Mixed-species grouping is a widespread phenomenon found in arachnids, fish, birds and mammals (Morse 1977; Hodge & Uetz 1992; Bshary & Noë 1997; Herzing & Johnson 1997). Three main reasons have been postulated as to why such heterospecific groups are formed: (1) to improve foraging efficiency, (2) to reduce predation and (3) by chance encounters (Waser 1984; Sakai & Kohda 1995; Noë & Bshary 199...

We recently cloned an NHE3 orthologue from the gills of the euryhaline Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina), and generated a stingray NHE3 antibody to unequivocally localize the exchanger to the apical side of epithelial cells that are rich with Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (A MRC). We also demonstrated an increase in NHE3 expression when stingrays are in fresh water, suggesting that NHE3 is responsible fo...

Elasmobranchs can bioaccumulate considerable amounts of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and utilize several reproductive strategies thereby influencing maternal transfer of contaminants. This study provides preliminary data on the POP transfer from pregnant females to offspring of three species (Atlantic stingrays, bonnethead, blacktip sharks) with different reproduction modes (aplacental,...

Polyandry resulting in multiply-sired litters has been documented in the majority of elasmobranch species examined to date. Although commonly observed, reasons for this mating system remain relatively obscure, especially in batoids. The round stingray (Urobatis halleri) is an abundant, well-studied elasmobranch distributed throughout the northeastern Pacific that we used to explore hypotheses r...

We studied the age and growth of four sympatric stingrays: reticulate whipray, Himanutra uarnak (n=19); blue mask, Neotrygon kuhlii (n=34); cowtail, Pastinachus atrus (n=32) and blue-spotted fantail, Taeniura lymma (n=40) rays at Ningaloo Reef, a fringing coral reef on the north-western coast of western Australia. Age estimates derived from band counts within sectioned vertebrae ranged between ...

Adult tetraphyllidean tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Eucestoda) from the spiral intestines of 3 species of potamotrygonid stingrays (Paratrygon aiereba, Potamotrygon castexi, and Portamotrygon motoro) in the Madre de Dios river in Peru were found to host numerous cysts embedded in their parenchymal tissues. Histological sections of the cysts revealed the presence of a scolex bearing 4 suckers and ...

a Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), UR 227 « Biocomplexité des écosystèmes récifaux », Montpellier, France b Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI), Pusat Penelitian Oseanografi (P2O), Ancol, Jakarta, Indonesia c Institut des sciences de l'évolution à Montpellier (ISE-M), UMR 5554 UM2-CNRS-IRD, Université Montpellier 2, CC065, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, F...

About 4,000 to 6,000 venomous snakebites occur each year in the United States. Although these envenomations (also known as envenomings) are rarely fatal, about 70 percent require antivenom therapy. Few evidence-based guidelines are available for the management of envenomation. Antivenom therapy is the cornerstone of management for hemorrhagic or coagulopathic envenomation from pit vipers (with ...