leucospilota
Masatoshi Mita, Hidekazu Katayama, Paul A. Wright, Scott F. Cummins, Sumio Udagawa, Masato Kiyomoto
Zoological Science 43 (2), (11 March 2026) https://doi.org/10.2108/zs250095 Open Access
relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide, maturation-inducing hormone, oocyte maturation, ex vivo spawning, sea cucumbers

Vol. 43, No. 3

ORIGINAL ARTICLES: DIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

Evolution of Vanadium-Binding Protein (Vanabin) Gene Structure in Phlebobranchia and Aplousobranchia Ascidian Lineages
Tri Kustono Adi, Manabu Fujie, Noriyuki Satoh, Tatsuya Ueki
Zoological Science 43 (3), (11 March 2026) https://doi.org/10.2108/zs250091 Open Access
KEYWORDS: ascidians, evolution, gene structure, metal accumulation, metal-binding protein

Light and Dark Types of Cladonema pacificum (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa): Reproductive Isolation between the Two Types Leading to Speciation
Noriyo Takeda, Takahito Hoshi, Fumiya Satoh, Keita Nishizumi, Nahomi Hongo-Yamakawa, Saki Ishimori, Haruka Satoh-Sugawara, Hiroshi Namikawa, Kazunori Tachibana, Ryusaku Deguchi
Zoological Science 43 (3), (11 March 2026) https://doi.org/10.2108/zs250033 Open Access
hydrozoan jellyfish, light-dark cycle, life cycle, cross-fertilization, hybridization, species boundary, speciation

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