In 1938, the world zoologists was shaken by a discovery without precedent: in the Indian Ocean was living creature amazing - a fish, no doubt, but one very strange fin provided with a kind of "paws", reminiscent of limbs terrestrial vertebrates. Mysterious animal has become one of the "stars" of the living world, where scientists have realized that they were dealing with a species surviving in a group of fish ancient considered missing ago 65 million years . And recently, the strange "fish with legs" back onto the world stage: geneticists have managed to decipher its genome and exciting source of new information about this "living fossil", about its relationship with other creatures and the evolution of the living world. The discovery "fish with legs" in 1938 in response to a desire biologists old - to find the "missing link" between fish and tetrapods animals - four States - who colonized the terrestrial ago about 395 million years. Even if further investigation questioned the new-found that fish were direct ancestor of tetrapods, discovery remains one extraordinary landmark in the history of zoology. Here, briefly, the story: At December 23, 1938, Hendrik Goosen, captain of the fishing vessel Nerine, returned to port South African East London, after an expedition ocean fishing between the mouth of the river Chalumna and Ncera, on the coast west of the country . Captain customary when you have to catch fish most interesting to them and told a friend, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, who worked at the museum in East London. He called and this time, telling him that she had saved for a very special fish.
Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was happy to receive the odd fish but although searched all the books they had available, failed to realize what species have to do. L has called one of her friends, chemistry professor James Leonard Brierley Smith, but it was left for Christmas vacation. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer could not keep the whole fish in good condition, so it has entrusted to a taxidermist to be naturalized ( "stuffed"). After your holiday, Professor J. L. B. Smith immediately realized it had to do with something extraordinary: a representative group of ancient celacanţilor (Coelacanth) group considered extinct for 65 million years. Fish received scientific name of Latimeria chalumnae, after the name of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and the river Chalumna, and the news has gone around the world, putting them on fire biologists and paleontologists and fueling hopes of finding "missing link" in the chain of evolutionary what tie fish tetrapods.
Latimeria chalumnae photo: pinterest
A very special fish After three quarters of a century of research, scientists have come to know something about Latimeria chalumnae; very little, yet enough to realize it's a very unusual creature. Celacanţii now appeared approx. 400 million years ago and was thought to have disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous, now about 65 million years, in large extinction that took place then, that the dinosaurs disappeared. Indeed, the vast majority of species of this group have disappeared and is known only from fossil remains. But behold, two, at least, they have withstood time and catastrophes, surviving until today. In total, it has been described about 80 species of CELAC (including them and the two current). Latimeria chalumnae is what is called in familiar language, a living fossil, and a newer term, "Lazarus taxon", named after the biblical character brought back to life. A Lazarus taxon is a species or taxonomic group (such as celacanţii) disappears at some point in the fossil record (and is therefore considered extinct), but then reappears after a long time. It is believed that these fish, celacanţii are extinct and yet they are still living, participating in biodiversity by two representatives known world. Latimeria chalumnae fully deserves its fame it enjoys among biologists. It is a creature with many unusual features. For example, although he lives in the ocean, yea depths large, without leaving the surface, it is more akin to fish lung and tetrapods than fish actinopterigieni group of bony fish "ordinary" which constitutes 99% world fish fauna.
It has many unusual features of the skeleton, a heart made up differently than the other fish, a sort of vestigial lung, filled with fat, and other strange features that distinguish it from most of the fish world. No its not like the eggs of other bony fish: almost all lay eggs "and what not" - a large number of eggs small size compared to adult fish. Instead, Latimeria chalumnae "factory" eggs the size of oranges, a huge fish (even a big fish like him, because can reach 1.8 meters in length). The species is ovoviviparity, that fertilized eggs develop in the mother's body - gestation is about. 1 year - coming out of the egg here, and the female, eventually eliminates hatched chicks ready ("give birth to live young" after the current expression).
And outside, the most striking feature are "paws" - muscular stalks that are attached to each of the fins and which give so strange appearance of "fish with legs".
But do not use these "legs" to walk on the ocean but swim or get carried currents, using their fins 8 for precise steering maneuvers. These fish live at depths of 100-500 meters; They are predators, feeding on other fish; day stay hidden in the cracks of rocks submarine or underwater caves and night out for food. Latimeria chalumnae is considered an endangered species (like the Latimeria menadoensis), although they know so little about celacanţii lcururi living today, that the true status of the species is difficult to determine.
