ponticola cyrius is a species of gobiid fish endemic to the kura river in the southern caucasus countries of georgia , turkey , iran and azerbaijan .

it reaches a length of 13 centimetres ( 5.1 in ) sl .

it lives in the upper parts of the kura river , massuleh river and the pasikhan river and in the anzali mordab ( iran ) .

downstream in kura it is replaced by ponticola gorlap .

ponticola cyrius

ponticola cyrius <EOT> ponticola cyrius is a species of gobiid fish endemic to the kura river in the southern caucasus countries of georgia , turkey , iran and azerbaijan .

the sea breams or porgies are found in the atlantic , indian and pacific oceans and comprise about 36 genera and about 130 species ( nelson , 2006 ; eschmeyer and fong , 2011 ) . some commonly enter estuaries and penetrate up rivers . maximum length is about 1 . 2 m .

this family is characterised by a groove in the distal end of the premaxilla which accommodates the maxilla ; the body is oblong to ovate and is compressed ; the head is large with a steep upper profile ; the preopercle margin is smooth ; scales are weakly ctenoid , moderate in size and extend on to the cheeks and operculum ; teeth are conical to incisiform and molar teeth are found in some at the rear of the jaw ; there are no teeth on the vomer , palatines or tongue ; the dorsal fin is continuous with an anterior spiny portion and a soft - rayed posterior portion about equal in size ; with 10 - 13 spines and 10 - 15 soft rays respectively ; spines fold into a groove ; the anal fin has 3 spines ( the second the largest ) and 8 - 14 soft rays ; branchiostegal rays 5 - 6 ; branchiostegal rays 5 - 6 ; and lateral line not continued onto the caudal fin but with enlarged scales near the head .

many species in this family are hermaphrodites with male and female sex organs developing simultaneously , changing sex from male to female ( protandry ) , or from female to male ( protogyny ) . these fishes are often important as food or sought by anglers . young fish may very different in colour to adults , usually being more vividly coloured with distinctive patterns . most species are marine ( see marine list in checklists in the

) but a few enter fresh water and penetrate a considerable distance from the sea including one species in iran .

members of this genus have a compressed and moderately deep body , 4 - 6 enlarged incisiform teeth at the front of the jaws followed by 3 - 4 rows of molars , the second anal fin spine is longer than the third , there is a scaly sheath at the base of the dorsal and anal soft fins , and moderate - sized scales . iwatsuki and heemstra ( 2010 ) revised the genus in the western indian ocean .

شانك ( = shanak ) , شانك زردباله ( = shanak - e zardbaleh or yellowfin shanak ) .

[ shanak , shaghoom , shaam , sha ' m , shaem , sheim or sha - om in arabic ; yellow - finned porgy or seabream , yellow - finned black porgy , japanese silver bream ] .

al - hassan ( 1990 ) found differences in two meristic characters ( pectoral and dorsal fin ray counts ) but no differences in electrophoretic characters between populations from the shatt al arab and khor al zubair areas of southern iraq . he concludes that there is only one stock of this species in southern iraq as meristic variation may reflect environmental conditions .

this species is the only sparid member recorded from iranian freshwaters and is recognised by the dorsal fin spines alternately thick and thin and the colour pattern .

upper profile of head steep and convex back to above the posterior eye margin . the head bulges over the eye . dorsal fin spines 11 - 13 , soft rays 9 - 13 . anal fin with 3 spines , the second much stronger and wider than the third , and 8 - 9 soft rays . pectoral fin branched rays 10 - 16 . there is a strong spine in the pelvic fin and a well - developed axillary scale . lateral line scales 41 - 46 , or 48 - 50 , or up to 55 depending probably on differing counting methods . the scales are vertical ovals with the anterior margin wavy where radii intersect . they have very fine circuli , moderate numbers of posterior radii , a subcentral posterior focus , and ctenii on the central part of the posterior margin extending inwards towards the focus . four or five series of preopercular scales . the first pelvic fin ray is elongated as a small filament . there is a strong pelvic axillary scale . there are 3 - 4 scale rows sheathing the dorsal and anal fin bases . there are 4 - 6 compressed teeth in front of each jaw followed by 3 - 5 rows of molar teeth . the chromosome number is 2n = 48 ( klinkhardt

meristic values for iranian specimens are : - dorsal fin spines 12 , soft rays 10 , anal fin spines 3 , soft rays 8 , pectoral fin branched rays 13 , scales mostly lost .

this species is a protandrous hermaphrodite , being male early in its life and then becoming female later . catches will include males , females and hermaphrodites , e . g . in abu - hakima ' s ( 1984a ) study in kuwait , there were 326 males , 343 females and 41 hermaphrodites .

overall colour is a silvery - grey or silvery - white with the back darker and the belly yellowish . scales each have a dark , brownish to golden spot at the base which line up to form apparent stripes along the flank . there is a dark blotch at the upper corner of the gill opening , on both the body and gill cover . there is a dark band over the head between the eyes and the edge of the operculum is dark . dorsal fin spines are white and the membranes are grey , with dark margins between the spine tips . the soft dorsal fin is dark grey with a light orange tinge . there is a small back spot at the pectoral fin base and the fin is mostly hyaline with a light orange tinge . the anal and pelvic fins are a light yellowish - brown . the caudal fin is dark grey on the upper lobe and yellow on the lower with a black margin . the peritoneum is silvery brown in preserved fish with widely scattered melanophores .

found from the persian gulf to japan and north australia . recorded from the helleh river in bushehr province , iran ( j . holčík , pers comm . , 1995 ) , from the bahmanshir river ( marammazi , 1995 ; eskandary

this marine species enters rivers in southern iran and presumably freshwater stocks are maintained from this marine gene pool .

the usual habitat is over sand and rock bottoms in the sea down to about 50 m , but young fish may enter estuaries and may penetrate considerable distances inland , although some fish remain at sea permanently . the frequency of penetration into iranian rivers along the persian gulf coast is not known . larger specimens are known to penetrate the shatt al arab in autumn , october to december , and this water body is an important nursery for this species , found there year round as young . adults emigrate from january to march ( al - hassan , 1990 ; hussain

. , 1987 ) . at a freshwater station on the shatt al basrah canal with salinities up to 3 . 5‰ , al - daham and yousif ( 1990 ) found this species to be the second most dominant after

, comprising 7 . 1 % by number and 10 . 9 % by weight . al - daham

. ( 1993 ) found young fish in the shatt al basrah mostly from april to october . cage - cultured fish are reared at 14 - 31°c in kuwait bay ( abou - seedo

but not other species which begin to spawn in april ( abou - seedo and dadzie , 2004 ) . savari

. ( 2011 ) showed that hormones could also be used in this regard .

a fast growing and hardy fish . life in iranian fresh waters has not been studied and information is about marine or estuarine populations .

a study of fish in the shatt al basrah canal , a man - made estuary of southern iraq , was based on mostly small and immature fish ( 49 - 181 mm standard length ) caught mostly in april - october . the length - weight relationship was w = 0 . 0511 l 2 . 893 , the dominant age group was 1 + fish , the maximum age was 3 + years , fish grew to 95 , 155 and 215 mm total length in their first three years of life , and mortality ( z ) was 2 . 23 ( al - daham et al . , 1993 ) .

heydarnejad ( 2009 ) gave the length - weight relationship for an iranian sample as w = 0 . 0451tl 3 . 091 .

freshwater food habits not known for iran in detail but the one specimen examined contained plant fragments and scales of a cyprinid .

