fish
Candidate compass genes in fish
A team of American researchers use next-generation sequencing to ask: “magnetoreception, how does it work?”
Sea lampreys: grow faster = grow male
A new study suggests that growth rate may determine if lampreys, an invasive fish in the Great Lakes becomes male or female. Read to find out more!
It’s a trap! African penguins impacted by climate change
Young penguins living along the southwestern coast of Africa typically follow cool, nutrient rich water to find food as they grow up. This used to lead them to ‘delicious’ fish such as anchovies and sardines. However, in this ecosystem – the Benguela Upwelling Zone – climate change and overfishing have reduced these fish populations. This forces the young penguins to eat less nutritious fish so fewer of them survive to adulthood. This threatens the African penguin’s future. Conservation efforts are needed to ensure this important (and adorable!) species survives.
Now we got bad blood: Oxygen binding is not affected by haemoglobin subtype in Atlantic cod
Why do northern and southern populations of Atlantic cod have different haemoglobin subtypes? A recent study upsets over 50 years of theory.
Grunts and Gnathiids: One Fish’s Daily Migration to Escape Parasites?
Animals move for a number of reasons. The French grunt leaves the coral reefs at night for seagrass. A group of scientists proposes and provides good evidence for why they might do that! Read on to discover whether they’re leaving to avoid being parasitized?
Pet trout: domestication rapidly alters gene expression
The impact of domestication can be detected within one generation in steelhead trout, and may involve adaptation to highly crowded conditions.
Rip Rap Sill: The Best of Both Worlds
The hybrid shoreline stabilization method called rip rap sill combines rock structures with native vegetation. This study found that fish biodiversity and abundance in rip rap sills was more similar to a native marsh than a built rip rap.
Changing with the environment: how resilient are coral reef fish?
Coral reef fish are some of the most sensitive animals to climate change. How will coral reef fish respond to predicted increases in temperature and carbon dioxide? Do they have the ability to adapt to future conditions or is it already too late?
Small fish dine on small plastics and that’s a BIG problem
We’ve heard a lot about plastics in the ocean, but a new study shows the ecological implications of fish eating plastic. Here, researchers found that larval fish are preferentially consuming microplastics and it’s stunting their growth, altering their behavior, and increases death rates.
Parenthood: The Most Rewarding Experience or The Ultimate Sacrifice?
Our human parents make a lot of sacrifices for us! They devote their time and energy, provide for us, invest in us (monetarily, sure, but also emotionally), nurture us, attempt to teach us, make career decisions with us in mind, and lose a lot of sleep worrying about us. However, in the marine world things can get much more extreme? Some animals make the ultimate sacrifice by literally dying to reproduce. Find out more about some of these marine creatures in today’s Oceanbites!
Fish – Animal Parents of the Year, 2016
When we think of parental care, fish aren’t usually the animals that jump to mind. But some fish do take care of their young – some species build and protect nests while others incubate their babies for extended periods of time. Learn all about these caring fish parents!
You look like your mom: parental effects in Atlantic salmon
In honour of our Mother’s Day theme week, we’ll look at how the environment experienced by parents during reproduction and their early life history influences their offspring.
Fooled Ya! How marine animals stay hidden in plain sight
It’s April Fools’ Day! Today’s the day when you try to prank people, convince them your lies are true, and generally make mischief and act sneakily! Animals have to act like it’s April Fools’ Day everyday, and it probably isn’t nearly as much fun since their lives depend on it. Predators sneak up on their prey. Prey hide from those who wish to eat them. It’s a harsh world out there, but luckily animals have a number of ways to stay hidden. Here are my 5 (well, actually 6) favorite examples of camouflage in the marine realm!
Oxygen favours the bold
It takes personality for the African sharptooth catfishes to breathe air. But they also consider their surroundings before visiting the surface. Photo: Wikimedia.
Disoriented fish are getting lost at sea!
Young fish rely on sound cues to navigate the vast ocean, but as our oceans acidify, the journey home to safely settle becomes much more difficult. Disoriented and slow, these fish are getting lost at sea
Rising above the noise
Oceanbites is still “ringing” in the New Year! Find out how in a sea full of noisy fish one can stand out from the crowd. And yes, fish can make noise!
Echoes in the deep: Robots with fish finders
You might call it the Batmobile of the sea: Scientists put sound based fish finders into an underwater robot to get closer to the creatures they want to study.
Trawling selects for faster fish
A new study suggests that differences in exercise performance make some individuals more vulnerable to capture by trawling than others, and that this may drive the evolution of commercially-important fishes (Photo: Wikimedia).
Small boats drowning out natural reef noise?
Don’t you hate when noises interfere with your daily activities and conversations? We create lots of noise in the environment and need to know more about it. Today’s oceanbites focuses on a study of man-made noise on coral reefs. Check it out!
Always follow your gut, or in this case, follow the fish guts
Following the guts of fish species is sometimes the best way to track small, mobile crustacean prey.
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