Browsing by Author "Gruber, David F."
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Item Description of a new species of rariphotic Parapercis (Perciformes: Pinguipedidae) from the Solomon Islands (American Museum novitates, no. 3978)(American Museum of Natural History., 2021-09-30) Sparks, John S.; Chaloux, Nicholas; Schelly, Robert C.; Gruber, David F.; Sparks, Tate S.; Phillips, Brennan T.A new species belonging to the pinguipedid genus Parapercis is described herein from a single specimen collected via a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from rariphotic depths in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Parapercis rota, new species, is readily distinguished from all other congeners by a unique pigmentation pattern comprising four large, rounded, orangish-olive saddles dorsally on the flank, each with a distinct, large, dorsomedial white spot completely enclosed within the saddles, plus a fifth saddle on the caudal peduncle with only a small white dorsomedial dot; 10 discrete broad, dark orangish-olive oval vertical bars below the lateral midline; a single row of dark spots on the soft dorsal fin; caudal fin lined dorsally and ventrally with stripes of yellowish-olive pigmentation extending the length of the fin; and two prominent dark brown to black spots at the caudal-fin base. ROV-based collecting systems are a promising and relatively affordable technology for studying ichthyological diversity on deeper reef habitats, particularly those beyond the reach of technical SCUBA. The discovery and description of P. rota adds to the growing number of Parapercis species that are known to occur in mesophotic and deeper waters.Item First observation of fluorescence in marine turtles. (American Museum novitates, no. 3845)(American Museum of Natural History., 2015-12-07) Gruber, David F.; Sparks, John S.In recent years, biofluorescence has been observed in an increasing diversity of animals. Biofluorescence has been primarily examined in cnidarians, and it is also known to occur in other marine animal phyla, including Ctenophora, Annelida, Arthropoda, and Chordata. Most recently, the phenomenon has been shown to be phylogenetically widespread and phenotypically variable in cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes. Here we report on the first observation of fluorescence in a marine tetrapod, sea turtles.Item First report of biofluorescence in Arctic snailfishes and rare occurrence of multiple fluorescent colors in a single species. (American Museum novitates, no. 3967)(New York, NY : American Museum of Natural History, 2021-03-18) Gruber, David F.; Sparks, John S.Biofluorescence has recently been reported to be phylogenetically widespread and phenotypically variable across bony fishes, and is most common in tropical coral reef lineages. Here we provide the first documentation of prominent biofluorescence in Arctic fishes including two juvenile specimens of Liparis gibbus (variegated snailfish) collected from the coastal waters of Eastern Greenland, as well as an adult L. tunicatus (kelp snailfish) collected in the Bering Strait off of Little Diomede Island, AK. Observations of L. gibbus were made during nighttime dives within kelp forests in iceberg habitats in Southeastern Greenland in August 2019. The juvenile L. gibbus specimens exhibit both green (523-530 nm) and red (674-678 nm) biofluorescence on discrete anatomical areas, which provides a rare example of multiple fluorescent colors emitted from a single individual. Notably, the adult L. tunicatus emitted only red fluorescence in a bilaterally symmetrical pattern of discrete red dots and blotches. Potential weak green biofluorescence was also noted in a flatfish (Hippoglossoides platessoides) collected in Greenland, but in no other Arctic species. As the distribution and function of biofluorescence in marine fishes is further examined, this report adds context to its widespread geographical and environmental distributions, and shows that, although rare, biofluorescence does occur in Arctic fish lineages.Item In situ observations of the meso-bathypelagic scyphozoan, Deepstaria enigmatica (Semaeostomeae, Ulmaridae). (American Museum novitates, no. 3900)(American Museum of Natural History., 2018-05-09) Gruber, David F.; Phillips, Brennan.; Marsh, Leigh.; Sparks, John S.Deepstaria enigmatica (Semaeostomeae: Ulmaridae) is one of the largest and most mysterious invertebrate predators of the deep sea. Humans have encountered this jellyfish on only a few occasions and many questions related to its biology, distribution, diet, environmental tolerances, and behavior remain unanswered. In the 45 years since its formal description, there have been few recorded observations of D. enigmatica, due to the challenging nature of encountering these delicate soft-bodied organisms. Members of Deepstaria, which comprises two described species, D. enigmatica and D. reticulum, reside in the meso-bathypelagic region of the world's oceans, at depths ranging from ~600 to 1750 m. Here we report observations of a large D. enigmatica (68.3 cm length x 55.7 cm diameter) using a custom color high-definition low-light imaging system mounted on a scientific remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Observations were made of a specimen capturing or "bagging" prey, and we report on the kinetics of the closing motion of its membranelike umbrella. In the same area, we also noted a Deepstaria "jelly-fall" carcass with a high density of crustaceans feeding on its tissue and surrounding the carcass. These observations provide direct evidence of singular Deepstaria carcasses acting as jelly falls, which only recently have been reported to be a significant food source in the deep sea.Item Supplemental Material for 'First report of biofluorescence in Arctic snailfishes and rare occurrence of multiple fluorescent colors in a single species. (American Museum novitates, no. 3967)'(American Museum of Natural History., 2021-03-18) Gruber, David F.; Sparks, John S.Supplemental Material for 'First report of biofluorescence in Arctic snailfishes and rare occurrence of multiple fluorescent colors in a single species. (American Museum novitates, no. 3967)'Item Supplemental Material for 'In situ observations of the meso-bathypelagic scyphozoan, Deepstaria enigmatica (Semaeostomeae, Ulmaridae). (American Museum novitates, no. 3900)'(2018-05-09) Gruber, David F.; Phillips, Brennan; Marsh, Leigh; Sparks, John S.Supplemental Material for 'In situ observations of the meso-bathypelagic scyphozoan, Deepstaria enigmatica (Semaeostomeae, Ulmaridae). (American Museum novitates, no. 3900)'