爪蟾屬(学名:Xenopus),統稱滑爪蟾,是撒哈拉以南非洲的一屬水生青蛙,其下共有18個物種。當中最為人所知的是非洲爪蟾,經常作為科學研究的模式生物。
特徵
爪蟾屬的瞳孔呈圓形,眼睛位於頭頂,視覺是向上的。牠們的身體扁平,略呈卵狀,整體呈流線形。皮膚非常濕滑,有像縫合的體側線。牠們沒有鼓膜、舌頭及眼簾。腳上有三趾,趾上有黑爪及強壯,前肢沒有蹼,後肢有蹼,適合游泳。牠們的血液內沒有結合珠蛋白。[1]
行為
爪蟾屬是完全水生的,棲息在湖泊、河流、沼澤、池塘及人工水塘。在乾旱季節時,牠們會在陸地上遷陡至就近的水源。牠們同時是掠食者及食腐動物。由於沒有舌頭,牠們會以前肢來幫助進食。牠們沒有聲囊,會在水底呼叫。牠們是暮晨活動的。[1]
於繁殖季節,雄蛙的指上會長出黑色的婚墊幫助抱接。交配時,雄蛙會以鼠蹊部抱接雌蛙。雌蛙泄殖腔周圍的皮膚有明顯的皺褶。[1]
模式生物
爪蟾屬是蛋白質及基因表達和基因敲除研究的模式系統。牠們的卵母細胞直徑達1毫米,方便進行實驗。其他生物的RNA可以注入到牠們的卵母細胞中,藉以研究基因表達。注入嗎啉基反義核酸到卵母細胞中,就可以阻礙蛋白質的翻譯或改變剪接。卵或胚胎的細胞質抽取物可以重現很多複雜的細胞程序,如核膜形成、DNA複製及紡錘體的生成等。
下属物种
本属包括以下物种:
- Xenopus allofraseri Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvozdík, Kelley, McLaughlin, Pauwels, Portik, Stanley et al., 2015
- Xenopus amieti Kobel, du Pasquier, Fischberg & Gloor, 1980
- Xenopus andrei Loumont, 1983
- Xenopus arabiensis Henrici & Báez, 2001
- Xenopus borealis Parker, 1936
- Xenopus boumbaensis Loumont, 1983
- Xenopus calcaratus Peters, 1875
- Xenopus clivii Peracca, 1898
- Xenopus epitropicalis Fischberg, Colombelli & Picard, 1982
- Xenopus eysoole Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvozdík, Kelley, McLaughlin, Pauwels, Portik, Stanley et al., 2015
- Xenopus fischbergi Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvozdík, Kelley, McLaughlin, Pauwels, Portik, Stanley et al., 2015
- Xenopus fraseri Boulenger, 1905
- Xenopus gilli Rose & Hewitt, 1927
- Xenopus hasaunus Spinar, 1980
- Xenopus itombwensis Evans, Carter, Tobias, Kelley, Hanner & Tinsley, 2008
- Xenopus kobeli Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvozdík, Kelley, McLaughlin, Pauwels, Portik, Stanley et al., 2015
- 非洲爪蟾 Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802)
- Xenopus largeni Tinsley, 1995
- Xenopus lenduensis Evans, Greenbaum, Kusamba, Carter, Tobias, Mendel & Kelley, 2011
- Xenopus longipes Loumont & Kobel, 1991
- Xenopus mellotropicalis Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvozdík, Kelley, McLaughlin, Pauwels, Portik, Stanley et al., 2015
- Xenopus muelleri (Peters, 1844)
- Xenopus parafraseri Evans, Carter, Greenbaum, Gvozdík, Kelley, McLaughlin, Pauwels, Portik, Stanley et al., 2015
- Xenopus petersii Bocage, 1895
- Xenopus poweri Hewitt, 1927
- Xenopus pygmaeus Loumont, 1986
- Xenopus romeri Estes, 1975
- Xenopus ruwenzoriensis Tymowska & Fischberg, 1973
- Xenopus stromeri Ahl, 1926
- 熱帶爪蟾 Xenopus tropicalis (Gray, 1864)
- Xenopus vestitus Laurent, 1972
- Xenopus victorianus Ahl, 1924
- Xenopus wittei Tinsley, Kobel & Fischberg, 1979
參考
外部連結
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