Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-06-07eCollection Date: 2026-04-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf032
Thiago Q Araújo, Robert L Wallace, Elizabeth J Walsh, Rick Hochberg
{"title":"The curious case of stomach diverticula in <i>Epiphanes clavulata</i> (Rotifera: Monogononta).","authors":"Thiago Q Araújo, Robert L Wallace, Elizabeth J Walsh, Rick Hochberg","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf032","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rotifers are aquatic micrometazoans with a variety of feeding styles and dietary preferences. The morphology of their digestive tracts is well known, but there are few details on the structure of any organs. Here we use transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy to investigate the stomach of <i>Epiphanes clavulata</i>, which is unusual in its possession of 6 diverticula that are absent in other taxa. We focus on this region to determine whether these diverticula are exocrine and potentially homologous to gastric glands, which are the main digestive organs of rotifers, but absent in this species. Results reveal that the stomach is cellular and that all cells are ciliated, nucleated, and contain abundant phagosomes and lipid droplets. The stomach appears to play 2 major roles: intracellular digestion as evidenced by the presence of caveolae and phagosomes and lipid biogenesis and storage as evidenced by accumulation of large lipid droplets. The 6 diverticula are syncytial extensions of individual stomach cells and contain 1 to several nuclei, many mitochondria, autophagic vesicles, ribosomes, and inclusion bodies. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is abundant and associated with small electron-dense droplets enclosed in a phospholipid monolayer, suggesting they contain lipids; however, the absence of discernable staining with a neutral lipid dye confounds a more specific identification of their contents. There is no evidence to suggest the diverticula are homologous to gastric glands nor do they play an obvious role in digestion; instead, they may function as a secondary site of lipid biogenesis and storage.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 2","pages":"182-197"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13202318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148044484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-06-04eCollection Date: 2026-04-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf028
Veronica Groves, Erin K Francispillai, Jessica E Reemeyer, Lauren J Chapman
{"title":"Chemical risk cues impact fish behavior and thermal tolerance, but effects vary with predation experience.","authors":"Veronica Groves, Erin K Francispillai, Jessica E Reemeyer, Lauren J Chapman","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf028","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In response to predation risk in their microhabitat, prey can use chemical risk cues to modulate their antipredator behaviors. However, prey experience with predators may alter the response to predator odors. Using two experiments and lake-side assays, we asked whether inter- and intraspecific experience with an invasive predator affected behavior and thermal tolerance of prey fishes in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda, a lake that experienced the introduction of the predatory Nile perch (<i>Lates niloticus</i>) in the early 1960s. In doing so, we evaluated how warming and predation risk can interact to impact prey fishes as both stressors may impact metabolism and energy use. Furthermore, we determined, for the first time, the thermal tolerance of the cyprinid <i>Rastrineobola argentea</i> and the characin <i>Brycinus sadleri</i>. We predicted that thermal tolerance would decline in the presence of predator risk and that shoaling behavior would increase with predator risk and conspecific disturbance cues. We first found that even 60 years post-invasion, three prey fishes in Lake Nabugabo failed to recognize Nile perch predator odors as risky and did not alter shoaling behaviors nor thermal tolerance. However, <i>R. argentea, B. sadleri,</i> and haplochromine cichlids increased shoaling behaviors in response to conspecific disturbance cues adding to the body of work demonstrating that disturbance cues can elicit antipredator behaviors in prey fishes. In contrast, in our second experiment, we compared the thermal tolerance of a population of the cichlid <i>Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor</i> that overlapped in the habitat with Nile perch to a population that had no habitat overlap with the predator. <i>P. multicolor</i> that co-occurred with Nile perch responded to Nile perch predator odors like predator odors from a native catfish predator, whereas predator-naïve cichlids failed to respond. Taken together, our experiments illustrate the importance of experience with a predator in the perception of predator odors.