My Science School

The Tripod fish or the 'stilt walker' has modified pelvic and caudal fins that are elongated at the tips, called rays or elements. It uses these rays to perch on the deep sea floor. Scientists suspect that fluid is: pumped through the extremely long rays, making them rigid and allowing the fish to balance while "standing". As a result of living in virtually complete darkness, these eyeless fish have developed long pectoral fins that extend upward like antennae, and serve as tactile organs or hands, when it searches for food.

Tripod fish positions its body upstream, toward the water current and waits for the prey to come. Main purpose of elongated structures is to lift the fish from the ocean floor where water current doesn't exist. This tactic ensures preservation of energy (tripod fish doesn't move when hunts) and continual supplying with the prey (which ocean current brings).

Tripod fish possesses long, feathery pectoral fins that are used as tactile organ. They float in front of the fish and detect movement of the water and potential prey. When edible prey is detected, tripod fish catches it and transports it directly into the mouth (these fins are also used as hands).

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Sea turtles are reptiles remarkably suited to life in the sea. Their hydrodynamic shape, large size, and powerful front flippers allow them to dive to great depths and swim long distances. These front flippers are long, narrow, and winglike, while their hind flippers are shorter. Although sea turtles can remain submerged for hours at a time while resting or sleeping, they typically surface several times each hour to breathe.

Sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on Earth and have remained essentially unchanged for 110 million years. In most sea turtles, the top shell—or carapace—is composed of many bones covered with horny scales, or scutes. Unlike their terrestrial relatives, they cannot retract their heads into their shells. The smallest of the sea turtles are the two species of ridleys, weighing in at 85 to 100 pounds (38 to 45 kilograms) as adults. Leatherbacks are the biggest and can grow to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). Most sea turtles grow slowly and have a lifespan of many decades.

All sea turtles are threatened or endangered. They face an uncertain future due to threats of many kinds, including pollution and the encroachment of coastal development on their nesting beaches. They are also susceptible to accidental drowning in fishing gear and are at risk from the international trade in turtle meat and shell products.

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Whale vomit is a solid, waxy and flammable substance formed in the digestive system of sperm whales. Believed to be expelled as vomit of faeces, it can be found floating on the sea or sometimes in the abdomens of dead sperm whales. Dull grey or black in colour, it is called ambergris or grey amber. As it ages, it acquires a sweet scent which is used in perfumes. Ambergris is extremely rare and very expensive too.

Due to its high value, Ambergris has been a target for smugglers especially in coastal areas. There have been several cases where the coastline of Gujarat has been used for such smuggling. Since the sperm whale is a protected species, hunting of the whale is not allowed. However, smugglers are known to have illegally targeted the fish in order to obtain the valuable Ambergris from its stomach.

However, as per Kemp, Ambergris is produced only by an estimated one per cent of sperm whales.

Nearly 9 kg of Ambergris was seized by the Mumbai Police over the past 15 days. In the first case, 2.2 kg was seized from three men in Mulund area. The police believe they obtained Ambergris from Gujarat and were looking for sellers.

In the second case, two arrests were made from Lower Parel on Wednesday and the police found 7.7 kg of the valuable material from the duo. In both cases the police are trying to trace the owner and purchasers of Ambergris.

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As its head and neck resemble a horse, scientists gave him this name. But it is a marine fish belonging to the genus hippocampus.

You can spot it swimming among seaweeds and other plants in shallow tropical and temperate salt waters throughout the world.

Unlike most fish that have scales on their body, it possesses segmented bony armour that protects me against my predators. Its pectoral fins, located behind its eyes, help in steering, while its curled tail helps in grasping objects.

A female seahorse lays eggs in a brood pouch on the male seahorse’s abdomen.

A master of camouflage, these fab fish can be incredibly difficult to spot. Camouflage not only helps the seahorse avoid predators, such as crabs and other fish, it helps it to be a predator, too. Feeding on small crustaceans, seahorses are super-skilled ambush predators. Rather than chasing their food, they wait, unnoticed, for prey to pass by. They then suck their unsuspecting victim though their tube-like mouth, before swallowing it whole. 

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The vaquita is a species of porpoise endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California in Baja California, Mexico. Averaging 150 cm (4.9 ft) (females) or 140 cm (4.6 ft) (males) in length, it is the smallest of all living cetaceans.

Vaquitas are generally seen alone or in pairs, often with a calf, but have been observed in small groups of up to 10 individuals.

Little is known about the life history of this species. Life expectancy is estimated at about 20 years and age of sexual maturity is somewhere between 3 and 6 years of age. While an initial analysis of stranded vaquitas estimated a two-year calving interval, recent sightings data suggest that vaquitas can reproduce annually. It is thought that vaquitas have a polygynous mating system in which males compete for females. This competition is evidenced by the presence of sexual dimorphism (females are larger than males), small group sizes, and large testes (accounting for nearly 3% of body mass).

This species inhabits shallow, murky lagoons along the shoreline where there is strong tidal mixing, convection processes and high food availability. Individuals are generally seen traveling alone or in small groups of 1-3 individuals, although they are sometimes observed swimming in groups as large as ten. They feed primarily on bony fish and squid which are found at or near the bottom of the sea.

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Lion fish is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is known for the zebra-like red, white and black patterns on its body and feathery pectoral fins.

It uses its fin to attract prey and warn predators away. Their babies are called fries. They live near the water’s surface until they’re big enough to swim to the deeper parts.

Lionfish are not poisonous, they are venomous. The difference between poison and venom is the method of delivery. Venom must be injected into the bloodstream to cause injury, such as through a sharp spine or fang, but is harmless if drunk or eaten. Poison has to be ingested or absorbed to be harmful; lionfish carry no poison in the edible meat of the fish.

Lionfish are predators that consume more than 70 species of fish and many invertebrate species such as shrimp and crab. Lionfish can reduce juvenile fish populations on a reef by nearly 90% in as little as five weeks. Lionfish can eat up to 30 times their own stomach volume.

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We all may have heard of turtles or tortoises being mentioned in conversations and news reports. Less often, there are reports about the similar-looking terrapin too. Are they all the same? If not, what makes them different from each other? 

The confusion around these creatures is perhaps due to some of the similarities they have - they are all reptiles, they have scales / shells, and lay eggs. At a glance, all of them do seem to look similar too. But understanding their habitats and a closer examination reveals the differences among them.

Turtles, both seawater and freshwater ones, spend their time in water. Most seawater turtles hardly leave the water, except when the females have to lay eggs. Freshwater turtles are more likely to swim out of the water now and then to bask in the sun. Since their existence depends so heavily on water, their bodies are streamlined, shells are invariably light-weight and flat, and while seawater turtles usually have flippers, freshwater ones have webbed feet to help them swim easily. Turtles are omnivores that consume fruits, insects, etc.

Tortoises, on the other hand, are land-dwelling reptiles. They have dome-shaped shells, and have bent legs with short and sturdy feet. These limbs not only help them travel on land but also dig burrows. Unlike turtles, tortoises mostly feed on low-growing shrubs, grasses, etc. Tortoises can retract their heads into their shells while not all turtles can.

Terrapin, meanwhile, seem to be a bit of both. Though they spend their time both on land and in water, they invariably live close to waterbodies such as rivers, ponds, and lakes. They are said to be often found in brackish, swampy areas. Despite being good swimmers, they don't have flippers or webbed feet. They have streamlined bodies like turtles, and a hard shell like tortoises.

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