You can eat a fish. Or you can make a fish your pet. You can catch a fish. You can even learn a thing or two from a fish. Just ask Dory and Nemo.
Did you know that:
- The majority of fish species reproduce by laying eggs. But some – like great white sharks – give birth to live fishes or babies. These little ones are often called ‘pups’.
- Fish can “talk,” or at least, they can communicate with one another. They use several low-pitched sounds to send messages. They can also grunt, hiss, whistle, wail, moan, and croak. In fact, they can gnash their teeth, too. But, interestingly, they don’t have vocal chords. To make different sounds and noises, they use different body parts.
- A lungfish has the ability to live out of water for years as it has both lungs and gills. When it’s out of the water, a lungfish emits a mucous cocoon and hides itself under any unbaked soil.
- Majority of fish species have their taste buds all over their bodies.
- Fish “sleep.” They have a period where their defenses are lowered. Even their response to stimuli is lessened. During their sleeping time, their physical activities slow down.
- The only kind of fish that have eyelids are sharks.
- Saltwater fish require more water consumption compared to freshwater fish due to the salty nature of seawater. If saltwater fish don’t drink water to replace the liquid flowing out of their bodies, they will dry up like prunes.
- When a fish grows, its scales don’t multiply or add new ones. Instead, they increase in size. When they do, they form growth rings that reveal the age of the fish.
- A fish can die due to drowning. Like humans, they also need oxygen. If they don’t get enough oxygen, they will die due to suffocation.
- The smallest fish, the goby, can be found in the Philippines. When fully grown, it’s only less than 1/3 of an inch in length. On the other hand, the great whale shark is the largest fish. It can reach up to 50 feet in length.
- To date, there are 25,000+ identified and 15,000+ unidentified fish species on earth.
- Fish don’t only swim. Some species can glide (or fly) while others can skip. A few species can even climb rocks.
- To navigate through murky or dark water, fish have a lateral line. It is a specialized sense organ that acts like a radar.
Here are some ‘fishy’ photos for you to enjoy!