A Labyrinthula-infected eelgrass frond. Sometimes regarded as rare or insignificant, marine fungi are both phylogenetically and ecologically diverse. Like all fungi, marine fungi are heterotrophic. Although a large portion of marine fungi are saprobes – organisms that feed on decaying [...]
Ichthyosaur Fossil.Source: www.urweltmuseum.de This caused a strong evolutionary shift: stalked crinoids lost their stalks and became mobile while molluscs and brachiopods began to bury themselves in the sediment rather than remain defenseless and exposed. These evolutionary adaptations paved [...]
An otolith with visible annuli. These structures, which are used as gravity, balance, and movement indicators, grow continuously throughout a fish’s life and exhibit a unique growth pattern. This growth pattern is thought to be a result of seasonal temperature changes – during the winter, the [...]
Source: Futuyma, 2009 Although commonly regarded as the most primitive multicellular animal group, sponges – members of the phylum: Porifera, are both diverse and interesting. Currently, this phylum is described as consisting almost completely of 3 distinct classes: Demospongea, Calcarea, and [...]
Although notoriously intolerant of tissue damage, the beautiful Heliofungia actiniformis is an exciting addition to any reef display. Willing to test this coral’s vitality, I made an attempt to propagate one. 1. The Heliofungia was forced to retract by hand. This reduces contact between the [...]
Although corals are considered one of the earliest, most primitive animal groups on the planet, the stony corals that grace our reef aquariums with color and vibrance actually arose later than some of us have been led to believe. Source: talkorigins.org It is widely accepted that our ocean’s [...]
Source: Cornell University Department of Microbiology The bacterial behemoth, Epulopiscium fishelsoni, is truly unique. E. fishelsoni is commonly regarded as the largest bacterium discovered to date, having the size of roughly 1,000,000 Escherichia coli. Source: Cornell University Department of [...]
Broodstock Tridacna crocea is the smallest known species of giant clam. Because of its manageable size and remarkable color patterns, Tridacna crocea has become quite popular among aquarists. In lieu of this species’ popularity, an effort to aquaculture these clams has been made. This [...]
