While walking on their webs, spiders do not come in contact with the strands of their webs all at once. Their legs are covered with hundreds of little hair and they move lightly over their webs with just the tip of their hair of their legs. Additionally, a spider uses its claws to grip each […]
According to research, sunlight plays a vital role in affecting our general health and happiness. The correlation between light and mood is unquestionable. Our body produces serotonin, a neurotransmitter, that regulates our appetite, moods and memory, and melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. As the sun rises and hits upon our optic nerves, a gland
Flies need soft and moist areas to breed and thrive. Therefore, when organic material like fruits, vegetables, dead organisms or even a feces start to decompose and smell bad, it becomes the ideal breeding ground for larvae of flies. Additionally, flies are detritivores; they play an important role as ‘cleaners’ in our ecosystem by consuming
Common name : Fork tail, Indian ariomma, Indian drift fish Scientific name : Ariomma indicum Family : Ariommatidae Native to : Indo-Pacific Oceans Conservation status : Not Evaluated Drift fish are small-to-medium fish with compressed slender bodies, about 1 metres long. They have large heads, blunt noses, small terminal mouths, two distinct dorsal fins and
Common name : Sailfin Dragonet Scientific name : Callionymus pusillus Family : Callionymidae Native to : Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea Conservation status : Least Concern Dragonets are a group of colourful fish, with 139 species, living in sandy bottoms of the ocean. They have elongated, scaleless bodies, flat triangular heads with large mouths and
Common name : Dragon eel, Dragon moray,Hawaiian dragon eel, Leopard moray eel Scientific name : Enchelycore pardalis Family : Muraenidae Native to : Indo-Pacific region Interesting fact : The eel changes colour and pattern as its matures into an adult. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The dragon moray eel is a stunning orange fish with
Whenever there is irritation to our nose membranes because of pollen particles, it results in a sneeze and a whole series of reactions. The chest expands, lungs get filled up with air and we sneeze. After this, the mucus not only spreads but also stays in the air for 10 minutes post-sneeze. Closing of eyelids
Common name : Forktail dottyback Scientific name : Pseudochromis dixurus Family : Pseudochromidae Native to : Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and India Interesting fact : Males guard the fertilized eggs and fan them to provide oxygen, not letting even females near them. Conservation status : Least Concern Dottybacks are small, vividly coloured reef
Common name : Heaviside’s dolphin, Benguela dolphin Scientific name : Cephalorhynchus heavisidii Family : Delphinidae Native to : Angola, Namibia and South Africa Interesting fact : Being mammals, dolphins are born with hair on top of the rostrum which is lost after two weeks. Conservation status : Data Deficient Dolphins are playful mammals living in
Common name : Black-spotted puffer Scientific name : Arothron nigropunctatus Family : Tetraodontidae Native to : Indian and Pacific Oceans Interesting fact : The skin of thispuffer fish secretes mucus to protect itself from parasites. Conservation status : Least Concern This puffer fish has unique canine features giving it the common name. It holds a
Scientifc name : Hypomesus transpacificus Family : Osmeridae Native to : Sacramento–San JoaquinRiver Delta in California Interesting fact : The deltasmelts die shortly after spawning. Conservation status : Critically Endangered Found only in California, the delta smelt is a tiny, transparent, silvery blue fish found in the freshwater-saltwater mixing zone of the estuary but migrates
Scientific name : Taningia danae Family : Octopoteuthidae Native to : North Atlantic Ocean, Cape Verde Islands Interesting fact : During mating, the male cutsthe female’s flesh to deposit its sperms. Conservation status : Least Concern One of the largest known squids, they grow 1.7-2.3 metres long and weigh up to 161.4 kg. The bioluminescent
Common name : Crown of thorns starfish Scientific name : Acanthaster planci Family : Acanthasteridae Native to : Indo-Pacific Ocean Interesting fact : The stomach of this starfish secretes digestive enzymes to absorb nutrientsfrom liquefied coral. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The crown of thorns is a starfish with many arms and venomous spines covering
Common name : De Beaufort’s flathead,Giant flathead Scientific name : Cymbacephalus beauforti Family : Platycephalidae Native to : Western Pacific Oceans Interesting fact : Their eyes have frilly lappets to camouflage their irises effectively. Conservation status : Not Evaluated Aptly named, this fish looks like a crocodile with its flat headand a long body which
Common name : Paddlefin wrasse, Mexican rainbow wrasse, Lollipop wrasse Scientific name : Thalassoma lucasanum Family : Labridae Native to : Eastern Pacific Ocean Conservation status : Least Concern Found in the Sea of Cortez, these beautifully coloured fish live in small groups in reefs. Femalesand males have yellow, red and blue-green stripes running along