Hypnos monopterygius, also known as the coffin ray or Australian numbfish, is a species of electric rayendemic to Australia, where it is common in inshore waters shallower than 80 m (260 ft). It is the sole member of its genus Hypnos, and familyHypnidae. This small species typically reaches 40 cm (16 in) in length. Greatly enlarged pectoral fins and an extremely short tail, coupled with diminutive dorsal and caudal fins all concentrated towards the rear, give the coffin ray a distinctive pear-like shape. It is a varying shade of brown in colour above, and has tiny eyes and a large, highly distensible mouth.
The sluggish and nocturnal coffin ray frequents sandy or muddy habitats, where it can bury itself during daytime. Able to produce a powerful electric shock reaching 200 volts for attack and defense, it can deliver a severe – albeit non-fatal – shock to a human. This species is a voracious predator that feeds mainly on benthicbony fishes, often tackling fish approaching or exceeding itself in size. On occasion, it may also consume invertebrates and even small penguins and rats. Reproduction is aplacental viviparous, in which the developing embryos are nourished by yolk and maternally produced histotroph ("uterine milk"). The female gives birth to 4–8 pups during summer. Not valued commercially, it is very hardy and can usually survive being captured and discarded. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species under Least Concern, as its population does not seem threatened by human activity. (Full article...)
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The bigeye thresher (Alopias superciliosus) is a species of thresher shark, family Alopiidae, found in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide. Like the other thresher sharks, nearly half its total length consists of the elongated upper lobe of the tail fin. Its common name comes from its enormous eyes, which are placed in keyhole-shaped sockets that allow them to be rotated upward. This species can also be distinguished by a pair of deep grooves on the top of its head, from which its scientific name is derived.
The large eyes of the bigeye thresher are adapted for hunting in low light conditions. It is one of the few sharks that conduct a diel vertical migration, staying in deep water during the day and moving into surface waters at night to feed. To protect its sensitive brain and eyes from the temperature changes accompanying these movements, the bigeye thresher has a vascular exchange system called the rete mirabile around those organs. This species feeds mainly on fish and squid, which are stunned via whip-like strikes of the long tail. Bigeye threshers are ovoviviparous, usually bearing litters of two pups. The embryos are oophagous and feed on ova produced by the mother while inside the uterus. This shark is caught by commercial fisheries across its range; the meat is not highly regarded but the skin, fins, and liver oil are valued. It has been assessed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Full article...)
The Cape Fear shiner (Notropis mekistocholas) is a North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the central part of the state of North Carolina in the southeastern United States, and is only found in the shallow streams of the Cape Fear River basin. The fish is small and yellow with black lips and a black stripe that runs down the middle of the fish's side. This shiner is normally found in mixed schools with other minnow species. It is unique amongst its genus because it has elongated intestines that are specifically adapted to a primarily herbivorous diet. It can breed twice a year and normally lives for only two or three years in the wild. The males and females are normally similar in appearance but become different colors in the spawning season. This species of shiner was not discovered until 1962.
As of 2013, the shiner is endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due to its small population size and threats to its habitat from dam construction and pollution. It was previously listed as critically endangered by the IUCN in 1996. The species has since undergone a successful captive breeding program, and its status has been a significant factor in the destruction of a dam that destroyed part of the shiner's habitat. However, the species is still limited to just five populations in the wild, and some experts[who?] believe that a single toxic chemical spill into the Cape Fear River could wipe out the entire wild population. (Full article...)
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The Japanese sleeper ray (Narke japonica) is a species of electric ray in the familyNarkidae. It is common in the inshore and offshore waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean from southern Japan to southern China. Growing up to 40 cm (16 in) long, the Japanese sleeper ray has a nearly circular pectoral fin disc colored reddish to chocolate brown above, sometimes with darker or lighter spots, and lighter brown below. The spiracles behind its small eyes have raised, smooth rims. Its short and muscular tail bears a single dorsal fin positioned aft of the rounded pelvic fins, and terminates in a large caudal fin.
