User:Anāhitā/sandbox

Article Evaluation: Comparative Anatomy

This article is a wonderful representation of comparative anatomy, as well as the subjects associated with comparative anatomy. Everything in this article was relevant to the article topic, however the format of the article was rather distracting. The history concerning comparative anatomy was rather confusing, because it appeared that it was not sequential. Additionally, the history concerning comparative anatomy should be labelled sequentially, based on centuries.

The article is neutral and there are no claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position. Every viewpoint and position is equally represented in this article. That being said, none of the viewpoints are overrepresented or underrepresented.

When concerning the citations, each of the citations was formatted differently. That being said, the citations are not properly formatted. Additionally, there are separate sections for the references and the bibliography, when the bibliography section should be included within the reference section. It appears that Wikipedia should have specific guidelines for citations. However, the links to the articles do, indeed, work. The sources do support the claims in the article, however the article does contain a "citation needed" area, which has not been resolved.

The introduction to the comparative anatomy section was accurately referenced with appropriate, reliable references, however the "history" section is not accurately referenced, and is missing a reference in the first paragraph. The references and bibliography that are provided, come from reliable sources, such as reliable academic journals, atlases, and textbooks. These sources are neutral, and are academic in nature. That being said, these neutral sources are not biased.

It does appear that there may be instances of plagiarism on this article topic. There are no resources for the information provided on homologous structures or analogous structures, which are only provided by links to other Wikipedia pages. Additionally, the majority of the information in the "history" section, is not cited. Currently, the information does not appear to be out of date, however there is information missing regarding scala naturae. Similarly, clarity could be further considered, specifically regarding the role of comparative genetics as a subfield of comparative anatomy. Additionally, more information, as well as more examples, could be included to accurately display homologous structures, analogous structures, and homoplastic structures. The information on homologous structures is accurate, but could use more examples. The definition of analogous structures should include that analogous structures may or may not appear similar, but have similar functions, and that they are not derived from a common ancestor, but are a result of convergent evolution. Additionally, more examples should be included for analogous structures. Homoplastic structures, however, are different from analogous structures, which is not emphasized, clearly, in this article topic. Homoplastic structures are structures that originally had distant common ancestors, who did not contain a characteristic, in which convergent evolution produced in two or more taxa. These structures are similar in appearance, and may or may not have similar functions. Additionally, more examples should be included for homoplastic structures.

One of the rather large concerns on the talk page is concerned with the fact that the page needs to be heavily edited, grammar wise. Additionally, there was talk about the lack of inclusiveness of some famous scientists in the "history" section, and the fact that, originally, when presented with the "morphology" page, Wikipedia would redirect viewers to the "Comparative Anatomy" page. Additionally, there is of recent concern with the description of genomics in comparative anatomy, more specifically the lack of clarity that is present with the current description of genomics in comparative anatomy.

As far as I can tell, the article is not rated. Additionally, the article does not appear to be a part of any WikiProjects, although there does appear to be two comments, on the talk page, from a comparative anatomy course. Wikipedia discusses comparative anatomy a little bit differently from the way we've discussed comparative anatomy in class. When discussing comparative anatomy, we've discussed comparative anatomy in the context of chordates and vertebrates, whereas Wikipedia refers to comparative anatomy as a whole, not restricted to chordates and vertebrates.

Article Editing: Comparative Anatomy (Citation Added)

There is a missing citation, in the history section, of this article.

The information in this text, which requires a citation, occurs regarding Pierre Belon. In the article, Pierre Belon is described to be a naturalist, who studies dolphin embryos, as well as makes comparisons between the skeletons of birds and humans. This information was not previously cited, but I have added a new citation for this information.

The following is the citation that was added: Gudger, E. W. (1934). "The Five Great Naturalists of the Sixteenth Century: Belon, Rondelet, Salviani, Gesner and Aldrovandi: A Chapter in the History of Ichthyology". Isis. 22 (1): 21–40. doi:10.1086/346870.

This resource discusses Pierre Belon's work, regarding the development of dolphins, as well as the comparisons that Belon had made between the skeletons of birds and humans.

Group Dissection Preference

Preference:

1. Stingray (Skate): Because I have spent much time examining the exterior anatomy of stingrays, particularly in the Bahamas, I am intellectually curious of how stingrays differ from skates, and I am curious about the internal anatomy of stingrays.
2. Moray Eel: Although frightening from the outside, I am intellectually curious about the internal anatomy of the moray eel, as well as how the moral eel is both similar and different from the lamprey.
3. Turtle: I am intellectually curious about the external anatomy, as well as the internal anatomy, of the turtle, because of the lack of visible external anatomy, as a result of the outer shell.

Related Wikipedia Topics/Pages

1. Guitarfish
2. Muraena
3. Tortoise

Article Contribution (Outline)

I am the designated group member, whose sandbox will collectively outline the planned contributions to the selected article(s) that relate to the moray eel.

