A prickly subject: innovative handling of a difficult prey

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Linda Behrendorff
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Island Ecosystems ◽  
Subtidal Area ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Handling Technique ◽  
Prey Handling ◽  
Ambush Predators ◽  
Tachyglossus Aculeatus

Canids are generally considered to be ambush predators, but in island ecosystems adaptability and flexibility are essential for survival. Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) attack and kill their prey in a variety of ways including utilising waterbodies. Here I document the drowning of an adult short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) before consumption by a dingo using the coastal surf beach intertidal to shallow subtidal area on the eastern coast of Fraser Island (K’gari), highlighting an innovative prey-handling technique.

Stratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician upper Vaureal and Ellis Bay formations, eastern Anticosti Island, Quebec

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1807-1820 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. F. Long ◽  
Paul Copper
Keyword(s):  
Late Ordovician ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Upper Ordovician ◽  
New Members ◽  
Patch Reefs ◽  
Accurate Definition ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Anticosti Island ◽  
Definition Of

Marked facies changes occur in Late Ordovician strata, assigned to the uppermost Vaureal and Ellis Bay formations (Ashgill: Rawtheyan–Hirnantian) on Anticosti Island, Quebec. Western Anticosti features shales and carbonates, whereas outcrops along the eastern coast contain prominent, discontinuous, mixed siliciclastic–carbonate units. Detailed section measurement along the northeast coast allows, for the first time, accurate definition of seven new members within this uninterrupted sequence. Sands present in the upper Vaureal and lower Ellis Bay formations in the east appear to have deterred the growth of muddy-bottom brachiopod communities comparable to those in the western and central regions of Anticosti. Sand units within the upper Vaureal Formation contain 1 m diameter colonies of Paleofavosites; coeval small coral patch reefs are found in the central part of the island, where sands are absent. The uppermost Ellis Bay Formation of northeast Anticosti is marked by a shallow, subtidal, coral–algal oncolite bed or by small (2–4 m across, 1–2 m thick) local coral patch reefs, the tops of which have been used to define the Ordovician – Silurian boundary. No supratidal or intertidal sediments and faunas are evident in the Anticosti succession, suggesting that Late Ordovician sea-level drawdown was insufficient to provide shelf-emergent conditions in this region.

Nothria and Anchinothria (Annelida: Onuphidae) from eastern Australian waters, with a discussion of ontogenetic variation of diagnostic characters

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1481-1502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataliya Budaeva ◽  
Hannelore Paxton
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
First Record ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Ontogenetic Variation ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Antarctic Waters ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Japanese Waters

Nothria and Anchinothria, two sister genera of onuphid worms were studied from eastern Australian waters. Nothria abyssia, with a wide distribution in Pacific and Antarctic waters is reported from slope depths south-east of Australia, while N. otsuchiensis, described from Japanese waters, was found along the eastern coast of Australia from shallow subtidal to deep slope areas. Anchinothria parvula sp. nov. is described, based on the presence of uni- and bidentate pseudocompound falcigers in the first three pairs of parapodia, absence of branchiae and appearance of limbate chaetae from chaetiger 2, subacicular hooks from chaetigers 6–8 and pectinate chaetae from chaetiger 14. The new species represents the first record of the genus in Australian waters. Ontogenetic variation of chaetal composition and morphology of parapodia was estimated in two Nothria species examined. Three size-related morphotypes with different chaetal composition and morphology of anterior falcigers were revealed in N. abyssia and N. otsuchiensis. The number of chaetigers with pseudocompound falcigers is the only character independent of size of the specimens in both examined species. Distribution of subacicular hooks and postchaetal lobes is shown to be size-dependent. The following characters are considered of diagnostic value only when scored in adults: presence/absence of simple falcigers in anterior parapodia; chaetiger of origin of limbate chaetae, pectinate chaetae, and subacicular hooks; and number of chaetigers with auricular prechaetal lobes and digitiform postchaetal lobes. The use of adult specimens with the final set of definitive morphological structures for diagnoses of Nothria species is suggested.

