Taya de Blonk
@evolutionoftaya.bsky.social
evolution, parental care, reproduction, genetics, systematics, ichthyology 👩🏻💻🧬 NCSU MEAS PhD student in the NC Fish Lab 🐟🐠🌎
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
As we all settle back in at home after an amazing #ssb2026 in Baton Rouge, it seems fitting to share this recent pub from @mbomaaaron.bsky.social where he writes about the utility of taxonomic education. Aaron was a @systbiol.bsky.social mentee and so it is very exciting to see this work of his out!
I'm happy to announce that my paper, which makes a case for the enduring utility of taxonomy in biological research, has officially been published (open access). Gratitude to my mentor @oschwery.bsky.social who took time to read the initial drafts.
qubeshub.org/community/gr...
qubeshub.org/community/gr...
January 16, 2026 at 10:42 PM
As we all settle back in at home after an amazing #ssb2026 in Baton Rouge, it seems fitting to share this recent pub from @mbomaaaron.bsky.social where he writes about the utility of taxonomic education. Aaron was a @systbiol.bsky.social mentee and so it is very exciting to see this work of his out!
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Washington banned octopus farming in 2024, but a new bill is making its way through the Legislature that would also ban the sale, possession, transport and distribution of farmed octopus. The aim isn't to outlaw the culinary use of octopus, proponents say, but to ensure it is treated humanely.
Washington may ban sales of farmed octopus
After stalling in the last session, a bill to outlaw the sale, possession, transport, and distribution of farmed octopus advanced out of committee this week on a party-line vote.
www.opb.org
January 15, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Washington banned octopus farming in 2024, but a new bill is making its way through the Legislature that would also ban the sale, possession, transport and distribution of farmed octopus. The aim isn't to outlaw the culinary use of octopus, proponents say, but to ensure it is treated humanely.
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Frontiers | Spawning patterns and reproductive biology of yellowtail scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) off south-eastern Australia www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.... 🧪🐠🦑🌎
Frontiers | Spawning patterns and reproductive biology of yellowtail scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) off south-eastern Australia
We characterized the reproductive biology of the ecologically and commercially important small pelagic fish Trachurus novaezelandiae (yellowtail scad) in sou...
www.frontiersin.org
January 12, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Frontiers | Spawning patterns and reproductive biology of yellowtail scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) off south-eastern Australia www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.... 🧪🐠🦑🌎
“What would our world look like if all natural history collections disappeared?”
Loved #SSB2026! Organized by @jembrown.bsky.social.
Great workshops, talks, panel discussion, and collections tours, plus an awesome social hosted by @prosanta.bsky.social. Great to meet some more fishy folks as well 🐠
Loved #SSB2026! Organized by @jembrown.bsky.social.
Great workshops, talks, panel discussion, and collections tours, plus an awesome social hosted by @prosanta.bsky.social. Great to meet some more fishy folks as well 🐠
January 13, 2026 at 4:40 AM
“What would our world look like if all natural history collections disappeared?”
Loved #SSB2026! Organized by @jembrown.bsky.social.
Great workshops, talks, panel discussion, and collections tours, plus an awesome social hosted by @prosanta.bsky.social. Great to meet some more fishy folks as well 🐠
Loved #SSB2026! Organized by @jembrown.bsky.social.
Great workshops, talks, panel discussion, and collections tours, plus an awesome social hosted by @prosanta.bsky.social. Great to meet some more fishy folks as well 🐠
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Actual botanists don't feel like they need to lie to their neighbors about their jobs.
“Minneapolis ICE shooter told longtime neighbor he was a botanist,” @people.com reports.
"He said he worked with plants, as a botanist, so he lied about what he did," she said.
people.com/ice-agent-jo...
"He said he worked with plants, as a botanist, so he lied about what he did," she said.
people.com/ice-agent-jo...
Minneapolis ICE Shooter Told Longtime Neighbor He Was a Botanist: 'I Had No Idea He Was an ICE Agent' (Exclusive)
ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, once told neighbors he was a botanist, a woman who lives nearby tells PEOPLE. 'I had no idea he was an ICE agent,' she...
people.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:13 AM
Actual botanists don't feel like they need to lie to their neighbors about their jobs.
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
The great @jembrown.bsky.social closing out #ssb2026
It was a wonderful meeting thanks to the hardwork of Jeremy and funding from @lsu.bsky.social and other sources.
Systematic biology is alive and well. Especially proud of all the Global South who attended.
It was a wonderful meeting thanks to the hardwork of Jeremy and funding from @lsu.bsky.social and other sources.
Systematic biology is alive and well. Especially proud of all the Global South who attended.