Article Contribution Outline:

1. Topics:
   • Pharyngeal Jaw: The pharyngeal jaw, although thoroughly described in the section, lacks a description of the morphology, and thereby function, of the teeth present. More specifically, the varying tooth morphology, among species, could implicate diet. Additionally, there is a lack of detail regarding the biomechanics associated with the opening, and closing, of the jaw, as well as the muscle groups that are present in these areas.
   • Habitat (Species Distribution): The habitat description is lacking, in that the description of the habitat is rather vague. The depths and conditions in which these vertebrates live, is vaguely described. Additionally, the discussion of species diversity and distribution in these areas, is poorly described. That being said, more information will be included regarding the specific shelters, within the coral reef community, as well as the size, abundance, and variation of the moray eels present in these areas.
   • Evolutionary History: The evolutionary history, concerning the moray eel, is not present. There is a descriptive section, which addresses the taxonomy associated with the moray eel, but does not describe the evolutionary history of these vertebrates. That being said, more information would be included regarding the differences among the various moray eel species, as well as recent evolutionary evidence regarding the moray eels.
2. Articles (Article Sections):
   • Anatomy: Information regarding the pharyngeal jaw, will be found in this article section.
   • Habitat: Information regarding the habitat, as well as species distribution, will be found in this article section.
   • Taxonomy: Information regarding taxonomy, will be found in this article section.
3. Media:
   • External Anatomy Images: The anatomical images, currently present, represent the moray eel's pharyngeal jaw, but do not feature the external anatomy of the moral eel. That being said, images of the external, and possibly the internal, anatomy will be included.
   • Habitat Images: There are currently no habitat images, present. That being said, images of the various habitats, in which the moray eel occupies, will be included.
   • Genera Images (i.e., Diaphenchelys, Cirrimaxilla): There are a total of 16 genera for the moray eels, however there are only images of 14 genera. That being said, images of the missing genera will be included.

Academic Resources:

• Pharyngeal Jaw:
  1. Mehta, Rita S.; Wainwright, Peter C. (2007). "Biting releases constraints on moray eel feeding kinematics". Journal of Experimental Biology. 210 (3): 495–504. doi:10.1242/jeb.02663. ISSN 0022-0949. PMID 17234619.
  2. Mehta, Rita S. (2009). "Ecomorphology of the Moray Bite: Relationship between Dietary Extremes and Morphological Diversity". Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 82 (1): 90–103. doi:10.1086/594381. ISSN 1522-2152.
  3. Wainwright, Peter C.; Smith, W. Leo; Price, Samantha A.; Tang, Kevin L.; Sparks, John S.; Ferry, Lara A.; Kuhn, Kristen L.; Eytan, Ron I.; Near, Thomas J. (2012). "The Evolution of Pharyngognathy: A Phylogenetic and Functional Appraisal of the Pharyngeal Jaw Key Innovation in Labroid Fishes and Beyond". Systematic Biology. 61 (6): 1001–1027. doi:10.1093/sysbio/sys060. ISSN 1063-5157.
• Habitat:
  1. Ebner, Brendan C.; Fulton, Christopher J.; Donaldson, James A.; Schaffer, Jason (2016). "Distinct habitat selection by freshwater morays in tropical rainforest streams". Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 25 (2): 329–335. doi:10.1111/eff.12213. ISSN 1600-0633
  2. Higgins, B. A.; Mehta, R. S. (2018). "Distribution and habitat associations of the California moray (Gymnothorax mordax) within Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island, California". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 101 (1): 95–108. doi:10.1007/s10641-017-0684-0. ISSN 0378-1909.
  3. Young, Robert F.; Winn, Howard E.; Montgomery, W. L. (2003). "Activity Patterns, Diet, and Shelter Site Use for Two Species of Moray Eels, Gymnothorax moringa and Gymnothorax vicinus, in Belize". Copeia. 2003 (1): 44–55. doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2003)003[0044:apdass]2.0.co;2. ISSN 0045-8511.

• Evolutionary History:
  1. Collar, David C.; Reece, Joshua S.; Alfaro, Michael E.; Wainwright, Peter C.; Mehta, Rita S. (2014). "Imperfect Morphological Convergence: Variable Changes in Cranial Structures Underlie Transitions to Durophagy in Moray Eels". The American Naturalist. 183(6): E168–E184. doi:10.1086/675810. ISSN 0003-0147.
  2. Reece, Joshua S.; Bowen, Brian W.; Smith, David G.; Larson, Allan (2011). "Comparative phylogeography of four Indo-Pacific moray eel species (Muraenidae) reveals comparable ocean-wide genetic connectivity despite five-fold differences in available adult habitat". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 437: 269–277. doi:10.3354/meps09248. ISSN 0171-8630.
  3. Reece, Joshua S.; Mehta, Rita S. (2013). "Evolutionary history of elongation and maximum body length in moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 109 (4): 861–875. doi:10.1111/bij.12098. ISSN 0024-4066

Comments from Dr. Schutz:

1. Good start. You have identified some good gaps and found potentially great references.

Begin your work for next week by considering the following next steps:

• Who is working on what section? Please list that in your group page. Recall that in week 2 (see the timeline) I have given you examples of various ways to organize your sandboxes from previous students. Check those out again.
• How will you integrate each others edits? This may not be clear now and not always possible, but it should be attempted.
• What kinds of images/illustrations will be useful for you to find (see info on appropriate use of images)/produce and contribute?
• Many images can come directly from the dissections you will do, so think about how you want to approach that. Also, look ahead to week 11. The description for that assignment has numerous links to useful information for the appropriate use of images etc.
• Be sure to search related topic pages to link back to this page. Remember, your edits may not all be in this page.
• Start drafting some content as you prepare for this coming week when you will have your first draft due. Take the time in lab to chat this out as you take a dissection break.
• How will you approach your dissection?
• Ask me in lab for your study animal so that you can make a plan and maybe start the de-fleshing process for the old bat we have.
• Make sure all team members complete all training!
• When asking for help (which is great) you will have better outcomes if you ask for specific feedback.

Osquaesitor (talk) 00:39, 12 March 2018 (UTC)

Draft #1 - Moray Eel

Kristi (Evolutionary History):

The two main subspecies of the Moray Eel are defined as Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae. These two monophyletic groups are distinctly defined by the location of their fins. In Muraeninae the dorsal fin is found begin near the gill slits and run all the way down the back of the eel, while the anal fin is just behind the anus. Uropterygiinnae, on the other hand, are defined by both their dorsal and anal fin being located at the end of their tails.

Pleomerism, or the process of elongation due to the increase in number of vertebra. However, the development of vertebrae evolved independently from lengthened body and explains the high amount of diversity among Moray eel species. Additionally precaudal and caudal regions have differing modes of development and vertebra in these regions do not increase in a synchronous fashion.

Nathan (Pharyngeal Jaw):

• to be added to page Moray eel, as a subheading under the "Anatomy" section

This image already exists on the page for Pharyngeal jaw, but I was hoping to get an image of the jaw (sans skin and muscle) from our dissection to replace this placeholder

Where most predatory fish feed using suction to pull prey into their mouths, moray eels (which show smaller pectoral structures than other teleosts) rely on biting to capture prey, using specialized jaw structures to do so. In the action of lunging at prey and biting down, water flows out the posterior side of the mouth opening, reducing waves in front of the eel and allowing the eel to bite down on prey without the aid of negative pressure, with the result that bite times are greatly increased but an aggressive approach to predation is supported.

The shape of the jaw also reflects the respective diets of different species of moray eel. Evolving separately multiple times across the Muraenidae, rounded jaws, and molar-like teeth allow durophagous eels like Gymnomuraena zebra, genus Echidna, and some others to consume crustaceans, while other piscivorous genera of Muraenidae have pointed jaws and longer teeth. This division between durophagous and piscivorous morays is not entirely clearly defined, however, with the extent of jaw optimization for prey types being varied across different species, and bodily actions such as knotting equalizing differences in feeding ability based on jaw morphologies.

• side note: The first paragraph seems too similar to a section already on the Moray eel page, and so I'm not sure it needs to be in here. However, it fits well into the themes of the section and provides useful background so I'm not positive yet if I should remove it either.

Trisha (Habitat):

Image or Media File:

• Tropical Ocean Images
• Temperate Ocean Images
• Dead Patch Reef Images
• Coral Rubble Rock Images

The moray eel is known for it's wide species diversity and habitat occupation. The moray eel can be found in two separate aquatic environments: freshwater habitats and saltwater habitats. When concerning freshwater habitats, there is relatively little species abundance, or rather species richness, in these environments. The most widely known, and most relatively acknowledged, freshwater moray eel is Gymnothorax polyuranodon, which is considered to be one of the only freshwater moray eels, to exist. Additionally, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths of roughly 80 centimeters.

The saltwater habitats are not uniform and have much variability, including shallow water nearshore areas, continental slopes, continental shelfs, deep benthic habitats, and mesopelagic zones of the ocean. Additionally, specifically concerning saltwater habitats, the moray eel is considered "cosmopolitan," which is a loosely used term, referring to the fact that the moray eel contains various species, which can occupy two separate saltwater habitats: tropical oceans and temperate oceans. Tropical oceans are typically located near the equator, whereas temperate oceans are typically located away from the equator. That being said, the moray eel is capable of living in relatively warm water, despite the ocean being tropical or temperate. Additionally, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths greater than 10 meters.

However, although the moray eel can occupy both tropical oceans and temperate oceans, as well as both freshwater and saltwater, the majority of moray eels occupy warm saltwater environments, which contain reefs. Additionally, within the tropical oceans and temperate oceans, the moray eel occupies shelters, such as dead patch reefs and coral rubble rocks, and less frequently occupies live coral reefs.