. ( 1993 ) have shown for fish from the shatt al arab near basrah , iraq that haematological parameters vary with reproductive phase and between sexes . cage - reared fish in kuwait bay have a prolonged spawning season from february to april . fecundity there is up to 3 , 837 , 000 eggs . spawning in the shatt al arab estuary is reported for april ( hussain and ahmed , 1995 ) and al - daham

. ( 1993 ) record a spawning season for the northwestern arabian ( = persian ) gulf as january to april with a peak in february and march . abu - hakima ( 1984a ) found the spawning period in kuwait waters to be january to march with fecundity up to 2 , 152 , 993 eggs . this species is a protandrous hermaphrodite with males dominating in smaller size groups ( 22 . 3 - 24 . 2 cm ) while females dominate in larger groups ( 24 . 3 - 26 . 2 cm ) ( abou - seedo

. , 2003 ) . samuel and mathews ( 1987 ) give a spawning date of 1 december for their kuwait sample . the gonadosomatic index was highest in february - march in hosseini ' s ( 1998 ) study in coastal waters of the northern persian gulf .

the average absolute fecundity in coastal waters near bushehr in iran was 1 , 842 , 700 , sex ratio was 1 : 1 , and the spawning peak was january - february ( hossini and savari , 2004 ) .

a good food fish of high market value seen in bazaars along the persian gulf coast and in the shatt al arab . it was selling at u . s . $ 3 . 5 - 5 . 5 per kg in kuwait about 1980 , with 213 tons landed in 1995 for a value of u . s . $ 1 , 769 , 407 ( abou - seedo

. , 2003 ) and this has been proposed for iranian waters in the persian gulf ( regunathan and kitto , 2005 ) . experimental culture has been tried at qeshm island where a million larvae were produced in march with 100 , 000 larvae 2 . 0 - 3 . 5 cm long surviving in may ( www . shilat . com , downloaded 7 june 2007 ) . it is caught by trawls , handlines , in hadra ( fixed stake nets ) and gargoor ( fish pots ) and in the sport fishery in the arabian ( = persian ) gulf ( samuel and mathews , 1987 ; carpenter

this marine species is fished commercially in the sea and populations there may be under some threat as a consequence . the status of freshwater populations is unclear as they appear quite rare and are presumably derived from marine populations at intervals .

the frequency of occurrence , detailed distribution and biology of this species in iranian fresh waters needs study .

iranian material : uncatalogued , 1 , 62 . 9 mm standard length , bushehr , about15 km above mouth in helleh river ( ca . 29

comparative material : bm ( nh ) 1974 . 2 . 22 : 1859 , 1 , 76 . 4 mm standard length , iraq , basrah ( 30º30 ' n , 47º47 ' e ) ; bm ( nh ) 1974 . 2 . 22 : 1858 , 1 , 76 . 3 mm standard length , iraq , beree ( no other locality data ) .

cichlids are found in fresh and brackish waters of central and south america , africa , madagascar , the levant , southern india , sri lanka and southern iran . there are about 221 genera and about 1606 species ( nelson , 2006 ; eschmeyer and fong , 2011 ) but only 1 is found in iran . maximum length is about 80 cm .

murray ( 2001 ) reviews the fossil record and the biogeography of the family and suggests an origin less than 65 mya in the early tertiary in contrast to other studies that give an origin over 130 million years ago . their salinity tolerance has enabled them to cross marine barriers .

mahi - e karoo , siklid irani , siklid - e hormuz , cichlid - e hormuz .

. , 2010 ) from northeast africa , on the basis of the low gill raker count , lower pharyngeal bone and teeth morphology , and morphometric characters such as a deep preorbital depth , long snout , head length and the small eye . trewavas ( 1983 ) places

trewavas , 1942 of the jordan river basin and that this requires further investigation . schwarzer

may be common responses to temperature and salinity extremes . in addition , trewavas ( 1983 ) suggests a possible relationship of

( hilgendorf , 1905 ) of the african rift valley . this species too is found in waters of high temperature and mineral content . klett and meyer ( 2002 ) group this genus with

the type locality is the " mehran river at 27°04 ' n , 54°35 ' e , hormozdgan province " ( coad , 1982a ) . the holotype , 94 . 2 mm standard length , is a female with eggs in the mouth held in the canadian museum of nature , ottawa under cmnfi 1979 - 0408a ( see figure above ) . paratypes are cmnfi 1979 - 0408b , 15 , 24 . 3 - 86 . 5 mm standard length , same locality as the holotype and cmnfi 1979 - 0139 , 35 , 29 . 6 - 95 . 2 mm standard length , stream in rasul river drainage between chahar berkeh and tang - e dalan , ca . 27°25 . 5 ' n , 54°59 ' e , fars - hormozgan border . paratypes were deposited in the british museum ( natural history ) , london under bm ( nh ) 1981 . 1 . 12 : 1 - 2 ( 2 specimens ) , muséum national d ' histoire naturelle , paris under mnhn 1981 - 107 , 108 ( 2 ) , california academy of sciences , san francisco under cas 47324 ( 2 ) , the royal ontario museum , toronto under rom 36389 ( 1 ) and the university of british columbia , vancouver under bc 81 - 1 ( 1 ) .

this is the only cichlid species in iran , easily recognised by the single nostril opening on each side of the head .

this cichlid is uniquely characterised by a nearly circular dental field on the lower pharyngeal bone , the teeth there being of uniform size and not enlarged medially and by cheek , operculum , belly , isthmus and area between the pectoral and pelvic fin bases naked or poorly scaled . other significant characters are the posteriorly rounded dorsal and anal fins , short pectoral fins not reaching the vent , cycloid scales with granular posterior circuli bearing rounded or irregular protuberances , inferior apophyses for support of the swimbladder centred around the fourth vertebra ( figured in coad ( 1982a ) ) , mesethmoid not meeting the vomer , modal vertebral count 29 , median length of lower pharyngeal bone 31 . 8 - 40 . 9 % ( mean 35 % ) length of head , and pharyngeal blade / median length toothed area 0 . 6 - 1 . 0 , mean 0 . 8 .

scales are regularly arranged on the flanks except that in some large specimens the regular scale rows are interspersed with irregularly distributed smaller scales , particularly on the upper flank . scales may be absent entirely from the head , sparse above the lateral line anteriorly and on the belly posterior to the pelvic fins , absent from the dorsal and anal fin bases , absent from between the pectoral and pelvic fin bases and on the belly and isthmus anterior to the pelvic fins . however , in other specimens the head may be scaled dorsally to above the eyes , with scales variably imbricate , there may be 2 - 3 rows containing 4 - 7 minimally or non - imbricate scales on the cheek which is never completely scaled . the dorsal border of the opercle may have two large scales next to each other and a single scale may be present over the centre of the subopercular bone . scales may be present on the whole belly , isthmus and between the pectoral and pelvic fin bases , but they are minute , embedded , and non - imbricate . their extent and number varies between individuals . small to minute scales , numbering up to about 20 , are present on the caudal fin base , extending distally onto the fin membranes for more than half the fin ray length in some specimens .

flank scales below the mid - point of the spiny dorsal fin and beneath the upper lateral line are cycloid or very weakly ctenoid . the focus is central and there are 9 - 14 , mean 12 . 4 , radii on the anterior field based on 5 scales from 7 adult specimens 59 . 2 - 87 . 1 mm standard length . posterior circuli are granular so the exposed scale surface has rows of rounded or irregular protuberances .

the gut is a tightly coiled spiral with its apex ventral . gut length in 5 specimens ( 59 . 2 - 90 . 5 mm standard length ) is 6 . 8 - 8 . 3 , mean 7 . 6 , times the standard length . gill rakers are short and rounded , reaching the adjacent raker or a little further when appressed .

type ( greenwood , 1978 ) . the mesethmoid does not meet the vomer , the intervening space being cartilaginous . pores at the openings of the cephalic lateral line canals on the preorbital and preoperculum are single not multiple . the inferior apophyses for support of the anterior end of the swimbladder involve vertebrae 2 to 5 , the fourth vertebra being involved in 8 out of 10 fish examined .

teeth in the jaws are often irregularly arranged so that 4 rows are found in some places in both jaws . in some individual fish where teeth are regularly arranged there are 3 rows in the upper jaw and 4 rows in the lower jaw . number of rows decreases laterally to one at the rictus . the outer row teeth are bicuspid with the lateral cusp the smaller , while inner row teeth are tricuspid , with the central cusp the most prominent . the upper jaw has more teeth than the lower jaw .

the diploid chromosome number is 2n = 44 , comprising 25 submetacentic , 18 subtelocentric and 1 metacentric chromosomes with an arm number of 70 . the chromosome count may indicate a relationship to the levantine

head length is greater in females while pelvic fin length is smaller in females compared to males . interorbital width is greater in males . dorsal and anal fins are larger in males when expressed in terms of longest ray length in head length ( coad , 1982a ) . colour differs as described below .

