Other Tales of Tails

1. Other Tales of Tails • Dolphin Fluke : • Flexible to catch water going up and down. • helps to lift the dolphin making it easier to breath • also used to kill fish • slapping -believed to be a signal of danger or upset

2. Flying Fish • The bottom cercal (lobe) is larger than the top so it can swim above the surface of the water when feeling threatened. • the large pectorals provide lift

3. Deep Sea Fish(Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic and Abyssopelagic) • The morphology of deep sea fish is adapted to: • the cold, • the dark, • high pressure • and scarce food.

4. Adaptations to Less Light • Many deep sea fish (mesopelagic) have adapted large eyes to capture what little light exists. Most often, this light is blue-green • Cryptic coloration in the deep: • Deep sea fish are often transparent, black, silvery and even red in color. The absence of red light at these depths keeps them concealed.

5. Bioluminescence • Some fish produce light • possible functions: attract prey, attract mates, counter shading (dark on top light on the bottom), startle or confuse predators • Light organs = photophores • chemical reaction • symbiotic relationship with light producing bacteria

6. Coloration note: • some fish have special dark lining in their stomach that may serve to conceal light emitted from the light organs of engulfed prey • Some fish produce red light • to not be detected • to attract curious prey

7. Total Darkness • Bathypelagic and abyssopelagic fish have small or no eyes • Use other senses to detect prey

8. The Better to Eat You With Deep Sea Fish have : • Long sharp teeth • Large mouth • Distensible stomach (it stretches) Rattail (high in TMAO >TMA)

9. other Feeding Adaptations • Scarcity of food adaptations: • Conserve energy (slow or no movement) • Low metabolism (cold helps) • Feed on detritus and bacteria (marine snow)

10. “Under Pressure” • Pressure increases 1 atmosphere (atm) for each 10 m in depth. • The deep sea depth = 700 m - 10,000 m • Deep sea pressure = 70 atm -1,000 atm.

11. Adaptations to Pressure • Gelatinous Bones • Gelatinous Muscle and tissue • No large body cavities (that could collapse)

12. “Dancing in the Dark”i.e. Finding a Mate • Darkness and Vastness makes it difficult to find a mate Adaptations: • Bioluminescence • Chemicals • Males attach to females

13. “You’re as Cold as Ice” • The temperature is cold enough to freeze fresh water (at the abyss) • Adaptations: • Slow metabolism • Minimal energy usage

14. Other Creatures of the Deep • Jellies – • no skeleton, • transparent • mostly made of water • use little energy • Squid (giant and colossal) • no skeleton (just a “pen”) • soft tissue