Mei Lin Neo’s Post

Blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are a medium sized species of shark that can commonly been seen living on coral reefs around the world. Found throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, they generally prefer nearshore, shallow waters, but they have sometimes also been known to venture a short distance into rivers. They enjoy a broad diet of small fishes, shrimps, squid, octopi and cuttlefishes. They breed by giving birth to live young (known as “vivipary”) every one or two years depending on the location. Blacktip reefers are actually the only species of shark that has three different colours on their “dorsal fin”. If you look closely at the fin on their back, you will see the distinctive black tip, but this is banded by a stark white stripe, before the fin becomes grey like the rest of the body. This is an easy way to tell these sharks apart from another similarly-named species that they are often confused with, the blacktip shark (C. limbatus). These sharks also have blacktipped fins, but in their case the colour is more diffuse and they lack the distinctive white stripe that make the reefers so iconic. #sharks #sciencecommunication

🦈 During our tour at the local fish market, we saw one of the species of sharks that can be found locally. A piece of paper with the name "Murruna" was placed next to it. ~ 🎣According to the European Commission, the commercial designation "Murruna" refers to the Bluntnose sixgill shark. This shark is normally consumed by locals, while it's not considered of value in other countries. ~ 🌊 The Bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus, is a deep water shark that can be found between 200 and 1100 meters of depth. It can be fished with industrial and artisanal demersal trawling, gillnets, longlines, and more. ~ 🔻It is globally assessed as Near Threatened according to the IUCN Redlist. ~ ➡️ Would you like to know more about sharks and how to recognize them? Join me for my next fish market private tour. Follow me to be updated on the next dates. ~ 📸@scuba_cassie ~ #adrishark #helpsavesharks #fishmarket #sharkmeat #malta

Goldfish Are Not Friendly Thinking about adding some company to your goldfish tank? First things first, ensure you have a spacious tank. Here are three fish species that could be the perfect roommates for your goldfish. Remember, goldfish thrive in temperate aquariums, so consider white clouds, a small minnow species, certain types of catfish like the pcos, or the brilliantly colored American flag fish from the Midwest. Share this video if you found these goldfish tank mate suggestions helpful! #GoldfishTankMates #TemperateAquarium #DrTimsFunFacts

Waterbug Wednesday! Introducing you to the amazing world of water striders or pond skaters! The sub-species Limnogonus (Limnogonus) fossarum gilguy Andersen & Weir, 1997 is a true bug belonging to family Gerridae. They are the 2nd largest family of semi aquatic bugs. There are four species described under Genus Limnogonus in Australia. Species belonging to family Gerridae can be easily distinguishable by the long and slender middle and hind legs (x3 times longer than their forelegs). Water striders live in a variety of habitats from stagnant freshwater pools and ponds, streams and rivers. They assemble in “schools” on the water surface enabling them to succeed in finding mates, capturing prey (skilled hunters!) and to increase the chances of escaping their predators. The gerrids grow up to a maximum length of 10 mm to 11 mm with males being slightly smaller than females. These insects possess the extraordinary ability to walk on water, effortlessly gliding across the surface of water. The coat of unwettable hairs on the tarsi together with their preapical claws help them to stay on the surface film without breaking through it. The efficient leg coordination enables them to distribute their weight across multiple points, preventing them from breaking through the surface tension of the water. As they move across the water surface, creating small disturbances which enhances the oxygen exchange between surface and water column benefiting both submerged plants and animals. If you find your self next to a calm water pool, take a moment to spot and enjoy the graceful dance of Gerrids/pond skaters. #aquatic #ecology #thinklaterally #passion #waterbugs

#TruebugTuesdays!   Have you ever come across tiny creatures that seem to defy the laws of nature? Well, pygmy backswimmers are one of them… with the remarkable ability to swim upside down 🙃 Their bellies are coated with tiny hairs creating air pockets, allowing them to glide smoothly along the water’s surface, legs twitching, on the hunt for other tiny (or micro) invertebrates, from which they suck out the body fluids with their rostrum 💉 🤮 Pygmy backswimmers are small aquatic waterbugs that belongs to family Pleidae and is represented in Australia by a single genus Paraplea. Paraplea brunni (Kirkaldy, 1898) has a widespread distribution in Australia and is also known from New Guinea 🌴 They inhabit slow-moving or still (lentic) water bodies among aquatic vegetation 🌿 Species of Paraplea are distinguished by an ovoid, strongly convex and caudally tapered body, usually 2-3mm in total length 🔎 They carry a bubble of air on the ventral side of their abdomen, allowing them to breathe without gills or returning to the surface! Despite being incredible hunters of the water world, they are also an important food source for other larger aquatic fauna including juvenile fish, tadpoles, and frogs 🐟 🐸 #pygmybackswimmers #aquaticwonders #sciencecommunication #truebugs #thinklaterally

A comparison of the two species of freshwater flatfishes most often seen in the Iquitos (Peru) region. Both inhabit sandy areas (they are sand loving or “psammophilic”) and can be found on all of the tributary systems of the region. Does anyone know if folks have been able to breed these species in captivity? Curious about their life-cycle / larval development relative to marine species. It appears that notes in the literature suggest that the eggs of these fishes are buoyant and might float downriver to brackish estuaries or even into the Atlantic. If this life cycle is correct, it means that juvenile fishes travel in excess of 3,600km (2,200 miles) back upriver, from the Atlantic Ocean, to reach the area where the adult fishes depicted here were found. IF this is the case, that is one hell of a life cycle and a massive distance to cover for a relatively small fish! Thank you Jonah Van Beijnen for the note and the fascinating dialogue. #FreshwaterFlatfish #flounder #tonguefish #AmazonRiver #FishMigration #Biodiversity #DescendantsOfMarineSpecies #psammophile