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Swimming muscles make up the bulk of a fish's body.They are arranged in sections, identical on either side of the body.Contracting on one side causes stretching on the other, resulting in a wave like motion passing down the body giving propulsion.Fast swimmers like Tuna and Jacks are able to thrust their body and tails from side to side (without much deviation)and shoot through the water with minimal resistance from their smooth skin and streamlined tail. As a result of the energy required to produce this burst of speed (which enables them to catch their prey)they have more 'red'(blood-rich) meat,and hence are more sought after by us meat eaters !!

Posted by fishx6 at 2010-08-15 09:08am Permalink

In the beginning there are Phytoplankton.(Algae with chlorophyll)
they provide nourishment for both Zooplankton(organisms drifting in the water)and energy for the biological pump(an important source of Carbon,basically a compost heap on the ocean floor, required for life in general)and Krill(shrimp like crustaceans,and small fry).
Phytoplankton multiply in cold waters as do their predators the Zooplankton and Krill.These make up the largest part of the diet of fish around the globe.krill generally do a diurnal vertical migration, providing food for predators near the surface at night and in deeper waters during the day.
So both herbivores and Carnivores are catered for.

Posted by fishx6 at 2010-08-14 09:03am Permalink

When disaster strikes and 'Pollution' occurs, the Coral Reef and fish population suffer. However The fish recover quickly and are back to similar levels within the year. Unfortunately the Coral Reef is slower and takes about 5 years as long as their is no ongoing pollution, otherwise re-growth is significantly stunted.

Posted by fishx6 at 2010-08-06 18:54pm Permalink

Jacks hunt in groups on the outer reef edge, and alone when shallower.
Their hunting behaviour has 4 phases-
Patrolling, when they make no predatory moves
Quatering, zig-zag moves at high speed
Hunting, when it identifies a victim
Attacking, when within striking distance, moves in for the kill
The jack has a protrusible jaw,and the prey is sucked in. Fish which are the Jacks prey recognize and adapt to these 4 stages. The prey ignore the Jack when patrolling, but immediately seek shelter when quatering starts. Once a kill has occurred the other prey return to the open reef and resumed their foraging. This explains why divers see prey and predator swimming near one another in apparent peace.(watching fishes by R.& J.Wilson)

Posted by fishx6 at 2009-04-23 20:26pm Permalink

Parrotfish, bite off chunks of coral to get at the algae inside or outside.

Triggerfish,bite chunks of coral to get at the invertebrates hiding inside.

The habits of some territorial damselfish are destructive to the corals they claim as their property. The Caribbean threespot Damselfish bites the coral, causing an open wound so that algae can take a hold, and in this way cultivates algal mats on both staghorn and common star coral. However this algae meal also attracts grazing parrotfish which muscle in and gnaw the coral to get a good bite of algae inside and out.

Posted by fishx6 at 2009-04-22 22:35pm Permalink

Fish eating fish (piscivores) do so in the half light of dawn and dusk.
Many fish have a ‘protrusible jaw’. This allows the mouth to move closer to the prey by extending forwards and then sucking in the prey. They literally vacuum up their meals.
In the throats of many fish is a second set of jaws, which grind up whatever has been sucked in, so the fish can dart around grabbing what it can and let the sorting out and grinding up be done inside at its leisure. Algae need not be seperated from the coral, or crabs ripped out of their shells, all goes inside to be ground up and sorted out.

Posted by fishx6 at 2009-04-21 19:59pm Permalink

A novice diver usually requires more belt weights than an experienced diver of like displacement. The beginner, apprehensive, involuntarily inflates his lungs too much and needs more ballast to be equilibrated. After a few dives he breathes normally and finds that he is overweighted. Then he learns the wide possibilities of adjusting air ballast by his own breathing discipline, a factor that has a range of 6 to 12 pounds on his displacement. At the beginning of the dive the air cylinder weighs about 3 pounds, as it is consumed the diver weighs less with each breath. When the air is gone the cylinder exerts a 3 pound ascension force. The perfectly adjusted diver begins slightly overweighted,( in order to sink) and returns at the end of the dive slightly underweighted in order to ascend. From “the silent world” by Jacques Cousteau

Posted by fishx6 at 2009-04-20 21:52pm Permalink

one of the whalesharks pictured here has been identified as M-031 by the ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library.
Great news, for more info see the whaleshark page

Posted by fishx6 at 2009-04-17 11:53am Permalink

Manta Rays can leap into the air and give a flat resounding crash as a ton of flesh hits the water. They have no teeth or grinders, no tail stinger, but relies on speed to survive.They are plankton eaters. (From “the silent world” by Jacques Cousteau)

I have only seen a Manta "Fly" once,on a liveaboard in South Male (Maldives). According to an 'expert'from the Florida fish and wildlife Commission stingrays also take to the skies to escape predators.

So it doesn't only rain cats and dogs !

Posted by fishx6 at 2009-04-08 20:23pm Permalink

I have difficulty reading about fish when the chat is about its genus, and its fins are caudal,dorsal or downright blobblob, and i come away not knowing what on earth was being said. So instead of describing 'genus' i will try and write about 'groups with similar characteristics'= a genus, !!! and everyone will know what i am talking about.
similarly, lets call tails, tails and not just caudal fins, pectoral fins (add in side fins), dorsal=back, anal and pelvic at least are fairly self explanatory except for those of us who talk out of the anal end......

Posted by fishx6 at 2008-03-30 23:57pm Permalink

Thanks for dropping by!

As you will have seen, today is the official launch of WhatsThatFish.com

We hope you enjoy the site! There are many new features on the way and some bits working not quite as you would expect... But don't worry, its all under control.

What we do ask, is if you find anything that doesn't work correctly, please please please let us know so we can fix it. No matter how big or small!

Once again, enjoy the site and keep checking back for updates.

Posted by epic at 2007-12-25 00:01am Permalink