Peer Review/Copy Edit #1 - Skate

Peer Review

1. Neutral Content: This article contains very neutral content. Regarding the reproduction and species differentiation, be sure to include all distinct characteristics of egg cases, that are individualized to each species. Additionally, you may want to give examples of what species that these characteristics apply to. Regarding the external anatomy, be sure to include multiple viewpoints on the use of pelvic fins, by the skate, rather than relying on current research findings. Regarding the internal anatomy, be sure to include multiple resources, with adequate information on the electric organ, seeing as how the research on the electric organ is relatively limited.
2. Reliable Sources: All of the resources appear to be reliable, and are primarily review articles. However you should avoid using primary literature, which does not show a collective overview of the topic at hand. Excellent job on your usage, and formatting, of resources, as well as in-text citations, which are also properly formatted.
3. Clear Structure:
   1. This draft is very well organized, but is rather hard to follow. You may want to consider cleaning up your sandbox, to make the draft of your work more apparent, rather than your drafts being nested in the "team game plan" section. Make sure that your sections are in sequential order, and that the flow of your paragraphs is not distracting.
   2. It appears that you will be editing certain sections of the skate page, but I highly encourage you to explore other domains that are associated with the skate, which may need revision as well.
   3. Kasey will be working on the reproduction and species differentiation topics. Mckenna will be working on the external anatomy topic. Madi will be working on the internal anatomy topic.
   4. There seems to be an even distribution of contribution from all team members.
   5. Kasey would like to contribute images of the mermaid's purse. This is an excellent idea, and should prevail, due to the relevance of the mermaid's purse to reproduction. Mckenna would like to contribute images of the external anatomy from their dissection. I would highly recommend annotating the images. This will give readers an accurate sense of what you are discussing. Madi would like to contribute cartoon/diagramed images of the internal anatomy, as well as images of the internal anatomy from their dissection. Again, I would highly recommend annotating the images. This will give readers an accurate sense of what you are discussing.
   6. Make sure that you are entering all of these aspects (i.e., reproduction, species differentiation, external anatomy, internal anatomy) underneath their respective sections, and that the topics follow a sequential order.
4. Integration: My team is currently investigating the external anatomy, as well as the internal anatomy, associated with the moray eel, which is similar to your team's investigation of the external anatomy, as well as the internal anatomy, of the skate. After reading your draft, I think it would be of great use to us to include annotated images of the external anatomy, as well as the internal anatomy, taken during our dissection of the moray eel.

Copy Edit #1 - Reproduction/Species Differentiation

Skates mate at the same nursery ground each year. In order to fertilize the egg, males use claspers, a structure attached to the pelvic fins. The claspers allow them to direct the flow of semen into the female's cloaca. Skates are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs with very little development in the mother. This is one major difference from stingrays, which are viviparous, meaning that they give birth to live young. When a female skate is fertilized, a protected case forms around the embryo called an egg case, or more commonly called a mermaid's purse. This egg case is then deposited out of the mother's body onto the ocean floor, where the skates develop for up to 15 months before they enter the external environment.

Egg cases have distinct characteristics that are individualized to each species. This makes a great tool for identifying different species of skates. One of these identifiable structures, is the keel. The keel is a flexible ridge that runs along the outside of the structure. Another characteristic is the number of embryos within the egg case. Some species contain only one embryo, while others can have up to roughly seven. The size of the fibrous shell around the case is another characteristic. Some species have thick layers on the exterior, however other species don't even have the presence of this layer.

Copy Edit #2 - External Anatomy

Skates, like stingrays, have a distinct flat body shape with flat pectoral fins that extend throughout the length of their body. Their body shape and large pectoral fins allow them to glide close to the floor of their habitat in search for benthic prey. Another key external characteristic of the skate is its rough skin made of placoid scales. Placoid scales have a pointed tip that is oriented caudally and are made of the same composition as teeth. The skin texture has been compared to sand paper. Their mouths are located ventrally or on the underside of the body, and are made up of a moveable jaw, also assisting to their benthic feeding style. Skate's gill slits are located ventrally as well, but dorsal spiracles allow the skate to be partially buried in floor sediment and still complete respiratory exchange. Also located on the dorsal side of the skate are the eyes used for the awareness of predators and other surroundings. In addition to their pectoral fins, skates have a first and second dorsal fin, caudal fin, and paired pelvic fins. Current research suggests that some species of skates use these pelvic fins to perform ambulatory locomotion (watch a video here) on the water floor. This form of locomotion performed by the skate is being explored as a possible origin for our own development of walking, by looking for similar neural pathways used for movement between skates and animals walking on land.

Copy Edit #3 - Internal Anatomy

• Skates are among the several species of electrogenic fishes, who produce weak electric organ discharges (EODs).
• The skate has small, paired, electric organs in the tail, that allow it the skate to send out weak electric signals for communication.
• They Skates do not produce strong enough currents to shock anythings.

