A thorough morphological description of the feeding apparatus in Hippocampus reidi, a long-snouted seahorse, and Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus, an extremely long-snouted pipefish, revealed specialized features that might be associated with the fast and powerful suction feeding, like the two ligamentous connections between the lower jaw and the hyoid, the saddle joint of the latter with the susp...

The vast majority of ray-finned fishes capture prey through suction feeding. The basis of this behavior is the generation of subambient pressure through rapid expansion of a highly kinetic skull. Over the last four decades, results from in vivo experiments have elucidated the general relationships between morphological parameters and subambient pressure generation. Until now, however, researche...

The Mediterranean, northeastern Atlantic, and inland freshwaters of Europe and the Ponto-Caspian region host a distinct fauna of gobiiform fishes, including the sand gobies (Pomatoschistus Gill and related genera), all of which have been classified in the most diverse goby group, the family Gobiidae. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have suggested that the sand gobies are not gobiids, and...

A common problem in patients with chronic liver diseases and liver cirrhosis is the development of ascites. First line therapy for ascites is the restriction of sodium intake and a diuretic treatment. Paracentesis is indicated in patients with large compromising volumes of ascites. In selected cases, permanent drainage of ascites over prolonged periods of time may be indicated. In the case pres...

Uropeltids form a diverse clade of highly derived, fossorial snakes that, because of their phylogenetic position among other alethinophidian lineages, may play a key role in understanding the early evolution of cranial morphology in snakes. We include detailed osteological descriptions of crania and mandibles for eight uropeltid species from three nominal genera (Uropeltis, Rhinophis, and Brach...

Because of their modified cranial morphology, syngnathid pipefishes have been described as extreme suction feeders. The presumption is that these fishes use their elongate snout much like a pipette in capturing planktonic prey. In this study, we quantify the contribution of suction to the feeding strike and quantitatively describe the prey capture mechanics of the bay pipefish Syngnathus leptor...

Wadi El-Hitan, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, of the Fayum Depression in the northeast part of the Western Desert of Egypt, has produced a remarkable collection of Eocene vertebrates, in particular the fossil whales from which it derives its name. Here we describe a new genus and species of marine catfishes (Siluriformes; Ariidae), Qarmoutus hitanensis, from the base of the upper Eocene Birket...

Three-dimensional static equilibrium analysis of the forces generated by the jaw musculature of the horn shark Heterodontus francisci was used to theoretically estimate the maximum force distributions and loadings on its jaws and suspensorium during biting. Theoretical maximum bite force was then compared with bite forces measured (1) voluntarily in situ, (2) in restrained animals and (3) durin...

BACKGROUND Extant cubozoans are voracious predators characterized by their square shape, four evenly spaced outstretched tentacles and well-developed eyes. A few cubozoan fossils are known from the Middle Cambrian Marjum Formation of Utah and the well-known Carboniferous Mazon Creek Formation of Illinois. Undisputed cubozoan fossils were previously unknown from the early Cambrian; by that time ...

Van, Richard P. Systematics of the Neotropical Characoid Genus Curimatopsis (Pisces: Characoidei). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 373, 28 pages, 21 figures, 1982.—The curimatid characoid genus Curimatopsis is redefined to form a monophyletic assemblage. Four species are recognized in the genus: Curimatopsis macrolepis (Steindachner, 1876), C. microlepis Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 18...