Larva

• This year is off to a bumper start, with bush flies swarming beach-goers, March flies on the march, and mosquitoes taking to the skies en masse.
• Despite their sheer diversity, we’re likely to encounter only a select few flies daily.

Familiar faces

• They slake their thirst on the sweat and tears of mammals and so linger around our heads, shoulders and faces in search of a refreshing drink.
• These small explorers are otherwise harmless, and pose no serious threat to health or home beyond being a mild nuisance.
• They are also, however, excellent pollinators, with some orchids relying on their hard work and specialised mouthparts for survival.
• Malaria is among the farthest-reaching, while Ross River Virus, chikungunya, zika and dengue all circulate with help from mosquitoes.

Shoo fly?

For the minority of flies that prove a recurring annoyance, the primary goal is to deter rather than kill them. In this case, the remedies are simple:

• Read more:
  The battle against bugs: it's time to end chemical warfare

  Avoid reaching for the bug-bombs and sprays, which have devastating impacts on beneficial insects.

• Similarly, those noise-emitting, electrified or smelly gadgets that promise a fly-free existence are best avoided, as most are either ineffective, or harm far more than their intended targets.

From pesky to paramount

• Flies are among the most diverse animals on the planet, and are utterly crucial for the healthy function of our ecosystems.
• On the other side of the circle of life are outstanding decomposers, such as black soldier flies.
• Moreover, flies have proven invaluable in forensics, medicine and scientific research, and environmental monitoring, underscoring how deeply our lives intertwine with theirs.

Fly on

• The natural world – us included – would not be the same without them.
• He is also affiliated with the conservation charity Invertebrates Australia.

• Marathon swimming performances are a vital part of early life for the vast majority of coral reef fish.
• Baby (larval) reef fish – smaller than the size of your thumbnail – hatch from eggs laid on the reef and spend a few weeks in the open ocean before swimming back to the reef.
• We found larval clownfish dramatically alter their physiology to complete their journey from the ocean back to the reef.

Mini athletes swimming 10-50 body lengths per second

• However, landmark studies from the early 1990s documented the impressive swimming capabilities of baby reef fish.
• Previous research has provided overwhelming evidence coral reef fishes are capable of amazing swimming performance as babies.
• Some of these tiny athletes are capable of swimming 10-50 body lengths per second as a larva.
• For comparison, Olympic multi-gold medallist Michael Phelps races at just under two body lengths per second.

Measuring the traits of an athlete

• My colleagues and I measured physiological traits required to be an athletic swimmer across the entire larval phase of a clownfish.
• These traits included swimming speed, oxygen uptake rates, gene expression patterns, and tolerance to low oxygen (hypoxia).
• At night, when it’s no longer possible to use sunshine and carbon dioxide to make energy by photosynthesis, corals and plants breathe in oxygen to make energy.
• The changes in haemoglobin and myoglobin genes also correspond to when these baby fish start to increase their hypoxia tolerance.

Why our research matters

• It’s likely other coral reef fish follow similar developmental pathways.
• Reef fish – of all shapes, sizes, and colours – are integral for maintaining coral reef health and persistence of future coral reefs.
• What I saw still makes me nauseous

  Adam Downie receives funding from the University of Queensland, and the Goodman Foundation Research Grant Scheme through the Morton Bay Research station.

• Authentic Artists and Yuga Labs , the web3 company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club, today announced a new collaboration to bring AI-generated music to the Meebits community on their new brand hub, turnon.meebits.app .
• Inspired by the spirit of the Meebits brand, the first batch of Boombox-exclusive songs are entirely composed and produced by WarpSound's industry-leading metaverse music platform.
• WarpSounds innovative music tech was a perfect fit for our new brand hub," said Danny Greene, Meebits Brand Lead at Yuga Labs.
• Authentic Artists is a generative AI music company awakening a deeper connection with music through new forms of creativity, play and community.

• "Mosquitoes thrive in warm temperatures and after rainfall," said Frank Meek, Technical Services Manager, Orkin.
• However, as bothersome as mosquito bites may be, the diseases they are able to transmit are the true threat.
• Known for transmitting West Nile virus, among other diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Zika, it's important to stay prepared.
• Apply an EPA-registered mosquito repellent containing products such as DEET, picaridin or IR3535.