http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/fish/ All about fish. Current research in marine biology including fish habitats, aquaculture, speciation, deep sea fish and more. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/fish/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094446.htm People diet to look more attractive. Fish diet to avoid being beaten up, thrown out of their social group and getting eaten as a result. Researchers have discovered that subordinate gobis deliberately diet to avoid posing a challenge to their larger rivals by consistently remaining 5-10% smaller. Once a subordinate fish grows to within 5-10% of its larger rival, it provokes a fight which usually ends in the smaller goby being expelled from the group. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508172939.htm In the Ebro River delta, the fishing of elver (an eel, Anguilla anguilla) leads to the accidental capture of other fish species, with the capture of one ton of elver possibly resulting in the capture of up to 8.2 tons of accompanying species. Researchers who have assessed the effects of this method of fishing and identified the most fragile species, propose improvements in current methodologies. Sun, 11 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508172939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509171616.htm Reducing the spread of some invasive species into our lakes could be as simple as asking boaters and fishers to dry out their equipment, says one biology professor studying invasive species in Lake Ontario. When anchor rope, fishing line and the boats themselves are thoroughly dried, the invasive species and their eggs will die, rather than spreading to another location, she explains. "It's such a simple thing for the general public to do, and yet it could make a big difference in the way that our lake ecosystems function." Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509171616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133330.htm What if hydrology is more important for predicting biodiversity than biology? New research challenges current thinking about biodiversity, and opens up new avenues for predicting how climate change or human activity may affect biodiversity patterns. Thu, 08 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502120306.htm Officials declared a commercial fishery failure for the West Coast salmon fishery due to historically low salmon returns. Hundreds of thousands of fall Chinook salmon typically return to the Sacramento River every year to spawn. This year, scientists estimate that fewer than 60,000 adult Chinook will make it back to the Sacramento River. Fri, 02 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502120306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430141200.htm Scientists have discovered a new climate pattern, the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation. This pattern explains, for the first time, changes in the water important in helping commercial fishermen understand fluctuations in the fish stock. They're also finding that as the Earth is warming, large fluctuations in these factors could help climatologists predict how oceans will respond in a warmer world. Fri, 02 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430141200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125451.htm Male seahorses are nature's real-life Mr. Moms -- they take fathering to a whole new level: pregnancy. Although it is common for male fish to play the dominant parenting role, male pregnancy is a complex process unique to the fish family Syngnathidae, which includes pipefish, seahorses and sea dragons. Fri, 02 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424133349.htm Natural barriers like waterfalls play an important role in preventing lake trout from spreading through Glacier National Park, so maintaining those barriers should be a priority, researchers said after conducting a four-year study in the park. Park workers might have to remove ice, logs or debris to keep the water from rising behind those barriers. If they don't, lake trout will have an easier time swimming up the rivers and invading new lakes. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424133349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424115706.htm In less than three decades the round goby has become one of the most colorful features of the southern Baltic. The fish, which comes from the Black Sea, has rapidly adapted to Baltic conditions and can locally dominate coastal fish populations. This has led to competition with indigenous fish species, such as the flounder, but it has also become a significant contribution to the diet of important predatory fishes, such as cod and perch. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424115706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424112455.htm The Wildlife Conservation Society recently launched a four-year study to determine if climate change is affecting populations of a quintessential Arctic denizen: the rare musk ox. The research team will be assessing how musk ox are faring in areas along the Chukchi and northern Bering Seas, and the extent to which snow and icing events, disease, and possibly predation may be driving populations. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424112455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423154558.htm The loss of sea ice due to climate change could spell disaster for polar bears and other Arctic marine mammals. Sea ice is the common habitat feature uniting these unique and diverse Arctic inhabitants. Sea ice serves as a platform for resting and reproduction, influences the distribution of food sources, and provides a refuge from predators. The loss of sea ice poses a particularly severe threat to Arctic species, such as the hooded seal, whose natural history is closely tied to, and depends on, sea ice. Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423154558.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422120313.htm Sharks in captivity avoid metals that react with seawater to produce an electric field, a behavior that may help fishery biologists develop a strategy to reduce the bycatch of sharks in longline gear. Shark bycatch is an increasing priority worldwide given diminished populations of many shark species, and because sharks compete with target species for baited lines, reducing fishing efficiency and increasing operating costs. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422120313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416091012.htm Deep-sea sharks have been tagged and tracked and their habitats precisely mapped in world-first research to test the conservation value of areas closed to commercial fishing. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416091012.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418105531.htm The global Fish Barcode of Life Initiative plans to collect at least five representatives each of all 30,000 plus marine and freshwater species in the world. FISH-BOL is part of the global Consortium for the Barcode of Life, started in 2003 to barcode everything from fishes, mushrooms and flowers, to microbes, insects and animals of every description. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418105531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416153548.htm Fishing activities can provoke volatile fluctuations in the populations they target, but it's not often clear why. Fishing can alter the "age pyramid" by lopping off the few large, older fish that make up the top of the pyramid, leaving a broad base of faster-growing small younglings. Biologists found that this rapidly growing and transitory base is dynamically unstable -- a finding having profound implications for the ecosystem and the fishing industries built upon it. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416153548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417175221.htm Songbirds feeding near the contaminated South River are showing high levels of mercury, even though they aren't eating food from the river itself, according to a new article in Science. Mercury is one of the world's most troublesome pollutants, especially in water. "The birds eat a lot of spiders... The spiders have a lot of mercury in them and are delivering the mercury to these songbirds," one of the researchers said. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417175221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416214912.htm Ocean Conservancy released its annual report on trash in the ocean with new data from the 2007 International Coastal Cleanup the most comprehensive snapshot of the harmful impacts of marine debris. The mission of Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is to engage people to remove trash from the world's beaches and waterways, to identify the sources of debris and to change the behaviors that cause pollution. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416214912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409205136.htm When Charles Darwin first set foot on Patagonia, he was a fresh-faced 22-year old yet to finesse his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection. But traveling around the tip of South America aboard the HMS Beagle--part of an epic, five-year scientific expedition--the young naturalist had his eyes opened to the immense diversity of species and landscapes. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409205136.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409204024.htm Every year scientists discover new species of marine life from deep within the vast global oceans. Each of these new discoveries adds to the catalog of known organisms on Earth, and deepens the knowledge of ocean biodiversity. Every year collections staff and researchers discover new species of marine creatures. Some specimens set new records, such as the stout infantfish, co-described by Scripps as the world's smallest fish in 2004. Traditionally, the person who first describes a newfound plant or animal is entitled to name it, but now, Scripps is inviting the public to share in the process by naming select newly discovered species acquired by the institution. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409204024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403125221.htm A recent study indicates that wild salmon may account for just 10 percent of California's fall-run chinook salmon population, while the vast majority of the fish come from hatcheries. The findings are especially troubling in light of the disastrous decline in the population this year, which will probably force the closure of the 2008 season for commercial and recreational salmon fishing. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403125221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403140928.htm You know that green scum creeping across the surface of your local public water reservoir? Or maybe it's choking out a favorite fishing spot or livestock watering hole. It's probably cyanobacteria -- blue-green algae -- and, according to an article in Science, relishes the weather extremes that accompany global warming. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403140928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404114428.htm Selenium, an 'essential trace element' often included in multimineral supplements, may not be as important as once thought. Although this trace element is essential in the diet of humans, it seems that we have lost some of the need for selenium, which occurs in proteins and is transported in blood plasma, when our evolutionary ancestors left the oceans and evolved into mammals. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404114428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402213640.htm Federal efforts to recover endangered salmon on the Columbia and Snake rivers can no longer ignore global warming, which already has fundamentally changed the river and ocean habitats of salmon and steelhead, warns a new scientific review. Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402213640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402210456.htm At a hearing on Capitol Hill April 2, the National Wildlife Federation urged immediate action to protect America's polar bears from the impacts of climate change by listing polar bears under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Facing a court-imposed deadline, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year proposed to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the ESA. FWS was required by the ESA to issue a final listing decision twelve months thereafter. FWS missed this deadline nearly three months ago despite the imminent dangers to polar bears, as demonstrated by unprecedented melting of Arctic ice in 2007. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402210456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402164131.htm A fish that would rather crawl into crevices than swim, and that may be able to see in the same way that humans do, could represent an entirely unknown family of fishes, says a fish expert. The fish, sighted in Indonesian waters off Ambon Island, has tan- and peach-colored zebra-striping, and rippling folds of skin that obscure its fins, making it look like a glass sculpture that Dale Chihuly might have dreamed up. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402164131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401110221.htm Buoys equipped with underwater microphones and other sensors will be on duty in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts for the next 30 months, recording sounds from whales, fish, ships and other sources around the clock to help NOAA researchers develop a global monitoring network for ocean noise. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401110221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330215330.htm Warming of the sea surface by as little as several tenths of a degree can pose a serious threat to King penguins. A unique system allowed researchers tracked more than 450 individual King penguins over nine years in their natural environment, within the Crozet Archipelago. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330215330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326093056.htm Scientists have made the first global-scale analysis of the processes leading to freshwater fish invasion in river basins. This phenomenon affects most river ecosystems of countries of the Northern hemisphere. However, in the context of economic growth developing countries are now experiencing, their river basins, home to the greater part of freshwater fish biodiversity, are at risk of the same fate unless vigilance is applied. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326093056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325141202.htm A new study predicts that climate change will irreversibly alter water circulation in Lake Tahoe in the Western US, radically changing the conditions for plants and fish in the lake -- and it could happen in 10 years. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325141202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321142057.htm Ten Short-tailed Albatross chicks have been moved by helicopter, from their current stronghold on Torishima Island to the site of a former colony 350 km to the South-east. The potential for future volcanic events on Torishima is among the most serious threats to this vulnerable species. Currently, 80-85% of the world population breeds on a highly erodible slope on the outwash plain from the caldera of an active volcano. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321142057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319093118.htm While rabbits continue to ravage Australia's native landscapes, rabbit fish may help save large areas of the Great Barrier Reef from destruction. The reason, say scientists, is the same in both cases -- both rabbits and rabbit fish are efficient herbivores, capable of stripping an area of vegetation. However, in the case of the Reef, it is the vegetation that is the problem -- and the rabbit fish, the answer. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319093118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318203016.htm Scientists in the North Pacific have sighted a creature of great rarity and even myth: a white whale. The white killer whale was spotted with its pod about two miles off Kanaga Volcano, part of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, on February 23. At the time, the marine researchers were assessing pollock fish stocks near Steller sea lion haulout sites. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318203016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314202107.htm Biologists have discovered a molecular circuit breaker that controls a zebrafish's remarkable ability to regrow missing fins, according to a new study. Tiny wonders of the aquarium world, zebrafish can regenerate organs and tissues, including hearts, eye parts and fins. When a fin is lost, the fish regenerates a perfect copy in two weeks by orchestrating the growth of many tissue types, including bone, nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and skin. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314202107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312102438.htm The European anchovy supports an important fishing industry, and it is also fundamental in marine growth chains. European anchovy catches have dropped alarmingly over the last few decades, going from 83,615 tons in 1965 to 4,456 tons in 1982 and only 950 tons in 2005. A new tool determines the age of anchovies with greater accuracy on a monthly or even weekly basis, will enable studies of the earliest phases of life to be undertaken. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312102438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313143100.htm Biologists find that sand dollar larvae created clones of themselves within 24 hours of being exposed to fish mucous, a cue that predators are near. The cloning process resulted in small new larvae and original larvae that were substantially smaller. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313143100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310164906.htm Thousands of research studies have documented how the oils known as omega-3 fatty acids can benefit the cardiovascular system, particularly among people diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310164906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307133659.htm The typical North American diet of eating lots of meat and not much fish is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and this may pose a risk to infant neurological development. The researchers found that the women who ate lots of meat and little fish were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and their babies didn't do as well on eye tests as babies from mothers who weren't deficient. The results were noticeable as early as two months of age. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307133659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306183149.htm An ocean odor that affects global climate also gathers reef fish to feed as they "eavesdrop" on events that might lead them to food. DMSP is given off by algae and phytoplankton, microscopic one-celled plants that float in the ocean. Release of DMSP usually indicates either that tiny animals in the plankton are feeding on the algae, or that massive growth of algae -- an algal bloom -- has occurred. Once released from the ocean into the atmosphere, derivatives of DMSP promote cloud formation, so clouds reflect more sunlight back into space and cool the Earth. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306183149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305090939.htm Scientists have discovered an Antarctic fish species that adopts a winter survival strategy similar to hibernation. The Antarctic 'cod' Notothenia coriiceps effectively 'puts itself on ice' to survive the long Antarctic winter. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305090939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304093748.htm The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species announced trade quotas governing the export of wild sturgeon and their prized caviar eggs from the Caspian Sea. The Pew Institute for Ocean Science has analyzed the quotas, which are re-set each year, and has determined that beluga caviar quotas are virtually unchanged from 2007 and do little to halt continued population declines. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304093748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305144224.htm The midges that periodically swarm by the billions from Iceland's Lake Myvatn are a force of nature. At their peak, it is difficult to breathe without inhaling the bugs, which hatch and emerge from the lake in blizzard-like proportions. After their short adult life, their carcasses blanket the lake, and the dead flies confer so much nutrient on the surrounding landscape that the enhanced productivity can be measured by Earth-observing satellites. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305144224.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229153115.htm Scientists have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish's lateral line -- the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings -- to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229153115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229101002.htm Archaeologists have discovered of one of the largest dinosaur-era marine reptiles ever found -- an enormous sea predator known as a pliosaur estimated to be almost 15 meters (50 feet) feet long. The 150 million year-old Jurassic fossil was discovered on the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, at 78 degrees north latitude, approximately 1300 km (800 miles) from the North Pole. "Although we didn't get the entire skeleton, we found many of the most important parts, including portions of the skull, teeth, much of the neck and back, the shoulder girdle, and a nearly complete forelimb (paddle)" said one of the researchers, "Amazingly, the paddle alone is nearly 10 feet long." Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229101002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226171618.htm The majority of non-native fish introduced to freshwater habitats around the world actually do more good than harm, according to a large study. The lead researcher believes that environmental changes to freshwater ecosystems will inevitably have implications on the distribution of native freshwater fish with a growing reality that we will increasingly depend upon non-native introductions, especially as aquaculture production increases. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226171618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226164105.htm The main ingredients of fish feed have traditionally been of marine origin but these ingredients are becoming both scarce and expensive. The fish farming industry therefore wishes to utilise alternative lipid (fat) sources in feed used for salmon farming. Vegetable oils also tend to increase growth rate and carcase quality of fish. However, when fed to patients, notable differences were found. The fat composition of the salmon meat affected the fatty acid profile of the patients' blood and the advantageous marine omega-3 fatty acids increased markedly in those patients that ate fish fed on feed containing pure fish oils. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226164105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225213657.htm An ambitious expedition to a chain of little-known islands in the central Pacific Ocean has yielded an unprecedented wealth of information about coral reefs and threats from human activities. The exploration of four atolls in the Line Islands, part of a chain approximately a thousand miles south of Hawaii, has produced the first study of coral reefs comprehensively spanning organisms from microbes to sharks. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225213657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225213745.htm Seabird colonies on islands are highly vulnerable to introduced rats, which find the ground-nesting birds to be easy prey. But the ecological impacts of rats on islands extend far beyond seabird nesting colonies, according to a new study. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225213745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221173812.htm Researchers have perfected a fiber-reinforced fishing lure that may prevent millions of pounds of toxic plastics from polluting waters nationwide. Earning raves in the sport-fishing world, a young entrepreneur plans to launch his strong, sustainable soft lure in sporting goods stores in late February. Each year, more than 12,000 tons of rubbery "soft baits" land at the bottom of lakes, streams and rivers. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221173812.htm