The Molecular Evolution of Rhodopsin in Marine-Derived

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Molecular Evolution of Rhodopsin in Marine-Derived THE MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF RHODOPSIN IN MARINE-DERIVED AND OTHER FRESHWATER FISHES by Alexander Van Nynatten A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Cell and Systems Biology University of Toronto © Copyright by Alexander Van Nynatten (2019) THE MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF RHODOPSIN IN MARINE-DERIVED AND OTHER FRESHWATER FISHES A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Cell and Systems Biology University of Toronto © Copyright by Alexander Van Nynatten (2019) ABSTRACT Visual system evolution can be influenced by the spectral properties of light available in the environment. Variation in the dim-light specialized visual pigment rhodopsin is thought to result in functional shifts that optimize its sensitivity in relation to ambient spectral environments. Marine and freshwater environments have been shown to be characterized by different spectral properties and might be expected to place the spectral sensitivity of rhodopsin under different selection pressures. In Chapter two, I show that the rate ratio of non- synonymous to synonymous substitutions is significantly elevated in the rhodopsin gene of a South American clade of freshwater anchovies with marine ancestry. This signature of positive selection is not observed in the rhodopsin gene of the marine sister clade or in non-visual genes. ii In Chapter three I functionally characterize the effects of positively selected substitutions occurring on another independent invasion of freshwater made by ancestrally marine croakers. In vitro spectroscopic assays on ancestrally resurrected rhodopsin pigments reveal a red-shift in peak spectral sensitivity along the transitional branch, consistent with the wavelengths of light illuminating freshwater environments. Kinetics assays reveal that freshwater croaker rhodopsin might also possess more efficient dark adaptation. In Chapter four I use a comparative approach to show that substitutions with similar functional effects occur convergently during marine to freshwater transitions, but only in deeper-dwelling lineages. In Chapter five I investigate the molecular evolution of rhodopsin in Gymnotiformes, a clade of freshwater fishes with an alternative sensory modality specialized for dim-light environments. Rhodopsin is highly conserved in this clade, but bouts of positive selection are observed in association with ecological transitions, indicating that dim-light vision remains an important sensory modality in these freshwater fishes. Altogether, these studies show that shifts in selection pressures and substitutions that alter the functional properties of rhodopsin are frequently observed during ecological transitions into and within freshwater environments, as long as species inhabit depths where the attenuation of light is non-negligible. Furthermore, this thesis expands our understanding of the effects of ecology on visual evolution and its influence on the structural and functional properties of rhodopsin. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the help of many people. Most, if not all of the good ideas expressed within have benefited from bouncing off the brains of my family, friends and colleagues. I would first like to thank my supervisors, Nate and Belinda. They have not only provided me with a tremendous amount of support and guidance over the past six years but have also given me enough freedom to explore many of my own interests and ideas along with sending me to some truly remarkable and remote regions in the tropics. Their continued encouragement has been especially fundamental in my development as a writer and in fostering my passion in data visualization. I would also like to thank Jason Weir and Vince Tropepe for serving as my supervisory committee. They have helped shape this thesis into a coherent and feasible set of projects. I am grateful to John Calarco and David Liberles for donating their time to serve as my internal and external examiners respectively. My experience as a grad student was made so much more enjoyable thanks to my colleagues in the Chang and Lovejoy labs. I would especially like to thank Matt, Emma and JP for their help in the field. I may not have made it back from the tropics without them. However, the hospitality of Joe Waddell, Juan Bogota and JP's family made it a difficult decision to leave. I also owe a great deal of thanks to Gianni, Eduardo, James, Nihar and Ahmed in showing me the ropes with respect to many wet lab techniques, as well as showing a great deal of patience in this process. I would not have been able to make any sense of the data generated in the wet lab without bioinformatics help from Frances, Ben, Sarah, Dominik, Lujan, Ryan and Amir. I would also like to thank Devin Bloom for collecting most of the fishes I analyzed in this project. Finally, I would like to acknowledge all of the support I have received from all other past and present graduate and undergraduate students in both the Chang and Lovejoy labs. On top making me a better scientist, my lab mates have helped me develop into a better person and I consider myself very privileged to have had such a great bunch of people to learn from. iv I would also like to thank my family and friends. My parents, Kathy and Walter, are the hardest working people I know, but somehow have still always been there when I needed them. As much as I complained about having to milk cows, pick stones and stack hay, it has helped make me a more patient person and also provided some quality time to think. In addition to the tireless support I have received from my parents during my extended education, I was very fortunate to have supportive siblings, Nick and Evonne, and friends from back home in Perth County, London and Toronto. Finally, I owe a great deal of thanks to my best friend and partner Rowshyra. She has not only kept me motivated through the final stretch of this PhD process but has imbued in me deeper appreciation of what it takes to be a field biologist as well as a better understanding of the ecology of the fishes attached to the eyes that I study herein. