Learning more about them FISH FISH Learning more about them Kelly Cope

Questions Questions What is the fastest fish and how fast can it swim? Do fish see in color? Does the male or female parent care for the eggs and fry (young fish)?

1.) What is the fastest fish and how fast can it swim? Indo-Pacific Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) 68 mph 3.4 meters in total length and 100 kg in weight dark blue above, brownish laterally, silvery below sides of the body made up of 20 bars of blue spots found only in oceans feeds on schools of fish such as sardines, anchovies, and mackerels

Another fast swimming fish Mako Sharks Can leap up to 6 meters out of the water When standing beside a full-size man, he was 2 ft. taller than the man

Do fish see in color? Yes, but not all have been tested. The common goldfish can definitely see in color. The goldfish has 4 kinds of cones: red, green, blue, and ultraviolet. Simply having cones does not mean fish can see in color. They must be tested behaviorally to see if it responds differently to different colors. One test a scientist uses is he sets up a tank with a gray color at one end and a red color at the other in which he can switch around. When the fish swam to the red side it would receive food. He would then switch the colors. The fish always went to the red, because they associated red with food. If they were not able to see in color, they would’ve always swam to the same side, because they wouldn’t recognize the differences in color.

Does the male or female care for the eggs and fry (young fish)? Females lay hundreds and thousand of eggs, so as a result, many fish don’t parent their offspring at all. By the time they hatch the parents could be clear across the sea. Among the fish who have been parented by both, the father is more dedicated to their fry. Other species of fish dump the eggs and leave or either stay and eat their eggs and surviving fry. The male fathead minnow is one fish that cares for its eggs, and then once they hatch, he’s gone. One species that is very dedicated and good parents are the Cichlids. They fiercely protect their eggs and fry from all other fish.

I have learned that fish are really cool creatures I have learned that fish are really cool creatures. I think teaching about fish one day as a teacher will be a lot of fun, because there’s so much information about them. Hopefully, if I’m lucky my students will ask the questions I have researched and I can just spout out my answer really quickly, like a genius. They’ll never know the difference.

Reference Page CCMR- Ask a Scientist Hppt://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=295 Fish Color http://www.geocities.com/wwindmills/fishcolor.html Robyn’s Fry Page http://www.fishpondinfo.com/breed.htm Science Netlinks: Science Updates http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=192 What is the fastest fish? http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/faq/fastest.htm

Thank You!