Using various chromatographic experiments, six asterosaponins (1-6) were isolated from the MeOH extract of the Vietnamese starfish Astropecten monacanthus. The cytotoxic activities of the MeOH extract and six asterosaponins were evaluated on three human cancer cell lines, HL-60 (promyelocytic leukemia), PC-3 (prostate cancer), and SNU-C5 (colorectal cancer). Relative to the effects of the posti...

Neurosensory and behavioural disruptions are some of the most consistently reported responses upon exposure to ocean acidification-relevant CO2 levels, especially in coral reef fishes. The underlying cause of these disruptions is thought to be altered current across the GABAA receptor in neuronal cells due to changes in ion gradients (HCO3(-) and/or Cl(-)) that occur in the body following compe...

Marine species generally show high dispersal capabilities, which should be accompanied by high levels of gene flow and low speciation rates. However, studies that focused on the relationship between dispersal and gene flow in marine fishes have been inconclusive. This study focuses on the black surfperch, Embiotoca jacksoni, a temperate reef fish that lacks a pelagic larval stage and lives on a...

Teleost and amphibian prey undertake fast-start escape responses during a predatory attack in an attempt to avoid being captured. Although previously viewed as a reflex reaction controlled by the autonomic nervous system, the escape responses of individuals when repeatedly startled are highly variable in their characteristics, suggesting some behavioural mediation of the response. Previous stud...

Coal is a principal fossil fuel driving economic and social development, and increases in global coal shipments have paralleled expansion of the industry. To identify the potential harm associated with chronic marine coal contamination, three taxa abundant in tropical marine ecosystems (the coral Acropora tenuis, the reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus and the seagrass Halodule uninervis) wer...

Spat~al and temporal variations in abundance of ectoparasites from 7 coral reef fish species [Hemigyrnnus melapterus (Labridae), Siganus doliatus (Siganidae), Scolopsis bilinea tus (Nemipteridae), Thalassoma lunare (Labridae), Scarus sordidus (Scaridae), Ctenochaetus stn'atus (Acanthuridae), and Acanthochromis polyacanthus (Pomacentridae)] at 2 locations, Lizard Island and Heron Island in the G...

Predicting the impacts of climate change to biological systems requires an understanding of the ability for species to acclimate to the projected environmental change through phenotypic plasticity. Determining the effects of higher temperatures on individual performance is made more complex by the potential for environmental conditions experienced in previous and current generations to independ...

The continuous increase of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere resulting in ocean acidification has been reported to affect brain function in some fishes. During adulthood, cell proliferation is fundamental for fish brain growth and for it to adapt in response to external stimuli, such as environmental changes. Here we report the first expression study of genes regulating neurogenesis and neuro...

Previous studies have demonstrated limited potential for acclimation of adversely affected olfactory behaviours in reef fishes under elevated CO 2, indicating that genetic adaptation will be required to maintain behavioural performance in the future. Adaptation depends on the presence of heritable phenotypic variation in the trait, which may differ between populations and environments. We used ...

The fastest swimming fishes in relation to size are found among coral reef fish larvae on their way to settle on reefs. By testing two damselfishes, Chromis atripectoralis and Pomacentrus amboinensis, we show that the high swimming speeds of the pre-settlement larvae are accompanied by the highest rates of oxygen uptake ever recorded in ectothermic vertebrates. As expected, these high rates of ...