by AquaNerd | Jun 18, 2017 | Fish, Science
A new genus and species of the percoid family Symphysanodontidae, Cymatognathus aureolateralis are described based on three specimens collected from North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The new species shares characteristics with the confamilial genus Sym-physanodon and the fish has been given the common name, Wavy Jaw Slopefish for it’s wavy lower jaw and well-developed outer tooth patches. The three fish were caught on hook and line and there not much information about how deep these fish were collected but a photograph of this fish was taken at a depth of about 654 feet (200 meters). The wavy lower jaw of Cymatognathus. Credit: Kimura et al. 2017 . The new species is distinguishable from members of Symphysanodon by the following diagnostic characters: posterior tip of coronoid process of dentary abruptly depressed by AquaNerd | Mar 23, 2017 | Science, Travel
Boaty McBoatface, is without a doubt, the world’s worst best-named submersible and it is about to embark on its first mission to the Antarctic. Last year, in case you didn’t hear about it, the submersible got its ridiculous name after Britain’s National Environment Research Council (NERC) asked the public to help name a new polar research vessel via the help of the internet. Names were submitted and by polling the public, the name “Boaty McBoatface” was chosen as the name went on to win by 25,000 votes over the 2nd place finisher. Sadly, and despite Boaty McBoatface winning, the folk at NERC decided they couldn’t live with the name on a multimillion dollar vessel. Can you imagine being at a dinner party and you are the captain by AquaNerd | Sep 5, 2016 | Reef, Science, Technology
James Cook University, University of Sydney and Queensland University of Technology scientists working with laser data from the Royal Australian Navy have discovered a vast reef behind the familiar Great Barrier Reef. JCU’s Dr Robin Beaman says the high-resolution seafloor data provided by LiDAR-equipped aircraft have revealed great fields of unusual donut-shaped circular mounds, each 200-300 meters across and up to 10 meters deep at the center. Halimeda is a green macroalgae composed of calcified leaf-like segments. As these plants die, these segments turn white and accumulate over thousands of years forming thick mounds called bioherms. Where these plants have died, A living layer of Halimeda algae covers the bioherms and stretches across an area of 6095 km2 on the landward side of the reef. by AquaNerd | Aug 19, 2016 | Fish, Reef, Science
With distinct tubular eyes and a natural glow, two species of bioluminescent deep-sea fish nicknamed “barreleyes” have been identified. The newly described species are part of the family Opisthoproctidae. Barreleye fish are not well-described, due to the rareness and fragility of specimens, the researchers said. These fish are “one of the most peculiar and unknown fish groups in the deep-sea pelagic realm, with only 19 morphologically disparate species,” the scientists wrote in their new study. However, the scientists were able to determine the two newfound species through comparisons of pigment patterns on the fish’s “sole.” This organ, found along the belly of some bioluminescent species, controls the light emitted from a different, internal organ. These two organs give the fish their glowing by AquaNerd | Aug 17, 2016 | Reef, Science
DENVER — Humans aren’t the only species whose members speak to their babies in the womb. Dolphin mamas appear to sing their own name to their unborn calves. New research suggests that dolphin mothers teach their babies a “signature whistle” right before birth and in the two weeks after. Signature whistles are sounds that are made by individual dolphins, which the animals use to identify one another. Calves eventually develop their own signature whistle, but in the first few weeks of life, mothers seem focused on teaching their offspring their signature sound, the scientists said. “It’s been hypothesized that this is part of an imprinting process,” Audra Ames, a doctoral student at the University of Southern Mississippi, said here on Friday (Aug. 5) at the
