I'm on the Endangered Species List, what's your excuse?

The image to your right is of vintage quality, however it is very representative two things: that men were a-hole fishermen long before we invented the tiered system of endangerment, and that the Giant Sea Bass is no longer that giant or that plentiful.

Sadly today we discuss the giant sea bass while nervously biting our fingernails. Despite its conspicuous size, very little is known about this species of magnificent fish. It shares its morbid honor with several other species including the Coelacanthis. The prize in hauling one of these giants up is just that: its ridiculous size. They can be found off the coasts of California cruising around, thinking about maybe reproducing. It takes a very long time apparently, for fish to trust us and allow them to live like they did pre-human threat.

The giant sea bass (or black sea bass as he's known in some parts) had supported much of California's booming fish industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It only became evident that these fish were desperately trying to hold onto existence in the '70s. That's right...the 1970s. They were hunted down and exploited for a good two hundred years before some genius realized the Chryslers of the Sea were dwindling down to a population of just a few. Despite having passed protective measures, the giant sea bass is slow to reproduce. But then again, we shouldn't expect a rapid repopulation of this species. After all, that would entice fishermen to dust off those spears. Additionally, we just don't know what they do in their spare time. They might be really great chess players, or have a love of Nabokov. Whatever it is they do while hiding out we should let them be. Because no one likes being bothered, especially when you're trying to save your own kin.

The Lion King

Let's be honest. We can often paint people, places, or things as enemies. Sometimes it's valid, sometimes the threat is real because it's purposeful. However, a recent re-introduction of the Lion Fish in certain coastal areas has sent the evil PR machine into overdrive.

This particular family of fish is unique. It is easily recognized for its beautiful appearance. The lion fish is usually wildly striped in hues of red, brown, and orange. It captures the imagination for its long separated spines which are actually poisonous. However these are defense mechanisms. The lion fish doesn't generally troll the seas looking to see who it can hurt.

For its beauty and splendor, the lion fish does have one thing working against it: its appetite. It is a voracious hunter, and depending on size, can easily eat many times its weight in one sitting. A fascinating aspect of this fish's eating habit is that it generally swallows its prey whole, using a powerful vacuum-like suction to gobble up its meal. Its appetite usually means wherever it goes populations of other smaller fish are almost always devastated. Not only this, but if found and bred in certain tourist friendly areas, these fish are bound to injure a few visitors. As a tourist one should be inclined to watch where one goes, and to not try to touch anything that looks like it could possibly give you more than a headache later.

Lion fish do not breed well in captivity. Who would really want to get it on in a big rectangle with people watching? However in its native or adopted environment, the lion fish can reproduce rapidly. This is causing problems for many Caribbean areas. The big uproar in the news is about how they are aggressively destroying fragile coastal systems. While it's true that the lion fish is all about itself, it doesn't possess the higher order thinking to say "what's on the ol' to-do list? let's see...destroy ecosystem..." The lion fish acts intuitively to its nature, just as everything else in the ocean does. However its line of thinking collides directly with ours. It should be our responsibility to maintain a healthy balance in the world's oceans.

But this doesn't mean we need to exterminate the little buggers. The fish can be safely captured and relocated into aquariums or private tanks. You won't see fishermen off the coasts of Spain spearing the numerous jellyfish that have suddenly exploded in number. Let's be sensible and decent about how we treat population spikes in the sea. When things like this happen, it's a sign. It means the Earth is pissed.

It Takes a Real Roughy to be a Slimehead

The orange roughy is a long-lived, deep sea fish that has quite a unique set of characteristics.  Despite its name, the roughy is actually a dark red in real life, only when it dies does its pigment fade to its widely given name.  

The orange roughy lives its life in cold waters taking its time maturing and mating.  While the average and oldest age can be disputed, there is no arguing this particular fish's staying power.  On average they can age to up...well...pretty damn old.  And that's as scientific as one can get.  But an old fishing tale has it the oldest roughy caught was 149.  He probably only looked 100.  Because they live in colder waters they tend to be on the sluggish side, which also complicates its mating ritual.  It takes a considerable amount of time before a roughy is ready to mate.   To put in perspective, the roughy is almost like a human.  It takes at least 20-30 for this animal to be reproductively mature.  So he's the post-college grad who just moved into his first apartment in the upper, upper east side looking for that wife to start passing on his genes.  

So how can an endearing fish such as the roughy carry a name like slimehead?  Simple, they were lovingly named after a physical trait which is common in their family, the muciferous (read: mucus) canals that run down their large heads.  Awwww...