Before the scientific world to discover the fish and show interest in it, Latimeria chalumnae not have trouble living areas (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, Comoros). It was sometimes caught accidentally by local fishermen, but which threw him back into the water, do not consumed, because his flesh has an unpleasant taste and is somewhat toxic; It contains large amounts of fat, urea, esters of fatty acids and indigestible other substances that can cause diarrhea. But since biologists began marching after CELAC, fishermen do not take these fish, but looking to sell, a behavior that could lead to reduced populations of Latimeria chalumnae. Both this species and "sister" her Latimeria menadoensis, are today the subject of conservation programs aimed at maintaining balance populations. No longer need to stress how important it is to protect these species - "windows" distant past come to life on earth.
Genetics a living fossil Recently, Latimeria chalumnae experienced a comeback to the forefront of research. An international group of scientists has succeeded in sequencing the genome of this creature, deciphering and "reading" the sequencing of genes that contain the genetic heritage of this animal and that could explain so some features of amazing and mysteries deeper evolution forms life on Earth. Genome sequencing process itself was challenging in many respects. Chalumnae are rarely captured, threatened, so procuring tissue samples and extracting genetic material from them were difficult stages, not to mention the sequencing itself. But the effort, which involved experts from several countries and has united towards this common goal, and the international nature of this research project is one of its most valuable aspects, I think the scientists involved. Since its discovery in 1938, biologists have wondered how survived Latimeria chalumnae until today, unchanged for many millions of years, and some have hypothesized that this fish is evolving unusually slowly, that its genes are "conservative" and undergoing changes at a pace slower than other species of creatures.
Latimeria chalumnae photo: commons.wikipedia.org
And indeed, analyzing genome species, scientists have confirmed this assumption: "We found that, in general, genes [species Latimeria chalumnae] evolving significantly slower than with any fish and any vertebrate land that I studied," said Jessica Alföldi, the Broad Institute, one of the authors published in the journal Nature. Genome sequencing has enabled researchers to investigate several issues that dated back a long time.
For example, celacanţii have certain characteristics reminiscent oddly specific than the animals living on land, including "paws" fins that resemble the limbs of tetrapods. Another strange group of fish present (called longfish, or long fish), and they have similar fin (picture below). It is likely that in one of these species of ancient fish "legs" to have evolved early amphibian tetrapods that came out of the water and stepped ashore, but until now, researchers had not been able determine which of the two groups - celacanţii or dipnoii - is the most promising candidate.
Now, in addition to whole genome sequenced (almost 3 billion letters - nitrogenous bases - the DNA of Latimeria chalumnae), researchers have studied the RNA CELACboth species compared with that of the longfish. This information allowed the comparison of homologous genes associated with the development and functioning of the brain, kidneys, liver, spleen and intestines from CELAC, lungfish and other 20 species of vertebrates. And the results showed that the genetic tetrapods are closer than fish longfish. Therefore, the "missing link" between fish and tetrapods celacanţii not seem to be, they are not the direct ancestors of land vertebrates with four limbs. However, celacanţii key pieces remain in the study process was essential that the conquest of land by vertebrate animals. Even if dipnoii are closer to tetrapods land than celacanţii genome lungfish still remains a mystery: having 100 billion nitrogenous bases, is simply that too large for scientists to be able sequencing, assemble and analyze the means available now. Instead, smaller genomes of African celacantului (comparable in size to the human one) suitable deciphering methods available today and provides valuable clues on the genetic changes that allowed tetrapods thrive on land.
Scientists have sought, on the one hand, to find out what genes have lost vertebrates when they took the life on land and on the other hand, what regulatory elements (parts of the genome that control where, when and to what extent are activated certain genes) have acquired. And the findings were interesting as possible. Here are a few: The sense of smell Numerous regulatory changes have influenced genes involved in olfactory perception and detection of odors from the air. The scientists believe that when vertebrates had conquered land, they needed new ways to detect chemicals in this new environment.
Immunity By comparing the genome with the genomes of terrestrial animals African celacantului, it was discovered a significant endorsement number of regulatory changes related to immune function, and scientists believe that these changes could be related to the body's response to new pathogens found in the terrestrial environment.
Evolutionary development
photo: rationalrevolution.net
Researchers have identified several key areas of the genome that could have been "co-opted" to control body tetrapods innovations, such as the formation of limbs and fingers or placental mammals. One of these areas, called HoxD contains a specific gene sequence that is common celacanţilor and tetrapods; it is likely that this sequence have been made by tetrapods, "in service" training and rear limbs. Urea cycle Fish body eliminates excess nitrogen from ammonia in water excretând; instead, terrestrial vertebrates (including humans) have a different mechanism of "management" of nitrogen: ammonia rapidly converted into urea, less toxic, through a succession of chemical reactions that constitute the urea cycle. The study compared the genomes, the CELAC and other vertebrates have been identified indications of evolution that led to the development of this mechanism, essential if living permanently outside the water: the researchers found that the most important genes involved in this cycle were tetrapods modified to allow them to solve the problem of excess nitrogen in the conditions of life on land. But this is just the beginning discoveries. Celacanţilor genome could hold many other important clues to the evolution of tetrapods researching.
