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the family scorpaenidae contains around 45 genera and 380 species . scorpionfishes have large , heavily ridged and spined heads . venomous spines on their back and fins with a groove and venom sack . well camouflaged with tassels , warts and colored specks . some scorpionfishes can change their color to better match their surroundings . the stonefish is a master of disguise and deception , it looks like a piece of coral or sand covered rock . thus he can blend in with its surroundings and go unnoticed by its prey . most scorpion fishes live on or near the bottom . they lie in crevices , in caves and under overhangs . range : red sea , pacific ocean to australia , hawaii . a few scorpionfishes ( no lionfishes or stonefishes ) live in the caribbean . they feed on crustaceans , cephalopods and fishes employing a lie - in - wait strategy , remaining stationary and snapping prey that comes near . with their mouth they create a vacuum and suck prey in during a nearly imperceptible split - second movement ( 15 milliseconds ) . some have algae and hydroid growth on their body surfaces ( stonefish ) and at least one species ( decoy scorpionfish iracundus signifier ) has a dorsal fin that looks like a swimming fish , a behavior similar to that of the frogfish . some species ( for example the weed scorpionfish ) sway their bodies from side to side so they look like a piece of debris . scorpionfishes are not aggressive , but if threatened they will erect their dorsal spines . if danger continues they flee , usually very fast but only for a short distance and then quickly settle back and freeze . the stonefishes for example ususally bury themselves in sand or rubble using a shoveling motion of their pectoral fins . in a matter of less than 10 seconds only the dorsal portion of the head remains exposed , some sand is thrown on top to further enhancing concealment . some species like the devilfish have very bright red and yellow colors on the inner surface of their pectoral fins . those colors are not visible when resting but are flashed if threatened . scorpion fishes produce a floating , gelatinous mass in which the eggs are embedded . scorpionfishes have a reddish to brownish color and are mottled . this enables them to disappear against the substrate . there are 4 very similar species of humpback scorpionfishes . scorpaenopsis diabolus ( devil scorpionfish - pectoral fin with orange , yellow and white ) and scorpaenopsis macrochir ( flasher scorpionfish - pectoral fin with orange and some black at the edge ) can best be told apart by looking at their pectoral fins . the devil scorpionfish also has a more pronounced hump and is larger ( up to 30cm ) than the flasher scorpionfish ( 15cm ) . if the ridge above the eyes is serrated it is a bandtail scorpionfish ( scorpaenopsis neglecta ) . another scorpionfish , scorpaenopsis gibbosa ( humpback scorpionfish ) , is only found in africa and the indian ocean . the stonefish is extremely difficult to see because it usually buries most of its body under sand or rubble and only their widely separated eyes show . often algae and hydroids grow on its back . it has been suggested , that stonfishes exude a white , milky substance over their bodies which encourages plant growth . shrimps and other animals have been observed to climb over them . this is the worlds most venomous fish . their near perfect camouflage and the venomous spines make them a hazard for swimmers , snorkelers and divers in shallow water . wounds should be treated immediately with hot water or dry heat . there is a scorpionfish that erroneously identified as stonefish , the humpbacked or devil scorpionfish . however there are two difference : first the shape of the mouth . stonefishes have a mouth which is directed upwards like a upside - down " u " . second the stone fish curl their tail extremely to one side . the leaffish has a thin leaf - like body . several color varieties exist ( red , yellow , white , pink , black ) . it rocks from side to side to mimic a piece of debris in a current . they regularly occur in pairs and usually don ' t move much around , so they can be found again on several dives . lionfishes are boldly colored in red , white and black . this coloring however fades in low - light conditions such as dusk and then the stripes serve as disruptive camouflage . with their long fin spines they resemble crinoids ( featherstars ) which helps them to masquerade , when selecting a ambush site . lionfishes have been observed to hunt in a pack , rounding up small fish . when they approach their prey , they spread their fins to the side and slightly forward . the fins act as a barrier to cut off the escape of the prey . devilfishes ( also called sea goblins , bearded ghouls and demon stingers ) have very special pectoral fin rays that can be moved independently from the rest of the fin . this looks as if the devilfish was walking over the ground . they look very clumsy and unwieldy because they also drag their extremely curved tails . the inner surface of their pectoral fins are brightly colored and they flash them if threatened . sometimes several fish lie together . devilfishes occur on sand and mud bottoms close to reefs and in seagrass meadows . they often bury themselves in the substrate . rhinopias scorpionfishes are extremly well camouflaged und thus rarely found . they live mostly on rubble , sand and small coral reefs . there are 8 species of rhinopias , most of them only live in a small area : rhinopias argoliba - endemic to japan ( sagami bay ) / rhinopias filamentosus - only known from the philippines / rhinopias xenops ( strange - eyed scorpionfish ) - only known from hawaii and japan / rhinopias cea - endemic to the easter islands / rhinopias godfreyi ( godfrey ' s scorpionfish ) known only from west - australia and papua new guinea . rhinopias aphanes ( lacy or merlot scorpionfish ) : this rhinopias differs from rh . fondosa , that it has dark reticulations ( maze - like patterns , stripes ) on the body , head and fins . it has filamentous tentacles , that look like algae . it can be yellow , green , black or brown . found in australia , papua new guinea , new caledonia and vanuatu . ca . 24cm . rhinopias frondosa ( weedy scorpionfish ) : this rhinopias differs from rh . aphanes , that is has oblong pale spots and blotches on its body . the skin tentacles above the eyes are thicker and less branched , sometimes flattened and leaflike . it differs from rh . eschmeyeri , that it has 9 - 14 tentacles at the lower jaw , it ' s dorsal fin membrane is incised ( it also has a longer caudal fin and longer anal and dorsal spines ) and it has a shorter snout . it can be olive to red , brown or purple . found in africa to japan . ca . 23cm . " frondosa " signifies " sprouting " or " with sprouts " . rhinopias eschmeyeri ( eschmeyer ' s scorpionfish / paddle - flap scorpionfish ) : this rhinopias differs from rh . frondosa , that it has only 2 tentacles at its lower jawm its fin membrane is slightly or not incised . it has only unbranched , flattened skin appendages . the body color is more uniform and can be blue , lilac , yellow , orange , brick red . found in mauritius , sri lanka to the philippines . ca . 19cm . attention : my personal opionion is , contrary to the scientific papers , that rhinopias frondosa and rhinopias eschmeyeri are a morphological variations of the same species , one variation with more and one with less tentacles . see separate page only about rhinopias . this family don ' t belong to the family of scorpionfishes but waspfishes look very similar to some of them , specially to the leaffish ( some ichtyologists place them in the family of scorpionfishes , some don ' t ) . the family of waspfishes contains about 11 genera , like ablabys , paracentropogon and richardsonichthys . the dorsal fin of the waspfishes originates above the eyes . they are laterally compressed and look like a leaf . most of these waspfishes occur on or near coastal reefs . this family is not very known . velvetfishes are elongate and compressed . bony knobs rather than spines on head , thick fins . loose , wrinkly looking skin , some like sandpaper . most live in temperate waters around australia , some occur on sand or rubble . 17 genera , 25 species .

i . didactylus is a piscivorous ambush predator . it is nocturnal and typically lies partially buried on the sea floor or on a coral head during the day , covering itself with sand and other debris to further camouflage itself . it has no known natural predators . when disturbed by a scuba diver or a potential predator , it fans out its brilliantly colored pectoral and caudal fins as a warning . once dug in , it is very reluctant to leave its hiding place . when it does move , it displays an unusual mechanism of subcarangiform locomotion — it crawls slowly along the seabed , employing the four lower rays ( two on each side ) of its pectoral fins as legs . the bearded ghoul has poisonous dorsal fish spines that can cause a painful wound .

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as with other strains of acropora microclados , the coral exhibits abundant polyp extension , one of the many reasons that strawberry shortcake and their kin like the ora shortcake are popular with casual acropora keepers and diehard sps nuts alike . [ ora ] citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2013 ) . acropora microclados ( ehrenberg , 1834 ) . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 207101 on 2017 - 09 - 24 ora is hot out of the gate with their newest release for the new year , the ora shortcake acro . acropora microclados is one of the most iconic species of acros that were made available by australian exports in consistent quality and quantity , leading to the ‘ strawberry shortcake ’ being one of the first named strains from australia . the ora shortcake is one of many different color strains and morphotypes of acropora microclados , and ora ’ s selection seems to be particularly well textured , with a spiny - branched appearance . the overall colony coloration is on the reddish side and a pleasant shade of teal - blue towards the growth margins . a typical nice colony of acropora microclados showing good color and colony form . additional source wallace , c . c . , 1999 . staghorn corals of the world : a revision of the coral genus acropora ( scleractinia ; astrocoeniina ; acroporidae ) worldwide , with emphasis on morphology , phylogeny and biogeography . : i - xviii , 1 - 421 . [ details ] additional source riegl , b . ( 1995 ) . a revision of the hard coral genus acropora oken , 1815 ( scleractinia : astrocoeniina : acroporidae ) in south - east africa . zoological journal of the linnean society 113 : 249 - 288 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . , 1999 . staghorn corals of the world : a revision of the coral genus acropora ( scleractinia ; astrocoeniina ; acroporidae ) worldwide , with emphasis on morphology , phylogeny and biogeography . : i - xviii , 1 - 421 . [ details ] additional source china , w . e . ( 1963 ) . opinion 674 : acropora oken , 1815 ( anthozoa , madreporaria ) : validated under the plenary powers . bulletin of zoological nomenclature . 20 : 319 - 330 . [ details ] additional source santodomingo , n . ; wallace , c . c . ; johnson , k . g . ( 2015 ) . fossils reveal a high diversity of the staghorn coral genera acropora and isopora ( scleractinia : acroporidae ) in the neogene of indonesia . zoological journal of the linnean society . 175 , 677 - 763 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1111 / zoj . 12295 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . ; bosellini , f . r . ( 2015 ) . acropora ( scleractinia ) from the oligocene and miocene of europe : species longevity , origination and turnover following the eocene – oligocene transition . journal of systematic palaeontology . 13 ( 6 ) : 447 - 469 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1080 / 14772019 . 2014 . 930525 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . ( 2008 ) . new species and records from the eocene of england and france support early diversification of the coral genus acropora . journal of paleontology . 82 ( 2 ) : 313 - 328 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1666 / 06 - 091 . 1 [ details ] taxonomy source boschma h ( 1961 ) acropora oken , 1815 ( anthozoa , madreporaria ) ; proposed validation under the plenary powers . z . n . ( s . ) 1036 . bulletin of zoological nomenclature 18 : 334 - 335 . [ details ] original description ( of acropora ( eumadrepora ) brook , 1893 ) brook g ( 1893 ) . the genus madrepora . catalogue of the madreporarian corals in the british museum ( natural history ) 1 : 1 - 212 , pls . 1 - 35 . [ details ] new combination reference ( of acropora ( eumadrepora ) brook , 1893 ) vaughan , t . w . ( 1918 ) . some shallow - water corals from murray island ( australia ) , cocos - keeling island , and fanning island . papers from the department of marine biology of the carnegie institution of washington . 9 ( 213 ) : 49 - 234 , pls . 20 - 93 . [ details ] species acropora pillaii patterson edward et al . , 2008 ( nomen nudum ) citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2014 ) . acropora oken , 1815 . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 205469 on 2017 - 09 - 22 sources original description ehrenberg , c . g . ( 1834 ) . beiträge zur physiologischen kenntniss der corallenthiere im allgemeinen , und besonders des rothen meeres , nebst einem versuche zur physiologischen systematik derselben . abhandlungen der königlichen akademie der wissenschaften , berlin . 1 : 225 - 380 . , available online at http : / / bibliothek . bbaw . de / bibliothek - digital / digitalequellen / schriften / anzeige ? band = 07 - abh / 1832 - 1 & seite : int = 00000243 [ details ] basis of record fauré , g . ( 1977 ) . annotated checklist of the corals in the mascarene archipelago , indian ocean . atoll research bulletin 203 : 1 - 26 [ details ] additional source cairns , s . d . ; hoeksema , b . w . & van der land , j . ( 2007 ) . as a contribution to unesco - ioc register of marine organisms . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source liu j . y . [ ruiyu ] ( ed . ) . ( 2008 ) . checklist of marine biota of china seas . china science press . 1267 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source ( of madrepora assimilis brook , 1892 ) brook g ( 1892 ) preliminary descriptions of new species of madrepora in the collections of the british museum . part ii . annals and magazine of natural history 10 : 451 - 465 . [ details ] original description ( of heteropora corymbosa ( lamarck , 1816 ) ) lamarck [ j . - b . m . ] de . ( 1816 ) . histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres . tome second . paris : verdière , 568 pp . , available online at http : / / www . biodiversitylibrary . org / item / 47698 [ details ] basis of record ( of heteropora corymbosa ( lamarck , 1816 ) ) veron jen , pichon m ( 1982 ) scleractinia of eastern australia – part iv . family poritidae . australian institute of marine science monograph series 5 : 1 – 159 . [ details ] description colonies are corymbose plates with branches up to 10 mm thick which are tapering , evenly spaced and curving upward to a uniform height . colour : always a distinctive pale pinky brown . pale - grey tentacles are often extended during the day . abundance : uncommon except on some upper reef slopes . colonies are up to approximately 1 m in diameter ( veron , 1986 ) . [ details ] type locality unrecorded ( veron , 1986 ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 207101 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 24 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org your email address will not be published . required fields are marked * 2017 reef builders , inc . confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support . sources original description oken , l . 1815 - 1816 . lehrbuch der naturgeschichte . dritter theil , zoologie . erste abteilung , fleischlose thiere : 1 - 841 ( register ) ( 1815 ) ; atlas : i - iv , pls . i - xvii ( 1816 ) . , available online at http : / / books . google . com / books ? id = spo5aaaacaaj [ details ] [ full text ] basis of record veron , j . e . n . ( 1986 ) . corals of australia and the indo - pacific . angus & robertson publishers , london . [ details ] additional source veron jen . ( 2000 ) . corals of the world . vol . 1 – 3 . australian institute of marine science and crr , queensland , australia . [ details ] original description ( of heteropora ehrenberg , 1834 ) ehrenberg , c . g . ( 1834 ) . beiträge zur physiologischen kenntniss der corallenthiere im allgemeinen , und besonders des rothen meeres , nebst einem versuche zur physiologischen systematik derselben . abhandlungen der königlichen akademie der wissenschaften , berlin . 1 : 225 - 380 . , available online at http : / / bibliothek . bbaw . de / bibliothek - digital / digitalequellen / schriften / anzeige ? band = 07 - abh / 1832 - 1 & seite : int = 00000243 [ details ] basis of record ( of madrepora ( distichocyathus ) brook , 1893 ) wells , j . w . 1956 . scleractinia . in : moore rc ( ed ) treatise on invertebrate paleontology f . coelenterata . geological society of america & university of kansas press , pp . 328 – 440 . [ details ] description colonies are usually ramose or arborescent , bushy or plate - like , rarely encrusting or submassive . corallites are of two types , radial and axial ; septa are in two cycles ; columellae are absent ; corallite walls and coenosteum are porous . polyps are usually only extended at night ( veron , 1986 ) . occur as plate , table and branching colonies . most have light skeletons and are fast growing . corallites are characteristically densely - packed and cup - shaped , 2 - 3 mm across , often protruding 2 - 3 mm from the branch surface . in most species , terminal corallites at the tips of branches are enlarged and obvious . colour : terminal corallites are often bright pink , pale blue or yellow ( richmond , 1997 ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 205469 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 22 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support .

it was first described by christian gottfried ehrenberg in 1834 as heteropora microclados .

