Category: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS


6-15-17 Orange-spotted Filefish from Ron’s Animal Attraction Series

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
June 15, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes)
Family: Monacanthidae (Filefishes)

Genus/species: Oxymonacanthus longirostris

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: their color is pale blue with about eight longitudinal rows of orange-yellow patches, or green with small dark-edged yellow to orange spots.Their is a dark spot on the caudal fin. The snout is long with a small upturned mouth;

Length up to 12 cm (4.72 in)

DISTRIBUTION/ HABITAT: They are found in the Indo-Pacific. in clear lagoons and seaward reefs.

DIET IN THE WILD: Feeds almost exclusively on Acropora polyps throughout the day. The protruding snout and teeth that project from small mouth, permit them to snip off coral polyps. In captivity they can be fed a number of other food items, such as fish eggs, tiny mysid shrimp, and flake and pellet food.

 

REPRODUCTION: The Orange Spotted Filefish are found in pairs or small groups and nests near the bases of dead corals, often on clumps of algae. Monogamous except if the male population dwindles, then the largest males, become polygamous, breeding with more than one female. The male chatters his mouth along the underside of the female’s jaw presumably to synchronize the spawn. The female places her abdomen into the algae, and the male joins her alongside to fertilize. Non-guarders.

REMARKS: O.longirostris feeds on Acropora corals in Australia, ingesting coral chemicals which cause them to take on the scent of their food (Acropora).  This is the first time scientists have discovered a vertebrate chemically camouflaging itself via its diet, The cod were less active and spent less time hunting around the filefish that ate Acropora than around the fish that ate Pocillopora, indicating that the cod could not detect the Acropora-eating filefish.

References

California Academy of Sciences Animal Attractions Rich Ross 2017

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/4540304067/in/set-72157625020091079/

News National Geographic.com  news.nationalgeographic.com/news/fish-smell-like-the-cora…

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Oxymonacanthus-longirostris.html

EOL eol.org/pages/204726/details

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-oY



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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6-7-17 False Clownfish aka Nemo from Ron’s Animal Attraction Series

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
June 7, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order:Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Pomacentridae (Damselfishes, Chromis, Aneomonefishes)
Subfamily: Amphiprioninae (anemonefishes)

Genus/species: Amphiprion ocellaris

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Adults are orange with three broad vertical white bands with thin black margins. Females are larger than males. Similar to the Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) but has 11 spines in the dorsal fin compared to 10, while the spiny part of the dorsal fin is also taller.

Length up to 9 cm (3.5 inches)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Found among tropical Pacific Ocean coral reefs. They sleep and feed among the tentacles of their host anemone. Stichodactyla gigantea, Stichodactyla mertensi, as well as the anemone Heteractis magnifica and others. The False Clownfish is usually found at depths of about 15 m (50 ft).

(Amphiprion ocellaris) aka FALSE CLOWNFISH

DIET IN THE WILD: Feeds primarily on zooplankton, especially copepods and also on filamentous algae.

REPRODUCTION: A. ocellaris breeds continuously at the Steinhart. Adhesive eggs are laid on a patch of cleared rock near the host anemone’s base and guarded by the male. Eggs hatch after 10 days. The tiny transparent planktonic larvae swim away from the anemone. Two weeks later the larvae metamorphose into small fish. As protandrous hermaphrodites; all individuals mature as males, and all females are sex-reversed males. In the absence of a female the largest male will turn into a female.

Longevity: Up to 12 years in captivity

REMARKS:  Clownfish and anemone display a classic case of mutualism. Clownfish become resistant to their host by gradually (matter of minutes to days) acquiring a covering of mucus
by brushing against the tentacles of their host. Once the fish has become chemosensorilly camouflaged, the host anemone’s nematocysts do not sting the clownfish.

Some of the anemone’s nutrition results from the clownfish’s activities; clownfish gain protection among the anemone’s nematocysts.

Nemo and his parents in Finding Nemo resemble this species. That said, Marlin, Nemo’s father, given the scenario would have changed into a female following the death of Nemo’s mother and remained near his host anemone, rather than swimming to Sydney. But then the film makers wouldn’t have a narrative to support this film! The name “Nemo” has found its way into FishBase (http://www.fishbase.org) as a common name for this species in the USA!        