live specimens are brightly coloured in spawning condition ( based on aquarium photographs in schulz ( 2004 ) ) . the male is brick - red on the lower sides and underside of the head with black on the dorsal head surface . the underside of the head may also be black . the belly anterior to the pelvics is black . the chin is white . the sides off the head have a few , scattered white spots but the body , dorsal and caudal fins are densely covered with white spots and blotches . those on the dorsal fin are arranged in oblique rows and those on the caudal fin in bars . the anal fin has white spots also but these are not present distally . the pectoral fin has darkened rays but lacks spots . the pelvic fin has white spots proximally but less than the anal fin but is overall a dark black . other reports and photographs ( svardal ( 2006 ) and svardal and svardal ( 2006 ) ) show dominant spawning males to be black with brilliant turquoises blotches on the body but especially so on the fins . the female has an overall silvery colour with up to 9 faint to moderate flank bars . fins are yellowish . the dorsal fin has a black tilapia - mark on the posterior dorsal fin .

overall body colour outside the spawning season is a light lime green , with an iridescent tinge to the posterior edge of the operculum and on the back . the dorsal fin has light , lime - green , oblique bars , the last one or two black - edged and spot - like . the peritoneum is black .

preserved specimens have the following pigmentation . young fish have a distinct tilapia - mark , a spot on the rays of the soft dorsal fin typical of these cichlid fishes . the spot is black and is surrounded by a hyaline ring . occasionally a second spot is found posterior to the first spot . the principal spot is often retained in adult fish . young also have 7 - 11 bars along the flank which are also retained by adults but are then less distinct . in adults the dorsal fin rays and membranes are covered with melanophores interspersed with hyaline spots and irregular blotches . wavy , oblique bars are found posteriorly on the soft dorsal fin in some specimens . the caudal fin has a series of about 7 narrow bars in some male specimens while females are uniformly grey . the anal fin is narrowly barred with up to 6 vertical to oblique bars in some specimens , in others uniformly pigmented grey proximally fading to hyaline distally . pectoral and pelvic fins are not barred and are lightly pigmented , the pelvics being the darker . the head and body , including the belly , are more heavily pigmented to give an overall brown colour , lightest on the belly anterior to the pelvic fins in females . scales are not pigmented on their free margins , which are pale .

some specimens may be quite dark , particularly the back and fins and strikingly the lips .

attains 11 . 09 cm standard length or 12 . 95 cm total length ( esmaeili and ebrahimi , 2006 ) . lamboj

the cichlid is restricted to rivers draining to the straits of hormuz in southern iran ( coad , 1982a ; abdoli , 2000 ) . svardal and svardal ( 2006 ) also map this species at 27 . 770°n , 54 . 999°e , slightly to the north of samples mapped here . the distribution mapped by stiassny in keenleyside ( 1991 ) following berra ( 1981 ) is too far north . the map in berra ( 2001 ) is more accurate . abdoli ( 2000 ) records this species from the lower minab basin , lower hasan langi , middle to lower kul , gowdar and middle to lower mehran rivers .

specimens kindly sent to me by h . r . esmaeili in 1997 are from the dozdan river at 27°26 ' n , 57°10 ' e , an eastwards extension into the minab river basin . the cichlid was not collected there in the 1970s . the new record may simply be filling in a collecting gap , a natural range extension or possibly the result of an introduction .

bleher ( 2011a ) found only 2 of the 22 sites recorded by coad ( 1982 ) to still have water , although i have observed river stretches drying up and re - connecting and not always the same stretches .

trewavas ( 1983 ) suggests that the ancestor of this cichlid was distributed across the arabian peninsula in the late pliocene / early pleistocene when this area was more humid . desiccation in the pleistocene and recent periods then led to the extinction of the ancestor . a miocene - oligocene fossil "

. however trewavas ( 1983 ) reports that this fossil cannot be identified as a cichlid . micklich and roscher ( 1990 ) and lippitsch and micklich ( 1998 ) also report three species of what are presumably cichlids from southwest saudi arabia in the baid formation of oligocene age at ad darb , tihamat asir . they belong to the basal grade of cichlids and to two different clades within the african assemblage . whybrow and clements ( 1999 ) record unidentified cichlidae from the early oligocene from the coastal trip of dhofar , sultanate of oman with a date of 33 mya . murray ( 2001 ) reviews these and other cichlid fossil material and the identity of omani material as cichlids appears questionable . southwest saudi arabian material is more clearly cichlid but does not point to a continuous distribution eastwards across the arabian peninsula . however , bănărescu ( 1992b ) considers that a common ancestor to

evolved in the arabian peninsula from african forebears in the miocene , the latter lineage extending its range northwards to the levant and the former eastwards to oman and southern iran , the straits of hormuz not then being in existence . murray ( 2001 ) gives an earliest date for colonisation of

ancestors to be the middle miocene when southern iran rose above sea level . she does not consider a coastwise dispersal through brackish waters of arabia to be a possible route as cichlids are not found there today but indicates a route through the tethys sea / indian ocean could be possible .

could be a relict of a once wider distribution across the tigris - euphrates basin in a northern arc rather than directly across the arabian peninsula . the absence of cichlids from southern arabia today warrant this alternative hypothesis . warm streams have probably been continually present in southern arabia and support a limited fish fauna today . there is no apparent reason why cichlids should have become extinct there . murray ( 2001 ) points out that

lives at 40 - 400 m above sea level and is limited by mountains north of the present distribution , and so it must have arrived before the mountains attained their current height , to support coad ' s hypothesis .

the headwaters of the tigris - euphrates basin are narrowly separated from the levant rift valley today and at times in the past may have had direct exchanges of faunas ( kosswig , 1965 ; 1973 ; krupp , 1987 ) . the modern absence of cichlids from the tigris - euphrates basin may be explained by low temperatures . the effects of low temperature on

, which occurs naturally in the southern levant rift valley , begin to die at 11°c and cease all motion at temperatures below 10°c ( chervinski and lahav , 1976 ) . most of syria , northern iraq and the northern arabian peninsula have temperatures below 10°c in winter ( beaumont

is found mainly in saline streams . this hypothesis can only be confirmed by fossil discoveries .

the streams in which this species lives are subject to desiccation with continuous flow breaking up into isolated pools . the survival of cichlid populations in these pools varies between years and some pools may be fishless in one year and populated in another .

the area around the straits of hormuz is rich in salt domes and consequently most surface streams are saline , up to 80 ms . cichlids are found in these streams but also in the sar khun oasis which is fresh with a conductivity of 1 . 6 ms . apparently they can be transported at 10 ms as this is less stressful . stream waters are cloudy to clear and colourless . water temperatures in winter ( november to march ) range from 15 to 33°c and would be considerably higher in summer when air temperatures reach 45°c with no riparian shade and low water levels . lamboj

. ( 2006 ) and svardal ( 2006 ) give water temperatures of 33 - 40°c and conductivity of 45 - 75 ms .

streams are 1 to 50 m wide and consist of alternating riffles and pools with occasional backwaters . the bottom is pebbles , sand or mud . aquatic vegetation is restricted to encrusting algae .

unknown . esmaeili and ebrahimi ( 2006 ) give a significant length - weight relationship based on 379 fish measuring 2 . 74 - 11 . 09 cm standard length . the

- value > 3 indicating a fish that becomes more rotund as length increases ) .

gut contents of 5 specimens ( 41 . 2 - 90 . 5 mm standard length ) included only algae and diatoms suggesting food is scraped from rocks and from bottom deposits . this is consistent with an elongate gut and black peritoneum . aquarium specimens eat algal tabs but also appreciate insects and fish remains .

this species is a mouth brooder . a breeding female and a male were caught in a backwater on march 18 of the mehran river ( the type series ) . this backwater was 1 - 5 m wide , maximum depth was 40 cm over a mud bottom , the water was cloudy and highly saline ( 40ms ) and temperature ranged from 26°c at the mouth of the backwater to 33°c at its head . eggs in fish taken in november and january are small so the breeding season is deduced to be around march . five eggs ranged in length from 3 . 2 to 3 . 8 mm , mean 3 . 6 mm and in width from 2 . 4 to 2 . 7 , mean 2 . 5 mm . total number of eggs from 2 females , 59 . 0 - 59 . 2 mm standard length was 36 and 38 respectively . eggs are yellow - orange in preserved fish .

a female 116 . 9 mm standard length from the mehran river had 153 larvae in her mouth , ranging in length from 9 . 6 to 10 . 9 mm ( h . r . esmaeili , pers . comm . , 6 october 2005 ; esmaeili

