文獻來源: Thompson GG, Clemnte CJ, Withers PC, Fry BG. 2008. Is body shape of varanid lizards linked with retreat choice? Australian Journal of Zoology56: 351-362. [線上摘要]
Abstract In our earlier analysis of Varanus body shape, size was a dominating factor with some qualitative phylogenetic patterns and grouping of species into ecological categories. With a phylogeny and an improved capacity to account for the effects of size, we have reanalysed our morphometric data for male Australian goannas (Varanus spp.) using an increased number of specimens and species to examine whether variations in body shape can be accounted for by retreat choice, as it can for Western Australian Ctenophorus dragon lizards. After accounting for body size in the current analysis, four ecotypes based on retreat choice (i.e. those that retreat to oblique crevices between large rocks or rock faces, those that retreat to burrows dug into the ground, those that retreat to spaces under rocks or in tree hollows, and those that retreat to trees but not tree hollows) accounted for much of the variation in body shape. There is a phylogenetic pattern to the ecotypes, but accounting for phylogenetic effects did not weaken the link between body shape and ecotype based on retreat choice. This suggests that there are large differences in body shape among ecotypes, and shape is relatively independent of phylogeny. The strong link between shape and choice of retreat site in Varanus spp. is consistent with that for Ctenophorus spp. We speculate on why there might be a strong link between retreat choice and body shape for both Varanus and Ctenophorus.
文獻來源:Elwood RW, Appela M. 2009. Pain experience in hermit crabs? Animal Behaviour (in press). [摘要網址]
Abstract Pain may be inferred when the responses to a noxious stimulus are not reflexive but are traded off against other motivational requirements, the experience is remembered and the situation is avoided in the future. To investigate whether decapods feel pain we gave hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, small electric shocks within their shells. Only crabs given shocks evacuated their shells indicating the aversive nature of the stimulus, but fewer crabs evacuated from a preferred species of shell indicating a motivational trade-off. Some crabs that evacuated attacked the shell in the manner seen in a shell fight. Most crabs, however, did not evacuate at the stimulus level we used, but when these were subsequently offered a new shell, shocked crabs were more likely to approach and enter the new shell. Furthermore, they approached that shell more quickly, investigated it for a shorter time and used fewer cheliped probes within the aperture prior to moving in. Thus the experience of the shock altered future behaviour in a manner consistent with a marked shift in motivation to get a new shell to replace the one occupied. The results are consistent with the idea of pain in these animals.
文獻來源: Praschag P, Hundsdoerfer, Uwe F. 2009. Further specimens and phylogenetic position of the recently described leaf turtle species Cyclemys gemeli (Testudines: Geoemydidae). Zootaxa 2008: 29–37. [全文下載] Fritz U, Guicking D, Auer M, Sommer RS, Wink M, Hundsdoerfer AK. 2008. Diversity of the Southeast Asian leaf turtle genus Cyclemys: how many leaves on its tree of life? Zoologica Scripta37(4): 367-390. [連結]
俗稱葉龜(leaf turtle)(或稱圓龜, 攝龜)的Cyclemys屬在過去一直只被認為有1-2種, 一種是"黑肚子的", 而另一種是"白肚子"的. 然而Fritz et al.(2008)的文章顯示這個屬的已知物種應該有7種, 而且黑肚子的種類並不形成一個單系群, 每一個在形態上都難以被辨識. Praschagi et al. (2009)的文章則再進一步地確認印度圓龜(Cyclemys gemeli)的有效性及與灰舌圓龜(C. fusca)在地理分布上的界限. 台灣過去所進口的Cyclemys大多以C. dentata的名義進口, 然而正確的鑑定可能需仰賴足夠的分子證據才能確認. 這篇文章的作者也指出無論是IUCN或其它相關的物種瀕危程度評估都應該重新考量Cyclemys的多樣性.
文獻來源: Arunachalam, M. & Muralidharan, M. (2009):Nemacheilus stigmofasciatus, a new species of nemacheiline loach (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) from the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa1 (3): 147-150. [全文下載]
Abstract A new nemacheiline loach is described from the Seethanathi river of the Western Ghats, Karnataka. The new species differs from others of the genus in having an incomplete lateral line extending up to the end of the pelvic fin, shorter snout (35.9 -39.4% of HL) and bigger eyes (28.1-31.3% of HL). Notable colour variation is present in the bands on the back (11-13) and blotches (6-8) evenly spaced along the lateral line.
文獻來源:Spinks PQ, Thomson RC, Shaffer HB. 2009. A reassessment of Cuora cyclornata Blanck, McCord and Le, 2006 (Testudines, Geoemydidae) and a plea for taxonomic stability. Zootaxa2018: 58–68. [全文下載]
文獻來源: Thomson S, Georges A. 2009.Myuchelys gen. nov. —a new genus for Elseya latisternum and related forms of Australian freshwater turtle (Testudines: Pleurodira: Chelidae).Zootaxa 2053: 32–42 (2009). [摘要下載]
AbstractMyuchelys, a new genus, is erected for a well supported clade of Australasian freshwater turtles; its establishment resolves an unacceptable paraphyly in relationships among species of the genus Elseya. Molecular and morphological evidence indicates that the closest relationship of the new genus is with Emydura, not the redefined Elseya.
