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.

Dress Your Family in Koi-duroy: Beauty Pageants for Fish

It's been widely known, and amusingly observed, one of the most honored traditions in Japan, is dressing up your fish for beauty contests. This means of course the tradition of the Koi. The word itself, un-creatively, just means "carp" in Japanese. But that doesn't mean you can look at the species "menu" on the left and dream of them wrapped in seaweed.

The koi has had the fortune of being transformed from an "ugly duckling" of the fish world to become beauty queens supreme of the cold waters. Intense interest in koi breeding happened only within the 20th century.

Koi have more than looks though. They are believed to be able to form social bonds with their owners. In fact, many owners relay stories in which their koi know when they're coming and even patiently eating food pellets out of their hands. It is this connection in addition to its beauty that makes the koi royalty amongst all other "domesticated" fish.

The care and breeding of koi can vary and be as arduous as any other highly-involved hobby. Because koi have developed certain levels of acceptable beauty, it often not surprising though very disheartening to know that many (thousands) of offspring are culled because they lack color or markings. Koi are very active and athletic fish, so they do best in man-made environments. Released into the wild they tend to be the loud, noisy, unruly post-grads in the water world's upper east side. But koi are hardy, typical life spans go into decades. This makes them far more attractive than typical pond fish.

The size, color, and personality of the koi has endeared itself to almost everyone who's ever seen one. It's only fitting that we started beauty contests for fish, so we should extend that banner to more animals out in the ocean in a manner that's more appreciative.

My mother's a duck, my father's a beaver and I'm in therapy! The Platypus

If when looking upon this cute little critter to the right your heart doesn't melt, have someone check your pulse. The platypus gets an honorary place in this blog because he is partially aquatic, and really anything that touches the water is good enough for a discussion.

Despite unbelievably cuddly appearances, the duck-billed platypus (which is a bit redundant, there is only kind of platypus) is actually a bit of a gangster. It is one of the few venomous mammals on earth. That's right, this animal is in the same quilting circle as the Man O' War. The males have a spur (loosely resembling a really long nail) on their hind feett that contains toxins. Should you ever cause the platypus to have to use his spur...well, it was nice knowing you. Generally the jabs are not fatal...but you will be feeling it for days.

The platypus is a native of Australia, but it's not friends with the Geico gecko. Where lizards and amphibians in general are plentiful down under, platypuses were nearly hunted into extinction for its beautiful dense fur. Its name comes from the Greek combination that literally translates to "flat foot". The original discovery of the platypus is credited to John Hunter, though many people were positive the animal was a hoax. After all...wasn't evolution supposed to be streamlined, not hodge podged?

Amongst other things that the platypus enjoys is driving people nuts with possible plural forms of its name. There is no universally agreed upon plural, although it's rumored that he prefers "platypodes" which would be the Greek plural. In addition to its oddly cute appearance, strange and complicated name, it is one of five mammal species to belong to a very exclusive club: monotremes. This means they lay eggs instead of giving live birth. Not only this, but they hunt with electrolocation. That means, amazingly, they find food via the electrical impulses given off by prey. They hunt frequently, and are often thought of as the Australian Kobayashi. They typically eat 20% of their bodyweight daily. Despite having to hunt regularly, the platypus's dives are usually very short, hence it being semi-aquatic. It's not very impressive to see an animal go into the water all graceful and then come up gasping and choking for air 30 seconds later.

Conservation efforts have been stepped up for these furry fellows, as their community was threatened with collapse during the 19th century. However it's still facing major ecological changes, and many populations have been driven to other parts of the Australian coasts as their local habitats have been drying up or becoming too warm to be accommodating. So although you may never see one up and close and personal, what we do here effects the world. If you are ever lucky enough to happen upon one, please send pictures and give him a smile. He's not into hugs.

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish: The Portuguese Man O' War

Not to start off with a fib...but this post is starting off with a fib.  The Portuguese Man O' War is not actually a jellyfish.  They'd probably be insulted you even thought such a thing.  And "they" is in reference to just one Man O' War, not a whole "smack" of them.  

Yes, this beautifully-hued-water-wing-look-alike is a living, swimming co-op.  The Man O' War is actually a siphonophore.  This means they are made up medusoids and polyps.  Polyps in this sense mean something completely different than what we traditionally think of.  Usually the word polyps bring a scene from "Alien" to mind.  Each member of the water-wing has an important part.  Separately they wouldn't get much done...but together they can kick your ass.

The Man O' War is commonly feared off the Florida Keys.  As they should be.  The tentacles contain venom that is 73x stronger than a cobra bite.  The best thing to do if you see one floating (and they can only float, they have no means of jet propulsion) is to swim as quickly as you can the other way.  The other thing that is recommended should you see one on the beach all washed up and dead looking is to not touch it.  While we're naturally curious creatures and would be inclined to poke it, the tentacles still contain toxins.  So while the co-op might be vacant, its tentacles are not.  Those unfortunate enough to have been stung by a Man O' War most likely made it out ok.  Rare are the fatal cases of stinging deaths.  That's not to say those people didn't have it rough for a few hours.  The pain is on par with just about anything excruciating.  So think of the last time you had something very painful happen to you, take that, multiply by a hundred, then add a house-landed-on-you feeling.