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description

animal

as with other strains of acropora microclados , the coral exhibits abundant polyp extension , one of the many reasons that strawberry shortcake and their kin like the ora shortcake are popular with casual acropora keepers and diehard sps nuts alike . [ ora ] citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2013 ) . acropora microclados ( ehrenberg , 1834 ) . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 207101 on 2017 - 09 - 24 ora is hot out of the gate with their newest release for the new year , the ora shortcake acro . acropora microclados is one of the most iconic species of acros that were made available by australian exports in consistent quality and quantity , leading to the ‘ strawberry shortcake ’ being one of the first named strains from australia . the ora shortcake is one of many different color strains and morphotypes of acropora microclados , and ora ’ s selection seems to be particularly well textured , with a spiny - branched appearance . the overall colony coloration is on the reddish side and a pleasant shade of teal - blue towards the growth margins . a typical nice colony of acropora microclados showing good color and colony form . additional source wallace , c . c . , 1999 . staghorn corals of the world : a revision of the coral genus acropora ( scleractinia ; astrocoeniina ; acroporidae ) worldwide , with emphasis on morphology , phylogeny and biogeography . : i - xviii , 1 - 421 . [ details ] additional source riegl , b . ( 1995 ) . a revision of the hard coral genus acropora oken , 1815 ( scleractinia : astrocoeniina : acroporidae ) in south - east africa . zoological journal of the linnean society 113 : 249 - 288 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . , 1999 . staghorn corals of the world : a revision of the coral genus acropora ( scleractinia ; astrocoeniina ; acroporidae ) worldwide , with emphasis on morphology , phylogeny and biogeography . : i - xviii , 1 - 421 . [ details ] additional source china , w . e . ( 1963 ) . opinion 674 : acropora oken , 1815 ( anthozoa , madreporaria ) : validated under the plenary powers . bulletin of zoological nomenclature . 20 : 319 - 330 . [ details ] additional source santodomingo , n . ; wallace , c . c . ; johnson , k . g . ( 2015 ) . fossils reveal a high diversity of the staghorn coral genera acropora and isopora ( scleractinia : acroporidae ) in the neogene of indonesia . zoological journal of the linnean society . 175 , 677 - 763 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1111 / zoj . 12295 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . ; bosellini , f . r . ( 2015 ) . acropora ( scleractinia ) from the oligocene and miocene of europe : species longevity , origination and turnover following the eocene – oligocene transition . journal of systematic palaeontology . 13 ( 6 ) : 447 - 469 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1080 / 14772019 . 2014 . 930525 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . ( 2008 ) . new species and records from the eocene of england and france support early diversification of the coral genus acropora . journal of paleontology . 82 ( 2 ) : 313 - 328 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1666 / 06 - 091 . 1 [ details ] taxonomy source boschma h ( 1961 ) acropora oken , 1815 ( anthozoa , madreporaria ) ; proposed validation under the plenary powers . z . n . ( s . ) 1036 . bulletin of zoological nomenclature 18 : 334 - 335 . [ details ] original description ( of acropora ( eumadrepora ) brook , 1893 ) brook g ( 1893 ) . the genus madrepora . catalogue of the madreporarian corals in the british museum ( natural history ) 1 : 1 - 212 , pls . 1 - 35 . [ details ] new combination reference ( of acropora ( eumadrepora ) brook , 1893 ) vaughan , t . w . ( 1918 ) . some shallow - water corals from murray island ( australia ) , cocos - keeling island , and fanning island . papers from the department of marine biology of the carnegie institution of washington . 9 ( 213 ) : 49 - 234 , pls . 20 - 93 . [ details ] species acropora pillaii patterson edward et al . , 2008 ( nomen nudum ) citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2014 ) . acropora oken , 1815 . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 205469 on 2017 - 09 - 22 sources original description ehrenberg , c . g . ( 1834 ) . beiträge zur physiologischen kenntniss der corallenthiere im allgemeinen , und besonders des rothen meeres , nebst einem versuche zur physiologischen systematik derselben . abhandlungen der königlichen akademie der wissenschaften , berlin . 1 : 225 - 380 . , available online at http : / / bibliothek . bbaw . de / bibliothek - digital / digitalequellen / schriften / anzeige ? band = 07 - abh / 1832 - 1 & seite : int = 00000243 [ details ] basis of record fauré , g . ( 1977 ) . annotated checklist of the corals in the mascarene archipelago , indian ocean . atoll research bulletin 203 : 1 - 26 [ details ] additional source cairns , s . d . ; hoeksema , b . w . & van der land , j . ( 2007 ) . as a contribution to unesco - ioc register of marine organisms . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source liu j . y . [ ruiyu ] ( ed . ) . ( 2008 ) . checklist of marine biota of china seas . china science press . 1267 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source ( of madrepora assimilis brook , 1892 ) brook g ( 1892 ) preliminary descriptions of new species of madrepora in the collections of the british museum . part ii . annals and magazine of natural history 10 : 451 - 465 . [ details ] original description ( of heteropora corymbosa ( lamarck , 1816 ) ) lamarck [ j . - b . m . ] de . ( 1816 ) . histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres . tome second . paris : verdière , 568 pp . , available online at http : / / www . biodiversitylibrary . org / item / 47698 [ details ] basis of record ( of heteropora corymbosa ( lamarck , 1816 ) ) veron jen , pichon m ( 1982 ) scleractinia of eastern australia – part iv . family poritidae . australian institute of marine science monograph series 5 : 1 – 159 . [ details ] description colonies are corymbose plates with branches up to 10 mm thick which are tapering , evenly spaced and curving upward to a uniform height . colour : always a distinctive pale pinky brown . pale - grey tentacles are often extended during the day . abundance : uncommon except on some upper reef slopes . colonies are up to approximately 1 m in diameter ( veron , 1986 ) . [ details ] type locality unrecorded ( veron , 1986 ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 207101 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 24 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org your email address will not be published . required fields are marked * 2017 reef builders , inc . confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support . sources original description oken , l . 1815 - 1816 . lehrbuch der naturgeschichte . dritter theil , zoologie . erste abteilung , fleischlose thiere : 1 - 841 ( register ) ( 1815 ) ; atlas : i - iv , pls . i - xvii ( 1816 ) . , available online at http : / / books . google . com / books ? id = spo5aaaacaaj [ details ] [ full text ] basis of record veron , j . e . n . ( 1986 ) . corals of australia and the indo - pacific . angus & robertson publishers , london . [ details ] additional source veron jen . ( 2000 ) . corals of the world . vol . 1 – 3 . australian institute of marine science and crr , queensland , australia . [ details ] original description ( of heteropora ehrenberg , 1834 ) ehrenberg , c . g . ( 1834 ) . beiträge zur physiologischen kenntniss der corallenthiere im allgemeinen , und besonders des rothen meeres , nebst einem versuche zur physiologischen systematik derselben . abhandlungen der königlichen akademie der wissenschaften , berlin . 1 : 225 - 380 . , available online at http : / / bibliothek . bbaw . de / bibliothek - digital / digitalequellen / schriften / anzeige ? band = 07 - abh / 1832 - 1 & seite : int = 00000243 [ details ] basis of record ( of madrepora ( distichocyathus ) brook , 1893 ) wells , j . w . 1956 . scleractinia . in : moore rc ( ed ) treatise on invertebrate paleontology f . coelenterata . geological society of america & university of kansas press , pp . 328 – 440 . [ details ] description colonies are usually ramose or arborescent , bushy or plate - like , rarely encrusting or submassive . corallites are of two types , radial and axial ; septa are in two cycles ; columellae are absent ; corallite walls and coenosteum are porous . polyps are usually only extended at night ( veron , 1986 ) . occur as plate , table and branching colonies . most have light skeletons and are fast growing . corallites are characteristically densely - packed and cup - shaped , 2 - 3 mm across , often protruding 2 - 3 mm from the branch surface . in most species , terminal corallites at the tips of branches are enlarged and obvious . colour : terminal corallites are often bright pink , pale blue or yellow ( richmond , 1997 ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 205469 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 22 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support .

acropora microclados is found in colonies of corymbose structures , and can be 1 m ( 3 . 3 ft ) wide . the structures consist of brachlets , which are short , become thin at the ends , and orderly , and the width of the branchlet bases can reach 10 mm ( 0 . 39 in ) . it is usually pale pink / brown in colour , and its tentacles extend during the day , and are grey . branchlets contain axial , incipient axial , and radial corallites . axial corallites are located at the end of branchlets , and are tube - shaped . incipient axial corallites frequently occur . the radial corallites occur up the sides of the branchlets , are tube - shaped , close together , and each contains nose - shaped openings . it looks similar to acropora lamarcki , acropora macrostoma , and acropora massawensis . the species is found in a marine environment in tropical shallow reefs on the upper slopes , at depths of between 5 and 20 m ( 16 and 66 ft ) . it is composed of aragonite ( calcium carbonate ) .

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as with other strains of acropora microclados , the coral exhibits abundant polyp extension , one of the many reasons that strawberry shortcake and their kin like the ora shortcake are popular with casual acropora keepers and diehard sps nuts alike . [ ora ] citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2013 ) . acropora microclados ( ehrenberg , 1834 ) . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 207101 on 2017 - 09 - 24 ora is hot out of the gate with their newest release for the new year , the ora shortcake acro . acropora microclados is one of the most iconic species of acros that were made available by australian exports in consistent quality and quantity , leading to the ‘ strawberry shortcake ’ being one of the first named strains from australia . the ora shortcake is one of many different color strains and morphotypes of acropora microclados , and ora ’ s selection seems to be particularly well textured , with a spiny - branched appearance . the overall colony coloration is on the reddish side and a pleasant shade of teal - blue towards the growth margins . a typical nice colony of acropora microclados showing good color and colony form . additional source wallace , c . c . , 1999 . staghorn corals of the world : a revision of the coral genus acropora ( scleractinia ; astrocoeniina ; acroporidae ) worldwide , with emphasis on morphology , phylogeny and biogeography . : i - xviii , 1 - 421 . [ details ] additional source riegl , b . ( 1995 ) . a revision of the hard coral genus acropora oken , 1815 ( scleractinia : astrocoeniina : acroporidae ) in south - east africa . zoological journal of the linnean society 113 : 249 - 288 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . , 1999 . staghorn corals of the world : a revision of the coral genus acropora ( scleractinia ; astrocoeniina ; acroporidae ) worldwide , with emphasis on morphology , phylogeny and biogeography . : i - xviii , 1 - 421 . [ details ] additional source china , w . e . ( 1963 ) . opinion 674 : acropora oken , 1815 ( anthozoa , madreporaria ) : validated under the plenary powers . bulletin of zoological nomenclature . 20 : 319 - 330 . [ details ] additional source santodomingo , n . ; wallace , c . c . ; johnson , k . g . ( 2015 ) . fossils reveal a high diversity of the staghorn coral genera acropora and isopora ( scleractinia : acroporidae ) in the neogene of indonesia . zoological journal of the linnean society . 175 , 677 - 763 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1111 / zoj . 12295 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . ; bosellini , f . r . ( 2015 ) . acropora ( scleractinia ) from the oligocene and miocene of europe : species longevity , origination and turnover following the eocene – oligocene transition . journal of systematic palaeontology . 13 ( 6 ) : 447 - 469 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1080 / 14772019 . 2014 . 930525 [ details ] additional source wallace , c . c . ( 2008 ) . new species and records from the eocene of england and france support early diversification of the coral genus acropora . journal of paleontology . 82 ( 2 ) : 313 - 328 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1666 / 06 - 091 . 1 [ details ] taxonomy source boschma h ( 1961 ) acropora oken , 1815 ( anthozoa , madreporaria ) ; proposed validation under the plenary powers . z . n . ( s . ) 1036 . bulletin of zoological nomenclature 18 : 334 - 335 . [ details ] original description ( of acropora ( eumadrepora ) brook , 1893 ) brook g ( 1893 ) . the genus madrepora . catalogue of the madreporarian corals in the british museum ( natural history ) 1 : 1 - 212 , pls . 1 - 35 . [ details ] new combination reference ( of acropora ( eumadrepora ) brook , 1893 ) vaughan , t . w . ( 1918 ) . some shallow - water corals from murray island ( australia ) , cocos - keeling island , and fanning island . papers from the department of marine biology of the carnegie institution of washington . 9 ( 213 ) : 49 - 234 , pls . 20 - 93 . [ details ] species acropora pillaii patterson edward et al . , 2008 ( nomen nudum ) citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2014 ) . acropora oken , 1815 . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 205469 on 2017 - 09 - 22 sources original description ehrenberg , c . g . ( 1834 ) . beiträge zur physiologischen kenntniss der corallenthiere im allgemeinen , und besonders des rothen meeres , nebst einem versuche zur physiologischen systematik derselben . abhandlungen der königlichen akademie der wissenschaften , berlin . 1 : 225 - 380 . , available online at http : / / bibliothek . bbaw . de / bibliothek - digital / digitalequellen / schriften / anzeige ? band = 07 - abh / 1832 - 1 & seite : int = 00000243 [ details ] basis of record fauré , g . ( 1977 ) . annotated checklist of the corals in the mascarene archipelago , indian ocean . atoll research bulletin 203 : 1 - 26 [ details ] additional source cairns , s . d . ; hoeksema , b . w . & van der land , j . ( 2007 ) . as a contribution to unesco - ioc register of marine organisms . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source liu j . y . [ ruiyu ] ( ed . ) . ( 2008 ) . checklist of marine biota of china seas . china science press . 1267 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source ( of madrepora assimilis brook , 1892 ) brook g ( 1892 ) preliminary descriptions of new species of madrepora in the collections of the british museum . part ii . annals and magazine of natural history 10 : 451 - 465 . [ details ] original description ( of heteropora corymbosa ( lamarck , 1816 ) ) lamarck [ j . - b . m . ] de . ( 1816 ) . histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres . tome second . paris : verdière , 568 pp . , available online at http : / / www . biodiversitylibrary . org / item / 47698 [ details ] basis of record ( of heteropora corymbosa ( lamarck , 1816 ) ) veron jen , pichon m ( 1982 ) scleractinia of eastern australia – part iv . family poritidae . australian institute of marine science monograph series 5 : 1 – 159 . [ details ] description colonies are corymbose plates with branches up to 10 mm thick which are tapering , evenly spaced and curving upward to a uniform height . colour : always a distinctive pale pinky brown . pale - grey tentacles are often extended during the day . abundance : uncommon except on some upper reef slopes . colonies are up to approximately 1 m in diameter ( veron , 1986 ) . [ details ] type locality unrecorded ( veron , 1986 ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 207101 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 24 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org your email address will not be published . required fields are marked * 2017 reef builders , inc . confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support . sources original description oken , l . 1815 - 1816 . lehrbuch der naturgeschichte . dritter theil , zoologie . erste abteilung , fleischlose thiere : 1 - 841 ( register ) ( 1815 ) ; atlas : i - iv , pls . i - xvii ( 1816 ) . , available online at http : / / books . google . com / books ? id = spo5aaaacaaj [ details ] [ full text ] basis of record veron , j . e . n . ( 1986 ) . corals of australia and the indo - pacific . angus & robertson publishers , london . [ details ] additional source veron jen . ( 2000 ) . corals of the world . vol . 1 – 3 . australian institute of marine science and crr , queensland , australia . [ details ] original description ( of heteropora ehrenberg , 1834 ) ehrenberg , c . g . ( 1834 ) . beiträge zur physiologischen kenntniss der corallenthiere im allgemeinen , und besonders des rothen meeres , nebst einem versuche zur physiologischen systematik derselben . abhandlungen der königlichen akademie der wissenschaften , berlin . 1 : 225 - 380 . , available online at http : / / bibliothek . bbaw . de / bibliothek - digital / digitalequellen / schriften / anzeige ? band = 07 - abh / 1832 - 1 & seite : int = 00000243 [ details ] basis of record ( of madrepora ( distichocyathus ) brook , 1893 ) wells , j . w . 1956 . scleractinia . in : moore rc ( ed ) treatise on invertebrate paleontology f . coelenterata . geological society of america & university of kansas press , pp . 328 – 440 . [ details ] description colonies are usually ramose or arborescent , bushy or plate - like , rarely encrusting or submassive . corallites are of two types , radial and axial ; septa are in two cycles ; columellae are absent ; corallite walls and coenosteum are porous . polyps are usually only extended at night ( veron , 1986 ) . occur as plate , table and branching colonies . most have light skeletons and are fast growing . corallites are characteristically densely - packed and cup - shaped , 2 - 3 mm across , often protruding 2 - 3 mm from the branch surface . in most species , terminal corallites at the tips of branches are enlarged and obvious . colour : terminal corallites are often bright pink , pale blue or yellow ( richmond , 1997 ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 205469 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 22 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support .

acropora microclados is found over a large range and is uncommon ; the indo - pacific ocean , the red sea , the indian ocean , the gulf of aden , the east china sea , the west pacific , the cook islands , australia , japan , southeast asia , samoa , and chagos . it occurs in five regions of indonesia . it occurs at temperatures of 25 . 48 to 27 . 23 ° c ( 77 . 86 to 81 . 01 ° f ) . there is a lack of population data for the coral , but numbers are believed to be declining . it is threatened by climate change , rising sea temperatures causing bleaching , reef destruction , coral disease , being prey to starfish acanthaster planci , and human activity . it is classed as a vulnerable species on the iucn red list , is listed under cites appendix ii , and might occur within marine protected areas .

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animal

a href = " http : / / www . arkive . org / antarctic - sea - urchin / sterechinus - neumayeri / # src = portletv3web " title = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " > < img src = " http : / / cdn2 . arkive . org / media / b7 / b70f7940 - bcc9 - 4603 - ab74 - 0d91fb9cfb13 / presentation . portlet / antarctic - sea - urchin . jpg " alt = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " title = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " border = " 0 " / > < / a > ocean acidification , or the lowering of seawater ph , is caused by sequestration of atmospheric co2 into the oceans . this study investigated the effects of present - day ph 8 . 0 , predicted ocean surface ph for the years 2100 and 2300 ( ph 7 . 7 and ph 7 . 3 , respectively ) and an extreme ph ( ph 7 . 0 ) on fertilisation and embryogenesis in the antarctic nemertean worm parborlasia corrugatus and sea urchin sterechinus neumayeri . fertilisation success was not affected by ph in p . corrugatus across a range of sperm concentrations . fertilisation success in s . neumayeri declined significantly in ph 7 . 0 and 7 . 3 seawater , but only at a low sperm concentration . seawater ph had no effect on the rate of egg cleavage in s . neumayeri , or the proportion of abnormal embryos 1 - day post - fertilisation . p . corrugatus embryogenesis was also relatively robust to ph changes , with a significant effect detected only when the seawater ph was decreased to 7 . 0 . while fertilisation and early cell division were relatively robust , later development through to the gastrula was sensitive to ph . in s . neumayeri , an effect of ph on development was evident by the gastrula stage , while there were significantly more abnormal p . corrugatus embryos in ph 7 . 0 up to the blastula stage , and in ph 7 . 0 and ph 7 . 3 at the coeloblastula stage . our results are similar to the observations on other marine invertebrate species where fertilisation and early embryonic development are generally robust to lowered seawater ph , while the older coeloblastula and gastrula stages are more responsive . we also found no evidence to suggest that antarctic species are more adversely affected by lower seawater ph compared with the findings for non - antarctic counterparts . we conclude that in the two species we examined , near - future decreases in ph ( decreases of a parts per thousand 0 . 3 - 0 . 5 ph units ) may not have a significant effect on fertilisation and early embryogenesis , while predicted longer term decreases ( decreases of a parts per thousand 0 . 7 - 0 . 77 ph units ) could reduce fertilisation success in s . neumayeri if sperm concentrations are low and may increase abnormalities in p . corrugatus during later embryogenesis . variety sterechinus neumayeri var . nigroalba mortensen , 1942 accepted as sterechinus neumayeri nigroalba mortensen , 1942 variety sterechinus neumayeri var . nigro - alba mortensen , 1942 accepted as sterechinus neumayeri nigroalba mortensen , 1942 ecology source chiantore m . , cattaneo vietti r . , elia l . , guidetti m . & antonini m . ( 2002 ) . reproduction and condition of the scallop adamussium colbecki , the sea - urchin sterechinus neumayeri and the sea - star odontaster validus at terra nova bay ( ross sea ) : different strategies related to inter - annual variations in food availability . polar biology , 25 , 4 , pp . 251 - 255 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1007 / s00300 - 001 - 0331 - 1 [ details ] citation : kroh , a . ( 2013 ) . sterechinus neumayeri ( meissner , 1900 ) . in : kroh , a . & mooi , r . ( 2017 ) . world echinoidea database . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 160831 on 2017 - 09 - 23 ericson , jessica a . ; lamare , miles d . ; morley , simon a . ; barker , mike f . . 2010 the response of two ecologically important antarctic invertebrates ( sterechinus neumayeri and parborlasia corrugatus ) to reduced seawater ph : effects on fertilsation and embryonic development . marine biology , 157 ( 12 ) . 2689 - 2702 . 10 . 1007 / s00227 - 010 - 1529 - y information on the antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly . original description ( of echinus neumayeri meisser , 1900 ) meissner , m . 1900 . echinoideen . hamburger magalhaensische sammelreise , p . 1 - 18 , in : ergebnisse der hamburger magahaensischen sammelreise 1892 / 93 , bd 1 ( 1896 - 1907 ) , naturhistorisches museum in hamburg , l . friedrichsen , hamburg , available online at https : / / archive . org / stream / ergebnissede118961907hamb # page / n385 / mode / 2up sources basis of record david , b . , t . choné , a . festeau & c . de ridder ( 2004 ) . antarctic echinoids , an interactive database . editions universitaires dijon . cd rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source mortensen , t . ( 1943 ) . a monograph of the echinoidea . iii , 3 . camarodonta . ii . echinidæ , strongylocentrotidæ , parasaleniidæ , echinometridæ . 446 pp . , c . a . reitzel , copenhagen . additional source clarke , a . ; johnston , n . m . ( 2003 ) . antarctic marine benthic diversity . oceanography and marine biology : an annual review . 41 : 47 - 114 . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] context source ( deepsea ) intergovernmental oceanographic commission ( ioc ) of unesco . the ocean biogeographic information system ( obis ) , available online at http : / / www . iobis . org / [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 160831 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 23 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org full text not available from this repository . ( request a copy ) official url : http : / / www . springerlink . com / content / 10003756352l71 . . . more statistics for this item . . . stirechinus desor , 1856 , p . 131 [ = styrechinus desor , 1856 , p . 131 ; nomen null . ] apical disc plating absent from all known specimens of the type species . ambulacral plates trigeminate ; plate compounding in echinid style ; pore - pairs forming a near vertical arc . one primary tubercle to each ambulacral plate . primary interambulacral tubercles linked into vertical columns by pronounced ridges from the ambitus aborally : small secondary tubercles occur on interambulacral plates but leave the interradius largely naked . peristome relatively small and with indistinct buccal notches . upper miocene to pleistocene of the mediterranean , recent in the atlantic . stirechinus scillae desor , 1856 , p . 131 , by monotypy . s . scillae desor , 1856 , late miocene to plio - pleistocene of france , sicily and malta . echinus tyloides clark , 1912 ; recent , west atlantic . camarodonta ; echinoida ; echinidae . differs from the closely related gracilechinus fell & pawson , in having more nodulose plate surfaces , with interambulacral tubercles linked by a vertical ridge . mortensen ( 1943 ) thought that the type species ( a fossil ) was probably either synonymous or very closely related to echinus tyloides clark , 1912 . as both show a similar pattern of vertical ridges linking tubercles they are here treated as congeneric . mortensen , t . 1943 . a monograph of the echinoidea part iii , 3 . camarodonta ii . c . a . retzel , copenhagen . loading more images and videos . . . the antarctic sea urchin has not yet been assessed by the iucn . this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : © franco banfi / seapics . com embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . terms of use - the displayed portlet may be used as a link from your website to arkive ' s online content for private , scientific , conservation or educational purposes only . it may not be used within apps . myarkive offers the scrapbook feature to signed - up members , allowing you to organize your favourite arkive images and videos and share them with friends . team wild , an elite squadron of science superheroes , needs your help ! your mission : protect and conserve the planet ’ s species and habitats from destruction . help us share the wonders of the natural world . donate today ! get the latest wild news direct to your inbox . wildscreen is a registered charity in england and wales no . 299450

the antarctic sea urchin largely feeds on diatoms and other algae . it also consumes foraminiferans , amphipods , bryozoans , hydrozoans , polychaete worms and sponges and also seal faeces when available . the antarctic sea urchin is often found living in association with the antarctic scallop , adamussium colbecki and the seastar , odontaster validus .

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animal

a href = " http : / / www . arkive . org / antarctic - sea - urchin / sterechinus - neumayeri / # src = portletv3web " title = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " > < img src = " http : / / cdn2 . arkive . org / media / b7 / b70f7940 - bcc9 - 4603 - ab74 - 0d91fb9cfb13 / presentation . portlet / antarctic - sea - urchin . jpg " alt = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " title = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " border = " 0 " / > < / a > ocean acidification , or the lowering of seawater ph , is caused by sequestration of atmospheric co2 into the oceans . this study investigated the effects of present - day ph 8 . 0 , predicted ocean surface ph for the years 2100 and 2300 ( ph 7 . 7 and ph 7 . 3 , respectively ) and an extreme ph ( ph 7 . 0 ) on fertilisation and embryogenesis in the antarctic nemertean worm parborlasia corrugatus and sea urchin sterechinus neumayeri . fertilisation success was not affected by ph in p . corrugatus across a range of sperm concentrations . fertilisation success in s . neumayeri declined significantly in ph 7 . 0 and 7 . 3 seawater , but only at a low sperm concentration . seawater ph had no effect on the rate of egg cleavage in s . neumayeri , or the proportion of abnormal embryos 1 - day post - fertilisation . p . corrugatus embryogenesis was also relatively robust to ph changes , with a significant effect detected only when the seawater ph was decreased to 7 . 0 . while fertilisation and early cell division were relatively robust , later development through to the gastrula was sensitive to ph . in s . neumayeri , an effect of ph on development was evident by the gastrula stage , while there were significantly more abnormal p . corrugatus embryos in ph 7 . 0 up to the blastula stage , and in ph 7 . 0 and ph 7 . 3 at the coeloblastula stage . our results are similar to the observations on other marine invertebrate species where fertilisation and early embryonic development are generally robust to lowered seawater ph , while the older coeloblastula and gastrula stages are more responsive . we also found no evidence to suggest that antarctic species are more adversely affected by lower seawater ph compared with the findings for non - antarctic counterparts . we conclude that in the two species we examined , near - future decreases in ph ( decreases of a parts per thousand 0 . 3 - 0 . 5 ph units ) may not have a significant effect on fertilisation and early embryogenesis , while predicted longer term decreases ( decreases of a parts per thousand 0 . 7 - 0 . 77 ph units ) could reduce fertilisation success in s . neumayeri if sperm concentrations are low and may increase abnormalities in p . corrugatus during later embryogenesis . variety sterechinus neumayeri var . nigroalba mortensen , 1942 accepted as sterechinus neumayeri nigroalba mortensen , 1942 variety sterechinus neumayeri var . nigro - alba mortensen , 1942 accepted as sterechinus neumayeri nigroalba mortensen , 1942 ecology source chiantore m . , cattaneo vietti r . , elia l . , guidetti m . & antonini m . ( 2002 ) . reproduction and condition of the scallop adamussium colbecki , the sea - urchin sterechinus neumayeri and the sea - star odontaster validus at terra nova bay ( ross sea ) : different strategies related to inter - annual variations in food availability . polar biology , 25 , 4 , pp . 251 - 255 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1007 / s00300 - 001 - 0331 - 1 [ details ] citation : kroh , a . ( 2013 ) . sterechinus neumayeri ( meissner , 1900 ) . in : kroh , a . & mooi , r . ( 2017 ) . world echinoidea database . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 160831 on 2017 - 09 - 23 ericson , jessica a . ; lamare , miles d . ; morley , simon a . ; barker , mike f . . 2010 the response of two ecologically important antarctic invertebrates ( sterechinus neumayeri and parborlasia corrugatus ) to reduced seawater ph : effects on fertilsation and embryonic development . marine biology , 157 ( 12 ) . 2689 - 2702 . 10 . 1007 / s00227 - 010 - 1529 - y information on the antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly . original description ( of echinus neumayeri meisser , 1900 ) meissner , m . 1900 . echinoideen . hamburger magalhaensische sammelreise , p . 1 - 18 , in : ergebnisse der hamburger magahaensischen sammelreise 1892 / 93 , bd 1 ( 1896 - 1907 ) , naturhistorisches museum in hamburg , l . friedrichsen , hamburg , available online at https : / / archive . org / stream / ergebnissede118961907hamb # page / n385 / mode / 2up sources basis of record david , b . , t . choné , a . festeau & c . de ridder ( 2004 ) . antarctic echinoids , an interactive database . editions universitaires dijon . cd rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source mortensen , t . ( 1943 ) . a monograph of the echinoidea . iii , 3 . camarodonta . ii . echinidæ , strongylocentrotidæ , parasaleniidæ , echinometridæ . 446 pp . , c . a . reitzel , copenhagen . additional source clarke , a . ; johnston , n . m . ( 2003 ) . antarctic marine benthic diversity . oceanography and marine biology : an annual review . 41 : 47 - 114 . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] context source ( deepsea ) intergovernmental oceanographic commission ( ioc ) of unesco . the ocean biogeographic information system ( obis ) , available online at http : / / www . iobis . org / [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 160831 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 23 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org full text not available from this repository . ( request a copy ) official url : http : / / www . springerlink . com / content / 10003756352l71 . . . more statistics for this item . . . stirechinus desor , 1856 , p . 131 [ = styrechinus desor , 1856 , p . 131 ; nomen null . ] apical disc plating absent from all known specimens of the type species . ambulacral plates trigeminate ; plate compounding in echinid style ; pore - pairs forming a near vertical arc . one primary tubercle to each ambulacral plate . primary interambulacral tubercles linked into vertical columns by pronounced ridges from the ambitus aborally : small secondary tubercles occur on interambulacral plates but leave the interradius largely naked . peristome relatively small and with indistinct buccal notches . upper miocene to pleistocene of the mediterranean , recent in the atlantic . stirechinus scillae desor , 1856 , p . 131 , by monotypy . s . scillae desor , 1856 , late miocene to plio - pleistocene of france , sicily and malta . echinus tyloides clark , 1912 ; recent , west atlantic . camarodonta ; echinoida ; echinidae . differs from the closely related gracilechinus fell & pawson , in having more nodulose plate surfaces , with interambulacral tubercles linked by a vertical ridge . mortensen ( 1943 ) thought that the type species ( a fossil ) was probably either synonymous or very closely related to echinus tyloides clark , 1912 . as both show a similar pattern of vertical ridges linking tubercles they are here treated as congeneric . mortensen , t . 1943 . a monograph of the echinoidea part iii , 3 . camarodonta ii . c . a . retzel , copenhagen . loading more images and videos . . . the antarctic sea urchin has not yet been assessed by the iucn . this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : © franco banfi / seapics . com embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . terms of use - the displayed portlet may be used as a link from your website to arkive ' s online content for private , scientific , conservation or educational purposes only . it may not be used within apps . myarkive offers the scrapbook feature to signed - up members , allowing you to organize your favourite arkive images and videos and share them with friends . team wild , an elite squadron of science superheroes , needs your help ! your mission : protect and conserve the planet ’ s species and habitats from destruction . help us share the wonders of the natural world . donate today ! get the latest wild news direct to your inbox . wildscreen is a registered charity in england and wales no . 299450

the antarctic sea urchin ranges in color from bright red to dull purple and can grow to 5 centimetres ( 2 . 0 in ) in diameter . the test is globular with vertical rows of long , strong , white - tipped spines between which there is a dense covering of smaller spines and vertical rows of tube feet . the spines and tube feet enable the animal to move across the ground . there are often fragments of red algae adhering to the spines .

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a href = " http : / / www . arkive . org / antarctic - sea - urchin / sterechinus - neumayeri / # src = portletv3web " title = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " > < img src = " http : / / cdn2 . arkive . org / media / b7 / b70f7940 - bcc9 - 4603 - ab74 - 0d91fb9cfb13 / presentation . portlet / antarctic - sea - urchin . jpg " alt = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " title = " arkive species - antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) " border = " 0 " / > < / a > ocean acidification , or the lowering of seawater ph , is caused by sequestration of atmospheric co2 into the oceans . this study investigated the effects of present - day ph 8 . 0 , predicted ocean surface ph for the years 2100 and 2300 ( ph 7 . 7 and ph 7 . 3 , respectively ) and an extreme ph ( ph 7 . 0 ) on fertilisation and embryogenesis in the antarctic nemertean worm parborlasia corrugatus and sea urchin sterechinus neumayeri . fertilisation success was not affected by ph in p . corrugatus across a range of sperm concentrations . fertilisation success in s . neumayeri declined significantly in ph 7 . 0 and 7 . 3 seawater , but only at a low sperm concentration . seawater ph had no effect on the rate of egg cleavage in s . neumayeri , or the proportion of abnormal embryos 1 - day post - fertilisation . p . corrugatus embryogenesis was also relatively robust to ph changes , with a significant effect detected only when the seawater ph was decreased to 7 . 0 . while fertilisation and early cell division were relatively robust , later development through to the gastrula was sensitive to ph . in s . neumayeri , an effect of ph on development was evident by the gastrula stage , while there were significantly more abnormal p . corrugatus embryos in ph 7 . 0 up to the blastula stage , and in ph 7 . 0 and ph 7 . 3 at the coeloblastula stage . our results are similar to the observations on other marine invertebrate species where fertilisation and early embryonic development are generally robust to lowered seawater ph , while the older coeloblastula and gastrula stages are more responsive . we also found no evidence to suggest that antarctic species are more adversely affected by lower seawater ph compared with the findings for non - antarctic counterparts . we conclude that in the two species we examined , near - future decreases in ph ( decreases of a parts per thousand 0 . 3 - 0 . 5 ph units ) may not have a significant effect on fertilisation and early embryogenesis , while predicted longer term decreases ( decreases of a parts per thousand 0 . 7 - 0 . 77 ph units ) could reduce fertilisation success in s . neumayeri if sperm concentrations are low and may increase abnormalities in p . corrugatus during later embryogenesis . variety sterechinus neumayeri var . nigroalba mortensen , 1942 accepted as sterechinus neumayeri nigroalba mortensen , 1942 variety sterechinus neumayeri var . nigro - alba mortensen , 1942 accepted as sterechinus neumayeri nigroalba mortensen , 1942 ecology source chiantore m . , cattaneo vietti r . , elia l . , guidetti m . & antonini m . ( 2002 ) . reproduction and condition of the scallop adamussium colbecki , the sea - urchin sterechinus neumayeri and the sea - star odontaster validus at terra nova bay ( ross sea ) : different strategies related to inter - annual variations in food availability . polar biology , 25 , 4 , pp . 251 - 255 . , available online at https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1007 / s00300 - 001 - 0331 - 1 [ details ] citation : kroh , a . ( 2013 ) . sterechinus neumayeri ( meissner , 1900 ) . in : kroh , a . & mooi , r . ( 2017 ) . world echinoidea database . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 160831 on 2017 - 09 - 23 ericson , jessica a . ; lamare , miles d . ; morley , simon a . ; barker , mike f . . 2010 the response of two ecologically important antarctic invertebrates ( sterechinus neumayeri and parborlasia corrugatus ) to reduced seawater ph : effects on fertilsation and embryonic development . marine biology , 157 ( 12 ) . 2689 - 2702 . 10 . 1007 / s00227 - 010 - 1529 - y information on the antarctic sea urchin ( sterechinus neumayeri ) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly . original description ( of echinus neumayeri meisser , 1900 ) meissner , m . 1900 . echinoideen . hamburger magalhaensische sammelreise , p . 1 - 18 , in : ergebnisse der hamburger magahaensischen sammelreise 1892 / 93 , bd 1 ( 1896 - 1907 ) , naturhistorisches museum in hamburg , l . friedrichsen , hamburg , available online at https : / / archive . org / stream / ergebnissede118961907hamb # page / n385 / mode / 2up sources basis of record david , b . , t . choné , a . festeau & c . de ridder ( 2004 ) . antarctic echinoids , an interactive database . editions universitaires dijon . cd rom . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] additional source mortensen , t . ( 1943 ) . a monograph of the echinoidea . iii , 3 . camarodonta . ii . echinidæ , strongylocentrotidæ , parasaleniidæ , echinometridæ . 446 pp . , c . a . reitzel , copenhagen . additional source clarke , a . ; johnston , n . m . ( 2003 ) . antarctic marine benthic diversity . oceanography and marine biology : an annual review . 41 : 47 - 114 . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] context source ( deepsea ) intergovernmental oceanographic commission ( ioc ) of unesco . the ocean biogeographic information system ( obis ) , available online at http : / / www . iobis . org / [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 160831 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 23 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org full text not available from this repository . ( request a copy ) official url : http : / / www . springerlink . com / content / 10003756352l71 . . . more statistics for this item . . . stirechinus desor , 1856 , p . 131 [ = styrechinus desor , 1856 , p . 131 ; nomen null . ] apical disc plating absent from all known specimens of the type species . ambulacral plates trigeminate ; plate compounding in echinid style ; pore - pairs forming a near vertical arc . one primary tubercle to each ambulacral plate . primary interambulacral tubercles linked into vertical columns by pronounced ridges from the ambitus aborally : small secondary tubercles occur on interambulacral plates but leave the interradius largely naked . peristome relatively small and with indistinct buccal notches . upper miocene to pleistocene of the mediterranean , recent in the atlantic . stirechinus scillae desor , 1856 , p . 131 , by monotypy . s . scillae desor , 1856 , late miocene to plio - pleistocene of france , sicily and malta . echinus tyloides clark , 1912 ; recent , west atlantic . camarodonta ; echinoida ; echinidae . differs from the closely related gracilechinus fell & pawson , in having more nodulose plate surfaces , with interambulacral tubercles linked by a vertical ridge . mortensen ( 1943 ) thought that the type species ( a fossil ) was probably either synonymous or very closely related to echinus tyloides clark , 1912 . as both show a similar pattern of vertical ridges linking tubercles they are here treated as congeneric . mortensen , t . 1943 . a monograph of the echinoidea part iii , 3 . camarodonta ii . c . a . retzel , copenhagen . loading more images and videos . . . the antarctic sea urchin has not yet been assessed by the iucn . this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : © franco banfi / seapics . com embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . terms of use - the displayed portlet may be used as a link from your website to arkive ' s online content for private , scientific , conservation or educational purposes only . it may not be used within apps . myarkive offers the scrapbook feature to signed - up members , allowing you to organize your favourite arkive images and videos and share them with friends . team wild , an elite squadron of science superheroes , needs your help ! your mission : protect and conserve the planet ’ s species and habitats from destruction . help us share the wonders of the natural world . donate today ! get the latest wild news direct to your inbox . wildscreen is a registered charity in england and wales no . 299450

the antarctic sea urchin is found in circumpolar waters including the southern ocean , the balleny islands , south georgia and the south sandwich islands , terra nova bay and victoria land . most of the specimens found have been in water down to a depth of about 250 metres ( 820 ft ) .

