FROG OR FISH?

The weird Frogfish is a member of the family of fish known as the 'anglers'. They take their name from the ‘fishing equipment’ they carry on their head. The Frogfish uses a fleshy growth from its head (the esca (bait) and illicium (pole)) as a lure; the action of the growth attracts prey and is like angling.

Try to spot the blue eye, the orange mouth, and the white worm-like lure.

 


There are about 45 species of these strange, shallow water fish. They are mostly 10-20 cm long and are all benthic (bottom-dwelling) with foot-like pectoral fins. The Frogfish uses these ‘feet’ to walk across the ocean bottom instead of swimming. If they are in a hurry they use jet propulsion by squirting water out of their small gill openings.

Frogfish are ambush predators; they rest motionless in the coral or on the bottom using their built-in camouflage. They are able to adjust their color to blend in with their surroundings. Others have outgrowths of skin that look like sponge or seaweed.
  

When prey are near, they ‘wiggle’ the worm-like growth on their head attracting their next meal. They have huge heads and mouths and can swallow fish half their size. The snapping action of their jaws is triggered automatically when the lure is touched.

 



http://youngmarinescientist.blogspot.com/ 
http://geraldgoeden.blogspot.com/
http://goedensnews.blogspot.com/
http://goedenquotes.blogspot.com/
http://gerrygoeden.blogspot.com/
http://goedenscience.blogspot.com/
http://goedenmarineecology.blogspot.com/
http://goedenshark.blogspot.com/
http://gerryquotes.blogspot.com/
http://einsteinsnature.blogspot.com/
http://drgerrygoeden.blogspot.com/

GIANT CLAMS OF THE INDO-PACIFIC

What on earth is this a picture of? Try to guess and then read on.

It is the siphon or outlet water-tube of a giant clam that is part of the feeding and respiration system. Seawater flows in one siphon, through the gills and a trap for catching plankton, and then out the other siphon.

The giant clam is a mollusc and the largest living bivalve. Giant clams can weigh more than 200 kilograms and measure as much as 1.2 metres from one end to the other. If they are not taken by fishermen or killed by predators, they can live for about 100 years or more. In nature, very young giant clams are eaten by loggerhead turtles whose beaks are strong enough to smash the thick shells.

 Hippopus the horse foot clam.

Although giant clams filter plankton from the water for food, tropical seas do not provide enough nutrient for these big animals. To help with the food supply giant clams keep symbiotic algae in their tissue that convert sunlight to sugars; the algae get a safe home in exchange for the extra food they produce.

  

 The giant clam Tridacna squamosa is incredibly colored.

In the early days of diving, giant clams were thought to be dangerous, trapping men under the sea. Although they are big, they are not dangerous. The larger clams are reluctant to close their shells and probably would never trap a diver.

The IUCN lists the giant clams as vulnerable. The numbers of wild clams have been greatly reduced by over-fishing for food and the aquarium trade. Many giant clams are now grown on farms through a practice known as aquaculture. Giant clams are protected in most parts of the Pacific but many are still taken. The meat, called Himejako in Japan, is prized and very expensive. 

Diving down to see a giant clam is one of the 'experiences of a lifetime'. Just imagine how lucky we are to have these gentle giants living in the ocean today. We should all do what we can to protect them?

(Photos from Wikimedia used here for educational purposes).

http://youngmarinescientist.blogspot.com/

http://geraldgoeden.blogspot.com/

http://goedensnews.blogspot.com/

http://goedenquotes.blogspot.com/

http://gerrygoeden.blogspot.com/

http://goedenscience.blogspot.com/

http://goedenmarineecology.blogspot.com/

http://goedenshark.blogspot.com/

http://gerryquotes.blogspot.com/

http://einsteinsnature.blogspot.com/

http://drgerrygoeden.blogspot.com/