New Freshwater Database of 12,000 Lakes in 72 Countries Tells Water Quality Story Globally
Although less than one percent of all water in the world is freshwater, it is what we drink and use for agriculture. In other words,…
Fish
Angels in Disguise: Angelfish Produce Hybrid Offspring More Than Any Other Coral Reef Species
There Are Many More Angelfishes in the Sea Why do some fish species form hybrids while others don’t? In attempting to answer this question, new…
Robofish: An Extremely Social Robotic Fish Helps Unravel the Collective Patterns of Animal Groups
You want to be a leader? You’ve got to be fast! The spectacular and complex visual patterns created by animal groups moving together have fascinated…
Unexpected Discovery of a 410-Million-Year-Old Fossil Forces Rethink of Shark Evolution
Sharks’ non-bony skeletons were thought to be the template before bony internal skeletons evolved, but a new fossil discovery suggests otherwise. The discovery of a…
Dramatically Shrinking Salmon Are Affecting Alaska’s People and Ecosystems
A comprehensive study of four salmon species across all regions of Alaska finds salmon are returning to rivers smaller and younger than in the past….
Sexual Parasitism: Loss of Adaptive Immunity Helps Deep Sea Anglerfish Physically Fuse With Their Mates
The discovery of altered adaptive immunity in anglerfish helps explain how the creatures are able to temporarily or permanently fuse with their mates without experiencing…
Sexual Parasitism: Deep-Sea Anglerfish Evolved a New Type of Immune System to Physically Fuse With Their Mates
Deep-sea anglerfishes have evolved a curious reproductive strategy. Tiny males attach themselves to gigantic females so tightly that the tissues of the two animals eventually…
Scientists Learn Secrets From Ultra-Black Skin That Allows Deep-Sea Fish to Lurk Unseen
Packed pigment granules help them blend in without blowing their cover. If there were a stagehand of the sea, wearing black to disappear into the…
How Deep-Sea, Ultra-Black Fish Disappear – Science Behind Skin That Absorbs More Than 99.5% of Light
Ultra-black fish skin absorbs more than 99.5% of light in a new, extremely efficient way, a discovery that may advance high-tech optical and camouflage technology….
Scientists Trace the Origin of Our Teeth to Primitive Fish More Than 400 Million Years Back in Time
The origin of our teeth goes back more than 400 million years back in time, to the period when strange armored fish first developed jaws…
Using DNA in the Water to Tell How Many Fish There Are in Rivers, Lakes, and Seas
River water, lake water, and seawater contain DNA belonging to organisms such as animals and plants. Ecologists have begun to actively analyze such DNA molecules,…
Fighting Fish Synchronize Their Combat Moves and Gene Expression Leading to Tightly Meshed Battles
Betta fish opponents undergo similar brain changes that become more synchronized after longer fights. When two betta fish are fighting for dominance, not only do…
Dramatic Fish Evolution in Action: Land Fish Forced to Adapt After Leap Out of Water
A diverse diet and flexible behavior may have empowered blenny fish to make a dramatic transition out of the water — but once on land,…
“Single Pixel Vision” Discovery in Fish Reveals Clues to How Humans Can Spot Tiny Details
Recently discovered ‘single-pixel vision’ in fish could help researchers understand how humans are able to spot tiny details in their environment — like stars in…
New Sex Hormone Discovered by Biologists
New hormone that stimulates sexual functions in fish could lead to novel infertility treatments in humans. When University of Ottawa biologists Kim Mitchell and Vance…
Giant Armored Fish Fed Similar to Basking Sharks 380-Million-Years Ago
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the University of Zurich have shown that the Titanichthys — a giant armored fish that lived in the seas…
Key to Past & Future Habitat of West Coast Marine Species Is Ocean ‘Breathability’
Marine life off the West Coast, from Mexico up through Canada, inhabit the California Current. The cool, nutrient-rich water supports life from invisible phytoplankton to…
Underwater Sound Devices Called “Pingers” Could Save Porpoises From Fishing Nets
Underwater sound devices called “pingers” could be an effective, long-term way to prevent porpoises from getting caught in fishing nets with no negative behavioral effects,…