#icthyology

The genus Phago is a member of the order Characiformes along with the tetras, tigerish, and piranhas. It currently has three recognized species, which all inhabit Central African rivers. Now for the mouth, members of Phago are all pterygophagous, meaning that they feed primarily by nipping the fins of other fishes. While they can, and do, take other prey this fin-feeding behavior is the reason for the weird jaws. Phago can therefore be understood as a type of parasite, one which feeds from, but does not kill its host. Since ripped fins can heal, it's a pretty good strategy to ensure these fish have a steady food supply. Anyhow, I just think these little guys are neat, even if a bit creepy.

fin-biting behavior in captivity

I'm talking about sturgeons (you know, caviar eggs). Sturgeons take 15-25 years to mature, & the female produces eggs only every 2-5 years. Because of demand, many species are critically endangered. Wild beluga caviar can cost $5,000-$10,000 per lb. That comes from the beluga sturgeon, which is the largest & slowest maturing species, with females taking 20+ years to produce eggs. Their eggs are large, delicate, & prized. Historically, the fish were killed & the ovaries removed, but today many sustainable farms use no-kill caviar methods where eggs are massaged out or induced hormonally.

Sturgeon fish are giant freshwater fish that can reach 20 ft (6 m) & weigh over 1,500 lb (680 kg) depending on the species. They wear bony armor plates called scutes, which are modified dermal bones rather than scales. Think of a school bus-length fish wearing armor. DNA sequencing shows they underwent a whole-genome duplication 200 mya, leaving them with 4 copies of each chromosome instead of two—a genetic quirk that may have helped them survive mass extinctions. Imagine if humans had 4 copies of every gene—that's sturgeons. After duplication, genomes slowly sort themselves out—a process called rediploidization. Imagine photocopying every page of a book twice, mixing them up, then trying to reorganize it—that's their genome.

"Bycatch"

Acrylic and reclaimed materials on canvas

This painting is inspired by a research article I read regarding plant biodiversity in relation to frugivorous (fruit eating) fish species.

One facet of the research that was highlighted was the noted drop in plant species diversity as a direct result of overfishing

I wanted this piece to feel very dreamlike and surrealist

Plastic mesh was added to create texture and allude to overharvest of freshwater fish

The three fish featured are frugivorous fish found in the region of the referenced research (top: Brycon, middle: Myloplus, bottom: Triportheus)

"Will This Effect the Shareholder Population"

Mixed Media (color pencil, collage, acrylic and watercolor) on artist panel

uhhh this is mostly directed at those who abandon natural resources in turn for temporary monetary gain

The main subjects are a brook trout (tn's only native trout species) and three impersonable and identical silhouettes

Both the trout and shareholders face the viewer to ask whose interests will they uphold

According to the article the Northern Snakehead is native to the Yangtze River in East Asia. It said that these fish were introduced through aquarium dumpings or by fish markets.

This is a result of settler colonialism and ecological imperialism They have been spotted on other places on this continent too. Here are the sources.

https://people.com/invasive-northern-snakehead-fish-found-in-new-york-11985178

This is a new species of ghost pipefish that is described as a "bizarre hairy fish." It's one of 6 known ghost pipefish species, which are found in Papua New Guinea & the Great Barrier Reef. Its official name is Solenostomus snuffleupagus, named after the favorite Sesame Street character Mr. Snuffaluffagus, the long-snouted, hairy muppet. Of course, fish are not "hairy," but this pipefish is covered in thick reddish-orange fuzz, giving it a shaggy, mammoth-like appearance. They live in shallow reefs & seagrass meadows. It's a tiny animal measuring 0.7 to 1.3 in long (2 to 3.5 cm). They normally eat tiny crustaceans, zooplankton & small shrimp-like organisms, but they also eat entire small fish. The finding was the 1st confirmed case of a ghost pipefish preying on another fish. For such a cute little thing, it really is a marine predator.

That's the small but aggressive mangrove rivulus fish, a remarkable creature found along the coast of Florida all the way to Brazil. It's 1.5-3 inches long & is amphibious, having evolved to not only survive in brackish water but also to survive on land for up to 2 months. They can do this by switching to air-breathing, slowing metabolism & using their skin as a respiratory surface. They're very aggressive & territorial, fighting intensely over tiny patches of habitat. They are also simultaneous hermaphrodites, meaning they self-fertilize to produce offspring. They possess both ovaries & testes, producing eggs & sperm to fertilize their own eggs internally. Their offspring, as a result, are genetically identical clones. They don't perch on trees like birds do; rather, they live inside mangrove trees, inside holes in mangrove roots, or in rotting logs.