20 Jun 2012Footage of two Synsphyronus apimelusFootage of two Synsphyronus apimelus Harvey, 1987 - collected from Toolbrunup Peak, Stirling Range National Park in 2011.Read more Video Western Australian Museum
20 Jun 2012Footage of Zephyrarchaea mainaeFootage of Zephyrarchaea mainae (Platnick, 1991) - collected from an Albany Wind Farm in 2011.Read more Video Western Australian Museum
20 Jun 2012Footage of a new OnychophoraFootage of a new species of Onychophora - collected from Toolbrunup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, WA in 2011.Read more Video Western Australian Museum
20 Jun 2012Footage of a Pseudotyrannochthonius sp.Footage of a Pseudotyrannochthonius sp. - collected from Stirling Range National Park, WA in 2011.Read more Video Western Australian Museum
20 Jun 2012Footage of Austrarchaea robinsiFootage of Austrarchaea robinsi Harvey, 2002 - collected from Bluff Knoll, Stirling Range National Park, WA in 2011.Read more Video Western Australian Museum
24 May 2012What is a Type specimen?Generally, species are described by taxonomists based on a type specimen and the details published in a scientifically recognised publication. The published scientific name and the official description which defines the characteristics of the species are then permanently associated with this type specimen. Type specimens form part of biological collections maintained by museums and universities where they can be accessed by other scientists.Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
18 May 2012Creature Feature – Stephenson’s Mantis ShrimpStephenson’s Mantis Shrimp, Harpiosquilla stephensoni Manning, 1969 Last week this 20 cm long monster was brought into the Museum by a curious member of the public who had managed to collect it while fishing in the Gulf of Carpentaria. With lightning-quick reflexes, frighteningly long, sharp spines and incredible vision this is an animal not to be handled with bare hands!Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
15 May 2012The Western Australian Museum Fish CollectionWhen most people think about natural history museums, they imagine galleries of exhibits – stuffed animals and a few jars of preserved critters with panels of information. These public exhibition spaces are important for museums because it is one of the ways we tell the stories of the world around us. However, most people don’t know that what you see on display is only a tiny fraction of the collection housed at the museum and public exhibitions are only a small part of the work of the museum.Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
27 Apr 2012What's in a name?As scientists we usually rely on a scientific name to describe a species. This is because, for the most part, each ‘type’ of fish has only a single, unique name. It is based on a binomial system, introduced by Linnaeus in 1753. Each name comprises two words: a Genus (capitalised and italicised) and a species (lower case and italicised) name. For example the humble Australian Herring is called Arripis georgianus. Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
5 Apr 2012Notes about the WA Checklist of Terrestrial VertebratesIn April 2012, we published our revised Western Australian Checklist for Vertebrate Fauna. There were a few questions about some of the details raised on Facebook and Twitter. This reply was written by Ornithology curator, Ron Johnstone in response to some of the birds listings in the checklist:Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
5 Apr 2012Western Australian SalmonEvery Easter, hundreds of fishermen visit the south-west corner in the hope of catching a ‘salmon’. These are no ordinary ‘salmon’ – these are Western Australian Salmon Arripis truttaceus. It is an important distinction, because they are not true salmon, in fact not even vaguely related. They belong to a family of fishes (Arripidae) found only in Australia and New Zealand, and there are only four species. A sister-species, the eastern Australian Salmon Arripis trutta occurs in south-east Australia and New Zealand (where it is called Kahawai). Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
16 Mar 2012Creature Feature – Toxic CrabsCrustaceans such as crabs, lobsters and prawns are a major component of peoples’ diets around the world with eleven million tonnes caught or cultured annually. Despite a considerable diversity of crustacean species in Australia, only a handful of species are harvested as part of commercial or recreational fisheries. In Western Australia there are only about a half-dozen crab species that are commonly seen in seafood restaurants or fish markets, with the blue swimmer and mud crabs being the most common.Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum