DOCSLIB.ORG

Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station Published March 2011 Newsletter 2010

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station Published March 2011 Newsletter 2010 Supported by the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station Published March 2011 Newsletter 2010 nature culture discover LIZARD ISLAND RESEARCH STATION NEWsletter 2010 A facility of the Australian Museum Published March 2011 Directors All photographs by Lyle Vail or Anne Hoggett Dr Lyle Vail and Dr Anne Hoggett unless otherwise indicated. Lizard Island Research Station Frank Howarth’s photo: Stuart Humphreys. PMB 37 Centre photo on back cover: Gary Cranitch Cairns QLD 4870 Australia Design and production: Alison Murphy, Australian Museum Design Unit. Phone: + 61 (0)7 4060 3977 Fax: + 61 (0)7 4060 3055 ISSN 0729-0942. Email: [email protected] www.australianmuseum.net.au/Lizard-Island-Research-Station Environmental responsibility LIRS newsletter is printed in Australia using vegetable-based inks on paper produced from well-managed forests and controlled sources. AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM DIRECTOR’S REPORT As I write this the effects of the effects of warming, through ocean Japanese tsunami are still unfolding. acidification, as well as the shorter Apart from anything else about term impacts of more visible effects this terrible event, it shows that such as bleaching events. very little that is created by humans can stand up to the direct force The trends in the type of research of the ocean. Also at this time that is done at our Research Station the climate change debate in reflect that we are providing Australia is getting vigorous again, adaptable, leading edge facilities, with substantial misinformation able to meet changing research being put about. The Museum's needs. That we can do this is A big debt of gratitude from the position on climate change is a tribute to the foresight and Museum team and Trustees is owed clear. The very substantial balance management skills of our team at to the Lizard Island Reef Research of scientific evidence shows that LIRS, led by station Directors Drs Foundation for its unstinting human induced climate warming is Anne Hoggett and Lyle Vail. They and very effective support of the occurring and that coral reefs skillfully balance the day to day research station. My particular will be seriously impacted by the operations of the station with thanks go to Foundation Chair effects of this change. longer term planning and major Ken Coles and to 30th Anniversary projects such as the recently and campaign leader Charlie Shuetrim, It is interesting to see just how very successfully installed solar with whom we work closely and much research time at Lizard Island power plant. While the station's very enjoyably to make LIRS the is now devoted to climate change research contributes to climate wonderful resource it is. and coral reefs, as is shown later change knowledge, we have also in this newsletter. We are now reduced our environmental footprint FRANK HOWARTH focusing more on the longer term through the use of solar energy. Director, Australian Museum RESEARCH STATION DIRECTORS’ REPORT 01 Epic rainfall during 2010 broke a ability of organisms to build their long and devastating drought skeletons. Research outlined on across much of Australia. At Lizard page 4 has found that as seawater Island, the decade leading up to becomes more acidic, young reef 2010 was the dryest known and fish become attracted to the scent it included the three dryest years of predators rather than being since records began in 1979. In repelled by it. And as corals are 2010, more than 2000 mm of rain degraded, there are cascading fell between January and April and effects on other reef organisms the annual total was more than due to habitat loss. Lately, some double the long-term average. researchers have turned their a good thing for the corals. The big wet has continued into attention to the potential impacts But we need to act if reefs as we 2011 with catastrophic flooding of severe weather events. Dr Chris know them are to persist into and a massive category 5 cyclone. Fulton will use his 2011 Yulgilbar the next century. The Station will Australia is prone to such extremes Foundation Fellowship to explore soon be reducing its CO2 emissions and the weather is predicted to how temperature and wave energy substantially: a 30kW solar become even more extreme as influence the timing and persistence power system, part of the 30th more carbon dioxide is released of fleshy seaweed patches on reefs Anniversary Development, is into the atmosphere. (page 8). And PhD student Sandra