Peer Review/Copy Edit #2 - Stingray

Peer Review

1. Neutral Content: This article contains very neutral content. Regarding the venom, make sure you are not writing the article as if you are writing a research article. There is no need to mention studies in which were successful in separating the mucus and the venom, as well as studies that were not successful in separating the mucus and the venom. Regarding the locomotion, further describe median parted fins, or considering linking median paired fins to a currently existing Wikipedia page. Regarding the anatomy of the stingray, make sure that you are currently looking for resources surrounding the jaws/teeth. Although you did mention that the currently existing literature is rather scarce, you will need this information when you move onto the dissection of the stingray. Regarding the spiracle, I would highly suggest linking the spiracle to a currently existing Wikipedia page. This may give readers another perspective on the matter, as well as more information.
2. Reliable Sources: All of the resources appear to be reliable, however you should avoid using primary literature, which does not show a collective overview of the topic at hand. Instead, please considering using review articles. Please make sure that all of your resources are cited in the format of that consistent with Wikipedia. Make sure that your in-text citations are adjusted, as well. Additionally, please ensure that all of your sections have resources, and that you are citing them appropriately (i.e., spiracle).
3. Clear Structure:
   1. This draft is very well organized, but is rather hard to follow. Make sure that you are accurately using your references, and that you cite them according to Wikipedia's standards. This would help with the following of the draft.
   2. It appears that you will be editing certain sections of the stingray page, but I highly encourage you to explore other domains that are associated with the stingray, which may need revision as well.
   3. Sarah will be working on the venom topic. Nathan will be working on the locomotion topic. Azana will be working on the jaws/teeth topic. Derek will be working on the spiracle topic. However, everybody should be contributing equally to the overall anatomy section.
   4. There seems to be an even distribution of contribution from all team members.
   5. Sarah would like to contribute images of the actual stinger, as well as microscopic images of secretory cells, which hold the venom. This is an excellent idea, and should prevail. Nathan would like to contribute an image which displays the movement of the stingray. I would highly recommend looking for a video, which would better display the "wave-like" movement you are considering. Azana would like to contribute images of the jaw, with the teeth attached. I would highly recommend that you start looking for the images now, that way you have a backup, in the event that you do not obtain the images that you hope for, from the dissection. Derek would like to contribute images of the external anatomy of the stingray, as well as the muscles associated with the function of the spiracle. I would heavily recommend that you look for images on Wikipedia, in addition to taking your own photos. Additionally, I would annotate the images, regardless of whether it is "needed" or not. This will give readers an accurate sense of what you are discussing.
   6. Make sure that you are entering all of these aspects (i.e., venom, locomotion, jaws/teeth, spiracle) underneath the general "anatomy" section, and that the topics follow a sequential order.
4. Integration: My team is currently investigating the pharyngeal jaw associated with the moray eel, which is similar to your team's investigation of the jaws/teeth of the stingray. After reading your draft, I think it would be of great use to us to include images of the pharyngeal jaw, taken during our dissection of the moray eel.

Copy Edit #1 - Venom

The venom of the stingray has been relatively unstudied, at the current moment. This is because when the venom is released, it also contains mucus from the external layer of the stingray. Do to the mixture of mucus with venom, researchers have struggled when aiming to test the chemical content of only the venom, and not have the mucus get contaminate the sample because of the continuous contamination by the mucus. There has been one study that was successful in separating the mucus and the venom from each other. What we do know is that t The venom is produced and stored in the secretory cells of the spine, located at the mid-distal region^CITATION (da Silva Jr., N., et. al., 2015). Typically, other venomous creatures have been known to create and store their venom in a separate gland (i.e., examples). The toxins that have been confirmed to be within the venom are The venom consists of toxins, such as cystatins, peroxiredoxin, and galectin^CITATION (Baumann, K., et. al., 2014). Galectin induces cell death in its victims and cystatins inhibits defense enzymes. In humans, these toxins lead to increased blood flow in the superficial capillaries, as well as and cell death^CITATION (Dos Santos., et. al., 2017).

Copy Edit #2 - Locomotion

The stingray uses Mmedian Ppaired Ffins (MPF), opposed to pure undulations where the caudal fin is the source of locomotion. MPF provides quicker, and as well as more accurate movement needed for benthic organisms^CITATION (Wang, Y., et al., 2015). The wave-like motion is performed by coordinated sequential movements between the pectoral fins and pelvic fins. The pectoral fins preform an undulation, followed by a pelvic fin pull on the benthic floor^CITATION (Macesic, L., et al., 2013).

Copy Edit #3 - Anatomy

Stingrays are composed of cartilaginous skeletons, with portions that are strengthened through the process of calcification. The cartilage allows the fish to stay afloat, despite its lack of a swim bladder.

The vertebral column of the stingray is composed of the pre-caudal and caudal vertebrate, with the pre-caudal vertebrae forming first.

Stingrays are counter shaded, meaning that the dorsal side is darker than the ventral side, allowing for the stingray to become camouflage with it's surroundings, whether it is swimming around or at the bottom of the ocean.

The mouth of the stingrays are is located on the ventral side of the animal. The teeth are large, modified, placid scales that have the appearance of flat plates, which aid in the crushing of hard shelled prey.