Much more great things to be learned about these fish; experts anticipated that future studies on immunity, physiology, respiration and other aspects of the biology of these creatures will lead us, finally, to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of "great passage" from life in water at the shore - one of most fascinating episodes in the history of life on Earth. Other articles on the same theme:
Dragonfish are the stuff of nightmares with their oversized jaws and rows of fanglike teeth. The deep sea creatures may be only several centimeters long, but they can trap and swallow sizeable prey. How these tiny terrors manage to open their mouths so wide has puzzled scientists, until now. In most fish, the skull is fused to the backbone, limiting their gape. But a barbeled dragonfish can pop open its jaw like a Pez dispenser — up to 120 degrees — thanks to a soft tissue joint that connects the fish’s head and spine, researchers report February 1 in PLOS ONE.
BIG GULP This X-ray image reveals that a dragonfish has eaten a large lanternfish in a single gulp.
Nalani Schnell of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and Dave Johnson of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., examined preserved specimens of nine barbeled dragonfish genera. Five had a flexible rod, called a notochord, covered by special connective tissue that bridged their vertebrae and skulls. When Schnell and Johnson opened the mouths of the fish, the connective tissue stretched out. The joint may provide just enough give for dragonfish to swallow whole crustaceans and lanternfish almost as long as they are.
OPEN WIDE Some species of dragonfish (Eustomias obscurus shown) open their jaws like Pez dispensers, thanks to a flexible joint at the base of their skulls. The joint may allow the fish to swallow bigger prey, which they trap with their fanglike teeth. Other articles on the same theme:
As intimidating as they might sound, vampire bats aren’t usually in the business of bothering humans for their blood. In fact, the hairy-legged vampire bat species was thought to feed almost exclusively on birds. But researchers have discovered that hairy-legged vampire bats in north-east Brazil have managed to kick things up a notch - they’ve been caught feeding on humans by night, and that’s something no one even thought was possible.
As intimidating as they might sound, vampire bats aren’t usually in the business of bothering humans for their blood. In fact, the hairy-legged vampire bat species was thought to feed almost exclusively on birds. But researchers have discovered that hairy-legged vampire bats in north-east Brazil have managed to kick things up a notch - they’ve been caught feeding on humans by night, and that’s something no one even thought was possible.
What should theoretically keep humans safe from these bird-targeting bats is the fact that feeding on blood is an extremely difficult adaptation for a mammal to achieve.
Photo: carnivoraforum.com
Extreme morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations are required for a species to evolve as blood-feeders, and suddenly switching from avian to mammal blood? That didn’t even seem possible.
As Bernard and his team report: "Mammal and bird blood differ in their composition, mainly in terms of nutrient composition. Bird blood, for example, has higher amount of water and fat, whereas mammal blood is rich in dry matter, mainly proteins. Studies on the feeding physiology of the common vampire bat D. rotundus showed that this species has physiological characteristics that allow higher efficiency in protein processing. On the other hand, species with a preference for bird blood, such as D. youngi and D. ecaudata, have higher ability to process and use large amounts of fat found in the blood of their prey."
And it’s not just the theoretical challenges that appear to be involved in switching between a diet of avian blood and a diet of mammal blood. As Sandrine Ceurstemont reports for New Scientist, previous experiments have shown that when only pig and goat blood was made available to bats that were used to bird blood, many of them opted to fast rather than diversify their diet - and sometimes even starved to death.
A vampire bat skeleton, showing the distinctive incisors and canines photo: wikipedia
But when Bernard and his team investigated the diets of a colony of hairy-legged vampire bats in the Caatinga dry forests of northeastern Brazil, they found something strange. Genetic analysis of 15 faecal samples contained bird DNA as expected, but 3 of those samples contained a mixture of human and bird DNA - evidence that these particular individuals had been feeding on both. Interestingly, the team notes that these bats’ most common grey - the white-browed guan, the yellow-legged tinamou, and the picazuro pigeon - have been disappearing in the area due to deforestation and hunting. Domesticated birds such as chickens presented an even more tempting option in the face of large wild birds declining, and because many of the locals keep their chickens in close contact, the desperate bats developed a taste for both. "House conditions in Catimbau are usually poor, and domestic animals are usually in close contact with humans, what may explain the occurrence of both chicken and human blood in our samples," the team reports. There are a lot of open questions here - the biggest one being exactly how this colony of bats is able to process the protein-heavy blood of humans, when they’ve evolved to digest the fat-rich blood of birds instead. The other question is if this could pose a serious risk to their new human hosts. As Daniel Becker from the University of Georgia, who wasn’t involved in the study, told New Scientist, the species has been found to carry the hantavirus in the past - and this can be fatal to humans who are infected by it. Other articles on the same theme:
Our muscles are amazing structures. With the trigger of a thought, muscle filaments slide past each other and bundles of contracting fibers pull on the bones moving our bodies. The triggered stretching behavior of muscle is inherently based in geometry, characterized by a decrease in length and increase in volume (or vice versa) in response to a change in the local environment, such as humidity or heat. Variations of this dynamic geometry appear elsewhere in nature, exhibiting a variety of mechanisms and structures and inspiring development in artificial muscle technology.
