 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Coral-killing starfish turns out to be four species, not one
Paris (AFP) Oct 1, 2008 The crown-of-thorns starfish, a notorious threat to coral in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, comprises four species, not one, biologists reported on Tuesday. The spiny predator, known by its Latin name of Acanthaster planci, has been a worsening peril to reefs for at least three decades, latching onto coral polyps and digesting them. A paper published in the British journal Biology Letters said that most research on A. planci has been carried out on in the Pacific, triggered by devastating outbreaks of the pest on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. But DNA analysis of specimens recovered elsewhere shows the creature comprises four distinct species, it says. They are found in the Red Sea, the Northern Indian Ocean and the Southern Indian Ocean as well as in the Pacific. The surprise finding could have important consequences for reef conservation, say the authors. Different species could favour different habitats and have different reproductive and nutritional behaviours, and this in turn could dictate when and where starfish outbreaks occur. But further investigation is needed to see if this is the case. The paper is lead-authored by Gert Woerheide of the Georg-August University in Goettingen, western Germany. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
New Meat-Eating Dinosaur From Argentina Had Bird-Like Breathing System
Mendoza, Argentina (SPX) Oct 01, 2008The remains of a new 10-meter-long predatory dinosaur discovered along the banks of Argentina's Rio Colorado is helping to unravel how birds evolved their unusual breathing system. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook