Guest post: Shemaiah Kentish, George Mason University An alevin is a newly hatched salmon or trout that still has its yolk-sac attached. The yolk-sac provides the alevin nourishment for the first 2-3 weeks after hatching. Typically, at this life stage, salmon or trout will stay in the gravel but they might be pushed into open … [Read more…]
Guest post: Shemaiah Kentish, George Mason University The abyssopelagic zone is the region of deep water from 4,000m to the ocean. This is a the deepest part of the pelagic zone other than the hadopelagic deep sea trenches. This region is typically home to chemosynthetic bacteria, tubeworms, and small fish. Occasional residents include sharks, shrimp, and … [Read more…]
Not to be confused with the popular internet phone/video chat platform of a similar name, kypes are hook like structure that develops on the jaw of some male salmonids during the spawning season. Though Skype for salmon is still far fetched, this secondary sex characteristic does, in fact, have a role in communicating sexual fitness. Research suggests … [Read more…]
Guest post: Lakshita Dey, George Mason University Fish conservation zones (FCZs) are areas which are closed off to fishing and other activities in order to protect habitats and restore fish populations. FCZs have emerged as a management strategy in the Mekong Basin to protect and strengthen local communities. These communities benefit by protecting specific areas of … [Read more…]
An amphidromous fish is a type of diadromous fish which migrates between fresh and saltwater. Unlike anadromous and catadromous fish, which migrate explicitly for the purposes of breeding, amphidromous fish migrate for other purposes. A typical cycle of amphidromy includes eggs hatching in freshwater or estuaries, larvae drifting out into the open ocean to feed … [Read more…]
If you’ve ever eaten a fish fillet, you’ve probably had the ‘pleasure’ of picking out fish bones from your meal. While most fish are, indeed, bony (superclass: Osteichthyes), certain lineages of fish have cartilaginous skeletons, meaning that their skeletal structure is composed of cartilage, like a human ear or nose, rather than bone. Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, … [Read more…]
Las comunidades locales puertorriqueñas se refieren al pes nativo postlarva, S. plumieri, como cetí. Las especies de peces de agua dulce puertorriqueña como “dajao,” “gauvina,” y “olivo,” (nombre común del cetí en su fase adulta) son anfidromas. La historia de vida de estos peces incluyen una fase de aqua dulce y marina. En particular, los … [Read more…]
Guest post: Gretchen Stokes, University of Florida Mouthbrooding is when fertilized eggs are carried and incubated in the parent’s mouth. Rather sophisticated for parental care in fishes, it may have evolved from lack of nest sites, predation or habitat invasion. It occurs in more than 53 genera of fishes. Mouthbrooding can be conducted by males (paternal), … [Read more…]
Guest post: Gretchen Stokes, University of Florida Fry refers to a life (growth) stage of fishes that are recently hatched. This is generally after the yolk sac has been absorbed and almost or entirely disappeared. At this point, the swim bladder is typically functional and fish can actively feed for themselves. Depending on the species, this … [Read more…]
Guest post: Gretchen Stokes, University of Florida Air-breathing fishes are those that respire using aerial gas exchange instead of, or in addition to, that of the water. Air-breathing is an ancient vertebrate specialization that evolved from aquatic hypoxia (e.g., areas of seasonally flooded wetlands, under ice). Air-breathing fishes are equipped with one or more modified respiratory … [Read more…]