#species

[xanaxfarts]

Bats getting glamour shots

[animentality]

[todropscience]

UNMASKING THE BLUEBOTTLE REVEALING FOUR DISTINCT SPECIES THROUGH GLOBAL CITIZEN SCIENCE

For over two centuries, the Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia spp) was considered a single, cosmopolitan species, drifting across the world’s oceans and stinging unsuspecting swimmers. But new genomic research has overturned this long-held view, revealing that Physalia is not one species, but at least four: P. physalis, P. megalista, P. utriculus, and a newly described species, P. minuta. Researchers sequenced the genomes of 151 specimens from around the globe and found strong reproductive isolation between genetic lineages, even when their distributions overlap. This evidence aligns with historical descriptions from the 18th and 19th centuries, which proposed several species that were later dismissed due to limited data.

Crucially, the study integrated over 4,000 photographs from iNaturalist, using citizen science to match distinct morphologies with genetic lineages. These images, contributed by amateur naturalists, swimmers, and lifeguards, allowed researchers to confirm physical differences that earlier taxonomists could not consistently observe due to preservation challenges. The result is a rare success story in which modern genomics, historical records, and participatory science come together to clarify the taxonomy of one of the ocean’s most recognisable creatures.

The discovery not only rewrites the story of Physalia but also challenges assumptions about biodiversity in the open ocean, reminding us that even the most visible marine life can hold hidden complexity, and that everyone, from sailors of the past to today’s citizen scientists, has a role to play in uncovering it.

Reference: Church et al., 2025. Population genomics of a sailing siphonophore reveals genetic structure in the open ocean. Current Biology.

[montesmithart]

blep

bonus: lineart wip :D

[cl0ckworkpuppet]

fun new game!

https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

go to a random page on WikiSpecies (link above). look up the scientific name. what did you get?

a species i actually recognize

microscopic Thing

weird fucking bug

plant

animal that is bigger than a bug

fungus

name of a person

i cannot find any information on the thing i got

other / not listed here

Voting ended onFeb 9

[wanderingokali]

The false jelly reksirg is a small jawless eel. It hangs out in small groups (5 to 8 individuals), scraping parasites off of larger sea creatures. They've also been known to clean off crustaceans that stick to boats, making them a welcome sight around harbords. The front part of their body is translucent, while the back is brightly colored; when they hang out as a group, they move their fins in a way that mimics the movement of a venomous jellyfish.

[the-only-bunnybun-arts]

As I'm a big fan of dungeon meshi I've decided to try the species swap thing

And I am actually so happy how it turned out pretty adorable if I could say and am actually super proud of how it turned out!!!