Spider silk, specifically Ornithoctonus Huwena spider silk, now offers the newest such inspiration thanks to research from a collaboration of scientists in China and the U.S., the results of which are published today in Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing.
Credit: British Tarantula Society
"Spider silk is a natural biological material with high sensitivity to water, which inspires us to study about the interaction between spider silk and water," said Hongwei Zhu, a professor in Tsinghua University's School of Material Science and Engineering in Beijing and part of the collaboration. "Ornithoctonus Huwena spider is a unique species as it can be bred artificially and it spins silk of nanoscale diameter." Besides the shrink-stretch ability of muscles, the way in which the motion is triggered -- how the muscle is actuated -- is a key part of its functionality. These spider silk fibers, actuated by water droplets, showed impressive behavior in all the ways that matter to muscle performance (or to super heroes that may need them to swing from buildings). "In this work, we reveal the 'shrink-stretch' behavior of the Ornithoctonus Huwena spider silk fibers actuated by water, and successfully apply it on weight lifting," said Zhu. "The whole process can cover a long distance with a fast speed and high efficiency, and further be rationalized through an analysis of the system's mechanical energy." The research team looked at the actuation process in a few different scenarios, capturing the macro dynamics of the flexing fibers with high speed imaging. They actuated bare fibers on a flat surface (a microscope slide) and while dangling from a fixed point (held with tweezers) before adding a weight to the dangling configuration to test its lifting abilities. Zhu and his group also investigated the micro structure of the proteins that make up the fibers, revealing the protein infrastructure that leads to its hydro-reflexive action. Electron microscopy gave a clear picture of the smooth inner threads that make up the fibrous structure, and a laser-driven technique, called Raman spectroscopy, revealed the precise conformation of the protein folding structures making up each layer. Fundamentally, the specific molecular configurations, in this case having proteins that have a strong affinity for water and that rearrange in the presence of water, give rise to the spider silk's actuation. "Alpha-helices and beta-sheets are two types of secondary protein folding structures in spider silk proteins," said Zhu. "Beta-sheets act as crosslinks between protein molecules, which are thought relevant to the tensile strength of spider silk. A-helices are polypeptide chains folded into a coiled structure, which are thought relevant to the extensibility and elasticity in spider silk protein." Returning the fiber back to its relaxed state (as one-use muscles are far less useful) requires only removing the water, which offers conservation along with its simplicity. With some fine tuning, there is also potential for designing the precise behavior of the shrink-stretch cycle. "In addition, as the falling water droplet can be collected and recycled, the lifting process is energy-saving and environmentally friendly," said Zhu. "This has provided the possibility that the spider silk can act as biomimetic muscle to fetch something with low energy cost. It can be further improved to complete staged shrink-stretch behavior by designing the silk fiber's thickness and controlling droplet's volume." Understanding this remarkable material offers new insight for developing any of a number of drivable, flexible devices in the future. Other articles on the same theme:
I was very happy to read about the continuity of missions Jupiter’s moon Europa " Europa Clipper mission " We can only be very excited and curious to learn more about the depths of the oceans of Jupiter's moon Europe. The eventual life forms can be infinitely varied, the variety of life oceans of moon Europa is still a mystery at the moment. Thanks to NASA and I want to thank them for their efforts in all areas, we will unravel the mystery of this possible extraterrestrial life ocean soon.
Below is a list of 15 strange species from the depths of the planet Earth's oceans, about which we do not have much scientific information and creatures that still continue to amaze us and surrounded in mystery. Think of the endless evolutionary possibilities of Jupiter’s moon Europa my friends !
The pelican eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides) is a deep-sea eel rarely seen by humans, though it is occasionally caught in fishing nets. It is the only known member of the genus Eurypharynx and the family Eurypharyngidae. It belongs to the "saccopharyngiforms", members of which were historically placed in their own order, but are now considered true eels in the order Anguilliformes.
The Gulper Eel - Science-rumors
The pelican eel has been described by many synonyms, yet nobody has been able to demonstrate that more than one species of pelican eel exists. It is also referred to as the gulper eel (which can also refer to members of the related genus Saccopharynx), pelican gulper, and umbrella-mouth gulper. The specific epithet pelecanoides refers to the pelican, as the fish's large mouth is reminiscent of that of the pelican.
