Crustacean

ollectively known as “leaf turtles,” the species names in the following list demonstrate one of the weaknesses of common names. In both appearance and range, these species are diverse even as they are all native to Asia: 1. Cyclemys dentata (Asian leaf turtle, aka Brown stream terrapin); 2. Cyclemys tcheponensis (Stripe-necked leaf turtle); 3. Geoemyda spengleri (Black-breasted leaf turtle or Chinese leaf turtle, aka Vietnamese Wood Turtle); 4. Mauremys (Annamemys) annamensis (Vietnamese or…

Throughout our lifetime, we have seen penguins a time or two whether it be in a zoo, on television, in a magazine, etc. We know cute and funny they look when they walk (waddle), and how they travel thousands of miles to find food for their chicks. Now, look past all the facts we know about penguins. Instead; look at what actually matters, look at the risk of emperor, king, adelie, etc. penguins will become extinct if nothing changes in the near future. These once cute and cuddly looking animals…

A land where a dense forest of coral stretches on for miles, and schools of vibrant fish dart in and out of coral-ridged windows. A land where sunlight dances through crystal water, landing delicately upon strong branches of the reef and small crustaceans scuttle about the streets of the busy underwater city. It is a land free from the effects of human existence. At least, that’s what we’d like to believe. In reality, the great reef off of Australia’s northeastern coast is far from the picture…

Introduction How can creatures that don’t have eyes, and ears tell if a predator is nearby? We will be looking in depth into the predation of Periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) and the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). What are periwinkles? Whats the reaction and relationship between the two species. How can one species detect the other? Once we explore the our creatures we will then conduct an experiment to test if there are any notable difference in the reactions of the periwinkles in the…

In recent years, as technology advances faster than ever, there has also been a huge surge in the awareness of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. In the article, The Fast-Approaching ‘Point of No Return’ for Climate Change by Karin Kamp and John Light, top climate scientists warns the international policymakers about the current and potential permanent damages to our environment, sets a target level for lessening harmful greenhouse gases, and urges policymakers to push for new policies…

Increased ocean acidification isn’t the only thing affecting the ocean, but it is very problematic because it erodes aragonite which is a mineral of calcium carbonate. In other words it kills corals and causes the hard exoskeleton to erode. Action needs to be taken to ensure the survival of corals and the creatures that rely on coral reefs to survive. Coral reefs are sources of food for millions of people, but also are sources of medicines. As coral reefs disappear so do the organisms that are…

Symbiosis is the interaction between two different organisms in an environment and the effect they may have on each other, if any. When observed in nature, these encounters can illustrate the complex relationship among organisms and how their survival is directly affected. Neutralism, for instance, is a relationship in which neither of the interacting symbionts benefit nor suffer. Mutualism, on the other hand, is a relationship in which both symbionts are physiologically dependent on one another…

explain where whales fit into a trophic cascade first we have to look at what they eat. Because there are so many different species, what they consume varies from small krill to giant squid. But for most whales krill (a family of small, shrimplike crustaceans) is the main food source. All of the whale’s prey survive off of a single-celled organism called Plankton. Plankton is the base of the oceanic food chain. A whale’s diet depends on these primary producers of the ocean. Trophic cascades show…

of tube or scoop to aid in specialized feeding. The slingjaw wrasse (Epibulus insidiator), for example, can extend its upper and lower jaw to more than half of the fish's overall length in order to create an elongate tube perfect for feeding on crustaceans (and sometimes even small fishes) amongst the nooks and crannies of the reef. Many aquarists have witnessed this feeding behavior from wrasses in their own aquaria, and many aquarists have also seen their wrasses use this anatomical…

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Porifera Classification information for Poriferans: Poriferans, better known as sponges, consist of 5000 known species, all located primarily in marine and fresh waters (Myers, 2001a). They are multicellular, heterotrophic, invertebrates with an irregular shape and no distinct pattern of symmetry (Myers, 2001a). Overall, they are the simplest of animals; thus, lacking any true tissue and/or germ layers (Myers, 2001a). Furthermore, they are known to be highly sessile,…