Feature Article
Fish
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Fish are more than just good to eat and for
sport. They are diverse and very interesting animals. Some produce electricity, others change sex, some go fishing and some
fly.
Did you know that flatfish don’t start off flat?
The newly hatched transparent larvae are regular fish shaped, but soon after birth one eye "migrates" to the other side
of the head — either the left or the right, depending on the species. Changes occur also in the skeletal and digestive
systems; adults have only one dorsal and one anal fin, both without spines.
The underside of the flatfish is pale and
the top is coloured to match the environment.
Coffin fish actually walk along the sea floor on short stubby fins. They live in deep waters around the world. They often
come up in nets swollen into a ball. Like the puffer fish, they can swallow large amounts of water to inflate themselves,
presumably making it harder for predators to bite into them. What a handy trick.
Slowest fish.
The Seahorse is the slowest fish in the sea. Instead of escaping predators it relies
on camouflage. The small ones are only one inch (2.5cm) head to tail
and the large ones 12” (30.48cm)
These creatures really are delightful and not at all like regular fish. I got quite side tracked doing the research for this
article when I read that the female deposits eggs into a pouch on the male, where they are fertilized and dad gives
birth anywhere from 10 to 25 days later. Wish we could try that.
Fast fish.
The sailfish is considered to be the fastest over short distances – one individual
has been measured traveling at 109km/h (68mph). How do you figure out the speed of a fish flying through the air?
Although
sharks are generally slow cruisers, the short fin mako is believed to be the fastest with speeds burst of up to 88.5km/h (55mph)
Largest Fish
The largest fish in the sea is the Whale Shark. It can grow to more than 17 metres (55ft) and weigh over 15 tonnes.
(over 33,000 lbs.)
The second largest fish is the basking Shark, which can be seen around the western coast of Britain
in the summer. I lived in Britain for 30 years and did not know that.
300 Million eggs
Ocean sunfish are the most fertile of saltwater fish, being able to lay up to 300
000 000 eggs at a time. When, where, and how they mate is a mystery.
When born, the larvae look like regular fish at
1/10 of an inch in length. The dorsal and anal fins then begin to grow and the body becomes covered with spines. These spines
are then lost with only 5 remaining. These last 5 spines shorten until they disappear. Once they are gone, the bulky, disc-shape
body begins to form. At this time the baby fish is only 1/2 of an inch long. It will continue to grow and can reach 11ft in
length.
So much going on in the ocean, no wonder we know so little. How do you study something like that?
Batteries not required.
Electric rays have the ability to generate strong electric charges and use
these shock pulses to stun prey. The rays spend most of their time buried under sand or mud, waiting to detect passing
prey.As if this was not odd enough rays give birth to pups after eggs hatch in the female’s uterus. In the later stages
of the eight to ten month gestation period, the female’s uterine lining secretes liquid
food for the embryos.
Now that is a novel way to feed your off spring.
The majority of reef fish change sex at some point throughout their life. In fact, reef fish that remain as the same
sex for their life span are in the minority.
Some species will begin life as males and switch to females (protandry),
and others switch from female to male (protogyny). Further still, some will change
sex in both directions, and others
will be both sexes at the same time. A lot of science will have to be done to understand this phenonomen and why. What
are the benefits to the fish?
This is just a glimpse in to the interesting life of fish. Next time you have fish on your plate, take a moment
to wonder if it changed sex, used to fly or started out a different shape.
All about seahorses.
4. Reader Feedback
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Yes that is a bribe.
5 Did You Know Quick Fact / Question
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Fish have "dandruff"
caused by flaking skin, and it is impossible to filter all traces of it from drinking water. Try not to think about that.
The Japanese Puffer fish is the world's most poisonous fish. Its internal organs, skin, muscles, bones and even blood
contain a strong lethal poison. It is 200,000 times stronger than the plant poison used by South American natives
to paint the tips of their arrows. Humans usually die within a few hours.
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