70’s Porn Staches and the Female Fish Who Love Them
70’s Porn Staches and the Female Fish Who Love Them avatar

From Schlupp, I., Riesch, R., Tobler, M., Plath, M., Parzefall, J., & Schartl, M. (2010) Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Straight men let’s face it.  We will do anything if we think females will find it attractive.  No matter how ludicrous, expensive, or time-consuming it may be, we will do it.  The rise of mullets . . . → Read More: 70’s Porn Staches and the Female Fish Who Love Them

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ResearchBlogCast #4: Decreasing Predator Size Increases Prey Numbers
ResearchBlogCast #4: Decreasing Predator Size Increases Prey Numbers avatar

Each week Dave Munger, Razib Khan and I discuss a recent paper from ResearchBlogging.org. This week was my turn to choose and we discussed the following recent paper: Shackell, N., Frank, K., Fisher, J., Petrie, B., & Leggett, W. (2009). Decline in top predator body size and changing climate alter trophic structure in an oceanic . . . → Read More: ResearchBlogCast #4: Decreasing Predator Size Increases Prey Numbers

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Family Gatherings and Free Swimming Sperm Packets
Family Gatherings and Free Swimming Sperm Packets avatar

From Miya et al. 2010 Figure 1 – Representatives of the lophiiform suborders Lophioidei (A), Antennarioidei (B, C), Chaunacoidei (D), and Ogcocephaloidei (E) My wife is from a very large family. Inevitably at in-law gatherings, I find myself whispering into my wife’s ear, “How are you related to that person?” Unfortunately, my wife has . . . → Read More: Family Gatherings and Free Swimming Sperm Packets

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Deepest Fish On Film
Deepest Fish On Film avatar

In 2008 we reported on the 7700 meter record for filming fish, video above,  Using a remote lander, a group filmed Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis, a deep-water snailfish, found only in the Northwest Pacific between  6.1km to 7.5km deep. Now this same group filmed swarms of the snailfish Notoliparis kermadecensis nibbling at bait 7560 meters, the deepest for . . . → Read More: Deepest Fish On Film

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Crazy Fish Heads
Crazy Fish Heads avatar

Epibulus insidiator, the slingjaw wrass, “possesses the most extreme jaw protrusion ever measured in fishes.” Individuals can protrude their jaw up to half the body length to capture crabs, shrimps, and small fishes.   This occurs through multiple structural novelties, as the video above can attest to, involving fundamentally reorganizing the way the bones . . . → Read More: Crazy Fish Heads

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More Mercury Deeper
More Mercury Deeper avatar

Figure 2 from Choy et al. 2009. Log-transformed mean THg concentrations (μg/kg) at the mean log(mass) of 4.24 or approximately 17.4 kg plotted as a function of median depth of occurrence for 9 species of pelagic fishes. Mercury is distributed across the earth whether it is in the atmosphere, biosphere, or geosphere.  In the marine . . . → Read More: More Mercury Deeper

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Lighted Whoopie In The Sea: Repost
Lighted Whoopie In The Sea: Repost avatar

In the deep dark sea, bioluminescence is the name of game. Its central role is unequivocal for many organisms. Do different sexes of species display dimorphism with respect to bioluminescence? Does it have a role in the dirty deeds that occur in the dark? The following is an illuminating dirty laundry list of all sex . . . → Read More: Lighted Whoopie In The Sea: Repost

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Herring Aids
Herring Aids avatar

Left and right ears of the blue antimora (Antimora rostrata), a deep-sea cod. In the pictures you can clearly see the three otolith organs as white objects and the three semicircular canals. Courtesy of Xiaohong Deng, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland. http://www.life.umd.edu/biology/popperlab/research/deepsea.htm. Obviously, fish do not possess the big fleshy ears. Talk . . . → Read More: Herring Aids

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TGIM: See-Through-Shi Fish.
TGIM: See-Through-Shi Fish. avatar

Big hat tip to Katie at DSN’s Barrel-eye fish post. The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Craziest F#?king Thing I’ve Ever Heard – Barreleye Fish colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest Original is here if our overseas readers can’t see the video. Broadcast Spawn!Tweet#call_to_action h4{padding:0px 5px;}Big hat tip . . . → Read More: TGIM: See-Through-Shi Fish.

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Dracula Fish From Myanmar Doesn’t Vant to Suck Your Blood
Dracula Fish From Myanmar Doesn’t Vant to Suck Your Blood avatar

Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum and National Geographic. Not deep sea but awesome nonetheless! The Full story is National Geographic News. “Despite their ghoulish appearance, the fangs likely aren’t used for feeding. “We did not study stomach contents, but we know that its close relatives live on small crustaceans … and other small invertebrates,” Britz . . . → Read More: Dracula Fish From Myanmar Doesn’t Vant to Suck Your Blood

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