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................................. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................................. IX LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................. X LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................ XI CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 1.1. THE EYE AND VISION ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1. The evolution of the vertebrate eye ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2. Vertebrate eyes .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.3. Vertebrate retinas ............................................................................................................................... 3 1.1.4. The phototransduction cascade .......................................................................................................... 5 1.1.5. The retinoid cycle ................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2. VISUAL ECOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.2.1. Principles of light relevant to vision ................................................................................................... 7 1.2.2. The attenuation of light ....................................................................................................................... 8 1.2.3 Light underwater .................................................................................................................................. 9 1.3. THE EVOLUTION OF RHODOPSIN ................................................................................................................ 10 1.3.1. Opsin evolution ................................................................................................................................. 10 1.3.2. Opsin structure and function ............................................................................................................ 11 1.3.3. Differences in rod and cone opsin functional properties .................................................................. 12 1.3.4. Rhodopsin spectral tuning ................................................................................................................ 13 1.3.5 Mutations causing disease .................................................................................................................. 14 1.4. VISUAL EVOLUTION IN FISHES
Recommended publications
  • CAT Vertebradosgt CDC CECON USAC 2019
    Catálogo de Autoridades Taxonómicas de vertebrados de Guatemala CDC-CECON-USAC 2019 Centro de Datos para la Conservación (CDC) Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas (Cecon) Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala Este documento fue elaborado por el Centro de Datos para la Conservación (CDC) del Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas (Cecon) de la Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Guatemala, 2019 Textos y edición: Manolo J. García. Zoólogo CDC Primera edición, 2019 Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas (Cecon) de la Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala ISBN: 978-9929-570-19-1 Cita sugerida: Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas [Cecon]. (2019). Catálogo de autoridades taxonómicas de vertebrados de Guatemala (Documento técnico). Guatemala: Centro de Datos para la Conservación [CDC], Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas [Cecon], Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala [Usac]. Índice 1. Presentación ............................................................................................ 4 2. Directrices generales para uso del CAT .............................................. 5 2.1 El grupo objetivo ..................................................................... 5 2.2 Categorías taxonómicas ......................................................... 5 2.3 Nombre de autoridades .......................................................... 5 2.4 Estatus taxonómico
    [Show full text]
  • 2020-2021 Regulations Book of Game, Fish, Furbearers, and Other Wildlife
    ALABAMA REGULATIONS 2020-2021 GAME, FISH, FURBEARERS, AND OTHER WILDLIFE REGULATIONS RELATING TO GAME, FISH, FURBEARERS AND OTHER WILDLIFE KAY IVEY Governor CHRISTOPHER M. BLANKENSHIP Commissioner EDWARD F. POOLOS Deputy Commissioner CHUCK SYKES Director FRED R. HARDERS Assistant Director The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, genetic information or veteran status in its hiring or employment practices nor in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. O.E.O. U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20204 TABLE OF CONTENTS Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Personnel: • Administrative Office .......................................... 1 • Aquatic Education ................................................ 9 • Carbon Hill Fish Hatchery ................................... 8 • Eastaboga Fish Hatchery ...................................... 8 • Federal Game Agents ............................................ 6 • Fisheries Section ................................................... 7 • Fisheries Development ......................................... 9 • Hunter Education .................................................. 5 • Law Enforcement Section ..................................... 2 • Marion Fish Hatchery ........................................... 8 • Mussel Management ............................................