Sandra Raredon/Smithsonian Institution - cropped version of File:Eurypharynx pelecanoides X-ray.jpg
Description
Pelican eel specimens can be hard to describe, as they are so fragile that they become damaged when recovered from the immense pressure of the deep sea. The pelican eel's most notable feature is its large mouth, which is much larger than its body.
Gulper Eel Remarkable Large Mouth - Our Breathing Planet
The mouth is loosely hinged, and can be opened wide enough to swallow a fish much larger than the eel itself. The pouch-like lower jaw resembles that of a pelican, hence its name. The lower jaw is hinged at the base of the head, with no body mass behind it, making the head look disproportionately large. Its jaw is so large that it is estimated to be about a quarter of the total length of the eel itself. When it feeds on prey, water that is ingested is expelled via the gills.
Scripps Institution - UC San Diego Photo of the Week
Pelican eels are black or olive and some subspecies may have a thin lateral white stripe. They are ray-finned fish, and only resemble eels in appearance. source of text wikipedia
Hatchetfish ( Marine hatchetfishes or deep-sea hatchetfishes )
Marine hatchetfishes or deep-sea hatchetfishes are small deep-sea mesopelagic ray-finned fish of the stomiiform subfamily Sternoptychinae. They should not be confused with the freshwater hatchetfishes, which are not particularly closely related Teleostei in the characiform family Gasteropelecidae.
MLTSHP Deep Sea Hatchetfish
Found in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, marine hatchetfishes range in size from Polyipnus danae at 2.8 cm (1.1 in) to the c.12 cm (4.7 in)-long giant hatchetfish (Argyropelecus gigas).
Wild Facts Creepy alien fish
They are small deep-sea fishes which have evolved a peculiar body shape and like their relatives have bioluminescent photophores. The latter allow them to use counter-illumination to escape predators that lurk in the depths: by matching the light intensity with the light penetrating the water from above, the fish does not appear darker if seen from below. They typically occur at a few hundred meters below the surface, but their entire depth range spans from 50 to 1,500 meters deep. source of text wikipedia
Hagfish, of the class Myxini (also known as Hyperotreti), are eel-shaped, slime-producing marine fish (occasionally called slime eels). They are the only known living animals that have a skull but no vertebral column, although hagfish do have rudimentary vertebrae. Along with lampreys, hagfish are jawless; they are the sister group to jawed vertebrates, and living hagfish remain similar to hagfish from around 300 million years ago.
Hagfish Bizarre prehistoric alien Pinterest
The classification of hagfish had been controversial. The issue was whether the hagfish was a degenerate type of vertebrate-fish that through evolution had lost its vertebrae (the original scheme) and was most closely related to lampreys, or whether hagfish represent a stage that precedes the evolution of the vertebral column (the alternative scheme) as is the case with lancelets. Recent DNA evidence has supported the original scheme.
Hagfish OCEAN TREASURES
The original scheme groups hagfish and lampreys together as cyclostomes (or historically, Agnatha), as the oldest surviving class of vertebrates alongside gnathostomes (the now-ubiquitous jawed vertebrates). The alternative scheme proposed that jawed vertebrates are more closely related to lampreys than to hagfish (i.e., that vertebrates include lampreys but exclude hagfish), and introduces the category craniata to group vertebrates near hagfish.
Snipe eels are a family, Nemichthyidae, of eels that consists of nine species in three genera. They are pelagic fishes, found in every ocean, mostly at depths of 300–600 m but sometimes as deep as 4000 m. Depending on the species, adults may reach 1–2 m (39–79 in) in length, yet they weigh only 80-400 g (a few ounces to a pound).
They are distinguished by their very slender jaws that separate toward the tips as the upper jaw curves upward. The jaws appear similar to the beak of the bird called the snipe. Snipe eels are oviparous, and the juveniles, called Leptocephali (meaning small head), do not resemble the adults but have oval, leaf-shaped and transparent bodies.
A scale diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone. Mature snipe eels generally occupy the Bathypelagic Zone
Spectacular Snipe Eel Sighting Nautilus Live
Different species of snipe eel have different shapes, sizes and colors. The similarly named bobtail snipe eel is actually in a different family and represented by two species, the black Cyema atrum and the bright red Neocyema erythrosoma.
A giant isopod is any of the almost 20 species of large isopods (crustaceans distantly related to shrimp and crabs, which are decapods) in the genus Bathynomus. They are abundant in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.[1][2] Bathynomus giganteus, the species upon which the generitype is based, is often considered the largest isopod in the world, though other comparably poorly known species of Bathynomus may reach a similar size (e.g., B. kensleyi). The giant isopods are noted for their resemblance to the much smaller common woodlouse (pill bug), to which they are related.
