SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH (BETTA)

Hi, I’m Midnite.   On the kitchen counter in my house is a Siamese Fighting Fish called Red.   It sits in a small tank and I walk by it every day.   It does not seem to be concerned that I am in the area.

The Siamese Fighting Fish, also known as a betta, is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish.   It can live in small containers that require no filters or aerators.   It is native to Thailand and Cambodia where it can be found in rice paddies.

The betta can be up to 3.1  inches long and comes in a variety of bright colors.   Its large flowing tail fins comes in several shapes.    The colors increase in brightness when it becomes agitated.   It can breathe through an opening in its head besides its gills.   The betta  is a carnivorous surface feeder that feeds on insects in the wild.   In captivity, it is fed pellets made up of mashed shrimp, fish meal and bloodworms.

The fish is very agressive.   In the wild, it will attack another betta  with the loser retreating to safety.   In capavity, two bettas in the same container will fight to the death because there is no where to retreat.   It is very difficult to have a betta live with other fish.  The betta will eat, harrass or be eaten by other fish.   Like on my kitchen counter, Red lives alone in its container.

The betta is very curious and will observe movement around it.   It can be trained to respond to hand movements before feeding.   Because a betta likes a place to hide, some plant life should be put in the container.

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Selectively bred veiltail male Naturally occurring female

FIN WHALE

Hi, I’m Sinclair.   The Sapphire Princess, a cruise ship, sailed into Vancouver with a rare fin whale pinned to it’s bow.     The ship was returning from a cruise to Alaska.    Unfortunately the whale  had died.

The fin whale, also called the finback whale, razorback or common rorqual, is the second largest whale after the blue whale.   It belongs to the baleen family of whales.   It can grow in length up to 88 feet.  It can reach speeds up to 25 mph.   It can be found in all the major oceans except around the polar regions.  The whale has been heavily hunted in the past and is considered an endangered species.

The whale is brownish gray with a whitish underside.   It has a white patch on the right side of the lower jaw.   It has a long, slender body with a pointed snout and paired blowholes.   It reaches maturity in 25 years and has been known to live up to 94 years.   It will surface for half a minute and dive to depths of 820 feet.   The whale has been known to leap completely out of the water.

The whale feeds on schooling fish, squid and crustaceans.   While swimming at a high speed, it will open it’s mouth and gulp its prey.  It will then filter the water from its month through its baleen trapping its  prey.  A  baleen whale has no teeth but a series of plates which  act as filters for feeding.

The fin whale was originally hunted for its blubber, oil and baleen by open boat whalers.  The whale was difficult to catch due to its speed and sank if killed.  With the coming of th steam powered boat and the harpoon, the whale became much easier to catch.   Hunting the whale greatly expanded, reducing the population over the years.   Today, the whale can be hunted but in very limited quantities.    Collisions with large ships like the recent incident has also taken a toll on the whale population.

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A Fin Whale approaching

 

 

GREAT WHITE SHARK

Hi, I’m Sunny.  A fisherman in La Jolla caught a great white shark about 6 feet in length and weighing 150 pounds.  The shark was released because it is illegal to catch and keep a great white shark in California.

A great white shark can reach a length up to 20 feet and weigh over 4900 pounds.  It is the largest predatory fish known to man.    The shark has a large conical shaped snout with several rows of teeth.   The teeth act as a saw tearing the flesh from it’s prey.   It has a gray dorsal and white underside.

The shark is carnivorous and feeds on fish, dead whales, seals, sea lions and seal turtles.   With it’s ability to detect the slightest movement in the water and regulate it’s body temperature in colder water, it will attack it’s prey by ambush from below.   Although it is known to have attacked humans, it does not like human flesh.   The attacks are usually a result of mistaken identity by the shark.    After the first bite of human flesh, the shark usually does not continue the attack finding a human too bony.

The shark is cannibalistic and will attack another shark to protect it’s space.    It will lift it’s head above water to better smell.   It is a curious fish and can be very intelligent.   Females dominate the males.

The great white shark does not do well in captivity.   The few that have been in captivity either died or had to be released.   The best way to view a great white shark is to be lowered in a steel cage from a boat.   The shark is now considered an endangered species.

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Great white shark

HUMBOLDT SQUID

Hi, I’m Midnite.  The Humboldt Squid also know as the Jumbo Squid, Jumbo Flying Squid or Diablo Rojo, is  a large, aggressive squid found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  The squid likes deep water with depths from 660 to 2300 feet.

The squid is a carnivorous invertebrate that can swim up to 15 mph by using a siphon and two fins.   It uses it’s tentacles lined with suckers to grab it’s prey and drag the prey towards it’s beak.   It can grow up to seven feet and weigh up to 100 pounds.  It can change color from purplish red to white.   With it’s keen vision, it likes to feed at night.   The squid is only aggressive when feeding and has been known to attack humans.  Divers use body armor to protect themselves from an attack by the squid which can cause deep lacerations to the diver’s skin.

The Humboldt is a fierce cannibalistic fighter known to attack anything including whales.  The name diablo rojo meaning red devil was given to the squid by Mexican fisherman.

Despite it’s aggressiveness, sperm whales and Mexican fishermen prey on the squid.   Mexican fishermen sell the squid to consumers in Asian countries.   Because the squid likes to feed at night, it is usually fished for at night.   El Nino has caused the squid to start migrating north from the warm Mexican coast.

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Humboldt Squid photographed by ROV Tiburon.

TACO BELL DOG

Hi, I’m Sinclair.   The animal world lost a famous celebrity today.   Gidget, the Chihuahua who starred in the Taco Bell commercials, died of a stroke at the age of 15 years.   Gidget had been in retirement since the commercials were no longer aired.

The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world.  The breed originated in Mexico and was a descendant of the Techichi.    The Techichi was a dog favored by the Toltec’s civilization.  The Chihuahua was created when the Spanish introduced miniaturized Chinese dogs to Mexico.

The Chihuahua is usually 6 to 10 inches tall and weights 2 to 4 pounds.    The two types of the dog are the apple headed and deer headed.   The dog’s coat can be long or short.   It can come in several colors with and without white markings.

The temperament of the Chihuahua is territorial and protective.  The dog is not suitable around small children because it can get aggressive.   It can be hyper but likes to be petted and crave attention.

The Chihuahua is susceptible to epilepsy and seizures, hypoglycemia and eye infections.   The dog tends to tremble when it is cold, excited or stressed but this is not a health issue.   The lifespan is between 10 and 17 years.   The dog requires good veterinarian care especially when young.

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