1/6/2024 0 Comments Stone fish with legs![]() ![]() The mantis shrimps have very large, grasping claws with sharp spines of the second pair of (clawed) legs and these are used to catch small fish and other crustaceans. There are two main types of stomatopods, commonly known as mantis shrimps (because their claws resemble a praying mantis’ claws) and prawn killers. They are known to crack aquarium glass with their modified hammer-like legs- these small animals certainly aren’t to be messed with. Stomatopods, or prawn killers, are intriguing creatures. They don’t have a left and a right side like us (i.e. So, echinoderms have five identical parts arranged in a circular fashion around a central axis. Essentially, it means that an animal has identical parts arranged in a circular fashion around a central axis. Radial symmetry can be difficult to explain. These species, along with all echinoderms, share one common feature – radial symmetry. Echinoderm species include feather stars, sea stars and holothurians. The group of animals referred to as echinoderms were also studied throughout the project. Species can be difficult to tell apart, or ‘cryptic’, and so it is important to analyse their DNA in order to properly identify their species. Small tissue samples taken from pelagic fish and other specimens are preserved in 100% ethanol and sent back to the Museum for identification at a later date. Image copyright WA Museum The importance of DNA Here are some of the highlights from Museum footage: Many exciting discoveries were made throughout the Project. Some of the featured organisms include sea whips, sea cucumbers, pelagic fish, such as trevally and barracuda, and blue swimmer crabs, and can be explored on the Museum website. Video footage was recorded throughout the project, documenting the team’s finds and observations. In that time researchers have discovered a rich diversity of life living there, from fish and corals to polychaetes and crustaceans. Several surveys have been conducted to the region since 2009. The main goal of this project was to learn more about the biogeographic distribution of marine life throughout this expansive region.ĭiver collecting specimens for the Woodside Collection Project Over the past six years, scientists and researchers from the Western Australian Museum and partner agencies have been studying the marine life of the Kimberley region, in an initiative known as the Woodside Collection Project. Katherine Veness's blog | Created 9 years ago Researchers are working to raise triggerfish in captivity so that wild populations might more likely be left alone.Kimberley Marine Life – The Woodside Collection Project They are sought for the aquarium trade, which has prompted fishermen to gather even threatened species from the wild. Triggerfish are attractive animals and some species have become too popular for their own good. ![]() Triggerfish are infamous for their nasty attitude and this behavior is especially evident around nests, where intruders, from other fish to human divers, are likely to be charged or bitten. In some species males are known to maintain a harem of female mates. Females share care of the eggs until they hatch, blowing water on them to keep them well supplied with oxygen. The males of many species appear to establish territories on these spawning grounds and prepare seafloor nests that will house tens of thousands of eggs. Triggerfish tend to be solitary but meet at traditional mating grounds according to timetables governed by moons and tides. The system can be "unlocked" by depressing a smaller, “trigger” spine. The Balistidae family takes its common name from a set of spines the fish use to deter predators or to “lock” themselves into holes, crevices, and other hiding spots. Triggerfish wreak such havoc on less fortunate reef dwellers that smaller fish often follow them to feast on their leftovers. They also use very tough teeth and jaws to take on sea urchins, flipping them over to get at their bellies, which are armed with fewer spines. These bottom dwellers dig out prey, such as crabs and worms, by flapping away debris with their fins and sandblasting with water squirted from their mouths. Largest of all is the stone triggerfish, which reaches up to 3.3 feet long, found in the Eastern Pacific from Mexico to Chile. The 40 species of triggerfish are scattered throughout the world’s seas and are familiar to divers and aquarium aficionados. ![]()
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