A frontal view of Bathynomus giganteus, showing its large, highly reflective compound eyes wikipedia
French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards was the first to describe the genus in 1879 after his colleague Alexander Agassiz collected a juvenile male B. giganteus from the Gulf of Mexico; this was an exciting discovery for both scientists and the public, as at the time the idea of a lifeless or "azoic" deep ocean had only recently been refuted by the work of Sir Charles Wyville Thomson and others. No females were recovered until 1891.
The underside of Bathynomus giganteus wikipedia
Giant isopods are of little interest to most commercial fisheries, but are infamous for attacking and destroying fish caught in trawls. Specimens caught in the Americas and Japan are sometimes seen in public aquariums.
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) or cachalot is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.
Sperm Whales Clicking You Inside Out — James Nestor at The Interval youtube
The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to 20 years, and care for the calves for more than a decade. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of killer whales (orcas).
The sperm whale's brain is the largest in the world, five times heavier than a human's. wikipedia
Mature males average 16 metres (52 ft) in length but some may reach 20.7 metres (68 ft), with the head representing up to one-third of the animal's length. Plunging to 2,250 metres (7,382 ft), it is the third deepest diving mammal, exceeded only by the Southern elephant seal and Cuvier's beaked whale. The sperm whale uses echolocation and vocalization as loud as 230 decibels (re 1 µPa m) underwater. It has the largest brain on Earth, more than five times heavier than a human's. Sperm whales can live 70 years or more.
Anatomy of the sperm whale's head. The organs above the jaw are devoted to sound generation. wikipedia
Spermaceti (sperm oil), from which the whale derives its name, was a prime target of the whaling industry, and was sought after for use in oil lamps, lubricants, and candles. Ambergris, a solid waxy waste product sometimes present in its digestive system, is still highly valued as a fixative in perfumes, among other uses. Beachcombers look out for ambergris as flotsam. Sperm whaling was a major industry in the 19th century, depicted in the novel Moby-Dick. The species is protected by the International Whaling Commission moratorium, and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Riftia pachyptila, commonly known as giant tube worms, are marine invertebrates in the phylum Annelida[1] (formerly grouped in phylum Pogonophora and Vestimentifera) related to tube worms commonly found in the intertidal and pelagic zones. Riftia pachyptila live on the floor of the Pacific Ocean near black smokers, and can tolerate extremely high hydrogen sulfide levels. These worms can reach a length of 3 m (9 ft 10 in) and their tubular bodies have a diameter of 4 cm (1.6 in). Ambient temperature in their natural environment ranges from 2 to 30 degrees Celsius.
Photo of one of the largest concentrations of Riftia pachyptila observed, with anemones and mussels colonizing in close proximity. From the 2011 NOAA Galapagos Rift Expedition. The original NOAA image has been modified by increasing brightness. wikipedia
The common name "giant tube worm" is however also applied to the largest living species of shipworm, Kuphus polythalamia, which despite the name "worm" is a bivalve mollusc, rather than an annelid.
Dragon fish known as Stomiidae other article about Deep-sea dragonfish, one of the most bizarre creatures of the Sea - VIDEO Stomiidae is a family of deep-sea ray-finned fish, including the barbeled dragonfishes. They are quite small, usually around 15 cm, up to 26 cm. These fish are apex predators and have enormous jaws filled with fang-like teeth.
Scientists crack secret of dragonfish's deadly 'invisible' teeth New York Post
They are also able to hinge the neurocranium and upper-jaw system, which leads to the opening of the jaw to more than 100 degrees.[1] This ability allows them to consume extremely large prey, often 50% greater than their standard length
The anglerfish is a fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes It is a bony fish named for its characteristic mode of predation, in which a fleshy growth from the fish's head (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure for other fish.
Representatives of ceratioid families as recognized in this study-1. (A) Centrophrynidae: Centrophryne spinulosa Regan and Trewavas, 136 mm SL, LACM 30379-1; (B) Ceratiidae: Cryptopsaras couesii Gill, 34.5 mm SL, BMNH 2006.10.19.1 (photo by E. A. Widder); (C) Himantolophidae: Himantolophus appelii (Clarke), 124 mm SL, CSIRO H.5652-01; (D) Diceratiidae: Diceratias trilobus Balushkin and Fedorov, 86 mm SL, AMS I.31144-004; (E) Diceratiidae: Bufoceratias wedli (Pietschmann), 96 mm SL, CSIRO H.2285-02; (F) Diceratiidae: Bufoceratias shaoi Pietsch, Ho, and Chen, 101 mm SL, ASIZP 61796 (photo by H.-C. Ho); (G) Melanocetidae: Melanocetus eustales Pietsch and Van Duzer, 93 mm SL, SIO 55-229; (H) Thaumatichthyidae: Lasiognathus amphirhamphus Pietsch, 157 mm SL, BMNH 2003.11.16.12; (I) Thaumatichthyidae: Thaumatichthys binghami Parr, 83 mm SL, UW 47537 (photo by C. Kenaley); (J) Oneirodidae: Chaenophryne quasiramifera Pietsch, 157 mm SL, SIO 72-180. Courtesy of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.