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 2","pages":"166-181"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13202323/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148044355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fair game: urban free-ranging dogs balance resource use and risk aversion at seasonal fairs.","authors":"Sourabh Biswas, Kalyan Ghosh, Hindolii Gope, Anindita Bhadra","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf030","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seasonal fairs, bustling with human activity, provide a unique environment for exploring the interplay between humans and free-ranging dogs in a human-dominated habitat. Across 14 fair sites in West Bengal, India, we explored how human footfall and resource availability impact dog distribution and behavior. These fairs are typically held in open grounds during the winter and spring seasons, so data collection occurred from December to March, in two phases. Three randomly selected days during the fair were used for sampling in three sessions per day. Employing spot census, scan sampling and video recording, observers documented GPS locations, sex, and instantaneous behaviors of FRDs. There was a notable increase in human flux during the middle phase of the fair on a day, while dog abundance increased during the end phase. Dogs predominantly foraged, exhibited gait, and remained vigilant, their numbers were positively associated with resource availability. Proximity of territories to the fairground significantly shaped dog behavior; dogs closer to the fair demonstrated the consistency of presence, implying efficient resource utilization. Conversely, dogs from farther distances exhibited lower consistency and a \"grab-and-go\" strategy, suggesting cognitive adaptations to resource scarcity and competition. These findings lend support to the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis and underscore the intricate relationship between human activity, resource availability, and the behavior and cognition of FRDs during seasonal fairs. They offer insights into the ecological dynamics of FRDs in human-dominated landscapes, emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive management strategies in urban and peri-urban environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"116-126"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045819/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-06-04eCollection Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf031
Peizhong Liu, Yangsirui Zhang, Ying He, Zijian Wang, Cai Lu, Li Wen, Qing Zeng, Guangchun Lei
{"title":"Impact of dam-induced hydrological fluctuations on the behavior of the endangered scaly-sided Merganser (<i>Mergus squamatus</i>): implications for river regulation strategies and conservation.","authors":"Peizhong Liu, Yangsirui Zhang, Ying He, Zijian Wang, Cai Lu, Li Wen, Qing Zeng, Guangchun Lei","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf031","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since the mid-20th century, the global expansion of dam and reservoir construction has profoundly altered river ecosystems, with cascading effects on channel morphology, flow regimes, and freshwater biodiversity. Among these impacts, the disruption of natural flow variability remains a critical but under-analyzed factor, particularly regarding its influence on riparian waterbirds. To address this gap, we investigated the behavioral responses of the endangered Scaly-sided Merganser (<i>Mergus squamatus</i>), a wintering diving duck, to dam-induced hydrological fluctuations downstream of the Taoyuan Dam in Hunan Province, China. Using scan sampling and Multivariate Bayesian Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), we assessed the relationships between bird activity patterns and water level dynamics. Our results reveal that increased water level and rate of change are associated with heightened foraging activity and a concurrent reduction in resting and preening. These shifts likely reflect changes in prey accessibility driven by fluctuating flow conditions. Based on these findings, we recommend modulating dam outflows to 3000 m³/s during peak foraging hours and reducing discharge to 2000 m³/s during midday and night. Our study underscores the potential of incorporating waterbird behavior into dam operation strategies for balancing ecological integrity with energy production.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"127-137"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-05-26eCollection Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf026
Zhengzhen Wang, Fangyuan Liu, Wei Yang, Fasheng Zou
{"title":"Ecological and behavioral dimensions of coexistence in two understory babblers in Subtropical China.","authors":"Zhengzhen Wang, Fangyuan Liu, Wei Yang, Fasheng Zou","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf026","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Species coexistence is pivotal for ecological balance and is shaped by resource dynamics and evolutionary processes. It is generally believed that a certain degree of niche overlap is beneficial for the integrity and efficiency of mixed-species foraging flocks (MSFs) in birds, whereas the coexistence of species requires niche divergence as a fundamental prerequisite. To navigate the paradox of coexistence against the backdrop of MSFs is crucial for understanding avian biodiversity. Here, we took the angle from home ranges to address this question. VHF telemetry tracking was conducted on two widely coexisting understory birds of the mixed-species flocks, the David's fulvetta (<i>Alcippe davidi</i>) and the Streak-breasted scimitar babbler (<i>Pomatorhinus ruficollis</i>) in subtropical Central China to investigate their spatial interactions during breeding season. Our research revealed significantly greater intraspecific home range overlap (0.376) in the fulvettas than in the scimitar babblers (0.213), which suggests differentiation in intraspecies gregariousness. Further scrutiny of habitat preferences revealed that scimitar babblers had significantly high tolerances to barren lands and croplands. Both species maintained similar home range sizes and foraging timings and paces. Our research underscores the importance of intrinsic gregariousness and convergent land cover type preferences in MSFs albeit other diverging characteristics in the breeding season.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"81-94"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045825/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-05-22eCollection Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf025