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT Anchoviella Vaillanti
    Volume 45(esp.):33‑40, 2014 REDESCRIPTION OF THE FRESHWATER ANCHOVY ANCHOVIELLA VAILLANTI (STEINDACHNER, 1908) (CLUPEIFORMES: ENGRAULIDAE) WITH NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF ESTUARINE CONGENERS IN THE RIO SÃO FRANCISCO BASIN, BRAZIL 1,2 MARINA VIANNA LOEB 1,3 JOSÉ LIMA DE FIGUEIREDO ABSTRACT Anchoviella vaillanti (Steindachner, 1908) was described based on few specimens from the middle Rio São Francisco; however, several specimens of the species have been collected in recent decades. The range of morphological variation of A. vaillanti could thus be reassessed based on a larger number of specimens currently available in fish collections, and the species redescribed. Anchoviella vaillanti can be recognized among freshwater congeners by the relative position of the pelvic, dorsal and anal fins. Records of the species in ichthyological collections are restricted to the upper and middle portions of the Rio São Francisco basin, but the species might also occur in the lower Rio São Francisco. Comments on the distribution of the marine species of Anchoviella from the lower Rio São Francisco basin and an identification key including those species and A. vaillanti are provided. Key-Words: Ichthyology; Taxonomy; Neotropical; Rio São Francisco basin; Anchovy. INTRODUCTION coast and can extend distances up the lower portions of rivers. In a recent study of the Brazilian freshwater Anchoviella is one of the most species-rich gen- species of Anchoviella, Loeb (2009) recognized seven era of the Engraulidae, with about 17 valid marine, different Amazonian species (two of them still unde- estuarine and freshwater species distributed in South scribed) and one single species from the Rio São Fran- American rivers and along the Atlantic and Pacific cisco basin, Anchoviella vaillanti (Steindachner, 1908).
    [Show full text]
  • Where Did Zebra Mussels Come From?
    Zebra Mussels What are zebra mussels? Adult zebra mussels are small, freshwater mollusks (e.g.: clam-like organisms) named for their typical striped pattern on their shells. They are not native to Manitoba or North America. Adults have a shell and can range in size of a sesame seed and can grow up to 25 mm (1 in) long. Adult zebra mussel colour patterns can vary to the point of having only dark or light coloured shells and no stripes. Unlike our native mussels, zebra mussels attach themselves to solid surfaces, aquatic vegetation or each other with their byssal threads (Figure 1). Figure 1. A cluster of adult zebra mussels attached to a rock. Photo credit: Manitoba Sustainable Development. Larval zebra mussels are called veligers. They are so small they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Veligers are free-floating in the water and do not attach to hard surfaces until they reach the juvenile or shelled stage. Veligers do not swim on their own they move primarily by water movement. They can also be transported in undrained water found in watercraft, motors, and compartments or in water-related equipment such as bait buckets. Where did zebra mussels come from? Zebra mussels are native to Eastern Europe and Western Russia. They were brought over to the Great Lakes in ballast water of ocean-going freighters. The ballast water containing aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels was dumped into the Great Lakes. From there zebra mussels have been moved by human activity and have greatly expanded their range. What are their breeding habits and life cycle? Zebra mussels are prolific breeders.
