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The rainbow wrasse, Halichoeres pictus, is a member of Perciformes, a clade comprising more than 9000 species that accounts for more than a third of all fish diversity. There are about 500 species of wrasses, ranging in size from 4.5 cm to 2.3 m. They occur in tropical and warm-temperate waters. Learn more about H. pictus by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Anas platyrhynchos, Domestic Duck | 03-Nov-2008 |  |
| The domestic duck is a member of Anatidae, a clade comprising 157 species of ducks, geese and swans. Ducks can be found almost anywhere in the world, prefering a habitat of wetlands that include an abundance of vegetation. They eat a large variety of foods including vegetation, insects, worms, gastropods and arthropods. Learn more about Anas platyrhynchos by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Two-toed Sloth, Choloepus hoffmani | 13-Oct-2008 |  |
| The two-toed sloth is a curious looking mammal with a convex face, inconspicuous ears, and no tail. Occurring in tropical forests from Nicaragua to Peru and central Brazil, Choloepus hoffmanni is nocturnal and carries out almost all life processes -- including mating and birth -- while suspended upside down. Long thought to be closely related to the three-toed sloth, Bradypus, it is now believed that the two-toed sloth shares a closer kinship with extinct ground sloths. Learn more about Choloepus hoffmanni by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Agrionemys horsfieldii, Russian Tortoise | 15-Sep-2008 |  |
| The Russian tortoise is a member of Testudinidae, a large and diverse clade of extinct and extant terrestrial forms that includes well-known giant species such as the Galápagos and Aldabra tortoises. Agrionemys horsfieldii occurs in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, extending into western China and southeastern Russia. Learn more about the Russian tortoise by reading this account by Dr. Heather Jamniczky of the University of Calgary.
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| Metatherian Mammal, Herpetotherium cf. fugax | 02-Sep-2008 |  |
| Herpetotherium cf. fugax is a metatherian ('marsupial') from the Oligocene of North America. The recent discovery of well preserved specimens in the Early Oligocene White River Formation of Wyoming has allowed a better understanding of its morphology, phylogenetic position, and locomotor adaptations. Learn more about these remarkably complete fossils, recently described by Horovitz and coauthors in Palaeontographica Abteilung.
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| Echinoneus cyclostomus, Little Burrowing Urchin | 18-Aug-2008 |  |
| The little burrowing urchin, Echinoneus cyclostomus, occurs worldwide throughout the tropics. While it inhabits depths up to 570 m, it is most common in shallow waters. Adult individuals of this species and others in Echinoneidae do not possess a lantern or teeth -- these structures are absorved during maturation. Learn more about the little burrowing urchin by reading this new account by Mr. Louis Zachos of The University of Texas at Austin.
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