Callorhinchus milii This unusual family of ‚chimaera‘ branched off from sharks almost 400 million years ago. The ghost shark is easily identified because of their very large, high-set eyes, and the club-like structure at the end of their snouts. Their protruding snout is made to search for food p
Danger to Humans Ghost sharks have a long spine located just in front of the first
Bathytoshia brevicaudata The largest of the rays, these can grow up to almost 7 feel across and 770 pounds. They’re slightly diamond shaped, wider than they are long, with a stocky tail shorter than the length of their bodies as adults. Although they are slow-moving in general, they can flap thei
Danger to Humans The short-tail stingray is often observed raising its tail similar
Tetronarce californica This solitary coastal ray has a very round pectoral disc, and a tall dorsal fin near its large caudal fin on a stocky tail. It is a dark gray above, often with irregular dark spots, and pale white below, with the males growing to 36 inches long and females growing to almost
Danger to Humans The ancient Greeks and Romans used the electric current of the
Lutjanus campechanus These off-shore fish prefer deep reefs or rocky banks int he Western Atlantic. They’re a dark pink-red, fading to pale underbelly, and younger, smaller fish sometimes have a dark spot high on their sides. They are classically almond-shaped, with red eyes, and dorsal and anal
Danger to Humans There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning from human consumption
After our last trip, I had made some adjustments to the design of our long line but needed a special kind of rope. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related shipping delays, it took quite a while for the line to arrive, and we had it diverted to the field. We spent a day measuring out and prepping the ne
Since we were not in immediate danger I took to the internet.
From the jungles of Southeast Asia to the Greek Islands, Florida Museum of Natural History botanist Nico Cellinese has searched for the answers to how evolution works. But during fieldwork in the Mediterranean Basin—a biodiversity hotspot—she found more questions than answers. “There are so many
the Roucela group rare, Crowl is the first to point out they may actually be in danger
2024 was an exceptionally calm year for shark bites. Worldwide, there were only 47 unprovoked attacks, down 22 from the previous year and well below the 10-year average of 70. Four of last year’s attacks resulted in fatalities, also a significant reduction from recent years. The International Sha
Pregnant females often navigate upstream, where there are fewer predators that pose a danger
Pomoxis nigromaculatus Crappies are a popular game fish and prized as a food source, so their original range of the Eastern US has been artificially expanded by stocking lakes, ponds, and rivers across the mainland US. The black crappie looks very similar to the white crappie except that it has m
Danger to Humans The black crappie is omnivorous, and without predators around they
Hydrolagus colliei This smooth, scale-less chimaera can grow to 24 inches long, a good deal of which is the long tail. It’s named for its brown-gray iridescent coloring, spotted with white. It has a short, rabbit-like face, large triangular pectoral fins, and a short dorsal fin that starts with a
Danger to Humans Although not considered dangerous to humans, care should be taken
Torpedo marmorata This solitary coastal ray has electric organs on its pectoral disc that can stun a human or kill a fish. It is pale brown with dark brown mottling, and has two small dorsal fins on its stout tail near its large caudal fin. Usually it can be found on muddy or sandy bottoms of
Danger to Humans A large adult marbled electric ray can deliver a painful and stunning