close to being commissioned. Binning will use her 2011 Ian Potter It will reduce by about 60% the Researchers have been busy Doctoral Fellowship to find out emissions that we produce studying the direct effects of climate whether fish can adapt to different through generating electricity. change - elevated temperature and flow conditions (page 6). lower pH - on coral reef organisms for some time. It is now clear that The wet and cloudy conditions ANNE HOGGETT AND LYLE VAIL the consequences go way beyond this year brought relief from high Directors, Lizard Island coral bleaching and the decreased temperatures during summer, Research Station 2010 IN SUmmary Scientists from 44 institutions in 16 countries UNITED NORWAY conducted research at Lizard Island. KINGDOM INSTITUTIONS SENIOR RESEARCHERS POSTGRADS CANADA UNITED STATES GERMANY PORTUGAL 02 SWITZERLAND SPAIN Non-living Archaeology Reef management systems Reef metabolism Plants Taxonomy Other Effects of invertebrates climate change Fishes Corals Marine biology & ecology Of the 98 research projects conducted Overwhelmingly, ecology and biology were the main in 2010, fishes and corals were the most research areas of the projects undertaken in 2010. frequent subjects. The effects of climate change on reef organisms was a strong theme. RUSSIA CZECH REPUBLIC AUSTRALIA JAPAN ITaly SAUDI NEW ARABIA ZEALAND 03 NAMIBIA Popular Book chapter Taxonomy of Honours thesis invertebrates Fish biology MSc thesis Fish Other biology/ PhD thesis behaviour ecology Mollusc Larval fish biology behaviour Coral biology Coral disease Fish ecology Refereed Effects of scientific journal climate change Fish genetics or evolution Of the 94 scientific publications based on Fish research comprised more than half the subject research at Lizard Island and recorded in 2010, matter of the publications. 13 were PhD theses. FEATURED PUblicatioNS Just two of the 94 publications listed this year The damselfish are thus probably exploiting a “secret (page 20) are featured here to provide a sample communication channel” among themselves, allowing of the work conducted at LIRS. them to recognise and interact with each other while maintaining camouflage from predators. SECRET COmmuNICATIONS A major theme of ecology is discovering how animals FISH IN HOT WATER sense their environment and how they use those inputs Research into the impacts of climate change on coral to find resources and avoid danger. Over the past reefs is a “hot” topic for good reason: corals, and hence decade, research at Lizard Island has developed this coral reefs, are uniquely vulnerable to the twin direct theme on coral reefs, studying the ways that various effects of rising atmospheric CO2 – rising temperature animals use sight, smell and hearing. and rising ocean acidity. This is because corals can tolerate only a narrow temperature band and need This year, research at Lizard Island has shown that seawater within a particular pH range to form their certain coral reef fish use ultraviolet (UV) vision to tell skeletons. As the oceans become warmer and more the difference between their own and other similar acidic, those corals that survive are more vulnerable species. One species of damselfish may even be able to the subsequent indirect effects of climate change – to recognise individuals by their faces, in much the rising sea levels and increased storm activity. same way that we recognise other people. Corals are the habitat builders of coral reefs. As described in Current Biology (Siebeck et al., 2010), 04 Appropriately, much research is being done on the the experiments involved two damselfish species of impact of climate change on corals and on damage similar size and similar yellow body colouration but with to coral reef habitats. But, aside from habitat effects, different UV facial patterns. Male Ambon damselfish how will other reef species fare under predicted future defend their territories from males of the same species, scenarios? Research conducted partly at Lizard Island while tolerating intrusion by the other species. The has shown that rising CO2 emissions could have a team exposed male Ambon damselfish to males of significant impact on the world’s fish populations. both species in conditions in which the UV markings could or could not be seen. The territorial reaction An international team of researchers has found that in differed only when the UV facial patterns could be seen, more acidic seawater, the behaviour of larval reef fishes demonstrating that the patterns are necessary for the changes in ways that decrease their chance of survival fish to discriminate between the species. Additional enormously. The paper in Proceedings of the National experiments showed that the fish were reacting to Academy of Sciences (Munday et al., 2010) describes the detailed shape of the UV patterns on the intruder’s experiments with larval fish raised in seawater enriched face and not simply to the UV colour. with different levels of CO2, up to levels predicted for the end of century (850 ppm). To quote from the paper: Earlier work at Lizard Island by the lead author, Dr Uli Siebeck, had shown that, as with human vision, the Altered behaviour of larvae was detected at 700 ppm eyes of many predatory reef fish species filter out UV CO2, with many individuals becoming attracted to the light. This means that predators, such as coral trout smell of predators. At 850 ppm CO2, the ability to sense and wrasses, probably cannot see the UV markings predators was completely impaired.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Frontiers in Zoology Biomed Central
    Frontiers in Zoology BioMed Central Research Open Access Functional chloroplasts in metazoan cells - a unique evolutionary strategy in animal life Katharina Händeler*1, Yvonne P Grzymbowski1, Patrick J Krug2 and Heike Wägele1 Address: 1Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany and 2Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, California, 90032-8201, USA Email: Katharina Händeler* - [email protected]; Yvonne P Grzymbowski - [email protected]; Patrick J Krug - [email protected]; Heike Wägele - [email protected] * Corresponding author Published: 1 December 2009 Received: 26 June 2009 Accepted: 1 December 2009 Frontiers in Zoology 2009, 6:28 doi:10.1186/1742-9994-6-28 This article is available from: http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/6/1/28 © 2009 Händeler et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Background: Among metazoans, retention of functional diet-derived chloroplasts (kleptoplasty) is known only from the sea slug taxon Sacoglossa (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia). Intracellular maintenance of plastids in the slug's digestive epithelium has long attracted interest given its implications for understanding the evolution of endosymbiosis. However, photosynthetic ability varies widely among sacoglossans; some species have no plastid retention while others survive for months solely on photosynthesis. We present a molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the Sacoglossa and a survey of kleptoplasty from representatives of all major clades. We sought to quantify variation in photosynthetic ability among lineages, identify phylogenetic origins of plastid retention, and assess whether kleptoplasty was a key character in the radiation of the Sacoglossa.
    [Show full text]
  • Developmental Effects of Environmental Light on Male Nuptial Coloration in Lake Victoria Cichlid Fish
    Developmental effects of environmental light on male nuptial coloration in Lake Victoria cichlid fish Daniel Shane Wright1, Emma Rietveld1,2 and Martine E. Maan1 1 Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands 2 University of Applied Sciences van Hall Larenstein, Leeuwarden, Netherlands ABSTRACT Background. Efficient communication requires that signals are well transmitted and perceived in a given environment. Natural selection therefore drives the evolution of different signals in different environments. In addition, environmental heterogeneity at small spatial or temporal scales may favour phenotypic plasticity in signaling traits, as plasticity may allow rapid adjustment of signal expression to optimize transmission. In this study, we explore signal plasticity in the nuptial coloration of Lake Victoria cichlids, Pundamilia pundamilia and Pundamilia nyererei. These two species differ in male coloration, which mediates species-assortative mating. They occur in adjacent depth ranges with different light environments. Given the close proximity of their habitats, overlapping at some locations, plasticity in male coloration could contribute to male reproductive success but interfere with reproductive isolation. Methods. We reared P. pundamilia, P. nyererei, and their hybrids under light conditions mimicking the two depth ranges in Lake Victoria. From photographs, we quantified the nuptial coloration of males, spanning the entire visible spectrum. In experiment 1, we examined developmental colour plasticity by comparing sibling males reared in each light condition. In experiment 2, we assessed colour plasticity in adulthood, by switching adult males between conditions and tracking coloration for 100 days. Results. We found that nuptial colour in Pundamilia did respond plastically to our light manipulations, but only in a limited hue range.