This Man O' War (or bluebottle has they're known in certain 'hoods) is Portuguese in name because of its shape.  The common shape of the air bladder that floats atop the ocean appeared similar to the sails of Portuguese ships Caravela redonda.  Or man-0f-war.  

But for all the majestic traits this animal possesses both in looks and etymology, it certainly lacks in all other departments.  Nothing is more disappointing to know that when they sense danger, they'll deflate its air bladder and dip beneath the surface of the ocean to hide.  There are just too many ways to go with that.  And for all of the hullabaloo surrounding its sting, there exists a couple of species immune to it, like the Loggerhead turtle which feeds Man O' Wars.  Wonder if that would make the plural Men O' Wars.

Jurassic Porker: The Leedsichthys

It might be fair to say that the Leedsichthys holds a special place in paleontology's heart. Well, most gi-normous boney fish do. This particular gi-normous boney fish holds the nonexistent world record of "possibly the world's largest fish to ever exist". It's nonexistent because scientists like to spend too much time waffling and less time measuring. But to their credit a complete skeleton fossil has yet to be found, so it's a lot of guessing.

The Leedsichthys was an amazing species of fish that existed during the Jurassic. During the heyday of the dinosaurs incredible animals lived in the ocean. To complement this ridiculously large swimming buffet evolution created the Liopleurodon. This creature is arguably the largest predator to have ever existed. That's a post for another day.

Despite its epic size (estimated it could grow up to 25 M, or approximately 82 ft long - which, by the way, is twice as long as the current largest living fish) the Leedsichthys was a leisurely swimmer. Chances are its metabolism was super inefficient, aggravated by its diet which consisted only of shrimp, jellyfish, and plankton. This meant it had to conserve its energy. Like the modern Whale Shark (which is neither a whale nor a shark) it had giant rows of teeth-lined gills. Think of it like those cloth strips in automatic car washes. Despite its seemingly meager food preference, it easily outgrew every other species in the ocean. In fact, it probably took a whole team of predators to take down one adult Leedsichthys. It's been assumed it traveled in packs, after all in a time like the Jurassic...you can't underestimate the safety in numbers rule!

The etymology of "leedsichthys" is almost as fun as the actual animal. It's named after the British fossil enthusiast Alfred Leeds. The name is Greek for "Leeds's Fish". The species was then further cemented into curious fame by having "problematicus" tacked onto its name. And that's a true story. Apparently they had "problems" and/or difficulty imagining an animal of that scale could exist. Logistics aside, the Leedsichthys was truly a gentle giant. In fact, you could say it was near pansy status. The main difficulty in finding complete fossils is that the Leedsichthys had very fragile skeletons, despite it being considered obese by the prettier, thinner, faster fish.

So the next time your friend decides to tell you a tale about the fish that he caught that was "t - h - i - s big", just humor him.

Here There Be Sea Monsters: FAQ about the Giant Squid

As the old Norse joke used to go: 

"Hey Larry, what's Kraken?"

"A Giant Squid!"

Back in the day (we're talking 17th - 18th century here) ocean explorers, sea farers, sailors, and anyone foolish enough to get on an exploration ship, were often prepped for their voyages by being told frightening tales of the Kraken.  The Kraken was a legendary giant squid that was predisposed to viciously attacking ships just willy-nilly and resulting in certain death for all on board.  It was apparently fond of hanging in colder waters, in the general Iceland/ Norway/ Sweden vicinity.  Among other tall tales (verified by men with peg legs and eye patches) the Kraken could destroyed an entire ship just by quickly diving back into the deep, thereby creating such a powerful whirlpool that the ship would be doomed to the black depths of the sea.  If the Kraken were to attack your ship...well forget it.  No chance of survival.  For the Kraken's size was likened to an island, and its tentacles a quarter mile long.  

Chances were those men were a little seasick, a little scared, but most likely just gullible.  But the those seafaring men were not completely foolish.  The Giant Squid does indeed exist, and with science and technology constantly improving, we are now on the verge of understanding the secrets of the Giant Squid.  If for nothing else, this animal intrigues us so because it's huge, it's reclusive, it's real, and it wants nothing to do with us.

How big are they?  Last year the largest known squid was caught off of New Zealand, it was 10m long (that's over 30 ft).  In fact, if calamari rings were to be made from this catch, they'd be the size of tractor tires.  This specimen also happened to be a Colossal Squid, bigger than its Giant Squid cousin, it's been estimated they can grow up to 14m.  These squids are the largest invertebrates in the world.