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video - opioid abuse prevention and education in schools - dr . ruth potee general laws of massachusetts – chapter 30b . uniform procurement act weymouth is the second oldest town in the commonwealth , dating from 1622 when it was founded as “ wessagusset ” . renamed weymouth and incorporated in 1635 , the town was boosted in that year by the arrival of 100 settlers from its namesake in england . the town was a fishing and agricultural community for almost two hundred years , evolving into a manufacturing hub for shoes . today weymouth is a primarily residential , inviting coastal suburb just south of boston , with a convenient proximity to the city and highways that has attracted many great families and businesses . our goal through our website is to provide a wide variety of helpful information to make your interaction with the town as welcoming and convenient as possible . as always , we welcome your comments . if we may be of service to you , please contact us by using the contact button to send me an email or by calling 781 . 340 . 5012 . please be sure to visit our website on a regular basis . our site , like our town , will be regularly evolving for the better . on wednesday , october 11 at 7 : 00 p . m . the planning department will be conducting a housing production plan workshop . . . the weymouth veterans services office is finalizing the roster of eligible weymouth veterans to be added to the . . .

like all agnostida , weymouthia is diminutive and the headshield ( or cephalon ) and tailshield ( or pygidium ) are of approximately the same size ( or isopygous ) and outline . like all weymouthiidae , weymouthia lacks eyes and rupture lines ( or sutures ) . the headshield ( or cephalon ) is approximately as long as wide , lacks facial sutures and is eyeless . the tailshield ( or pygidium ) is about 1 . 2 × as wide as long . both are effaced except for a furrow close to their borders . the cephalic border bears lateral tubercles . the thorax consists of three segments .

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video - opioid abuse prevention and education in schools - dr . ruth potee general laws of massachusetts – chapter 30b . uniform procurement act weymouth is the second oldest town in the commonwealth , dating from 1622 when it was founded as “ wessagusset ” . renamed weymouth and incorporated in 1635 , the town was boosted in that year by the arrival of 100 settlers from its namesake in england . the town was a fishing and agricultural community for almost two hundred years , evolving into a manufacturing hub for shoes . today weymouth is a primarily residential , inviting coastal suburb just south of boston , with a convenient proximity to the city and highways that has attracted many great families and businesses . our goal through our website is to provide a wide variety of helpful information to make your interaction with the town as welcoming and convenient as possible . as always , we welcome your comments . if we may be of service to you , please contact us by using the contact button to send me an email or by calling 781 . 340 . 5012 . please be sure to visit our website on a regular basis . our site , like our town , will be regularly evolving for the better . on wednesday , october 11 at 7 : 00 p . m . the planning department will be conducting a housing production plan workshop . . . the weymouth veterans services office is finalizing the roster of eligible weymouth veterans to be added to the . . .

w . nobilis occurs in the lower cambrian of massachusetts ( hoppin slate , north attleboro ) , and of the united kingdom ( comley quarry , comley , 52 . 6 ° n , 2 . 8 ° w ) .

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raillietina echinobothrida and choanotaenia infundibulum are important species of cosmopolitan cestodes of poultry occurring in the small intestine and transmitted by ants , houseflies and beetles . ten moribund and fifteen carcasses of japanese quail birds ( coturnix coturnix japonica ) with heavy intestinal tapeworm infection were brought to the post - mortem section of the department of veterinary pathology , university of ibadan . the farmer reported that there was sporadic mortality ( 11 . 2 % ) on his farm as he has lost almost 112 birds of a total flock size of 1000 capacity within the space of two weeks as an average of 8 mortalities were recorded per day prior to the time of presentation . postmortem examination revealed severe emaciation of the breast muscles and protrusion of the keel bone , as intestinal lumen of all the carcasses was severely filled with whitish worms measuring about 15cm - 25cm in length as their anterior ends were firmly attached to the intestinal mucosal and dark red exudates ( digested blood ) was seen . histopathology reveals transverse section of worms associated with sloughing off , necrosis and degeneration of intestinal villi . the worms were confirmed to be choanotaenia infundibulum and raillietina echinobothrida . this is the first recorded case of choanotaenia infundibulum and raillietina echinobothrida infection in japanese quail ( coturnix japonica ) in nigeria . this report may be an alert of the possibility of on - going pathogenicity of these poultry cestodes in quails in nigeria . we strongly encourage quail farmers to frequently change the birds ' bedding and always keep it dry which can help to avoid infections because it shortens the survival of the gravid segments and the eggs . also farmers should put up measures to avoid contamination of feed with ants , houseflies and beetles , and also prevent access of these intermediate hosts to birds as chemical control of flies , ants and termites in poultry houses is essential for the prevention of these pathogenic helminth infections . however , for both economic and ecologic reasons , outdoor use of insecticides should not be a routine practice . salam , s . t . , mir , m . s . , khan , a . r . , 2010 . the prevalence and pathology of raillietina cesticillus in indigenous chicken ( gallus gallus domesticus ) in the temperate himalayan region of kashmir . vet . arhiv . 80 , 323 - 328 . cestodes require an intermediate host ( eg , insects , crustaceans , earthworms , or snails ) . floor layers , breeders , and broilers are infected with raillietina cesticillus by ingestion of the intermediate host , small beetles that breed in contaminated litter . cage layers in unscreened houses may become infected with choanotaenia infundibulum by eating its intermediate host , the house fly . litter beetles in proximity may also serve as intermediate hosts . lalchhandama , k . , 2009 . on the structure of raillietina echinobothrida , the tapeworm of domestic fowl . science vision 9 ( 4 ) , 174 - 182 . roy , b . , lalchhandama , k . , utta , b . k . , 2007 . anticesto - dal efficacy of acacia oxyphylla on raillietina echino - bothrida : a light and electron microscopic studies . pharmacologyonline , 1 , 279 - 287 . waghmare , s . , sherkhane , a . s . , chavan , r . , gomase , v . , 2014 . redescription on raillietina echinobothrida ( pasquale , 1890 ) ( cestoda : davaineidae ) and study of conserved domain across divergent phylogenetic lineages of class cestoda . j . vet . sci . technol . 5 ( 3 ) , 187 . cestodes ( tapeworms ) also vary in size . raillietina spp may be > 12 in . ( 30 cm ) , whereas davainea proglottina often is < 0 . 16 in . ( 4 mm ) . the proglottids of individual tapeworms are hermaphroditic . tapeworms have been recovered in the thousands from individual chickens and turkeys . most pathogenic tapeworms are found in the small intestine ; the scolex , usually buried in the mucosa , generally causes mild lesions . davainea proglottina may cause weight loss . raillietina tetragona causes weight loss and decreased egg production ; r echinobothrida produces granulomas at its attachment sites ( “ nodular disease ” ) . confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay . help us improve the site by taking our survey . to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2017 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at http : / / animaldiversity . org . disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services . the adw team gratefully acknowledges their support . to submit a manuscript , login first , then click the " user home " in the above navigation bar , and select " author " to start the new submission procedure . if you do not have an account with this journal site , please register first , and make sure to register as " author " role in the registration form . to track a submission , login first , then click " author " to check the status of an article . department of veterinary microbiology and parasitology . thomson reuters powers world ' s . . . ahmed . , nabila , s . i . , 2004 . some studies on parasitic helminthes infecting domestic chicken in beni – sueif governorate . m . v . sc . thesis ; faculty of vet . med . ; cairo university . bancroft , j . d . , gamble , m . , 2002 . theory and practice of histological techniques . 5th ed . , harcout publ . ltd . , london . 125 - 131 . baumgartner , j . , 1994 . japanese quail production , breeding and genetics . world ` s poult . sci . j . 50 , 227 - 235 . calneck , b . w . , barnes , h . j . , beard , c . w . , mcdougald , l . r . , saif , y . m . , 1997 . diseases of poultry 10th ed . editorial board for the american association of avian pathologists . mosby – wolfe . el - azzazy , o . m . , 1979 . studies on helminth parasites of poultry in sharkia governorate . m . v . sc . thesis , fac . vet . med . zagazig university . kayang , b . , vigna , b . , inove , a . , murayam , m . , miwa , m . , monvoisin , j . l . , ito , s . , minvielle , f . , 2004 . a first generation micro satellite linkage 35 , 195 - 200 . mahdy . , olfat , a . , 1988 . studies on parasitic worms infesting chickens and ducks in giza governorate , egypt . m . v . sc . thesis , fac . vet . med . cairo university . mcdougald , l . r . , 2003 . cestodes and trematodes . in : diseases of poultry , 11th edn ( saif , y . m . , barnes , h . j . , fadly , a . m . , glisson , j . r . , mcdougald , l . r . , swayne , d . e . , eds ) . iowa state press , blackwell publishing company , iowa , usa , 961 - 972 . mizutani , m . , 2003 . the japanese quail , laboratory animal research station , nippon institute for biological science , kobuchizawa , yamanashi , japan , 408 - 0041 . oguz , i . , minvielle , f . , 2001 . effect of genetics and breeding on carcass and menat quality of japanese quail : a review . proceedings of xv european symposium on the quality of poultry meat , wpsa turkish branch , fusadasi - turkey , 9 - 12 . permin , a . , hansen , j . w . , 2003 . the epidemiology , diagnosis and control of poultry parasites : an fao handbook . food . agr . organ . unit . nation . rome , italy , 6 - 8 . premaalatha , b . , chandrawathani , p . , jamnah , o . , erwanas , a . i . , lily rozita , m . h . ramlan , m . , 2014 . intestinal cestode choanotaenia infundibulum in chicken . malays . j . vet . res . 5 ( 2 ) , 73 - 75 . reid , w . m . , mcdougald , l . r . , 1997 . cestodes and trematodes . in diseases of poultry , 10th edition , iowa state university , 850 - 864 . shahin , a . m . , lebdah , m . a . , abu - elkheir , s . a . , elmeligy , m . m . , 2011 . prevalence of chicken cestodiasis in egypt . new . york . sci . j . 4 ( 9 ) , 21 - 29 . soulsby , e . j . l . , 1982 . helminths , athropods and protozoa of domesticated animals . baillière tindall , london , uk . 7th edition . 809 . urquhart , g . m . , armour , j . , duncan , j . l . , dunn , a . m . , jennings , f . w . , 1996 . veterinary parasitology , 2nd ed . blackwell science ltd . osney mead . oxford oel , london . there are currently no refbacks . lorem ipsum dolor sit amet , consectetur adipiscing elit . integer nec odio . praesent libero . sed cursus ante dapibus diam . sed nisi . nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet . duis sagittis ipsum . praesent mauris . fusce nec tellus sed augue semper porta . mauris massa . vestibulum lacinia arcu eget nulla . find information on animal health topics , written for the veterinary professional . approximately 100 worm species have been recognized in wild and domestic birds in the usa . nematodes ( roundworms ) are the most significant in number of species and in economic impact . of species found in commercial poultry , the common roundworm ( ascaridia galli ) is by far the most common . field studies show that poultry maintained under free - range conditions may be heavily parasitized ; therefore , control measures such as preventing infections or chemotherapy are likely to improve weight gain and egg production . in surveys of poultry raised under nonconfinement conditions throughout the world , an incidence of infection > 80 % is not uncommon . generally , nematodes have separate sexes that have morphologic differences ; eg , males of tetrameres spp are elongated and slender , whereas gravid females are globe - shaped . the size and shape of nematode species vary widely ; ascarids are sturdy and long ( up to 4 . 5 in . [ 116 mm ] ) ; capillarids are more delicate , slender , and long ( 2 . 3 in . [ 60 mm ] ) ; and other nematodes are much shorter ( 0 . 08 – 0 . 48 in . [ 2 – 12 mm ] ) . see table : common helminths of poultry for information on common nematodes and cestodes of poultry . modern confinement rearing of poultry has significantly reduced the frequency and variety of endoparasite infections , which are common in ranged birds and in backyard flocks . however , severe parasitism still may be seen in floor - reared layers , breeders , turkeys , or pen - reared game birds where management problems may exist . contributing factors include the use of poorly managed built - up litter ( which fosters the propagation of intermediate hosts and the accumulation of infective eggs ) and resistance of the parasites to therapeutic drugs . range infections of nematodes such as heterakis gallinarum and syngamus trachea may increase because of seasonal or climatic abundance of specific invertebrate intermediate hosts , eg , large numbers of earthworms brought to the surface by spring rains . some species have been associated with large numbers of darkling beetles , which may act as mechanical vectors of infective eggs . nematodes have either a species - specific , direct life cycle with bird - to - bird transmission by ingestion of infective eggs or larvae , or an indirect cycle that requires an intermediate host ( eg , insects , snails , or slugs ) . eggs of many nematode species are resistant to low temperatures and disinfectants but may be more susceptible to heat and desiccation . the life cycle of a galli is simple and direct . eggs in the droppings become infective in 10 – 12 days under optimal conditions . the infective eggs are ingested and hatch in the proventriculus , and the larvae live free in the lumen of the duodenum for the first 9 days . they then penetrate the mucosa , causing hemorrhages , return to the lumen by 17 – 18 days , and reach maturity at 28 – 30 days . levels of infection are often underestimated , because early larval stages are barely visible and can remain for long periods within intestinal tissues , whereas adult stages in the lumen are generally fewer in number . maturation of larval stages can be hampered by adult worm numbers , thereby increasing the time larval stages remain in intestinal tissues and continue to cause damage . the life cycle of h gallinarum is similar to that of a galli . the greatest production of eggs for each egg ingested occurs in the ring - necked pheasant , followed by the guinea fowl and chicken . the larvae are closely associated with the cecal tissue , but a true tissue phase rarely occurs . most of the adult worms are found at the blind end of the ceca . earthworms may ingest the eggs of the cecal worm and serve as a source of infection when ingested by poultry . litter beetles may also serve as a mechanical vector . the life cycle of capillaria may be direct ( c obsignata ) , require an intermediate host such as earthworms ( c caudinflata ) , or be either direct or use earthworms ( c contorta ) . larval development in the egg takes 8 – 15 days depending on temperature . worms reach maturity in 20 – 26 days after ingestion by the final host . the gapeworm syngamus trachea inhabits the trachea and lungs of many domestic and various wild birds . infection may occur directly by ingestion of infective eggs or larvae ; however , severe field infection is associated with ingestion of transport hosts such as earthworms , snails , slugs , and arthropods ( eg , flies ) . many gapeworm larvae may encyst and survive within a single invertebrate for years . although gapeworms are not a problem in confinement - reared poultry , they cause serious economic losses in game - farm pens and in range - reared chickens , pheasants , turkeys , and peacocks . cyathostoma bronchialis is the gapeworm of geese and ducks . eggs of oxyspirura mansoni , manson eyeworm , are deposited in the eye , reach the pharynx via the nasolacrimal duct , are swallowed , passed in the feces , and ingested by the surinam cockroach , pycnoscelus surinamensis . larvae reach the infective stage in the cockroach . when infected intermediate hosts are eaten , liberated larvae migrate up the esophagus to the mouth and then through the nasolacrimal duct to the eye , where the cycle is completed . other insect species may also serve as the intermediate host . more than 3 , 000 of the microscopic tapeworm davainea proglottina have been recovered from a single bird . several species of slugs and snails serve as intermediate hosts , and > 1 , 500 infective parasites have been recovered from a single slug . ascaridia , heterakis , and capillaria spp are widely distributed and cause such nonspecific signs as general unthriftiness , inactivity , depressed appetite , and retarded growth ; in severe cases , death may result . a mere few ascarids may depress weight , and larger numbers may block the intestinal tract . ascarids may migrate up the oviduct ( via the cloaca ) to become enshelled later within the egg ( an aesthetic , but not a public health , problem , avoidable by careful egg - candling before the release of eggs to market ) . a dissimilis ( turkey roundworm ) may also migrate out of the intestine , through the portal system , and into the liver , causing hepatic granulomas . h gallinarum , a mild pathogen , in large numbers may cause thickening , inflammation , or nodulation in the cecal walls . infection with h gallinarum has been associated with cecal and hepatic granulomas . heterakis isolonche , highly pathogenic in pheasants , may cause 50 % mortality . h gallinarum carries histomonas meleagridis , the protozoan that causes histomoniasis ( see histomoniasis ) . c contorta in the mucosae of the crop and esophagus , and c obsignata in the wall of the small intestine , cause marked thickening and inflammation of the organs . birds harboring large numbers of these threadlike worms become weak and emaciated and may die . young birds are the most severely affected by gapeworms . sudden death and verminous pneumonia characterize early outbreaks . signs of gasping , choking , shaking of the head , inanition , emaciation , and suffocation may follow . necropsy reveals adult gapeworms obstructing the lumina of the trachea , bronchi , and lungs . respiratory inflammation may be present . the blood - red , female gapeworm is usually found in copulation with a much smaller , paler male with its head embedded deep in the host tissue . the joined pair have a “ y ” - shaped or forked appearance . oxyspirura mansoni is a slender nematode , 12 – 18 mm long , found beneath the nictitating membrane of chickens and other fowl in tropical and subtropical regions . the parasite causes various degrees of inflammation , lacrimation , corneal opacity , and disturbed vision . among other nematodes , amidostomum anseris attacks the gizzard lining of ducks and geese and causes dark discoloration , necrosis , and sloughing at the parasitic loci . dispharynx nasuta causes ulceration , thickening , and maceration of the proventriculus ; heavily infected birds may die . tetrameres americana , a bright red worm discernible through the proventricular wall , causes diarrhea , emaciation , and with heavy infection , death . trichostrongylus tenuis causes inflamed ceca , weight loss , anemia , and death , especially in young birds . ornithostrongylus quadriradiatus , a blood - sucking parasite , causes pigeons to regurgitate bile - stained fluid mixed with food ; greenish mucoid diarrhea from hemorrhagic intestines , emaciation , and death follow . a reliable diagnosis can be made only by accurate identification of the individually recovered parasites ; careful and complete necropsy techniques are essential . only by specific recognition of the parasite can meaningful recommendations for flock therapy and management be made . improvement of management and sanitation in confined operations will generally lower the parasite levels in the birds . in range birds , the only option is to move to new pastures , although the benefit that may result will be of short duration . application of approved insecticides to soil and litter when premises are unoccupied may interrupt the life cycle of the parasite by destroying its intermediate host . when the premises are restocked , groups of birds of different species or ages should be widely separated to avoid spread of parasites . migration of litter beetles or other insects may infect new or widely separated housing . approved compounds are very limited in the usa . because of frequently changing regulations , the status of any medication should be checked before its administration . approved drugs for the usa are listed online in the fda ’ s green book at http : / / www . fda . gov / animalveterinary / products / approvedanimaldrugproducts / default . htm and in the commercially available feed compendium , www . feedcompendium . com . only approved drugs may be used in birds producing eggs or meat for the commercial market . label directions and recommended doses should be followed precisely , with scrupulous adherence to withdrawal times . piperazine compounds are relatively nontoxic and have been widely used against ascariasis . because of this , drug resistance is widespread in many regions of the world . several piperazine salts are available internationally . because only the piperazine moiety is efficacious , doses should be calculated based on mg of active piperazine / bird . piperazine should be completely consumed by birds within a few hours , because only relatively high concentrations of the drug eliminate worms . it may be given to chickens as a single dose , 50 mg / bird ( < 6 wk old ) , 100 mg / bird ( ≥ 6 wk old ) , in the feed at 0 . 2 % – 0 . 4 % or in the drinking water at 0 . 1 % – 0 . 2 % ; it may be administered to turkeys at 100 mg / bird ( < 12 wk old ) or 200 mg / bird ( ≥ 12 wk old ) . some practitioners recommend the addition of molasses to unmedicated water after piperazine administration , so as to induce an osmotic flushing , theoretically removing any of the remaining worms from the intestinal tract . for severe cases , treatment can be repeated after 14 days . these medications must be withdrawn 14 days before slaughter . piperazine is not approved in the usa for birds producing eggs for human consumption . fenbendazole is approved in the usa for use in growing turkeys at the rate of 14 . 5 g / ton of feed ( 16 ppm ) , fed continually as the sole ration for 6 days for the removal of ascaridia dissimilis and heterakis gallinarum . no withdrawal time is required . one study indicates a possible negative effect on sperm quality by the drug . it has been suggested that an alternative drug be used for treatment of breeding toms or that the sperm number and frequency of artificial inseminations be increased . fenbendazole is not approved for use in other poultry in the usa but is effective against ascaris when administered once at 10 – 50 mg / kg ; if needed the treatment can be repeated after 10 days . at 10 – 50 mg / kg , fenbendazole when administered daily over 5 days is effective against capillaria . fenbendazole is also efffective against other nematodes when administered at 10 – 50 mg / kg / day for 3 – 5 days or as a single dosage of 20 – 100 mg / kg , or added to the drinking water at 125 mg / l for 5 days or to the feed at 100 mg / kg . fenbendazole should not be administered during molt , because it may interfere with feather regrowth . hygromycin b given at 8 – 12 g / ton in feed is used to control ascarids , cecal worms , and capillarids in chickens . a withdrawal time of 3 days is required . coumaphos , 0 . 004 % in feed for 10 – 14 days for replacements , or 0 . 003 % in feed for 14 days for layers , has been commonly used against capillarids . chickens < 8 wk old should not be given this medication , and it should not be used within 10 days of vaccination or other stress . in birds maintained on contaminated litter or exposed to infected birds , the medication regimen should be repeated using the same dosages as the first . there should be at least 3 wk between the first and second course of treatment . hygromycin b is a cholinesterase inhibitor , and treated birds should not be exposed to other cholinesterase inhibitors ( drugs , insecticides , pesticides , or chemicals ) within 3 days before or after treatment . as a treatment for manson eyeworm , a local anesthetic can be applied to the eye , and the worms in the lacrimal sac exposed by lifting the nictitating membrane . a 5 % cresol solution ( 1 – 2 drops ) placed in the lacrimal sac kills the worms immediately . the eye should be irrigated with sterile water immediately to wash out the debris and excess solution . the eyes improve within 48 – 72 hr and gradually become clear if the destructive process caused by the parasite is not too far advanced . the use of diatomaceous earth supplemented at 2 % in feed and fed continuously lowers numbers of heterakis and capillaria in chickens . the efficacy of several essential oils have been measured , with inconsistent results . several compounds are reported to be effective against nematode infections but are not approved for use in poultry or other avian species in the usa . three such compounds , tetramisole at 40 mg / kg , flubendazole at 30 ppm in feed , and ivermectin 1 % at 10 mg / ml in water were effective in removing a galli , h gallinarum , and capillaria in chickens . pyrantel tartrate was more effective then pyrantel pamoate against the adult stage of a galli , and it was somewhat effective against capillaria when administered at 15 – 25 mg / kg . levamisole administered at 25 – 30 mg / kg appears to be effective against a dissimilis , h gallinarum , and c obsignata ; it can also be given in the drinking water at 0 . 03 % – 0 . 06 % . phenothiazine has been used to treat cecal worms in chickens at 0 . 5 g / bird and in turkeys at 1 g / bird , given in 1 day . combined in drinking water as a 1 - day treatment , phenothiazine ( 0 . 5 % – 0 . 56 % ) and piperazine ( 0 . 11 % ) have been used to treat heterakids and ascarids ; this drug combination is no longer approved for poultry in the usa . methyridine injected sc at a dose of 25 – 45 mg / bird is effective in clearing c obsignata . in pigeons , a sc injection of 1 ml of 10 % methyridine in the pectoral region or leg of pigeons removed capillaria , but the drug must be handled with care because contact with skin may produce lesions . coumaphos removes capillaria in quail . haloxon at 25 and 50 mg / kg , or at 750 ppm in the feed for 5 – 7 days , has good activity against capillaria in chickens and quail . fenbendazole at 20 mg / kg for 3 – 4 days effectively removes gapeworms in pheasants . toxicity has been reported in pigeons that received fenbendazole at the rate of 30 mg / kg for 5 days . thiabendazole administered at 0 . 05 % in the feed continually for 2 wk can be used for treatment of gapeworms in pheasants , and when given continually for ≥ 4 days is said to help prevent and control infections . withdrawal of 21 days is required for meat consumption ; specific precautions should be observed in feeds containing bentonite . tetramisole at 3 . 6 mg / kg for 3 consecutive days in the drinking water removes gapeworms . poultry treated while larvae are migrating in the body develop immunity to gapeworms , even though therapy may abort larval migration . levamisole fed at a level of 0 . 04 % for 2 days or at 2 g / gal . drinking water for 1 day each month has proved to be an effective control in game birds . kiwis are reported to be acutely sensitive to levamisole at doses well within the safe range for domesticated poultry . mebendazole fed prophylactically at 64 ppm or curatively at 125 ppm is effective in turkey poults . cambendazole provided control when given in three treatments of 50 mg / kg for chickens and 20 mg / kg for turkeys . albendazole administered as a single oral suspension ( 5 mg / kg bird weight ) was reported effective against a galli , h gallinarum , and c obsignata . the drug also has been reported effective against cestodes if administered at 20 mg / kg . there are no published withdrawal times . nitarsone at 170 g / ton ( 0 . 01875 % ) of feed has been reported to reduce a dissimilis fecundity and worm burden in chickens and turkeys . there have been some reports of experimental drug treatment for other nematodes . cambendazole ( 60 mg / kg ) , pyrantel ( 100 mg / kg ) , citarin ( 40 mg / kg ) , mebendazole ( 10 mg / kg for 3 days ) , and fenbendazole have been reported to be effective against amidostomum anseris . trichostrongylus tenuis is controlled by cambendazole ( 30 mg / kg ) , pyrantel ( 50 mg / kg ) , thiabendazole ( 75 mg / kg ) , mebendazole ( 10 mg / kg for 3 days ) , and citarin ( 40 mg / kg ) . at recommended levels for chickens , mebendazole has some reported effect against dispharynx nasuta , tetramisole against subulura brumpti and strongyloides avium , and piperazine against tetrameres . poultry producers wanting to treat for tapeworms should be aware that expulsion of the parasite will be a short - term remedy if the scolex is not removed or if the intermediate host is not eliminated as a source of reinfection . butynorate in combination with piperazine and phenothiazine as a feed additive or individual tablets has shown some efficacy . other promising experimental drugs include chlorophene and niclosamide . none is approved in the usa . merck & co . , inc . , kenilworth , nj , usa is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well . from developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need , we are committed to improving health and well - being around the world . the merck veterinary manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the community . the legacy of this great resource continues as the merck veterinary manual in the us and canada and the msd manual outside of north america . © 2016 merck sharp & dohme corp . , a subsidiary of merck & co . , inc . , kenilworth , nj , usa tapeworms are known as cestodes and there are a variety types that can infect birds . these tapeworms infect chickens and turkeys mostly , while other classes of parasites infect other birds . tapeworms attach themselves to the bird ’ s bowels by burying their head deep and getting their food from the bird ’ s bodily fluids . once they are established in the bowels , the tapeworms grow a body that resembles a ribbon . this ribbon like body has packets of eggs in segments . once mature , these egg packets fall off and are passed through the digestive tract into the bird ’ s droppings . once these eggs are on the ground , insects then consume the eggs and in turn , birds eat the infected insects . these tapeworms vary in size and length depending on the type of tapeworm your bird has . tapeworms are a parasite that can infect both wild and domestic birds . a bird infected with these parasites may or may not present with symptoms . your bird may appear to be quieter or have loose droppings . the types of tapeworms are broken down into what their host is , how they are transmitted and the severity a typical infestation . when your bird ingests what is known as the “ intermediate host ” which is infected with the parasitic eggs , your bird becomes infected . the intermediate host can be house flies , slugs , snails , grasshoppers , beetles and ants . these insects ingest the eggs found within infected bird droppings . once the insect ingests the eggs , they become infected and are then eaten by your bird . this can happen with birds who are kept as pets in your home , in the wild , farms or pet stores . however , pet birds are least likely to become infected as they have limited access to eating insects . fortunately , the diagnosis of tapeworms is relatively easy due to the visibility of the egg packets in bird droppings . the egg packets are anywhere from white to pink in color and can be spotted without a microscope . this results in easy identification of the parasite . you may also notice actual segments of the worm hanging outside of your bird ’ s body or in his droppings . in the event you notice other symptoms such as lethargy , poor nutrition or weight loss , it will be important to discuss the signs of illness with your veterinarian when you bring your bird in . to best identify what parasite your bird is infected with , a sample of the worm will be necessary . it will be recommended to treat an entire area or the remainder of your flock to avoid further infection . treatment is also relatively straightforward when it comes to tapeworms in your bird . there are 2 treatment options ’ praziquantel or epsiprantel . these 2 medications will be administered to your bird as directed by your veterinarian . the second part of treatment will be to clean the area where your bird may have contracted the tapeworms . cleaning the area can mean either moving your birds to another area that is clear of possible infection or by spraying the infected area with appropriate insecticides to destroy any eggs or insect carrying eggs . preventing your birds from having access to droppings that may be infected will also help to prevent the further transmission of the infection . follow up will be necessary as directed by your veterinarian . once the infection is cleared in your bird ’ s system , there should be no further concerns . however , without the proper precautions taken in your bird ’ s environment , he could be at risk contracting the infection again . a full recovery may take some time depending on the severity of his symptoms at the time of diagnosis and treatment . * free dog walk offer is valid for customers who have not previously used wag ! . © 2017 wag labs , inc . all rights reserved . no credit card required . book walk today book walk today no thanks , my dog doesn ' t like exercise

