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What do you mako this?

August 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment

In honor of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel I decided to post a different shark fact each week.jumping_mako

Today…What is the fastest shark species?

The mako shark is the fastest shark. It can get up to 20 miles per hour (or faster when being chased by an enemy). The mako shark can naturally move as fast as I do while driving a go-kart. Unbelievable!

You’d have to be pretty skilled to catch a mako shark, especially on a rod. Here is an article from Underwater Times telling how Brendan Mason caught a 600 pound mako shark with just a rod and reel!

The mako shark can even jump up to 20 feet in the air.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and enter let us know or e-mail beachchairscientist@gmail.com!

Image (c) UnderWater Times.

Filed Under: Fish, Sharks

Who is afraid of Atlantic wolf(fish)?

July 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Wolf FishThe Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) may look rather frightening, but, the fish will only harm you if it is out of water. This is rather understandable since it is out of its natural habitat. It prefers to live on rocky bottoms of the ocean floor in very deep, cold waters.

These fish have high concentrations of the compound found in antifreeze so they are able to survive these low temperatures.

The Atlantic wolffish may have gotten black listed as a ‘scary creature’ since it is so often seen out of the water. Commercial fishermen often caught this fish by accident (i.e., bycatch). In fact, the wolffish is listed as a Species of Concern with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Image (c) mercola.com

Filed Under: Bony Fishes, Fish Tagged With: , , , ,

What about blob(fish)?

July 29, 2009 by 18 Comments

“The blobfish is the ugliest animal in the ocean” or at least that is the consensus on many blogs and websites. I am curious if you have another ‘ugly’ favorite. Please share below and in the meantime here are five fun facts about the fish that will never win a beauty contest.

blobfish

But, please remember beauty on the inside is what counts.

  • The blobfish lives off the coast of Tasmania and Australia.
  • The body of the blobfish is made up of mostly gelatin, not muscle.
  • The blobfish is slightly less dense than the water around it so it floats right above the seafloor.
  • Since the blobfish has no muscle it just eats whatever floats near him or her.
  • The blobfish may or not be related to Ziggy.

Image (c) wierdimals.wordpress.com

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Filed Under: Bony Fishes, Fish Tagged With: , , ,

What is shark finning?

June 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Basically, there is a very high demand for the fins of sharks in China for a soup. The current practice is to cut off the fins off sharks and toss the body back into the ocean.

The shark does not grow a fin back like a seastar would regenerate an arm.

The shark will not be able to swim and not be able to have oxygen over its gills.

The shark will die.

Some may say sharks have a reputation that might grant this type of control. However, they only produce a few young every one or two years and take up to ten years to even be mature enough to make babies.

Sharks populations are being fished at rates above a safe biological limit. Sharks are crucial top predators in the ocean ecosystem. Without sharks at a stable population the balance of the sea is at stake.

Please visit this page for information on how to stop the practice of shark finning:   www.change.org/oceanconservancy/actions/view/stop_shark_finning

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand or send an e-mail to beachchairscientist@gmail.com!

Filed Under: Sharks

5 fun facts about seahorses

April 27, 2009 by 7 Comments
English: Hippocampus zosterae at the Birch Aqu...

English: Hippocampus zosterae at the Birch Aquarium, San Diego, California, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  1. The female lays her eggs in the male’s tummy pouch, he then incubates them for about 30 days, then they hatch.
  2. Seahorses do not have a stomach; they eat constantly to help get enough food to digest.
  3. Seahorses do not have teeth; they have a fused jaws, so they kind of suck up their food like a straw.
  4. Seahorses can be an inch to a foot more in size.
  5. Seahorse species vary in monogamy.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Fish Tagged With: , , , ,

Do all ocean animals swim together in schools?

April 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Nope, here is a short list of terms used to describe certain groups of ocean animals when they congregate together.

Jellyfish swim in a smack.
Whales swim in a pod.
Herring swim in a seige.
Penguins walking together on land is called a waddle.

Have a great question that needs a concise and comical answer? Email info@beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Fish, Jellyfish or Jellies, Marine Mammals, Ocean, Random Fun! Tagged With: , , ,

What is the largest bony fish in the ocean?

April 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Not to be confused with the question, “What is the biggest fish in the sea?” the largest bony fish in the ocean is the ocean sunfish. The biggest fish in the sea is the whale shark, but, sharks do not have bones, they have cartilage. Cartilage is the bendy material that makes up our noses and ears.

Ocean sunfish are made up of bones, just like us. They can be up to 2-3 tons (2000 pounds makes up a ton).

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Bony Fishes, Fish

Where do fish sleep?

March 6, 2009 by 2 Comments

Well, most fish are just like us and simply want to find a place away from all the chaos of the day to day rat race to take a nap and rest – slowing down their busy lives – gaining energy for the next day.

These places could be under logs, coral crevices, or other sorts of reefs spots – basically out of the way of predators.

Here is an interesting adaptation – the parrotfish uses its spit to create a translucent “sleeping bag bubble” around its body while it sleeps. The bubble helps to hide the parrotfish’s scent so other fish will not find it. If another animal bumps into it – the parrotfish will be warned of the other animal nearby and make a quick get away. Parrotfish are found on the coral reef.

But we’ve only scratched the surface here. Check back often at http://www.beachchairscientist.com for more insight about your favorite beach discoveries.

Filed Under: Animal Homes, Coral Reef Ecosystems, Fish

What do sand sharks eat?

February 17, 2009 by 5 Comments

“Sand shark” can be a bit of a catch-all term, but it seems to most commonly refer to the sand tiger shark, Charcharius taurus. Sand tigers are an interesting case study in form following function in shark teeth. Sand tigers have long, narrow, prong-shaped teeth—like the tines of a fork. Their teeth are perfectly shaped for spearing slippery prey like fish and squid. But while slippery swimmers make up the bulk of their diet, it is worth pointing out that sharks are always opportunistic. Sand tigers are not above snapping up a wayward crab or lobster.

Jim Wharton
Vice President, Education Division, Director, Center for School and Public Programs, Mote Marine Laboratory

Filed Under: Fish, Sharks

What is the rarest shark species?

February 13, 2009 by 2 Comments

There are plenty of candidates. The deep-diving, plankton-feeding megamouth shark was discovered as recently as 1976 and is only known from 40 or so specimens. A group of species called “river sharks” seem pretty rare. Some have been described from just a single collected specimen. There are many deep sea sharks that have only been caught a handful of times. Does that make them rare? Maybe we’re just lousy at finding them?

What is clear is that many species are much rarer than they used to be. One study finds shark populations in the Mediterranean Sea down 97%. Another found oceanic whitetips in the Gulf of Mexico down 99% since the 1950s. Large predators are naturally uncommon as it is. It takes a lot of energy in an ecosystem to support them. It’s up to us to make smart decisions when it comes to seafood and coastal development to keep them from becoming even rarer.

But we’ve only scratched the surface here. Check back often at http://www.beachchairscientist.com for more insight about your favorite beach discoveries.

Jim Wharton
Vice President, Education Division, Director, Center for School and Public Programs, Mote Marine Laboratory

Filed Under: Sharks