. ( 2009 ) found a sex ratio biased towards males in may and june , presumably because males were defending nests and easily caught , or possibly differential survival of the sexes . they suggest that the breeding season begins in march and lasts until the end of june with a peak in may . eggs attained 3 . 76 mm and fecundity reached 151 eggs with a relative fecundity of 5 . 4 eggs per gram body weight . esmaeili et al . ( 2010 ) detail gonad morphology and histology and confirmed peak spawning in may .

schulz ( 2004 ) observed fish in the field and found each male occupying a territory defending a nest about 1 m from each neighbouring nest . the nests were made on light grey , fine sand and consisted of a pit approximately 15 cm in diameter . the pit was black because of anoxic conditions below the sand surface . the actual nest was about the same as the body length of the fish ( 8 - 10 cm ) and lay at the centre of the pit . the pit was surrounded by a rim about 1 . 5 cm high with an internally indented margin . simpler pits are built where building materials are unavailable . females were present in schools in deeper water in the river centre . individual females swam purposefully to the nest defended by the male . the male directed the female to the nest centre with folded up fins while the female spread her fins and showed radiating colour changes . spawning occurred immediately and neighbouring males intervened continuously at a speed that did not allow full analysis of the movements . a defending male would chase away an intruding male allowing another male into the unprotected nest to mate with the female . a clutch of eggs was always inseminated by a whole group of males .

piscivorous birds have been observed along the streams where the cichlid is found . ansary

saadati ( 1977 ) suggests that this salt - tolerant species could be a valuable resource if introduced into the saline and fishless waters of internal basins . however this is not advisable since the native fauna , evolved in a fishless environment , could be devastated before it has even been documented . esmaeili

. ( 2009 ) note that it is eaten by local people when available in large numbers in spring . it is now an aquarium fish in germany ( schulz , 2002 ; 2004a ; 2004b ; oliver lucanus , pers . comm . , 23 january 2004 ; lamboj

. , 2006 ; svardal , 2006 ; svardal and svardal , 2006 ) and juveniles sell for about $ 80 each urltoken 21 march 2010 ) . articles in aquarium magazines give photographs in spawning condition , including mouth - brooding , and details for their maintenance , including water with a conductivity of 50 - 70ms / cm nacl or sea salt mixture , tank water changed once a week , vegetarian food tabs ( containing the blue - green alga

) , and a temperature of 20 - 35°c , optimally 27°c . it has been noted that males , in continually defending a nest and courting , " wear out " earlier than females ( thomas schulz ,

may well be on its way to extinction - if it is not gone already " . bailey ( 2006 ) apparently repeats this . however its habitat is mostly saline streams which cannot readily be used for agriculture or industry . the surrounding area is not industrialised , nor likely to be , and was never a war zone so pollution is not a problem for this species .

flash floods are probably a significant problem as water drains rapidly off vegetation barren land . the scouring action may well displace or strand cichlids . mouth brooding offers protection against floods and against associated fishes .

svardal ( 2006 ) and svardal and svardal ( 2006 ) give details of capture , transport and aquarium care of this species .

rabbaniha ( 1993a , 1993b , 1994 ) gives farsi accounts of this species and cichlids in general . the account is based principally on coad ( 1982a ) .

introduced to the tigris river basin in iraq but did not apparently survive winterkill ( herzog , 1969 ) . mutlak and al - faisal ( 2009 ) , however , record

) from basrah in southern iraq and this species could easily become established in iran . no iranian record confirmed as yet . red tilapias (

sp . ) have been studied in aquaponic systems in iran so there is a potential for an exotic release ( rafiee and saad , 2005 ) . fingerlings from indonesia have been reared using saline waters at bafgh , yazd province in 3 ton fibreglass tanks . larvae were successfully grown to 2 . 0 kg at 28±1ºc (

introduced to the tigris river basin in iraq but did not apparently survive ( job , 1967 ) . redbelly tilapias are established in the syrian euphrates ( r . beck , pers . comm . , 2000 ) and a recent report by beshar abd al - hussain al - saadi (

. , 10 october 2006 ) of a cichlid at al musayyib on the euphrates river in iraq may well be this species . mutlak and al - faisal ( 2009 ) , record this species from basrah in southern iraq and these could spread to iranian waters . no iranian record as yet . the farsi name is تيلاپيا ( = tilapia ) .

the gobies are a world - wide family found mostly in warmer marine waters although some species enter fresh water and others live there permanently ( see also marine list in checklists in the introduction ) . the number of species is high and this may be the most speciose fish family in the world with about 248 genera and about 1630 species , perhaps more ( eschmeyer and fong , 2011 ) . a diversity of gobies occurs in the caspian sea basin . not all caspian gobies have valid iranian records but most will probably be found there . several gobies penetrate southern waters of iran from the persian gulf and sea of oman and are described here . others will probably be discovered when more detailed surveys are made .

gobies are easily distinguished by their pelvic fins being united as an adhesive or sucking disk or cup . body form and coloration are diverse . the pattern of head canals , canal pores and neuromasts is distinctive and used in identifying and relating species ( except in

( pinchuk , 1991 ) ) . however the neuromasts may be sunken in narrow furrows or pits and completely covered by epithelium so they do not preserve well and this can lead to confusion in identifications ( zambriborshch , 1968 ) . there is usually a short spiny dorsal fin ( 2 - 8 flexible spines ) separated from , but close to , a soft dorsal fin . the soft dorsal fin and anal fin are longer than the caudal peduncle . scales may be cycloid , ctenoid or rarely absent . no obvious lateral line . there are 5 branchiostegal rays . gill membranes are connected to the isthmus and gill openings are moderate to wide , or very restricted in the mudskippers . the head is usually blunt and the mouth is usually large . teeth are usually small and conical in one to several rows in both jaws . miller in miller ( 2003 ) gives a suite of osteological characters defining the family .

most gobies are quite small ( 5 - 10 cm ) and they are often very abundant . maximum size is about 50 cm . some of the world ' s smallest vertebrates are gobies from the indian ocean , mature at 8 mm . others , however , are large and form part of fisheries in both the caspian sea and the indian ocean . they are not significant food fishes in iran . gobies tend to rest on the bottom and move in sudden , characteristic dashes . the male goby guards a nest . food is crustaceans , worms , molluscs and small fishes . many gobies are important in the aquarium trade since they are beautifully coloured , small and tough .

they are known generally as gav mahi ( = cow fish ) or sag mahi ( = dog fish ) or contain the word gel ( = mud ) in iran . a general review in farsi of the caspian gobies is given by aslaanparviz ( 1991 ) .

the males of some caspian species become black during the spawning season , their fins elongate , head shape alters and some even become naked . loss of tubercles in adult male gobies of the genus

makes it possible to identify only juveniles and females . the males build nests and guard the eggs . life span of certain caspian species is said to be as short as one year , e . g . some species of

, as much as 10 - 15 % of total biomass in some areas ( mamedov , 2006 ) .

the black and caspian sea basins contain an endemic sarmatian fauna of gobies . there are two main clades , the gobiine - benthophilines ( or transverse gobiids ) and the pomatoschistines ( or sand gobies ) , that have probably been distinct for at least 40 million years . miller ( 2001 ) and miller in miller ( 2003 ) reviews the evolutionary history of these two clades and their anatomical differences based on head papillae and osteology . the transverse gobiids include

. the sarmatian fauna was separated from the atlantic - mediterranean fauna with the isolation of the paratethys during the late miocene messinian salinity crisis as the mediterranean dried . partial flooding of the mediterranean from the paratethys in the early pliocene allowed sarmatian gobies to spread westwards . within the ponto - caspian basin , evolution of species flocks was favoured by basin sub - divisions and rejoinings . the benthophilines may be a monophyletic group from these events .

ahnelt and duchkowitsch ( 2004 ) give information on the neogobiine stock . about 12 - 13 million years ago in the middle miocene , the ponto - caspian endemic and ancestral neogobiine stock may have differentiated from an atlantic - mediterranean gobiine stock . at this time the paratethys was a sea with reduced salinity and a high level of endemism . the

stock that invaded the mediterranean basin after that sea was restored about 5 million years ago in the late miocene .

ranges from 4 . 29 to 6 . 25 mya and the paper gives divergence times for major lineages in relation to geological events in the ponto - caspian . these events include connections with , and isolation from , the world ocean and salinity changes in a range of 1 - 30 p . p . t . over the last 5 million years . most genera diversified about 5 mya when the black and caspian seas separated .