January 11, 2026 at 11:04 PM
The great @jembrown.bsky.social closing out #ssb2026
It was a wonderful meeting thanks to the hardwork of Jeremy and funding from @lsu.bsky.social and other sources.
Systematic biology is alive and well. Especially proud of all the Global South who attended.
It was a wonderful meeting thanks to the hardwork of Jeremy and funding from @lsu.bsky.social and other sources.
Systematic biology is alive and well. Especially proud of all the Global South who attended.
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
I’m so proud of @lsu.bsky.social Museum of Natural Science and @tropicalbotany.bsky.social Herbarium folks who volunteered for these tours to over 100 folks - I’m sure they won’t forget what they saw behind the scenes. #museums #naturalhistory
#ssb2026
#ssb2026
Museum and Herbarium tours are now underway. Next bus will depart around 5:00 PM.
All tours should finish by 7:15 and Biodiversity Trivia Night will start at 7:30.
#SSB2026 @systbiol.bsky.social
All tours should finish by 7:15 and Biodiversity Trivia Night will start at 7:30.
#SSB2026 @systbiol.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 3:22 AM
I’m so proud of @lsu.bsky.social Museum of Natural Science and @tropicalbotany.bsky.social Herbarium folks who volunteered for these tours to over 100 folks - I’m sure they won’t forget what they saw behind the scenes. #museums #naturalhistory
#ssb2026
#ssb2026
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
The wonderful Emily Graslie talking to the #SSB2026 crowd about the importance of natural history museums. She has an art background and became enamored with the University of Montana natural history collections and created the #brainscoop series.
January 10, 2026 at 10:45 PM
The wonderful Emily Graslie talking to the #SSB2026 crowd about the importance of natural history museums. She has an art background and became enamored with the University of Montana natural history collections and created the #brainscoop series.
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
The American Fisheries Society extends our support to the furloughed fisheries and aquatics professionals affected by the U.S. federal government shutdown. Read our full statement on the shutdown and its impacts on natural resources here fisheries.org/2025/10/afs-...
October 7, 2025 at 11:24 PM
The American Fisheries Society extends our support to the furloughed fisheries and aquatics professionals affected by the U.S. federal government shutdown. Read our full statement on the shutdown and its impacts on natural resources here fisheries.org/2025/10/afs-...
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
This week, Alanna talks to Dr. Jessie Kittel, a research scientist at the Blue World Research Institute. Jessie's research using modeling techniques has varied from humpback whales to yellowtail flounder. Jessie is also a 100-ton captain!
August 14, 2025 at 1:16 AM
This week, Alanna talks to Dr. Jessie Kittel, a research scientist at the Blue World Research Institute. Jessie's research using modeling techniques has varied from humpback whales to yellowtail flounder. Jessie is also a 100-ton captain!
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Quote of the Day,
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
July 31, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Quote of the Day,
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
“We are undergoing unprecedented loss of freshwater across the planet.”
And need new leadership yesterday. :/
www.newscientist.com/article/2490...
And need new leadership yesterday. :/
www.newscientist.com/article/2490...
We are undergoing unprecedented loss of freshwater across the planet
Rising temperatures are causing water to evaporate and driving humans to extract more groundwater, which is moving freshwater from the land to the seas and creating a "continental drying" trend
www.newscientist.com
July 28, 2025 at 9:50 PM
“We are undergoing unprecedented loss of freshwater across the planet.”
And need new leadership yesterday. :/
www.newscientist.com/article/2490...
And need new leadership yesterday. :/
www.newscientist.com/article/2490...
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
NEMO! (a clownfish) with lil cymothoid isopod friend! Lembeh Photo by Dave Johnson Photography www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=4...
July 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
NEMO! (a clownfish) with lil cymothoid isopod friend! Lembeh Photo by Dave Johnson Photography www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=4...
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Every fish that we catch has a story, some are crazier than others. We caught this unicornfish during a night dive in Okinawa last year. The trip was memorable because we had to end the dive early when North Korea fired a missile in our general direction and we had to take cover
July 24, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Every fish that we catch has a story, some are crazier than others. We caught this unicornfish during a night dive in Okinawa last year. The trip was memorable because we had to end the dive early when North Korea fired a missile in our general direction and we had to take cover
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
July Editor's Choice article: "Parental care drives the evolution of male reproductive accessory glands across ray-finned fishes"
Lucas Eckert, Jessica S Miller, John L Fitzpatrick, Sigal Balshine, Benjamin M Bolker
academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...
@lucaseckert.bsky.social @bbolker.bsky.social
Lucas Eckert, Jessica S Miller, John L Fitzpatrick, Sigal Balshine, Benjamin M Bolker
academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...
@lucaseckert.bsky.social @bbolker.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 6:36 AM
July Editor's Choice article: "Parental care drives the evolution of male reproductive accessory glands across ray-finned fishes"
Lucas Eckert, Jessica S Miller, John L Fitzpatrick, Sigal Balshine, Benjamin M Bolker
academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...
@lucaseckert.bsky.social @bbolker.bsky.social
Lucas Eckert, Jessica S Miller, John L Fitzpatrick, Sigal Balshine, Benjamin M Bolker
academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...
@lucaseckert.bsky.social @bbolker.bsky.social
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
New paper alert: 42 ecological traits for all 6,000+ valid species of #Neotropical_freshwater_fishes, the most diverse continental vertebrate fauna on Earth. A foundation for future studies on the ecology and conservation of tropical aquatic biodiversity.
nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com/articles/s41...
July 2, 2025 at 12:55 PM
New paper alert: 42 ecological traits for all 6,000+ valid species of #Neotropical_freshwater_fishes, the most diverse continental vertebrate fauna on Earth. A foundation for future studies on the ecology and conservation of tropical aquatic biodiversity.
nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
January 21, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
An (omics) perspective on the evolution of vision in deep-sea
fishes reveals exceptional adaptations to life in the extreme
Musilova & Cortesi 2025 Functional Ecology
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
#ichthyology #teamfish neat review of genetics of deep-sea vision in fishes
fishes reveals exceptional adaptations to life in the extreme
Musilova & Cortesi 2025 Functional Ecology
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
#ichthyology #teamfish neat review of genetics of deep-sea vision in fishes
June 6, 2025 at 12:08 PM
An (omics) perspective on the evolution of vision in deep-sea
fishes reveals exceptional adaptations to life in the extreme
Musilova & Cortesi 2025 Functional Ecology
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
#ichthyology #teamfish neat review of genetics of deep-sea vision in fishes
fishes reveals exceptional adaptations to life in the extreme
Musilova & Cortesi 2025 Functional Ecology
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
#ichthyology #teamfish neat review of genetics of deep-sea vision in fishes
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Pseudojuloides edwardi
Quite possibly the most beautiful wrasse in existence
Quite possibly the most beautiful wrasse in existence
June 1, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Pseudojuloides edwardi
Quite possibly the most beautiful wrasse in existence
Quite possibly the most beautiful wrasse in existence
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Have you ever seen a juvenile Buffalo Trunkfish (Lactophrys trigonus)? I absolutely love their weird skeleton which forms this bony carapace making their body rigid.
May 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Have you ever seen a juvenile Buffalo Trunkfish (Lactophrys trigonus)? I absolutely love their weird skeleton which forms this bony carapace making their body rigid.
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Two new studfish! Thanks to the Sandel Lab for letting me tag along :)
www.mapress.com/zt/article/v...
www.mapress.com/zt/article/v...
Phylogenomic species delimitation of studfishes (Fundulidae: Fundulus ): evidence for cryptic species in agreement with the central highlands vicariance hypothesis
| Zootaxa
www.mapress.com
March 14, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Two new studfish! Thanks to the Sandel Lab for letting me tag along :)
www.mapress.com/zt/article/v...
www.mapress.com/zt/article/v...
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Life in emergent freshwater marshes. For my forthcoming book "PONDS: An Illustrated Guide," Yale University Press, 2026.
🧪🌿🌎 #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #iNat #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #marshes #freshwater #wetlands
🧪🌿🌎 #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #iNat #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #marshes #freshwater #wetlands
May 4, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Life in emergent freshwater marshes. For my forthcoming book "PONDS: An Illustrated Guide," Yale University Press, 2026.
🧪🌿🌎 #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #iNat #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #marshes #freshwater #wetlands
🧪🌿🌎 #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #iNat #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #marshes #freshwater #wetlands
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
1/11 New #OpenAccess #anglerfish paper in @plosone.org! We combine genomic, mitochondrial, and morphological data to produce the most complete evolutionary hypothesis for anglerfishes! Includes new body shape, habitat analyses, and a new frogfish subfamily) 🦑
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
A total-evidence phylogenetic approach to understanding the evolution, depth transitions, and body-shape changes in the anglerfishes and allies (Acanthuriformes: Lophioidei)
The anglerfishes and allies (Lophioidei) are a diverse group of fishes with over 400 carnivorous species that are renowned for their remarkable hunting behavior employing a modified first dorsal-fin s...
doi.org
May 3, 2025 at 12:11 AM
1/11 New #OpenAccess #anglerfish paper in @plosone.org! We combine genomic, mitochondrial, and morphological data to produce the most complete evolutionary hypothesis for anglerfishes! Includes new body shape, habitat analyses, and a new frogfish subfamily) 🦑
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Reposted by Taya de Blonk
Black background fish photography are MY NACHOS.
March 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Black background fish photography are MY NACHOS.