Facts: Queen Angelfish

The queen angelfish gets its name from the crown-like ring on its head. Its diet consists mostly of sponges and algae.

Photograph courtesy Chris Huss/NOAA

Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)

Queen angelfish get their royal title from the speckled, blue-ringed black spot on their heads that resembles a crown.
Decked out with electric blue bodies, blazing yellow tails, and light purple and orange highlights, Queen angels are among the most strikingly colorful of all reef fishes. Their adornments seem shockingly conspicuous, but they blend well when hiding amid the exotic reef colors.
They are shy fish, found either alone or often in pairs in the warm waters of the Caribbean and western Atlantic. Fairly large for reef-dwellers, they can grow up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) in length. They have rounded heads and small beak-like mouths, and, like other angelfish, their long upper and lower fins stream dramatically behind them.
Their diet consists almost entirely of sponges and algae, but they will also nibble on sea fans, soft corals, and even jellyfish.
Queen angels are close relatives of the equally striking blue angelfish. In fact, these two species are known to mate, forming natural hybrids, a very rare occurrence among angelfish.
They are widely harvested for the aquarium trade, but are common throughout their range and have no special protections or status.

 

Facts: Triggerfish

Triggerfish are infamous for their nasty attitude and this behavior is especially evident around nests, where intruders, from other fish to human divers, are likely to be charged or bitten.

Photograph by Georgie Holland, Photolibrary

Triggerfish (Balistidae)

The 40 species of triggerfish are scattered throughout the world’s seas and are familiar to divers and aquarium aficionados. Largest of all is the stone triggerfish, which reaches up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) long, found in the Eastern Pacific from Mexico to Chile.
These bottom dwellers dig out prey, such as crabs and worms, by flapping away debris with their fins and sandblasting with water squirted from their mouths. They also use very tough teeth and jaws to take on sea urchins, flipping them over to get at their bellies, which are armed with fewer spines. Triggerfish wreak such havoc on less fortunate reef dwellers that smaller fish often follow them to feast on their leftovers.
The Balistidae family takes its common name from a set of spines the fish use to deter predators or to “lock” themselves into holes, crevices, and other hiding spots. The system can be "unlocked" by depressing a smaller, “trigger” spine.
Triggerfish tend to be solitary but meet at traditional mating grounds according to timetables governed by moons and tides. The males of many species appear to establish territories on these spawning grounds and prepare seafloor nests that will house tens of thousands of eggs. Females share care of the eggs until they hatch, blowing water on them to keep them well supplied with oxygen. In some species males are known to maintain a harem of female mates.
Triggerfish are infamous for their nasty attitude and this behavior is especially evident around nests, where intruders, from other fish to human divers, are likely to be charged or bitten.
Triggerfish are attractive animals and some species have become too popular for their own good. They are sought for the aquarium trade, which has prompted fishermen to gather even threatened species from the wild. Researchers are working to raise triggerfish in captivity so that wild populations might more likely be left alone.

 

Facts: Seahorse

 

 Seahorses use their prehensile tails to grab onto sea grasses and corals.

Photograph by George Grall

 

Seahorse (Hippocampus)

Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young.
Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long.
Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then releases fully formed, miniature seahorses into the water.
Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They propel themselves by using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second. Even smaller pectoral fins located near the back of the head are used for steering.
They anchor themselves with their prehensile tails to sea grasses and corals, using their elongated snouts to suck in plankton and small crustaceans that drift by. Voracious eaters, they graze continually and can consume 3,000 or more brine shrimp per day.
Population data for most of the world’s 35 seahorse species is sparse. However, worldwide coastal habitat depletion, pollution, and rampant harvesting, mainly for use in Asian traditional medicine, have made several species vulnerable to extinction.

 

Facts: Stingray

 The stingray's tail features a poisonous barb, which is used only in self-defense. Stingrays are generally docile and will swim close to divers and snorkelers without fear.

