Maslakova, S. A.*; Martindale, M. Q.; Norenburg, J. L.: Remains of the pilidium in direct developing nemerteans? Nemertean worms display two basic types of development: direct and indirect. A specialized planktonic larva, the pilidium, characterizes the order Heteronemertea. The juvenile worm develops via a unique form of imaginal discs and sheds most of the larval […]

PADILLA, D.K.; DILGER, E.K.; DITTMANN, D.E.: Phenotyic plasticity of feeding structures in species of Littorina Several species of gastropods in the genus Lacuna, Family Littorinidae, have been found to have phenotypically plastic feeding morphologies. Animals fed different diets produce different shaped radular teeth. When fed diatom epiphytes found on eelgrass, snails produce blunt-shaped teeth. When […]

VAGELLI, A.A.: New observations on the asexual reproduction of Aurelia aurita (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) with comments on its daptative significance. A new reproductive mechanism has been observed in scyphistomae of Aurelia aurita. It is termed gemmation and it is referred to as an asexual mode of reproduction in which scyphistomae produce small and mostly spherical masses […]

FAUCHALD, K.: Distribution of scales in polynoid scale-worms (Annelida, Polychaeta) Polynoids have some of the dorsal cirri replaced by flattened scales (elytrae) more or less covering the body. An overview of the type species of most genera of the family demonstrated a few interesting patterns. Species with less than 12 pairs of elytrae all have […]

SCHWARTZ, M.L.; NORENBURG, J.L.: Can We Infer Heteronemertean Phylogeny from Morphological Data? A cladistic analysis of the genera within the order Heteronemertea (Nemertea) was performed from morphological data gathered from the literature. Resulting trees were numerous and mostly unresolved. The analysis gives insight into current taxonomic problems for the heteronemerteans. Chief among these are brief […]

CARTER, T.L.*; ERICKSON, L.B.; ELLIOTT, J.K.: The influence of hybridization on anemonefish evolution Anemonefishes (Genera:Amphiprion and Premnas; Family Pomacentridae) are a group of 28 species of coral reef fishes that are obligate symbionts of large tropical sea anemones. A recent molecular phylogenetic study of anemonefishes, based on data from two mitochondrial genes (cyt b and […]

SMITH, W.L.; WEBB, J.F.*: Phylogenetic Variation in the Morphology of the Laterophysic Connection in Butterflyfishes of the Genus Chaetodon The laterophysic connection is a unique linkage between paired anterior diverticula (horns) of the swimbladder and mesial openings in the cranial lateral-line canals in the supracleithra, which may allow the lateral-line system of butterflyfishes in the […]

BRAINERD, E.L.*; MURRAY, S.S.: Patterns of genome size evolution in tetraodontiform fishes We used flow cytometry to measure genome size (pg of DNA per diploid cell) in 15 species belonging to 7 tetraodontiform families and subfamilies. Previous workers have found that members of Tetraodontidae (smooth puffers) have the smallest genome size of any vertebrate measured […]

HILTON, E.J.: Morphological Complexity and Simplicity of the Axial Skeleton of Teleostei Morphological complexity is a difficult and relative term, generally equated with a greater number of parts or the elaboration of a basic structural element. The vertebral skeleton of Teleostei is among the most complex of all vertebrates, with up to thirteen discrete ossifications […]

Boyle, H.J.*; Graham, J.B.: Acquisition of Characters Facilitating Amphibious Behavior in the Oxudercine Fishes The evolutionary sequence of character acquisition associated with amphibious air breathing and terrestrial life was examined in the oxudercine fishes (Gobiidae). Included among the 10 genera (35 species) of oxudercines are forms with little to no specializations for amphibious life as […]