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine coral reef 2016

Animal Diversity Web  animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amphiprion_ocellaris/

fishbase  fishbase.org/summary/Amphiprion-ocellaris.html

Flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608339622313/

WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-mp

 

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6-2-17 Neolamprologus species from Ron’s Tanganyilkan shell dwelling cichlid Series

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, FRESH WATER FISHES — Leave a comment
June 2, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Tribe: Lamprologini

Genus/species: Neolamprologus species

Male Neolamprologus brevis for example reach lengths of just 4.5 cm (1.75 inches) while females are even smaller, around 3 cm (1.25 inches) long. These cichlids probably evolved from fish that lived in rocky cave, but pressure from competition and the many predators of Lake

Lake Tanganyika has very high levels of carbonate hardness, and the calcium in the water ensures that empty shells dissolve much more slowly than they do in most rivers and lakes. In some places there are piles of shells more than 3 metres (10 feet) deep.

DIET IN THE WILD: Zooplankton and small invertebrates

REPRODUCTION: To protect their young eggs are laid by the female within a shell and fertilized as she lays them or immediately after by the male.The female protect the eggs within the shell by fanning her pectoral fins to keep the internal water oxygenated, and often rearranging the substrate to create barriers or to hide the shell from predators.

The eggs hatch within 48 hours, and the yolk sac is absorbed within five days. Fry typically emerge from the shell a week after spawning and they remain benthic for days or weeks after their emergence.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Animal Attractions 2017

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/15764972796/in/album-72157629304397467/

EOL eol.org/pages/5344/details

Conscientious Aquarium www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_7/volume_7_1/shell_dwell.html

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1PB

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6-1-17 Chaitika White from Ron’s Tanganyikan Cichlid Series

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, FRESH WATER FISHES — Leave a comment
June 1, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae

Genus/species: Altolamprologus calvus

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The body colors will vary between a black to a light whitish gray,and be with or without a yellow cast. They are laterally compressed body, a steep sloping forehead, stripes that are more apparent on the head and collar region, and brilliant white spots that decorate the posterior two-thirds of their flanks. Large dorsal fin running along the entire length of the back. It has a scaleless area on its forehead right between the eyes. Hence its species name “calvus” means “bald”

Length up to six inches, Males are about one-third larger than females.

DISTRIBUTION: One of 200 Cichlid species in Lake Tanganyika.
HABITAT: Rocky areas, particularly the reef-like structures in the lake.

DIET: Predator, and specializes in snatching young cichlids and tiny crustaceans found between rock crevices and rock piles.

Black Calvus  Altolamprologus calvus

REPRODUCTION: Spawning takes place in a cave, shell, or crevice too small for the male to enter. The male will release his milt at the entrance. The female will stay inside fanning the eggs and protecting them while the male guards outside. Typical spawns may number as many as 200 which take more than a week before they hatch and are mature enough to move out on their own.

Longevity: up to 8 years

IUCN Near Threatened                                                                                                                                                                        Excess sediment has its most severe effects on the rocky areas inhabited by Altolamprologus calvus, filling crevices and blanketing its food source. In addition there are rising levels of toxic heavy metals in the lake’s water.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Animal Attractions 2017

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/8393611475/in/album-72157629304397467/

Archive www.arkive.org/tanganyika-blackfin/altolamprologus-calvus/

 IUCN www.iucnredlist.org/details/60455/0

 Animal World  animal world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/WhitePearlyCalvus.ph

 Ron’s WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-qc

 

 

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5-30-17 Surinam Toad from Ron’s Amphibian Series

Filed under: AMPHIBIANS, ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS — Leave a comment
May 30, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order: Anura
Family: Pipadae

Genus/species: Pipa pipa

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The stout body has a triangular head, small black beadlike eyes and nostrils at the end of two narrow tubes on its snout. Huge, webbed rear feet are used for propulsion. It is dark gray to brown color, along with flaps and projections of skin on the jaw and around the body, helping it blend into the surroundings.

Length up to 20 cm (8 in). Weight: 3.5 to 5.6 ounces.

DIET IN THE WILD: Juveniles are cannibals and predators. Adults  lye patiently in wait locating food with long fingers with star-shaped tactile organs on its fingertips in murky water P. pipa does not have teeth or a tongue, so its large mouth helps it swallow food whole eating  fish, worms, insects, and crustaceans.

 

REPRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT: Males utilize a rapidly repeated clicking sound to attract mates. Grasping the female from above, the male fertilizes the eggs as they are extruded. The male and female somersault together through the water, as fertilized eggs are released. Given the female’s swimming dexterity and an assist by the male, the eggs are placed on her back where they embed in the skin, which has become soft during mating season. Within 24 hours the female’s skin begins to swell around her eggs forming skin-covered pockets. Larvae mature through the tadpole stage within these pockets for 12–20 weeks, and eventually emerge as fully formed toads, though they are less than 2 cm (0.8 in) long. Surinam toads have reproduced successfully at the Steinhart for many years.

