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Limacina
''Limacina'' is a genus of swimming predatory sea snails commonly known as sea butterflies in the family Limacinidae. This genus contains some of the world's most abundant gastropod species.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2012). Limacina. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138122 on 2012-07-18 Etymological meaning of the generic name ''Limacina'' is "snail-like". As pelagic marine gastropods, ''Limacina'' swim by flapping their parapodia, inspiring the common name sea butterflies. Sea butterflies are part of the clade Thecosomata. Sea angels, similar to ''Limacina'', are in the order Gymnosomata. Both of these orders are still referred to as " pteropods". Sea butterflies of the order Thecosomata have a shell, while sea angels in the order Gymnosomata do not. Shell description The shells of ''Limacina'' are well developed, sinistrally coiled, turret-like, and include an operculum. Shell size and thickness vary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limacina Helicina
''Limacina helicina'' is a species of small swimming planktonic sea snail, in the family Limacinidae. It belongs to the group commonly known as Sea butterfly, sea butterflies (Thecosomata). ''Limacina helicina'' is a keystone species of mesozooplankton in Arctic pelagic ecosystems. The first written record of this species was by Friderich Martens from Spitsbergen in 1675. ''Limacina helicina'' was also observed during a 1773 expedition to the Arctic led by Constantine John Phipps on the ships HMS Racehorse (1757), HMS ''Racehorse'' and on HMS Carcass (1759), HMS ''Carcass'' and the species was Species description, described one year later, in 1774. ''Limacina helicina'' is the type species of the genus ''Limacina''. In contrast to the traditional view, it was shown in 2010 that the distribution of this species is not bipolar; Arctic and Antarctic individuals belong to two genetically distinct species: ''Limacina helicina'' in the Arctic, and ''Limacina antarctica'' in the Anta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limacina Atypica
''Limacina'' is a genus of swimming predatory sea snails commonly known as sea butterflies in the family Limacinidae. This genus contains some of the world's most abundant gastropod species.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2012). Limacina. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138122 on 2012-07-18 Etymological meaning of the generic name ''Limacina'' is "snail-like". As pelagic marine gastropods, ''Limacina'' swim by flapping their parapodia, inspiring the common name sea butterflies. Sea butterflies are part of the clade Thecosomata. Sea angels, similar to ''Limacina'', are in the order Gymnosomata. Both of these orders are still referred to as "pteropods". Sea butterflies of the order Thecosomata have a shell, while sea angels in the order Gymnosomata do not. Shell description The shells of ''Limacina'' are well developed, sinistrally coiled, turret-like, and include an operculum. Shell size and thickness vary w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limacinidae
The Limacinidae are a family of small sea snails, pteropods, pelagic marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Thecosomata (sea butterflies The Thecosomata (collective/plural: ''thecosomes'', meaning "case/shell-body"), or sea butterflies, are a taxonomic suborder of small, pelagic, free-swimming sea snails known as holoplanktonic opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, in the order ...).Bouchet, P. (2012). Limacinidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=13704 on 2012-07-18 Genera Genera within the family Limacinidae include: * '' Altaspiratella'' Korobkov, 1966 - synonym: ''Plotophysops'' Curry, 1982Cahuzac B. & Janssen A. W. (2010). "Eocene to Miocene holoplanktonic Mollusca (Gastropoda) of the Aquitaine Basin, southwest France". '' Scripta Geologica'' 141: http://www.scriptageologica.nl/10/nr141/a01 ** † ''A. elongatoidea'' (Aldrich, 1887) - type species of the genus ''Altaspiratella'' ** † ''A. be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thecosomata
The Thecosomata (collective/plural: ''thecosomes'', meaning "case/shell-body"), or sea butterflies, are a taxonomic suborder of small, pelagic, free-swimming sea snails known as holoplanktonic opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, in the order Pteropoda (also included within the informal group Opisthobranchia). Most pteropods have some form of calcified shell, although it is often very light, even translucent. The sea butterflies include some of the world's most abundant gastropod species; as their large numbers are an essential part of the ocean food chain, they are a significant contributor to the oceanic carbon cycle. Morphology Unlike other sea snails, or even land snails, sea butterflies float and swim freely through the ocean, traveling along with the currents. This has led to a number of evolutionary adaptations in their bodies, including complete or near-complete loss of the shell and the gill in several families. Their gastropodal foot has also taken the form of two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pteropods
Pteropoda (common name pteropods, from the Greek meaning "wing-foot") are specialized free-swimming pelagic sea snails and sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropods. Most live in the top 10 m of the ocean and are less than 1 cm long. The monophyly of Pteropoda is the subject of a lengthy debate; they have even been considered as paraphyletic with respect to cephalopods. Current consensus, guided by molecular studies, leans towards interpreting the group as monophyletic. Pteropoda encompasses the two clades Thecosomata, the sea butterflies, and Gymnosomata, the sea angels. The Thecosomata ( "case-body") have a shell, while the Gymnosomata ("naked body") do not. The two clades may or may not be sister taxa; if not, their similarity (in that they are both pelagic, small, and transparent, and both groups swim using wing-like flaps (parapodia) which protrude from their bodies) may reflect convergent adaptation to their particular lifestyle. Taxonomy The group Pteropod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Butterflies
