From the field…

One of the goals of this expedition is to document all the species of mollusks and other invertebrates that live in the Madang Lagoon.   Everyday a group of us “hunter-gatherers” goes out to look for species that we haven’t encountered yet.

When you are looking for animals, you are likely to find several that are pretty common, and you have to work a bit harder to find the other species.   There are several species that have been “common as muck” on this expedition. For nudibranchs, the most common we’ve seen are the phyllidiids, which in general are the most common nudibranchs on Pacific coral reefs.

You can see phyllidiids on just about every dive.   There are several different species and many are rather difficult to tell apart.  They are all rather tough-bodied and because they secrete some nasty toxins, you can’t keep them in a dish with other nudibranchs.   If you disturb them, you can actually see them secrete the white, milky toxins.  After touching phyllidiids you can even smell the toxins on your fingers.  Trust me, it’s not the most pleasant smell…

Note from the photos that phyllidiids do not have a typical gill on their backs like many other dorid nudibranchs.  Instead, they have respiratory structures on the sides of their bodies underneath the mantle.

Stay tuned for more notes from the field…

Vanessa Knutson

Project Lab Coordinator

Graduate Student

Invertebrate Zoology and Geology

Imagine exploring a new place and seeing a type of animal you’ve never seen before. Something that appears to have feathers like a bird, but is much faster and smaller than any bird you’ve seen before. Perhaps it’s a new species of animal – part insect and part bird!

This is what European settlers encountered when they first explored the New World and saw hummingbirds. You may not have previously known it, but hummingbirds don’t exist in the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa). They’re so commonly seen on a walk through Golden Gate Park that you might not realize what a special treat they are for some international visitors!

Photo courtesy of Laura Wilkinson

I recently prepared the most commonly seen hummingbird in this area: the Anna’s hummingbird. They are a larger species and have beautiful coloration (as do all hummingbirds, admittedly). Adult male hummingbirds have brightly colored feathers on their throats, and sometimes covering their heads, called a gorget. The gorget of the Anna’s hummingbird is a bright magenta color when it catches the light just right.

Photo courtesy of Laura Wilkinson

My last visit to the Project Lab blogosphere found me straying from my doctoral dissertation research in order to identify and describe a group of Australian beetles, which were new to science. Today, however…I return to my true passion: Snail Eating Beetles!

Scaphinotus interruptus. Photo courtesy of Joyce Gross.

Now you might fall into the category of folks who find beetles and other bugs creepy or even frightening but fear not, unless of course you are a snail! Harmless to humans, these relatively large beetles come out at night to hunt for native snails and slugs, which they approach and devour live.

Scaphinotus angusticollis. Photo courtesy of ©2008 Walter Siegmund.

Snail-eating beetles belonging to the genus Scaphinotus can be found across North America, including 15 species right here in California.  Scaphinotus has evolved a unique body shape or morphology, which aids them in feeding on snails. They have elongate heads and well developed mouthparts, as well as long legs. This means they can stick their heads up into the shell to reach the snail, while standing far enough away from the snail to prevent the mucus from sticking to their bodies. In this way, they are able to take advantage of a food resource that many other insects cannot.

Scaphinotus hatchi. Photo courtesy of Meghan Culpepper.

So aside from being veracious feeders what makes Scaphinotus so interesting? I am interested in understanding how the species of Scaphinotus are related to one another, where their ancestors may have lived many millions of years ago, and what factors might have led to their speciation.  The Entomology Department and Project Lab here at California Academy of Sciences have proved integral to my studies and to the studies of many other scientists from across the world.

Want to find Snail-eaters in your own back yard? Grab a headlamp or flashlight and head outdoors after the sun has set.  You may find Scaphinotus on their nightly prowl for snails and slugs. If you prefer the daylight hours for your beetle hunting try lifting rocks and logs, a popular hiding spot for many nocturnal insects!

Meghan Culpepper

PhD Candidate

Entomology Department

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I was heading to Papua New Guinea for an expedition to the Madang region.  I decided that on my way to Papua New Guinea, I would make a stop in Australia to do some sea slug collecting.  I was particularly interested in collecting specimens in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland, Australia, because of a fantastic website that documents the sea slugs found there (www.nudibranch.com.au).  What interested me most is that this site has photos of species in the region that are new to science and belong to the group that I study.

In order to collect in Australia (or anywhere, for that matter) permits are essential. The folks from the Queensland Museum have been extremely helpful with organizing permits for me. This could not have worked without their help and kindness. Special thanks to Dr. John Healy and Dr. John Hooper.

