What in the larval world is this?
No one at Duke seems to know what this is. Southern Fried Scientist has allowed me to copy verbatim his post in the hopes that maybe someone out there in TO95's world knows what this is!
~Southern Fried Scientist
No one at Duke seems to know what this is. Southern Fried Scientist has allowed me to copy verbatim his post in the hopes that maybe someone out there in TO95's world knows what this is!
~Southern Fried Scientist
Posted by Kevin Zelnio at 3:40 PM 6 comments
Posted by Kevin Zelnio at 10:40 AM 0 comments
Hat tip to DrM at DSN
via videosift.com
Posted by Eric Heupel at 12:48 PM 4 comments
Labels: Invert vs Vert
Beetles in the Bush has the 47th edition of the Circus of the Spineless up! A nicely laid out post with 16 fabulous submissions spanning a wide range of terrestrial, marine and aquatic critters.
Matthew Sarver from the Modern Naturalist
is hosting edition #48! You can submit entries via his contact page.
Posted by Kevin Zelnio at 12:01 PM 2 comments
Labels: Blog Carnivals, Circus of the Spineless
Great job to Kate who posted the latest installment of the Circus of the Spineless (#46!) up at Adventures of a Free Range Urban Primate. A fantastic edition, I'm glad to see new faces in there.
I'm looking for hosts for May and beyond. Leave a comment or send me an email if you'd like to host! Next month will be hosted by Ted at Beetles in the Bush, makes sure you get your submission in by January 30. You can contact him here.
Posted by Kevin Zelnio at 8:59 PM 0 comments
Labels: Circus of the Spineless
Looking for something invertebrate inspired to give for Christmas, Cephalopodmas or Chanukah?
Noadi may very well have you covered. In her etsy store she has a variety of primarily cephalopod themed earrings and necklaces. A small sampling can be seen in the photo below:
Posted by Eric Heupel at 4:14 PM 1 comments
Labels: Invert Art, Invert Inspiration
From EvolDir:
M.Sc. position: Marine invertebrate population genetics.
I seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate to fill a fully funded MSc position in the Department of Biology at University of New Brunswick (Fredericton). The project will use DNA sequence variation to assess the level of genetic subdivision and patterns of gene flow among populations of the abundant marine amphipod Corophium volutator. The successful candidate will join a multi-disciplinary collaboration between researchers at UNB, Carleton University, and Mount Allison University. Our aim is to model the environmental interactions between climate driven processes and the population dynamics of C. volutator throughout the mudflats in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.
For more information about the Biology Department, see:
http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/biology/
For information about Graduate Studies at UNB, see:
http://www.unb.ca/gradschl/
For enquires, or to apply, email a CV or resume, a letter of interest, unofficial transcripts and contact information for 3 references to Jason Addison (jaddison at unb dot ca). The review of applications will begin immediately and will remain open until the position is filled. Work could potentially begin anytime, but admittance to the Graduate Studies program is expected in January, May, or September of 2010.
Posted by Kevin Zelnio at 1:59 AM 0 comments
Labels: Amphipoda, Canada, Work with an Invert
Just a quick note, a note of thanks!
The ocean blogging and ocean twitter communities really came through in a huge way today for Donors Choose. HP had an offer to put $2000 into the Oceans in the Classroom Initiative but only if the community could raise $2000 by midnight on Sunday the 25th. As late as 11pm it seemed a long shot with over $500 left to go. But it happened. With matching $$$ and swag from Kevin and Rick, it happened. Thanks to HP, the $2019 you all have contributed will now be doubled.
But...
There are still many more ocean themed projects out there to fund, so if you haven't yet donated, please do. We do so want to give some of these hundreds of kids the opportunity to get hooked on science and the ocean with all it marvels.
So now I still owe 2 more cards. Pick a card any card...
Posted by Eric Heupel at 1:17 AM 4 comments
Labels: Cards, Ocean in the Classroom
We've got two new Ocean Inspired Donors Choose projects that have been funded in the Oceans in the Classroom Challenge! The first one that was funded on Thursday was the awesome Invertebrates in my Tank project that will provide lots of kids with the opportunity to explore one of our favorite subjects: marine inverts!
The Inverts in my Tank card is the 6 of Spades — The Slipper Snail, Crepidula fornicata.
Classification for the Atlantic Slippersnail
Proestou DA, Goldsmith MR, & Twombly S (2008). Patterns of male reproductive success in Crepidula fornicata provide new insight for sex allocation and optimal sex change. The Biological bulletin, 214 (2), 194-202 PMID: 18401001
Richard, J., Huet, M., Thouzeau, G., & Paulet, Y. (2006). Reproduction of the invasive slipper limpet, Crepidula fornicata, in the Bay of Brest, France Marine Biology, 149 (4), 789-801 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-005-0157-4
Posted by Eric Heupel at 12:32 PM 0 comments
Labels: Cards, Mollusca, Ocean in the Classroom, Outreach
As we pull into NYC on the Amtrack for a science filled weekend, Mrs. S's class in Rhode Island have gotten fully funded for their new waders as part of the Oceans in the Classroom Challenge. Hopefully they are thinking about getting in some clamming very soon! While they are out there wading in the beautiful coastal waters of Rhode Isalnd, they will no doubt see many Atlantic Oyster Drills as well since Urosalpinx cinerea is a pretty common sight around here (here being eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island). Unfortunately it is also becoming more common on the west coast in areas like Puget Sound where it is an invasive species, as well as being a nuisance to oyster fisheries on both coasts.
Even though it is a nuisance to mollusc fisheries and aquaculture, I can't help but like this particular carnivorous gastropod. It lives in the harsh intertidal zone, an area where it may well probably the most effective hunter. It "smells" out it's prey in the water: young oysters, young clams, or the thinner shelled blue mussels. Once located the one inch predator climbs onto its prey and grabs it firmly with its foot. Then the drilling begins.
Using its radula, a ribbon like organ with rows of tiny teeth on it, the oyster drill rasps away at the shell, scraping bits of the calcium shell. After rasping for a time the oyster drill brings out its secret weapon, the accessory boring organ (ABO). The oyster drills use of the ABO was described originally by Mel Carriker while he was a graduate student in the late 1930's early 1940's, we have featured his video and explanation of the drilling before (highly recommended!). Between 1 minute raspings with the radula the drill presses the ABO against the drilling site for 30 minutes, releasing calcium dissolving acid to soften the next layer of shell and make the drilling easier. Depending on the thickness of the preys shell, the process may take upwards of a day to complete. Yes the oyster drill is persistent!
Once through the shell the oyster drill inserts its proboscis through the hole and releases digestive enzymes into the prey shell ans slurps the resulting liquefied meat back up through the hole via its proboscis.
Another cool detail about the oyster drill is that unlike most other gastropods, the oyster drill does not have a planktonic larval stage. The oyster drill lays its eggs that each have up to 12 young in them under rocks and shells. The young snails eat their way out of the eggs and look like miniature adults.
Posted by Eric Heupel at 9:50 AM 2 comments
Labels: Cards, Mollusca, Ocean in the Classroom