Cephalopods have the most sophisticated dynamic skin coloration for rapidly camouflage in nature. Previous studies have suggested that the pair of optic lobes located bilaterally in their brain plays a key role in controlling the expansion of chromatophores for generating diverse body patterns. However, the functional organization of the optic lobes and their neural control of various body patt...

Sleep has been observed in several invertebrate species, but its presence in marine invertebrates is relatively unexplored. Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep has only been observed in vertebrates. We investigated whether the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis displays sleep-like states. We find that cuttlefish exhibit frequent quiescent periods that are homeostatically regulated, satisfying two criteria...

Nest and or nest site reuse within and between breeding seasons was reported by the Euler's Flycatcher (Lathrotriccus euleri), the Sepia-capped Flycatcher (Leptopogon amaurocephalus) and the Gray-hooded Flycatcher (Mionectes -rufiventris) in forest fragments from southeastern Brazil. Nest and or nest site reuse between some years was frequent within a single breeding season by the Sepia-capped ...

Sepia ink, a black suspension of melanin granules, is multifunctional marine bioactive material. The present study aims to evaluate the ameliorative effect ink extract (IE) cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) during high dosage administration FA in rats. Kidney injury induced by single oral dose (250 mg /kg). Eighteen male Wistar albino rats were control, group, and FA+ IE group (250mg/kg). showed s...

The biota of the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea has experienced dramatic changes in the last decades, in part as a result of the massive invasion of Red Sea species. The mechanism generally hypothesized for the 'Red-to-Med' invasion is that of natural dispersal through the Suez Canal. To date, however, this hypothesis has not been tested. This study examines the mode of invasion, using ...

The genus Natronomonas contains two species, one haloalkaliphile (N. pharaonis) and one neutrophile (N. moolapensis). Here, we report the genome sequence of N. moolapensis strain 8.8.11. The overall genome properties are similar for the two species. Only the neutrophile contains bacteriorhodopsin and a membrane glycolipid.

Essentially any behavior in simple and complex animals depends on neuronal network function. Currently, the best-defined system to study neuronal circuits is the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, as the connectivity of its 302 neurons is exactly known. Individual neurons can be activated by photostimulation of Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) using blue light, allowing to directly probe the importance ...

While a suite of approaches have been developed to describe the scale, rate and spatial structure of exchange among populations, a lack of mechanistic understanding will invariably compromise predictions of population-level responses to ecosystem modification. In this study, we measured the energetics and sustained swimming capacity of giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama and combined these ...

The eye colour mutant sepia (se1) is defective in PDA {6-acetyl-2-amino-3,7,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-pyrimido[4,5-b]-[1,4]diazepin-4-one or pyrimidodiazepine} synthase involved in the conversion of 6-PTP (2-amino-4-oxo-6-pyruvoyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridine; also known as 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin) into PDA, a key intermediate in drosopterin biosynthesis. However, the identity of the gene encoding th...