Month: April 2016

Megamouth shark

Posted on by Timataquaticallatin

Aquatic scientific names in the news …

Megamouth shark

15th April – a Megamouth shark has been reported caught in a fishing net about three miles from the Owase Port in Mie Prefecture, Japan.

megamouthPhoto showing the size of the mouth.

An extremely rare species of deepwater shark, it is the smallest of the three extant planktivorous sharks alongside the whale shark and basking shark, growing to a length of around 5.5 metres (male), 7.0 metres (female).

megamouth2Images: Sunrise/Channel 7

It is a filter-feeder, it feeds by swimming slowly (1.5–2.1 km/h) with its enormous mouth wide open, filtering the water for plankton, during the day at a depth of around 120–160 m, but as the sun sets rising to spend the night at depths of between 12 and 25 m, demonstrating a pattern of vertical migration seen in many marine animals as they track the movement of plankton in the water column.

The first Megamouth shark to be seen was discovered in 1976 off the coast of Kāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi, when it became entangled in the sea anchor of United States Navy ship, it was not until 1983 that it was identified as a new species and officially described.

Megamouth sharks remain rare, up until 2015 only around 60 sightings had been recorded although one source now suggests 103 sightings to date – see http://sharkmans-world.eu/mega.html

Megachasma pelagios  Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983 – Megamouth shark

Etymology.

Megachasma – Greek, Mega–, megas (μεγας), large, great; –chasma, xasma (χασμα), yawning hole, open mouth – alluding to the size of the mouth.

pelagios – Greek, (πελαγιος), of the open sea.

Ref. Megamouth – a new species, genus, and family of lamnoid shark (Megachasma pelagios, family Megachasmidae) from the Hawaiian Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 4) v. 43

Basking shark

Posted on by Timataquaticallatin

Aquatic scientific names in the news …

Basking shark

The first Basking shark sighting of 2016 has been reported off Cornwall. It was photographed in Mount’s Bay on Wednesday 6th July during a wildlife cruise.

456px-Cetorhinus_maximus_by_greg_skomalImage: Greg Skomal / NOAA Fisheries Service

The Basking shark is the second largest shark after the Whale shark and the biggest fish found in British waters, reportedly reaching lengths of around 12 metres. A planktivorous species that feeds close to the surface, passively filtering zooplankton, small fish, and invertebrates from the water, it is a seasonal visitor to British waters, usually arriving in significant numbers between May and October each year, in search of plankton blooms.

In winter, Basking sharks leave British waters and move offshore to depths of around 900 m to feed on deep-water plankton.

Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765)

Etymology.

Cetorhinus – Greek, Ceto–, khtos (κητος), any sea monster, sea monster slain by Perseus (mythology), huge fish, whale; –rhinus, rinos, ris (ρις), nose, snout – likely referring to the protuberant snout

maximus – Latin, greatest, largest – likely referring to overall size.

Indian dancing frog

Posted on by Timataquaticallatin

Aquatic scientific names in the news …

Indian dancing frog

Tadpoles of the Indian dancing frog have been seen for the first time.
Although scientists have long known about the adult frogs and their graceful displays, or dances, which lure mates and ward off rival males, the juveniles of the species had never been seen before. That’s likely because during this developmental stage, the tadpoles live entirely below the stream bed surface, buried deeply in the silt and gravel. The newly discovered tadpoles have flat, eel-like bodies and powerful muscular tails adapted for wriggling through silt and mud.

dancing frog tadpolesPreviously unseen dancing frog tadpoles. Image: SD Biju

Micrixalus species frogs are popularly known as dancing frogs due to their display behaviour involving waving their feet in the air, known as “foot-flagging”, to attract females during the breeding season. Males tap their hindfeet and extend it upwards, subsequently stretching the foot outward and shaking it, both at prospective mates and rival males.

Micrixalus foot flaggingFoot-flagging

They make their burrows in the forest rivers of the Western Ghats mountain range, along India’s west coast and, up until now, were believed to be the only species of frog or toad where the tadpoles remained unidentified.

Micrixalus herrei (Myers, 1942)

Etymology.

Micrixalus – Greek, micr-, mikros (μικρος), small; -ixalus, an invalid genus, a common generic root in treefrog names; (ιξαλος) bounding, springing, spry (classical – applied to the ibex and wild goats) – small Ixalus.

herrei – Latinized surnameI. Named in honour of Dr. Albert W. Herre (1868 – 1962), Curator of Ichthyology in the Natural History Museum of Stanford University.