Ever wonder why you should be more
afraid of Christmas tree lights than sharks? How about the true
story behind the movie Jaws or why goldfish lose their color? Below
you can find the answer to these questions as well as discover some
interesting information you might not have known about fish and
other sea life.
1. A female sunfish may lay
300,000,000 eggs at a single spawning.
2. Sticklebacks are one of the few species of fish that builds
a nest. The male makes the nest in the weeds and then coaxes the
female to lay her eggs there. Afterwards, the male stays and guards
the nest until the eggs hatch.
3. While sticklebacks might seem like a great father, sea
catfish have them beat. A father sea catfish holds his unborn eggs
in his mouth until the hatch. Bangaii Cardinal are even better fathers
than catfish. The male of this species will hold both eggs and babies
in his mouth until the young are ready to go on their own. This
process is known as "mouth brooding." Although it takes
several weeks, the fish will not eat until the eggs hatch.
4. Of course, sea horses are probably best known for their
roles as father, as one of the only species of animal where the
male becomes pregnant and gives birth. Female sea horses insert
their eggs into the male's pouch where they are fertilized and held
until they hatch.
5. Catfish taste really good. Not in reference to how they
taste to us, but rather their ability to taste. Catfish have over
27,000 taste buds. Humans have only 9,000 taste buds.
6. African Lungfish are capable of living out of water for
up to two years. They do this by hibernating underground while they
wait for the water level to rise.
7. An internal organ, known as the viscera, of Japanese abalone
contains a poisonous substance that only manifests if it is exposed
to sunlight. It is not poisonous if it is eaten inside or in the
shade.
8. Few people would think about kissing a fish, despite the
fact that most brands of lipstick contain fish scales.
9. Goldfish will lose their color if they are kept in dim
light or kept in constantly running water, such as a river or stream.
10. Goldfish can live decades. The oldest known goldfish,
"Goldie," died in 2005 at the ripe old age of 45. The
second oldest was "Tish" who died at age 43.
11. Pregnant goldfish are known as twits.
12. The largest fish in the world is the whale shark. The
largest recorded whale shark was 41.5 feet long, had a girth of
23 feet, and weighed more than 47,300 pounds. Larger whale sharks
have been reported, some as long as fifty-nine feet, but none have
been accurately documented.
13. Whale sharks also lay the largest eggs of any animal.
A whale shark egg measuring fourteen inches long was found in the
Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s.
14. Whale sharks get their name from their size and not their
diet. Although the whale shark does have teeth, they do not use
them for feeding. Instead, they filter out plankton and other small
animals in the water for food.
15. The largest predator shark is the great white shark.
The largest one ever caught was thirty-seven feet long and weighted
over 24,000 pounds.
16. The novel Jaws, written by Peter Benchley and later made
into a hit movie by Steven Spielberg, was based on a true story.
During a two week period in July 1916, five swimmers were attacked,
four fatally, by at least one shark. The event is known as the Jersey
Shore Shark Attacks of 1916.
17. While sharks are feared as being man killers, they only
kill about six to fifteen people a year. This is far less than other
seeming "safe" animals such as elephants (500 people a
year) and deer (100 people a year). In fact, more people are killed
by Christmas tree lights and lightning than sharks.
18. Dogfish sharks are believed to have gotten their name
after they were observed hunting in groups, similar to way a pack
of wild dogs would.
19. Clams start out as males. At some point, they decide
to become female and switch. Oysters are also capable of changing
sexes, sometimes doing so multiple times during its lifetime.
20. Money may not grow on trees, but oysters do. In the West
Indies, oysters can grow on the roots of mangrove trees, which are
exposed whenever the tide goes out.
21. The coconut crab gets its name because it is capable
of climbing palm trees, where it will then feed on the coconuts.
22. Sharks are not immune to cancer and other diseases. This
is a common myth. However, sharks do seem to have a higher immunity
to disease.
23. An adult electric eel is capable of producing an electric
shock five times greater than standard U.S. wall socket, about 650
volts. This is powerful enough to knock a horse off its feet. Still,
it is not volts that kill, but amps.
24. Eels need air to survive because they cannot get enough
oxygen from water. They surface for air about every five minutes.
25. Most eel-skin wallets are not made from eels. They are
made from hagfish, which is not even related to the eel.
26. It takes approximately seven years for the average lobster
to reach one pound.
27. A scallop has thirty-five eyes, all of which are blue.
28. The largest octopus in the world is the Pacific giant
octopus. Although it is only about the size of a pea when it is
born, by the time it is two years old it is capable of growing until
it is thirty feet across and weighs 150 pounds.
29. The giant squid, once considered a myth, is the largest
creature without a backbone. It grows up to fifty-five feet across
and weighs up to 5,000 pounds.
30. Giant squid also have the largest eyes. Their eyes are
sixteen times wider than human eyes, or more than a foot in diameter.
Now that you know why you should be
more cautious decorating your Christmas tree lights than swimming
at the beach. Of course, it is doubtful that even Spielberg could
make a movie about Christmas lights scary. -Darcy Logan