Shanèze Noël, Yoan Fourcade, Virginie Roy, Agnès Gigon, Lise Dupont
{"title":"Experimental assessment of the predation pressure by the exotic flatworm <i>Obama nungara</i> in its introduced range.","authors":"Shanèze Noël, Yoan Fourcade, Virginie Roy, Agnès Gigon, Lise Dupont","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf025","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Land planarians are carnivorous predators that feed mainly on soil macrofauna such as earthworms, gastropods, and other land planarians. Several land planarian species have become invasive worldwide and pose a threat to soil biodiversity. Among them, <i>Obama nungara</i> is one of the most abundant invasive species found in France. The aim of this study was to investigate the predation frequency, growth rate, and preferential predation of <i>O. nungara</i> using an experimental approach. <i>O. nungara</i>'s predation was tested on 8 prey species found in its French-introduced area. Two types of experiments were carried out: single experiments, where one <i>O. nungara</i> was offered 3 prey items of the same species and mixed experiments, where one <i>O. nungara</i> was offered 3 prey items of different species at the same time. We showed that <i>O. nungara</i> feeds equally on earthworms, snails, and slugs and that they can also prey on another introduced land flatworm, native to Australia: <i>Caenoplana variegata</i>. This ability to prey on a wide variety of native prey and to thrive on a mixed or single diet demonstrates its opportunistic feeding behavior, a likely predominant factor in <i>O. nungara</i>'s invasiveness. In addition, long-term observations of <i>O. nungara</i> specimens revealed that they can live up to 10 months, are able to shrink to survive starvation, and can produce egg capsules after several weeks in isolation, which may also positively influence their invasion success.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"69-80"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045824/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-05-21eCollection Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf027
Hailong Dou, Wenjing Liu, Limin Feng, Haitao Yang
{"title":"DNA metabarcoding analysis of the North China and Amur Leopards' feeding habits.","authors":"Hailong Dou, Wenjing Liu, Limin Feng, Haitao Yang","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf027","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leopards <i>Panthera pardus</i> are top predators that play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance and stability by exerting top-down control on prey species populations through direct predation. Despite their wide distribution, in recent years leopard populations have become endangered in many regions due to increasing anthropogenic activity. Studying the feeding habits of endangered species provides insight into their survival from the perspective of their trophic niche and can help identify factors contributing to their decline, aiding in the development of targeted conservation strategies. In this study, the North China leopard (<i>P. p. japonensis</i>) and Amur leopard (<i>P. p. orientalis</i>) were selected as the study objects. A total of 97 fecal samples were collected throughout their typical habitats, 83 of which were confirmed as originating from leopards using molecular identification. DNA metabarcoding identified 13 prey species for the North China leopard and 15 for the Amur leopard, with small- and medium-sized prey (< 37 kg) comprising over 75% of biomass intake. Among all the prey species, roe deer (<i>Capreolus pygargus</i>) provided the highest biomass contribution-41.69% for the North China leopard and 29.2% for the Amur leopard. In addition, the frequent occurrence of domestic dogs (<i>Canis familiaris</i>) in their diet (> 5.8%) highlights the impact of anthropogenic activities on leopard feeding habits. To support leopard conservation, it is recommended to protect all prey species within reserves and reduce anthropogenic interference in these habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"95-105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045831/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-05-20eCollection Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf024
Xingmin Chen, Yang Zhang, Shuo Zhang, Yanping Wang
{"title":"Drivers of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of waterbirds in urban wetlands.","authors":"Xingmin Chen, Yang Zhang, Shuo Zhang, Yanping Wang","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf024","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urban wetlands are considered as \"habitat islands\" within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation. Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and their diversity in urban wetlands reflects the response of wildlife to urbanization. However, very few studies have investigated seasonal differences in the multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in urbanized landscapes. In this study, we analyzed various wetland parameters that could potentially affect the seasonal variations in multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in Nanjing, China. We surveyed waterbirds in 29 urban wetlands using the point count method during breeding and non-breeding seasons from November 2022 to June 2023. We then employed multiple linear regressions and information-theoretic approaches to investigate the impact of wetland characteristics on waterbird diversity. We found that water body area and buffer zone connectivity consistently emerged as positive factors affecting waterbird taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity across seasons. Conversely, the urbanization synthetic index was negatively correlated with waterbird diversity only during the breeding season. Regarding functional diversity, we found that the positive correlation between buffer zone connectivity and waterbird diversity was specific to the breeding season. Therefore, for effective conservation of waterbird diversity in our system, wetland planning should prioritize expanding wetland water body areas, enhancing wetland connectivity, minimizing human disturbance during the breeding season, and implementing ecological restoration measures in urbanized wetlands to mitigate adverse effects of urbanization.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 6","pages":"801-810"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-05-17eCollection Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf022
Maxime Dahirel, Youna de Tombeur, Claudia Gérard, Armelle Ansart
{"title":"How does urbanization shape shell phenotype, behavior, and parasite prevalence in the snail <i>Cornu aspersum</i>?","authors":"Maxime Dahirel, Youna de Tombeur, Claudia Gérard, Armelle Ansart","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf022","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urbanization is a complex and multivariate environmental change, leading to habitat fragmentation and loss, changes in local climate, soil imperviousness, pollution, etc. This is likely to exert pressures simultaneously on various dimensions of organisms' multivariate phenotypes, leading to trait shifts with potential ecological consequences. However, responses to urbanization are often studied one (type of) trait at a time. In this context, we studied how, in the brown garden snail <i>Cornu aspersum</i>, shell phenotype (shell size and color/reflectance), behavior (food intake, mobility), and metazoan parasite prevalence respond to urbanization. Within an urbanization gradient spanning the French city of Rennes, we found that snails from more urbanized sites closer to the urban center were smaller, whereas urbanization had no detectable effect on shell reflectance, parasite prevalence, or behavior. Larger snails and snails with paler shells were more likely to be infected by trematode metacercariae and sexually transmitted nematodes (<i>Nemhelix bakeri</i>), respectively. Snails harboring trematode sporocysts ate typically less, while those infected by <i>N. bakeri</i> moved more slowly. We discuss the decrease of snail size along the urbanization gradient in relation to the Urban Heat Island effect and the potential decrease of resource quality and availability in urban sites. The absence of detectable effects of urbanization on shell reflectance, mobility, and parasite prevalence may be due to scale mismatches between how urbanization is measured and how snails experience microhabitats. We propose further experimental and field studies to decipher interactions between urbanization effects, shell phenotype, life-history traits, and parasitism.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"54-68"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045833/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current ZoologyPub Date : 2025-05-17eCollection Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf023
Mariana Osório Côrtes, Bruna Baleeiro Dos Santos, Renato Hajenius Aché de Freitas, C E O'Brien, Tatiana Silva Leite
{"title":"Review of the ecological aspects of sympatric species <i>Octopus americanus</i> and <i>Octopus insularis</i> (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) in the Western Atlantic.","authors":"Mariana Osório Côrtes, Bruna Baleeiro Dos Santos, Renato Hajenius Aché de Freitas, C E O'Brien, Tatiana Silva Leite","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf023","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Due to similarities in morphology and overlapping distribution, <i>Octopus americanus</i> and <i>O. insularis</i> (both formerly designated as <i>O. vulgaris</i>) are now considered to be cryptic species inhabiting the western Atlantic, while <i>O. vulgaris</i> inhabits the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. The historical lack of distinction made between <i>O. americanus</i> and <i>O. insularis</i> in the scientific literature and fisheries statistics, and persisting confusion regarding the identity and basic biological traits of each species, has hindered proper management of octopus fisheries in the western Atlantic. We attempt to rectify this by identifying the habitat preferences (environmental and biological) of each species from published literature. To this purpose, we compiled 134 studies about <i>O. americanus</i>, <i>O. insularis,</i> and \"<i>O. vulgaris</i>\" from the western Atlantic and re-identified the species based on the geographic area of occurrence, size, and weight of mature individuals, and visually identifiable morphological and body pattern characteristics. Analysis revealed that <i>O. americanus</i> occurs in temperate waters (15-28 °C), from 0 to 200 m on rocky shores, as well as on sand or shell beds. By contrast, <i>O. insularis</i> occurs from 0 to 50 m in tropical waters with a mean temperature of 23-32 °C, mainly in rocky areas and on coral reefs, and generally targets a greater diversity of prey. The results show that these two species inhabit distinct habitats, which can aid in species identification and in the determination of priority areas for their conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045820/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}