Roughtail stingray (Bathytoshia centroura) at McGrail Bank, Gulf of Mexico
The roughtail stingray (Bathytoshia centroura) is a species of stingray in the familyDasyatidae, with separate populations in coastal waters of the northwestern and southwestern Atlantic Ocean. This bottom-dwelling species typically inhabits sandy or muddy areas with patches of invertebrate cover, at a depth of 15–50 m (49–164 ft). It is seasonally migratory, overwintering in offshore waters and moving into coastal habitats for summer. The largest whip-tail stingray in the Atlantic, the roughtail stingray grows up to 2.6 m (8.5 ft) across and 360 kg (800 lb) in weight. It is plain in color, with an angular, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc and a long, whip-like tail bearing a subtle fin fold underneath. The many thorns on its back and tail serve to distinguish it from other stingrays that share its range.
The Atlantic torpedo (Tetronarce nobiliana) is a species of electric ray in the familyTorpedinidae. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean, from Nova Scotia to Brazil in the west and from Scotland to West Africa and off southern Africa in the east, occurring at depths of up to 800 m (2,600 ft), and in the Mediterranean Sea. Younger individuals generally inhabit shallower, sandy or muddy habitats, whereas adults are more pelagic in nature and frequent open water. Up to 1.8 m (6 ft) long and weighing 90 kg (200 lb), the Atlantic torpedo is the largest known electric ray. Like other members of its genus, it has an almost circular pectoral fin disk with a nearly straight leading margin, and a robust tail with a large triangular caudal fin. Distinctive characteristics include its uniform dark color, smooth-rimmed spiracles (paired respiratory openings behind the eyes), and two dorsal fins of unequal size.
Solitary and nocturnal, the Atlantic torpedo is capable of generating up to 220 volts of electricity to subdue its prey or defend itself against predators. Its diet consists mainly of bony fishes, though it also feeds on small sharks and crustaceans. It is an aplacental viviparous species, wherein the developing embryos are nourished by yolk and later maternally provided histotroph ("uterine milk"). Females give birth to up to 60 young following a gestation period of one year. The electric shock of this species can be quite severe and painful, though it is not fatal. Because of its electrogenic properties, the Atlantic torpedo was used in medicine by the Ancient Greeks and Romans and became the namesake of the naval weapon. Prior to the 19th century, its liver oil was used as lamp fuel, but it is no longer of any economic value. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species as Least Concern; it is caught unintentionally by commercial and recreational fishers, but the impact of these activities on its population is unknown. (Full article...)
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The Borneo shark (Carcharhinus borneensis) is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. Extremely rare, it is known only from inshore waters around Mukah in northwestern Borneo, though it may once have been more widely distributed. A small, gray shark reaching 65 cm (26 in) in length, this species is the only member of its genus with a row of enlarged pores above the corners of its mouth. It has a slender body with a long, pointed snout and a low second dorsal fin placed posterior to the anal fin origin.
Almost nothing is known about the natural history of the Borneo shark. It is viviparous like other requiem sharks; the females bear litters of six pups, which are provisioned through gestation by a placental connection. The International Union for Conservation of Nature last assessed this species as Critically Endangered. While an extant population has since been found, the Borneo shark continues to merit conservation concern given its highly limited range within heavily fished waters. (Full article...)
Teleostei (/ˌtɛliˈɒstiaɪ/; Greekteleios "complete" + osteon "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts (/ˈtɛliɒsts,ˈtiːli-/), is, by far, the largest infraclass in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes, and contains 96% of all extant species of fish. Teleosts are arranged into about 40 orders and 448 families. Over 26,000 species have been described. Teleosts range from giant oarfish measuring 7.6 m (25 ft) or more, and ocean sunfish weighing over 2 t (2.0 long tons; 2.2 short tons), to the minute male anglerfishPhotocorynus spiniceps, just 6.2 mm (0.24 in) long. Including not only torpedo-shaped fish built for speed, teleosts can be flattened vertically or horizontally, be elongated cylinders or take specialised shapes as in anglerfish and seahorses.
The difference between teleosts and other bony fish lies mainly in their jaw bones; teleosts have a movable premaxilla and corresponding modifications in the jaw musculature which make it possible for them to protrude their jaws outwards from the mouth. This is of great advantage, enabling them to grab prey and draw it into the mouth. In more derived teleosts, the enlarged premaxilla is the main tooth-bearing bone, and the maxilla, which is attached to the lower jaw, acts as a lever, pushing and pulling the premaxilla as the mouth is opened and closed. Other bones further back in the mouth serve to grind and swallow food. Another difference is that the upper and lower lobes of the tail (caudal) fin are about equal in size. The spine ends at the caudal peduncle, distinguishing this group from other fish in which the spine extends into the upper lobe of the tail fin. (Full article...)
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The longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus) is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, with a probable worldwide distribution in temperate and tropical waters. An uncommon species, it is typically lumped together under the name "mako" with its better-known relative, the shortfin mako shark (I. oxyrinchus). The longfin mako is a pelagic species found in moderately deep water, having been reported to a depth of 220 m (720 ft). Growing to a maximum length of 4.3 m (14 ft), the slimmer build and long, broad pectoral fins of this shark suggest that it is a slower and less active swimmer than the shortfin mako.
Longfin mako sharks are predators that feed on small schoolingbony fishes and cephalopods. Whether this shark is capable of elevating its body temperature above that of the surrounding water like the other members of its family is uncertain, though it possesses the requisite physiological adaptations. Reproduction in this species is aplacental viviparous, meaning the embryos hatch from eggs inside the uterus. In the later stages of development, the unborn young are fed nonviable eggs by the mother (oophagy). The litter size is typically two, but may be as many as eight. The longfin mako is of limited commercial value, as its meat and fins are of lower quality than those of other pelagic sharks; however, it is caught unintentionally in low numbers across its range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this species as endangered due to its rarity, low reproductive rate, and continuing bycatch mortality. In 2019, alongside the shortfin mako, the IUCN listed the longfin mako as "Endangered". (Full article...)
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The sparsely spotted stingaree (Urolophus paucimaculatus), also known as the white-spotted stingaree or Dixon's stingaree, is a species of stingray in the familyUrolophidae, common off the southern Australian coast. Preferring sandy flats and seagrass beds, this benthic ray can be found from close to shore to a depth of at least 150 m (490 ft), and tends to occur deeper in the northern portion of its range. Reaching a length of 57 cm (22 in), this species has a broad, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc that is typically plain gray in color above with a V-shaped marking between the eyes. Individuals from southerly waters also generally exhibit a smattering of small, dark-edged white spots. This ray is further characterized by a distinctively bell-shaped curtain of skin between the nostrils. Its tail has a skin fold running along either side and a leaf-shaped caudal fin, but no dorsal fin.
Relatively inactive during daytime, the sparsely spotted stingaree preys mainly on crustaceans, and to a much lesser extent on polychaete worms and other small benthic organisms. It is aplacental viviparous, with the mother provisioning her young with histotroph ("uterine milk"). Life history differs between the eastern and western subpopulations: eastern females bear litters of up to six pups with a twelve-month gestation period, while western females bear litters of only one or two pups with a ten-month gestation period. Also, western rays mature later and live longer than eastern rays. The venomous sting of the sparsely spotted stingaree is potentially injurious to humans, and it has been reported to react aggressively if disturbed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it under Least Concern, as there is little fishing activity over the majority of its range. (Full article...)
The case began in 2002 when a Coast Guard crew working from a Navy ship stopped and searched the King Diamond II, a U.S.-flagged, Hong Kong-based vessel in international waters off the coast of Guatemala. On board the ship they found shark fins, equivalent to 32.3 tons (29.3 tonnes) but without any corresponding shark carcasses. The Coast Guard, upon further investigation, found documentary evidence that the KD II had arranged to meet fishing vessels at predetermined locations and buy various quantities of fins. These activities were believed to violate the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000 (SFPA). The fins were thus seized and the ship escorted to San Diego, the nearest American port. (Full article...)
