Title Page
101 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT FISH
Jack Goldstein
Publisher Information
Published in 2013 by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
The right of Jack Goldstein to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998
Copyright 2013 Jack Goldstein
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
All facts contained within this book have been researched from reputable sources. If any information is found to be false, please contact the publishers, who will be happy to make corrections for future editions.
Introduction
Did you know that the courtship dance of some seahorses can last eight hours? Or how the sea serpent myth is thought to have started? This fantastic quick-read eBook features 101 amazing facts split into categories such as record breakers, sharks, unusual fish and many more. So if you want to know which fish the Romans used as a recreational drug, or in which states it is illegal to get a fish drunk, then this is the book for you! Find the information you want, fast.
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General Facts - Part 1
- A fishs fins are used for balance, propulsion and communication.
- Most fish have excellent eyesight. They are especially good at seeing colours and choosing the best spot for camouflage.
- A number of fish together is called a school. Sometimes schools contain millions of individuals.
- Fish dont sleep in the same way that humans do. Although they slow down and their metabolic rate reduces, their brainwaves to not change in the same way that other animals do.
- Some fish dont have normal teeth but a kind of grinder in their throats to help prepare what they swallow for digestion. These are called pharyngeal teeth.
- Most fish cant swim backwards for anything more than a few inches.
- Not all fish have scales - sharks, for instance, have skin which is rough and textured like sandpaper.
- Scientists are discovering new species of fish all the time; at the last count there were around 35,000 species recorded.
- Fish are cold-blooded; this means that their internal body temperature changes in response to the temperature of their environment.
- Fish were well established on earth long before the dinosaurs came along.
A school of sardines
Unusual Fish - Part 1
- The fangtooth is a scary looking fish. Although the entire fish is only a few inches long, its two large fans are around an inch long themselves and when its mouth is closed they rest in sockets to the side of its brain!
- The archerfish is so named because it can shoot a stream of water much like an arrow at insects perched on branches dangling above the water.
- The European Catfish has an unusual method of finding a meal. It will swim right up to the shore, purposefully luring pigeons close to it, making them think they are in for a tasty fish treat. However it then turns the tables on the birds by lunging at one and dragging it into the water for its dinner!
- The ocean sunfish is the heaviest known bony fish in the world, doesnt have a tail and lays 300 million eggs every year.
- Arowanas are freshwater fish which can jump out of the water to catch prey such as small birds and bats!
- The male of the Banggai cardinalfish species keeps eggs safe in its mouth until they are ready to hatch.
- The electric eel can discharge enough electricity to kill a horse. Only the front 20% of the eel contains vital organs; the rest of it contains the organs which produce the electricity!
- The sand tiger shark can adjust its buoyancy by burping at the surface; this means that it can effectively hover motionless in the water.
- The male emperor angelfish has a small harem of females - up to five follow him around wherever he goes. If he dies, then one of the females turns into a male and becomes the new leader.
- The hammerhead shark swims in schools of over 500 individuals. The centre of the school is the strongest female. When it is time to mate, she shakes her head from side to side which acts as a signal for the other female sharks to move away - thus ensuring she becomes the centre of attention from the males!
An ocean sunfish
Seahorses
- Seahorses are the only fish that regularly swim upright.
- They are also the only fish with necks!
- The seahorse can move each of its eyes separately to see as much of its surroundings as possible - it can even have one eye looking forwards whilst the other looks backwards!
- Like a chameleon, the seahorse can change its colour to blend in with its surroundings.
- Adult seahorses mate for life.
- Some seahorses swim in pairs with their tales linked together!
- Seahorses are different to most other creatures in the animal kingdom - the female lays her eggs inside a pouch on the males chest, and it is he who incubates them until they are ready to hatch. This means they are one of the few species of animal we know of where the male gives birth to the young.
- We have so far discovered 53 species of seahorse ranging from two to thirty centimetres long. Seahorses are found across the world, from coral reefs to mangrove forests.
- Seahorses need to eat constantly as they do not have stomachs!
- The courtship dance of some seahorses lasts eight hours, is intricately choreographed and involves energetic movements and colour changes.
A seahorse in a coral habitat
Did You Know?
- Neither starfish nor jellyfish are actually fish!
- The catfish has four times the number of tastebuds that you do.
- Fish are far from silent creatures. They talk to each other through grunts, croaks, whistles, hisses, clacking of teeth and much more! Although they have no vocal chords they use various parts of their bodies to make these noises.
- A fishs jaw is not connected to its skull - this means that some species can quickly extend their mouths to grab prey which wrongly thinks it is far enough away!
- Most fish have tastebuds all over their body, not just in their mouths!
- A fishs tail can tell you a lot about the nature of the fish. If the tail is split, the fish is a fast one and may cover huge distances. If the tail is not split (and is usually quite large), the fish probably lives near to a coral reef or similar habitat.
- Clownfish and sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship; as it is poisonous to other fish except the clown, the anemone protects it from predators. The clownfish also defends the anemone from potential predators as well as cleaning it from parasites.
- When should you use the word fish and when should you say fishes? The former is used when referring to a single species (i.e. eight trout are eight fish), whereas the latter is for multiple species... for instance six trout and four salmon would be ten fishes!
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