Tuesday 11 November 2008

No Ray of Hope?

Disturbing news (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/10/conservation-fishing) that many of the sharks and rays found off UK shores are facing extinction. One of their problems is that (unlike most boney Teleost fish) these ancient vertebrates only produce relatively few offspring (they are 'K' strategists). This means that taking them in numbers (for 'sport' or as food items such as skate wings or rock salmon) generally leads to dramatic declines in these top predators.

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What's In a Critter's Name? 11. Comma butterfly

The Comma butterfly ( Polygonia c-album) gets its name from the punctuation-like mark, on the underside of its wings.