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The diamond stingray (Hypanus dipterurus) is a species of stingray in the familyDasyatidae. It is found in the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean from southern California to northern Chile, and around the Galápagos and Hawaiian Islands. This bottom-dweller generally inhabits sandy or muddy flats near rocky reefs and kelp forests, to a depth of 30 m (98 ft), though off Hawaii it may range considerably deeper. As its common name suggests, this species has an angular, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc that is plain brown or gray above, with rows of tubercles along the midline and on the "shoulders". The long, whip-like tail has both dorsal and ventral fin folds, which distinguish this ray from the closely similar longtail stingray (H. longa). It typically grows to 1 m (3.3 ft) across.
When searching for food, diamond stingrays may form groups of up to hundreds of individuals. It is most active at night and preys mainly on burrowing invertebrates and small bony fishes, which are extracted from the bottom via suction or digging. This species is aplacental viviparous: once the embryos exhaust their yolk supply, they are nourished by histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother. Females bear 1–4 pups every summer in estuaries; mating is followed by a ten-month period of either sperm storage or arrested embryonic development, after which the embryos rapidly mature over 2–3 months. The slowest-growing stingray known, this species is not resilient against fishing pressure. It is caught for food by artisanal fishers in Latin America, particularly in Mexico where it is one of the most economically important rays. This is assessed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Though innocuous towards humans, the diamond stingray's long, venomous tail spine is potentially dangerous. (Full article...)
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The finetooth shark (Carcharhinus isodon) is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, found in the western Atlantic Ocean, from North Carolina to Brazil. It forms large schools in shallow, coastal waters, and migrates seasonally following warm water. A relatively small, slender-bodied shark, the finetooth shark can be identified by its needle-like teeth, dark blue-gray dorsal coloration, and long gill slits. It attains a maximum length of 1.9 m (6.2 ft). The diet of this species consists primarily of small bony fishes, in particular menhaden. Like other members of its family, it is viviparous with females giving birth to two to six pups in estuarine nursery areas every other year.
Valued for its meat, the finetooth shark forms an important component of the commercialgillnet shark fishery operating off the southeastern United States. Population assessments suggest that this fishery does not currently pose a threat to U.S. populations of the species. This shark is not known to pose a danger to humans, though it snaps vigorously when captured and should be handled with caution. (Full article...)
The Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a species of marlin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. It is closely related to, and usually considered conspecific with, the Indo-Pacific blue marlin, then simply called blue marlin. Some authorities consider both species distinct.
The Atlantic blue marlin (hereafter, blue marlin) feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface. It uses its bill to stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of fish or other prey, then returns to eat the injured or stunned fish. Marlin is a popular game fish. The relatively high fat content of its meat makes it commercially valuable in certain markets. It is the national fish of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and is featured on its coat of arms. (Full article...)
... that since 2018, IKEA's stuffed toy shark Blåhaj has become a popular Internet meme and an icon of the online transgender community?
... that Eyvindur P. Eiríksson has addressed modern alienation and man's relationship with nature through pagan poetry and a book about a fishing trawler?