Copy Edit #4 - Spiracle

The stingray's respiratory anatomy is rather complex, as they have two separate ways to take in water to utilize the oxygen for oxygen utilization. Most of the time, stingrays will pull in water using their mouths, which then is sent send water through the gills for gas exchange. While efficient, they stingrays are unable to use their mouths when hunting, as they bury themselves into the ocean floor, waiting for prey to swim by. This is where their second system comes into play, using in which they use a dorsal opening on the head called a spiracle, they can draw in that draws water directly into their gills for gas exchange. While this system is less efficient, as the spiracle is unable to pull in the same amount of water as the mouth, it is plenty sufficient for the stingray to survive on, while awaiting its prey.

Feedback Responses

Kristi:

Moray Eel- Response to Feedback

What pages will be edited?

--->The first paragraph will go under the Taxonomy section. And the second paragraph will be added to a new section labeled 'Evolution'.

Image proposal?

--->I am trying to find a appropriate phylogeny (done in the correct time frame), but am having no luck. Instead I will be looking for a picture comparing the fins of the Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae.

How does Pleomerism relate?

--->This relates to the how the species evolved, I will add more context to make this more applicable in the 'Evolution' section.

Link to other Wikipedia pages?

---> The two subspecies that were mentioned do no have their own Wikipedia page.

Moray Eel- Revised Draft / Future Plans

The two main subspecies of the Moray Eel are defined as Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae. These two monophyletic groups are distinctly defined by the location of their fins. In Muraeninae the dorsal fin is found near the gill slits and runs down the back of the eel, while the anal fin is behind the anus. The Uropterygiinnae, on the other hand, are defined by both their dorsal and anal fin being located at the end of their tails.

Pleomerism is the process of elongation due to the increase in number of vertebra. However, the development of vertebrae evolved independently from lengthened body and explains the high amount of diversity among Moray eel species. Additionally precaudal and caudal regions have differing modes of development and vertebra in these regions do not increase in a synchronous fashion.

*Changes made*

-Grammar/sentence structure

-Reduced wordy sentences

*Changes to be made*

-Picture of Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae

-Link Muraeninae & Uropterygiinae to Wikipedia pages

-Keep searching for a phylogenetic tree

*Clarifications*

-The first paragraph will go under the Taxonomy section.

-The second paragraph will be added to a new section labeled 'Evolution'.

Nathan:

• Several reviewers suggested posting my section on the page for Pharyngeal jaw. I have decided against this, for a few reasons. Other types of fish have pharyngeal jaws, although only morays are known to use their pharyngeal jaws to draw prey into their mouth and my article addition takes a teleological approach to specifically moray diets and habits. Furthermore, my article, while originally intended to discuss the pharyngeal jaw, eventually became more about the primary jaw than the pharyngeal jaw. I'll fix the title eventually
• We discussed on Tuesday a plan to dissect the eel we have, and to peel away the skin and muscle around the jaw to attempt to get a useful photo of the moray's jaw. Otherwise, I'll attempt to find a public domain drawing or diagram of the jaw to be used if a photo cannot be found.
• I have yet to decide if I will keep the first passage (about the use of the pharyngeal jaw for eating versus suction in other fish) or discard it. As mentioned in notes on my draft, this factoid is already mentioned in the article for moray eel, and since it focuses heavily on the pharyngeal jaw and my article is about the primary jaw I may scrap it. However, some of my sources do explicitly link jaw morphology to feeding style, so perhaps as a useful preface to the second passage it may need to stay if I make it fit logically. Perhaps I put it on the talk page for the moray eel, or ask the class expert if it may be prudent to rearrange the moray eel page a bit if I add this section. (side note: one reviewer suggested I edit the section that used the factoid I reuse, so I can keep my passage there. While this seems a good idea, that passage is in the center of the section on anatomy, and I fear my section focuses too much on diet and behavior, and so may warrant its own section. Again, this may be best put to the class expert)
• Many reviewers found the last sentence of my draft to be somewhat confusing, and at least one offered a useful rewording (though I fear they misconstrue my words a bit, which in itself is useful review). I will absolutely have to rework my phrasing for the purpose of improved clarity.
• I feel that I have perhaps too few sources concerning the difference in jaw shape between species, and my section lacks detail. I will do more research as I edit, of course

Trisha:

• Osquaesitor: Thank you for your feedback. You have brought up many excellent points. There was a lot of missing information, regarding the images. That being said, we hope to change this by exploring Wikimedia for various images associated with the three sections. We have not yet asked fellow Wikipedians for feedback on the moray eel talk page, but this may give us more insight into the content which needs to be further explained and/or changed. That being said, we will post our ideas to the moray eel talk page, to gather more feedback from other Wikipedians. Regarding the habitat section, there is the potential to link the anatomy section to habitat section. More specifically, how anatomy aids in the survival of the moray eel, within various habitats.

• Burner112: Thank you for your feedback. You have brought up an excellent point to consider. I did not include any mention of saltwater species, because they are far more abundant than freshwater species. However, saltwater species are just as important as freshwater species, and I will include examples of various freshwater and saltwater species. Additionally, I haven't throughly delved into what differs between the saltwater species and the freshwater species, but I will examine the literature to find that answer, and then include that information within the habitat section.

