Tag Archive: MOLLUSKS


3-18-13 Larger Pacific Striped Octopus from Ron’s Mollusk Series

Filed under: INVERTEBRATES, MOLLUSKS — Leave a comment
March 18, 2013

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae

Genus/species: Octopus (No species name at the current time).

Note: octopus chierchiae is the lesser Pacific striped octopus and has been studied more extensively .

9830791415_f30b68b649_k-1

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: This pigmy octopus has arms spans of some eight to 10 inches, Color varies. It can switch from a dark reddish hue to black with white stripes and spots in fluid waves and also assume different shapes, both flat and expanded. Thought to live in groups of up to 40 or more individuals in the wild.

Larger Pacific Striped Octopus 8584026008_f1f86341db_o

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Eastern Pacific off the coast of Central America. Found on sandy bottoms in intertidal areas.

DIET IN THE WILD: Shrimp, crabs and snails.Larger Pacific Striped Octopus IMG_6898

REPRODUCTION: Pairs of Larger Pacific Striped Octopuses live peacefully together in an aquarium, at times sharing a den. Mating is civil with a beak-to-beak, or sucker-to-sucker, position and their arms entwined for up to five minutes while the male inserts a sperm packet into the female. In contrast to other species which die after their first clutch of eggs this octopus lays many egg clutches in her lifetime.

REMARKS: Very rare, (Discovered 1991). Displayed only at the California Academy of Sciences.

Academy biologist Richard Ross, has spent the last 13 months raising and studying the behavior of this recently rediscovered species, along with Dr. Roy Caldwell of the University of California, Berkeley. They are currently studying the behavior of this species and working on a formal description and species name as well as are planning an expedition to observe them in their natural habitat in Nicaragua,

Reference:

California Academy of Sciences  http://www.calacademy.org/newsroom/releases/2013/rare_octopus.php

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink: http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-T5

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608597736188/with/8562294939/

California Academy of Sciences  http://bit.ly/1pgpXLI

California Academy of Sciences    http://calacademy.org/explore-science/raising-rare-octopus

Tags: , ,
Comment

1-28-13 Marble Cone Snail from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, MOLLUSKS, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
January 28, 2013

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Family: Conidae

Genus/species: Conus marmoreus

Marble Cone Snail IMG_8764

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Shell length to 10 cm or 4 inches. Flat, noduled spire. Reticulated pattern of black or dark brown with white patches overall.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Red Sea, Indo-Pacific in shallow water to 90 m or 300 ft in depth on coral reef platforms or lagoon pinnacles, as well as in sand, under rocks or sea grass.

DIET IN THE WILD: Molluscivore  A predator of predators; harpoons fishes, worms and other mollusks. Its “harpoon” is a single, specialized modified radula tooth equipped with a spearlike barbed tip. The barbed tooth has a groove through which the snail injects a neurotoxic peptide poison into its victim. The prey is paralyzed then the snail devours it.

Marble Cone Snail Conus marmoreus (Conidae)

REMARKS: Small cone snails pose little danger to humans beyond a beelike sting; however, large cone snails inject enough toxin to be deadly. About 30 human deaths have been attributed to cone snail envenomation
Research on cone snail peptide conotoxin toxins is an active field and has resulted in a new highly effective painkiller recently approved by the FDA that, unlike opium-derived medications, has a low risk of addiction.

Venoms Cluster PR26

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608597736188/

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

Tags: , , ,
Comment

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

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


Tags: ,
Comment

10-5-11 Coconut Octopus from Ron’s Mollusk Series

Filed under: INVERTEBRATES, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
October 5, 2011

Amphioctopus marginatus

Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Mollusca. Class: Cephalopoda, Order: Octopoda, Family: Octopodidae                                        

DISTRIBUTION: Tropical waters of the western of the western Pacific Ocean.

HABITAT: Sandy bottoms in bays or lagoons.

APPEARANCE: The main body of the octopus is typically around 8 centimeters (3 in) in size, and, with arms, approximately 15 centimeters (6 in) long. The octopus displays a typical color pattern with dark divergent lines similar to veins, usually with a yellow siphon The arms are usually dark in color, with contrasting white suckers. In many color displays, a lighter trapezoidal area can be seen immediately below the eye.

DIET: Shrimp, clams and crabs.

REMARKS: A. marginatus  is one of only two octopus species known to display such behavior, the other being Abdopus aculeatus.   A. marginatus  has been observed using discarded coconut shells as a shelter.

LINK  to National Geographic video  http://www.indiesquidkid.com/tag/amphioctopus/

 LOCATION: STAFF PICK  SP04

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

Tags: , ,
Comment
%d bloggers like this: