User:IonaMukherjee/sandbox
| Zostera muelleri | |
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| File:Zostera muelleri small.jpg | |
| Zostera muelleri | |
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| Species: | Z. muelleri
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| Binomial name | |
| Zostera muelleri Asch.
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Zostera muelleri is a southern hemisphere temperate species (1) found in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea (4). It is a fast growing and readily colonizing species (4).
Seagrasses
[edit]Seagrasses are a flowering species, not to be confused with sea weed (2) Seagrasses are important to the marine ecosystem because they provide food, homes, and breeding grounds to a variety of marine species (2) Z. muelleri beds serve as a feeding ground for wading birds and a breeding ground for fish and shrimp species. (3)
Taxonomy
[edit]Z. muelleri belongs to the order Alismatales, and there are three families of seagrasses, Zosteracae, ydrocharitaceae, and Cymodoceaceae. There are approximately 72 species of seagrasses. (1) There is some taxonomic uncertainty with this species (4). Z. muelleri is synonymous with Z. mucronata, Z. capricorni, and Z. novazelandica (4), molecular and morphological studies confirmed they are members the same species (3). Jacobs et al. (2006) then suggested the retention of the name Z. muelleri as the original and final species name rather than Z. capricorni.(4)
Morphology
[edit]This species has long strap-shaped leaves (1), rounded leaf tips (3) and thin rhizomes that are <3 mm in diameter (3). There are visible cross-veins in the leaf (3) The rhizomes are either dark brown or yellow (3) Because of its phenotype Z. muelleri can be confused with Z. tasmanica and Z. capensis (3) The leaf width morphology is variable, so Z. muelleri with thin leaves can sometimes also be confused with H. uninervus.
Adaptations to Marine Life
[edit]Z. muelleri is originally a species that evolved on land, but adapted back to marine life. To do so, the genome of this plant underwent several adaptive changes to help them survive a marine life. Z. muelleri are marine angiosperms that were once terrestrial plants but adapted to marine life around 140 million years ago during the cretaceous period. (1) In order to adapt to life in the ocean, the Z. muelleri genome lost several genes adapted to life on land, such as genes for hormone biosynthesis and signaling and cell wall catabolism (1)
Habitat and Geographic Range
[edit]Z. muelleri live in seagrass meadows that are soft and muddy or sandy areas near a reef (2). They typically occur in estuaries, shallow bays, and in the intertidal shoals (3). Z. muelleri is a marine species, but it can tolerate some freshwater inputs (3). It mostly occurs in mono-specific meadows but can grow alongside Ruppia, Halophila, and Lepilena (3). Z. muelleri is widespread in Southern Australia, and its also found in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (4)
Reproduction
[edit]Seagrasses are flowering species (2), whose flowers form an inflorescence that is enclosed in a spathe (a large sheathing bract that encloses flower clusters in certain plant species) (3). Each shoot can have up to 6 spathes which contain 4-12 pairs of male and female flowers (3). Larger plants will have more flowers. Once a flowering shoot matures, it darkens and breaks off the plant, and floats away. The enclosed seeds then become deposited someplace else.
Threats and Losses
[edit]Due to sedimentation, habitat disturbance, and turbidity, meadows of Z. muelleri have been lost in areas of Port Phillip Bay and New Zealand (3). Additionally, Z. muelleri was affected by a wasting disease during the 1960s in New Zealand (4). This species is threatened by coastal development, eutrophication and sedimentation (4) Because it is less tolerant of heat than other tropical species, climate change may be a threat to meadows of this species in tropical regions (4).
Conservation
[edit]There are currently no conservation measures for this species (4)