Where do they live?  They have been known to be in primarily frigid waters.  Because they live in very deep depths, and are dispersed in terms of community, it is hard to pinpoint a likely location for these beautiful beasts.  It's also been assumed that these animals very rarely meet, in fact, mating is an arduous process.  One that involves swimming many, many miles to find a mate.  It's not a very romantic process, so details won't be provided, as it's likely to gross you out.

What do they eat?  They are generally carnivores, and will eat other much smaller squids, a variety of fish, and shrimp.  It has also been suggested, like the quintessential display in the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, that the giant squid can occasionally attack whales. But chances are the giant squid, no matter his size, will not take on an adult blue whale.  He will most likely try his hand at a juvenile whale if he decides to attack at all.

What's unique about these animals?  Well, you have your pick.  Science has also recently confirmed that the giant squid is also the owner of the world's largest eyes.  Which is a little odd, considering the depths they live in.  Eyesight is almost of no use, light does not penetrate in the deep.  But large eyes do help capture what little light does filter down, although they hunt primarily by smell.  What else is creepy about these squids is that, like other cephalopod members, it has a beak for a mouth at the base of its body where the tentacles meet.

With technology constantly improving, and our world seemingly getting smaller, it will probably only a matter of time before we can discover the true nature of the giant squid.  And that will be a coming out party that it will not want to attend. 

Topic of the Day: Your Friendly Neighborhood Lobster

It was a tough decision between the lobster or the squid. Today the lobster won, next post will be about a member of the cephalopod family. We take lobsters for granted, and often (if not always) overlook how cool they are.

Lobsters are crustaceans, which belong to the larger family of arthropods. That's right, it's related to spiders and insects. If you want to get technical, arthropods are species of animals that have tough exteriors (exoskeletons), segmentation, and jointed appendages.

The most common type of lobster you're likely to meet is the "clawed" lobster, though there are many species. Most people don't realize the colorful history of the lobster. Once considered the "poor man's" food, it was actually boycotted during colonial times because of its overabundance. Only in the 20th when the import/export industry became more efficient did the lobster become a favored luxury food. But, let's not think about our clawed friends in that way.

The common lobster likes to live a hermit type life. He'll hang out in rocky, continental shelf areas, spending most of his time hunting, eating, and growing. Because of its relation to the arthropod family lobsters molt. They must do so quickly, otherwise they become vulnerable to predators as well as risking injury to themselves. Lobsters can live to the ripe old age of 100. Because they take a considerable amount of time to mature before mating, and with the species population rapidly dwindling, it is now a law in lobster fishing that "adolescent" lobsters that are caught must be returned to the water.

An endearing quality about this animal, though not always to its benefit, is that it's built to swim one way: backwards. The way lobster traps work is that bait is anchored to the bottom of a wire cube. The lobster swims into the cage easily, but because it's oriented from the opposite end, it can't find its way back out. Thus it is stuck and at the mercy of Gorton the Fisherman. But that doesn't mean it can't walk...albeit very slowly...forwards. Walking behind a lobster is like walking behind a tourist in Times Square, you'd just rather not.

And who says lobsters can't be trendy? They grow in a variety of beautiful colors; blue, green, red, magenta, purple, and green. Not only this, but way back in our early history lobsters (as well as a variety of sea life) were worshipped. The super sophisticated Moche people of Peru knew what was up in respecting marine life, and that was back in 200 a.d.

So the next time you see a lobster, do not picture him naked with a side of drawn butter. Because lobsters hate nothing more than being objectified.

Enemy of the Day: Polychaete Worms

They're not really enemies in the traditional sense.  They aren't super destructive or extremely evil.  They're just...ugly...and creepy.  Like all ecosystems, the ocean has its share of bizarre and strange scavengers.  The polychaete worm pretty much fits that bill.

Sea worms have been in existence for millions of years.  In fact, deep sea expeditions always records no less than 10 new species of sea worm each time.  But that doesn't mean we should get all excited about 'em...they're worms. They come in all different shapes and sizes.  Sometimes they look pretty innocuous.  Like the deep sea vent worms.  They look very similar to pretty feathers.  Except they're worms.  It's hard to be a fan of something that lacks eyes, mouths, or other discerning features that would otherwise make it more lovable.  One of the odd traits of sea worms is that they do not have a straight forward line in evolutionary paths.  Sometimes when they are discovered, they are more rudimentary than previously discovered ones.  Who knew?  C'mon...it's a worm...how can you go backwards from there?

To their credit though, they do perform some interesting job functions.  Most of the time they are a lot like the Dept. of Sanitation for parts of the ocean.  They'll clean up scraps, sometimes even burrowing into bones to get the last bit of protein.  Some species feed solely off of bacteria floating through the ocean.  However, with their ability to rapidly produce, it begs the question, what is their purpose after the initial task?  Does a whale carcass really need tens of thousands of worms just hanging around afterwards?  No one like loiterers, not even in the ocean.