the principal recent works on the systematics of caspian gobies are by v . i . pinchuk , d . b . ragimov , ye . d . vasil ' yeva , h . ahnelt and p . j . miller . earlier works are by b . s . iljin ( also spelled il ' in or ilyin ) . later molecular studies are cited above .

other gobies in iran are the familiar tropical mudskippers which can move quickly over land , using the muscular - based paired fins to row across mud , and some can even clasp and climb mangroves . they can live out of water because the gill openings are small to prevent desiccation of the gills , oxygen can be taken into the chamber and absorbed through the gills and chamber wall , and they can also absorb oxygen through their skin . they often rest with the tail immersed in water for this purpose or roll around in shallow water to moisten themselves . they may live entirely in water , or will come onto land even when there is enough oxygen in the water . their eyes are high on the head , protruding and able to revolve independently , and have a movable lower lid . the eyes are retracted periodically into small cups below the head to moisten them . such eyes are very effective as a means to watch for potential enemies on land but their vision under water is blurred . mudskippers have elaborate reproductive behaviour which involves tail standing , flip - flops , and fin displays . they are very territorial and defend their territory against other mudskippers and crabs . they can deliver a skin - breaking bite to humans even though they are only about 15 cm long !

this genus comprises only a single species and so its characters are those of the species . the snout is very distinctive and details of neuromasts are not given here as they are not needed in identification , although of importance in relating the genus . the genus is closely related to the tadpole goby clade comprising

and details are give in miller in miller ( 2004 ) . this author also gives an alternative terminology for the arrangement of neuromasts than that of ahnelt

eichwald , 1831 by berg ( 1927 ) but later iljin ( 1930 ) erected a new genus because of its unusual and distinctive morphology . the type locality is the caspian sea at 37°58 ' n , 52°22 ' e at a depth of 294 m ( but see below ) .

. ( 2000 ) although berg ( 1927 ) mentions 15 fish in his description . ragimov ( 1985 ) states that berg described this species from a single young specimen and also visually observed 15 others for a total of 16 in the type series .

the duckbill tadpole goby is characterised by the elongate and flattened head which is similar to a duck ' s bill . unlike gobies of the genus

first dorsal fin with 3 - 4 spines , usually 4 , second dorsal fin with 1 spine followed by 8 - 11 , usually 10 , soft rays . anal fin with 1 spine followed by 8 - 11 soft rays . pectoral fin rays 14 - 16 . gill rakers on the posterior part of the arch are very short and anteriorly are minute . pit organs on the side of the head are papilliform and clearly visible with the naked eye . further details of anatomy are given by ahnelt

iranian specimens had the following meristics : - first dorsal fin with 4 ( 4 ) spines ; second dorsal fin with 1 ( 4 ) spine followed by 10 ( 4 ) soft rays ; pectoral fin rays 14 ( 1 ) , 15 ( 2 ) or 16 ( 1 ) ; anal fin with 1 ( 4 ) spine followed by 11 ( 4 ) soft rays ; and total vertebrae 29 ( 4 ) .

overall , colour is a light grey or pale fawn fading to a whitish grey on the belly . various speckles and melanophores are found on the back and upper flank . the dorsal , caudal and pectoral fins have dark grey speckles . the head sides from the snout to the cheek are dark with transversal suborbital papillae series whitish giving the impression of narrow light stripes below the eye and on the cheek . the peritoneum is black or densely covered in fine speckles .

reaches 11 . 2 cm , or 13 cm total length ( jolodar and abdoli , 2004 ) . females may be larger than males ( mean total length 84 mm versus 77 mm ) .

known only from the caspian sea and one of the endemic sarmatian fauna ( see family account ) .

found to a depth of 294 m on white silt bottoms according to berg ( 1927 ) but the data in zisp states 244 sazhems ( = 446 . 5 m ) . recent iranian material is from 45 - 80 m , at 9 . 7 - 16 . 4°c at 50 m ( ahnelt

. , 2000 ) and jolodar and abdoli ( 2004 ) state it lives mainly at 50 - 100 m depths in the south caspian sea .

unknown but the duck bill may be an adaptation for feeding on silt bottoms ( ragimov , 1986 ) .

apparently mature eggs reach 1 . 9 mm in diameter in the iranian specimen .

. ( 1999 ) consider this species to be data deficient in the south caspian sea basin according to iucn criteria .

more specimens need to be caught to assess its distribution , numbers , variation and biology .

iranian material : cmnfi 1999 - 0023 , 4 , 76 . 1 - 79 . 1 mm standard length , gilan , caspian sea off astara ( 38º00 ' n , 49º30 ' e to 38º20 ' n , 50º00 ' e ) .

caspian sea basin but no iranian record although kottelat and freyhof ( 2007 ) map it from the iranian shore .

de filippi , 1863 described from lake palestrom near poti , georgia is a synonym .

reported from the south caspian sea by naseka and bogutskaya but no confirmed specimen from iran .

originally described from the lower dnieper river between kherson and kakhovka and the south bug river between novaya odessa and nikolayev , ukraine and also recorded from the caspian sea basin but no iranian record . ragimov ( 1998c ) and miller ( 2004 ) give recent descriptions . pinchuk and miller in miller ( 2004 ) question the validity of the caspian sea record for this species .

caspian sea basin , described from off chikishlar at 37°45 . 5 ' n , 53°47 ' e and southwest of ulsky bank at 38°05 ' n , 52°34 ' e , turkmenistan , but no iranian record . known only from the two type specimens , now lost ( reshetnikov

iljin , 1941 . miller in miler ( 2004 ) gives a general map that encompasses the southeastern caspian sea including iranian waters but the only records are not in iran .

the tadpole gobies are found in the black and caspian seas where there are about 20 species , 16 endemic to the caspian ( pinchuk and miller in miller , 2004 ; boldyrev and bogutskaya , 2007 ) . the general farsi name for fishes in this genus is گاو ماهي ( gav mahi ) or سگ ماهي ( sag mahi ) , not repeated under each species description .

members of this genus are characterised by the broad and flattened head , dorsal muscles not extending to the eyes , no sensory canals or pores , first dorsal fin with 2 - 4 rays , well - separated form the second dorsal fin , the caudal fin has only 2 rows of papillae , head and body scaleless but with spinulose bony granules , scutes and platelets except in adult males which are naked ( and cannot therefore be readily identified ) , anterior nostrils developed as small tubes overlying the upper lip , no swimbladder , a longitudinal dermal fold usually present on each side behind the mouth corner , and presence of a chin barbel . there is no pelagic larval stage and eggs are large and oligoplasmatic . ahnelt ( 2003 ) discuss the unique specialisations in the postcranial skeleton of benthophiline gobies ( which also includes

) including reductions in vertebral numbers and arrangement of pterygiophores . pinchuk and miller in miller ( 2004 ) review other characters that show relationships of this specialised group within a larger tadpole - goby clade , the broad and flattened head being the most obvious .

these fishes are found in brackish waters with a salinity up to about 20‰ , in deeper waters , estuaries and coastal waters . they can dig themselves into bottom sediments and are usually found on mud , silt or sand . food is insect larvae , crustaceans and molluscs . life span of these tadpole gobies is only a year , some individuals maturing at 6 - 7 months , called ephemery . fish die after spawning , females earlier than males by 3 - 4 weeks ( boldyrev and bogutskaya , 2004 ; 2007 ) . eggs are laid inside an empty mollusc shell .


the jamaican vireo ( vireo modestus ) is a species of bird in the vireonidae family .

it is endemic to jamaica .

its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests , subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests , subtropical or tropical moist montane forests , and heavily degraded former forest .

jamaican vireo

jamaican vireo <EOT> recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : vireo modestus . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .

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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .

del hoyo , j . , collar , n . j . , christie , d . a . , elliott , a . , fishpool , l . d . c . , boesman , p . and kirwan , g . m . 2016 . hbw and birdlife international illustrated checklist of the birds of the world . volume 2 : passerines . lynx edicions and birdlife international , barcelona , spain and cambridge , uk .

justification : although this species may have a small range , it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population trend is not known , but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .

the global population size has not been quantified , but this species is described as ' fairly common ' ( stotz et al . ( 1996 ) .

to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .

) , version 1 . 0 . in neotropical birds online ( t . s . schulenberg , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , ny , usa .

this bird was singing spontaneously from mid canopy of small trees in secondary forest .

unseen bird singing from the canopy along the troy trail . second bird counter - singing . sennheiser me66 / k6 and sony pcm - m10 .

sonogram images © xeno - canto foundation . sonogram images share the same license terms as the recording they depict .

english spanish online dictionary term bank , where you can search in more than 2 million words in categories and different pronunciation options .

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recording av # 11522 . jamaica : trelawny ; windsor great cave area ( 18 . 35 , - 77 . 65 ) recorded by brian k . schmidt


acanthocephalus dirus is a species of parasitic worm in the echinorhynchidae family .

instead of having its eggs expelled from the host in feces , the gravid female detaches itself from the host 's digestive tract and sinks to the bottom , where her body is consumed by the species ' intermediate host , caecidotea intermedius , a species of isopod .

upon hatching , the larvae begin to alter their host 's behavior .

this will manifest in lighter pigmentation and an increased attraction to predators , such as a. dirus ' primary hosts .

acanthocephalus dirus

acanthocephalus dirus <EOT> to describe the pathological manifestation of the acanthocephalus dirus ( a . dirus ) infestation in thunnus albacares ( t . albacares ) from southeast coast of india .

kopp , d . a . , elke , d . a . , caddigan , s . c . , raj , a . , rodriguez , l . , young , m . l . and sparkes , t . c . ( 2011 ) dispersal in the acanthocephalan acanthocephalus dirus . journal of parasitology 97 : 101 - 105

15 . p a g e | 15 seidenberg aj . 1973 . ecology of the acanthocephalan acanthocephalus dirus ( van cleave , 1931 ) in its intermediate host , asellus intermedius forbes ( crustacea : isopoda ) . the journal of parasitology . 59 ( 6 ) : 957 - 962 . wulker w . 1964 . parasite - induced changes of internal and external sex characteristics in insects . exp . parasitol . 15 : 561 - 597 .

the acanthocephalan parasite acanthocephalus dirus infects the freshwater isopod caecidotea intermedius as an intermediate host before completing its life cycle in a fish . male c . intermedius infected by a . dirus parasites are less likely to engage in mating behavior than uninfected males but there is a significant intra - population variation in the occurrence of this behavioral change . previous studies on uninfected isopods have shown that glycogen content is a predictor of male mating behavior and we examined whether the intra - population variation in the mating behavior of infected male c . intermedius could be explained by this relationship . a field - based behavioral experiment was used to quantify intra - population variation in male mating behavior , which showed that 50 % of infected males were responsive to females and 50 % were not responsive . biochemical analysis of responsive and non - responsive males revealed that glycogen content was a predictor of the mating behavior for uninfected males but was not a predictor of mating behavior for infected males . for infected males , parasite intensity was a predictor of mating behavior . males that contained more a . dirus parasites were less likely to undergo modification of mating behavior . we propose that the intra - population variation in the mating behavior of infected c . intermedius identified in nature was not mediated by host condition .

the acanthocephalan parasite acanthocephalus dirus induces a colour change in the intermediate host , the aquatic isopod caecidotea intermedius , which increases transmission to definitive hosts ( creek chub , sunfish ) . we examined the potential for conflict to occur between infective ( cystacanth ) and non - infective ( acanthor , acanthella ) stages of a . dirus over the level of colour modification that should be induced when these stages share a host . using a field survey , we showed that host sharing by infective and non - infective stages was relatively common and that infective and non - infective stages differed in their effects on colour modification . non - infective stages induced a colour change over 40 % of the body , whereas infective stages induced a colour change over 80 % . thus , conflict could occur between stages over the level of modification that should be induced . we then showed that mixed - stage infections induced a colour change in the host that was consistent with the level of modification induced by the infective stage . we discuss the potential significance of these results to patterns of host modification and their effects on stage - related survival in nature .

this is the new host for the parasite a . dirus in t . albacares . on the basis of histological and histochemical findings , the lesions were highly damaged due to the parasitic infestation . the high density of the parasite and severe penetration of the proboscis into the intestinal tissues are the main reason for the pathogenicity in the host .

one reason could be that a . dirus infects creek chub - which , as its name indicates - lives in flowing creeks . the chub acquire the worm through eating infected isopods in the stream ( the picture shows the light - coloured infected isopod on the right , and the darker uninfected individual on the left ) , which become infected when they ingest worm eggs resting on the creek bed . acanthocephalan eggs tend to float - so if the eggs are simply expelled into the environment , they would get washed away downstream and deposited where the isopods do not occur . whereas with a . dirus , the worm ' s own body can act like a weight belt which would carry the eggs down to the sediment layer , so by the time the worm herself decays , the eggs are already in the sediment where isopods can pick them up .

furthermore , laboratory tests showed that isopods like to eat egg - filled female worms as much as their usual food - leaf litter - and the worm body itself actually enhances the infection success of the eggs . researchers found that when exposed to fresh eggs alone , fewer than one in four isopods became infected , whereas when exposed to gravid females , over 80 % became infected ( natural infection comes somewhere in between those at about 60 % ) . by making the ultimate maternal sacrifice , a . dirus gives her offspring the best possible start in life .

t . albacares were severely infested with a . dirus , the group of acanthocephala attached to the posterior region of the intestine . the adult worm proboscis was cylindrical and the length and width ranging between 2 . 7–6 . 4 mm and 0 . 8–1 . 3 mm , respectively . histopathologically , the infested intestinal mucosal epithelium , stratum granulosum , lamina propria , muscular and serosa layers were highly degraded . the lesions were infiltrating with basophil - like inflammatory cells . the parasite - affected lesions were histochemically positive for alcian blue , azo dye , toluidine blue and oil red o .

13 . p a g e | 13 alter the antipredator and reproductive behavior as well as the body morphology of c . intermedius . this parasite can be a way to maintain isopod populations . neither sex is more susceptible to infection , though size of the isopod can play a role in the risks of parasitism by a . dirus ( seidenberg 1973 ) . according to seidenberg ( 1973 ) , infection begins in the summer and by march , 60 % of an isopod population has become infected . isopods with a high infection intensity disappear from the population , most likely by predation due to the parasites effects .

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amin , omar m . / crompton , d . w . t . and brent b . nickol

memoires du museum national d ' histoire naturelle , ser . a , vol . 57

proceedings of the helminthological society of washington , vol . 3 , no . 2

disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .

the word parasite has a lot of connotations associated with it , and " maternal " is certainly not one of them . to most people , the term " freeloader " comes to mind ( hopefully , this blog will show you that parasitism is actually a very challenging way of life ) . they also have a reputation as being pretty lousy parents . in most textbooks , parasites are usually considered as " r - strategists " - which produce many , many offspring and don ' t take good care of them ( as opposed to a k - strategist which produces fewer offspring , but invest a lot into parental care - like an elephant ) . but not all parasites are bad parents , and today , i am going to tell you about a study on a maternal parasite which sacrifices everything ( literally ) for her offspring .

hint : you ' re just looking at the tip of the iceberg . . .

if you think you or your pets have a parasite , please seek the appropriate care you need from your own doctor or veterinarian .

why parasite of the day ? ( if it ' s not every day . . . )

the united nations declared 2010 the international year of biodiversity . in celebration of the enormous diversity of parasites and to highlight their importance , we created this blog , which showcased a species of parasite every day . now that 2010 is over , we will continue to add more parasites from time to time , and write about any newly published research on parasite species that we have posted about yet .

see this post from the start of 2011 where we discuss the sheer scale of parasite biodiversity , and this post from the end of 2011 pretty much summarizes the mission of this blog .

got parasites ? the american society of parasitologists is interested . we invite you to share with us your observations , ideas and questions about parasites . our members and the journal of parasitology represent a wide range of research interests including ecology , evolution , systematics , immunology , biochemistry and molecular biology . please post any aspect of parasitology you wish to share with us on our facebook group page . please go to our home page at

bush , albert , gerald esch and jacqueline fernandez . parasitism : the diversity and ecology of animal parasites . cambridge university press .

combes , claude . the art of being a parasite . university of chicago press .

desowitz , robert . new guinea tapeworms and jewish grandmothers . norton & company .

desowitz , robert . the malaria capers : tales of parasites and people . norton and compay .

moore , janice . parasites and the behavior of animals . oxford university press .

zuk , marlene . riddled with life : friendly worms , ladybug sex , and the parasites that make us who we are . mariner books

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the parasite - infested fishes were collected from nagapattinam landing centre of tamil nadu from southeast coast of india . the acanthocephala morphology , gross pathology , histopathology and histochemistry were investigated .

the journal implements double - blind peer review practiced by specially invited international editorial board members .

copyright © 2016 asian pacific tropical medicine press . published by elsevier ( singapore ) pte ltd . all rights reserved .

