Annelids constitute a diverse phylum with more than 19,000 species, which exhibit greatly varying morphologies and lifestyles ranging from sessile detritivores to fast swimming active predators. The lifestyle of an animal is closely linked to its sensory systems, not least the visual equipment. Interestingly, many errantian annelid species from different families, such as the scale worms (Polynoidae), have two pairs of eyes on their prostomium. These eyes are typically 100-200 µm in diameter and structurally similar judged from their gross morphology. The polynoids Harmothoe imbricata and Lepidonotus squamatus from the North Atlantic are both benthic predators preying on small invertebrates but only H. imbricata can produce bioluminescence in its scales. Here, we examined the eye morphology, photoreceptor physiology and light-guided behaviour in these two scale worms to assess their visual capacity and visual ecology. The structure and physiology of the two pairs of eyes are remarkably similar within each species, with the only difference being the gaze direction. The photoreceptor physiology, however, differs between species. Both species express a single opsin in their eyes, but in H. imbricata the peak sensitivity is green shifted and the temporal resolution is lower, suggesting that the eyes of H. imbricata are adapted to detect their own bioluminescence. The behavioural experiments showed that both species are strictly night active but yielded no support for the hypothesis that H. imbricata is repelled by its own bioluminescence.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.242501 | DOI Listing |
Int J Mol Sci
December 2024
Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas y Toxicología, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes (ENZOEM), Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Sanidad Animal, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
Fasciolosis is a neglected tropical disease caused by helminth parasites of the genus spp., including () and (), being a major zoonotic problem of human and animal health. Its control with antihelminthics is becoming ineffective due to the increase in parasite resistance.
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January 2025
Museum of Natural History, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland.
Background: Legless lizards, the slow worms of the genus are forming secondary contact zones within their Europe-wide distribution.
Methods: We examined 35 populations of and to identify the level of morphological and genetic divergence in Poland. We applied a conventional study approach using metric, meristic, and categorial (coloration) features for a phenotype analysis, and two standard molecular markers, a mitochondrial (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 2; ) and a nuclear (V(D)J recombination-activating protein 1; ) one.
Fitoterapia
January 2025
South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China. Electronic address:
Maintaining lipid homeostasis is important for intestinal and body health. Litchi flower essential oil (LFEO), mainly containing 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, α-Curcumene, Gamma.-Sitosterol, α-linolenic acid, β-Bisabolene and n-Hexadecanoic acid, has been demonstrated significant anti-obesity activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasit Vectors
January 2025
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, 62 Mills Road, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia.
Background: Elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a World Health Organization goal, with several countries at or near prevalence thresholds. Where LF cases remain after mass drug administration, they tend to be spatially clustered, with an overdispersed individual worm burden. Both individual and spatial heterogeneities can cause aggregation of infection; however, few studies have investigated the drivers of heterogeneity and implications for disease elimination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Helminthol
January 2025
Foundational Research and Services, South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria0001, South Africa.
Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) nematode infections have a significant negative impact on the well-being and productivity of animals. While it is common for a host to be co-infected with multiple species of nematode parasites simultaneously, there is a lack of effective tools to study the composition of these complex parasite communities. We describe the application of the "nemabiome" amplicon sequencing to study parasitic GIT nematode communities in captive wildlife at the National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute.
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