Amazing Zoology

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/60j2a Image Credit: Andrea Marshall Occassionally, brittle stars are seen in the body of jelly fishes. They are usually present under the bell or on the oral arms. But they are not seen on jelly fishes in cold to temperate waters. Interesting fact is the food sources of brittle stars seems to be mesozooplanktons and they were never observed with arms out in water. Then, where do they get their food from? They take food directly from the mouth or the oral arms of the jelly fish. It means, they are stealing food from the jellyfish which are pelagic predators. There are several reports of other brittle stars moving down into the feeding arms or near the mouth and stealing food directly from the host. So these are called as KLEPTOPARASITES. Suggested Reading 1. Ingram BA, Pitt KA, Barnes P. Stable isotopes reveal a potential kleptoparasitic relationship between an ophiuroid (Ophiocnemis marmora...

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/oa97t Image Credit: Evelyn Bailey The function of the meninges is to cover and protect the brain. It also encloses and protects the vessels that supply the brain. It has three layers, Dura mater, Arachnoid mater and Pia mater. In between the layers is filled with Cerebrospinal fluid. Dura mater (literally means durable mother) itself is formed of two distinct layers, Periosteal dura mater just adjacent to the skull and Meningeal dura mater below that. Next is the arachnoid mater which is named due to its spider leg appearance. Deepest layer is the pia mater (literally means soft mother) which is a very delicate connective tissue.

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/-wos5

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/6lxdx Image Credit: Koragit The long horned orb-weaver, Macracantha arcuata, is also known as the curved spiny spider. It has two long spines extend from its sides. Usually found in southeast Asia and India It can also be found in parts of the southeast United States where it is an introduced species. Macracantha is a genus of spiders in the Araneidae family. As of 2018, Macracantha arcuata is the only species in the genus.