139/150: The Longnose Gar – Freaky Fish!

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Brooke Freestone

Animalia: Chordata: Actinopterygii: Lepisosteiformes: Lepisosteidae: Lepisosteus: Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The longnose gar can be found along the east coast of North and Central America. It resides in freshwater lakes where there is plenty of vegetation, trees and stone outcrops. The species is defined by its long snout, sharp teeth, elongated body and earthy colours of brown and white along its sides. Longnose gar eat almost anything, ranging from other fishes, small insects to a variety of crustaceans. Longnose gars are survivors, this species has persisted over 100 million years and they can tolerate oxygen poor environments. Historically, these fish were caught to serve as a food source for settlers. Today, the species continues to be fished but mostly for sport fishing as trophy pieces. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Specimen BCF-0012-2 – Fleuve St-Laurent, Quebec – 25-Sep-2005. Photo Credit: Royal Ontario Museum

Longnose gar in an aquarium. Photo Credit: Mat1583 goo.gl/ZX6jer

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: BCF181-07

nucleotide sequence

CCTTTATATAGTATTTGGTGCCTGAGCCGGAATAGTCGGAACCGCCCTGAGCCTCTTAATTCGAGCAGAACTAAGTCAGCCTGGAACCCTCCTTGGGGATGACCAAATTTATAATGTTATCGTTACAGCGCATGCTTTCGTAATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCAGTTATAATCGGAGGATTTGGCAACTGGCTTGTGCCTCTAATAATCGGCGCCCCTGACATAGCCTTCCCCCGAATAAACAATATAAGCTTCTGACTTCTCCCACCTTCATTTCTTCTACTCCTAGCCTCATCAGGAATTGAAGCAGGGGCCGGAACAGGATGAACAGTCTATCCACCCCTGGCTAGCAATCTCGCACACGCAGGAGCATCAGTTGATCTAACCATTTTCTCCCTTCACTTAGCCGGTATTTCATCAATTCTAGGTGCCATCAATTTTATTACAACAATCCTAAACATGAAGCCACCAGCAGCTTCTCAATACCAAACGCCTCTATTTGTCTGATCTGTCTTAATTACTGCAGTCTTACTATTGCTCTCCCTGCCAGTCCTAGCCGCAGGTATTACGATACTATTAACAGACCGAAACCTTAATACCACCTTCTTTGATCCCGCAGGAGGAGGGGACCCCATTCTCTATCAACACTTA

amino acid sequence

LYMVFGAWAGMVGTALSLLIRAELSQPGTLLGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPVMIGGFGNWLVPLMIGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSFLLLLASSGIEAGAGTGWTVYPPLASNLAHAGASVDLTIFSLHLAGISSILGAINFITTILNMKPPAASQYQTPLFVWSVLITAVLLLLSLPVLAAGITMLLTDRNLNTTFFDPAGGGDPILYQHL

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAC8692

136/150: Poach Eggs Not Whitefish

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Brooke Freestone

Animalia: Chordata: Actinopterygii: Salmoniformes: Salmonidae: Coregonus: Coregonus huntsmani (W. B. Scott, 1987)

The Atlantic whitefish (Coregonus huntsmani), is native to Nova Scotia, Canada residing in the Tusket River and Petite Riviere. If you see this species, consider yourself lucky. In 1970, under the federal Fisheries Act, the fishing for the species was prohibited. Habitat loss from the damming of the Tusket River contributed to its decline as well as introduced fish species. To this day, it is still considered endangered. The Atlantic whitefish has silver coloured sides and a darkish blue-green back, spawns in freshwater and lives out most of its life in the sea. Its diet consists of amphipods, periwinkles and marine worms. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

The Atlantic whitefish (Coregonus huntsmani), an endangered species. Photo Credit: Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada goo.gl/x8k8Ca

Range of the Atlantic whitefish. Photo Credit: Government of Canada goo.gl/GZy7UT