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sparkes tc 1 , wright vm , renwick dt , weil ka , talkington ja , milhalyov m .

department of biological sciences , depaul university , chicago , il 60614 , usa . tsparkes @ urltoken

department of biological sciences , depaul university , 2325 north clifton avenue , chicago , il , 60614 , usa .

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kopp da 1 , elke da , caddigan sc , raj a , rodriguez l , young mk , sparkes tc .

department of biological sciences , depaul university , chicago , illinois 60614 , usa .

research support , u . s . gov ' t , non - p . h . s .

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5 . p a g e | 5 figure 1 . life cycle variations with avian definitive hosts shows various stages and hosts ofan acanthocephalan parasite . arrows indicate the next host or stage of development . adapted from the field manual of wildlife diseases : general field procedures and diseases of birds .

clipping is a handy way to collect important slides you want to go back to later . now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips .


euliphyra hewitsoni , the western moth butterfly , is a butterfly in the lycaenidae family .

it is found in senegal , guinea , sierra leone , liberia , ivory coast , ghana , southern nigeria and cameroon .

the habitat consists of forests .

adults have a moth-like flight .

the larvae live in the nests of ants of the oecophylla genus and feed on ant regurgitations and/or ant brood .

the name honours william chapman hewitson .

euliphyra hewitsoni

euliphyra hewitsoni <EOT> euliphyra hewitsoni voucher mcz : sc - 99 - t536 glyceraldehyde - 3 - phosphate dehydrogen . . .

euliphyra hewitsoni voucher mcz : sc - 99 - t536 elongation factor 1 alpha ( ef1a ) gene . . .

© 2016 , butterfly conservation society , ghana - african butterfly research institute - icom ltd .

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format summary genbank genbank ( full ) fasta asn . 1 xml insdseq xml tinyseq xml feature table accession list gi list gff3

opens the highlight feature bar and highlights feature annotations from the features table of the record . the highlight feature bar can be used to navigate to and highlight other features and provides links to display the highlighted region separately . links in the features table will also highlight the corresponding region of the sequence . more . . .

finds sub - sequences or patterns in the sequence and highlights the matching regions . the tool works with standard single letter nucleotide or protein codes including ambiguities and can match prosite patterns in protein sequences . more . . .

finds sub - sequence or patterns in the sequence and highlights the matching region . the tool works with standard single letter nucleotide or protein codes including ambiguities and can match prosite patterns in protein sequences . more . . .

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confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .

to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / 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 .

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stenopsestis alternata is a moth in the drepanidae family .

it is found in india ( sikkim ) , nepal , burma , china ( gansu , hubei , jiangxi , hunan , guangdong , guangxi , sichuan , yunnan , tibet ) and thailand .

the forewings are pale metallic cupreous-brown , crossed by a broad basal , a median , and two narrow submarginal greenish-grey indistinct bands .

there are some black basal spots , an ante - and postmedian transverse black sinuous line and black and white streaks externally along the veins .

the hindwings and abdomen are pale cupreous-brown .

stenopsestis alternata

stenopsestis alternata <EOT> html public " - / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en " " urltoken "

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the black flying squirrel or large black flying squirrel ( aeromys tephromelas ) is a species of rodent in the family sciuridae .

it is found in brunei , indonesia , and malaysia ; its habitat is primary and secondary forests and gardens where it uses tree hollows .

it feeds on fruits , nuts and other vegetable matter .

it is likely not threatened and is adaptable to habitat loss .

black flying squirrel

black flying squirrel <EOT> according to the international union for the conservation of nature ' s red list , these species are endangered : san joaquin antelope ground squirrel , woolly flying squirrel , sipora flying squirrel , mentawi flying squirrel , siberut flying squirrel , smoky flying squirrel , vincent ' s bush squirrel , baja california rock squirrel , idaho ground squirrel , perote ground squirrel , fraternal squirrel and mearns ' squirrel . the namdapha flying squirrel is critically endangered .

a young / baby of a black flying squirrel is called a ' pup , kit or kitten ' . the females are called ' doe ' and males ' buck ' . a black flying squirrel group is called a ' dray or scurry ' .

the black flying squirrel , large black flying squirrel is listed as least concern ( lr / lc ) , lowest risk . does not qualify for a more at risk category . widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category , on the iucn red list of threatened species

there are more than 200 species of squirrels , according to the integrated taxonomic information system ( itis ) , and they are categorized into three types : tree squirrels , ground squirrels and flying squirrels . these three categories are further broken down into many squirrel types , such as albino , mountain tree , antelope , spotted , grey , american red , douglas , fox , pygmy , northern flying , southern , arizona gray , idaho , arctic ground , albert’s , franklin , richardson , rock , white and black squirrel .

since there are so many types of squirrels , they range greatly in size . the smallest squirrel is the african pygmy squirrel . it grows to 2 . 8 to 5 inches ( 7 to 13 centimeters ) in length and weighs just 0 . 35 ounces ( 10 grams ) . the indian giant squirrel is the world ' s largest known squirrel . it grows to 36 inches ( 1 meter ) long and weighs up to 4 pounds ( 1 . 8 kilograms ) .

the gray squirrel ( sciurus carolinensis ) isn ' t just gray . it comes in a variety of colors , such as white , gray , brown and black . these little squirrels are great at planting trees . they bury their acorns , but forget where they put them . the forgotten acorns become oak trees .

this nocturnal flying squirrel inhabits primary and secondary forests , foothills of the ranges in borneo and malaysia . it is also found in gardens where it uses tree hollows . it is relatively adaptable . this species eats fruits , nuts , and other vegetable matter ( lekagul and mcneely 1988 ) .

flying squirrels make their homes in tree holes or nests that are built into the crooks of branches . to get from tree to tree or from a tree to the ground , flying squirrels spread the muscle membrane between their legs and body and glide on the air . they can glide up to 160 feet ( 48 m ) , making it look like they can fly .

after seven to eight weeks , the young are weaned . when the kits leave the nest , they don ' t travel farther than 2 miles from home , according to the massachusetts department of wildlife and fisheries . some species of squirrel have new litters every few months or as little as twice per year .

these rodents have remarkable little bodies . for example , a squirrel has padded feet that cushions jumps from up to 20 feet ( 6 meters ) long . their eyes are high on their head and placed on each side of the head so they can see a large amount of their surroundings without having to turn their head . they are also fantastic runners . squirrels can run 20 mph ( 32 kph ) .

this species is known from peninsular malaysia , penang island , sumatra and borneo ( medway 1983 ) . the " typical form " of this species occurs in southernmost provinces of thailand . reports from northern thailand in lekagul and macneely ( 1977 ) have not been confirmed , nor have those in tizard et al . ( 1997 ) from northern lao pdr . however , flying squirrels in these areas remain very poorly known so it is unclear whether these dark animals are melanistic petaurista sp . or aeromys tephromelas .

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aplin , k . , lunde , d . p . , tizard , r . j & duckworth , j . w .

justification : listed as data deficient since , although it has been recorded over a very wide area , very little is known about its status and habitat requirements . according to medway ( 1983 ) it is restricted to lowlands and foothills in peninsular malaysia . if this pattern is found in the rest of its range it may merit categorisation as at least near threatened .

there are no major threats to this species , as it is adaptable and is likely to persist unless forest is lost completely .

it likely occurs in protected areas across its range . however , further studies are needed into the distribution , abundance , natural history and threats to this species .

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english - german online dictionary developed to help you share your knowledge with others . more information ! contains translations by tu chemnitz and mr honey ' s business dictionary ( german - english ) . thanks on that account ! links to this dictionary or to single translations are very welcome ! questions and answers

america is privileged with a stunning array of animals , plants , and wild destinations—each with its own incredible story . get to know the amazing wildlife in your backyard and beyond .

chosen as a symbol of the united states in 1782 , the bald eagle represents virtues such as strength , courage , and freedom .

critical to agricultural crops and ecological services , pollinators are in decline . learn more about these important animals and how to help them thrive .

from the florida everglades to washington ' s puget sound , discover more about some of the awe - inspiring landscapes the national wildlife federation is working to protect .

more than one - third of our nation ' s wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades , threatened by a host of human activities . find out about the major issues currently putting america ' s treasured wildlife at risk .

wildlife species depend on their habitats , and on one another , to thrive . learn the benefits of healthy and diverse populations , and what needs to be done to protect those at risk .

the national wildlife federation welcomes the news that epa administrator scott pruitt has stepped down from his position to allow new leadership for this critical agency .