    [Show full text]
  • 5Th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference
    )tn Judo - Pacifi~ Fish Conference oun a - e II denia ( vernb ~ 3 - t 1997 A ST ACTS Organized by Under the aegis of L'Institut français Société de recherche scientifique Française pour le développement d'Ichtyologie en coopération ' FI Fish Conference Nouméa - New Caledonia November 3 - 8 th, 1997 ABSTRACTS LATE ARRIVAL ZOOLOGICAL CATALOG OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES HOESE D.F., PAXTON J. & G. ALLEN Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia Currently over 4000 species of fishes are known from Australia. An analysis ofdistribution patterns of 3800 species is presented. Over 20% of the species are endemic to Australia, with endemic species occuiring primarily in southern Australia. There is also a small component of the fauna which is found only in the southwestern Pacific (New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and New Zealand). The majority of the other species are widely distributed in the western Pacific Ocean. AGE AND GROWTH OF TROPICAL TUNAS FROM THE WESTERN CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN, AS INDICATED BY DAILY GROWm INCREMENTS AND TAGGING DATA. LEROY B. South Pacific Commission, Nouméa, New Caledonia The Oceanic Fisheries Programme of the South Pacific Commission is currently pursuing a research project on age and growth of two tropical tuna species, yellowfm tuna (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). The daily periodicity of microincrements forrned with the sagittal otoliths of these two spceies has been validated by oxytetracycline marking in previous studies. These validation studies have come from fishes within three regions of the Pacific (eastem, central and western tropical Pacific). Otolith microincrements are counted along transverse section with a light microscope.
    [Show full text]
  • Experiential Training in Florida and the Florida Keys. a Pretrip Training Manual
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 341 547 SE 052 352 AUTHOR Baker, Claude D., Comp.; And Others TITLE Experiential Training in Florida and the Florida Keys. A Pretrip Training Manual. PUB DATE May 91 NOTE 82p.; For field trip guidelines, see ED 327 394. PUB TYPE Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055) -- Guides - Classroom Use - Teaching Guides (For Teacher)(052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Animals; Classification; *Ecology; Environmental Education; Estuaries; *Field Trips; Higher Educatioa; Ichthyology; *Marine Biology; Plant Identification; Plants (Botany); *Resource Materials; Science Activities; Science Education; Secondary Education IDENTIFIERS Coral Reefs; Dichotomous Keys; *Florida ABSTRACT This document is a pretrip instruction manual that can be used by secondary school and college teachers who are planning trips to visit the tropical habitats in South Florida. The material is divided into two parts:(1) several fact sheets on the various habitats in South Florida; and (2) a number of species lists for various areas. Factsheets on the classification of marine environments, the zones of the seashore, estuaries, mangroves, seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and coral reefs are included. The species lists included algae, higher plants, sponges, worms, mollusks, bryozoans, arthropods, echinoderms, vertebrates,I insects, and other invertebrates. The scientific name, common name, and a brief description are supplied for all species. Activities on the behavior and social life of fish, a dichotomous key for seashells, and a section that lists
    [Show full text]
  • An Annotated Checklist of the Marine Macroinvertebrates of Alaska David T
    NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 19 An annotated checklist of the marine macroinvertebrates of Alaska David T. Drumm • Katherine P. Maslenikov Robert Van Syoc • James W. Orr • Robert R. Lauth Duane E. Stevenson • Theodore W. Pietsch November 2016 U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Professional Penny Pritzker Secretary of Commerce National Oceanic Papers NMFS and Atmospheric Administration Kathryn D. Sullivan Scientific Editor* Administrator Richard Langton National Marine National Marine Fisheries Service Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Maine Field Station Eileen Sobeck 17 Godfrey Drive, Suite 1 Assistant Administrator Orono, Maine 04473 for Fisheries Associate Editor Kathryn Dennis National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology Economics and Social Analysis Division 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 178 Honolulu, Hawaii 96818 Managing Editor Shelley Arenas National Marine Fisheries Service Scientific Publications Office 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, Washington 98115 Editorial Committee Ann C. Matarese National Marine Fisheries Service James W. Orr National Marine Fisheries Service The NOAA Professional Paper NMFS (ISSN 1931-4590) series is pub- lished by the Scientific Publications Of- *Bruce Mundy (PIFSC) was Scientific Editor during the fice, National Marine Fisheries Service, scientific editing and preparation of this report. NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. The Secretary of Commerce has The NOAA Professional Paper NMFS series carries peer-reviewed, lengthy original determined that the publication of research reports, taxonomic keys, species synopses, flora and fauna studies, and data- this series is necessary in the transac- intensive reports on investigations in fishery science, engineering, and economics. tion of the public business required by law of this Department.
