But a creepy chorus. Australian scientists have found evidence that certain species of fish actually sing together, in a chorus, each day at dawn and dusk. The results are published in the Journal Bioacoustic.
Researchers recorded vocalization of fish
over an 18-month period
in the coastal waters off Port Headland in Western Australia, and what they found were seven distinct fish choruses, happening at dawn and at dusk
Sound plays an important role in various behavioural functions and life stages of fish, such as spawning, feeding, territorial disputes or distress. Noctural fishes use calls to stay together when they hunt, while fish that are active during the day use sound to defend their territory.
Cataloguing the acoustic characteristics and temporal patterns of choruses and their locations is important, can provide significant information for long-term monitoring of vocal fishes and their ecosystems. A silent aquatic environment means ecosystemic problems such as lower species abundance and absence of fish.
Photo:
mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) by Rudie Kuiter
A new exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History lies right at the intersection of art and science, showcasing the inherent beauty of skeletons — that is, fish skeletons.
This photograph of a sturgeon has been making the rounds on Facebook lately, freaking people out because they couldn’t figure out what it was.
It has come to my attention that many people find this picture scary - but I actually think sturgeon are big squishy babies? I mean
look
at their faces
HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THAT? And their mouths:
Sturgeon are actually bottom-feeders! They don’t even have teeth.
But I really can see why people are creeped out by them! They look like dinosaurs. And they kind of are, in a way - they’re a relic of a bygone era, dating back over 208 million years ago to the Triassic era.
The sad thing about this, though, is that since sturgeon grow so large, live so long, and have been living on our planet for so many years, they reproduce very, very slowly. Over the years, this has led to the decline of sturgeon populations, with some subspecies - like the kaluga - becoming critically endangered.
Maybe it’s because I saw them on River Monsters (one of my favorite wildlife shows! Seriously, go check it out), but I’ve always had a massive soft spot for sturgeon. The only dangerous thing about them is that they sometimes breach out of the water, and this tendency has sometimes led to the deaths of boaters because they’re so massive.
(Side note: I saw a sturgeon while I was at the aquarium portion of the Biodome, and it was SO CUTE AND IT WAS SO BIG AND I LOVED IT AND I JUST SPENT LIKE 45 MINUTES WATCHING IT SWIM AROUND.)
Also, here’s a babby sturgeon because they are very cute and very smol.
I freaking love sturgeons! In Burlington VT at the lake aquarium thing I can’t remember the name of they had a tank of sturgeons and I spent probably a good 15 minutes watching them swim around until we had to leave. They are so awesome and likely the source of the Lake Champlain monster myth.
There’s a show on Netflix about ice fishing for these guys
Q:Hi. I recently saw for sale some dyed albino corys. Is that safe? And okay for the fish? They had their tails dyed red/blue/mixed colors and I'm trying to find info but I can't. Do you guys know much?
It’s interesting because I had a conversation with a follower regarding these fish just yesterday. Despite the name “dyed” (which implies dipping), the coloration is caused by a process similar to getting a tattoo insofar that dye is injected into the fish. Unlike tattoos, which has the dye injected into the skin of humans, for fish it is injected into muscle. The process is done without anesthesia and a fair percentage of fish die in the weeks after injection due to bacterial infections.
Simply put, it’s not a good way to treat our aquatic friends and these types of fish should be avoided. Other fish at risk of this type of treatment are Flowerhorn and Parrot Cichlids, Mollies, Glassfish, Oscars, and White Skirt Tetras.
I just want to add that while most fish that are dyed are done via the injection method, they can also be “dip dyed” where the fish is submerged in a caustic solution that strips away the slime coat and sometimes the outer scale layer and are then dipped into colored dyes. There are thousands of natural and selectively bred color morphs readily available to hobbyists and casual aquarium owners, please do not support the dyed fish industry or stores that sell dyed fish! It is unnecessary, needlessly cruel, and further perpetuates the common belief that fish are decorations and disposable and not intelligent and personable animals! 🐠
Anonymous