    [Show full text]
  • Co-Evolution of Cleaning and Feeding Morphology in Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Gobies
    ORIGINAL ARTICLE doi:10.1111/evo.13904 Co-evolution of cleaning and feeding morphology in western Atlantic and eastern Pacific gobies Jonathan M. Huie,1,2 Christine E. Thacker,3,4 and Luke Tornabene1,5 1School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat St, Seattle, Washington 98195 2E-mail: [email protected] 3Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, California 93105 4Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90007 5Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4300 15th Ave NE, Seattle, Washington 98105 Received September 2, 2019 Accepted November 25, 2019 Cleaning symbioses are mutualistic relationships where cleaners remove and consume ectoparasites from their clients. Cleaning behavior is rare in fishes and is a highly specialized feeding strategy only observed in around 200 species. Cleaner fishes vary in their degree of specialization, ranging from species that clean as juveniles or facultatively as adults, to nearly obligate or dedicated cleaners. Here, we investigate whether these different levels of trophic specialization correspond with similar changes in feeding morphology. Specifically, we model the evolution of cleaning behavior across the family Gobiidae, which contains the most speciose radiation of dedicated and facultative cleaner fishes. We compared the cranial morphology and dentition of cleaners and non-cleaners across the phylogeny of cleaning gobies and found that facultative cleaners independently evolved four times and have converged on an intermediate morphology relative to that of dedicated cleaners and non-cleaning generalists. This is consistent with their more flexible feeding habits. Cleaner gobies also possess a distinct tooth morphology, which suggests they are adapted for scraping parasites off their clients and show little similarity to other cleaner clades.
    [Show full text]
  • Reef Fishes of the Bird's Head Peninsula, West
    Check List 5(3): 587–628, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Reef fishes of the Bird’s Head Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia Gerald R. Allen 1 Mark V. Erdmann 2 1 Department of Aquatic Zoology, Western Australian Museum. Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Perth, Western Australia 6986. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Conservation International Indonesia Marine Program. Jl. Dr. Muwardi No. 17, Renon, Denpasar 80235 Indonesia. Abstract A checklist of shallow (to 60 m depth) reef fishes is provided for the Bird’s Head Peninsula region of West Papua, Indonesia. The area, which occupies the extreme western end of New Guinea, contains the world’s most diverse assemblage of coral reef fishes. The current checklist, which includes both historical records and recent survey results, includes 1,511 species in 451 genera and 111 families. Respective species totals for the three main coral reef areas – Raja Ampat Islands, Fakfak-Kaimana coast, and Cenderawasih Bay – are 1320, 995, and 877. In addition to its extraordinary species diversity, the region exhibits a remarkable level of endemism considering its relatively small area. A total of 26 species in 14 families are currently considered to be confined to the region. Introduction and finally a complex geologic past highlighted The region consisting of eastern Indonesia, East by shifting island arcs, oceanic plate collisions, Timor, Sabah, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and widely fluctuating sea levels (Polhemus and the Solomon Islands is the global centre of 2007). reef fish diversity (Allen 2008). Approximately 2,460 species or 60 percent of the entire reef fish The Bird’s Head Peninsula and surrounding fauna of the Indo-West Pacific inhabits this waters has attracted the attention of naturalists and region, which is commonly referred to as the scientists ever since it was first visited by Coral Triangle (CT).
