10 SINH VẬT HIẾM THẤY
SỐNG DƯỚI BIỄN CÓ NHỮNG ĐẶT TÀI RIÊNG BIỆT
They say, 'Practice makes Perfect'. 'They' are the scores of talented
individuals that have perfected a skill of some sort until it becomes second
nature. As humans we have the ability to learn and practice these skills, but
what if we were born with talents that no one else could replicate? Animals, on
the other hand, are a different story. Here are some underwater animals that
will blow your mind with their inherent abilities.
10. The Black
Swallower
Also
known as Chiasmodon niger, the Black Swallower is known for its ability to
devour prey in one big gulp. A foodie among fish, it mostly preys on other
marine life and could also be called 'The Great Swallower'. This deep sea
monstrosity frightens other fish with its deep dark eyes and razor sharp teeth.
It
has often happened that a Swallower has devoured a prey so large that
decomposition has set in before it has had a chance to digest the entire meal.
This decomposition fills the stomach with gas, and turns the fish into a
balloon. It's these inflated black Swallowers that land up floating to the
water's surface, and are the ones we find most regularly.
9. Sea Slugs
Elysia
chlorotica, a type of sea slug, is separated from other animals due to its
unique ability to photosynthesize its own food using sunlight. This allows the
slug to last through lengthy periods without feeding. They steal the
chloroplasts--organelles that perform photosynthesis--from the algae they eat,
and incorporate them into its own cells.
Astonishingly,
the slug has stolen genes from the algae and is now able to produce its own
chloroplasts. Researchers found these genes even in juveniles that have never
eaten. Scientists have also discovered that the slugs can happily survive long
periods in the dark without eating. This suggests that there may be something
other than photosynthesis is the essence of their survival . Yet, it cannot be
denied that this photosynthesis is indeed a talent that no other animal can boast
of.
8. Planarians
Planarians
are a type of freshwater flatworm that have the astounding ability to
regenerate. In fact, their regenerative abilities have given them two talents
worth mentioning. Planarians not only heal and regenerate lost or damaged
tissue, but if you cut it in half, it will grow into 2 separate planarians. If
you decapitate a flatworm, it will grow a new head. Amazingly though, the new
head will still hold the old memories!
A
team of researchers have found that a single Planarian cell can regrow an
entire body. They blasted a flatworm with radiation until its cells were
destroyed and thus no longer able to divide properly. They then injected a
single cell from another adult, which was able to regrow every single part of
the animal. This shows that adult stem cells in flatworms are able to turn into
literally any body part, unlike adult human stem cells, which tend to be more
limited.
7. Hagfish
Possibly
one of the oldest fish species, Hagfish have been around for 300 million years,
enough time to develop very interesting traits. These un-fish like fishes, are
able to tie themselves in knots, and ability that is useful both as a defense
mechanism and when catching prey.
When
hagfish want to hunt, they search for fish burrows. Once they find a hiding
fish, they lunge face-first into the hole to pull it out. To reduce resistance,
the hagfish tie their rear end into a knot which is bigger than the hole. This
gives them a perch around the top so they can pull themselves - and their lunch
- back out. Hagfish also escape capture by adopting this same trick. They tie
their free end into a knot and push the knot up their body until the knot
pushes against the predator.
6. Sea Cucumbers
Sea
cucumbers have a famous defense mechanism, they discharge their guts at
predators, and regrow them later. Another little known defense mechanism they
have is their ability to liquefy themselves. Essentially, they unhook the bonds
that keep their cells together and let themselves flow into (or out of) awkward
spaces.
When
it's where it wants to get to, the sea cucumber can solidify itself again and
become difficult to extract from a hiding place. This talent is so extreme that
it could liquefy itself to death. It would turn purely into good, and would
simply flow through the fingers of anyone holding it.
5. Mudskippers
Can
fish climb trees? Of course they can! Meet the Mudskipper, the genius of the
fish world, who has the ability to live out of water on logs and branches as
well as in water just like other fish. It uses its pelvic fins as suction to
remain attached, and pulls itself up with its pectoral fins.
Mudskippers
have developed small sacks around their gills that let them hold a breath of
water, much the same way we would hold a breath of air. They climb trees so
they can stay out of the water during high tide.
4. Archerfish
Shoot Down Prey
The
archerfish is a small tropical fish that eats insects. Nothing extraordinary in
that is there? What makes this fish unique is its method of capturing prey.
Typically a maximum of 10 centimeters long, archerfish can shoot a jet of water
upto 6 feet at insects hanging on vegetation near the water, easily knocking
them into the water and into their mouths.
They
produce the jets by pressing their tongue against a groove in the roof of their
mouth. The speed of the water increases as it leaves the mouth, allowing the
water to arrive at the same time thus hitting the prey with six times the force
the fish could produce with just the
force of its muscles.
force of its muscles.
3. The Teddy Bear
Crab Makes Living Weapons
Polydectus
cupulifer, more commonly known as the teddy bear crab, is a small crustacean
covered in bushy, white bristles. Unique for its furry nature, the teddy bear
crab can pick up stinging anemones in both claws and wield them as weapons.
Moreover, it doesn't just brandish the anemones as weapons but also knows what
is the right angle to hold the anemone to make it a lethal weapon.
The
anemone is also a food source for the teddy bear crab. These crabs will happily
reach inside the anemone's digestive system and pull out anything the anemone
has already eaten.
2. Pirate Fish
This
unusual fish, Aphredoderus sayanus, more commonly known as the Pirate perch,
are the only known species to excrete a chemical camouflage. Scientists
investigating the reaction of beetles and frogs to predatory fish have found
that the pirate perch has another unique feature. Beetles and frogs avoided
environments that contained fish who were likely to choose them for dinner,
with one exception. The potential prey were perfectly happy to set up home in
ponds containing pirate perch.
Exactly
what the pirate perch is doing to hide isn't yet known. Researchers want to
determine how the pirate perch are either scrambling chemical signals or
masking their odor. Once they have identified chemical compounds that might
explain the behavior, they will return to the field to test with the same tree
frogs and beetles as well as other organisms known to respond to fish chemical
cues, such as mosquitoes and water fleas.
1. Tiger Fish
The
name tigerfish could be given to multiple species of fish. However, the primary
species designated by the name "tigerfish" are African and belong to
the family Alestidae. This African fish is often compared to the piranha, as
it's aggressive and uses its razor-filled jaws to tear its prey into pieces.
But unlike the piranha, there is a variety of tigerfish--the goliath
tigerfish--which can grow to weigh 50 kg (110 lb) and eat crocodiles.
Yet
it's the hunting ability of the smaller variety that's got it a spot on this
list. Recently, researchers have recorded its ability to catch birds. While
many fish are known to eat birds floating on the surface, the tigerfish is
known to have leaped out of the water and catching a swallow while the bird was
flying through the air. This has even been caught on camera.
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