MadSci Network: Zoology
Query:

Re: Why is it that we float in water and fish don't?

Date: Mon Apr 17 08:53:12 2000
Posted By: Rochelle Ferris, Undergraduate, Marine Biology / Zoology, James Cook University, Australia
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 954884698.Zo
Message:

Wow so many questions!!
Ok lets start with the first one, why is it that we float and fish don't.  
Well, it's got a lot to do with body tissue.  You see, fat floats, and 
humans have comparatively more fat than a fish.  Some fish also have a 
"swim bladder", it's kind of like a balloon in their belly, when they want 
to float they fill it with gas, and when they want to sink they let it 
shrivel up.

Next question, if there is no light in the benthic region of the 
ocean, why would some of the organisms be bioluminecent and what advantage 
does that serve?  Well, it is because there is no light that they are 
bioluminescent!  You see thanks to light you can see other people and 
communicate with them, a lot of organisms in that live in the dark 
communicate by flashing lights at each other.

Next question, and what do organisms living within this region feed on? 
There are lots of different organisms that live in this region, and they 
all have vastly different feeding habits.  Some of them feed on the algae 
that lives on the bottom, some filter feed by waving tiny hairs in the 
water to grab at small food particles and all sorts of things.

And finally, And what is the deepest living organism that has been found? 
Well the only information I could find was on deepest fish found, and that 
was at 27,460 ft (8370m).

Pretty deep huh!  Well, I hope I answered everything, phew.



Current Queue | Current Queue for Zoology | Zoology archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Zoology.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@www.madsci.org
© 1995-2000. All rights reserved.