Poisonous Poisson
In contrast to the exhaustive research into venom produced by snakes and spiders, venomous fish have been neglected and remain something of a mystery. Now, a study of 158 catfish species, published in...
View ArticleKiller catfish? Venomous species surprisingly common, study finds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Name all the venomous animals you can think of and you probably come up with snakes, spiders, bees, wasps and perhaps poisonous frogs. But catfish?
View ArticleYou snooze, you lose: Less sleep leads to more offspring in male pectoral...
During the breeding season, polygynous male pectoral sandpipers that sleep the least sire the most young. A team of researchers headed by Bart Kempenaers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology...
View ArticleSmall male fish use high aggression strategy
(Phys.org)—In the deserts of central Australia lives a tough little fish known as the desert goby, and a new study is shedding light on the aggressive mating behaviour of smaller nest-holding males.
View ArticleFather of flying fish found in China, palaeontologists say
Palaeontologists in China say they have found the world's oldest flying fish, a strange, snub-nosed creature that glided over water in a bid to evade predators some 240 million years ago.
View ArticleTiny reef speedster challenges tuna in the ocean sprint
(Phys.org)—Tiny coral reef wrasses can swim as fast as some of the swiftest fish in the ocean – but using only half as much energy to do so, Australian scientists working on the Great Barrier Reef have...
View ArticleGenetic study pursues elusive goal: How many humpbacks existed before whaling?
Scientists from Stanford University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and other organizations are closing in on the answer to an important conservation...
View ArticleStudy reveals how fishing gear can cause slow death of whales
Using a "patient monitoring" device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale's diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring...
View ArticleThe evolution of fins to limbs in the land invasion race
Why did animals with limbs win the race to invade land over those with fins? A new study comparing the forces acting on fins of mudskipper fish and on the forelimbs of tiger salamanders can now be used...
View ArticleSharks stun sardine prey with tail-slaps
Thresher sharks hunt schooling sardines in the waters off a small coral island in the Philippines by rapidly slapping their tails hard enough to stun or kill several of the smaller fish at once,...
View ArticleSex over survival: Reproductive trait in fish impedes tissue regeneration
New research on the reproductive habits of zebrafish offers an explanation as to why some animals' bodies repair tissues. The research team previously noticed that male zebrafish regenerate their...
View ArticleLionfish found to use flared fin display to instigate cooperative hunting
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers working in Australia has found that lionfish use their fins to communicate with other lionfish as a means to instigate cooperative hunting. In their paper published in...
View ArticleKey genetic event underlying fin-to-limb evolution
A study of catsharks reveals how alterations in the expression and function of certain genes in limb buds underlie the evolution of fish fins to limbs. The findings are reported by researchers from...
View ArticleHow skates and rays got their wings
The evolution of the striking, wing-like pectoral fins of skates and rays relied on repurposed genes, according to new research by scientists from the University of Chicago. Studying embryonic skates,...
View ArticleFish fins can sense touch
The human fingertip is a finely tuned sensory machine, and even slight touches convey a great deal of information about our physical environment. It turns out, some fish use their pectoral fins in...
View ArticleMorphology suggests an endangered goby in southern California is a new species
An endangered fish along the coast of California—the tidewater goby—may actually be two species rather than one, according a study published July 27, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Camm...
View ArticleAs fins evolve to help fish swim, so does the nervous system
The sensory system in fish fins evolves in parallel to fin shape and mechanics, and is specifically tuned to work with the fish's swimming behavior, according to new research from the University of...
View ArticleNUS-developed manta ray robot swims faster and operates up to 10 hours
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have created MantaDroid, an aquatic robot that emulates the swimming locomotion of manta rays. The robotic manta ray, which swims at the...
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