    [Show full text]
  • Alikes Among Tropical Reef Fishes
    Who Resembles Whom? Mimetic and Coincidental Look- Alikes among Tropical Reef Fishes D. Ross Robertson* Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama´ Abstract Studies of mimicry among tropical reef-fishes usually give little or no consideration to alternative explanations for behavioral associations between unrelated, look-alike species that benefit the supposed mimic. I propose and assess such an alternative explanation. With mimicry the mimic resembles its model, evolved to do so in response to selection by the mimicry target, and gains evolved benefits from that resemblance. In the alternative, the social-trap hypothesis, a coincidental resemblance of the model to the ‘‘mimic’’ inadvertently attracts the latter to it, and reinforcement of this social trapping by learned benefits leads to the ‘‘mimic’’ regularly associating with the model. I examine three well known cases of supposed aggressive mimicry among reef-fishes in relation to nine predictions from these hypotheses, and assess which hypothesis offers a better explanation for each. One case, involving precise and complex morphological and behavioral resemblance, is strongly consistent with mimicry, one is inconclusive, and one is more consistent with a social- trap based on coincidental, imprecise resemblance. Few cases of supposed interspecific mimicry among tropical reef fishes have been examined in depth, and many such associations may involve social traps arising from generalized, coincidental resemblance. Mimicry may be much less common among these fishes than is generally thought. Citation: Robertson DR (2013) Who Resembles Whom? Mimetic and Coincidental Look-Alikes among Tropical Reef Fishes. PLoS ONE 8(1): e54939. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0054939 Editor: David L.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Study on Molecular Phylogeny of Sacoglossa and a Compilation of Their Food Organisms*
    Bonner zoologische Beiträge Band 55 (2006) Heft 3/4 Seiten 231–254 Bonn, November 2007 Preliminary study on molecular phylogeny of Sacoglossa and a compilation of their food organisms* Katharina HÄNDELER1) & Heike WÄGELE1),2) 1)Institut für Evolutionsbiologie und Ökologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany 2)Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany *Paper presented to the 2nd International Workshop on Opisthobranchia, ZFMK, Bonn, Germany, September 20th to 22nd, 2006 Abstract. The first molecular analysis of the Sacoglossa based on the 16Sr DNA gene (partial), with 39 species and 59 specimens analysed, is presented. A saturation of substitution is observed, as well as conflict in the data concerning cer- tain taxa. Therefore the phylogenetic relationship presented here has to be considered as preliminary. Many results are congruent with the analysis of JENSEN (1996) based on morphological characters. Plakobranchacea are monophyletic. Elysiella pusilla is nested within the genus Elysia and therefore synonymy of Elysiella with Elysia confirmed. The po- sition of Plakobranchus remains unclear, but a closer affinity to Elysia than to Thuridilla seems most likely. Major dif- ferences lie in the paraphyly of the Oxynoacea, but only few members of this taxon have been included. A compilation of available data on food algae is presented and the data are discussed under the light of the phylogenetic relationship presented here. Keywords. Opisthobranchia, molecular systematics, SplitsTree, Chlorophyta, evolution, 16S rDNA. 1. INTRODUCTION Sacoglossa is a small group of Opisthobranchia with about Sacoglossa is feeding nearly exclusively on siphonalean 250 to 300 described species (JE N S E N 1997a). Animals are or siphonocladalean Chlorophyta.