Photograph by Wolcott Henry

Stingray (Dasyatidae)

Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of temperate seas. They spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand, often moving only with the sway of the tide. The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays. Their flattened bodies are composed of pectoral fins joined to their head and trunk with an infamous tail trailing behind.
While the stingray's eyes peer out from its dorsal side, its mouth, nostrils, and gill slits are situated on its underbelly. Its eyes are therefore not thought by scientists to play a considerable role in hunting. Like its shark relatives, the stingray is outfitted with electrical sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini. Located around the stingray's mouth, these organs sense the natural electrical charges of potential prey. Many rays have jaw teeth to enable them to crush mollusks such as clams, oysters, and mussels.
When they are inclined to move, most stingrays swim by undulating their bodies like a wave; others flap their sides like wings. The tail may also be used to maneuver in the water, but its primary purpose is protection.
The stingray's spine, or barb, can be ominously fashioned with serrated edges and a sharp point. The underside may produce venom, which can be fatal to humans, and which can remain deadly even after the stingray's death. In Greek mythology, Odysseus, the great king of Ithaca, was killed when his son, Telegonus, struck him using a spear tipped with the spine of a stingray.

 

Facts: Flying Fish

 A streamlined torpedo shape helps flying fish generate enough speed to break the water’s surface, and large, wing-like pectoral fins help get them airborne.

Photograph by Peter Parks/Animals Animals-Earth Scenes

Flying Fish Exocoetidae

Flying fish can be seen jumping out of warm ocean waters worldwide. Their streamlined torpedo shape helps them gather enough underwater speed to break the surface, and their large, wing-like pectoral fins get them airborne.
Flying fish are thought to have evolved this remarkable gliding ability to escape predators, of which they have many. Their pursuers include mackerel, tuna, swordfish, marlin, and other larger fish. For their sustenance, flying fish feed on a variety of foods, including plankton.
There are about 40 known species of flying fish. Beyond their useful pectoral fins, all have unevenly forked tails, with the lower lobe longer than the upper lobe. Many species have enlarged pelvic fins as well and are known as four-winged flying fish.
The process of taking flight, or gliding, begins by gaining great velocity underwater, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. Angling upward, the four-winged flying fish breaks the surface and begins to taxi by rapidly beating its tail while it is still beneath the surface. It then takes to the air, sometimes reaching heights over 4 feet (1.2 meters) and gliding long distances, up to 655 feet (200 meters). Once it nears the surface again, it can flap its tail and taxi without fully returning to the water. Capable of continuing its flight in such a manner, flying fish have been recorded stretching out their flights with consecutive glides spanning distances up to 1,312 feet (400 meters).
Flying fish are attracted to light, like a number of sea creatures, and fishermen take advantage of this with substantial results. Canoes, filled with enough water to sustain fish, but not enough to allow them to propel themselves out, are affixed with a luring light at night to capture flying fish by the dozens. There is currently no protection status on these animals.

 

Facts: Clown Anemonefish

Safely living among the anemones, a clownfish swims in the warm waters off Papua New Guinea.

Photograph by Wolcott Henry

Anyone with kids and a DVD player probably thinks they know all there is to know about the clown anemonefish, or, simply, clownfish. What they may not know is that the heroes of Finding Nemo are actually called false anemonefish. True anemonefish, Amphiprion percula, are nearly identical, but have subtle differences in shape and live in different habitats.
Bright orange with three distinctive white bars, clown anemonefish are among the most recognizable of all reef-dwellers. They reach about 4.3 inches (11 centimeters) in length, and are named for the multicolored sea anemone in which they make their homes.
Clownfish perform an elaborate dance with an anemone before taking up residence, gently touching its tentacles with different parts of their bodies until they are acclimated to their host. A layer of mucus on the clownfish's skin makes it immune to the fish-eating anemone's lethal sting. In exchange for safety from predators and food scraps, the clownfish drives off intruders and preens its host, removing parasites.
There are 28 known species of anemonefish, most of which live in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the western Pacific. They are not found in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or Atlantic Ocean.
Surprisingly, all clownfish are born male. They have the ability to switch their sex, but will do so only to become the dominant female of a group. The change is irreversible.

Record-Breaking Mako Shark...

 This mako shark caught on June 3, 2013 off the coast of California weighed in at 1,323.5 pounds.

Photograph by Richard Vogel, AP Photo

Brian Clark Howard

National Geographic

Record-Breaking Mako Shark Tips Off Conservation Debate

Anglers spark controversy after hauling in a massive shark in California.

On Monday, a group of anglers from Texas, Colorado, and California hooked a colossal fish off Southern California. After a long struggle, they reeled in a shortfin mako shark that they say tipped the scale at 1,323.5 pounds (600 kilograms).

The shark is 11 feet (3.3 meters) long and 8 feet (2.4 meters) in diameter, Kent Williams, a certified weight master at New Fishall Bait Company in Gardena, California, told the Los Angeles Times. The massive mako was caught by a team of professional hunters and fishers who produce reality television for the Outdoor Channel. The three-day, deep-sea excursion was being filmed for the show Jim Shockey's The Professionals, a program that aims to document the lives of Outdoor Channel crew.

The anglers are storing their catch in a deep-freeze locker in Gardena, and they are applying for a world record from the International Game Fish Association. The certification process is expected to take around two months, because the fishing group needs time to analyze the specimen and tackle used and to interview eyewitnesses.

The previous record holder for a mako was a 1,221-pound (554-kilogram) catch made in July 2001 off the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts.

Corey Knowlton, a co-host of The Professionals and an expedition guide, told National Geographic that the team had spent 30 to 40 days on the water over the past four years looking for a big mako to take. A few days ago, Knowlton and the other anglers had been trying their luck about 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Huntington Beach, by dropping chopped mackerel and ground chum into the water.

They were rewarded with the sight of fins slicing the water, so they tossed out giant hooks. One took, and the team spent two and a half hours of "struggling, slipping, and sliding" to bring in the creature, according to published reports.

"They fight really hard, it was a very aggressive predator," said Knowlton. "It was trying to eat the birds and everything around it. It took the bait immediately and ran, ran, ran."

Knowlton added that the big fish jumped out of the water five times. "When it first jumped we all screamed, we were going crazy," he said.

Crew member Jason Johnston, who lives in Mesquite, Texas, climbed into a harness to work the fish. He described the scene to the Times as "mayhem" and "the scariest thing I've ever done in my life."

Knowlton said the group had caught several makos up to 900 pounds (408 kilograms) over the past few years, but their goal had been to catch something over 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms), to have something sizable to donate to science. "They haven't had one this big. So we were really, really excited to finally see it, it was a giant behemoth."

Knowlton said Mary Blasius at the University of California, Long Beach, is excited to examine the specimen, and that the team has also reached out to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A mold is also being made.

Mako Science

Suzanne Kohin, a shark biologist at the NOAA lab in La Jolla, California, told National Geographic that her agency has been in touch with the anglers about the shark. "Samples will be valuable to us, because we have a hard time accessing these large individuals," she said.

"We prefer to tag and release them, to study their movement patterns, but it is useful to sample. We may learn something about its reproductive status or foraging ecology," she added. (Related: "100 Million Sharks Killed Every Year.")

Kohin said the mako is most likely a female because males rarely reach a size bigger than 600 pounds (272 kilograms). She said it is likely over 15 years old, although testing is needed to confirm. Kohin added that shortfin makos are relatively common off Southern California, where females often give birth to pups in a "nursery."

"It is very rare for us to find these large makos—although of anyone, recreational fishers are the ones to catch them," said Kohin. She added that government surveys tend to use smaller hooks, and such large sharks may be powerful enough to bite through commercial drift nets or wriggle off longlines.

Makos tend to stay out in the open ocean, feasting on small fish like mackerel and sardines, so they rarely interact with people. They are among the fastest of all sharks. Fishermen routinely catch makos up to six feet (two meters) long.

The fishermen have pointed out that their big catch left them well within their legal state limit of two makos a day. But that doesn't mean their success hasn't touched a nerve in the conservation community.

Conservationists Speak Out

Marine biologist, author, and advocate Carl Safina told National Geographic that he still loves the excitement of fishing for makos, although he switched to catch and release around 15 years ago.

"I think we should be long past the point where killing such a creature should be talked about so breathlessly, using words like 'historic' and other hype," said Safina. "It doesn't 'make history' for the animal involved, it ends it."

Voicing similar concern, ocean advocate and author David Helvarg of Blue Frontier Campaign said, "If someone just claimed the record for shooting the largest elephant ever shot in Africa, people would be appalled. Apparently too many people haven't made that connection with endangered top predator 'game fish.'"

Helvarg added that people have fished out an estimated 90 percent of the ocean's largest fish, and there are indications that some fish species are genetically downsizing in response to that pressure. "CPR—catch, photograph, and release—might have stressed this monster of the deep, but it also would have left it to breed and feed and also left us with a sense of awe and respect knowing it was still out there," said Helvarg.

The shortfin mako is not on the endangered species list, but the species is considered "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to Kohin, not much is known about the mako's population status off California. "We don't know if it is in trouble or not," she said, adding that scientists hope to work on a survey in 2014.

The most recent federal regulation, the Pacific Council's Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan, allows for a total of 150 metric tons of mako to be harvested a year by a combination of commercial and recreational interests, Kohin said. According to a 2010 report, the estimated average catch of both the commercial and recreational fisheries combined for the prior five years (2005-2009) was 53 metric tons, well below the 150-metric-ton harvest guideline, although there is uncertainty in the catch estimates, particularly the recreational numbers.

Still, Kohin said, "Removing a reproductive-age female is not a good idea. With any shark that is late to mature and produces few pups, they are much more vulnerable." She said makos don't reach maturity until ages 8 to 15 years, older than many other species in the area.

Defending his team's catch, Knowlton said, "There have been studies that say those sharks are on the increase. We never have any trouble finding sharks, some days we see eight or 10 or more, so there are a lot out there."

To Safina, killing any sharks at a time when they face intense global pressure from the fin trade and death as bycatch in commercial fisheries sends the wrong message to people, many of whom still view sharks as brainless killers. "Whether killing one very, very successful individual giant animal will harm the population isn't the whole issue," he said.

Catch and Release?

Laleh Mohajerani, a National Geographic grantee who heads the board of Pescadores y Tiburones, a group that promotes shark conservation in Mexico's Baja California, said she was saddened to hear of the death of such a large marine animal.

"We are fishing out all the large species, so when you see an animal that is that remarkable and had such amazing survival to make it that big, you feel, why was it not released?" asked Mohajerani. "It's like if we were to discover a dinosaur and then kill it because we wanted to hunt it.

"Some people say 'they are not endangered,' 'we don't fish that many,' and all these other excuses," Mohajerani continued. "But IUCN says they are vulnerable, so we have to err on the side of caution."

Mohajerani added that many sportfishers care about the environment, and she pointed to growing interest in catch and release methods, especially when it comes to slow-reproducing fish like sharks.

For his part, Knowlton said, "We really care about these animals. We realize there is no old folks' home for sharks. That shark is going to die and no one is going to know anything about it. By going out there and taking the animal, getting it to a freezing facility, getting it to the correct people, that is getting the most out of this animal."

He added that being able to analyze the fish's brain and other parts may provide insight into mercury and other toxin accumulation. He said the same data would not have been available if the group had released it. He added that the boat's captain, Matt Potter, had tagged and released many sharks over the years, starting when he was a teenager.

Perhaps putting it more bluntly, Kent Williams, who weighed the mako, told the Los Angeles Times, "It's all part of the food chain. If they were endangered, they wouldn't allow us to fish them."