The Thecosomata (collective/plural: ''thecosomes'', meaning "case/shell-body"), or sea butterflies, are a taxonomic suborder of small, pelagic, free-swimming sea snails known as holoplanktonic opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, in the order Pteropoda (also included within the informal group Opisthobranchia). Most pteropods have some form of calcified shell, although it is often very light, even translucent. The sea butterflies include some of the world's most abundant gastropod species; as their large numbers are an essential part of the ocean food chain, they are a significant contributor to the oceanic carbon cycle. Morphology Unlike other sea snails, or even land snails, sea butterflies float and swim freely through the ocean, traveling along with the currents. This has led to a number of evolutionary adaptations in their bodies, including complete or near-complete loss of the shell and the gill in several families. Their gastropodal foot has also taken the form of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Butterfly
The Thecosomata (collective/plural: ''thecosomes'', meaning "case/shell-body"), or sea butterflies, are a taxonomic suborder of small, pelagic, free-swimming sea snails known as holoplanktonic opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, in the order Pteropoda (also included within the informal group Opisthobranchia). Most pteropods have some form of calcified shell, although it is often very light, even translucent. The sea butterflies include some of the world's most abundant gastropod species; as their large numbers are an essential part of the ocean food chain, they are a significant contributor to the oceanic carbon cycle. Morphology Unlike other sea snails, or even land snails, sea butterflies float and swim freely through the ocean, traveling along with the currents. This has led to a number of evolutionary adaptations in their bodies, including complete or near-complete loss of the shell and the gill in several families. Their gastropodal foot has also taken the form of two wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gymnosomata
Sea angels (clade Gymnosomata) are a large group of small free-swimming sea slugs, classified into six separate families. They are pelagic opisthobranchs in the clade Gymnosomata within the larger mollusc clade Heterobranchia. Sea angels were previously considered to be pteropods. Sea angels are also sometimes known as "sea butterflies" but this is potentially misleading because the family Clionidae is just one of the families within this clade, and the term "sea butterfly" is also applied to the shelled Thecosomata. Recent molecular data suggest the Gymnosomata form a sister group to the Thecosomata (other planktonic, weakly or nonmineralized gastropods), but this long-standing hypothesis has also had some recent detractors. Distribution These organisms have a wide geographic range, from polar regions, under sea ice, to equatorial (tropic) seas. From spring to autumn, sea angels live at a depth of 200 m in the Sea of Okhotsk. In winter, they migrate to the coast of north ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baleen Whale
Baleen whales (), also known as whalebone whales, are marine mammals of the order (biology), parvorder Mysticeti in the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises), which use baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their mouths to sieve plankton from the water. Mysticeti comprises the family (biology), families Balaenidae (right whale, right and Bowhead whale, bowhead whales), Balaenopteridae (rorquals), Eschrichtiidae (the gray whale) and Cetotheriidae (the pygmy right whale). There are currently 16 species of baleen whales. While cetaceans were historically thought to have descended from Mesonychia, mesonychians, molecular phylogenetics, molecular evidence instead supports them as a clade of even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla). Baleen whales split from toothed whales (Odontoceti) around 34 mya (unit), million years ago. Baleen whales range in size from the and pygmy right whale to the and blue whale, the Largest organisms, largest known animal to have ever existed. They ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clionidae
The Clionidae are a family of sea angels, which are a group of pelagic marine gastropods. They resemble angels, complete with flapping "wings", hence their common name. They are gelatinous, mostly transparent pteropods, and they only have shells in their embryonic stage. They are mostly very small, with the largest species ('' Clione limacina'') reaching . External anatomy The Clionidae use winglike flaps for rhythmical locomotion, as if flying in the sea. These "wings" are attached to the anterior part of the body. The posterior part is gelatinous and mostly transparent. The orange visceral sac is confined to the anterior part. Life habits Mating is carried out ventrally for mutual fertilization. The following spring, this results in a free-floating, gelatinous egg mass. Taxonomy Clionidae d'Orbigny, 1851 is unfortunately also the name of a family of sponges in the order Hadromerida, class Demospongiae. Within the ICZN there has been a proposed emendation of spelling to C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salmonid
Salmonidae (, ) is a family of ray-finned fish, the only extant member of the suborder Salmonoidei, consisting of 11 extant genera and over 200 species collectively known as "salmonids" or "salmonoids". The family includes salmon (both Atlantic and Pacific species), trout (both ocean-going and landlocked), char, graylings, freshwater whitefishes, taimens and lenoks, all coldwater mid-level predatory fish that inhabit the subarctic and cool temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar''), whose Latin name became that of its genus ''Salmo'', is also the eponym of the family and order names. Salmonids have a relatively primitive appearance among teleost fish, with the pelvic fins being placed far back, and an adipose fin towards the rear of the back. They have slender bodies with rounded scales and forked tail fins, and their mouths contain a single row of sharp teeth. Although the smallest salmonid species is just long for adults, most salm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinoflagellate
The Dinoflagellates (), also called Dinophytes, are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered protists. Dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but they are also common in freshwater habitats. Their populations vary with sea surface temperature, salinity, and depth. Many dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, but a large fraction of these are in fact mixotrophic, combining photosynthesis with ingestion of prey ( phagotrophy and myzocytosis). In terms of number of species, dinoflagellates are one of the largest groups of marine eukaryotes, although substantially smaller than diatoms. Some species are endosymbionts of marine animals and play an important part in the biology of coral reefs. Other dinoflagellates are unpigmented predators on other protozoa, and a few forms are parasitic (for example, '' Oodinium'' and '' Pfiesteria''). Some dinoflagellates produce resting stages, called dinoflagellate cys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
