17 new brilliantly colored species of sea slugs described

by Shreya Dasgupta on 1 November 2018

Researchers have just described 17 stunning new species of sea slugs that live among coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.

All the species belong to the genus Hypselodoris, and come in a wide variety of colors.

Researchers reorganized the genus Hypselodoris, adding new-to-science species to the group, and revealing secrets of the evolution of their brilliant color patterns.

From lavender to orange, pink to yellow polka dots — researchers have just described 17 stunning new species of sea slugs that live among coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.

All the species belong to the genus Hypselodoris, a group of colorful sea slugs that make for striking photo models. In a recent study, researchers from the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) reorganized the genus Hypselodoris, adding new-to-science species to the group and revealing secrets of the evolution of their brilliant color patterns.

Discovery of the new species is a great feeling, said Terrence Gosliner, senior curator at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the CAS. “Several species [of Hypselodoris] had not been studied previously from a genetic perspective and we had reason to believe that we had discovered a bunch of new species, based on their external appearance,” he told Mongabay.

Among the new species are Hypselodoris confetti, a sea slug that looks like it’s covered in shreds of brightly colored paper; H. rositoi, named for its distinctive rose-pink shade; and H. skyleri, a sea slug with white spots that resemble stars in the sky and that’s named after co-author Rebecca Johnson’s son, Skyler (Sky) Rodgers.

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Armored 'Pinecone' Fish's Insides Revealed in Spooky Scan

By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor | December 1, 2017 06:22am ET

From the outside, the pinecone fish is a colorful yet fearsome beast. On the inside, it's downright spooky.

A new scan of a fish of the genus Cleidopus, posted on Twitter, looks like the re-creation of a monster from a sci-fi horror flick. In actuality, the scan reveals the tough, spiked armor of this denizen of the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific.

Pinecone fish grow about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long and come by their nickname honestly: Their scales are yellow, crisscrossed with black markings in the shape of the scales of a pinecone. (The fish are also known as "pineapple fish," another name that references their striking markings.) Running down the fish's sides are rows of small, nasty-looking spikes. Pinecone fish live at relatively deep ocean depths, down to 650 feet (200 meters) or so, and their jaws are studded with two bioluminescent organs, called photophores. These give off a greenish glow that the fish might use to attract prey. [See Photos of the Freakiest-Looking Fish]

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How urban seasnakes lost their stripes

Date: August 10, 2017

Source: Cell Press

Summary:

Researchers studying turtle-headed seasnakes living on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific noticed something unusual about the snakes' color patterns: seasnakes living in more pristine parts of the reef were decorated with black-and-white bands or blotches. Those in places with more human activity -- near the city or military activity -- were black. Those color differences are explained by differences in the snakes' exposure to pollution.

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Mystery of funky 'disco' clam's flashing revealed

Date:

January 4, 2015

Source:

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)

Summary:

The disco clam is an active, filter-feeding mollusk that lives in crevices or small caves in Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Their flashing is so bright that it had been thought to be the result of bioluminescence, the production of light within the tissue. However, flashes of light from an unusual clam help it to fend off predators and perhaps to attract prey, new research shows.

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