    [Show full text]
  • Darwin and Ichthyology Xvii Darwin’ S Fishes: a Dry Run Xxiii
    Darwin’s Fishes An Encyclopedia of Ichthyology, Ecology, and Evolution In Darwin’s Fishes, Daniel Pauly presents a unique encyclopedia of ichthyology, ecology, and evolution, based upon everything that Charles Darwin ever wrote about fish. Entries are arranged alphabetically and can be about, for example, a particular fish taxon, an anatomical part, a chemical substance, a scientist, a place, or an evolutionary or ecological concept. Readers can start wherever they like and are then led by a series of cross-references on a fascinating voyage of interconnected entries, each indirectly or directly connected with original writings from Darwin himself. Along the way, the reader is offered interpretation of the historical material put in the context of both Darwin’s time and that of contemporary biology and ecology. This book is intended for anyone interested in fishes, the work of Charles Darwin, evolutionary biology and ecology, and natural history in general. DANIEL PAULY is the Director of the Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He has authored over 500 articles, books and papers. Darwin’s Fishes An Encyclopedia of Ichthyology, Ecology, and Evolution DANIEL PAULY Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521827775 © Cambridge University Press 2004 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
    [Show full text]
  • A Checklist of Fishes from the Cavalli Islands, Northland, New Zealand
    TANE 25, 1979 A CHECKLIST OF FISHES FROM THE CAVALLI ISLANDS, NORTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND by Jon Nicholson 16 Gordon Craig Place, Algies Bay, Warkworth ABSTRACT During the course of 80 scuba dives over 10 days, 74 species of fish belonging to 33 families were observed around the Cavalli Islands off the north-east coast of New Zealand. These numbers exceed those given in checklists from other species-rich areas mainly because of the intensity of the survey. INTRODUCTION The Cavalli Islands are situated approximately 2km off the eastern coast of Northland, New Zealand, closer to the coast but further north than the Poor Knights Islands (Fig. 1). Their location makes them an interesting area to use when comparing the coastal fish population structure with the more diverse population, effected as it is by migrants from tropical seas, found in the off-shore islands of the Poor Knights group. In an earlier study (Willan el al 1979) a large number of fish species were found in the Matai Bay area on the eastern side of the Karikari Peninsula, an area further north than the Cavalli Islands, but on the mainland coast. This survey indicated that an isolated island situation may not be necessary for large species numbers to be present. The Cavalli Islands are separated from the coast and from each other by a series of passages of varying width. The topography of these islands lends itself to the formation of a wide variety of habitats. Some of these represent typical coastal underwater formations, while others, on the eastern side, are deep water drop-offs, more typical of the outer islands.
    [Show full text]
  • Hotspots, Extinction Risk and Conservation Priorities of Greater Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Marine Bony Shorefishes
    Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations Biological Sciences Summer 2016 Hotspots, Extinction Risk and Conservation Priorities of Greater Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Marine Bony Shorefishes Christi Linardich Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Biology Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, and the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Linardich, Christi. "Hotspots, Extinction Risk and Conservation Priorities of Greater Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Marine Bony Shorefishes" (2016). Master of Science (MS), Thesis, Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/hydh-jp82 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/13 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Sciences at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HOTSPOTS, EXTINCTION RISK AND CONSERVATION PRIORITIES OF GREATER CARIBBEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO MARINE BONY SHOREFISHES by Christi Linardich B.A. December 2006, Florida Gulf Coast University A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY August 2016 Approved by: Kent E. Carpenter (Advisor) Beth Polidoro (Member) Holly Gaff (Member) ABSTRACT HOTSPOTS, EXTINCTION RISK AND CONSERVATION PRIORITIES OF GREATER CARIBBEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO MARINE BONY SHOREFISHES Christi Linardich Old Dominion University, 2016 Advisor: Dr. Kent E. Carpenter Understanding the status of species is important for allocation of resources to redress biodiversity loss.
    [Show full text]
  • Morphological Variations in the Scleral Ossicles of 172 Families Of
    Zoological Studies 51(8): 1490-1506 (2012) Morphological Variations in the Scleral Ossicles of 172 Families of Actinopterygian Fishes with Notes on their Phylogenetic Implications Hin-kui Mok1 and Shu-Hui Liu2,* 1Institute of Marine Biology and Asia-Pacific Ocean Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan 2Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (Accepted August 15, 2012) Hin-kui Mok and Shu-Hui Liu (2012) Morphological variations in the scleral ossicles of 172 families of actinopterygian fishes with notes on their phylogenetic implications. Zoological Studies 51(8): 1490-1506. This study reports on (1) variations in the number and position of scleral ossicles in 283 actinopterygian species representing 172 families, (2) the distribution of the morphological variants of these bony elements, (3) the phylogenetic significance of these variations, and (4) a phylogenetic hypothesis relevant to the position of the Callionymoidei, Dactylopteridae, and Syngnathoidei based on these osteological variations. The results suggest that the Callionymoidei (not including the Gobiesocidae), Dactylopteridae, and Syngnathoidei are closely related. This conclusion was based on the apomorphic character state of having only the anterior scleral ossicle. Having only the anterior scleral ossicle should have evolved independently in the Syngnathioidei + Dactylopteridae + Callionymoidei, Gobioidei + Apogonidae, and Pleuronectiformes among the actinopterygians studied in this paper. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.8/1490.pdf Key words: Scleral ossicle, Actinopterygii, Phylogeny. Scleral ossicles of the teleostome fish eye scleral ossicles and scleral cartilage have received comprise a ring of cartilage supporting the eye little attention. It was not until a recent paper by internally (i.e., the sclerotic ring; Moy-Thomas Franz-Odendaal and Hall (2006) that the homology and Miles 1971).
