BFFs!!! - Tongue-eating louse (Cymothoa exigua)
This parasite has an innovative way of feeding itself – it replaces the tongue of certain fish species! It enters fish through the gills, and then attaches itself at the base of the fish’s tongue. It extracts blood through the claws on its front, causing the tongue to atrophy from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish’s tongue by attaching its own body to the muscles of the tongue stub. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue. Isn’t nature amazing!
(photo: RachaelB - http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/17299278)
This parasite is so bizarre. Saw this before but wow, this fish has two of them at once. I’m not sure how his blind dates turn out.
(Photo by David Barrio)
Flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus) are considered the most spectacularly colored of all coral reef fishes. Flasher wrasse derive their common name from the unique courtship behavior of the males – which rise up in the water column and suddenly “flash” electric neon colors while simultaneously erecting their fins to draw the attention of potential mates. Photographing a male in full courtship display is considered a “holy grail” for accomplished underwater photographers. This species is arguably the most stunning of all the flashers (there are 16 known species), and was discovered in April 2006. It is known only from the southern Bird’s Head Seascape, from Raja Ampat to Triton Bay.
(Source)
This is one motherfrakkingly fabulous fish.
The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a deep sea fish of the family Psychrolutidae. Inhabiting the deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania, it is rarely seen by humans. Blobfish live at depths between 600–1,200 m (2,000–3,900 ft) where the pressure is several dozen times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient for maintaining buoyancy.
Instead, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. Its relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats in front of it. Blobfish eat invertebrates like crabs and sea pens. Blobfish can be caught by bottom trawling with nets as bycatch. Such trawling in the waters off Australia may threaten the blobfish in what may be its only habitat.The blobfish is currently facing extinction due to deep-sea fishing or bottom trawling.
(via rhamphotheca)
Dog: Hello koi!
Koi: HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG! HELLO DOG!
(via xandgunn)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Forceps Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
- Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger longirostris)
(via rhamphotheca)
(Source: garabating, via a-letter-from-2017)
![mad-as-a-marine-biologist:
thefrogman:
[tastefullyoffensive / via]
Mudskipper finds this offensive.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzz8yuyhGm1qewacoo1_500.jpg)
Golden Nugget pool in Vegas has a 3 story water slide that passes through a shark tank. Images found here and here.
*AWESOME-GASM*
(Source: conflictingheart, via scarletowhora)
Icefish (Notothenioidei family)
Most members of the Notothenioidei family actually got antifreeze glycoprotein in their blood and body fluid. Another great adaptation the icefish has evolved is the ability to float in the water without a swimbladder. They have reduced their amount of bone structures and thinned the density of these bones, making them lighter, and able to float in the water.
(via fyeah-seacreatures)