Distribution patterns and dispersal of prosobranch gastropods along a seamount chain in the Atlantic Ocean

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josó H. Leal ◽  
Philippe Bouchet
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Larval Transport ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Similarity Coefficients ◽  
Specific Level ◽  
Trindade Island ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Seamount Chain ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Based on qualitative data on prosobranch gastropods present at eight seamounts and islands of the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain off the eastern coast of Brazil, similarities at the species level are examined, and the effects of selection for different modes of development varying with increasing distance from the coast are investigated. Number of species decreases significantly from the continent towards easternmost localities. Similarity coefficients and cluster analysis suggest that similarities are greater among the western seamounts, followed by the eastern, most oceanic localities. Subtidal stations on Trindade Island show less similarity at specific level when compared with the remaining sublittoral stations. Percentages and absolute numbers of species with intracapsular metamorphosis decrease rapidly away from the coast in the sublittoral localities. However, there is little variation for the ratio planktotrophs/lecithotrophs among these localities, and their percentages remained constant over the entire Chain. In spite of the slightly wider range of distribution of planktotrophs within the Chain, the observations suggest that both planktotrophs and lecithotrophs can be effectively dispersed, probably by passive larval transport, in an ‘island-hopping’ pattern across the relatively small distances (100–250 km) that separate summits in the Chain. Notwithstanding shallow, subtidal conditions and intense isolation, percentages of planktotrophs and lecithotrophs also do not vary at the subtidal Trindade stations.

scholarly journals A common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) prey handling technique for marine catfish (Ariidae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. e0181179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Errol I. Ronje ◽  
Kevin P. Barry ◽  
Carrie Sinclair ◽  
Mark A. Grace ◽  
Nélio Barros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Common Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Handling Technique ◽  
Prey Handling

scholarly journals Ecology of gassy, organic-rich sediment in a shallow subtidal area on the Kattegat coast of Denmark

1993 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
pp. 265-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
PR Dando ◽  
T Fenchel ◽  
P Jensen ◽  
SCM O'Hara ◽  
SJ Niven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subtidal Area ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Organic Rich Sediment

Environmental controls on the distribution of Atrypoidea species in Upper Silurian strata of arctic Canada

1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Jones ◽  
G. M. Narbonne
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Arctic Canada ◽  
Subtidal Area ◽  
Environmental Controls ◽  
Subtidal Environment ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Utmost Care ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
Upper Silurian

Evidence from numerous localities throughout the Upper Silurian strata of arctic Canada suggests that the ranges of the various species of Atrypoidea were controlled primarily by environmental factors. Atrypoidea bioherma n. sp. occurred only on and immediately around bioherms. Atrypoidea foxi inhabited subtidal areas in an offshore position, and especially those areas between the bioherms with which A. bioherma were associated. Atrypoidea phoca apparently lived in a shallow subtidal area in close proximity to the shoreline. Atrypoidea erebus inhabited environments ranging from the low intertidal to shallow subtidal. Atrypoidea netserki lived in a shallow subtidal environment close to shore.Fluctuations in bathymetry and other environmental parameters during the deposition of the Upper Silurian strata resulted in an apparent zonation of Atrypoidea species. These zones, however, are ecologically controlled and can therefore only be utilized for biostratigraphic purposes with the utmost care.

Variation in cougar (Puma concolor) predation habits during wolf (Canis lupus) recovery in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.D. Bartnick ◽  
T.R. Van Deelen ◽  
H.B. Quigley ◽  
D. Craighead
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Niche Space ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Predation Effects ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Ambush Predators

We examined predation habits of cougars (Puma concolor (L., 1771)) following the recent recovery of gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With the extirpation of wolves in the early 20th century, cougars likely expanded their niche space to include space vacated by wolves, and increased use of habitat better suited to the foraging of a coursing predator, like wolves. We predicted that as wolves recolonized their former range, competitive exclusion would compel cougars to cede portions of niche space occupied in the absence of wolves. To examine this hypothesis, we radio-tracked cougars and examined their predation sites from winter 2000–2001 through summer 2009. Variation in foraging by cougars was associated with increasing wolf presence. As wolf numbers increased and the mean distance between wolf pack activity centers and cougar predation sites decreased, cougars made kills at higher elevations on more north-facing slopes during summer and in more rugged areas during winter. In addition, cougars preyed on a higher proportion of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)), consistent with predictions of exploitative competition with wolves. Observed changes in predation characteristics reflect differences in predation strategy between cougars and wolves, given that wolves are coursing predators and cougars are ambush predators. These possible predation effects should be considered when developing management strategies in systems where the recolonization of wolves may occur.

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