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: BCFB943-07

nucleotide sequence

CCTTTATTTAGTATTTGGTGCCTGAGCCGGAATAGTCGGCACAGCCCTAAGCCTTTTAATCCGAGCGGAGCTAAGCCAACCCGGGGCTCTTCTAGGGGATGATCAGATTTATAATGTAATCGTCACGGCCCATGCCTTCGTTATGATTTTCTTTATAGTTATGCCAATTATGATTGGAGGCTTTGGAAACTGATTAATCCCACTTATAATTGGGGCCCCCGACATGGCATTTCCCCGAATGAACAACATGAGCTTTTGGCTCCTTCCCCCATCCTTTCTCCTTCTCCTGGCCTCGTCCGGAGTTGAAGCCGGTGCCGGCACAGGATGAACAGTCTACCCCCCTCTGGCAGGCAACCTCGCCCACGCAGGGGCCTCCGTCGATTTAACTATTTTCTCCCTCCACCTAGCTGGTATTTCCTCTATCTTGGGAGCCGTTAATTTTATTACAACCATTATTAATATGAAACCCCCAGCTATTTCCCAGTATCAAACCCCCCTGTTTGTTTGAGCCGTCTTAATTACCGCAGTCCTCTTACTGCTCTCCCTTCCTGTCCTAGCAGCAGGTATTACCATGCTACTCACAGACCGAAATCTAAACACCACTTTCTTTGACCCAGCAGGCGGGGGAGATCCAATCCTGTATCAACACCTC

amino acid sequence

LYLVFGAWAGMVGTALSLLIRAELSQPGALLGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLIPLMIGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSFLLLLASSGVEAGAGTGWTVYPPLAGNLAHAGASVDLTIFSLHLAGISSILGAVNFITTIINMKPPAISQYQTPLFVWAVLITAVLLLLSLPVLAAGITMLLTDRNLNTTFFDPAGGGDPILYQHL

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAI9334

74/150: Skates on all year!

Posted on June 29, 2017June 29, 2017 by Goku Nagabaskaran

Animalia: Chordata: Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Rajiformes: Rajidae: Raja: Raja binoculata Girard, 1858

Raja binoculata are commonly known as the big skate reaching a length of 2.4m and weighing 200lbs! They are normally found at depths of 120m but have been known to dive to almost 800m. They feed on various unsuspecting small organisms such as molluscs, shrimp and small fish by burrowing into the sandy bottom to act as a method of camouflage. Continue reading “74/150: Skates on all year!” →

Bioblitzing for Fish on the Grand River

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Adrian Boskovic

Approximately 24 Hours prior the start of the 6th International Barcode of Life Conference, a team of over 100 international scientists set off to survey as many species at the rare Charitable Research Reserve. Participants from 36 institutions and over 17 countries volunteered their time assist with collecting, sorting, identifying and plating. This bioblitz was unique due to the smaller scale and duration which was 12 hours instead of 24 hours, none the less, the results were impressive. Continue reading “Bioblitzing for Fish on the Grand River” →

Blitzing and Boating

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Nate Jones

Hello everyone, a couple weekends ago my colleagues, along with hundreds of other biologists and myself, were busy blitzing the Don River Watershed for the 2015 Ontario BioBlitz. The goal of a BioBlitz is to identify as much of the flora and fauna in a specific area in an effort to demonstrate the local biodiversity. Continue reading “Blitzing and Boating” →

Elevated Collecting

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Nate Jones

Hello to all the BIObus followers, we have some interesting things for everyone to read abut this week! We have been fortunate enough to spend over a week in the great light North, Kluane National Park. It is quite the experience here to be walking around at 12 am and it is still light out, no need for flash lights here! Continue reading “Elevated Collecting” →

Getting Into the Sweep of Things

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Nate Jones

Greetings everyone, this is Nate Jones. This summer I have been fortunate enough to be part of the BIObus crew for my first time. I have a keen interest for nature and all things wild. I am feeling very comfortable, here in Northern British Columbia, where there is no shortage of wildlife and boasts a vast array of plant life. I feel like I am right in my element and I am eager to learn about the native flora and fauna. Continue reading “Getting Into the Sweep of Things” →