Image 4Most of the rest of the mesopelagic fishes are ambush predators, such as this sabertooth fish. The sabertooth uses its telescopic, upward-pointing eyes to pick out prey silhouetted against the gloom above. Their recurved teeth prevent a captured fish from backing out. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 8The stoplight loosejaw is also one of the few fishes that produce red bioluminescence. As most of their prey cannot perceive red light, this allows it to hunt with an essentially invisible beam of light. (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 9Scale diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone (from Pelagic fish)
Image 10Coral reefs support flourishing ecosystems, paradoxically in clear, low nutrient waters, along tropical continental coasts and around volcanic islands. Coral reef fish are numerous and diverse. (from Coastal fish)
Image 11Scale diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 21The huge ocean sunfish, a true resident of the ocean epipelagic zone, sometimes drifts with the current, eating jellyfish. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 22Red snapper, are generalized reef feeders with standard jaw and mouth structures that allow them to eat almost anything, though they prefer small fish and crustaceans. (from Coral reef fish)
Image 27Long-snouted lancetfish. Lancetfish are ambush predators which spend all their time in the mesopelagic zone. They are among the largest mesopelagic fishes (up to 2 m). (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 33The humpback anglerfish is a bathypelagic ambush predator, which attracts prey with a bioluminescent lure. It can ingest prey larger than itself, which it swallows with an inrush of water when it opens its mouth. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 34Surgeonfish are among the most common of coral reef herbivores, often feeding in shoals. This may be a mechanism for overwhelming the highly aggressive defence responses of small territorial damselfishes that vigorously guard small patches of algae on coral reefs. (from Coral reef fish)
Image 36Humans seldom encounter frilled sharks alive, so they pose little danger (though scientists have accidentally cut themselves examining their teeth). (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 37Some flatfish can camouflage themselves on the ocean floor (from Demersal fish)
Image 44The daggertooth paralyses other mesopelagic fish when it bites them with its dagger-like teeth (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 45Shortfin mako shark make long seasonal migrations. They appear to follow temperature gradients, and have been recorded travelling more than 4,500 km in one year. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 46Most mesopelagic fishes are small filter feeders that ascend at night to feed in the nutrient rich waters of the epipelagic zone. During the day, they return to the dark, cold, oxygen-deficient waters of the mesopelagic where they are relatively safe from predators. Lanternfish account for as much as 65% of all deep sea fish biomass and are largely responsible for the deep scattering layer of the world's oceans. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 47The stoplight loosejaw has a lower jaw one-quarter as long as its body. The jaw has no floor and is attached only by a hinge and a modified tongue bone. Large fang-like teeth in the front are followed by many small barbed teeth. (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 49Young, red flabby whalefish make nightly vertical migrations into the lower mesopelagic zone to feed on copepods. When males mature into adults, they develop a massive liver and then their jaws fuse shut. They no longer eat, but continue to metabolise the energy stored in their liver. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 50The giant whale shark, another resident of the ocean epipelagic zone, filter feeds on plankton, and periodically dives deep into the mesopelagic zone. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 51Demersal fish output in 2005 (from Demersal fish)
Image 54Herring reflectors are nearly vertical for camouflage from the side. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 55Pacific decadal anomalies – April 2008 (from Pelagic fish)
Image 56The rattail Coryphaenoides armatus (abyssal grenadier) on the Davidson Seamount at a depth of 2,253 metres (7,392 ft). (from Deep-sea fish)
Image 57Cod-like fishes, like this morid cod have a barbel (fleshy filament) on their lower jaw which they use to detect prey buried in the sand or mud. (from Coastal fish)
Image 58In the foreground is an orange-lined triggerfish displaying spines. Triggerfish have mouths that crush shells. Orange-lined triggerfish are particularly aggressive. The black and white fish are three-stripe damselfish and the unstriped fish are blue-green chromis damselfish. If the triggerfish attacks, the damselfish will hide in the nearby cauliflower coral. If the triggerfish wants to hide, it will squeeze into a coral crevice and lock itself in place with its spines. (from Coral reef fish)
Image 59The stargazer is an ambush predator which can deliver both venom and electric shocks. It has been called "the meanest thing in creation". (from Coastal fish)
Image 66Lanternfish are partial residents of the ocean epipelagic zone During the day they hide in deep waters, but at night they migrate up to surface waters to feed. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 67The great hammerhead detects the electrical signatures of stingrays buried in the sand and pins them with its "hammer". (from Demersal fish)
Image 68Many bristlemouth species, such as the "spark anglemouth" above, are also bathypelagic ambush predators that can swallow prey larger than themselves. They are among the most abundant of all vertebrate families. (from Pelagic fish)
Image 69World distribution of plankton (from Coastal fish)
A discus (Symphysodon discus) is guarding its eggs. As for most cichlids, brood care is highly developed with both the parents caring for the young. Additionally, adult discus produce a secretion through their skin, off which the larvae live during their first few days.
Koi are ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carpCyprinus carpio, originated from China and widely spread in Japan. They are very closely related to goldfish. The word "koi" comes from Japanese meaning "carp".