I ended up going to two beaches to do some intertidal collecting- Kings Beach and Shelly Beach.  Check out some of the opisthobranchs (sea slugs) I found:

This last image belongs to a species that is a new record for nudibranch.com.au.  I met Gary Cobb, the site maintainer and he was very excited that I found this species. Pretty exciting!

Stay tuned for more about my trip…

Vanessa Knutson

Project Lab Coordinator

Graduate Student

Invertebrate Zoology and Geology

In my last blog I discussed the Xerces Blue butterfly, a California native with the distinction of being the first known insect species to go extinct in North America as a result of man’s activities.  This week I will pay tribute to two more butterflies that appear to have joined the ranks of animals that have disappeared from the face of the earth.

The first is the Unsilvered Fritillary, Speyeria adiaste atossa, a former common resident of Southern California, once found in the Tehachapi, Tejon and San Jacinto mountain ranges, last observed and collected around 1960.   In this case, the cause of extinction is not entirely clear, and may not have been a direct result of the activity of man.  These butterflies are found near the tops of mountains, and loss of habitat due to development is not a likely cause. This species and its related subspecies feed on wild violets, which do not seem to be in decline. Some workers think that massive droughts in the mountains in the late 50’s may have weakened the population and made them susceptible to disease. Two more northern subspecies found in the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia Mountains (Speyeria adiaste adiaste and Speyeria adiaste clemencei) also appear to be in rapid decline, but they have not yet been listed as endangered.

While the subject of my last blog, the Xerces Blue, was the first North American species to be officially listed as extinct by the U.S. Government, it appears that it was beaten out by an earlier extinction, that of Boisduval’s Satyr (Cercyonis sthenele sthenele). There is little mystery as to why this butterfly disappeared from San Francisco in the 1870’s… it was forced out by loss of its hilltop grassy habitats as the city rapidly expanded after the gold rush.

Prior to the 1906 earthquake, California Academy of Sciences had a good collection of specimens of this species, which were lost in the fire that followed the quake. The specimen shown is the only one now in our collection, with other specimens found in our National Museum in Washington D.C.  This specimen was collected around 1855 by Pierre Lorquin, an amature butterfly enthusiast who came to California for the Gold Rush. He sent specimens to Dr. Boisduval in Paris, who named the species. Years later, the entire Boisduval collection was purchased by Dr. Barnes, an American lepidopterist who donated this specimen to the Academy.

Next time I will explore more endangered/extinct California Insects.

Vic Smith, Imaging Specialist and Curatorial Assistant

From the field in Madang, Papua New Guinea…

Expeditions are far from being all fun and games.  One of the more frustrating aspects for me is traveling with so much BAGGAGE.   I love traveling, but when I travel for personal vacation, I generally like to only take a backpack and carry-on.   The trouble with an expedition, and particularly one that involves SCUBA diving, is that you have to take a lot of gear with you.  This is especially challenging if you have to mind all of your gear by yourself.

While the issue of carrying all that baggage and keeping an eye on it is trouble enough, these days there is another major issue involved: excess baggage fees.   You may have experienced this yourself during your own travels and know how frustrating it can be.  So far, I’ve been slammed with excess baggage fees for nearly each leg of my trip! Hopefully, I’ll use up enough of the sunscreen I brought with me to save a few bucks on the way back. ; )

Okay, enough with the venting about excess baggage fees! What kind items are so essential that I’m getting slammed with fees?  It’s certainly not clothes.  I looked up the temperature before I left and the weather in Madang is supposed to be about 86°F, both night and day, so I’m not toting around heavy outerwear or anything like that.  Other than the sunscreen I already mentioned, the main culprit is SCUBA gear and safety equipment.  I have fins, a buoyancy compensator, regulator, wetsuit, and everything I need to dive except for a tank and weights (good thing I don’t have to lug that around with me!).  I’m even carrying an Automated Electronic Defibrillator  (AED) in case of an emergency in the field.  That thing and its case weigh more than a bowling ball, but hey, I guess better safe than sorry.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures…

Vanessa Knutson

Project Lab Coordinator

Graduate Student

Invertebrate Zoology and Geology

While this time of year is full of stories of ghosts, spirits and trickery, sometimes we don’t have to look far to see a frightening story happening right in our midst!  The story of the San Joaquin Kit fox is one of a disappearing species in danger of extinction.

Kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) are small mammals in the Canidae family.  Most of us know what a grey fox or red fox looks like and sometimes have seen them in Golden Gate Park quietly running through the trees.  Kit foxes aren’t seen around the Bay Area unfortunately, as Kit foxes prefer a little bit less drizzle and a little more desert.  Their habitat ranges in the southwest USA and down into central Mexico.  These charismatic species are about the size of a house cat with huge ears for hunting in the evening.

One of the larger species of Kit Fox, the San Joaquin Kit Fox can only be found in California’s Central Valley.  Once lush grassland, in the early 1900s agriculture came to the Central Valley and farmers readily converted fertile soil into bountiful cropland.  Warm temperatures and readily available water from the San Joaquin River seemed perfect for settling down.  With most of the land being used for farming or raising animals for consumption, the San Joaquin Kit fox was pushed out of their native habitat into the fringes of the San Joaquin Valley, clinging to survival with less than 10,000 individuals.

In March of 1967, the San Joaquin Kit fox was listed as an Endangered Species under the Endangered Species Act and has stayed there ever since.  Current riparian habitat restoration along the San Joaquin River has seen some success with sightings in 2006 and 2008 of the Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) bird, another native species that has been extirpated since the 1950s.  Successful restoration projects are helping many birds and mammals make their way back to their native habitats and hopefully keep them from falling into history as a species that once was.

Hearing stories about species like the San Joaquin Kit Fox and thinking about current day extinctions are scary enough for me to last long past the end of October!  This male San Joaquin kit fox was hit by a car in Kern County all the way back in 1997 and will finally make its way into the Academy’s pelt collection, skeleton collection and tissue bank.  Researchers will be able to look at our few specimens of Kit Foxes and study their genetics and population distribution to see how to potentially help these small foxes.  Striking the balance between farmland that provides food for humans but that also can provide habitat for many different species is a complicated process.  With a lot of work and dedication by many individuals the San Joaquin Kit Fox can become a success story instead of a tale of ghosts…

Codie Otte
Curatorial Assistant and Specimen Preparator
Ornithology & Mammalogy Department

At least four times a year, Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and other marine biology enthusiasts like myself, assist with surveying nudibranch populations. These surveys involve getting down and dirty in the local tide-pools in search of sea slugs. I have participated in several of these surveys since starting my graduate program in marine biology at San Francisco State University. These surveys are always exciting since they provide an opportunity for me to see species of sea slugs I have never seen before. I chose to study marine biology due to my great passion for nudibranchs, which have been given such ostentatious descriptions as the gems or butterflies of the ocean. Their sizes, colors, and patterns never cease to amaze me!

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine protected area in Half Moon Bay located about 40 minutes south of San Francisco off of Highway 1. It is a great place to learn about and marvel at the local marine biodiversity. Here many dedicated volunteers help protect and teach visitors about the uniqueness and beauty of California’s marine life.

The nudibranch surveys are important since they allow us to tally and document the species seen at different times of the year, at various field localities and tides. Very low minus tides are optimal for nudibranching since more rocks and pools are exposed for exploration. These surveys are also important since the number and diversity of nudibranchs is an indicator for marine ecosystem health. Nudibranchs are excellent indicator species since they depend on a wide variety of marine organisms for food.

My last adventure searching for sea slugs was on Sept. 30 at Pillar Point. Although the diversity of sea slugs documented was low, I saw seven species I had never seen before. One of these sea slugs was the Salted-Yellow Doris, Doriopsilla albopunctata. This species is an example of a dorid nudibranch. Dorid sea slugs possess a plume of gills, which project out of their backs like tiny feather dusters. Another new species for me was the White-Frond Aeolis, Dendronotus albus , which is an example of a dendronotid nudibranch. Dendronotid sea slugs possess small projections called cerata, which run parallel along their backs. These appendages contain gills, which allow them to breath under water.

One other great aspect of this survey was that my advisor Terry Gosliner participated. He has been studying sea slugs for over 40 years and has noticed a stark change in the amount and diversity of sea slugs along California’s coast. Unfortunately, rather than seeing an increase in diversity, there has been a decline.

Marine life is vital to the existence of humanity and essential to our planet. I am hoping that in my lifetime and in my professional life as a scientist, the ocean will be made a bigger priority by governments and individuals. We owe it to ourselves to be better stewards of the oceans since so much marine life has yet to be discovered. Every moment spent immersed in the splendors of the ocean testifies to the need to protect and preserve it.