Mortality/Longevity: Though they often seem all skin and no flesh, these toads are eaten by some indigenous Amazonian peoples and other aquatic predators.Lives up to 8 years.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Least Concern

REMARKS: Like all Pipidae, it lacks a tongue. The clicking sound they make is produced by snapping the hyroid bone in their throats.
Pipid frogs seem more specialized for an aquatic life style than any other group of frogs as suggested by their flat bodies, dorsal eyes, the lateral line system of the adult, extensive webbing, powerful hind limbs that cannot be folded under the body, and elaborate aquatic courtship behaviors.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium animal attractions 2017

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3399392575/in/set-72157608456457315

Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pipa_pipa/

Amphibiaweb http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Pipa&where-species=pipa

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-pF

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4-11-16 Squarespot Anthias from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
April 11, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia 
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) 
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes) 
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Subfamily: Anthiinae (Anthias)
Continue reading →

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4-16-13 Coconut Octopus from Ron’s Mollusk Series

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, INDO-PACIFIC, INVERTEBRATES, MOLLUSKS, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
April 16, 2013

TAXONOMY
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae.

Genus/species: Amphioctopus marginatus

 


GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
The main body (mantle) is small to medium-sized, 5–8 cm (15 cm [6 in] including arms) in length. The arms are usually dark with contrasting white suckers. They have only soft bodies with no internal skeleton with a hard parrot-like beak allowing them to hide in very small spaces.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT
The tropical western Pacific and coastal waters of the Indian Ocean on sandy bottoms.

DIET: Shrimp, crabs, and clams. A.marginatus uses its sharp parrot-like beak to crush the shells of its prey. Shells of prey that are difficult to pull or bite open can be “drilled” in order to gain access to the soft tissue: salivary secretions soften the shell, and a tiny hole is created with the radula (a rasp-like structure of tiny teeth used for scraping food particles off a surface). The octopus then secretes a toxin that paralyzes the prey and begins to dissolve it. The shell is pulled apart and the soft tissues are consumed.

REPRODUCTION: Octopus reproduction strategy provides a counterpoint to the male sacrifice of the flower mantis and the bird-eater tarantula,  The coconut octopus female mates with the male, and retreats into a den where she lays her eggs. At this point, she no longer feeds, instead spending the rest of her now short life protecting her eggs from predators and continually cleaning and aerating them.  She dies shortly after the hatching of her eggs and their subsequent entry into the plankton.

Egg mass below

MORTALITY/LONGEVITY:  10–12 months

REMARKS: The species’ common name derives from this octopus’ habit of carrying around coconut shell halves, by fitting its body into the bowl and extending rigid arms from the coconut’s edge to the substrate and tiptoeing away in gait called “stilt-walking”  or bipedal walking.    

Below A. marginatus using a shell. 

IMG_0198

The Steinhart is the first public aquarium in the U.S. to display the coconut octopus.  Our octopus was collected by Bart Shepherd, Curator of the Steinhart Aquarium, during a 2011 research expedition to the Philippines.

flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/6776485376/in/set-72157608597736188

WORDPRESS SHORTLINK http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-pu


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2-13-13 Emperor Scorpion from Ron’s Arthropod Series (Venomous)

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, ARTHROPODS, INVERTEBRATES — Leave a comment
February 13, 2013

TAXONOMY
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Arachnida
Order Scorpiones,
Family Scorpanidae (Scorpions)

Genus/species: Pandinus imperator

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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The largest scorpion known, (length to 20 cm (8 in); weight to 30 g (1 oz). Its black body bears large, blackish-red pincers with a granular appearance. The long tail, which arches back over the body, is tipped with a sharp curved stinger that delivers venom produced from a gland in the attached bulb.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: West Africa Tropical forest and open savanna where it hides under rocks, burrows beneath the soil, or cohabits termite mounds.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The largest scorpion known, (length to 20 cm (8 in); weight to 30 g (1 oz). Its black body bears large, blackish-red pincers with a granular appearance. The long tail, which arches back over the body, is tipped with a sharp curved stinger that delivers venom produced from a gland in the attached bulb.

DIET IN THE WILD: It preys upon ground-dwelling insects, spiders, and other invertebrates as well as an occasional baby lizard, snake, or mouse. These large scorpions rarely sting small prey; instead they grasp the prey in powerful pincers and tear it apart. The venom is reserved for larger prey or defense.

REPRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT: During mating, the male finds a suitable spot where he deposits his sperm packet, called a spermatophore. He then engages the female in an elaborate mating dance above the spermatophore with the male holding up the pincers of the female with his own, and carefully maneuvering her over the spermatophore, which she draws up into her genital pore. The eggs are fertilized, and the female carries them internally. After a 7 to 9 month gestation period, she gives birth to between 9 to 32 live young. The newborn climb onto the mother’s back, protected from predators by her size and aggressive behavior. Until the young are capable of hunting on their own, the mother feeds them by killing insects which are left on the floor of the burrow or other enclosure where the young can climb down and feed in safety.

PREDATORS: Predators include birds, bats, small mammals, large spiders, centipedes, large lizards, and other scorpions. Life span: 5 to 8 years.

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REMARKS: Sensory hairs on the pincers and tail enable the scorpion to detect prey and danger through vibrations from the air and ground. Like all scorpions, it has poor eyesight (despite having 6 to 12 eyes), good hearing, a good sense of touch and is venomous.

ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608653175263/with/7595589286/

WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Q4

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8-7-12 Plating Hydnophora aka Horn Coral from Ron’s Marine Series (Philippine coral Reef)

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, CNIDARIANS, CORAL REEF, INVERTEBRATES, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
August 7, 2012

TAXONOMY

KINGDOM Animalia

PHYLUM Cnidaria (possess cnidocytes)

CLASS Anthozoa (Sea Anemones and Corals)

SUBCLASS Hexacorallia (water-based organisms formed of colonial polyps generally with 6-fold symmetry)

ORDER Scleractinia (Stony Corals)

FAMILY Merulinidae

GENUS Hydnophora sp.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Hexacoral or stonycorals with colonies that may be massive, encrusting, or branched; usually brown, greenish, or yellowish. Conical protuberances over the entire colony’s surface. Tentacles often partially extended during the day.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT
Widely distributed in the Indo- Pacific. Common in variety of reef habitats.

DIET IN THE WILD
Nutrition mostly provided by symbiotic zooxanthellae, but also take other food sources, such as plankton.

REPRODUCTION: The small polyp stony (SPS) corals are male and female and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. They reproduce sexually by releasing eggs and sperm at the same time (spawning), resulting in a fertilized egg which then forms into a free-swimming planula larva. Eventually the planula larvae settles onto the substrate, becoming plankters. This then forms a tiny polyp which begins to excrete calcium carbonate and develops into a coral. Planula larvae are extremely vulnerable to predation, and very few survive. Hydnophoras reproduce asexually from breakage due to storms resulting in fragmentation.

REMARKS: Hydnophora are very aggressive and can extend sweeper polyps and sting or basically eat other corals it touches.

LOCATION; Main Philippine Coral Reef Tank PR04

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/4673421321/in/set-72157623778757037/

WORDPRESS SHORTLINK  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-nP

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3-20-12 Brown Garden Snails from Ron’s Animal Attractions Series (Exhibit)

Filed under: ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS, MOLLUSKS — 2 Comments
March 20, 2012

TAXONOMY

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Molluska, Class Gastropoda, Family Helicidae,

Genus/species:   Cornu aspersum aka Helix aspersa

DISTRIBUTON:  Native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe, from northwest Africa and Iberia east to Asia Minor, and north to the British Isles. Has become very abundant in all human-disturbed habitats in regions with a temperate climate.

APPEARANCE:  hard, thin calcareous shell 25–40 mm in diameter and 25–35 mm high, with four or five whorls. The shell is somewhat variable in color and shade but is generally dark brown or chestnut with yellow stripes, flecks, or streaks. The body is soft and slimy, brownish-grey, and is retracted entirely into the shell when the animal is inactive or threatened.  The head bears four tentacles, the upper two of which have eye-like light sensors, and the lower two of which are smaller, tactile and olfactory sensory structures.

DIET: Herbivore and has a wide range of host plants (It feeds on plants only). It feeds on numerous types of fruit trees, vegetable crops, garden flowers, and cereals.

REPRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT:  Like other Pulmonata, C.aspera is a hermaphrodite, producing both male and female gametes. Mating garden snails shoot at one another with long, sharp “love” darts. If a dart hits its mark, it improves that snail’s odds of reproduction.  For garden snails, there’s more to sex than shooting darts. But “he” can’t fertilize “her” own eggs, so it must mate with another. Courtship takes hours as two snails rub bodies, exchange “love” bites and wave the tentacles on their heads.

ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS

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