To see a roughy one would probably recoil in horror.  Afterall, this is no Koi.  Rather the roughy takes pleasure in the fact that he is a bit of an anomaly.  Still ugly but still prized.  The roughy has found itself, unfortunately, in a position like that of his distant cousins.  He and his family are being hunted down to the point of collapse.  What makes this extra hard to take is that fishing has become so sophisticated that deep sea trawling can reach depths like never before.  This means relatively safe groups of roughy are now forced to either migrate or get caught.  That's like asking the handicapped to pick up their wheelchairs and run down the fire escape.  The roughy can't handle such brutal treatment.  

But this species is another fine example of the exotic life we are fortunate to have on our earth, and how we are squandering opportunities to preserve it.  Fish aren't masochists.  They don't like being hunted down.  They probably aren't great cuddlers (especially with mucus-y bodies and all) but they still deserve hugs.  Even the roughys.  But chances are you won't be able to dive that deep.  So just blow him a kiss.  He likes kisses.

Oxymoron of the Day: Chicken of the Sea

What would you like to know about the Yellowfin Tuna today? The yellowfin, commonly known as "albacore" and "ahi", is probably the most commercially sought-after species of fish in the world.

The yellowfin, like its sibling the bluefin, is a beautiful animal. In fact, the whole "thunnus" genus is. Bullet-shaped, streamlined, extremely muscular and up until recently very resilient, these fish have unwittingly continued to captivate human's insatiable craving for it.

What is the difference between the yellow and bluefin? Well, primarily the coloring of the pectoral fins. Yellowfin tunas have extraordinarily bright coloring on their finlets. These fish are very migratory, and can be found nearly all over the world. They are most comfortable in tropical waters, and so they tend to favor areas below the equator.

Unlike its brother the bluefin, the yellowfin is not considered endangered. In fact, it's considered "least concern", however this is an outdated classification, and the species has most likely moved up a notch or two in terms of endangerment. In fact, the yellowfin accounts for over 45% of the North America's tuna harvest each year. How does that not spell doom?

These brilliant fins need conservation efforts like anything else in the ocean. Just because a population of a certain species is considered abundant doesn't give us the right to destroy it. 

Oftentimes we take for granted the things we kill for our meals. Did you know the yellowfin is an extremely strong schooler? That means it doesn't necessarily school by species, it'll school by size! Blue and yellowfins can be found schooling with other large fish (like the bigeye), and even dolphins. So strong is the urge to "bond" while schooling that the fins have been observed using driftwood and other large pieces of refuse as swimming "companions".

Tunas are incredible fish, the only animal that could rival its engineering is the shark. In fact, a 200 lb yellowfin can easily cruise at 23 mph for a long period of time. When the yellowfin feeds its excitment shows through light vertical bars that appear on its sides.

We have to stop treating the earth and the animals in it like they are here for solely for our eating enjoyment. They are here for our enjoyment period. Catching/killing/eating anything we like out of the ocean is not a basic human right. So when someone says to you "I did a great job at work today, I deserve lobster/tuna steak/salmon/any seafood tonight!", kick them in the shins.

Yum, Yum, Bumblebee What??

Today's homage will be dedicated to source of this administrator's ulcer: the majestic bluefin tuna. No, no...the tuna itself doesn't give the adminstrator an ulcer, but the fact that this species of incredible fish is critically endangered is what's keeping them up at night.  

Never before have these fish had it so rough. Granted they probably don't remember the days in which they never had to worry about sonar detection or fleeing from so many enemies in one area at a time.  No, the bluefin probably doesn't think about that.  In fact, the bluefin tuna probably doesn't get ulcers because it luckily doesn't know what we're doing to its very own habitat.

Rather, the bluefin probably worries about the most basic things like you would; finding food, shelter, a mate, and all various forms of security.  It too gets road rage on its way to work, finds parenting to be tough (especially with 11 or 12 "kids" at a time), and will try not to complain when the same dinner is served over and over again.

