Mysterious Marine Fishes
Discover Magazine reports that some fish are unfamiliar to most people because of their disdain for the comforts of the shallow waters of the seaside, where they spend most of their lives in the deep.
1. The source of the legend-the royal hairtail
The eerie oarfish might be the origin of the sea serpent legends that once terrified sailors. This creature gets its name from the two rows of delicate, paddle-like fins that extend from its head to its tail. However, scientists still don't know the purpose of these strange "paddles." Experts say these fins are so thin that they likely don't help with swimming. The oarfish in this photo was stranded on a beach in Mexico and appears to be about 20 feet (6.10 meters) long. Berberle writes that there have been reports of oarfish reaching up to 55 feet (16.764 meters), but these unverified reports might just be myths.
2. Silver Flying Fish
This beautiful photograph shows a flying fish landing on a calm sea surface. The flying fish manages to get into the air by flapping its tail at 50 to 70 beats per second and spreading its "wings", or modified fins. Scientists have observed that flying fish can travel up to 400 yards (365.76 meters) in a single flight, although Bebeler writes in his book that flying fish can only travel such a long distance if they are accelerated many times through the water by their constantly flapping tails.
3. Whale shark
Scientists don't know much about the habits of whale sharks at the moment, but electronic tags have begun to help researchers unravel some of their mysteries. Scientists have recently realized that whale sharks are not slow-moving animals, as was previously believed, but in fact they will quickly dive down into deep water like an eagle swooping down from a high altitude.
4. Black Marlin
The black marlin is a colossal creature of the sea, reaching lengths of up to 13 feet (3.96 meters) and weights of up to 1500 pounds (680.39 kilograms). Roaming the Indian and Pacific Oceans, they hunt smaller fish, sometimes stunning prey with their spear-like upper jaw. Anglers participating in sport fishing consider catching such a powerful and large game fish a significant reward. The fighting strength and prowess of the black marlin are famously depicted in Ernest Hemingway's novel "The Old Man and the Sea."
5. A Puzzling Head – Hammerhead Shark
The most distinctive feature of the hammerhead shark, which scientists have yet to fully explain, is its peculiar head anatomy: a flattened nose and widely spaced eyes. Researchers have proposed numerous theories to explain why the hammerhead shark evolved such a uniquely shaped head. A recent study confirmed that the eye placement is highly advantageous for observing the surroundings. Hammerhead sharks not only possess binocular vision (where the visual fields of both eyes overlap) like humans but also can see a 360-degree view by swinging their heads back and forth. Other researchers suggest that the hammerhead's head acts like an underwater wing, aiding in its free movement in the water. Additionally, the chemical, electronic, and pressure sensors distributed at the front of the hammerhead's head greatly enhance its survival capabilities.
6. Excellent Sailor - Sailfish
This graceful sailfish is a very agile sailor that can suddenly swim forward at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour (96.56 kilometers per hour). Named for its oversized dorsal fin, the sailfish folds its dorsal fin downward during its swim through the water. But when it feels threatened or is hunting, it will put its dorsal fin up. Sailfish like to act in coalitions, coming together to surround schools of anchovies or sardines, herding them together so that they huddle in a pile and then begin to share a meal. If the school starts to disperse, the sailfish will raise its dorsal fin to scare its prey and then gather them together to prevent them from escaping. Translate to English
7. Yellowfin tuna
Because finding food in the ocean is no easy task, predators such as the yellowfin tuna must swim great distances to find food and survive. The torpedo-like size of the yellowfin tuna allows it to move quickly to catch up with fast-swimming prey. Adult yellowfin tuna have few natural predators other than humans. The fish is so important to commercial fisheries that a total of at least 800,000 tons of yellowfin tuna are caught globally each year. But because the fish reproduces so quickly (a single spawning female will lay hundreds of thousands of eggs), researchers don't think the yellowfin tuna will become extinct due to overfishing. Its close relative, the endangered bluefin tuna, faces an entirely different fate.
Thank you for reading the Mystical Ocean Fish Blog! We hope our content has given you a glimpse into the fascinating and mysterious world of deep-sea creatures. There are countless unsolved mysteries in the ocean waiting for us to explore, and we look forward to embarking on this wonderful journey with you.