The Inexplicable Shrimpgoby (Cryptocentrus inexplicatus) was named as such by the American ichthyologist (fish studier) and lichenologist (lichen studier) Albert William Christian Theodore Herre c. 1934. It’s one of more than 33,000 fish species listed by the online resource Fishbase – A Global Information System on Fishes (a branch of the Philippines-based Q-quatics group). It’s not immediately obvious […]
Tag: Fish
Science/Music Pairing: Dark Eyes
Here’s another in our series that combines published research papers with musical performances that suitably accompany them. “Dark eyes in female sand gobies indicate readiness to spawn,” Karin H. Olsson, Sandra Johansson, Eva-Lotta Blom, Kai Lindström, Ola Svensson, Helen Nilsson Sköld, and Charlotta Kvarnemo, PloS ONE , vol.12, no. 6 (2017): e0177714. “Dark Eyes,” performed […]
Innovative Scientists Talk About Their Childhood (12): Olga Shishkov and the flopping fish
Here’s Olga Shishkov talking about some flopping fish who, when she was a child, excited Olga in a way that led to her eventual unusual career. Olga studies how maggots manage to do some of the surprising, impressive things they do. ABOUT THIS LITTLE VIDEO SERIES—This is part of a series of sessions we (David […]
Recent progress in mermaid (and merfolk) studies
Mermaids (and, more recently merfolk) have been the subject of examination in a number of scholarly studies. Here are a few examples from the last 5 years (or so). ● ARE MERMAIDS REAL? Rhetorical Discourses and the Science of Merfolk.in Shima, Volume 12 Number 2 2018 ● Swimming with mermaids: Communication and social density in […]
“A Jackass and a Fish”—Doctors save the life of a Fish-Called-Wanda imitator
This young man who swallowed a fish As part of a party tradish- ion he followed with friends: Unhappy? Depends. The young man has gotten his wish. That limerick is a hasty summary of the medical case described in this newly published study: “A Jackass and a Fish: A Case of Life-Threatening Intentional Ingestion of […]
Shocking fish therapy for hemorrhoids (and other ailments)
If you were unfortunate enough to be suffering from hemorrhoids, would you consider applying 350 volt electric shocks to the affected area – supplied via an electric fish? Improbable though it may seem, such practices were well known in Roman times – predating modern TENS machines by some 2000 years. “Ecclesiastes 1:9 states that there is […]
Music discriminations by carp (Cyprinus carpio)
“Prior to this series of experiments, the prevailing opinion appeared to be skepticism as to whether koi could discriminate one piece of music from another under any circumstances. Now it appears that these animals can discriminate polyphonic music, discriminate melodic patterns, and even classify music by artistic genre.” Koi (Cyprinus carpio), which are members of […]
Leaping fish injuries and the trauma center [podcast 70]
Fish (specifically sturgeon) leaping into the air and colliding with young human boaters are biggest stars in this week’s Improbable Research podcast. SUBSCRIBE on Play.it, iTunes, or Spotify to get a new episode every week, free. This week, Marc Abrahams — with dramatic readings by Nicole Sharp — tells about: Injuries from leaping sturgeon— “Sturgeons Versus Surgeons: Leaping Fish Injuries at a Level 1 Trauma Center,” Jason P. […]
Jocular mockery (and mock impoliteness)
If someone Tweeted that you had a “face like monkfish genitalia” would you phone your legal team? Or LOL and tell everyone about it? [* see note below] That could depend on your enthusiasm (or otherwise) for ‘Jocular Mockery’. Which, along with its close cousin ‘Mock Impoliteness’ is examined by Professor Michael Haugh (of the […]
A scholarly book review — Fish and Chips: A History
Here’s a new review of a new history of fish and chips in Britain: “Book Review: Fish and Chips: A History,” Spencer Swain, Cultural Sociology, vol. 9 no. 4, December 2015, pp. 590-592. (Thanks to Dan Vergano for bringing this to our attention.) The author, at Leeds Beckett University, UK, reviews the book Fish and […]