The data collected by each survey will eventually be compiled together to see if there are correlations between nudibranch populations, time of year, field localities, and weather patterns. Surveys like this are super valuable since they give us a greater picture of what is happening ecologically with local sea slugs and marine environments. Surveys like these also allow citizen scientists, educators, students, and expert scientists to work together for the greater good of our ocean.

Carissa Shipman

Masters Student

Invertebrate Zoology & Geology Department

This weekend I got the chance to work on one of my favorite mammals: the Rock Hyrax. I’ve been intrigued by these bizarre mammals for quite some time, ever since I first saw one in a zoo when I was young.

Check out that cute face – what kind of mammal do you think it’s related to? A rodent? Maybe a rabbit? What about a Mustelid – the family that includes weasels and badgers? Let’s try to figure it out by looking at the skulls (one of the best ways to differentiate mammals). First, the Rock Hyrax:

It has teeth that look like they’re made for crushing, but also those two dagger-like incisors. Let’s compare it to a Muskrat (a type of rodent):

Now that’s a rodent skull if I’ve ever seen one – look at those incisors that are made for gnawing! Not too similar to that hyrax skull. What about a rabbit?

That looks totally different. As a side note, rabbits skulls are easy to distinguish because of a unique feature called rostral fenestration (circled above). If you see a skull with this feature, you know you’ve found a rabbit. Lastly, let’s look at a badger skull:

This skull is representative of a classic carnivore: sharp teeth useful for tearing up their prey. Again, doesn’t look like the hyrax.

If you compare the hyrax skull to these other three common mammals, you’ll notice that it doesn’t actually look like any of these species. It turns out that hyraxes aren’t related to any of these well-known North American mammals; they’re in a family of their own! In fact, they’re so unique that they’re in their own entire Order, called Hyracoidea. According to molecular data (analyzing the DNA), the closest living relatives to hyraxes aren’t what you might think:

That’s right - hyraxes’ most closely living relatives are elephants, along with manatees and dugongs, collectively with the hyrax known as Paenungulata. Pretty cool, right?

I always find it fascinating that molecular data can change the way we look at species. Something that may look like a rodent or mustelid turns out to be entirely different! Analyzing DNA is a big part of the research that’s currently done at the Academy – you’ve probably seen a researcher up in the Project Lab either working at the DNA extraction table or analyzing DNA sequences on our MacPro computer. Codie and I make sure to keep tissue samples from every specimen that we prepare exactly for this reason.

If you ever have a chance to see a hyrax either in a zoo or if you’re lucky enough to travel in Africa, remember that looks can be deceiving!

Laura Wilson

Curatorial Assistant

Ornithology & Mammalogy

Last time we sorted out the difference between sea cucumbers and nudibranchs and now it’s time to mention another nudibranch imposter. This one is a real trickster. Even I’ve been fooled by these on occasion, at least at first. So who are these tricky nudi imposters? Flatworms. Many species of polyclad flatworms are excellent mimics of nudibranchs.

There are three main reasons why I think these can be so difficult to tell apart from nudibranchs:

• Since flatworms are flattened in shape, they often look like nudibranchs from far away.
• Many of the color patterns of these flatworms match the color patterns of different species of nudibranchs, nearly perfectly.
• Often, the edge of these flatworms is rolled up in two spots on one end of the worm and this mimics rhinophores (nudibranch sensory organs) really well. So if you are looking for rhinophores and see these rolled up structures, you may get fooled without a closer look.

My best advice for distinguishing between a nudibranch and a flatworm imposter is to first look for gills.  Though not all nudibranchs have gills located externally on their backs, many do.  My second piece of advice is to look very closely at what appear to be the rhinophores. If it looks as though this is just the edge of the animal rolled up, you are likely looking at a flatworm and not a nudibranch.

It’s been fun explaining some of the differences between nudibranchs and some of the animals that look like them.  I’ve actually been reviewing various kinds of nudibranchs and other sea slugs myself.  The reason for this is that in a few weeks I will be heading to Papua New Guinea as a part of an expedition to the Madang Province- Our Planet Reviewed’ Initiative, Papua New Guinea 2012-2103 Expedition.

The next time you hear from me, I’m going to be up to my gills in fieldwork- collecting, photographing and identifying sea slugs for 6 weeks!  I will be blogging from the field right here at the Project Lab blog, so stay tuned!

Vanessa Knutson

Project Lab Coordinator

Graduate Student

Invertebrate Zoology and Geology