• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Fish with a neck

mummymonkey

Did you spill my pint?
mummymonkey
Joined
Dec 3, 2002
Messages
2,052
Location
Scotland
A nice little video of an Australian fish that is the only species known to be able to move its head around. It looks like a little underwater lizard.

 
I wish you would have said it was Lepidogalaxias salamandroides ! Then I would have been able to look it up! ;)

Very cool fish. Transitional species, anyone?
 
Perhaps. Tiktaalik went the way of flattening the face, converting a vertical orientation to horizontal; I don't know what that may have done for flexibility for the neck side to side. It's hard to say whether that was a early adaptation in fishes before they started down the tetrapod road, or whether it was independently evolved for this particular fish.
 
Not that anyone has said as much, but just so it's clear, this fish would have evolved the ability to move its head around completely independently of our ancestors. It's pretty clearly a ray finned fish, and we came from lobe finned fish. The walking behavior is pretty neat as well. Looking up the name (thanks Amapola) it also lives in fairly acidic water (as low as pH = 3.3) that dries up in the summer. It burrows into the sand at the bottom of the pool and estivates until the pool is refilled. Very cool critter.
 
Pipefish "necking". It's like the entire fish is a neck.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3615ksdc.jpg
    IMG_3615ksdc.jpg
    107.6 KB · Views: 5
Amapola said:
I wish you would have said it was Lepidogalaxias salamandroides ! Then I would have been able to look it up! ;)

Very cool fish. Transitional species, anyone?
Click to expand...

Do you not see the name of the video in your browser? I assumed everyone could see it, sorry.
 

Attachments

  • fish.jpg
    fish.jpg
    95.6 KB · Views: 6
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom