The Shark That Walks on Land: And Other Strange but True by Michael Bright

By Michael Bright

Simply in case you idea IT was once secure to return within the WATER - if you happen to dive into the ocean, do you ever ask yourself what is down there, underneath you, poised to take an inquisitive chew? writer of Jaws Peter Benchley and picture director Steven Spielberg definitely did, for less than the waves lies a global we neither see nor comprehend; an alien international the place we're however the briefest of holiday makers. The Shark that Walks on Land uncovers stories of historic and smooth mariners, with tales of sea serpents, mermaids and mermen, sea dragons, and the genuine id of the mythical kraken. yet this ebook comprises greater than only a medley of maritime myths and mysteries for marine biologists; it celebrates really good discoveries through mixing the unknown and the standard in an wonderful miscellany of evidence, figures and anecdotes concerning the myriad creatures that inhabit the oceans. alongside the way in which we meet the giants, the main harmful, the oddballs and the list breakers - and the shark that truly does stroll on land!

Show description

Read Online or Download The Shark That Walks on Land: And Other Strange but True Tales of Mysterious Sea Creatures PDF

Similar oceans & seas books

Fish Pheromones and Related Cues

Pheromones are chemical cues that cross among participants of an analogous species that express particular, adaptive information.  those cues, and similar chemical substances whose functionality are much less good outlined, are particularly very important to fishes due to their aquatic environments and intricate behaviors.   Pheromones also are of accelerating curiosity in either easy and utilized features of fish biology simply because they are often used to govern fish habit and should clarify phenomena reminiscent of fishery cave in.

Electricity in fish research and management : theory and practice

Electrical energy in Fish examine and administration, 2d version presents a accomplished dialogue of the makes use of of either electrical energy and electric rules in fishery administration and learn. It covers electrical fishing (including concept, apparatus, facts research and sensible components affecting efficiency), fish obstacles, fish counters and fish welfare concerns.

Sustainable Aquaculture Techniques

This publication offers a few leading edge advancements in sustainable aquaculture practices within the context of environmental defense and seafood creation innovations. The chapters are written via specialists of their respective components, in order that their contribution represents the development in their study, that is meant to mark the present frontier in aquaculture practices.

Additional resources for The Shark That Walks on Land: And Other Strange but True Tales of Mysterious Sea Creatures

Sample text

It was both swimming and leaping so the timing may not be an accurate swim speed. Nevertheless, it’s the most reliable speed trial of a fish achieved so far. The species is 42 recognised by the huge dorsal fin that can be erected, like a sail, in order to frighten and round up fish. The fin folds into a groove when the fish is travelling at speed, and when hunting its body changes from a dull colour to iridescent silvery-blue stripes. Several sailfish might work together to corral a bait ball, flashing their dorsal fins to tighten the ball, before shooting in and whipping their heads from side to side, slashing and maiming the smaller fish to be gobbled up on the next run.

When it is searching for prey in the ocean overhead, the eyes point upwards, and when it is feeding, the eyes rotate to face forwards. Two structures above the small, pointed mouth, which look like tiny eyes, are actually nostrils. The fish is thought to be partly a kleptoparasite in that it probably steals prey from other creatures, such as 10m (33ft) long, colonial, jellyfish-like animals called siphonophores that float about in the deep sea like living drift nets. The barrel-eye manoeuvres carefully among the siphonophore’s tentacles, the transparent shield protecting its eyes, and steals copepods and other small crustaceans the creature has trapped.

61 Blob sculpin The deep-sea pelican eel Eurypharynx pelecanoides is a swimming mouth. Its enormous maw is far wider than its long and slender metre-long body. The lower jaw is like a pelican’s pouch, hence the common name, and it is loosely hinged so the pelican eel can catch and eat fish considerably larger than itself. But it is something of an enigma. Eel stomachs tend to be filled with deep-sea crustaceans, small fish and squid rather than large fish, and it has a curious organ on the tip of its tail that has all the trappings of a lure, which glows pink with occasional flashes of red, but at the wrong end of its body!

Download PDF sample

Rated 4.92 of 5 – based on 30 votes