|
|
Post by wobbly1 on Apr 21, 2011 8:55:29 GMT -1
I was out kayaking in the Menai strait yesterday afternoon- evening and noticed lots of jellyfish- thousands of them, mostly Cyanea (lions mane jellyfish), and Aurelia (Moon jellyfish). The former gives quite a nasty sting if you get its tentacles on your hands from the anchor warp....Anyway, the sea was quite green and I noticed lots of zooplankton zooming about. So..... the summer species won't be far behind, the terns are pairing up (there were lots of them about), the male crab moult is in full swing- I have lots of them moulting in the lab. as I'm typing this- I have to get blood samples as they are moulting- I'm working on a hormone that makes them go hard after they moult a the moment, and its only in the blood for about 15 minutes- as they emerge from their old shell. OK I'm rambling. Waht I meant to say was.... All the summer species of fish will arive in force over the next 2-3 weeks, providing we dont get a bad Phaeocystis bloom (the brown/redsmelly one), so dust dow the mackerel feathers, and collect some crabs, and fill your boots! Cheers, Simon .
|
|
|
|
Post by izzetafox on Apr 21, 2011 13:56:49 GMT -1
A very interesting report. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by iank on May 4, 2011 20:13:02 GMT -1
Id be interested to hear more ramblings about peelers anytime, is it this hormone that makes them so attractive to fish?
I agree about the start of summer theres been crabs peeling along the strait for a couple of weeks and last week i saw shoals of small fish at Felinheli with terns diving .Probably just in time for the usual Welsh weather or should i be more optomistic and this could be the year of a long hot summer?
|
|
|
|
Post by wobbly1 on May 5, 2011 19:00:21 GMT -1
Ah, I could go on about crab hormones forever! Who knows what makes peelers and soft crabs so attractive?. They contain the same things as peelers as when they are hardbacks. As for pheromones, of course the females release them in their urine- I could expand here, but its absolutely amazing- the first person to identify all the sex pheremones involved will make a fortune (ie sex specific crab capture, getting rid of signal crayfish etc.)- I've identified several pheromones in the shore crab Carcinus, but have no time or enthusiasm to pursue this further- its difficult, and potentially career ending. I'd much rather work on the hormones involved in thier moulting- there are at least three of these.
OK, if anyone wants tour around our Dept. Biological Sciences, - University of Wales Bangor, and some insights into what we do in crustacean research, hormones and so on, then please PM me- I'd be more than happy to give all of you guided tours, and then you can see what you spend your taxes on. And, I can possibly enthuse you- biology is wonderful! Simon.
|
|
|
|
Post by izzetafox on May 6, 2011 8:12:44 GMT -1
Simon it is good to have someone with such in depth knowledge on the site.
I always enjoy your contributions.
Are you officially our resident crustacean 'guru
Terry
|
|
|
|
Post by kerny on May 6, 2011 9:57:38 GMT -1
I think that you have got a great job Simon. Are you a marine biologist ?
|
|
|
|
Post by JIMBOB on May 6, 2011 10:29:20 GMT -1
I think that you have got a great job Simon. Are you a marine biologist ? Painter and Decorator  ;D ;D ;D |
|
|
|
Post by iank on May 9, 2011 14:33:39 GMT -1
Hi Wobbly
That sounds like a great invite and something id be interested in doing. Ive sent you a pm with my deatails.
|
|
