background: acanthocephalans are fish parasites of worldwide distribu-tion, penetrate their thorny proboscis into the intestinal wall of host and absorb nutrients. no diagnostic tool is available except postmortem inves-tigations and identification by parasitologists. the aim of present study was to explore and assign taxonomical status to pallisentis species prevalent in food fishes of river g...

Conus catus, a fish-hunting cone snail (Fig. 1A), delivers venom into its prey by means of a single-use radular tooth (Fig. 1B). The venom is composed of a potent mix of bioactive peptides that, when injected into a fish through the hollow harpoon-shaped tooth, causes tetanus of the body musculature, resulting in a rigid paralysis (1). Although peptide toxins in the venom have been extensively ...

The trunk-like proboscis of tapirs provides a prime case study in the evolution of anatomical novelty. Morphological study of this unique structure was undertaken employing several specimens and a combination of analytical techniques: gross anatomical dissection, radiographic imaging and histological sectioning. Evolution of the proboscis of tapirs entailed wholesale transformation of the naria...

To study neuronal networks in terms of their function in behavior, we must analyze how neurons operate when each behavioral pattern is generated. Thus, simultaneous recordings of neuronal activity and behavior are essential to correlate brain activity to behavior. For such behavioral analyses, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, allows us to incorporate genetically encoded calcium indicat...

Schizorhynch kalyptorhynchs are meiofaunal turbellarian predators that possess an eversible proboscis that can be armed with two stout hooks. The hooks grasp and manipulate prey using a wide range of rotations and translations. These diverse motions are possible because the hook supports may function as a muscle articulation type joint-that is, a joint formed of muscle and connective tissue tha...