The bluefin, not a native of the Pacific Ocean (although some are being farmed off the coast of Japan), grows to average of just over a meter.  Its body is a dense, muscle powerhouse which enables the tuna to swim as fast as it can away from predators (though not always successfully). The tuna itself is a predatory fish.  It lives primarily off of smaller fish like sardines and squids. The flesh of tuna, sadly, is also too highly valued in the arena of human consumption.  We have developed an unhealthy addiction to this lovely animal because its flesh is extremely...(ugh) tasty.  In fact, so prized is the tuna that in the Japan one tuna can fetch over $100,000 in the open market.  There is no shortage of irony with Japanese culture and fish...a country that spends years breeding carp (carp!!) for beauty pageants will unflinchingly kill off a species of fish just for the gratification of a sushi meal that lasts maybe one hour.

So, how bad have humans made it for the tuna?  Bad.  We've essentially guaranteed the extinction of this species by overfishing and sitting on our hands while other countries follow suit.  In approximately four decades we have nearly collapsed the available stock of bluefin.  The problem is aggravated by the fact that the bluefin is also slow to mature, and takes several years to reach spawning level.  This is coupled by the problem that the bluefin's diet is waning dramatically because those stocks also on the verge of collapse.

To see a bluefin in its environment is to understand the beauty and science of life in the ocean.  And to see a giant bluefin, rare as they are, is cause for even more wonderment. For in a setting in which we kill to satisfy a temporary hunger these fish persist.  But not for long, soon the bluefin will join its sibling, the yellowfin, in being referred to in the past tense.  It will have existed, and once swam the oceans.  If you see any of the men pictured in the photo above, kick them in the shins.  That will give the tunas one less reason to get an ulcer.

Ok, Ok!

The administrator of this blog is sorry.

It's been awhile...and lots of ideas have come and gone...and well, there's really no excuse for the laziness. Other than the administrator was lazy.

To make up for it, there will be back to back posts of fish and fish related goodness this week.

Is that shark-fin soup you're eating?

Be forewarned, this post will have a slight soap-box feel to it.  There is sad news in the ocean community, and it seems to be coming on a regular basis.  It was revealed this week a study which indicated that an alarming number of sharks on are the brink of extinction.  That's right, extinction,  not even endangerment!  These magnificent animals are one haul away from being wiped out.  While there can be a variety of factors to blame for this dire situation, it is predominantly (and not surprisingly) at the hands of humans which have helped shape this tragedy.

Sharks and rays hold a special place in our hearts.  There is probably no other family in the animal kingdom that inspires such awe, fear, curiosity, delight, and wonder as sharks.  Their looks lend to our delighted terror state ("Jaws") but the beautifully engineered bodies lend to our ceaseless amazement.  They have been one of the strongest and most prolific survivors of the Dinosaur age into our turbulent and modern times.  Sharks serve as reminders of the overused adage "survival of the fittest".

To say sharks are fascinating would be an understatement.  Their design elements and survival abilities are unparalleled.  Sharks are fish, incredibly sleek, wonderfully engineered fish. Sharks are covered in dermal denticles, and it is probably what you're thinking.  The skin is covered in very tough scales which when rubbed front to back is very smooth.  Rubbed the other, back to front, your hand is likely to get very cut up.  Sharks have evolved rows and rows of razor sharp teeth which are imbedded in its mouth but not the jaw.  Hunting often results in the loss of multiple teeth, so they are replaced by new ones. Imagine if we had that ability...we'd never need dentures or braces.  We could get punched in the face as many times as we'd like and still be able to sit for an Olan Mills photo the next day.

A distinct trait of the shark is that the majority of the species lack a swim bladder.  Swim bladders enable fish buoyancy, the shark instead relies on its "airplane" design to keep "afloat". Much like airplanes, sharks must use its pectoral fins to create "dynamic lift".  Otherwise the shark would undoubtedly sink because of its mass.  In addition to their prominent front fins, sharks have developed a variety of tails.  The tail is most obviously used for thrust and speed, so they vary accordingly.

The word "shark" is only a recent development, it was credited as having been coined in the 16th century.  Before then sharks were referred to, amongst other things, as "sea dogs". Despite recent name-christening, the shark has long been a successful adaptor and until recently, survivor.  Sharks have been assumed to have been in existence as early as the Ordovician.  This was a time that no life on land existed and very few predators/prey were in the ocean.  In fact, the shark became such a successful predator that it grew into the incredible Megalodon.   That's a post for another day.

Sharks, like the majority of sea life, deserve respect and protection.  Just because it looks like it can chew your legs off doesn't mean it will or it wants to.  Sharks are poster children for adaptation and evolution.  Don't allow them to be written into history books as "once having existed".  We can't afford to continually lose living proof of what our world once was or will be. So go on, give your local shark a hug today.  But remember, hugs go front-back.