    [Show full text]
  • OSTRACIIDAE Boxfishes by K
    click for previous page 3948 Bony Fishes OSTRACIIDAE Boxfishes by K. Matsuura iagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized (to 40 cm) fishes; body almost completely encased Din a bony shell or carapace formed of enlarged, thickened scale plates, usually hexagonal in shape and firmly sutured to one another; no isolated bony plates on caudal peduncle. Carapace triangular, rectangular, or pentangular in cross-section, with openings for mouth, eyes, gill slits, pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins, and for the flexible caudal peduncle. Scale-plates often with surface granulations which are prolonged in some species into prominent carapace spines over eye or along ventrolateral or dorsal angles of body. Mouth small, terminal, with fleshy lips; teeth moderate, conical, usually less than 15 in each jaw. Gill opening a moderately short, vertical to oblique slit in front of pectoral-fin base. Spinous dorsal fin absent; most dorsal-, anal-, and pectoral-fin rays branched; caudal fin with 8 branched rays; pelvic fins absent. Lateral line inconspicuous. Colour: variable, with general ground colours of either brown, grey, or yellow, usually with darker or lighter spots, blotches, lines, and reticulations. carapace no bony plates on caudal peduncle 8 branched caudal-fin rays Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Slow-swimming, benthic-dwelling fishes occurring on rocky and coral reefs and over sand, weed, or sponge-covered bottoms to depths of 100 m. Feed on benthic invertebrates. Taken either by trawl, other types of nets, or traps. Several species considered excellent eating in southern Japan, although some species are reported to have toxic flesh and are also able to secrete a substance when distressed that is highly toxic, both to other fishes and themselves in enclosed areas such as holding tanks.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Progress in Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management
    26th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium Global Progress in Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management editors gordon h. kruse • howard i. browman • kevern l. cochrane diana evans • glen s. jamieson • patricia a. livingston douglas woodby • chang ik zhang university of alaska fairbanks Global Progress in Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management editors gordon h. kruse • howard i. browman • kevern l. cochrane diana evans • glen s. jamieson • patricia a. livingston douglas woodby • chang ik zhang Alaska university of alaska fairbanks Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Cataloging in Publication Data: Global progress in ecosystem-based fisheries management / editors : G.H. Kruse … [et al.] – Fairbanks, Alaska : Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012. p. : ill. ; cm. – (Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks ; AK-SG-12-01) Proceedings of the symposium Ecosystems 2010 : global progress on ecosystem- based fisheries management, November 8-11, 2010, Anchorage, Alaska. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Fishery management—Congresses. 2. Sustainable fisheries—Congresses. 3. Marine ecosystem management—Congresses. I. Title. II. Kruse, Gordon H. III. Series: Lowell Wakefield Fisheries symposia series (26th : 2010 : Anchorage, Alaska). IV. Series: Alaska Sea Grant College Program report ; AK-SG-12-01. SH329.S89 P76 2012 ISBN 978-1-56612-166-8 doi:10.4027/gpebfm.2012 Citation Kruse, G.H., H.I. Browman, K.L. Cochrane, D. Evans, G.S. Jamieson, P.A. Livingston, D. Woodby, and C.I. Zhang, eds. 2012. Global Progress in Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management. Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Credits This book is published by Alaska Sea Grant, supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA National Sea Grant Office, grant NA10OAR4170097, project A/161- 02, and by the University of Alaska Fairbanks with state funds.
    [Show full text]