r . cesticillus is a small tapeworm measuring about 15 centimetres ( 5 . 9 in ) in length , and 1 . 5 – 3 millimetres ( 0 . 059 – 0 . 118 in ) in width . it is whitish in colour , highly elongated , dorso - ventrally flattened , and entirely covered with a tegument . the body consists of the head region called ' scolex ' , an unsegmented ' neck ' , and a highly segmented body proper called strobila . the strobila is composed of a chain of ribbon - like proglottids . the scolex bears an apical rounded rostellum surrounded by four suckers . unlike other species of raillietina , it is exceptionall broad - headed , the rostellum is very prominent and protruding , and the suckers are small . in addition the rostellar hooks are arranged in two rows . a significant diagnostic character is an unusually numerous hooks , which may be as many as 500 . the suckers are poorly developed , and completely devoid of special devices or spines . the scolex measures ~ 134 μm in diameter , and the hooks are 7 - 10 μm in length .

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citation : hoeksema , b . ( 2013 ) . meandrinidae gray , 1847 . in : fautin , daphne g . ( 2013 ) . hexacorallians of the world . accessed through : world register of marine species at http : / / www . marinespecies . org / aphia . php ? p = taxdetails & id = 196101 on 2017 - 09 - 22 the order scleractinia is currently divided into 18 artificial families , namely the acroporidae , astrocoeniidae , pocilloporidae , euphyllidae , oculinidae , meandrinidae , siderastreidae , agariciidae , fungiidae , rhizangiidae , pectiniidae , merulinidae , dendrophylliidae , caryophylliidae , mussidae , faviidae , trachyphylliidae , and poritidae ( sensu veron 2000 ) . however , only 11 families contain corals that can be classified as truly reef - building . all scleractinian families considered here are zooxanthellates ( contain photo - endo - symbiontic zooxanthellae ) . in some families , those among caryophylliidae and dendrophylliidae , the vast majority of them are azooxanthellates : i . e . in terms of generic diversity , caryophylliidae far surpass faviidae ( veron 1995 ) . the family faviidae has the highest generic diversity of zooxanthellate reef - builders , while the family acroporidae is the dominant group of reef - builders . the families that are not considered here are : micrabaciidae , anthemiphylliidae , flabelliidae , and guyniidae . family meandrinidae : ( gk . maiandros , windig ; l . ina , like ) . . . . a reference to the winding valleys . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - description colonies are massive and meandroid . valleys and walls are of uniform width . septa are fine and regular , columella are seta - like , without centres . ( veron , 1986 < 57 > ) . [ details ] lsid urn : lsid : marinespecies . org : taxname : 196101 the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4 . 0 license website and databases developed and hosted by vliz · page generated 2017 - 09 - 22 · contact : info @ marinespecies . org headed by : dr . k . kleemann university of vienna , march through june 2001 ( revised in nov . 2002 & oct . 2009 ) scleractinia - major subdivisions . . . . of corals found around the tropics , with a particular focus to those found in png waters . scleractinian , stony , or hard corals as they are often referred to are responsible for the very existence of the reef . as living animals , they provide habitats for many other organisms . the breakdown of their skeletons during calcium - carbonate accretion and especially after death provides material for redistribution and consolidation into the reef framework ( see also marine bioerosion - german only ) . some of these arguments are also dealt with in the silent sentinels - the demise of tropical coral reefs ( a 7 - part series shedding some light onto the complex interactions between global environmental change and coral health ) . for a more detailed description of a coral animal ' s lifecycle , its morphological features and physiology , please refer to coral reefs of milne bay province . family acroporidae : ( gk . akron , extremity , summit ; l . porous , pore ) . . . . relating to the presence of a corallite at the tip of each branch . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - anacropora ( gk . an - , without ; akron , extremity ; l . porus , pore ) , astreopora ( gk . aster , star ; l . porus , pore ) acropora ( gk . akron , extremity ; l . porus , pore ) family astrocoeniidae : ( gk . aster , star ; koinos , shared ) . . . . most likely relating to the shared walls of each calice . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - stylocoeniella ( gk . stylos , pillar ; koinos , shared ; l . - ellus , diminuitive suffix ) , palauastrea ( island of palau , location first found ; gk . aster , star ) madracis ( madre , mother ; gk . akis , point ) family pocilloporidae : ( l . pocillum , cup , bowl ; l . porous , pore ) . . . . presumably relating to the appearance of the callices , which look like tiny , little shallow cups . indo - pacific genera only : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - stylophora ( gk . stylus , pillar ; gk . phero , to bear ) family euphyllidae : ( gk . eu - , true ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) . . . . possibly relating to the prominent leafy septa . indo - pacific genera only : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - catalaphyllia ( named after r . catala ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) , family oculinidae : ( l . oculus , eye ; l . - ina , like ) . . . . presumably relating to the eye - like appearance of the calices . altlantic genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - schizoculina ( gk . schizos , split ; l . oculus , eye ) simplastrea ( l . simpel , simple ; gk . aster , star ) , schizoculina ( gk . schizos , split ; l . oculus , eye ) , ctenella ( gk . ktenos , comb ; l . - ella , relating to the septa ) , montigyra ( l . mons , mountain ; gk . gyros , round ) meandrina ( gk . meandros , winding ; l . - ina , denoting likeness ) , family siderastreidae : ( l . sideris , star ; gk . aster , star ) . . . . relating to the regular star - like arrangement of the calices and septa . circumtropical genus : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - horastrea ( malagasy word hora , coral ; gk . aster , star ) family agariciidae : ( gk . agarikon , mushroom ) . . . . possibly relating to the the growth form , which can be flattened like a mushroom . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - gardineroseris ( named after s . gardiner ; gk . seris , lettuce ) , leptoseris ( gk . leptos , slender ; gk . seris , lettuce ) family fungiidae : ( l . fungus , mushroom ) . . . . describing the mushroom - like appearance of many young specimens . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - heliofungia ( gk . helios , sun ; l . fungus , mushroom ) , zoopilus ( gk . zoos , animal ; l . pileus , cap ) , podabacia ( gk . podos , foot ; l . baca , berry - like ) family rhizangiidae : ( gk . rhizon , root ) . . . . probably relating to the polyps that are linked to neighboring polyps by rootles . atlantic genus : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - family pectiniidae : ( gk . pectinis , comb ) . . . . probably relating to the comb - like appearance of the walls , which are often tall , thin and striated . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - family merulinidae : ( l . merus , pure ; l . linea , line ) . . . . outlining the entirely line - like appearance of the valleys . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - paraclavarina ( gk . para , beside ; l . clavarius , clublike ) , boninastrea ( japanes island of bonin ; gk . aster , star ) , scaphophyllia ( l . scapus , stalk , shaft ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) family dendrophylliidae : ( gk . dendron , tree ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) . . . . presumably relating to the branched , tree - like growth form of some species . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - tubastraea ( l . tubus , tube ; gk . aster , star ) , dendrophyllia ( gk . dendron , tree ; gk . phyllon > , leaf ) family caryophylliidae : ( gk . karyon , nucleus ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) . . . . presumably relating to the knob - like appearance of the polyp and the leafy septa . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - family mussidae : ( l . mus , mouse ) indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - indophyllia ( first recorded in indonesia ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) , australomussa ( l . australis , australia ; gk . mussa , a coral genus ) , cynarina ( gk . kinara , an artichoke ; l . - ina , suffix denoting likeness ) family faviidae : ( l . favus , honeycomb ) . . . . relating to the regular appearance of the corallites . genera exhibiting predominantly entratentacular budding : plesiastrea ( gk . plesios , recent ; gk . aster , star ) , oulastrea ( gk . oulos , curly ; gk . aster , star ) , moseleya ( named after h . n . moseley ) parasimplastrea ( gk . para , besides ; l . simpel , simple ) circum - tropical genus . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - montastrea ( l . montis , mountain ; gk . aster , star ) caulastrea ( l . kaulis , stalk ; gk . aster , star ) , australogyra ( l . australis , australia ; gk . gyros , round ) , echinopora ( gk . echinos , hedgehog , prickly ; l . porus , pore ) , circum - tropical genus . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - family trachyphylliidae : ( gk . trachys , rough ; gk . phyllon , leaf ) . . . . possibly relating to the intended form of the corallum that resembles a large and uneven leaf . indo - pacific genus : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - family poritidae : ( l . porous , pore ; gk . - ites , like ) . . . . relating to the porous nature of the corallum . indo - pacific genera : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - poritipora ( l . porus , pore ; gk . - ites , suffix denoting likeness ; l . porus , pore ) , goniopora ( gk . gonia , an angle ; l . porus , pore ) , porites ( l . porus , pore ; gk . - ites , suffix denoting likeness ) helioporidae ( gk . helios , sun ; l . porus , pore ) , click here to access the key to scleractinian families ( based on veron 2000 - corals of the world ) . click here to access images and further information eol database on coral taxonomy . alternatively you can also access worms database for source literature . references : cairns s . d . , hoeksema b . w . , vanderland j . : 1999 . list of extant stony corals . mather p , bennett i . , 1994 ; a coral reef handbook ; australian coral reef society ; veron j . e . n . 2000 ; corals of the world ; australian institute of marine science ; townsville , qld - aus . veron j . e . n ; 1996 ; corals of australia and the indo - pacific ; university of hawaii press , honolulu - usa . veron j . e . n ; 1995 ; corals in space and time - the biogeography and evolution of the scleractinia ; university of new south wales press , sydney - aus . wood e . m . 1983 ; corals of the world ; tfh publications inc ltd . : neptune city , nj - usa

the meandrinidae are colonial corals and form part of the reef - building community . they contain zooxanthellae , microscopic algae symbionts that provide them with energy . they occur in various different shapes , including massive , encrusting , columnar , and phaceloid ( with tubular corallites united at the base ) . although superficially resembling members of the faviidae family , the corallites of meandrinids have solid , nonporous walls and evenly spaced , solid septa . most of the genera are found only in the atlantic ocean , but ctenella is endemic to the red sea and parts of the indian ocean .

