Fish, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 31, 2007

Fish Sensory Organ Duplicated for Submarines

Fish use a row of specialized sensory organs along the sides of their bodies, called lateral lines, to hunt for prey, alert them of predators, and aid in synchronized school swimming. Now scientists have developed a lateral line for submaries. Our development of an artificial lateral line is aimed at...

Aug 31, 2008

100 New Sharks and Rays Named

More than 100 species of sharks and rays have been classified and named as new species, including some that had been discovered as far back as the early 1990s. The new namings and classifications are the result of an 18-month Australian project using DNA analysis to clarify the identity of...

Aug 31, 2008

Fish Fingers: Your Digits Used to Be Fins

An ancient fish sported something like fingers that were the precursors to our own digits, according to an analysis of a new fossil skeleton. It's really the last piece of evidence to say fingers are not new. They were really present in fish, said lead researcher Catherine Boisvert, an evolutionary...

Jul 31, 2008

Ancient Shark's Bite More Powerful Than T. Rex's

The most powerful bite of all time has been found — that of the prehistoric giant shark Megalodon, which makes that of T. rex look puny. The giant shark Megalodon, which means Big Tooth in Greek, may have grown to more than 50 feet long and weighed up to 110...

Jul 31, 2008

Scientists Learn How Nemo Finds His Way Home

How does the orange clownfish — aka Nemo from the movie Finding Nemo — really find its way home? It turns out the colorful saltwater fish can sniff for leaves that fall into the sea from rainforests growing on the islands near their coral reef homes. After clownfish hatch from...

Jul 31, 2008

Golden Oldie: Mr. Fish Is 27

Five years ago, Edith had a problem: Her goldfish of 25 years, Mr. Fish, had dropsy, a disease characterized by a swollen or hollow abdomen and in most cases fatal. In her last attempt to save her pet, on a whim, Edith wrote a message on GoldfishConnection asking for help....

Jun 30, 2008

Great White Shark Claimed at 'Jaws' Site

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) _ The island where Jaws was filmed had a real-life shark scare Thursday, when an unconfirmed sighting of a great white forced the closure of two beaches. South Beach on Martha's Vineyard was closed for a short time, and swimmers were kept out of the water at...

Jun 30, 2008

Lead Shot From Hunting and Fishing Kills Wildlife

Millions of pounds of lead used in hunting, fishing and shooting sports wind up in the environment each year and can threaten or kill wildlife, according to a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey. Lead has long been known to be damaging to biology. It's previous use in gasoline,...

Feb 29, 2008

Breeding the Overfished Bluefin Tuna

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is so prized for gourmet sushi that it has been overfished to the brink of commercial collapse. Now scientists are studying how to breed these giants in captivity, which could reduce the pressure on wild tuna. Not everyone supports the research, which recently scored its first...

Nov 30, 2009

More than 1,000 Catfish Species Are Venomous

At least 1,250 species of catfish are venomous, a new study finds. Most catfish use their venom for defense. Some in North America can inflict a sting that humans notice. Elsewhere in the world, a few catfish species can even kill humans. The new count of venomous catfish — which...

Aug 31, 2009

Venomous Fish

Venomous Pterois Lionfish (Image credit: Photo Credit: William Leo Smith, AMNH)A new study finds there are more venomous fish than snakes. Here are a few of them, photographed by William Leo Smith of the American Museum of Natural History. Venomous Pterois Lionfish. Venomous Pterois Lionfish (Image credit: Photo Credit: William...

Aug 31, 2009

Electric Fish Equipped With 'Dimmer' Switch

Fish that generate electric fields to navigate, fight and attract mates are equipped with a dimmer switch of sorts that can turn down their signals to save energy, a new study finds. Electric fish, such as some sharks and eels, emit weak electrical signals from a battery-like organ in their...

May 31, 2009

Fish Are Surprisingly Smart

Fish lack many of our mental abilities but may use social learning strategies similar to those used by humans, according to new research. Scientists have found that a certain fish species — called the nine-spined stickleback — can use information from its personal experience as well as observations of other...

Apr 30, 2009

Pea-Sized Seahorse Makes 'Top 10 Species' List

A pea-sized seahorse, caffeine-free coffee and bacteria that live in hairspray are among the top 10 species described in 2008, a group of scientists announced today. The top 10 new species also include the very tiny (a snake just a slither longer than 4 inches or 104 millimeters), the very...

Mar 31, 2009

Fish Feel Pain, Study Finds

When you hook a fish, does it hurt? Yes, a new study suggests. Some researchers have previously concluded that fish react to painful stimuli without actually feeling pain in the conscious way humans do. In the new study, researchers gave morphine to one group of fish, and injected the other...