    [Show full text]
  • WSN Long Program 2014 FINAL
    Western Society of Naturalists Meeting Program Tacoma, WA Nov. 13-16, 2014 1 Western Society of Naturalists Treasurer President ~ 2014 ~ Andrew Brooks Steven Morgan Dept of Ecology, Evolution Bodega Marine Laboratory, Website and Marine Biology UC Davis www.wsn-online.org UC Santa Barbara P.O. Box 247 Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Bodega, CA 94923 Secretariat [email protected] [email protected] Michael Graham Scott Hamilton Member-at-Large Diana Steller President-Elect Phil Levin Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Northwest Fisheries Science Gretchen Hofmann 8272 Moss Landing Rd Center Dept. Ecology, Evolution, & Moss Landing, CA 95039 Conservation Biology Division Marine Biology Seattle, WA 98112 Corey Garza UC Santa Barbara [email protected] CSU Monterey Bay Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] Seaside, CA 93955 [email protected] 95TH ANNUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 13-16, 2014 IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON Registration and Information Welcome! The registration desk will be open Thurs 1600-2000, Fri-Sat 0730-1800, and Sun 0800-1000. Registration packets will be available at the registration table for those members who have pre-registered. Those who have not pre-registered but wish to attend the meeting can pay for membership and registration (with a $20 late fee) at the registration table. Unfortunately, banquet tickets cannot be sold at the meeting because the hotel requires final counts of attendees well in advance. The Attitude Adjustment Hour (AAH) is included in the registration price, so you will only need to show your badge for admittance. WSN t-shirts and other merchandise can be purchased or picked up at the WSN Student Committee table.
    [Show full text]
  • Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Southwestern Coast of Portugal
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Repositorio Institucional Digital del IEO Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr. 19 (1-4). 2003: 199-204 BOLETÍN. INSTITUTO ESPAÑOL DE OCEANOGRAFÍA ISSN: 0074-0195 © Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 2003 New data on opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the southwestern coast of Portugal G. Calado 1, 2 , M. A. E. Malaquias 1, 7 , C. Gavaia 1, 3 * , J. L. Cervera 4, C. Megina 4, B. Dayrat 5, Y. Camacho 5,8, M. Pola 4 and C. Grande 6 1 Instituto Português de Malacologia, Zoomarine, E. N. 125, km 65 Guia, P-8200-864 Albufeira, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Centro de Modelação Ecológica Imar, FCT/UNL, Quinta da Torre, P-2825-114 Monte da Caparica, Portugal 3 Centro de Ciências do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, P-8000-010 Faro, Portugal 4 Departamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales. Universidad de Cádiz. Apartado 40. E-11510 Puerto Real (Cadiz), Spain 5 Invertebrate Zoology and Geology Departament, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 94116 San Francisco, USA 6 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. José Gutiérrez Abascal, 6. E-28006 Madrid, Spain 7 Mollusca Research Group, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK 8 Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio). Apartado 22-3100, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica * César Gavaia died on 3rd July 2003, in a car accident Received January 2003. Accepted December 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • The Making of a Photosynthetic Animal
    303 The Journal of Experimental Biology 214, 303-311 © 2011. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd doi:10.1242/jeb.046540 The making of a photosynthetic animal Mary E. Rumpho1,*, Karen N. Pelletreau1, Ahmed Moustafa2 and Debashish Bhattacharya3 1Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, 5735 Hitchner Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA, 2Department of Biology and Graduate Program in Biotechnology, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt and 3Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA *Author for correspondence ([email protected]) Accepted 6 August 2010 Summary Symbiotic animals containing green photobionts challenge the common perception that only plants are capable of capturing the sun’s rays and converting them into biological energy through photoautotrophic CO2 fixation (photosynthesis). ‘Solar-powered’ sacoglossan molluscs, or sea slugs, have taken this type of symbiotic association one step further by solely harboring the photosynthetic organelle, the plastid (chloroplast). One such sea slug, Elysia chlorotica, lives as a ‘plant’ when provided with only light and air as a result of acquiring plastids during feeding on its algal prey Vaucheria litorea. The captured plastids (kleptoplasts) are retained intracellularly in cells lining the digestive diverticula of the sea slug, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as kleptoplasty. Photosynthesis by the plastids provides E. chlorotica with energy and fixed carbon for its entire lifespan of ~10months. The plastids are not transmitted vertically (i.e. are absent in eggs) and do not undergo division in the sea slug. However, de novo protein synthesis continues, including plastid- and nuclear-encoded plastid-targeted proteins, despite the apparent absence of algal nuclei.