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biology

animal

ptilometra australis is a species of sea lily which has no common name that i am aware of . ptilometra australis is found off the coast of eastern australia . they are found from fairly near the surtface to depths of over 100m . http : / / www . ausmarinverts . net / echinodermata / crinoidea / ptilometra _ australis . html liphistiidae are a family of spiders which don ' t have a common name . these spiders are remarkable because they remain morphologically very similar to 290 million year old fossils from the same suborder . this means they have a very highly conservative body plan . their venom glands are tiny and for a while biologists believed they didn ' t have them . they lack parts of the respiratory system which are present in all other spiders . they live in tiny tube - like borrows and make use of trapdoors like many other spiders . over the last 300 million years they have really got the whole trapdoor technique down packed . liphistiid spiders are found in east and south east asia . liphistiidae have been placed in a spider suborder called mesothelae and are the only living spiders in this group . there are 3 extinct members of this group , all of which have a fairly highly conserved morphology . this suborder is the most basal group of spiders ( i . e . it is the most distant relative of all other species of spiders ) . there are 8 genera in the family . mellisuga helenae is a hummingbird commonly called the bee hummingbird , because if you don ' t look carefully you might confuse it for a large bee . they only grow to up to 6 cm long and son ' t weigh more than 2 grams . this makes it the smallest bird in the world . like other hummingbirds they beat their wing in a figure 8 formation and do it so fast that they appear as a blur . they can complete 200 strokes per minute . they can fly at speeds of nearly 50 km per hour . their tiny heart can beat up to 1200 times per minute . they are important pollinators of several flowers and are also highly dependent on them for energy . they will also opportunistically eat arthropods . the bee hummingbird is endemic to the caribbean , particularly cuba . http : / / www . factzoo . com / birds / bee - hummingbird - smallest - bird - in - the - world . html a wasp which uses a spiders web . hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is another of those parasitoid wasps which controls the minds of their victims in order to feed their young . its specializes in feeding the spider leucauge argyra to its young . this parasitoid wasp is relatively merciful to its hosts in comparison to others like ampulex compressa , ichneumon eumerus or pepsini . their sting only temporarily paralyzes their host , giving the female enough time to attach their eggs on the abdomen of the spider . when the egg hatches the juvenile latches on to the spider . it feeds of the body fluids of the spider while it grows and matures . once it has grown large enough it injects chemicals into the spider ' s brain which cause it to alter its normal web building behavior . instead of weaving their sticky thread they will build multiple structural threads and anchor thread . the web is then strong enough to support the cocooned wasp for days in good or bad weather , giving the wasp enough time to mature into an adult . just before entering the cocoon , the wasp will kill and eat the spider for the nourishment . hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is endemic to costa rica . http : / / observationsofanerd . blogspot . com . au / 2009 / 06 / this - weeks - sci - fi - worthy - parasite _ 18 . html ornithoptera alexandrae is commonly known as the queen alexander birdwing . the queen alexander birdwing has the largest wingspan of any butterfly in the world . the female wingspan can get over 25 cm in length . top : female , bottom : male . the queen alexander birdwing displays extreme sexual dimorphism , with both the males and females exhibiting impressive but completely different color displays . the queen alexander birdwing is restricted to oro province , papua new guinea . cymothoa exigua is an isopod crustacean , which is sometimes called the tongue eating louse . some of my regular readers may remember macrocheles rettenmeyeri , the parasitic mite which replaces the foot of other arthropods . in a similar way this parasitic isopod eats and then replaces the tongue of fish . they enter the fish through the gills and then eat the tongue off . they latch on to where the tongue was and then live off the blood of the fish they have latched on to . the first member of the species to enter the fish will mature into a male . when a second parasite infects the same fish the first on then becomes female . cymothoa exigua is found in tropical waters near coastal areas of the eastern pacific ocean . http : / / www . buzzfeed . com / awesomer / there - is - a - parasite - that - eats - tongues - and - replaces - them - with # . grjbq0w4d1 synthetoceras is an extinct mammal which looks a little like a unicorn . this weird looking creature was about 2 meters long and probably weighed 200 - 350 kilos , so it is a little smaller than a modern horse , but it had horns . it had two laterally oriented horns and much like a unicorn had one central horn above its nose . this horn was pronged . the function of the prong is unknown , but it was probably either for mate competition or for foraging in the ground . maybe both . maybe something else altogether . synthetoceras lived in north america around 5 to 13 . 5 million years ago . synthetoceras is an ungulate mammal , so it is not too distant from horses , but it is in the artyodactyl group , which means it is more closely related to sheep , deer etc . . . their family protoceratidae is entirely extinct . paraponera clavata is known as a bullet ant , as its sting feels like you have been shot . it has the highest pain ranking in the schmidt index , which is designed for hymenopteran bites and stings . their sting contain a paralytic toxins known as poneratoxins . some tribes in brazil use them in an initial rite as young men are required to stick their hand in a glove full of bullet hands and leave it on for 10 minutes . their hand becomes paralysed and they might be shaking for days afterwards . paraponera clavata is endemic to central america . riftia pachyptila is commonly known as a giant tube worm . these worms can grow up to two and a half meters long , but several parts of their morphology have been highly modified or reduced to vestigial . instead of a mouth and digestive system riftia pachyptila relies on a symbiotic relationship with various microbes . the red tip is a feather - like structure called a plume . it is similar to some gills , except it is used to provide more than just oxygen , it absorbs various dissolved gases which the microbes need to grow and reproduce . in return the microbes provide the nutrients which the giant tube worm needs to survive . as a result of this the giant tube worm is highly tolerant to certain chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide , which its dependent bacteria can metabolize . the plume can be retracted back into a hardened tube for protection . riftia pachyptila are found living near hydrothermal vents in the pacific ocean . riftia pachyptila is in the same phylum as earthworms . http : / / bioweb . uwlax . edu / bio203 / s2007 / rossing _ jaco / introduction _ _ the _ worm _ under _ inv . htm laniocera hypopyrra is commonly known as the cinereous mourner , which as far as common names go , is not much better than the scientific name . you may have heard of several caterpillars which mimic other animals , especially if you are a regular reader of my blog . laniocera hypopyrra is a species of bird which mimics a caterpillar . juvenile cinereous mourners have feathers which are modified to resemble the color patterns on the highly toxic caterpillars in the family megalopygidae . they even move their head from side to side in much the same way that a caterpillar sways . the adult looks comparatively boring . laniocera hypopyrra is found in tropical south america . the genus laniocera has traditionally been placed in the family cotinga , but is now broadly accepted to be a member of the tityridae . http : / / novataxa . blogspot . com . au / 2014 / 12 / caterpillar - mimicking - laniocera - nestling . html hemeroplanes triptolemus is a hawk moth , like the hummingbird hawk moth which is in another post . the hawk moth ' s defensive trick is that it mimics a small snake . when it feels threatened it inflates its head . shiny scales on the side of their head reflect light making it look like a snake . these guys would be amazing poker player , because when a predator isn ' t buying , instead of trying to cringe or flee for their life they double down . they lunge forward and pretend to strike their predators . if the predator gets hit , it doesn ' t harm them at all , it is just a very brave bluff . in some ways it is similar in appearance to papilio troilus , which is probably adopting the same strategy . the adult is a less interesting looking nectar feeding moth . hemeroplanes triptolemus is known from central and tropical south america . http : / / www . odditycentral . com / animals / hemeroplanes - triptolemus - the - creepy - snake - thats - actually - a - harmless - caterpillar . html http : / / www . boards . ie / vbulletin / showthread . php ? p = 74571894 the phoenix rises again after 2000 years . phoenix dactylifera is one of if not the oldest cultivated fruit in the world , with evidence of them being cultivated as early as 6000 bc . they are commonly known as date palms and as the name suggests they are the sources of the fruit known as dates . they are highly tolerant to arid conditions growing in many areas of the middle east and north africa . like many arid species their seeds are highly resistant to ageing and can last a long time before conditions are appropriate for them to germinate and grow . so how long can their seed last ? the judean date palm , which is a subspecies of date palm which used to be common in ancient judea , was believed to have gone extinct around 500 ad . apparently they used to be a major part of the judean economy before the destruction of the second temple . they apparently used to form thick forests in their ideal climates and were a very effective agricultural crop given the harsh conditions of the region . in the 1960s a jar of stored date palms from the fortress at masada were excavated . they were carbon dated to between 155 bc and 64 ad . they are likely to be from the latter part of this time frame as the siege of masada ended in either 73 or 74 ad . three of these seeds were planted in 2005 in southern israel , and one of them sprouted . despite the fact that the original leaves that sprouted looked practically dead as they were densely covered in white lines the plant survived and by 2010 the plant grew to 2 meters tall . the plant was named methuselah as it has lived for so long . unfortunately date palms require male and female plants to germinate and it is impossible to grow a pure judean date palm from a single specimen . methuselah is a male plant and will be crossed with similar date palm subspecies in order to get a hybrid . date palms are probably native to mesopotamia and the levant but have been cultivated across in many warm parts of the world both humid and arid . the name for the genus phoenix is quite appropriate considering that this subspecies has risen again from the ashes of extinction . http : / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / judean _ date _ palm # mediaviewer / file : judeandatepalmmethuselah . jpg like many other sea lilies , they superficially look more like plants than animals , wut animals they are . they are filter feeders . their appendages bear long thin filament which are used for trapping food . they have a stalk which in most sea lily species is long and slender but is reduced in this species . the stalk anchors them to the ocean floor . sea lilies are echinoderms , the same phylum as sea stars , sea urchins and sea cucumbers . sea lilies are members of the order class crinoidea , a group which used to be much more diverse . articulata is the only subclass which survives . today ' s bizarre creature is another flower that looks like something else , only this time it is not an orchid . impatiens bequaertii doesn ' t have a common name . it looks like a dancing girl . the various lobes of the flowers are often arranged differently giving it the appearance of different dancing poses . impatiens bequaertii is native to east african rain forest . it is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in various parts of the world . there are some people who think that we have a pretty good idea of what lives on earth . they think that new species are all just similar versions of a previously known species . every now and then a discovery like this one last year just blows that idea away . dendrogramma is a genus of something or other described in 2014 from specimens collected in 1986 . it probably took so long to describe because anyone who saw it immediately recognized that it wasn ' t in their group . the truth is it does not belong to any known group of animals , although it is an animal . ir has not been formally given its own phylum yet , but i am pretty sure it will soon . the long tube like structure carries the mouth while the flat end probably anchors the animal down to a surface . the animal has a gastrovascular system and seems to exhibit bilateral symmetry . dendrogramma were collected at 400 and 1000 meters south east of tasmania . there are two species of dendrogramma and for now the genus has been assigned to kingdom animalia only . brahmaea is a genus of moth commonly called the brahmin moth , or as a juvenile the brahmin moth caterpillar . the adults have some kind of psychedelic pattern which hypnotizes you if you stare at it too long . i used to wonder why venomoth could do psychic moves until i learnt about this moth . but all that is nothing compared to what the juvenile has going on : i don ' t think we have figured out what those structures are for , but they do give it a bizarre appearance . brahmaea have an oriental distribution meaning they are found in a east and south east asia including the south east asian islands as well as the subcontinent . my regular readers may remember the post on square arechea . today i am posting another species of halobacteria , halorubrum lacusprofundi . halobacteria are a class of archea . this may seem confusing as their name contains the word bacteria , which are completely different from archea . for this reason they are usually referred to as haloarchea . halorubrum lacusprofundi lives in water which is saturated or close to saturated with salt , a very hostile environment for most living things on earth . they are named after deep lake in antarctica where they were found . deep lake gets to temperatures of - 20 degrees celsius . hang on , you ' re probably thinking , wouldn ' t the lake freeze over at those temperatures ? this lake doesn ' t because it is so salty the freezing point is significantly lower than normal . the lake contains an average of 27 ÷ salt . oddly enough the highly specialized halorubrum lacusprofundi was not the only microbial species to be found in this ridiculously hostile environment . several other species including some algae were found , but i chose to write about this one as it is named after the lake ( lacusprofundi meaning deep lake ) . as far as i can tell halorubrum lacusprofundi has only been found in deep lake , antarctica . http : / / www . biotechniques . com / news / antarctic - microbes - survival - tricks - revealed / biotechniques - 341689 . html ? autnid = 323692 # . vuy7m _ mqpbc grylloblattodea are either an order or a suborder of insects , depending on who you ask . you can call them ice crawlers or rock crawlers . there are a confusing group , even their name suggesting that they have some characteristics of both crickets and cockroaches . most insects thrive in hot weather , but these guys have evolved specifically to increase their metabolism in the cold . their optimal living temperature is between 1 and 4 degrees celsius . they live close to the soil among sheets of ice and sometimes even among glaciers . they feed mostly on dead arthropods . ice crawlers can be found in mountainous regions of northern asia and the west of north america . as i mentiones there are some entomologists who think the grylloblattodea should be an order unto themselves , but for now i am happy to call them a suborder of notoptera , which also includes mantophasmatidea . the closest relative to the notoptera is probably either dermaptera or orthoptera or both . http : / / entomology . osu . edu / bugdoc / shetlar / 462 / 462insectorders / orders16 . htm myctophidae are a family of deep sea fish known as lantern fish . they are called lanternfish because of their tendency to light up like a lantern . as they live so far below the ocean surface that light cannot penetrate to their depth they need light patterns for sight to be useful in recognizing other members of the same species for mating . some of these light patterns can be quite spectacular . lanternfish are actually quite common in the deep ocean and probably make up the majority of the fish species down there . they are known to follow a classic diel vertical migration pattern . lanternfish are found in all the world ' s oceans at depths of between 400 and 900 meters . the top ten has been updated again . check it out here dinochelus ausubeli is a recently discovered ( 2007 ) lobster which is sometimes called the terrible claw lobster . it has several long , narrow tooth - like spikes on the inside of margin of their claws . the right claw is grossly elongated and is several times larger than the left claw . we don ' t know what they use this freaky looking claw for . the terrible claw lobster was found off the phillipine island of luzon at a depth of about 250 m . done looking ? this is an unusual species of squid called a banded piglet squid . it looks a bit like an animal with a cartoon face , but that is not a face at all . its tentacles look like hair while colour patterns form what looks like eyes and a mouth an a fin like flap forms what looks like a nose . like many deep sea creatures it can produce light . the young quite a bit different to the adults . the piglet squid can be found in trapical waters all over the world and in the temperate north atlantic . they lusually live between 100 and 200 m below the surface getting deeper as they get older . tetragnatha guatemalensis is a species of spider which , as far as i know , doesn ' t have a common name . they are a species of spider which commonly live in large colonies . i there colonies several different spiders build communal ' sheet ' webs , often adding constructing webs between two other webs . the strength of structural spider webs mean that these communal webs can get quite large . they are by no means the only species of spider which does this , but these guys have set a record . in october 2009 a waste water treatment plant in baltimore was over - run by an enormous colony of spiders . the colony had formed a variety of structures reinforcing a colonial web which was found throughout the 4 acre facility . there were an estimated 107 million spiders in the colony and an estimated 80 million of them were tetragnatha guatemalensis . there are around 6 million people in the entire state of maryland . tetragnatha guatemalensis can be found in various locations across north and central america . they love man made structures . http : / / texasento . net / social _ spider . htm it ' s time for another assassin bug . this one is a subfamily called triatominae or commonly called kissing bugs or cone - nose bugs . most assasin bugs are specialist hunters employing a myriad of cool tricks to capture and kill other arthropods for food . these guys suck the blood of vertebrates , and yes that includes you . they are called kissing bugs because of their unusual inclination to bite you on the lip . bites from a triatomine assassin bug are only mildly painful and while they don ' t produce any harmful toxins they have been known to carry some nasty diseases which they can transmit into your body , most notably chagas disease . triatomine assasin bugs have a pantropical distribution but a most diverse and most abundant in the neotropical region . leucochloridium paradoxum is a parasitic flatworm which uses snails as a intermediate host and birds as the definitive host . these flatworms usually infect snails as juveniles via bird droppings . once inside a snail they begin to mature in the digestive system . when they are nearly ready to reach adulthood the worm will move to the snails antenna , preferably the left antenna . it then reduces the light sensitivity in the snail so it spends more time out in the open making it easier prey for a bird . but it doesn ' t stop there . the flatworm changes the colour of the antenna to something more like a tasty caterpillar so the birs will be more attracted to them . they also cause the antenna to pulsate and change color so they are more noticable to birds . watch it happen here : their ultimate objective is to cause the snail to get eaten so they can reach adulthood and reproduce in their definitive host . leucochloridium paradoxum is found in northern and central europe . http : / / parasitophilia . blogspot . com . au / 2013 / 01 / leucochloridium - paradoxum . html you may have heard of bipes biporus under the name of mexican mole lizard . if you are wondering what it is , i assure you it is a lizard . it just looks like a weird worm . they grow up to 24 cm in length and live underground feeding of subterranean insects like ants . they occasionally make trips to the surface after heavy rain . mexican mole lizards are endemic to the californian peninsula , mexico . http : / / www . bluechameleon . org / photo % 20 & % 20image % 20stockpile % 20 - % 20bcv / web % 20 - % 20bipes % 20biporus . htm antirrhinum is a genus of commonly cultivated garden plants known as snapdragons . the flower looks fairly ordinary in itself . it earned the name snap dragon because when the lateral margins are squeezed it looks a little like a dragon opening its mouth . species of antirrhinum can be found in europe , north africa and north america . http : / / www . kuriositas . com / 2013 / 07 / the - dragons - skull - macabre - appearance - of . html there are currently 652 unused creatures in my backlog . if i can ' t thick of anything else to add to the list i will run out of material on 22 / 03 / 2017 . if you have any creatures to suggest , please let me know , details are on the contact me page . this was last updated on 10 / 06 / 2015 . picture window theme . powered by blogger .

