Organisms
pharyngula | December 25, 2009Octopus alpheus
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
pharyngula | December 22, 2009The lower Congo river is deep and complex, and there are a surprising number of hydrologic features that act as barriers separating populations of fish — this very nice video explains the diversity of species and the ongoing evolution of the fish in this environment.
They too briefly showed a blind depigmented cichlid that apparently lives in very deep troughs in the river — I wanted to see more about that. It's probably out of the question to send divers down into that maelstrom, but cameras? Someday? Please?
pharyngula | December 17, 2009Sepia sp.
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
pharyngula | December 14, 2009This is very cool: it's a series of scanning electron micrographs of spider book lungs. I'd like to hang a few of those on my wall.
pharyngula | December 11, 2009Enteroctopus dofleini
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
pharyngula | December 7, 2009
By the way, this is from an interesting article about using an endangered species lottery to save rare Australian animals.
pharyngula | December 6, 2009Watch this spectacular time-lapse video of echinoderms and nemertine worms eating a seal carcass. It's sure to stir your appetite.
pharyngula | December 4, 2009Loligo opalescens
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
pharyngula | November 30, 2009But I can't find any videos of squid looking cute when startled, so we have to settle for kitty cats.
I think if you tried the same thing with a squid, it would spread its arms wide all right…and then it would rip your face off. Not quite as adorable.
pharyngula | November 23, 2009
That's a photo of a coral slurping up a passing jellyfish. For some reason, I find it vaguely disturbing, and have no idea why my wife would select it.
pharyngula | November 22, 2009Once again, I risk stirring envy by putting a picture of a kitty-cat on Pharyngula. I met some people who showed me a nice picture of their pet, which is named after…me!
Here's PZ Meowers:
And look! He's blogging!
pharyngula | November 12, 2009About 2½ years ago, I highlighted the environmental threats to the Australian lungfish, in particular the planned construction of a dam that would destroy their habitat.
To my surprise, Australian environmentalists won this battle!
The proposed $1.8 billion Traveston Dam in Queensland has been quashed to protect endangered species, including Mary River turtle and cod, after a landmark decision by the Environment Minister, Peter Garrett.
In explaining his decision yesterday Mr Garrett said the dam would have ''serious and irreversible effects'' on threatened species - which also include the…