Fish in the News. Each week the Bailey Brothers start the Pet Fish Talk Show with some fun and interesting stories about fish in the news.       From the Maluku Islands in Indonesia This Frogfish is Probably from a New Genus. Maluku Divers have recently rediscovered a very interesting frogfish and are in the process of establishing the scientific details of the specimen with the help of several top fish identification experts across the world. A specimen similar, was initially found 15 years ago by Toby, the most highly rated dive guide at Maluku Divers, however until now it has remained elusive, without a single photograph captured. Now, with this recent discovery in January 2008 and several images providing photographic evidence, a proper identification may be possible. As we continue our search for a positive identification, we've been talking to some of the most knowledgeable frogfish experts in the world. One such gentleman, Professor Theodore Pietsch, of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences in Washington University, Seattle, had the following to say: "I can say that in my 40 or so years studying frogfishes and anglerfishes in general, I have never seen one like this. Very striking is the highly unusual, flat face that allows the eyes to be directed forward, perhaps providing for binocular vision. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins appear to be highly fleshy, covered by loose skin. Also, looking closely at the forehead, I can't see any trace of a luring apparatus. If I had to say what it's closest living relative might be, I'd suggest the genus Histiophryne, but this taxon differs in a host of other ways. In summary, it's quite unlike any antennarioid I've ever seen and most likely represents a genus new to science." Click here to read more. Special thanks to Robert in New Jersey who send us an email with the link to this story.       In Australia Shark Count Breaks Records. Adam Smith, national chair of the Australian Underwater Federation that is overseeing the count, credits its success to two reasons. "Firstly, we have lots of sharks in Australia and people love getting in the water and diving and fishing," he said, adding that Australians also possess "a thirst for knowledge and want to make a difference." Count participants include scuba divers, underwater spear fishermen and many other recreational water users. While the project will continue throughout the year, the current most reported shark is the Wobbegong, shown above, with 903 sightings. The grey nurse shark follows, with 733, and Port Jackson sharks round out the top three with a count of 519. Click here to read more. Thanks again to Robert in New Jersey for the link to this story.       From Discovery News Whales Evolved Separate Ways to Avoid the Bends. One of the largest studies ever of modern and fossil whales has determined that virtually all modern whales, like the humpback whale, shown above, appear to have evolved safeguards against the bends, a sometimes fatal condition in which nitrogen bubbles form in blood and tissues after too rapid decompression. Whales turn out to be masters of bubble management, comparable to the proper serving of fizzy drinks, such as soda and beer. Lead author Brian Beatty explained to Discovery News that "whale blood vessels themselves are extremely smooth-walled, preventing cavitation (bubble formation), much in the same way that bubbles in a beer have a harder time forming on the walls of a glass than a plastic cup, which is why the bubbles last longer in a glass, making the beer taste better." Click here to read more. Thanks again to Robert in New Jersey for the link to this story.       In Alabama, US, Sharks Ruled Alabama's Dino-Era Waters The American South's golden age for sharks might very well have been the Cretaceous Era during the dinosaur age, according to tooth remains found for a number of different species. Most recently, the teeth of the "goblin shark of Texas," were found and dated to between 78.8 and 79.2 million years ago. The teeth were recovered from what is now a vertical cliff next to a creek in western Alabama. The spot was once a seabed below waters teaming with unusual looking fish, including the now-extinct shark. Click here to read more. Thanks again to Robert in New Jersey for the link to this story.       At The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Colossal Squid Dissection Reveals Toothfish Diet. Scientists examining the world's largest known colossal squid this week could find nothing in the cephalopod's stomach, suggesting the large marine animal was starving when it was captured in February of 2007. That might help to explain why the squid was caught in the first place. The huge, jelly-like animal from Antarctica was voraciously eating an Antarctic toothfish hooked in a New Zealand long-line fishing operation in the Ross Sea when fishermen hauled up their catch, revealing the then half-dead, enormous squid. Click here to read more. Click here to see a very interesting video. Thanks again to Robert in New Jersey for the link to this story.         