文獻來源:Zaeske, A & J Géry (2004) -Hyphessobrycon nigricinctus sp. n. - ein neuer Salmler (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae) aus dem Stromgebeit des río Madre de Dios in Peru. Zoologische Abhandlungen (Dresden) 54: 31-38. [摘要下載]
Abstract. Hyphessobrycon nigricinctus sp. n. – a new Characid fish (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae) is described from the drainage of the río Madre de Dios in Peru. The new species is a member of the H.-heterorhabdus-group and differs from all other species of this group by (1) a relatively deep body (depth 2.65–3.00 times in SL), (2) seven to eight scales above the lateral line, (3) a narrow, long maxilla with six to eight conical to tricuspid teeth, reaching up to the pupil, (4) anal fin with 22 to 26 branched fin rays, (5) males with hooklets in the distal part of anterior fin rays, (6) 33–34 scales in a longitudinal line, (7) lateral line relatively short, with seven pored scales. The colour in live is also characteristic: (8) a deep black lateral band from the gill cover to the end of middle caudal fin rays on two scales, (9) adipose deep red, (10) upper part of the iris also deep red and (11) a remarkable sexualdichromatism (males with especially deep red margins of anal, caudal, dorsal and pelvic fins, females without red fin margins).
文獻來源: Zarske A and J Gery (2006) - Beschreibung einer neuen Salmer-Gattung und zweir neuer Arten Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae) aus Peru and Brasilien. Zoologische Abhandlungen Dresden 55: 31-49. [全文連結]
Abstract. Dectobrycon armeniacus g. et sp. n. from Peru and Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia sp.n. from Brazil (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae) are described. – Dectobrycon armeniacus g. et sp. n. is characterized by (1) fi ve to six teeth in the inner row of premaxilla, (2) six to eleven tricuspid or conical maxillary teeth, (3) dentary teeth not abruptly decreasing in size, (4) lateral line incomplete, (5) many small scales on the basis of caudal, reminiscent of the species of the genus Markiana, (6) four to fi ve supraneuralia, (7) scale formula: 7–8/(15–23) 36–38/6–7, (8) iv–v 23–27 (i) anal fi n rays and (9) a dark longitudinal band from gill cover to the tips of middle caudal fi n rays. – Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia sp. n. is characterized by its (1) short anal fi n with 13–15 branched rays, (2) large scales: 5/(6–9) 27–30/3–4, (3) two tricuspid maxillary teeth, (4) body relatively high (2.48–3.08 times in standard length), (5) eye small (2.77–3.10 times in head length) and (6) a broad blue longitudinal band from tip of snout to the end of the middle caudal fi n rays.
其德文網頁的原文如下: Innerhalb der Familie der Lebiasinidae ist Brutpflege weit verbreitet. Männchen der Gattung Copella und Pyrrhulina verteidigen Reviere und stehen während der Brutpflege sogar mit den Flossen fächelnd über den Eiern. Es wurde sogar beobachtet, wie sie mit dem Maul die Eier betasten und dabei sogar unbefruchtete, verpilzte Eier entfernen wie P. zigzag im Bild (links das Männchen).
Eine besondere Form der Fortpflanzung stellt auch die direkte Samenübertragung dar. Jeder Aquarianer kennt die lebendgebärenden Zahnkarpfen, aber die wenigsten wissen, dass es ähnliche Formen der Begattung auch bei Salmlern gibt. Nun hat man noch keine Salmler mit Gonopodium gefunden und auch lebendgebärende Salmler sind der Wissenschaft nicht bekannt, aber der Fortpflanzungstyp einiger Salmlergruppen ist zumindest ähnlich.
在最新一期出版的英國《皇家學會學報B》（Proceedings of the Royal Society B）上，澳大利亞國立大學生物學院副教授斯科特•基奧詳細介紹了他的這一新發現。斯科特•基奧說，“在這一群體中，成年雄性蜥蜴的顏色極其豔麗，而且它們具有極強的領地意識。而雌性蜥蜴則通常是淡褐色。因此，年輕的雄性蜥蜴只有自覺地改變自己腹部的顏色，這樣它們會在性成熟之前看起來仍然像是雌性。”最初，雌性蜥蜴也會允許年輕雄性與之交配，只要不被體型較大的、佔有欲強的成年雄性發現，否則這些成年雄性蜥蜴會驅趕和撕咬年輕的對手。這些偽裝起來的年輕蜥蜴只有假裝成雌性，才能夠避免被攻擊而擁有繁殖的機會。
以下是Whiting et al. (2009)原文的摘要 Understanding what constrains signalling and maintains signal honesty is a central theme in animal communication. Clear cases of dishonest signalling, and the conditions under which they are used, represent an important avenue for improved understanding of animal communication systems. Female mimicry, when certain males take on the appearance of females, is most commonly a male alternative reproductive tactic that is condition-dependent. A number of adaptive explanations for female mimicry have been proposed including avoiding the costs of aggression, gaining an advantage in combat, sneaking copulations with females on the territories of other males, gaining physiological benefits and minimizing the risk of predation. Previous studies of female mimicry have focused on a single mode of communication, although most animals communicate using multiple signals. Male Augrabies flat lizards adopt alternative reproductive tactics in which some males (she-males) mimic the visual appearance of females. We experimentally tested in a wild population whether she-males are able to mimic females using both visual and chemical signals. We tested chemical recognition in the field by removing scent and relabelling females and she-males with either male or female scent. At a distance, typical males (he-males) could not distinguish she-males from females using visual signals, but during close encounters, he-males correctly determined the gender of she-males using chemical signals. She-males are therefore able to deceive he-males using visual but not chemical signals. To effectively deceive he-males, she-males avoid close contact with he-males during which chemical cues would reveal their deceit. This strategy is probably adaptive, because he-males are aggressive and territorial; by mimicking females, she-males are able to move about freely and gain access to females on the territories of resident males.
文獻來源: Thompson GG, Clemnte CJ, Withers PC, Fry BG. 2008. Is body shape of varanid lizards linked with retreat choice? Australian Journal of Zoology 56: 351-362. [線上摘要]
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