No abstract

(2009) Spatial and seasonal variations in the ecological characteristics of the free-living nematode assemblages in a large microtidal estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 82 (2). pp. 309-322.

Marine snakes represent the most speciose group of marine reptiles and are a significant component of reef and coastal ecosystems in tropical oceans. Research on this group has historically been challenging due to the difficulty in capturing, handling, and keeping these animals for field-and lab-based research. Inexplicable declines in marine snake populations across global hotspots have highlighted the lack of basic information on this group and elevated multiple species as conservation priorities. With the increased interest in research on marine snakes, we conducted a systematic survey of experts to identify twenty key questions that can direct future research. These questions are framed across a wide array of scientific fields to produce much-needed information relevant to the conservation and management of marine snakes.

No abstract

The dietary compositions of Atherinomorus ogilbyi (Atherinidae), Sillago schomburgkii (Sillaginidae), Lesueurina platycephala (Leptoscopidae) and Ammotretis elongatus (Pleuronectidae) in three nearshore habitats on the lower west coast of Australia, which varied in their exposure to wave energy and the extent to which they contain sea grass, have been determined. The dietary compositions of these four abundant teleosts di¡ered, re£ecting marked di¡erences between the location in the water column, head and mouth morphology and feeding behaviour of these species. Atherinomorus ogilbyi, which has a relatively high and large mouth, fed mainly on planktonic invertebrates in the water column, while S. schomburgkii ingested predominantly benthic prey, such as polychaetes and bivalves, which it extracted from the sediment using its downward-protruding mouth. Lesueurina platycephala employed its large mouth, cryptic coloration and ambush feeding to target relatively large teleosts and invertebrates, while the small mouth and £attened body of Ammotretis elongatus facilitated the ingestion of small crustacean prey, e.g. cumaceans and amphipods, which live on the substrate surface. Atherinomorus ogilbyi consumed predominantly calanoid copepods, cladocerans and insects during the day and mainly amphipods at night, when the latter taxon became abundant in the water column.The dietary composition of each species underwent a similar pattern of size-related change, being most pronounced in L. platycephala during the day. The diets of A. ogilbyi and S. schomburgkii, the two species for which the data were most comprehensive, di¡ered among habitats and seasons, re£ecting di¡erences in the densities of their main prey. Comparisons between the day-time diets of the above four species with those recorded previously for a further four abundant species in the same habitats during the day, show that food resources are well distributed among the main ¢sh species in nearshore waters along the lower west coast of Australia. This feature, together with the size-related changes in the diets of the di¡erent species, reduces the potential for interand intraspeci¢c competition for food by ¢sh species in this environment.