New research has generated the first global estimate of the number of fish and invertebrates within the Marine Aquarium Trade (MAT), as a way to incentivize industry sustainability and coral reef conservation. According to a new paper published in Science…
Scientists Solve the Puzzle of Starfish Body Design
Echinoderms – starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, have been the subject of some recent research to try to ascertain how they developed their pentaradial body shapes. Starfish evolved some 540 million years ago, and from…
Warming Oceans Impact Reef Fish Learning and Memory
A study conducted by James Cook University has found that a species of reef fish has impaired learning and memory when exposed to warmer-than-usual water temperatures. Spiny Chromis, Acanthochromis polyacanthus, are common on inshore and offshore coral reefs in Indo-Australian…
Predatory Trumpetfish hide behind herbivores to get closer to prey
The West Atlantic trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculatus, is an opportunistic predatory Syngnathiforme that is often observed swimming vertically amongst gorgonians to conceal itself from prey. But camouflage isn’t its only predatory tactic, as it’s also known to use the bodies of…
