#IMOY26: Meet 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙪𝙨, the Apex Predator. 👹
The Florida Horse Conch is one of the world's largest carnivorous snails, reaching 60cm in length. It uses its massive foot to "smother" its prey.
Vote for this giant for the International Mollusc of the Year: sgn.one/moty2026 🐚
@sgn.one
Thylacoplethus novacambria sp. nov. Micro-CT images of externae arising from female Munidopsis arietina Alcock & Anderson, 1894 (MV J72896); host in grey, rhizocephalan externae in red. Dorsal (A), lateral (B), ventral (C), and en-face (D) views. Scale bars = 5 mm.
Extremely cool new paper by @paularodflo.bsky.social! 🦀🦑🧪
A barnacle parasitizing a squat lobster, as seen here (the parasite is the "red" blobby stuff). They made a molecular phylogeny of the barnacles, a step towards understanding how they choose hosts
academic.oup.com/jcb/article/...
That's what I am trying to wrap my head around. If I'm following a spin column protocol, can I just substitute it for the initial lysis buffer?
Does anyone using Zymo DNA/RNA Shield (go.ua.edu/4sEh0w9) have a spin-column-based RNA extraction protocol you would be willing to share? The brochure says "DNA/RNA can be isolated directly without sample precipitation or reagent removal" but does not provide specifics.
Progress and Challenges in Phylogenomics and Genomics of Lophotrochozoa/Spiralia by Torsten H. Struck. This is a major contribution and important piece of work with respect to lophotrochozoan genomics and phylogeny.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Darrin Schultz in the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University is recruiting postdoctoral researchers and PhD students!
evogeno.me/join.html
Flyer with details on the workshop and pictures of two cumaceans. It says: DESCRIPTION: Join us to learn about the fascinating peracarids known as comma shrimp! This workshop will introduce cumacean collecting and identification with a mix of field trips and lab work, working with a combination of live specimens and preserved specimens. Outcomes for trainees include training in morphology and taxonomy of Cumacea, and training in collection, sorting, preservation, and photography of specimens. The course is suitable for advanced undergraduate to graduate students, post-docs or professionals who are interested in learning about and working with cumaceans. DATES: August 3-7, 2026 LOCATION: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County REGISTRATION: No course fee, lodging and food covered. Accepted students will need to cover their own travel. INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Sarah Gerken, Dr. Kevin Kocot, Dr. Les Watling APPLICATION: Please e-mail your CV, 1 letter of recommendation, and a 1 page statement explaining your background and reasons for taking the course to peracaridabackbone@gmail.com by March 15, 2026 For more information, see www.peracarida.org
ICYMI: The next Confusing Crustaceans taxonomy workshop is Aug 3–7, 2026 at NHMLA!
Focus: Cumacea (comma shrimp) ID + preservation of peracarids for morphology & genomics. No course fee; lodging & food covered (travel not included).
Apply by March 15:
www.peracarida.org/workshops/20...
Tenure Track Assistant Professor and Curator of #Mollusca at the Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen: employment.ku.dk/tenure-track...
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.01.033
[New Paper] @currentbiology.bsky.social presents our population genomics study of the iconic Scaly-foot Snail: 125 genomes from 8 Indian Ocean hot vents! Deep currents drive South→North gene flow, while transform faults act as dispersal barriers.
READ FOR FREE: authors.elsevier.com/c/1mbW73QW8S...
Photo of Diastylis sp. - a cumacean or 'comma shrimp.' Photo by Kevin Kocot.
Confusing Crustaceans III: Cumacea
August 3–7, 2026 @ NHMLA
This third workshop in the 'Confusing Crustaceans' series will introduce techniques to collect, study, and identify cumaceans. Applications are due March 15th.
See: www.peracarida.org/workshops/20...
SICB Division of Invertebrate Zoology logo
Time to celebrate! The @sicb-diz.bsky.social auction at the #SICB2026 meeting raised $4790 for student and postdoctoral support!!!! This will be the basis for the John and Vickey Pearse Fund being established by DIZ! Thanks to @kmkocot.bsky.social for being our exuberant auctioneer and all donors!!!
#IcyInverts presenters from this morning's #SICB2026 Antarctic Invertebrates session. @sicb-diz.bsky.social
📢 NEW GENOME ALERT
In #G3journal, @kmkocot.bsky.social and colleagues present a chromosome-level assembly for the marine invertebrate Discradisca antillarum, expanding the resource to study their evolution. buff.ly/boHXays
Assistant Professor position in Marine Invertebrate Organismal Biology at Friday Harbor Labs!
apply.interfolio.com/178804
Two open PhD positions in molluscan biomineralization with the amazing Dr. Victoria Sleight at U. Aberdeen! See:
sleightlab.com/vacancies/ and sleightlab.com/phd-vacancy-2/. The first deadline is 15 December.
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
I'm teaching an undergraduate course with a scientific writing component this semester. Your favorite memes about the state of things are welcome :) I've seen some hilarious ones in the past, but can never find what I'm looking for with a web search when I need it. Thanks!
Line drawings of sclerites of species in the genus Macellomenia.
New pub by Chandler Olson, Chimpi Cobo Llovo, and yours truly describing 7 new species of solenogasters in the family Macellomeniidae! This more than doubles the number of described species in the family.
academic.oup.com/mollus/artic...
AMNH is hiring a #curator! We are searching for an “Assistant Curator in #Climate #Physics: #Atmosphere or #Ocean”! Join us! careers.amnh.org/postings/4579 #academicjobs #tenuretrack
The abstract submission deadline for 19th International #Meiofauna Conference (IMCO19) has been extended to September 30th! sites.google.com/view/19imco/...
Figure showing violin plot of chlorophyll-a density in the region of study and fossil mollusks.
Postdoctoral Fellow opportunity in paleontology/biology at the University of Alabama Museums with @paleoadiel.bsky.social as part of the NSF-funded project “Energetic Controls on Marine Benthic Community Structure in Space and Time.” For more information see: careers.ua.edu/jobs/688232b...
Hey everyone! @sicb-diz.bsky.social is now here! Follow them for all your invertebrate science needs! 🧪🦑🌎
Protist genomics: key to understanding eukaryotic evolution: Trends in Genetics www.cell.com/trends/genet...
several years ago, the @ebpgenome.bsky.social sample collection and processing subcommittee ran a survey to understand more about people's successes and failures with HMW DNA extractions across the tree of life -- we planned to publish the results of this survey alongside the randomly drawn ...
New pub on genome sample collection and processing: "Best-practice guidance for Earth BioGenome Project sample collection and processing: progress and challenges in biodiverse reference genome creation"
academic.oup.com/gigascience/...
New pub by Vicky Sleight et al. on genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of ageing and cold adaptation in the Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica (including a nice genome assembly and annotation for Laternula): royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
Kocot lab macro photography setup in use by the IcyInverts team during RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer cruise NBP25-01 in the hydro lab.
Epimeria walkeri (Amphipoda) collected using an epibenthic sledge during NBP25-01. Photo by Kevin Kocot.
Today's #IcyInverts blog post is about our efforts to take the best possible photos of live animals and meticulous data recording for each specimen we sample while in #Antarctica. @uofalabama.bsky.social
www.icyinverts.com/shipboard-bl...
#ConfusingCrustaceans #SweatTheSmallStuff
Taxonomy training workshops are an incredibly valuable experience for everyone involved. The next #ConfusingCrustaceans workshop will be in Wilhelmshaven, Germany from Oct. 6-10, 2025. See peracarida.org for more details. #Peracarida #SweatTheSmallStuff #IcyInverts
