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Regional distribution of Australiformis

Australiformis is a monotypic genus of acanthocephalans (thorny-headed or spiny-headed parasitic worms) that infest marsupials in Australia and New Guinea. The worm's body consists of a long trunk and a proboscis armed with hooks, which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host. The only species in the genus, Australiformis semoni, resembles species in the genus Moniliformis but lacks spiral muscles in the outer wall of the proboscis receptacle. The proboscis is armed with 12 rows of 13 to 15 hooks which are used to attach themselves to the small or large intestine of the host. The female worms range from 95 to 197 mm long, virtually all of which is the trunk, and 1.75 to 3.5 mm wide. There is pronounced sexual dimorphism in this species as females are around twice the size of the males, whose trunks range from 46 to 80 mm long and are about 2 mm wide. Infestation of marsupials by A. semoni may cause debilitating inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) with granulomatous ulcers. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

An adult dwarf pufferfish

... that at a maximum standard length of roughly 2 cm (0.8 in), dwarf pufferfish are some of the smallest pufferfish in the world?
... that Swiss athlete Clara Thalmann arrived in Barcelona to compete in the People's Olympiad but ended up fighting in the Spanish Civil War?
... that Hende's Hut on Roberts Point Track, a tramping track in New Zealand, originally had no windows?
... that soprano Rachel Yakar, who received international attention in 1977 as Poppea with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, was also described as an "ideal" Mélisande and "a Mozartian at heart and in style"?
... that in its first full month on the air, an Idaho TV station had the highest prime-time viewing share of any independent station in the United States?
... that in the 1909 election to the city council of Surabaya, less than 1 percent of the population could vote?
... that each performance of the Tale of the Moon Cuckoo lasted for an entire month?
... that the Korean restaurant in Japan Saikabo suffered a 30% drop in sales after the South Korean president visited the disputed Liancourt Rocks?

In the news

Ryan Blaney

In the Myanmar civil war, opposition forces capture multiple cities in a major offensive against the ruling military junta.
In stock car racing, Ryan Blaney (pictured) wins the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
In baseball, the Hanshin Tigers defeat the Orix Buffaloes to win the Japan Series.
An earthquake strikes Karnali Province, Nepal, leaving more than 150 people dead.

On this day

November 17

Deir el-Bahari

1292 – John Balliol was chosen to be King of Scots over Robert de Brus.
1943 – World War II: Australian forces launched an assault on Sattelberg, New Guinea, against Japanese forces, initiating the Battle of Sattelberg.
1989 – Walt Disney Pictures released The Little Mermaid to theatres, starting the Disney Renaissance.
1997 – Sixty-two people were killed by Islamist terrorists outside Deir el-Bahari (pictured) in Luxor, one of Egypt's top tourist attractions.
2013 – An outbreak of 77 confirmed tornadoes occurred in seven U.S. states; it became the largest November tornado outbreak in Illinois and Indiana.

Chen Jinfeng (d. 935)
Nikephoros Melissenos (d. 1104)
Grace Abbott (b. 1878)
Cyril Ramaphosa (b. 1952)

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From today's featured list

Location of Connecticut in the United States

Connecticut has participated in all fifty-nine United States presidential elections since the American Revolution. In the early days of the United States, Connecticut was known for supporting the conservative Federalist Party. In the Second Party System, Connecticut leaned towards the anti-Jackson candidates. Following the Civil War, Connecticut was a swing state for a long time until 1896. Thereafter until 1932, Connecticut was a Republican stronghold. During the Great Depression, Connecticut began to pivot in support of Democratic candidates. After that, although the Republican Party won Connecticut several times in the presidential election, its advantage was no longer as significant as it had previously been. Since 1992, the state has voted consistently for the Democratic candidates. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Sargocentron xantherythrum, commonly known as the Hawaiian squirrelfish or striped squirrelfish, is a member of the squirrelfish family that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Growing to a length of 17 centimeters (6.7 in), the fish has a red coloration with white stripes running along the body, as well as sharp gill spines and rough scales that can cause the fish to be snagged in netting materials. It is a nocturnal species that is much more active at night. It inhabits seaward reefs below the surge zone, and is common near caves and ledges, feeding mainly on worms, crustaceans and starfish. It is occasionally available in the aquarium trade. This school of S. xantherythrum was photographed in the French Frigate Shoals, part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii.

Photograph credit: James Watt

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