THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

84 A Docent Field Guide to the Species of the Steinhart Aquarium
Mexico and in many places in South America.
They also circulate nutrients and aerate huge
quantities of soil in forests and grasslands as
they construct their subterranean cities.
SUBPHYLUM MYRIAPODA
CLASS CHILOPODA
(CENTIPEDES)
Scolopendra Centipede
Scolopendra subspinipes (Scolopendridae)
Distribution: Widely distributed in Southeast
Asia.
Habitat: Live in humid environments. Usually
found in soil, leaf litter, or rotten wood.
Appearance: The name centipede literally
means “hundred legs,” though some centipede
species have more and some have as few as
30. Scolopendra subspinipes has 21 segments,
with 2 legs on each segment, except for the
last. These legs attach laterally and are used
for locomotion. The last pair of legs extends
backwards from the ultimate segment and is
used as a sensory organ. The Scolopendra grows
to 20 cm. Quite variable in color with many
identified subspecies, but most specimens
are brown to reddish brown with yellow to
yellow-orange legs.
Diet: Like all centipedes, exclusively carnivores.
Large species feed on bats, mice and other
small mammals, snakes, frogs and toads, and
birds, as well as other arthropods.
Reproduction and Development: A male
centipede has no copulatory organ: he spins a
small silk pad and then deposits his sperm on
it. Guided by the male, the female picks up the
sperm, fertilizes and lays her eggs.
Mortality/Longevity: Adult lifespan: 10 years.
Remarks: All centipedes possess “poison
claws.” The venom delivery apparatus
consists of a modified pair of front legs,
near the mandibles. The venom is formed in
glands at the base of these legs and injected
through ducts. Large scolopendromorphs
can inflict painful bites that may necessitate
a visit to a doctor. The bite causes intense
pain, swelling, discoloration, numbness, and
necrosis. However, unlike scorpions and
spiders, there are no deadly centipedes and no
confirmed human fatalities.
During World War II, Scolopendra subspinipes
roamed freely around military installations
in the Pacific theater. Centipedes crawled into
foxholes, latrines, and shelters, where they hid
in the bedding. Many soldiers suffered from
centipede bites. The bites caused instant, fiery
pain. At least one resourceful medic injected
a localized dental anesthetic around the bite,
which numbed the pain.
PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA
CLASS ASTEROIDEA
(SEA STARS)
Sand-eating Sea Star
Archaster typicus (Archasteridae)
Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Shallow sandy or silty areas near
seagrasses.
Appearance: Arms tapered to a sharp tip and
edged with short flat, blunt spines. Diameter
with arms: c. 12–15 cm. Underside pale with
large, suckered tube feet. Color of upper side
may vary from grayish blue, to brown or beige.
Diet: Detritus, decaying plants, burrowing
through the substrate in search of food items.
Like many seas tars, extrudes its ‘”stomach”
from its mouth on the ventral side, engulfing
its meal with digestive enzymes.
Reproduction: The genus Archaster, which
consists of only three species, engages
in a peculiar mating behavior known
as pseudocopulation. The male, usually
considerably smaller than the female, positions
himself on top of the female, his arms
alternating with hers, and releases his sperm as
she releases her eggs. This practice presumably
increases the chance of fertilization. This
behavior has been observed at the Steinhart.
Remarks: The size differential, with the female
being significantly larger than the male, is very
unusual in echinoderms.
The sand-eater in the Steinhart is provides a
cleaning service to the upside-down jellies
with which it lives, eating algae and detritus.