the passion flower feather star is a filter feeder . it catches plankton and suspended particles of detritus with the tube feet on the pinnules . these feet are covered with sticky mucus that traps the food particles and then roll it into balls before moving them into the ambulacral groove , where cilia propel the stream of mucus towards the mouth .

train-78-18162

description

animal

ptilometra australis is a species of sea lily which has no common name that i am aware of . ptilometra australis is found off the coast of eastern australia . they are found from fairly near the surtface to depths of over 100m . http : / / www . ausmarinverts . net / echinodermata / crinoidea / ptilometra _ australis . html liphistiidae are a family of spiders which don ' t have a common name . these spiders are remarkable because they remain morphologically very similar to 290 million year old fossils from the same suborder . this means they have a very highly conservative body plan . their venom glands are tiny and for a while biologists believed they didn ' t have them . they lack parts of the respiratory system which are present in all other spiders . they live in tiny tube - like borrows and make use of trapdoors like many other spiders . over the last 300 million years they have really got the whole trapdoor technique down packed . liphistiid spiders are found in east and south east asia . liphistiidae have been placed in a spider suborder called mesothelae and are the only living spiders in this group . there are 3 extinct members of this group , all of which have a fairly highly conserved morphology . this suborder is the most basal group of spiders ( i . e . it is the most distant relative of all other species of spiders ) . there are 8 genera in the family . mellisuga helenae is a hummingbird commonly called the bee hummingbird , because if you don ' t look carefully you might confuse it for a large bee . they only grow to up to 6 cm long and son ' t weigh more than 2 grams . this makes it the smallest bird in the world . like other hummingbirds they beat their wing in a figure 8 formation and do it so fast that they appear as a blur . they can complete 200 strokes per minute . they can fly at speeds of nearly 50 km per hour . their tiny heart can beat up to 1200 times per minute . they are important pollinators of several flowers and are also highly dependent on them for energy . they will also opportunistically eat arthropods . the bee hummingbird is endemic to the caribbean , particularly cuba . http : / / www . factzoo . com / birds / bee - hummingbird - smallest - bird - in - the - world . html a wasp which uses a spiders web . hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is another of those parasitoid wasps which controls the minds of their victims in order to feed their young . its specializes in feeding the spider leucauge argyra to its young . this parasitoid wasp is relatively merciful to its hosts in comparison to others like ampulex compressa , ichneumon eumerus or pepsini . their sting only temporarily paralyzes their host , giving the female enough time to attach their eggs on the abdomen of the spider . when the egg hatches the juvenile latches on to the spider . it feeds of the body fluids of the spider while it grows and matures . once it has grown large enough it injects chemicals into the spider ' s brain which cause it to alter its normal web building behavior . instead of weaving their sticky thread they will build multiple structural threads and anchor thread . the web is then strong enough to support the cocooned wasp for days in good or bad weather , giving the wasp enough time to mature into an adult . just before entering the cocoon , the wasp will kill and eat the spider for the nourishment . hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is endemic to costa rica . http : / / observationsofanerd . blogspot . com . au / 2009 / 06 / this - weeks - sci - fi - worthy - parasite _ 18 . html ornithoptera alexandrae is commonly known as the queen alexander birdwing . the queen alexander birdwing has the largest wingspan of any butterfly in the world . the female wingspan can get over 25 cm in length . top : female , bottom : male . the queen alexander birdwing displays extreme sexual dimorphism , with both the males and females exhibiting impressive but completely different color displays . the queen alexander birdwing is restricted to oro province , papua new guinea . cymothoa exigua is an isopod crustacean , which is sometimes called the tongue eating louse . some of my regular readers may remember macrocheles rettenmeyeri , the parasitic mite which replaces the foot of other arthropods . in a similar way this parasitic isopod eats and then replaces the tongue of fish . they enter the fish through the gills and then eat the tongue off . they latch on to where the tongue was and then live off the blood of the fish they have latched on to . the first member of the species to enter the fish will mature into a male . when a second parasite infects the same fish the first on then becomes female . cymothoa exigua is found in tropical waters near coastal areas of the eastern pacific ocean . http : / / www . buzzfeed . com / awesomer / there - is - a - parasite - that - eats - tongues - and - replaces - them - with # . grjbq0w4d1 synthetoceras is an extinct mammal which looks a little like a unicorn . this weird looking creature was about 2 meters long and probably weighed 200 - 350 kilos , so it is a little smaller than a modern horse , but it had horns . it had two laterally oriented horns and much like a unicorn had one central horn above its nose . this horn was pronged . the function of the prong is unknown , but it was probably either for mate competition or for foraging in the ground . maybe both . maybe something else altogether . synthetoceras lived in north america around 5 to 13 . 5 million years ago . synthetoceras is an ungulate mammal , so it is not too distant from horses , but it is in the artyodactyl group , which means it is more closely related to sheep , deer etc . . . their family protoceratidae is entirely extinct . paraponera clavata is known as a bullet ant , as its sting feels like you have been shot . it has the highest pain ranking in the schmidt index , which is designed for hymenopteran bites and stings . their sting contain a paralytic toxins known as poneratoxins . some tribes in brazil use them in an initial rite as young men are required to stick their hand in a glove full of bullet hands and leave it on for 10 minutes . their hand becomes paralysed and they might be shaking for days afterwards . paraponera clavata is endemic to central america . riftia pachyptila is commonly known as a giant tube worm . these worms can grow up to two and a half meters long , but several parts of their morphology have been highly modified or reduced to vestigial . instead of a mouth and digestive system riftia pachyptila relies on a symbiotic relationship with various microbes . the red tip is a feather - like structure called a plume . it is similar to some gills , except it is used to provide more than just oxygen , it absorbs various dissolved gases which the microbes need to grow and reproduce . in return the microbes provide the nutrients which the giant tube worm needs to survive . as a result of this the giant tube worm is highly tolerant to certain chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide , which its dependent bacteria can metabolize . the plume can be retracted back into a hardened tube for protection . riftia pachyptila are found living near hydrothermal vents in the pacific ocean . riftia pachyptila is in the same phylum as earthworms . http : / / bioweb . uwlax . edu / bio203 / s2007 / rossing _ jaco / introduction _ _ the _ worm _ under _ inv . htm laniocera hypopyrra is commonly known as the cinereous mourner , which as far as common names go , is not much better than the scientific name . you may have heard of several caterpillars which mimic other animals , especially if you are a regular reader of my blog . laniocera hypopyrra is a species of bird which mimics a caterpillar . juvenile cinereous mourners have feathers which are modified to resemble the color patterns on the highly toxic caterpillars in the family megalopygidae . they even move their head from side to side in much the same way that a caterpillar sways . the adult looks comparatively boring . laniocera hypopyrra is found in tropical south america . the genus laniocera has traditionally been placed in the family cotinga , but is now broadly accepted to be a member of the tityridae . http : / / novataxa . blogspot . com . au / 2014 / 12 / caterpillar - mimicking - laniocera - nestling . html hemeroplanes triptolemus is a hawk moth , like the hummingbird hawk moth which is in another post . the hawk moth ' s defensive trick is that it mimics a small snake . when it feels threatened it inflates its head . shiny scales on the side of their head reflect light making it look like a snake . these guys would be amazing poker player , because when a predator isn ' t buying , instead of trying to cringe or flee for their life they double down . they lunge forward and pretend to strike their predators . if the predator gets hit , it doesn ' t harm them at all , it is just a very brave bluff . in some ways it is similar in appearance to papilio troilus , which is probably adopting the same strategy . the adult is a less interesting looking nectar feeding moth . hemeroplanes triptolemus is known from central and tropical south america . http : / / www . odditycentral . com / animals / hemeroplanes - triptolemus - the - creepy - snake - thats - actually - a - harmless - caterpillar . html http : / / www . boards . ie / vbulletin / showthread . php ? p = 74571894 the phoenix rises again after 2000 years . phoenix dactylifera is one of if not the oldest cultivated fruit in the world , with evidence of them being cultivated as early as 6000 bc . they are commonly known as date palms and as the name suggests they are the sources of the fruit known as dates . they are highly tolerant to arid conditions growing in many areas of the middle east and north africa . like many arid species their seeds are highly resistant to ageing and can last a long time before conditions are appropriate for them to germinate and grow . so how long can their seed last ? the judean date palm , which is a subspecies of date palm which used to be common in ancient judea , was believed to have gone extinct around 500 ad . apparently they used to be a major part of the judean economy before the destruction of the second temple . they apparently used to form thick forests in their ideal climates and were a very effective agricultural crop given the harsh conditions of the region . in the 1960s a jar of stored date palms from the fortress at masada were excavated . they were carbon dated to between 155 bc and 64 ad . they are likely to be from the latter part of this time frame as the siege of masada ended in either 73 or 74 ad . three of these seeds were planted in 2005 in southern israel , and one of them sprouted . despite the fact that the original leaves that sprouted looked practically dead as they were densely covered in white lines the plant survived and by 2010 the plant grew to 2 meters tall . the plant was named methuselah as it has lived for so long . unfortunately date palms require male and female plants to germinate and it is impossible to grow a pure judean date palm from a single specimen . methuselah is a male plant and will be crossed with similar date palm subspecies in order to get a hybrid . date palms are probably native to mesopotamia and the levant but have been cultivated across in many warm parts of the world both humid and arid . the name for the genus phoenix is quite appropriate considering that this subspecies has risen again from the ashes of extinction . http : / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / judean _ date _ palm # mediaviewer / file : judeandatepalmmethuselah . jpg like many other sea lilies , they superficially look more like plants than animals , wut animals they are . they are filter feeders . their appendages bear long thin filament which are used for trapping food . they have a stalk which in most sea lily species is long and slender but is reduced in this species . the stalk anchors them to the ocean floor . sea lilies are echinoderms , the same phylum as sea stars , sea urchins and sea cucumbers . sea lilies are members of the order class crinoidea , a group which used to be much more diverse . articulata is the only subclass which survives . today ' s bizarre creature is another flower that looks like something else , only this time it is not an orchid . impatiens bequaertii doesn ' t have a common name . it looks like a dancing girl . the various lobes of the flowers are often arranged differently giving it the appearance of different dancing poses . impatiens bequaertii is native to east african rain forest . it is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in various parts of the world . there are some people who think that we have a pretty good idea of what lives on earth . they think that new species are all just similar versions of a previously known species . every now and then a discovery like this one last year just blows that idea away . dendrogramma is a genus of something or other described in 2014 from specimens collected in 1986 . it probably took so long to describe because anyone who saw it immediately recognized that it wasn ' t in their group . the truth is it does not belong to any known group of animals , although it is an animal . ir has not been formally given its own phylum yet , but i am pretty sure it will soon . the long tube like structure carries the mouth while the flat end probably anchors the animal down to a surface . the animal has a gastrovascular system and seems to exhibit bilateral symmetry . dendrogramma were collected at 400 and 1000 meters south east of tasmania . there are two species of dendrogramma and for now the genus has been assigned to kingdom animalia only . brahmaea is a genus of moth commonly called the brahmin moth , or as a juvenile the brahmin moth caterpillar . the adults have some kind of psychedelic pattern which hypnotizes you if you stare at it too long . i used to wonder why venomoth could do psychic moves until i learnt about this moth . but all that is nothing compared to what the juvenile has going on : i don ' t think we have figured out what those structures are for , but they do give it a bizarre appearance . brahmaea have an oriental distribution meaning they are found in a east and south east asia including the south east asian islands as well as the subcontinent . my regular readers may remember the post on square arechea . today i am posting another species of halobacteria , halorubrum lacusprofundi . halobacteria are a class of archea . this may seem confusing as their name contains the word bacteria , which are completely different from archea . for this reason they are usually referred to as haloarchea . halorubrum lacusprofundi lives in water which is saturated or close to saturated with salt , a very hostile environment for most living things on earth . they are named after deep lake in antarctica where they were found . deep lake gets to temperatures of - 20 degrees celsius . hang on , you ' re probably thinking , wouldn ' t the lake freeze over at those temperatures ? this lake doesn ' t because it is so salty the freezing point is significantly lower than normal . the lake contains an average of 27 ÷ salt . oddly enough the highly specialized halorubrum lacusprofundi was not the only microbial species to be found in this ridiculously hostile environment . several other species including some algae were found , but i chose to write about this one as it is named after the lake ( lacusprofundi meaning deep lake ) . as far as i can tell halorubrum lacusprofundi has only been found in deep lake , antarctica . http : / / www . biotechniques . com / news / antarctic - microbes - survival - tricks - revealed / biotechniques - 341689 . html ? autnid = 323692 # . vuy7m _ mqpbc grylloblattodea are either an order or a suborder of insects , depending on who you ask . you can call them ice crawlers or rock crawlers . there are a confusing group , even their name suggesting that they have some characteristics of both crickets and cockroaches . most insects thrive in hot weather , but these guys have evolved specifically to increase their metabolism in the cold . their optimal living temperature is between 1 and 4 degrees celsius . they live close to the soil among sheets of ice and sometimes even among glaciers . they feed mostly on dead arthropods . ice crawlers can be found in mountainous regions of northern asia and the west of north america . as i mentiones there are some entomologists who think the grylloblattodea should be an order unto themselves , but for now i am happy to call them a suborder of notoptera , which also includes mantophasmatidea . the closest relative to the notoptera is probably either dermaptera or orthoptera or both . http : / / entomology . osu . edu / bugdoc / shetlar / 462 / 462insectorders / orders16 . htm myctophidae are a family of deep sea fish known as lantern fish . they are called lanternfish because of their tendency to light up like a lantern . as they live so far below the ocean surface that light cannot penetrate to their depth they need light patterns for sight to be useful in recognizing other members of the same species for mating . some of these light patterns can be quite spectacular . lanternfish are actually quite common in the deep ocean and probably make up the majority of the fish species down there . they are known to follow a classic diel vertical migration pattern . lanternfish are found in all the world ' s oceans at depths of between 400 and 900 meters . the top ten has been updated again . check it out here dinochelus ausubeli is a recently discovered ( 2007 ) lobster which is sometimes called the terrible claw lobster . it has several long , narrow tooth - like spikes on the inside of margin of their claws . the right claw is grossly elongated and is several times larger than the left claw . we don ' t know what they use this freaky looking claw for . the terrible claw lobster was found off the phillipine island of luzon at a depth of about 250 m . done looking ? this is an unusual species of squid called a banded piglet squid . it looks a bit like an animal with a cartoon face , but that is not a face at all . its tentacles look like hair while colour patterns form what looks like eyes and a mouth an a fin like flap forms what looks like a nose . like many deep sea creatures it can produce light . the young quite a bit different to the adults . the piglet squid can be found in trapical waters all over the world and in the temperate north atlantic . they lusually live between 100 and 200 m below the surface getting deeper as they get older . tetragnatha guatemalensis is a species of spider which , as far as i know , doesn ' t have a common name . they are a species of spider which commonly live in large colonies . i there colonies several different spiders build communal ' sheet ' webs , often adding constructing webs between two other webs . the strength of structural spider webs mean that these communal webs can get quite large . they are by no means the only species of spider which does this , but these guys have set a record . in october 2009 a waste water treatment plant in baltimore was over - run by an enormous colony of spiders . the colony had formed a variety of structures reinforcing a colonial web which was found throughout the 4 acre facility . there were an estimated 107 million spiders in the colony and an estimated 80 million of them were tetragnatha guatemalensis . there are around 6 million people in the entire state of maryland . tetragnatha guatemalensis can be found in various locations across north and central america . they love man made structures . http : / / texasento . net / social _ spider . htm it ' s time for another assassin bug . this one is a subfamily called triatominae or commonly called kissing bugs or cone - nose bugs . most assasin bugs are specialist hunters employing a myriad of cool tricks to capture and kill other arthropods for food . these guys suck the blood of vertebrates , and yes that includes you . they are called kissing bugs because of their unusual inclination to bite you on the lip . bites from a triatomine assassin bug are only mildly painful and while they don ' t produce any harmful toxins they have been known to carry some nasty diseases which they can transmit into your body , most notably chagas disease . triatomine assasin bugs have a pantropical distribution but a most diverse and most abundant in the neotropical region . leucochloridium paradoxum is a parasitic flatworm which uses snails as a intermediate host and birds as the definitive host . these flatworms usually infect snails as juveniles via bird droppings . once inside a snail they begin to mature in the digestive system . when they are nearly ready to reach adulthood the worm will move to the snails antenna , preferably the left antenna . it then reduces the light sensitivity in the snail so it spends more time out in the open making it easier prey for a bird . but it doesn ' t stop there . the flatworm changes the colour of the antenna to something more like a tasty caterpillar so the birs will be more attracted to them . they also cause the antenna to pulsate and change color so they are more noticable to birds . watch it happen here : their ultimate objective is to cause the snail to get eaten so they can reach adulthood and reproduce in their definitive host . leucochloridium paradoxum is found in northern and central europe . http : / / parasitophilia . blogspot . com . au / 2013 / 01 / leucochloridium - paradoxum . html you may have heard of bipes biporus under the name of mexican mole lizard . if you are wondering what it is , i assure you it is a lizard . it just looks like a weird worm . they grow up to 24 cm in length and live underground feeding of subterranean insects like ants . they occasionally make trips to the surface after heavy rain . mexican mole lizards are endemic to the californian peninsula , mexico . http : / / www . bluechameleon . org / photo % 20 & % 20image % 20stockpile % 20 - % 20bcv / web % 20 - % 20bipes % 20biporus . htm antirrhinum is a genus of commonly cultivated garden plants known as snapdragons . the flower looks fairly ordinary in itself . it earned the name snap dragon because when the lateral margins are squeezed it looks a little like a dragon opening its mouth . species of antirrhinum can be found in europe , north africa and north america . http : / / www . kuriositas . com / 2013 / 07 / the - dragons - skull - macabre - appearance - of . html there are currently 652 unused creatures in my backlog . if i can ' t thick of anything else to add to the list i will run out of material on 22 / 03 / 2017 . if you have any creatures to suggest , please let me know , details are on the contact me page . this was last updated on 10 / 06 / 2015 . picture window theme . powered by blogger .