• Caduceus: Thank you for your feedback. There were a couple of wording issues within the section, and I will ensure the use of your wording advice, within the second draft.

• Kingkl: Thank you for your feedback. You have brought up some excellent points to consider. Like I have mentioned to Burner112, I did not include any mention of saltwater species, because they are far more abundant than freshwater species. However, saltwater species are just as important as freshwater species, and I will include examples of both temperate saltwater species, as well as tropical saltwater species. I was originally considering including images of the habitats themselves, without the presence of moray eels, but perhaps some images of the moray eels, within the habitats, would fit nicely into the habitat section.

• Dfish21: Thank you for your feedback. For the freshwater habitat, the moray eel lives in much shallower waters. That being said, they reside in waters at depths of roughly 80 centimeters, rather than 80 meters. Also, I would like to thank you for taking the time to correct my grammatical errors. I will implement these new sentence structures, within the second draft. You have brought up an excellent point regarding the overuse of the transition word "additionally," and I will ensure the use of other transition words, within the second draft. Subsequently, I will take all of your grammatical comments, as well as your transitional comments, and implement those within the second draft.

• Ana tomy: Thank you for your feedback. The habitat section is a section labelled "habitat," within the moray eel page. That being said, the habitat section will not be included within the same section as the pharyngeal jaw. You have brought up an excellent point regarding integration of information from other articles. That being said, I will try to incorporate information from the various environmental habitats. Additionally, Kingkl also postulated the idea of including images of the moray eels, within their various habitats. That being said, I will ensure the inclusion of images of the moray eels, within their respective habitats.

• Bazinga2018: Thank you for your feedback. I am going to use all of the images listed, to give the reader an accurate view of all of the habitats that the moral eels occupy. Additionally, I will review the habitat section, rid the habitat section of all grammatical errors, and rid the habitat section of excessive commas. That being said, I will ensure the use of your grammatical comments, within the second draft.

Comments from Dr. Schutz:

• Great job being thorough in your response to reviews. One more step you can take is to see where commonalities in reviews arise and make those your priorities to either address or let go of.
• As you work through your drafts, be sure to use the rubric I provided to guide you
• I like the idea of planning your contribution and what pages you will be contributing to.

Draft #2 - Moray Eel

Kristi (Evolutionary History):

Muranidae represented on a phylogenetic tree.

A representative structure of the Uropterygiinae sub-class, which can be distinguished by both the dorsal fin and anal fin being located near the end of the tail.

Taxonomy

Order: Anguilliformes

Class: Actinopterygii

Family: Muraenidae

These genera fall into the two sub-families of Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae, which can be distinctly defined by the location of their fins. In Muraeninae the dorsal fin is found near the gill slits and runs down the back of the eel, while the anal fin is behind the anus. The Uropterygiinnae, on the other hand, are defined by both their dorsal and anal fin being located at the end of their tails. Though this distinction can be seen between the two sub-families, there are still many varieties of genera within Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae.

A representative structure of the Muraeninae sub-class, which can be distinguished by location of the dorsal fin beginning near the gill slits.

Evolution

The Moray Eel's change in shape within the species is due to an elongation process called which is due to the increase in number of vertebra. However, the development of vertebrae evolved independently from lengthened body and explains the high amount of diversity among Moray eel species. Additionally precaudal and caudal regions have differing modes of development and vertebra in these regions do not increase in a synchronous fashion.

Nathan (Jaw Morphology):

Moray jaw morphology

• to be added to page: Moray eel, as a subheading under the "Anatomy" section, with minor restructuring of paragraph in "Anatomy" that discusses use of suction vs. Pharyngeal jaw for feeding (rolling it into this section).

Skull and pharyngeal jaws of a Gymnothorax miliaris recently removed from a specimen, showing short, blunt teeth characteristic of durophagous moray eels (specimen part of collection of Pacific Lutheran University)

Where most predatory fish feed using suction to pull prey into their mouths, moray eels (which show smaller pectoral structures than other teleosts) rely on biting to capture prey, using specialized jaw structures to do so. In the action of lunging at prey and biting down, water flows out the posterior side of the mouth opening, reducing waves in front of the eel and allowing the eel to bite down on prey without the aid of negative pressure, with the result that bite times are greatly increased but an aggressive approach to predation is supported. In addition, The first of the five ossified branchial arches present in morays has evolved to become the pharyngeal jaw, which aids in pulling prey into the throat.

Differing shapes of the jaw and teeth also reflect the respective diets of different species of moray eel. Evolving separately multiple times across the Muraenidae, rounded jaws, and molar-like teeth allow durophagous eels like Gymnomuraena zebra, genus Echidna, and some others to consume crustaceans, while other piscivorous genera of Muraenidae have pointed jaws and longer teeth. These morphological patterns carry over to teeth positioned on the roof of the mouth, which acts as an extension of the jaw. This division between durophagous and piscivorous morays is not entirely clearly defined, however. The extent to which jaw morphology is optimized for different prey types varies across different species, and specialized body movements such as knotting equalize morphology-predicated differences in feeding ability across different species.