Bryaninops yongei is a benthic species of goby widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean; it is commonly found living in and around coral. Although this species was discovered in 1906, its ability to propel itself quickly to escape predators makes it difficult to study.
The Peacock flounder (Bothus mancus) is a species of lefteye flounder found widely in relatively shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific. This photomontage shows four separate views of the same fish, each several minutes apart, starting from the top left. Over the course of the photos, the fish changes its colors to match its new surroundings, and then finally (bottom right) buries itself in the sand, leaving only the eyes protruding.
A sketch of a longnose sawshark (Pristiophorus cirratus), a species of sawshark found in the eastern Indian Ocean around southern Australia on the continental shelf at depths of between 40 and 310 m (130 and 1,020 ft). It is a medium-sized shark with a saw-like flattened snout which measures up to thirty percent of its body size.
Rhinogobius flumineus, also known as the lizard goby, is a species of goby in the family Oxudercidaeendemic to Japan, seen here in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. A small freshwater fish found in fast-flowing streams, it maintains its position against the current by gripping a rock with a sucker formed from two of its fins. The fish's mouth is slightly asymmetric; dextral (right-sided) fish tend to curve their bodies to the right as they rest, while sinistral (left-sided) fish tend to adopt a left-curving posture. The fish are omnivorous, picking edible items off the stream bed with the side of the mouth, but dextral and sinistral fish show no preference for which side of the mouth they use for this purpose.
The Atlantic spadefish is a species of marine fish endemic to the shallow waters off the coast of the southeastern United States and in the Caribbean Sea. They are similar in appearance to fresh waterangelfish, but much larger, reaching up to three feet (0.9 m) in length. Due to their reputation as strong fighters, they are popular game fish, especially during the summer months when they are most active.
The round ribbontail ray (Taeniura meyeni) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found throughout the nearshore waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Reaching 1.8 m (6 ft) across, this large ray is characterized by a thick, rounded pectoral fin disc covered by small tubercles on top, and a relatively short tail bearing a single venomous spine. The ray is well-camouflaged when lying on the seabed; it is largely nocturnal, and preys on molluscs, crustaceans and bony fish. Mature females bear litters of up to seven pups, which are fed during gestation on "uterine milk", a product secreted by the walls of the oviduct. This round ribbontail ray was photographed in Lakshadweep, India.
Icefish are a type of Antarctic fish belonging to various families, including the Channichthyidae family. They have no haemoglobin and their blood is transparent. They feed on krill, copepods, and other fish. Icefish rely on well-oxygenated water and absorb oxygen directly through the skin as they lack red blood cells.
Brachysomophis cirrocheilos, the stargazer snake eel, is a marine fish belonging to the family Ophichthidae. It is native to shallow tropical and subtropical waters in the western Indo-Pacific region. It hunts at night for crustaceans and small fish, after which it submerges itself into the sediment tail first and remains there all day, with just its eyes and the top of its head projecting, as seen here in Batangas Bay in the Philippines.
An Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) egg hatching. The Alevin (larva) has grown around the remains of the yolk sac - visible are the arteries spinning around the yolk and little oildrops, also the gut, the spine, the main caudalblood vessel, the bladder and the arcs of the gills. In about 24 hours it will be a fry without yolk sac.
The orbicular batfish (Platax orbicularis) is a batfish endemic to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has a thin, disc-shaped body, and male can grow up to 50 centimetres (20 in) in length. In the wild, the orbicular batfish lives in brackish or marine waters, usually around reefs, at depths from 5 to 30 metres (20 to 100 ft). It is also a popular aquarium fish, although captive specimens generally do not grow as long as wild ones.
A plate with fossils of Pseudostacus sp. (lobster, left) and Diplomystus birdii (fish, right), from the Hakel paleontological formation in Lebanon. The paleontological sites of Lebanon contain deposits of some of the best-preserved fossils in the world, and include some species found nowhere else. The most famous of these is the Lebanese lagerstätten of the Late Cretaceous age.
The Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua) is a species of freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. The aggressive fish is known to reproduce rapidly, leading to problems when it is introduced to foreign bodies of water.
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