The community structure of Jamaican coral reefs has undergone drastic change since mass mortalities ofthe long-spined black sea urchin Diadema anrillarum Philippi occurred in 1983. In the absence of Diadema, algal abundance has increased enormously, up to a mean of 95% cover or 4.6 kg wet weight m-a. Coral cover, which was already low on some reefs following Hurricane Allen in 1980, has been fu...

Aggregation, extended mother-offspring-sibling interactions, and complex social behaviors are extremely rare among arachnids. We report and quantify for the first time in Amblypygi prolonged mother-offspring-sibling associations, active aggregation, and frequent ‘‘amicable’’ (tolerant, nonaggressive) tactile interactions in two species: Phrynus marginemaculatus C.L. Koch 1840 (Phrynidae) and Da...

To understand the current community structure on reefs in the Dry Tortugas, we conducted specieslevel surveys of macroalgae, coral diversity, herbivorous and game fishes, urchins, and substratum composition (e.g., rugosity) in shallow (3to 5-m depth) low-relief reef and hardbottom habitats in October 2007. We had particular interest in the ecological process of herbivory inside and outside of t...

When food-limited, Diadema antillarum increases the relative size of Aristotle's lantern compared to the size of the test. This is accomplished primarily by decreasing the size of the test: the demipyramid grows at a reduced rate as the test shrinks. These results suggest that an altered relationship between demipyramid and test size can provide evidence for food-limitation in field populations...

In many areas of China Cirsium setosum is used as Cirsium japonicum DC. Although the two herbs have similar appearance and many similar compounds, they are totally different medicinal material, and have different pharmacodynamic actions. The fingerprint spectrum can be a good tool to distinguish the two herbs and control the quality of Cirsium japonicum DC. In this paper, the chemical fingerpri...

Social conditions experienced prior to sexual maturity influence reproduction later in life in many animals. In simultaneous hermaphrodites variation in mating group size influences reproductive investment. As the mating group size increases, reproductive resources devoted to the female function decrease in favor of the male function. Prior to sexual maturity many hermaphrodites have a protandr...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and seasonal distribution of the main parasite species in Amazonian ornamental cichlids that affect their trade. The study was conducted from August 2007 to September 2009. We sampled 3042 specimens from 9 different species, of which 9.47% had at least one type of external parasite. 81.25% of the cases occurred in the dry season. Crenicichla ...

Short tandem repeat (STR) variants are highly polymorphic markers that facilitate powerful population genetic analyses. STRs are especially valuable in conservation and ecological genetic research, yielding detailed information on population structure and short-term demographic fluctuations. Massively parallel sequencing has not previously been leveraged for scalable, efficient STR recovery. He...

The transition of many Caribbean reefs from coral to macroalgal dominance has been a prominent issue in coral reef ecology for more than 20 years. Alternative stable state theory predicts that these changes are reversible but, to date, there is little indication of this having occurred. Here we present evidence of the initiation of such a reversal in Jamaica, where shallow reefs at five sites a...