Trisha (Habitat):

An image of Gymnothorax undulatus occupying a dead patch reef, located in Kona, Hawaii.

The moray eel can be found in two separate aquatic environments: freshwater habitats and saltwater habitats. When concerning saltwater habitats, there is an extremely wide diversity, and large quantity, of moray eels which occupy these waters. An example of a saltwater moray eel, would be that of Gymnothorax vicinus. When concerning freshwater habitats, there is relatively little species abundance, or rather species richness, in these environments. The most widely known, and most relatively acknowledged, freshwater moray eel is Gymnothorax polyuranodon. Consequently, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths of over roughly 80 centimeters.

An image of Gymnothorax moringa occupying a live coral reef, located in Sabang, Philippines.

The saltwater habitats are not uniform and have much variability, including shallow water nearshore areas, continental slopes, continental shelfs, deep benthic habitats, and mesopelagic zones of the ocean. In saltwater habitats, moray eels are considered "cosmopolitan," which is a loosely used term referring to the fact that the moray eel contains various species which can occupy two separate saltwater habitats: tropical oceans and temperate oceans. Tropical oceans are typically located near the equator, whereas temperate oceans are typically located away from the equator. That being said, the moray eel is capable of living in relatively warm water, despite the ocean being tropical or temperate. As a result, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths greater than 10 meters.

Although the moray eel can occupy both tropical oceans and temperate oceans, as well as both freshwater and saltwater, the majority of moray eels occupy warm saltwater environments, which contain reefs. Within the tropical oceans and temperate oceans, the moray eel occupies shelters, such as dead patch reefs and coral rubble rocks, and less frequently occupies live coral reefs.

Illustrate An Article

Please see "Draft #2 - Moray Eel" for the figures that will be included, within our article contribution.

Begin Moving Your Work to Wikipedia

Trisha (Habitat):

The moray eel can be found in two separate aquatic environments: freshwater habitats and saltwater habitats. When concerning saltwater habitats, there is an extremely wide diversity, and large quantity, of moray eels which occupy these waters. An example of a saltwater moray eel, would be that of Gymnothorax vicinus. When concerning freshwater habitats, there is relatively little species abundance, or rather species richness, in these environments. The most widely known, and most relatively acknowledged, freshwater moray eel is Gymnothorax polyuranodon. Consequently, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths of over roughly 80 centimeters.

The saltwater habitats are not uniform and have much variability, including shallow water nearshore areas, continental slopes, continental shelfs, deep benthic habitats, and mesopelagic zones of the ocean. In saltwater habitats, moray eels are considered "cosmopolitan," which is a loosely used term referring to the fact that the moray eel contains various species which can occupy two separate saltwater habitats: tropical oceans and temperate oceans. Tropical oceans are typically located near the equator, whereas temperate oceans are typically located away from the equator. That being said, the moray eel is capable of living in relatively warm water, despite the ocean being tropical or temperate. As a result, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths greater than 10 meters.

Although the moray eel can occupy both tropical oceans and temperate oceans, as well as both freshwater and saltwater, the majority of moray eels occupy warm saltwater environments, which contain reefs. Within the tropical oceans and temperate oceans, the moray eel occupies shelters, such as dead patch reefs and coral rubble rocks, and less frequently occupies live coral reefs.

Final Article

Trisha (Habitat):

*Please see "Draft #2 - Moray Eel" for the figures that are included, within my article contribution.

The moray eel can be found in two separate aquatic environments: freshwater habitats and saltwater habitats. When concerning saltwater habitats, there is an extremely wide diversity, and large quantity, of moray eels which occupy these waters. An example of a saltwater moray eel, would be that of Gymnothorax vicinus. When concerning freshwater habitats, there is relatively little species abundance, or rather species richness, in these environments. The most widely known, and most relatively acknowledged, freshwater moray eel is Gymnothorax polyuranodon. Consequently, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths of over roughly 80 centimeters.

The saltwater habitats are not uniform and have much variability, including shallow water nearshore areas, continental slopes, continental shelfs, deep benthic habitats, and mesopelagic zones of the ocean. In saltwater habitats, moray eels are considered "cosmopolitan," which is a loosely used term referring to the fact that the moray eel contains various species which can occupy two separate saltwater habitats: tropical oceans and temperate oceans. Tropical oceans are typically located near the equator, whereas temperate oceans are typically located away from the equator. That being said, the moray eel is capable of living in relatively warm water, despite the ocean being tropical or temperate. As a result, these moray eels can be found in habitats at depths greater than 10 meters.

Although the moray eel can occupy both tropical oceans and temperate oceans, as well as both freshwater and saltwater, the majority of moray eels occupy warm saltwater environments, which contain reefs. Within the tropical oceans and temperate oceans, the moray eel occupies shelters, such as dead patch reefs and coral rubble rocks, and less frequently occupies live coral reefs.