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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What makes each ocean unique?
Well, it’s finally happened. My almost seven-year old is bringing on the thought-provoking questions. We talk a lot about how what we do in our house will affect our watershed and that in turn (collectively) affects the world. Well, I was snagged the other day when I said, “Well, the river goes to the lake […]
Why you should never walk on dunes
It might seem nonsensical since the dunes look calm and peaceful, but it’s not a good idea to explore dunes. In addition to being illegal in many coastal towns, here are six other reasons why you should stay off the dunes: 1) Dunes store sand that help diminish potential shoreline erosion. 2) Dunes absorb the […]
Simeon the whale may die without king salmon.
Environmental News Network sent a news release out today about a new report that states how Orca orca may die off if the numbers of king salmon continue to drop. The research was published in the Royal Society Biology Letters. The leading cause of the death of the killer whales is actually “nutritional stress” from […]
Love of fishes
I present ‘love of fishes‘ by cemkoc from The World of Cartoon.
FLASH: Florida Aquatic Science Heros
While I was in graduate school in Florida I spent a lot of time in and around the Indian River Lagoon. It is one of the most diverse estuarine ecosystems in North America mainly due in part that it’s expansive length stretches across two geographic zone, the temperate and the tropic zone. This seamless mixing […]
Why do I always see so many dead crabs along the shoreline?
Rest assure those crab skeletons are not all dead crabs. They are the molts from the animals. Crabs, lobsters, horseshoe crabs, and many other crustaceans go through a molting phase and the old shell is basically washed up in the wrack line. The wrack line is the deposits from the ocean after the tide has […]
How do sea spiders distribute nutrients throughout their bodies?
If anyone has ever come upon a sea spider you immediately think – where are its guts and stuff? The answer is that their stomach, intestines and reproductive parts are housed within the sea spider’s legs. The animal breathes and manages waste by direct diffusion along the surface of it’s bodies. They can be a […]
Diet Tips for a Longer, Healthier Life
Changing what you eat now could have big benefits later Photo: Getty Images We know that cutting back on red meat is good for heart health, fish is brain food, and calcium-rich foods can help keep our bones strong. But can shaking up what we eat help us live longer? Check […]
Tomorrow: Ocean released by National Geographic
Tomorrow the National Geographic Society releases a special edition ‘Ocean‘ magazine that takes an in depth look at the world’s oceans ecosystem including breathtaking pictures and a pull out of the “Our Water World”. As they put it “Here’s your chance to dive below the surface and examine a dynamic, interdependent ecosphere that is rarely […]
April is National Frog Month
Yes, that is correct – April is National Frog Month. However, this is not a post about the amphibian, but is all about the frogfish! Contrary to popular belief, it’s easy being green if you’re a frogfish. First of all, you can change colors from green to black, or red, or orange, or yellow, or […]
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