Group items tagged

Coral reefs are under stress throughout the world. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying coral biology and their genomic evolution, here we sequenced the genome and transcriptomes of elegance coral Catalaphyllia jardinei (Euphylliidae). This monotypic genus stony coral is widespread but rare, being found across the Indo-West Pacific, from the northern Indian Ocean, Australia, Philippines, to the South China Sea. Due to its popularity among aquarium hobbyists, it is an overexploited species collected in large quantities from the wild for aquarium trade. The assembled genome is ~ 651.3 Mb in total length and of high physical contiguity with a scaffold N50 size of 28.9 Mb. The gene copy numbers of abiotic stress regulator (heat shock protein family genes) and neuropeptides (GLWamide, GRFamide, PRGamide and HIRamide) are similar to other sequenced anthozoans, and we have also identified the first set of sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic pathway genes in coral. Sequencing of small RNAs allows us to identify 35 microRNAs in C. jardinei and update the number of conserved microRNAs in cnidarians. This study established a foundation for further investigation into the roles of sesquiterpenoids and microRNAs in development of coral and understand their responses to climate change. Due to the easiness to culture C. jardinei in reef tanks and the established resources in this study, we propose this species be adopted as a new laboratory model in environmental and ecological experiments aiming to understand coral biology and responses to environmental stressors.

Basel Zoologists are unveiling the colorful secrets of coral reefs: On the Australian Great Barrier Reef they discovered a coral reef fish, the dusky dottyback that flexibly adapts its coloration to mimic other fishes and in doing is able to prey on their juvenile offspring. By changing colors, the dusky dottyback also decreases its risk of being detected by predators. The study has been published in the latest issue of the renowned scientific journal Current Biology.

Basel Zoologists are unveiling the colorful secrets of coral reefs: On the Australian Great Barrier Reef they discovered a coral reef fish, the dusky dottyback that flexibly adapts its coloration to mimic other fishes and in doing is able to prey on their juvenile offspring. By changing colors, the dusky dottyback also decreases its risk of being detected by predators. The study has been published in the latest issue of the renowned scientific journal Current Biology.

An Australian voyage retracing part of the historic first International Indian Ocean Expedition expects to reveal the effects of climate change on the physics, chemistry and biology of the waters of the south-east Indian Ocean.

The groupers (Epinephelidae family) are demersal species that are a vulnerable resource due to increasing fishing pressure around Reunion Island. Five species of groupers are among the main species exploited by commercial and recreational fisheries around La Réunion Island: blacktip grouper (Epinephelus fasciatus; Forsskål 1775), oblique-banded grouper (Epinephelus radiatus; Day 1868), golden hind (Cephalopholis aurantia, Valenciennes 1828), white-edged lyretail (Variola albimarginata; Baissac 1953) and yellow-edged lyretail (Variola louti; Fabricius 1775). From 2014 to 2021, a total of 482 individuals were caught. Body length-weight relationships showed a significant relationship between total length and total weight for all species. Among the five grouper species, significant sexual dimorphism was only observed for E. fasciatus. For each grouper species, the von Bertalanffy model gave the best fit for the ageing data. While the unconstrained von Bertalanffy model fitted very well to the data of four species (C. aurantia, E. radiatus; V. albimarginata and V. louti), the Gompertz model gave the best fit for the ageing data of E. fasciatus. The parameters of these growth models gave the asymptotic length TL∞ (from 28.9 cm for C. aurantia to 76.6 cm for V. louti), and growth rate K (from 0.16 for V. albimarginata to 0.40 for E. fasciatus) for each species. Consequently the growth performance index for these grouper species varied from 2.40 to 3.09. Based on gonad observation, the length at first sexual maturity of females varied between 14 to 18 cm for C. aurantia, E. fasciatus and V. albimarginata, to 32 cm for E. radiatus and 34 cm for V. louti. The corresponding age at first sexual maturity by species ranged from 1.67 to 6.65 years old. Reproduction intensity showed that reproduction peaked for a period of three months each year. Three species (C. aurantia; E. fasciatus and V. louti) reproduced mainly in summer, between December to March, while E. radiatus and

During feeding and burrowing, many epibenthic and infaunal animals bioturbate sediments and form a range of traces called lebensspuren (German for 'life traces'), defined as any type of sedimentary structure produced by a living organism. During a 2020 survey along western Australia in the Gascoyne Marine Park, a distinct trace was observed several times, identical to the 'spider trace' observed in a 2007 survey along eastern Australia, over 4000 km away. The purpose of this brief note is to document and describe the occurrence of this unique and distinctive type of lebensspuren and to discuss ways in which similar observations may be effectively shared to increase our understanding of deep-sea biology.

An international team of biologists has made the first-ever field observations of one of the least known species of whales in the world-Omura's whales-off the coast of Madagascar.

An international team of biologists has made the first-ever field observations of one of the least known species of whales in the world-Omura's whales-off the coast of Madagascar.

Whale sharks feeding in the western Indian Ocean - in pictures.

Researchers use 'biological passport' to monitor Earth's largest fish.

Citizen science project aims to learn more about unique dolphin behaviour off WA's south coast.

The world's animal distribution map will need to be redrawn and textbooks updated, after researchers discovered the existence of 'Australian' species on Christmas Island.

Watching one manta's propeller wound heal has revealed a scarring pattern previously mistaken for a shark bite.

Zebra Sharks Have A New Color.

Bensthic communities along the coastal basins are an indication of ecosystem health but highly susceptible owing to manmade activities. This study envisages thermal tolerance in sea snails Monodonta canalifera, Nerita albicilla and Tylothais savignyi inhabiting around the outfall and intake structures of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP). To test the adaptability and vulnerability, a lethality test protocol under controlled temperature was applied in the laboratory where they were exposed at 25, 30, 35, and 40°C, which was raised to 45°C after an acclimation period of 1 week. The critical thermal maximum (CTmax) for the three species was found to be between 39 and 42°C, whereas the lethal temperature (LT50) tests revealed that at the utmost 45°C was lethal for M. canalifera. The correlation between LT50 and CTmaxima (R = 0.47, p = 0.00) and LT50 and body sizes reveals that the thermal adaptability in N. albicilla and T. savignyi (R = 0.65, p = 0.00) was relatively higher than that at 45°C given in the laboratory. In addition, microscopic changes due to temperature, which appeared in the foot (adhesive part) of each species, were deduced from the histological examination. The outcomes of this study would help to underline the ecosystem health around KANUPP and highlight precautionary measures required for the newly established K2/K3 power units to safeguard habitat.

* Non-breeding seabirds dispersed widely across tropical Indian Ocean * Divergent habitat use and itinerancy preclude localized aggregations * Diffuse richness >3.9 M km2, contrary to multi-species tracking in other oceans * Indian Ocean tropical seabird conservation requires high seas perspective

Introduction: Ocean fronts are moving ephemeral biological hotspots forming at the interface of cooler and warmer waters. In the open ocean, this is where marine organisms, ranging from plankton to mesopelagic fish up to megafauna, gather and where most fishing activities concentrate. Fronts are critical ecosystems so that understanding their spatio-temporal variability is essential not only for conservation goals but also to ensure sustainable fisheries. The Mozambique Channel (MC) is an ideal laboratory to study ocean front variability due to its energetic flow at sub-to-mesoscales, its high biodiversity and the currently debated conservation initiatives. Meanwhile, fronts detection relying solely on remotely-sensed Sea Surface Temperature (SST) cannot access aspects of the subsurface frontal activity that may be relevant for understanding ecosystem dynamics.