the passion flower feather star is a robust crinoid with a diameter of about 12 cm ( 5 in ) when fully extended . it has eighteen to twenty jointed arms which can be coiled up when the animal is not feeding . these are attached to a cup - shaped body or calyx . the arms are edged by feathery appendages known as pinnules . each pinnule has rows of tube feet on either side of a central ambulacral groove lined with cilia . this groove is continuous with the central groove on the arm which leads to the mouth at the centre of the calyx . the aboral ( lower ) surface of the crinoid has a number of hooked appendages called cirri which grip onto the substrate , which may be a rock , a sponge , a coral or sea fan . the colour of this crinoid is usually some shade of red .

train-78-18162

distribution and habitat

animal

ptilometra australis is a species of sea lily which has no common name that i am aware of . ptilometra australis is found off the coast of eastern australia . they are found from fairly near the surtface to depths of over 100m . http : / / www . ausmarinverts . net / echinodermata / crinoidea / ptilometra _ australis . html liphistiidae are a family of spiders which don ' t have a common name . these spiders are remarkable because they remain morphologically very similar to 290 million year old fossils from the same suborder . this means they have a very highly conservative body plan . their venom glands are tiny and for a while biologists believed they didn ' t have them . they lack parts of the respiratory system which are present in all other spiders . they live in tiny tube - like borrows and make use of trapdoors like many other spiders . over the last 300 million years they have really got the whole trapdoor technique down packed . liphistiid spiders are found in east and south east asia . liphistiidae have been placed in a spider suborder called mesothelae and are the only living spiders in this group . there are 3 extinct members of this group , all of which have a fairly highly conserved morphology . this suborder is the most basal group of spiders ( i . e . it is the most distant relative of all other species of spiders ) . there are 8 genera in the family . mellisuga helenae is a hummingbird commonly called the bee hummingbird , because if you don ' t look carefully you might confuse it for a large bee . they only grow to up to 6 cm long and son ' t weigh more than 2 grams . this makes it the smallest bird in the world . like other hummingbirds they beat their wing in a figure 8 formation and do it so fast that they appear as a blur . they can complete 200 strokes per minute . they can fly at speeds of nearly 50 km per hour . their tiny heart can beat up to 1200 times per minute . they are important pollinators of several flowers and are also highly dependent on them for energy . they will also opportunistically eat arthropods . the bee hummingbird is endemic to the caribbean , particularly cuba . http : / / www . factzoo . com / birds / bee - hummingbird - smallest - bird - in - the - world . html a wasp which uses a spiders web . hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is another of those parasitoid wasps which controls the minds of their victims in order to feed their young . its specializes in feeding the spider leucauge argyra to its young . this parasitoid wasp is relatively merciful to its hosts in comparison to others like ampulex compressa , ichneumon eumerus or pepsini . their sting only temporarily paralyzes their host , giving the female enough time to attach their eggs on the abdomen of the spider . when the egg hatches the juvenile latches on to the spider . it feeds of the body fluids of the spider while it grows and matures . once it has grown large enough it injects chemicals into the spider ' s brain which cause it to alter its normal web building behavior . instead of weaving their sticky thread they will build multiple structural threads and anchor thread . the web is then strong enough to support the cocooned wasp for days in good or bad weather , giving the wasp enough time to mature into an adult . just before entering the cocoon , the wasp will kill and eat the spider for the nourishment . hymenoepimecis argyraphaga is endemic to costa rica . http : / / observationsofanerd . blogspot . com . au / 2009 / 06 / this - weeks - sci - fi - worthy - parasite _ 18 . html ornithoptera alexandrae is commonly known as the queen alexander birdwing . the queen alexander birdwing has the largest wingspan of any butterfly in the world . the female wingspan can get over 25 cm in length . top : female , bottom : male . the queen alexander birdwing displays extreme sexual dimorphism , with both the males and females exhibiting impressive but completely different color displays . the queen alexander birdwing is restricted to oro province , papua new guinea . cymothoa exigua is an isopod crustacean , which is sometimes called the tongue eating louse . some of my regular readers may remember macrocheles rettenmeyeri , the parasitic mite which replaces the foot of other arthropods . in a similar way this parasitic isopod eats and then replaces the tongue of fish . they enter the fish through the gills and then eat the tongue off . they latch on to where the tongue was and then live off the blood of the fish they have latched on to . the first member of the species to enter the fish will mature into a male . when a second parasite infects the same fish the first on then becomes female . cymothoa exigua is found in tropical waters near coastal areas of the eastern pacific ocean . http : / / www . buzzfeed . com / awesomer / there - is - a - parasite - that - eats - tongues - and - replaces - them - with # . grjbq0w4d1 synthetoceras is an extinct mammal which looks a little like a unicorn . this weird looking creature was about 2 meters long and probably weighed 200 - 350 kilos , so it is a little smaller than a modern horse , but it had horns . it had two laterally oriented horns and much like a unicorn had one central horn above its nose . this horn was pronged . the function of the prong is unknown , but it was probably either for mate competition or for foraging in the ground . maybe both . maybe something else altogether . synthetoceras lived in north america around 5 to 13 . 5 million years ago . synthetoceras is an ungulate mammal , so it is not too distant from horses , but it is in the artyodactyl group , which means it is more closely related to sheep , deer etc . . . their family protoceratidae is entirely extinct . paraponera clavata is known as a bullet ant , as its sting feels like you have been shot . it has the highest pain ranking in the schmidt index , which is designed for hymenopteran bites and stings . their sting contain a paralytic toxins known as poneratoxins . some tribes in brazil use them in an initial rite as young men are required to stick their hand in a glove full of bullet hands and leave it on for 10 minutes . their hand becomes paralysed and they might be shaking for days afterwards . paraponera clavata is endemic to central america . riftia pachyptila is commonly known as a giant tube worm . these worms can grow up to two and a half meters long , but several parts of their morphology have been highly modified or reduced to vestigial . instead of a mouth and digestive system riftia pachyptila relies on a symbiotic relationship with various microbes . the red tip is a feather - like structure called a plume . it is similar to some gills , except it is used to provide more than just oxygen , it absorbs various dissolved gases which the microbes need to grow and reproduce . in return the microbes provide the nutrients which the giant tube worm needs to survive . as a result of this the giant tube worm is highly tolerant to certain chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide , which its dependent bacteria can metabolize . the plume can be retracted back into a hardened tube for protection . riftia pachyptila are found living near hydrothermal vents in the pacific ocean . riftia pachyptila is in the same phylum as earthworms . http : / / bioweb . uwlax . edu / bio203 / s2007 / rossing _ jaco / introduction _ _ the _ worm _ under _ inv . htm laniocera hypopyrra is commonly known as the cinereous mourner , which as far as common names go , is not much better than the scientific name . you may have heard of several caterpillars which mimic other animals , especially if you are a regular reader of my blog . laniocera hypopyrra is a species of bird which mimics a caterpillar . juvenile cinereous mourners have feathers which are modified to resemble the color patterns on the highly toxic caterpillars in the family megalopygidae . they even move their head from side to side in much the same way that a caterpillar sways . the adult looks comparatively boring . laniocera hypopyrra is found in tropical south america . the genus laniocera has traditionally been placed in the family cotinga , but is now broadly accepted to be a member of the tityridae . http : / / novataxa . blogspot . com . au / 2014 / 12 / caterpillar - mimicking - laniocera - nestling . html hemeroplanes triptolemus is a hawk moth , like the hummingbird hawk moth which is in another post . the hawk moth ' s defensive trick is that it mimics a small snake . when it feels threatened it inflates its head . shiny scales on the side of their head reflect light making it look like a snake . these guys would be amazing poker player , because when a predator isn ' t buying , instead of trying to cringe or flee for their life they double down . they lunge forward and pretend to strike their predators . if the predator gets hit , it doesn ' t harm them at all , it is just a very brave bluff . in some ways it is similar in appearance to papilio troilus , which is probably adopting the same strategy . the adult is a less interesting looking nectar feeding moth . hemeroplanes triptolemus is known from central and tropical south america . http : / / www . odditycentral . com / animals / hemeroplanes - triptolemus - the - creepy - snake - thats - actually - a - harmless - caterpillar . html http : / / www . boards . ie / vbulletin / showthread . php ? p = 74571894 the phoenix rises again after 2000 years . phoenix dactylifera is one of if not the oldest cultivated fruit in the world , with evidence of them being cultivated as early as 6000 bc . they are commonly known as date palms and as the name suggests they are the sources of the fruit known as dates . they are highly tolerant to arid conditions growing in many areas of the middle east and north africa . like many arid species their seeds are highly resistant to ageing and can last a long time before conditions are appropriate for them to germinate and grow . so how long can their seed last ? the judean date palm , which is a subspecies of date palm which used to be common in ancient judea , was believed to have gone extinct around 500 ad . apparently they used to be a major part of the judean economy before the destruction of the second temple . they apparently used to form thick forests in their ideal climates and were a very effective agricultural crop given the harsh conditions of the region . in the 1960s a jar of stored date palms from the fortress at masada were excavated . they were carbon dated to between 155 bc and 64 ad . they are likely to be from the latter part of this time frame as the siege of masada ended in either 73 or 74 ad . three of these seeds were planted in 2005 in southern israel , and one of them sprouted . despite the fact that the original leaves that sprouted looked practically dead as they were densely covered in white lines the plant survived and by 2010 the plant grew to 2 meters tall . the plant was named methuselah as it has lived for so long . unfortunately date palms require male and female plants to germinate and it is impossible to grow a pure judean date palm from a single specimen . methuselah is a male plant and will be crossed with similar date palm subspecies in order to get a hybrid . date palms are probably native to mesopotamia and the levant but have been cultivated across in many warm parts of the world both humid and arid . the name for the genus phoenix is quite appropriate considering that this subspecies has risen again from the ashes of extinction . http : / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / judean _ date _ palm # mediaviewer / file : judeandatepalmmethuselah . jpg like many other sea lilies , they superficially look more like plants than animals , wut animals they are . they are filter feeders . their appendages bear long thin filament which are used for trapping food . they have a stalk which in most sea lily species is long and slender but is reduced in this species . the stalk anchors them to the ocean floor . sea lilies are echinoderms , the same phylum as sea stars , sea urchins and sea cucumbers . sea lilies are members of the order class crinoidea , a group which used to be much more diverse . articulata is the only subclass which survives . today ' s bizarre creature is another flower that looks like something else , only this time it is not an orchid . impatiens bequaertii doesn ' t have a common name . it looks like a dancing girl . the various lobes of the flowers are often arranged differently giving it the appearance of different dancing poses . impatiens bequaertii is native to east african rain forest . it is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in various parts of the world . there are some people who think that we have a pretty good idea of what lives on earth . they think that new species are all just similar versions of a previously known species . every now and then a discovery like this one last year just blows that idea away . dendrogramma is a genus of something or other described in 2014 from specimens collected in 1986 . it probably took so long to describe because anyone who saw it immediately recognized that it wasn ' t in their group . the truth is it does not belong to any known group of animals , although it is an animal . ir has not been formally given its own phylum yet , but i am pretty sure it will soon . the long tube like structure carries the mouth while the flat end probably anchors the animal down to a surface . the animal has a gastrovascular system and seems to exhibit bilateral symmetry . dendrogramma were collected at 400 and 1000 meters south east of tasmania . there are two species of dendrogramma and for now the genus has been assigned to kingdom animalia only . brahmaea is a genus of moth commonly called the brahmin moth , or as a juvenile the brahmin moth caterpillar . the adults have some kind of psychedelic pattern which hypnotizes you if you stare at it too long . i used to wonder why venomoth could do psychic moves until i learnt about this moth . but all that is nothing compared to what the juvenile has going on : i don ' t think we have figured out what those structures are for , but they do give it a bizarre appearance . brahmaea have an oriental distribution meaning they are found in a east and south east asia including the south east asian islands as well as the subcontinent . my regular readers may remember the post on square arechea . today i am posting another species of halobacteria , halorubrum lacusprofundi . halobacteria are a class of archea . this may seem confusing as their name contains the word bacteria , which are completely different from archea . for this reason they are usually referred to as haloarchea . halorubrum lacusprofundi lives in water which is saturated or close to saturated with salt , a very hostile environment for most living things on earth . they are named after deep lake in antarctica where they were found . deep lake gets to temperatures of - 20 degrees celsius . hang on , you ' re probably thinking , wouldn ' t the lake freeze over at those temperatures ? this lake doesn ' t because it is so salty the freezing point is significantly lower than normal . the lake contains an average of 27 ÷ salt . oddly enough the highly specialized halorubrum lacusprofundi was not the only microbial species to be found in this ridiculously hostile environment . several other species including some algae were found , but i chose to write about this one as it is named after the lake ( lacusprofundi meaning deep lake ) . as far as i can tell halorubrum lacusprofundi has only been found in deep lake , antarctica . http : / / www . biotechniques . com / news / antarctic - microbes - survival - tricks - revealed / biotechniques - 341689 . html ? autnid = 323692 # . vuy7m _ mqpbc grylloblattodea are either an order or a suborder of insects , depending on who you ask . you can call them ice crawlers or rock crawlers . there are a confusing group , even their name suggesting that they have some characteristics of both crickets and cockroaches . most insects thrive in hot weather , but these guys have evolved specifically to increase their metabolism in the cold . their optimal living temperature is between 1 and 4 degrees celsius . they live close to the soil among sheets of ice and sometimes even among glaciers . they feed mostly on dead arthropods . ice crawlers can be found in mountainous regions of northern asia and the west of north america . as i mentiones there are some entomologists who think the grylloblattodea should be an order unto themselves , but for now i am happy to call them a suborder of notoptera , which also includes mantophasmatidea . the closest relative to the notoptera is probably either dermaptera or orthoptera or both . http : / / entomology . osu . edu / bugdoc / shetlar / 462 / 462insectorders / orders16 . htm myctophidae are a family of deep sea fish known as lantern fish . they are called lanternfish because of their tendency to light up like a lantern . as they live so far below the ocean surface that light cannot penetrate to their depth they need light patterns for sight to be useful in recognizing other members of the same species for mating . some of these light patterns can be quite spectacular . lanternfish are actually quite common in the deep ocean and probably make up the majority of the fish species down there . they are known to follow a classic diel vertical migration pattern . lanternfish are found in all the world ' s oceans at depths of between 400 and 900 meters . the top ten has been updated again . check it out here dinochelus ausubeli is a recently discovered ( 2007 ) lobster which is sometimes called the terrible claw lobster . it has several long , narrow tooth - like spikes on the inside of margin of their claws . the right claw is grossly elongated and is several times larger than the left claw . we don ' t know what they use this freaky looking claw for . the terrible claw lobster was found off the phillipine island of luzon at a depth of about 250 m . done looking ? this is an unusual species of squid called a banded piglet squid . it looks a bit like an animal with a cartoon face , but that is not a face at all . its tentacles look like hair while colour patterns form what looks like eyes and a mouth an a fin like flap forms what looks like a nose . like many deep sea creatures it can produce light . the young quite a bit different to the adults . the piglet squid can be found in trapical waters all over the world and in the temperate north atlantic . they lusually live between 100 and 200 m below the surface getting deeper as they get older . tetragnatha guatemalensis is a species of spider which , as far as i know , doesn ' t have a common name . they are a species of spider which commonly live in large colonies . i there colonies several different spiders build communal ' sheet ' webs , often adding constructing webs between two other webs . the strength of structural spider webs mean that these communal webs can get quite large . they are by no means the only species of spider which does this , but these guys have set a record . in october 2009 a waste water treatment plant in baltimore was over - run by an enormous colony of spiders . the colony had formed a variety of structures reinforcing a colonial web which was found throughout the 4 acre facility . there were an estimated 107 million spiders in the colony and an estimated 80 million of them were tetragnatha guatemalensis . there are around 6 million people in the entire state of maryland . tetragnatha guatemalensis can be found in various locations across north and central america . they love man made structures . http : / / texasento . net / social _ spider . htm it ' s time for another assassin bug . this one is a subfamily called triatominae or commonly called kissing bugs or cone - nose bugs . most assasin bugs are specialist hunters employing a myriad of cool tricks to capture and kill other arthropods for food . these guys suck the blood of vertebrates , and yes that includes you . they are called kissing bugs because of their unusual inclination to bite you on the lip . bites from a triatomine assassin bug are only mildly painful and while they don ' t produce any harmful toxins they have been known to carry some nasty diseases which they can transmit into your body , most notably chagas disease . triatomine assasin bugs have a pantropical distribution but a most diverse and most abundant in the neotropical region . leucochloridium paradoxum is a parasitic flatworm which uses snails as a intermediate host and birds as the definitive host . these flatworms usually infect snails as juveniles via bird droppings . once inside a snail they begin to mature in the digestive system . when they are nearly ready to reach adulthood the worm will move to the snails antenna , preferably the left antenna . it then reduces the light sensitivity in the snail so it spends more time out in the open making it easier prey for a bird . but it doesn ' t stop there . the flatworm changes the colour of the antenna to something more like a tasty caterpillar so the birs will be more attracted to them . they also cause the antenna to pulsate and change color so they are more noticable to birds . watch it happen here : their ultimate objective is to cause the snail to get eaten so they can reach adulthood and reproduce in their definitive host . leucochloridium paradoxum is found in northern and central europe . http : / / parasitophilia . blogspot . com . au / 2013 / 01 / leucochloridium - paradoxum . html you may have heard of bipes biporus under the name of mexican mole lizard . if you are wondering what it is , i assure you it is a lizard . it just looks like a weird worm . they grow up to 24 cm in length and live underground feeding of subterranean insects like ants . they occasionally make trips to the surface after heavy rain . mexican mole lizards are endemic to the californian peninsula , mexico . http : / / www . bluechameleon . org / photo % 20 & % 20image % 20stockpile % 20 - % 20bcv / web % 20 - % 20bipes % 20biporus . htm antirrhinum is a genus of commonly cultivated garden plants known as snapdragons . the flower looks fairly ordinary in itself . it earned the name snap dragon because when the lateral margins are squeezed it looks a little like a dragon opening its mouth . species of antirrhinum can be found in europe , north africa and north america . http : / / www . kuriositas . com / 2013 / 07 / the - dragons - skull - macabre - appearance - of . html there are currently 652 unused creatures in my backlog . if i can ' t thick of anything else to add to the list i will run out of material on 22 / 03 / 2017 . if you have any creatures to suggest , please let me know , details are on the contact me page . this was last updated on 10 / 06 / 2015 . picture window theme 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the passion flower feather star is native to the coasts of southeastern australia down to depths of about 110 metres ( 360 ft ) . its range extends from masthead island in queensland and the mouth of the clarence river in new south wales to port philip bay in victoria . it is found on rocks and rubble in sheltered bays , in estuaries and on reefs .