In Antarctica Explorers Marvel at "Brittlestar City". Census of Marine Life-affiliated scientists, plumbing the secrets of a vast underwater mountain range south of New Zealand, captured the first images of a novel "Brittlestar City" established against daunting odds on the peak of a seamount -- an underwater summit taller than the world's tallest building. Its cramped starfish-like inhabitants, tens of millions living arm tip to arm tip, owe their success to the seamount's shape and to the swirling circumpolar current flowing over and around it at roughly four kilometers per hour. It allows Brittlestar City's underwater denizens to capture passing food simply by raising their arms, and it sweeps away fish and other hovering would-be predators. Click here to read more.       In the Caribbean Gulf Stream Deep-Sea Reefs Serve As Underwater "Islands". Largely unexplored deep-sea coral reefs, some perhaps hundreds of thousands of years old, off the coast of the southeastern U.S. are not only larger than expected but also home to commercially valuable fish populations and many newly discovered and unusual species. Results from a series of NOAA-funded expeditions to document these previously unstudied and diverse habitats and their associated marine life have revealed some surprising results. Some of those findings and images of the reef habitats 60 to 100 miles off the North Carolina coast will be featured in a high-definition film, “Beneath the Blue”, to be shown for the first time in public May 17 at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, N.C.  Research scientists, joined by museum staff, conducted a series of expeditions to the deep coral habitats on the continental slope off the east coast from North Carolina to central Florida, in an area known as the Blake Plateau. “We discovered that a number of animals thought to be rare are common around the corals, documented many animals outside of their previously known ranges, and discovered species new to science,” NOAA zoologist Martha Nizinski said. “We also have had a firsthand look at how animals are using the habitat and interacting with each other. These discoveries relate to the fact that this has been a difficult habitat for scientists to sample because of the deep depths, rough topography and strong currents from the overlying Gulf Stream.” Click here to read more.   In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Fish Teaching Math and Science Until Wednesday, Tommie Gomez had never touched a fish. “They’re gross,” said Gomez, 17. “I won’t even eat them. Just the way they look and the way they feel. If I can’t touch them, I’m not going to eat them.” But things changed Wednesday on a field trip to Granite Reservoir. “I touched a fish!” Gomez yelled to teacher Eleanor Grinnell. “Yea!” Grinnell said, and clapped her hands. Gomez grabbed a small yellow perch swimming in a bucket. She placed it on a wooden ruler and made a careful note of its length. She also weighed the fish while another student recorded the statistics. Gomez and other students in the Community Based Occupational Education program of Cheyenne’s Triumph High came to Granite Reservoir to learn from the experts. On a brisk, windy spring day, they helped scientists from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Students weighed and measured fish that Game and Fish employees caught in green nets set up along the banks of the reservoir. Then they returned the fish to the water. The students are in Grinnell’s natural resources and science class and Marissa Smith’s math class. Click here to read more.   An Email from Robert in New Jersey. Just an update my discus have stopped spawning I got real close the last time they had free swimmers  for 2 days. They had stopped and I added 2 more and there seem to be a change in partners. And the new female spawned with the old pairs male. I didn’t know that they would do that? But nothing for about 4 weeks now (figures I have a breeding tank ready ) I just want to make sure that I get the right 2 I have (twin red Marlboro’s). I had called in about my penguin 150 not working . I just wanted to follow it up I did as you suggested and called Marineland and the answer I received was to let the bio-wheel soak for a couple of days in the tank. Well it worked and has been running I guess 2 months straight now with no problems. Thanks, Robert In NJ aka (George)   Callers during this Show Jay from Evansville, Indiana, calls on his cell phone, while he is at George Schmidt's fish display in the Mills Mall in Hazelwood, Missouri, which is near St. Louis. Special thanks to Jay for this live report. Heather from Point Loma in San Diego, California, calls and talks about her plans to visit the Oregon Aquarium. She says she'll be gone for several days, and her big cool water aquarium has an automatic fish feeder, which she recommends for people like her, who like to travel. Evan from Colorado calls and we talk about the ongoing problem with using well water in his aquariums. Nevin finally figures out that Evan's well water probably contains lots of carbon dioxide, which is an excellent fish anesthetic, which may be the reason that changing even 10% of the water, has caused Evan's fish lots of stress. The Bailey Brothers talk with Evan about possible solutions. The Bailey Brothers encourage YOU to call Pet Fish Talk during the show and talk about your pet fish.     Download of this Entire Show Here's how: Right-Click here, then click on "Save Target (or Link) As ...".  Navigate to the folder you prefer, and click on the button labeled "Save". Later you can copy the MP3-file to your iPod or other MP3-player. 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