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squirrels are nimble , bushy - tailed rodents found all over the world . they belong to the sciuridae family , which includes prairie dogs , chipmunks and marmots .

grey squirrels , commonly found in north america , are medium - size squirrels . they grow to 15 to 20 inches ( 38 . 1 to 50 . 8 cm ) in length , with their tails adding an extra 6 to 9 . 5 inches ( 15 . 24 to 24 . 13 cm ) to their length . they typically weigh about 1 to 1 . 5 pounds ( 0 . 45 to 0 . 68 kg ) .

a group of squirrels are called a scurry or dray . they are very territorial and will fight to the death to defend their area . mother squirrels are the most vicious when defending their babies .

some squirrels are crepuscular . this means that they are only active at dawn and dusk .

squirrels live on every continent except in australia and antarctica , according to the bbc .

tree squirrels typically live in wooded areas , since they prefer to live in trees . ground squirrels live up to their names . they dig burrows , a system of tunnels underground , to live in . some squirrels also hibernate in burrows during the winter to keep warm .

albino squirrels are quite popular in some parts of the united states . olney , ill . , is one of the towns that calls itself " home of the white squirrels , " along with marionville , mo . , and brevard , n . c . the township of kenton , tenn . , proudly boasts a population of 200 of the furry , pale rodents .

on average , squirrels eat about one pound of food per week . many people think that squirrels only eat nuts , but this isn ' t true . squirrels are omnivores , which means they like to eat plants and meat . squirrels mainly eat fungi , seeds , nuts and fruits , but they will also munch on eggs , small insects , caterpillars , small animals and even young snakes .

to prepare for cold months , squirrels will bury their food . in the winter months they have a store of food they can eat when supplies are scarce .

a female carries her young for a gestation period of 29 to 65 days , depending on the size of the species ; smaller squirrels have shorter gestation periods , according to the university of michigan ' s animal diversity web . mothers give birth to two to eight offspring at one time . babies are called kits or kittens and are born blind . they depend on their mothers for around two or three months .

a boost of stress during pregnancy helps red squirrels ensure that their pups will grow fast .

squirrels have four teeth in the front of their mouth that constantly grow throughout their lives . this ensures that their teeth don ' t wear down to nubs from gnawing on nuts and other objects .

correction : this article was updated on may 4 , 2016 , to reflect the correct length of the gestation period .

poachers tried to kill rhinos in south african reserve . instead , a pride of lions killed them .

alina bradford is a contributing writer for live science . over the past 16 years , alina has covered everything from ebola to androids while writing health , science and tech articles for major publications . she has multiple health , safety and lifesaving certifications from oklahoma state university . alina ' s goal in life is to try as many experiences as possible . to date , she has been a volunteer firefighter , a dispatcher , substitute teacher , artist , janitor , children ' s book author , pizza maker , event coordinator and much more .


neorossia leptodons is a species of bobtail squid native to the southwestern pacific ocean , from new south wales ( 32 ° 08 ′ s 153 ° 07 ′ e ) to south australia ( 33 ° 58 ′ s 131 ° 22 ′ e ) .

it lives at depths from 130 to 1,110 m. n. leptodons exhibits sexual dimorphism .

females grow to 77.5 mm in mantle length ( ml ) , while males are not known to exceed 42 mm ml .

the type specimen was collected in the great australian bight , south australia ( 37 ° 18.81 ′ s 138 ° 36.3 ′ e to 37 ° 17.76 ′ s 138 ° 35.01 ′ e ) .

it is deposited at the museum of victoria in melbourne .

neorossia leptodons

neorossia leptodons <EOT> gps coordinates of neorossia leptodons , australia . latitude : - 32 . 1333 longitude : 153 . 1167

neorossia leptodons occurs off australia ranging from new south wales to south australia ( reid and jereb 2005 ) .

figure . viscera of neorossia caroli . drawing modified from boletzky ( 1971 , p . 966 , fig . 1d ) .

n . leptodons exhibits sexual dimorphism . females grow to 77 . 5 mm in mantle length ( ml ) , while males are not known to exceed 42 mm ml .

reid , a . 1991 . taxonomic review of the australian rossiinae ( cephalopoda : sepiolidae ) , with a description of a new species , neorossia leptodons , and redescription of n . caroli ( joubin , 1902 ) . bulletin of marine science , 49 ( 3 ) ( 1991 ) : 748 - 831 . ( fig . 24a , b , p . 800 )

boltezky , s . v . 1971 . neorossia n . g . pro rossia ( allorossia ) caroli joubin , 1902 , with remarks on the generic status of semirossia steenstrup , 1887 ( mollusca : cephalopoda ) . bulletin of marine science , 21 ( 4 ) : 964 - 969 .

geographical variation in the morphological characters of australian rossiinae were examined using principal component analysis ( pca ) , multivariate analysis of variance ( manova ) , discriminant function analysis ( dfa ) , analysis of variance ( anova ) and latitudinal and longitudinal regression analyses . the results show that morphological differences occur between populations of rossia from the north west shelf ( w . a . ) and populations from eastern and southern australia . evidence from these analyses suggest that these two populations are genetically distinct , the north west shelf specimens belonging to a possible new species , described as r . sp . 1 , the eastern and southern australian specimens identified as r . australis berry , 1918 and redescribed on the basis of new material . that all the latter specimens belong to a single species is further supported by electrophoretic evidence . a new species of neorossia , n . leptodons , is identified and described , differing from the only described representative of this genus , n . caroli ( joubin , 1902 ) , in the shape of the radular teeth . the two species were also shown to differ using multivariate statistical techniques . n . caroli is redescribed from the holotype and additional material . in addition , specimens of neorossia from southeastern australia are compared electrophoretically with r . australis . it was found that members of these two genera differed for 66 % of loci .

yes , it ' s a cephalopod ! this squid and other cephalopods are featured in the cephalopod pages maintained at the national museum of natural history , department of invertebrate zoology ! see the following links for more information on cephalopods .

cephalopods in action . this is a multimedia appendix to published papers , that features video clips of cephalopods filmed from submersibles . included are :

the list of species featured in the videos , arranged as a taxonomic list , only relevant taxa included .

introducing an interactive key to the families of the decapodiformes . try this , it ' s exciting !

expedition journals from the search for the giant squid off new zealand , 1999 .

this page was created by jim felley , mike vecchione , clyde roper , mike sweeney , and tyler christensen . if you have questions or comments , contact mike vecchione .

typical mantle - length 50 mm . lives in offshore waters in midwater . native . endemic to southeastern and southwestern australia ( nsw , tas , vic , sa and wa ) .

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has been assessed as data deficient as very little is known about this species . further research is recommended before an accurate assessment can be made .

this small species has a very wide depth range ( 130 to 1 , 110 m in depth ) ( reid and jereb 2005 ) . females attain a larger body size ( up to 77 . 5 mm in mantle length ) compared to males ( up to 42 mm in mantle length ) ( reid and jereb 2005 ) . members of the subfamily rossiinae are bottom living species that typically bury in soft sediments during the day , and emerge at night to feed ( norman 2003 ) .

this species is of no current interest to fisheries ( reid and jereb 2005 ) .

basic research is required on this species to elucidate its distribution , population size and life history characteristics .

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the root of the current tree connects the organisms featured in this tree to their containing group and the rest of the tree of life . the basal branching point in the tree represents the ancestor of the other groups in the tree . this ancestor diversified over time into several descendent subgroups , which are represented as internal nodes and terminal taxa to the right .

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each tol branch page provides a synopsis of the characteristics of a group of organisms representing a branch of the tree of life . the major distinction between a branch and a leaf of the tree of life is that each branch can be further subdivided into descendent branches , that is , subgroups representing distinct genetic lineages .

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taxonomic review of the australian rossiinae ( cephalopoda : sepiol . . . : ingenta connect

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