Fish base

Now here’s a site where you can really go fishing for information! (I wish I could take credit for that pun, but it also happens to be used a few times on the website…) FishBase is a massive database for everything you ever wanted to know about our finned, fishy friends. To understand the scope of the database, here are the current statistics (as of November 2009): 31,400 species, 279,800 common names, 49,100 pictures, 43,700 references, 1,750 collaborators, and 33 million hits per month. (Are you impressed yet?) One can search the database by species (scientific name or common name), ecosystem, topics, family, or country. There are also other resources beyond the database on the website, including a fish forum, a long list of fish websites, and even a fish quiz.

ww.fishbase.org/home.htm

Bean Beetles

Now I’m not generally a betting gal, but I would bet that most of you reading this are unfamiliar with bean beetles. (Am I right?) Well, bean beetles, or more properly Callosobruchus maculates, get their name because the larvae develop and feed exclusively on the seeds of legumes. These bugs might be agricultural pests in Asia and Africa, but they happen to also be very useful experimental tools in biology classrooms worldwide. This website, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is offered as a resource for biology teachers looking for a suitable model organism for their undergraduate laboratory classes. Included on the site is a handbook on bean beetles (wherein you can learn about their natural history and life cycle, as well as culture and handling techniques), a description of tried-and-true laboratory activities utilizing the little guys, and a list of bean beetle researchers.

www.beanbeetles.org/index.html

Whats that Bug

Extension services at land-grant universities invariably have entomologists who do everything from advising on insect infestations to identifying specimens submitted to them. “What's That Bug?” is to the Web what extension entomologists are to universities, offering a full range of services, essentially for free (donations are requested). Features include identification of creepy crawlers in visitor-submitted photos, Bug of the Month, and one of the largest collections of excellent insect photos to be found on the Web. If those don't suit your fancy, there is a section to get questions answered, stories galore, and even a segment dealing with bugs that have gotten squashed.

[www.whatsthatbug.com]

World Wildlife Fund’s WildFinder

Never again will you have to wonder where in the world you can find the Arabian tiger snake or the Bibron’s keel-scaled boa (if, by chance, you were actually in search of them). Using the World Wildlife Fund’s WildFinder tool, you can search for specific species and obtain a global view of the regions in which they reside. Alternatively, you can search for a specific region to find which species live there. Sadly, the map reveals a shrinking sphere of inhabitance for many species. (This realization is surely one of the reasons why this tool is hosted through the World Wildlife Fund.) I wish that the WildFinder provided background information about each species (there is nothing beyond the scientific classification and threat status of the species), but there is a great deal of information about the various ecoregions of the globe.

gis.wwfus.org/wildfinder

Principles of Parasitism

I’ll be honest—this site isn’t exactly pretty to look at. (But then again, are parasites supposed to be pretty?) Produced as part of a zoology course at the University of Alberta, Principles of Parasitism offers a nice collection of animations and movies to introduce one to the world of all things parasitic. From protozoa to digenea, from nematoda to arthropoda, you’ll find an assortment of animations that illustrate the life cycles of various critters. There are also some rather robotic-looking diagrams to represent the organ systems in the host that are affected upon infection. As a multimedia educational website, Principles of Parasitism succeeds in providing easy-to-understand modules to parasite neophytes, though it is certainly only a small sampling of the discipline. Once you’ve had your first taste, you will surely find yourself hungry for more.

www2.biology.ualberta.ca/parasites/ParPub/home.htm

Comparative Placentation

On the subject of anatomy, I’d bet this site contains one area you’ve never considered. Comparative Placentation, according to the description on its site, “was created to assist with the examination and evaluation of the many different types of mammalian placentas.” Okay, but who would care about such a subject? I’m glad you asked—veterinary pathologists. Imagine the challenge of veterinarians who deal with the entire animal kingdom in their practices. With Comparative Placentation’s design, one can click on a species and bring up a wealth of information about the organism’s gestation and reproductive characteristics, complete with numerous pictures. Yes, this is not a subject for everyone but it is indeed a subject for a select group. The site does a superb job of delivering important information and will be loved by veterinarians.

http://medicine.ucsd.edu/cpa