Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: A hatchling California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides). Ramirez and Oakley (pp. 1513–1520) show that light causes a dramatic expansion of pigmented chromatophores in octopus skin, even without input from the eyes or brain, which typically control chromatophore activity. This behavior (dubbed light-activated chromatophore expansion, or LACE) indicates that octopus skin is intrinsically light sensitive. Gene expression data also suggest that the same genes used in eyes operate in octopus skin and underlie LACE behavior. This study illustrates how ‘old’ genes expressed in a new place may contribute to the evolution of novel behaviors. Photo credit: Markos Alexandrou.
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SHORT COMMUNICATION
Ammonia first? The transition from cutaneous to branchial ammonia excretion in developing rainbow trout is not altered by exposure to chronically high NaCl
Summary: Rearing larval rainbow trout in high NaCl reveals support for the ‘ammonia hypothesis’, which posits that ammonia excretion is the earliest gill function over development and may drive gill ontogeny.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Warm acclimation and oxygen depletion induce species-specific responses in salmonids
Summary: Overnight hypoxia combined with warm acclimation increases the hypoxia tolerance of salmonids while upper critical temperature is reduced in a species-specific manner.
Characterization of the target of ivermectin, the glutamate-gated chloride channel, from Anopheles gambiae
Highlighted Article: The target of ivermectin, the glutamate-gated chloride channel, has four splice isoforms that are expressed in neuronal tissues in the head and thorax of A. gambiae across various physiological states.
Mosquitocidal properties of IgG targeting the glutamate-gated chloride channel in three mosquito disease vectors (Diptera: Culicidae)
Highlighted Article: Antibodies against the glutamate-gated chloride channel of A. gambiae reduce the survivorship of three mosquito disease vectors.
Intraspecific metabolic scaling exponent depends on red blood cell size in fishes
Summary: An integrative mechanism of metabolic scaling is proposed: species with a larger cell size have a smaller metabolic scaling exponent as they face more pronounced surface/volume limits.
The potential effects of climate-change-associated temperature increases on the metabolic rate of a small Afrotropical bird
Summary: The physiological flexibility of Cape white-eyes will aid them in coping with the 4°C increase predicted for their range by 2080.
Eye-independent, light-activated chromatophore expansion (LACE) and expression of phototransduction genes in the skin of Octopus bimaculoides
Highlighted Article: Octopus skin senses light independent of the eyes, causing chromatophores in the skin to expand, probably via the same r-opsin phototransduction genes used for vision.
Transcranial light affects plasma monoamine levels and expression of brain encephalopsin in the mouse
Summary: Light exposure via ear canals has a significant effect on brain encephalopsin expression and plasma and adrenal gland monoamine production in the mouse.
Burrowing by small polychaetes – mechanics, behavior and muscle structure of Capitella sp.
Summary: Even very small polychaetes can extend burrows through muds by fracture; helical muscles may enable worms to apply larger radial forces, facilitating burrow extension by fracture.
Controlled feeding trials with ungulates: a new application of in vivo dental molding to assess the abrasive factors of microwear
Summary: Controlled feeding trials illustrate the effects of exogenous grit on the microscopic tooth wear of hoofed mammals, with implications for paleoecological analyses.
Dynamic digestive physiology of a female reproductive organ in a polyandrous butterfly
Highlighted article: The bursa copulatrix, a female reproductive organ that processes the male ejaculate in butterflies and moths, exhibits extreme state-dependent proteolytic activity using a complement of nine highly expressed proteases.
Spectral sensitivity of cone photoreceptors and opsin expression in two colour-divergent lineages of the lizard Ctenophorus decresii
Summary: Microspectrophotometry and opsin expression reveals four single cone classes without intraspecific differentiation, providing the first evidence of UV sensitivity in agamid lizards.
Visual acuity trade-offs and microhabitat-driven adaptation of searching behaviour in psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Aphalaridae)
Summary: Morphological and behavioural estimations of psyllid visual acuity suggest that varying needs of species for movement in relation to microhabitat preference mediate trade-offs between light sensitivity and spatial resolution.
Diversity and evolution of sound production in the social behavior of Chaetodon butterflyfishes
Summary: Butterflyfishes produce a diversity of high- and low-frequency sounds for social communication in their noisy coral reef environment.
Sound pressure enhances the hearing sensitivity of Chaetodon butterflyfishes on noisy coral reefs
Summary: Butterflyfish detect sound pressure to enhance hearing and aid social communication in a noisy environment.
Visual phototransduction components in cephalopod chromatophores suggest dermal photoreception
Highlighted Article: Squid and cuttlefish skin chromatophores contain rhodopsin, Gqα and sTRP channels, which are necessary components for photoreception.
The lateral line is necessary for blind cavefish rheotaxis in non-uniform flow
Summary: Flow characteristics impact the degree to which fish rely on lateral line information for rheotaxis.
CORRECTION
Announcing the 2024 JEB Outstanding Paper Prize shortlist and winner
Every year JEB celebrates early-career researchers through the Outstanding Paper Prize. We recognise the shortlisted ECRS that contributed to 11 remarkable studies published in 2024 and congratulate the winner, Elise Laetz, from University of Groningen. See how else JEB supports and promotes ECRs.
Inside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with Hans-Otto Pörtner
During the past two decades, Hans-Otto Pörtner has steered climate change policy as a co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II. He tells us about the experience in this Perspective.
Photosynthesis turns symbiotic sea anemone's tentacles toward sun
Snakelocks sea anemones point their tentacles, packed with symbiotic algae, toward the sun so their lodgers can photosynthesize, and now Vengamanaidu Modepalli & colleagues have discovered that photosynthesis by the algae guides their host's tentacles towards the sun.
History of our journals
As our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 years old, read about JEB’s history and explore the journey of each of our sister journals: Development, Journal of Cell Science, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open.