    [Show full text]
  • Two New Sacoglossan Sea Slug Species (Opisthobranchia, Gastropoda): Ercolania Annelyleorum Sp
    Zootaxa 2676: 1–28 (2010) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2010 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Two new sacoglossan sea slug species (Opisthobranchia, Gastropoda): Ercolania annelyleorum sp. nov. (Limapontioidea) and Elysia asbecki sp. nov. (Plakobranchoidea), with notes on anatomy, histology and biology HEIKE WÄGELE1,4, KRISTINA STEMMER2, INGO BURGHARDT3 & KATHARINA HÄNDELER1 1Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, D-53113 Bonn, Germany 2Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar- and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany 3Department of Animal Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany 4Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Two new sacoglossan species, belonging to the genus Ercolania Trinchese, 1872 (Ercolania annelyleorum sp. nov.) and the genus Elysia Risso, 1818 (Elysia asbecki sp. nov.) are described from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Anatomy of both species was reconstructed by analyzing histological serial sections. Radula morphology was investigated by using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Sequence analyses (NeighborNet; sequence divergence) and tree reconstructions showed for both species their distinction from con-generic species, but also two distinct mitochondrial lines in the new Ercolania species. Adults as well as freshly hatched juveniles of E. annelyleorum sp. nov. have been found in clusters of the ulvophycean alga Boodlea sp., which are sucked out by piercing the cell walls with their radular teeth. This new species differs from other, similar transparent, Ercolania species by its pattern of the green branches of the digestive gland and the presence of two distinct red patches, one in the anterior and the other in the posterior third of the dorsal body part.
    [Show full text]
  • Science News. Click OR Call 1-800-552-4412
    Hide and See: Science News Online, Nov. 6, 2004 Subscribe to Science News. Click OR call 1-800-552-4412. Week of Nov. 6, 2004; Vol. 166, No. 19 , p. 296 Hide and See Subscribe to Science News in Conflicting views of reef-fish colors an audio format. Susan Milius A lot of things can be said about a shirt that sports images of coral-reef fish, but "subtly colored" isn't one of them. Oddly enough, that characterization does get used when biologists talk about the reef creatures. Although the fish may dazzle the human eye with scarlet, rose, yellow, turquoise, Login problems? emerald, and dozens of other shades, some theorists have proposed that, Science News Books. Click here. in the complexity of a reef, the riot of fish colors serves as camouflage. a5511_1760.jpg POPULAR HUES. Calculations based Math Trek Science News e-LETTER. Football's Overtime Bias on fish vision suggest that from a distance yellows Food for Thought blend in with a Pesticide Disposal Goes generic reef Green background, and the blues fade into vistas of water. A Science Safari fish among Shop at the Science Mall. Bat Moves and More branching corals would be hidden TimeLine like a soldier 70 Years Ago in Science wearing camouflage. News PhotoDisc Then again, some scientists have suggested the opposite notion—that brilliant colors send big, bold messages that may be come-ons or warnings or both. People can theorize till the cowfish come home about what they see on a reef, but what matters is what fish see, and that's been hard to determine.
    [Show full text]