Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Infection by Cardiodectes bellottii (Copepoda: Pennellidae) on Lampanyctodes hectoris (Actinopterygii: Myctophidae) in the southern Benguela Current upwelling ecosystem

Hector’s lanternfish Lampanyctodes hectoris is an abundant mesopelagic fish found in the Benguela Current marine ecosystem and is frequently parasitised by the copepod Cardiodectes bellottii. This parasite is relatively large compared with its fish host, and negative impacts of i...

Spot the difference: Turbidity‐driven plasticity and variation in spotted grunter ( Pomadasys commersonnii ) spot patterns

Animal body markings such as spots, stripes and patterns play important roles in camouflage and visual communication. This study investigated phenotypic plasticity in the spot patterns of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii, an estuarine-dependent haemulid species. First, an a...

Metabolomic Profiling of Agathosma betulina Leaves, Under Wild, Field, and Glasshouse Conditions Using UPLC-QTOF-MS and Multivariate Analysis

Agathosma betulina (P.J. Bergius) Pillans is an aromatic medicinal shrub endemic to South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region, widely used in traditional medicine to treat urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal disorders, colds, and wounds. Despite its commercial importance, limit...

Baseline characterization of inshore reef soundscapes and noise dynamics along the southeast coast of South Africa

Underwater noise has risen in certain parts of the world, driven by continued growth of maritime economic activity. In South Africa, increasing economic development threatens to elevate underwater noise levels in marine habitats, yet knowledge of marine soundscapes remains very l...