Fish Schools' Rules

Photo courtesy FreeImagesLive.co.uk

New studies of the movement of schools of fish indicate that each fish in the school eyes only the one or two nearest neighbors, and moves in the direction and with the same speed of their nearest neighbor(s).

For more information, see the article in ScienceNews.org.

11-12-11, 11:12 A.M., In Harm's Way

Photo courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command

On November 16, 1778, American Navy Captain John Paul Jones (1747-1792) wrote a letter to the French government hoping they would provide for him a ship to use in the Americans' rebellion against the British.  In the letter he stated, "I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way."  His phrase "in harm's way" has most often been used to refer to people in the military who are sent "in harm's way" during wartime.

For more information, in addition to the above links, see the websites of the U.S.S. John Paul Jones and The Top 10 Quotes About & By the U.S. Marines.

Have You Heard of Herds of Seahorses?

Yes, a group of seahorses is called a herd.  Seahorses are carnivorous fish found in shallow tropical waters.  They do not have teeth or a stomach, so food passes quickly through them, which requires that they constantly eat to stay alive.   A two-week old seahorse can eat up to 4,000 brine shrimp per day.  The average lifespan of seahorses is one to five years.  The scientific name is Hippocampus, and there are over 50 kinds of seahorses.  The different kinds of seahorses range in size from 1/2 inch to 8 inches.

Mating occurs year-round, usually under a full moon.  During mating a female seahorse will deposit her eggs into the pouch of a male.  The male fertilizes the eggs by releasing his sperm into the water then swimming through it.  Then the male continues to carry the eggs until birth, which is unique in all of nature.  Gestation lasts up to six weeks.  As few as five or as many as about 1,500 can be born.  Less than 1% of young seahorses make it to adulthood, mainly because they have to fend for themselves as soon as they are born.

For more information, pictures, and videos, click to view Seahorse Worlds website.

The Fascinating Celebes Sea

The Celebes Sea is home to more underwater species than anywhere else on the earth, including 580 of the world's 793 species of reef-building corals, and about 3,000 species of fish.

For more info, click to view The Encyclopedia of Earth website.

For more maps, click to view The World Atlas website.