biomedicalephemera: Black Piranha - Serrasalmus rhombus The black piranha (also known as the redeye or rhombeus piranha) has recently been discovered to have a bite force as strong as the estimated force of the extinct Megapiranha. Though the negative stigma towards piranhas is largely undeserved, the mature black piranha is one of the most aggressive fish. This is especially true recently, with the over-fishing of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, depleting the food sources of the adult fish. Most species of juvenile piranhas feed on the scales and fins of others fish. Yes, they will swim up to, and rip the fins off of big fish, especially as they near maturity, but are not yet large enough to reliably hunt down other fish. Despite their huge size (up to 1 m long, four times longer than adult black piranhas) and extremely strong bite force, the Megapiranha of the Pleistocene era (8-10 mya) wasn’t believed to have a solely carnivorous diet. Their saw-shaped teeth bear similarities to the Serrasalmus genus, but also to the teeth of the Pacu, or “vegetarian piranha”. Expédition dans les parties centrales de l’Amérique du Sud, de Rio de Janeiro à Lima et de Lima au Para. Under direction of  Le Comte Francis de Castelnau, 1856.
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biomedicalephemera:

Black Piranha - Serrasalmus rhombus

The black piranha (also known as the redeye or rhombeus piranha) has recently been discovered to have a bite force as strong as the estimated force of the extinct Megapiranha.

Though the negative stigma towards piranhas is largely undeserved, the mature black piranha is one of the most aggressive fish. This is especially true recently, with the over-fishing of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, depleting the food sources of the adult fish.

Most species of juvenile piranhas feed on the scales and fins of others fish. Yes, they will swim up to, and rip the fins off of big fish, especially as they near maturity, but are not yet large enough to reliably hunt down other fish.

Despite their huge size (up to 1 m long, four times longer than adult black piranhas) and extremely strong bite force, the Megapiranha of the Pleistocene era (8-10 mya) wasn’t believed to have a solely carnivorous diet. Their saw-shaped teeth bear similarities to the Serrasalmus genus, but also to the teeth of the Pacu, or “vegetarian piranha”.

Expédition dans les parties centrales de l’Amérique du Sud, de Rio de Janeiro à Lima et de Lima au Para. Under direction of  Le Comte Francis de Castelnau, 1856.

biomedicalephemera: Latimeria chalumnae - Coelacanth The coelacanth was assumed extinct until 1938, since fossils of it had been found long before, yet hadn’t ever been caught by anyone who recognized it (it was known as the “gombessa” by the Comoro Islands fishermen, and was considered a worthless fish to be disgarded, as it tasted awful). It’s thought to have evolved over 400 million years ago, and were originally assumed to have gone extinct in the Late Cretaceous period. The Search Beneath the Sea: The Story of the Coelacanth. J.L.B. Smith, 1956.
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biomedicalephemera:

Latimeria chalumnae - Coelacanth

The coelacanth was assumed extinct until 1938, since fossils of it had been found long before, yet hadn’t ever been caught by anyone who recognized it (it was known as the “gombessa” by the Comoro Islands fishermen, and was considered a worthless fish to be disgarded, as it tasted awful). It’s thought to have evolved over 400 million years ago, and were originally assumed to have gone extinct in the Late Cretaceous period.

The Search Beneath the Sea: The Story of the Coelacanth. J.L.B. Smith, 1956.

(via biomedicalephemera)

allcreatures: Photograph courtesy Roger Steene, Conservation International A rare photograph from the new book shows a known species of giant frogfish—Antennarius commersoni—and its floating egg raft. Frogfish, a subset of anglerfish, have leglike fins on both sides of their bodies. (via Pictures: 25 New Reef Fish Found—”Beautiful” Basslet and More) Dayum, you ugly.
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allcreatures:

Photograph courtesy Roger Steene, Conservation International

A rare photograph from the new book shows a known species of giant frogfish—Antennarius commersoni—and its floating egg raft. Frogfish, a subset of anglerfish, have leglike fins on both sides of their bodies.

(via Pictures: 25 New Reef Fish Found—”Beautiful” Basslet and More)

Dayum, you ugly.

rhamphotheca:

Why Sockeye Salmon Are in Trouble

by Emily Sohn

Every year, millions of adult salmon return from the ocean to their home streams, where they lay eggs and produce the next generation of fish. But far fewer sockeye salmon are making it back to their freshwater mating grounds compared to a few decades ago, and that’s seriously affecting population sizes of the species throughout the Northwest, from Alaska to Washington State.

The discovery suggests that changing ocean conditions may be making life harder for some groups of wild salmon — possibly by reducing their food supply or increasing populations of predators.

By zeroing in on what, exactly, is causing the widespread decline, researchers hope to help managers figure out what to do about the problem.

“We found that substantial reductions in productivity of over 50 percent have occurred in the last two decades in a wide geographical area,” said Randall Peterman, a fisheries scientist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. “We were quite stunned to see these results.”…

(read more: LiveScience)        

(images: T - Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) by Timothy Knepp - USFWS; B - School of spawning Sockeye, by TheInterior)

(via scientificillustration)

Source: rhamphotheca

rhamphotheca: Pumpkinseed Sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus)  The pumpkinseed is the most widely distributed and abundant sunfish in the eastern United States. They seem to prefer weedy, warm-water lakes and ponds, using weed patches, docks, and logs for cover and usually staying close to shore. They are present in the calm pools of most rivers. The average pumpkinseed is about 5 - 6 inches in length, although some may approach 10 inches.  (via: Cornell Univ.)
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rhamphotheca:

Pumpkinseed Sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) 

The pumpkinseed is the most widely distributed and abundant sunfish in the eastern United States. They seem to prefer weedy, warm-water lakes and ponds, using weed patches, docks, and logs for cover and usually staying close to shore. They are present in the calm pools of most rivers. The average pumpkinseed is about 5 - 6 inches in length, although some may approach 10 inches. 

(via: Cornell Univ.)

(via scientificillustration)

Source: rhamphotheca

laboratoryequipment:

Rare Footage Shows Life on Seafloor in National Park

In a research partnership between Deakin Univ. and Parks Victoria, marine scientists have captured rare video footage of fish and other marine creatures living on the seafloor off western Victoria.

Researchers have for the first time captured high resolution video of fish and other sea creatures in their natural habitat 100 meters below the ocean surface at Discovery Bay Marine National Park, 20 kilometers west of Portland. The video footage is part of a project to understand the links between the characteristics of the seafloor and fish communities across Victoria’s marine national parks and sanctuaries.

Read more: http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-Rare-Footage-Shows-Life-on-Seafloor-in-National-Park-053012.aspx