Operculum is the hard scalelike cover of the gills of bony fishes. Cartilaginous fishes (such as sharks, skates and rays) all lack a gill cover.
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Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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Earth Day, Every Day
I tend to be a little quiet and not post often in April. With Earth Day as a central theme for so many organizations this month, what more can I offer? Well, I can share 50 simple ways to make Earth Day, Every Day! These small actions will have you thinking more about how we’re […]
Ringing in the New Year with Carnival of the Blue
Here it is January and we’ve all sang our last rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Conversely, what this Beach Chair Scientist has to say is that these marine science bloggers should not be forgotten! As the host for the Carnival of the Blue No. 44, I proudly bring to you these powerful, poetic, funny, insightful […]
Finned foliage
I wanted to share this image of anthias swimming in the Red Sea to usher in the briskness of autumn! As you know it’s my favorite time to beachcomb, but it’s also my favorite time to be surrounded by the brilliant-colored leaves of trees. The reds, yellows, and oranges are as vibrant as a coral […]
Animal dating profiles from Sun and Moon
Check out this “What would an animal online dating site look like?” cartoon from the fabulous Rosemary Mosco of Sun and Moon (science and nature cartoons). Love the status of the sawfish. People are good at creating catchy user profiles on dating sites. Many are great, majority are okay, and some are just plain crazy […]
Over 22 songs that you should rock this Earth Day
On the east coast this weekend it is supposed to be beautiful out! So, whether you’re getting ready for a run, taking a drive to the beach, or participating in a stream clean-up … here are some tunes (in no particular order) to get you inspired by the outdoors and some that will have you […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: R for Remora
Remora refers to any member of a group of fish that can attach themselves to other fishes (usually sharks) or ships by way of a suction disk on the top of their head.They typically eat anything that falls from the sharks mouth. Do the lyrics from the Jimmy Buffet song, Fins, make sense now? “But […]
How do sandbars get started?
The current closest to the ocean floor is moving offshore and dumps small piles of sand right at the wave break area. The sand accumulates to various degrees, and regardless it makes the water much shallower where you stand. Now, the sandbars that I am thinking of are very long and are parallel to the […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: N for Nematocyst
Nematocysts are the stinging cells found in the tentacles of jellies and anemones. When provoked the stinging cell ejects a barbed thread that contains a toxin to stun (or kill) the enemy. The barbed thread is disregarded and a new one regenerates. Here is a creative video explaining how jellies sting from jellyfishart.com. Enjoy!
17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and my Irish heritage, here’s a post on the humble and charming sea potato. The dried shell (also known as the test) of this urchin resembles a potato, hence the common name – sea potato. The sea potato, Echinocardium cordatum, is a common echinoderm found along beaches on all […]
Love of fishes
I present ‘love of fishes‘ by cemkoc from The World of Cartoon.
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- Robert Emahiser on Why you should never walk on dunes
- Lesa on 10 brief facts on bioluminescence
- Lisa on Limulus Love
- Beach Chair Scientist on 17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
- Bernard Rejterada on 17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
- Brian on What is the difference between a summer and winter flounder?
- Inbound marketing on 15 facts about the Portuguese man-of-war that’ll have you saying “Didya know…?”
- Donnie Huckabee on Wordless Wednesday | Shell art
- John on Why you should never walk on dunes
- ItzJaylaD on What I know about whale sharks
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- Hurricane vs. Cyclone vs. Typhoon
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- How to handle a horseshoe crab
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- Wednesday Wisdom: Various quotes (Alaska scenes)
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- Belly biology creates lasting memories
- Five awful puns about courtship in the sea
- Horseshoe crabs confirmed as members of arachnid family
- Beyond the bag: Other plastics being banned
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