Some anglerfish are notable for extreme sexual dimorphism and sexual symbiosis of the small male with the much larger female, seen in the suborder Ceratioidei. In these species, males may be several orders of magnitude smaller than females.
The Creepy Anglerfish Comes to Light. (Just Don't Get Too Close ... NYT
Anglerfish occur worldwide. Some are pelagic (dwelling away from the sea floor), while others are benthic (dwelling close to the sea floor). Some live in the deep sea (e.g., Ceratiidae), while others on the continental shelf (e.g., the frogfishes Antennariidae and the monkfish/goosefish Lophiidae). Pelagic forms are most laterally compressed, whereas the benthic forms are often extremely dorsoventrally compressed (depressed), often with large upward-pointing mouths.
A viperfish is any species of marine fish in the genus Chauliodus. Viperfish are characterized by long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. A typical viperfish grows to lengths of 30 to 60 cm (12 to 23.5 in). Viperfish stay near lower depths in the daytime and shallower depths at night, primarily in tropical and temperate waters. Viperfish are believed to attack prey after luring them within range with light-producing organs called photophores, which are located along the ventral sides of its body, and with a prominent photophore at the end of a long spine in the dorsal fin reminiscent of the illicium of the unrelated deepsea anglerfishes. The viperfish flashes this natural light on and off, at the same time moving its dorsal spine around like a fishing rod and hanging completely still in the water. It also uses the light producing organ to communicate to potential mates and rivals.
Animal Diversity Web Chauliodus sloan
Viperfish vary in color from green, silver, to black. A viperfish uses its fang-like teeth to immobilize prey and would not be able to close its mouth because of their length, if it were not able to fold and curve them behind its head. The first vertebra behind the head of the viperfish absorbs the shock of biting prey. As with other deepsea fish, they are able to endure long periods with minimal food.
Viperfish are believed to live from 30 to 40 years in the wild, but in captivity they rarely live more than a few hours. Some species of dolphins and sharks are known to prey upon viperfish. Scientists believe they can swim at a speed of two body lengths per second, but this is not yet an official speed.
Viper fish zoom photo pinterest
Although it may appear to be covered in scales, it is covered by a thick, transparent coating of unknown substance. Extremely large, fang-like teeth give the fish a slightly protruded lower jaw which makes catching prey easy. The viperfish is lined with three different types of photophores, which some speculate are used to lure prey. They have microscopic spheres without a pigment layer that are scattered over the dorsal side, large spheres with a pigment coat, reflectors, and lens and large, bell-shaped organs with a pigment coat, reflectors, and lens that are grouped together in rows along the dorsal surface. Photophores can also be seen along the ventral and lateral surface of the fish. source wikipedia
Fangtooths are beryciform fish of the family Anoplogastridae (sometimes spelled "Anoplogasteridae") that live in the deep sea. The name is from Greek anoplo meaning "unarmed" and gaster meaning "stomach". With a circumglobal distribution in tropical and cold-temperate waters, the family contains only two very similar species in one genus, with no known close relatives.
Anoplogaster cornuta - Wikipedia
Description
While understandably named for their disproportionately large, fang-like teeth and unapproachable visage, fangtooths are actually quite small and harmless to humans: the larger of the two species, the common fangtooth, reaches a maximum length of just 16 cm (6.3 in) the shorthorn fangtooth is less than half this size though currently known only from juvenile specimens.
New Scientist Up close with the giant teeth of the deep-sea fangtooth
The head is small with a large jaw and appears haggard, riddled with mucous cavities delineated by serrated edges and covered by a thin skin. The eyes are relatively small, set high on the head; the entire head is a dark brown to black and is strongly compressed laterally, deep anteriorly and progressively more slender towards the tail.
Laboratory News Common Fangtooth alien face
The fins are small, simple, and spineless; the scales are embedded in the skin and take the form of thin plates. As compensation for reduced eyes, the lateral line is well-developed and appears as an open groove along the flanks.
The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis, lit. "vampire squid from Hell") is a small cephalopod found throughout temperate and tropical oceans in extreme deep sea conditions. Unique retractile sensory filaments justify the vampire squid's placement in its own order, Vampyromorphida, as it shares similarities with both octopuses and squid. As a phylogenetic relict, it is the only known surviving member of its order. The first specimens were collected on the Valdivia Expedition and they were originally described as an octopus in 1903 by German teuthologist Carl Chun, but later assigned to a new order together with several extinct taxa.
Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) – Our Wild World
Description
The vampire squid can reach a maximum total length around 30 cm (1 ft). Its 15-centimetre (5.9 in) gelatinous body varies in colour from velvety jet-black to pale reddish, depending on location and lighting conditions. A webbing of skin connects its eight arms, each lined with rows of fleshy spines or cirri; the inner side of this "cloak" is black.
Only the distal halves (farthest from the body) of the arms have suckers. Its limpid, globular eyes, which appear red or blue, depending on lighting, are proportionately the largest in the animal kingdom at 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. The name of the animal was inspired by its dark colour, cloaklike webbing, and red eyes, rather than habit—it feeds on detritus, not blood.
Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the small family Regalecidae. Found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains three species in two genera. One of these, the giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne), is the longest bony fish alive, growing up to 8 m (26 ft) in length.
Sea Serpent - Can the Giant Oarfish Predict Earthquakes? The Vintage News
The common name oarfish is thought to be in reference either to their highly compressed and elongated bodies, or to the now discredited belief that the fish "row" themselves through the water with their pelvic fins. The family name Regalecidae is derived from the Latin regalis, meaning "royal". The occasional beachings of oarfish after storms, and their habit of lingering at the surface when sick or dying, make oarfish a probable source of many sea serpent tales.
Although the larger species are considered game fish and are fished commercially to a minor extent, oarfish are rarely caught alive; their flesh is not well regarded for eating due to its gelatinous consistency
United States Navy SEALS holding a 23-foot (7.0 m) giant oarfish, found washed up on the shore near San Diego, California, in September 1996 wikipedia
Anatomy and morphology
The dorsal fin originates from above the (relatively large) eyes and runs the entire length of the fish. Of the approximately 400 dorsal fin rays, the first 10 to 13 are elongated to varying degrees, forming a trailing crest embellished with reddish spots and flaps of skin at the ray tips. The pelvic fins are similarly elongated and adorned, reduced to one to five rays each. The pectoral fins are greatly reduced and situated low on the body.
The anal fin is completely absent and the caudal fin may be reduced or absent, as well, with the body tapering to a fine point. All fins lack true spines. At least one account, from researchers in New Zealand, described the oarfish as giving off "electric shocks" when touched.
The nautilus (from the Latin form of the original Ancient Greek: ναυτίλος, 'sailor') is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae, the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina.
It comprises six living species in two genera, the type of which is the genus Nautilus. Though it more specifically refers to species Nautilus pompilius, the name chambered nautilus is also used for any of the Nautilidae. All are protected under CITES Appendix II.
Nautilus, Palau wikipedia
Nautilidae, both extant and extinct, are characterized by involute or more or less convolute shells that are generally smooth, with compressed or depressed whorl sections, straight to sinuous sutures, and a tubular, generally central siphuncle. Having survived relatively unchanged for hundreds of millions of years, nautiluses represent the only living members of the subclass nautiloidea, and are often considered "living fossils".
Diagram of the anatomical structure of a female N. pompilius including most of its internal organs. wikipedia
The first and oldest fossil of Chambered Nautilus displayed at Philippine National Museum.
The word nautilus is derived from the Greek ναυτίλος nautílos and originally referred to the paper nautiluses of the genus Argonauta, which are actually octopuses. The word nautílos literally means "sailor", as paper nautiluses were thought to use two of their arms as sails
The coelacanths (/ˈsiːləkænθ/ (About this soundlisten) SEE-lə-kanth) constitute a now-rare order of fish that includes two extant species in the genus Latimeria: the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) primarily found near the Comoro Islands off the east coast of Africa and the Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis). They follow the oldest-known living lineage of Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish and tetrapods), which means they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods than to ray-finned fish. They are found along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean and Indonesia. The West Indian Ocean coelacanth is a critically endangered species.
Preserved Latimeria menadoensis, Tokyo Sea Life Park, Japan wikipedia
Coelacanths belong to the subclass Actinistia, a group of lobed-finned fish related to lungfish and certain extinct Devonian fish such as osteolepiforms, porolepiforms, rhizodonts, and Panderichthys. Coelacanths were thought to have become extinct in the Late Cretaceous, around 66 million years ago, but were rediscovered in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.
Pectoral fin of a West Indian Ocean coelacanth wikipedia
The coelacanth was long considered a "living fossil" because scientists thought it was the sole remaining member of a taxon otherwise known only from fossils, with no close relations alive,[5] and that it evolved into roughly its current form approximately 400 million years ago. However, several recent studies have shown that coelacanth body shapes are much more diverse than previously thought.
