Monthly Archives: April 2013

Hunting Slugs in The Bahamas

A sand flat lined by mangroves; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

A sand flat lined by mangroves; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

Recent research has showed that something is going on in the Bahamas! Even when specimens from these islands look pretty much alike its “con-specifics” from other parts of the Caribbean region, they show considerable genetic divergence. Likely ecological and/or oceanographic processes are limiting gene-flow between the Bahamas and nearby islands accelerating the rate of speciation.

Rocky shore; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

Rocky shore; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

At the University Museum we want to understand the “entrails” of these processes and therefore we headed to sunny Bahamas for a two-weeks fieldtrip in Eulethera I. Seventeen specimens of opisthobranchs gastropods have been collected and two populations of our model-species, the cephalaspidean Bulla occidentalis, were found inside closed ponds lined by mangroves and limestone. These ponds are very special habitats completely enclosed and only communicating with the ocean by submarine outlets or through the porosity of the limestone rock and can be considered “islands inside islands”.

Turtle Pond; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

Turtle Pond; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

DNA will be soon extracted from specimens of the two populations of Bulla occidentalis and compared with that of other populations throughout the tropical West Atlantic from Brazil to Bermuda. This will help understanding processes of historical biogeography and speciation in the highly complex Caribbean region.

Black morph of Bulla occidentals; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

Black morph of Bulla occidentals; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The nudibranch Phidiana lynceus; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The nudibranch Phidiana lynceus; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The aglajid Chelidonura normani; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The aglajid Chelidonura normani; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The aglajid Chelidonura hirundinina; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The aglajid Chelidonura hirundinina; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The sacoglossan Ascobulla ulla; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

The sacoglossan Ascobulla ulla; Eulethera I., The Bahamas

 

 

 

 

 

Further work on West African biodiversity

A brittle star, Ophiura ophiura (scale bar is 0.5cm)

A brittle star, Ophiura ophiura (scale bar is 0.5cm)

In addition to the crabs (Brachyura) discussed in the previous post, we are also focusing on animal groups such as the brittle stars (Ophiuroidea) and bristle worms (Polychaeta).

Currently we are preparing samples for genetic barcoding though the BOLD system.

Here are a couple of photographs of the animals that have been through the mill of identification – photo documentation – tissue sampling this week.

A bristle worm from the family Maldanidae, partially encased in the tube that the animal dwells in (scale bar is 0.5 cm)

A bristle worm from the family Maldanidae, partially encased in the tube that the animal dwells in (scale bar is 0.5 cm)

Another and rather different looking bristle worm, this time from the family Onuphidae. Scale bar is 0.5 cm

Another and rather different looking bristle worm, this time from the family Onuphidae. Scale bar is 0.5 cm