Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Fish

The Ocean Is Running Out of Fish. Here’s the Alarming Math

Based on reporting, the ocean has long appeared to offer an infinite bounty of fish. But research paints a grim picture, with annual catch on a decline

Fish leave bits of DNA behind that researchers can collect.

Scientists Can Tell What Fish Live Where Based On DNA in the Water

A new study of the Hudson River estuary tracked spring migration of ocean fish by collecting water samples

Busting apart this aging dam on the Jeremy River in Connecticut opened up 27 kilometers of salmon habitat and spawning gravel for the first time in close to 300 years. Other fish will benefit too, including the eastern brook trout, sea lamprey, American eel, and river herring.

The Environmental Price of Dams

Why some conservationists are demolishing dams in the name of rivers and fish

Europe’s Only Known Cavefish Discovered in Germany

Genetic analyses suggest that the cave loach speedily adapted to its lightless habitat

Lesson learned: Don't cross a fangblenny.

New Research

These Tropical Fish Have Opioids in Their Fangs

The point isn’t to relieve pain—it’s to kill

Though the pictured fish belong to a German research collection, they represent similar samples around the world that have come under attack.

Trending Today

The Campaign Is On to Save the Natural History Collections of a Louisiana University

The school is displacing millions of specimens in favor of a new track

Lionfish Are a Plague. Can Training Sharks to Eat Them Work?

Lionfish, which are native to the Indo-Pacific but were accidentally introduced to the Caribbean, are decimating native fish species

In times of desperation, female sawtooth sharks have been known to reproduce sans males. For other species, solo reproduction is downright vanilla.

New Research

Meet Eight Species That Are Bending the Rules of Reproduction

Spice up your mating life with relationship tips from rock lizards, sharks and water fleas

Could the Tiny Zebrafish Teach Us to Cure Blindness?

By learning how zebrafish regenerate their retinas, researchers could figure out how to help humans do the same

The goldfish in question, decked out in his customized wheelchair.

Trending Today

Don’t Get Too Excited About That Viral Goldfish “Wheelchair”

The contraption, though surely built with the best intentions, may do more harm than good.

None

Scotland’s Newest Nature Trails Are Underwater

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is putting snorkelers up close with the country’s marine wildlife

Thanks to this evolutionary novelty, a flexible joint in the skull of dragonfishes, the creatures are able to swallow prey that is almost as big as they are.

This Hinged Skull Helps Dragonfish Eat Prey Bigger Than Its Head

Scientists have discovered the world’s only group of fish that has this unbelievable ability

The Hagfish Is the Slimy Sea Creature of Your Nightmares

The hagfish is a slime-emitting ocean-dweller that’s remained unchanged for 300 million years—and it shows. It has a skull (but no spine)

A new study on grey reef sharks turned up a few surprises.

New Research

Ocean Preserves Keep Fishing Boats Away from Grey Reef Sharks

Scientists tracked hundreds of reef sharks to find that massive marine refuges can work—with one caveat

A special fish tank designed for experiments aboard the International Space Station.

New Research

Fish Don’t Do So Well in Space

The International Space Station’s resident fish shed light on life in microgravity

This year we've seen swelling efforts to protect vast swaths of ocean. Are they scientifically sound?

Do Ocean Preserves Actually Work?

The U.S. now leads the world in protected marine areas. But are they a scientifically sound strategy?

Ask Smithsonian

Why Were Electric Cars Once Advertised as ‘Ladies’ Cars’?

Your questions answered by our experts

Want to See Installation Artist Doug Aitken’s Latest Work? Grab Your Scuba Gear

Trending Today

New Rule Will Crack Down on Fraudulent Fish

The Seafood Import Monitoring Program will require fish to be traced from the ocean to the U.S. in an attempt to stop illegal seafood

The three-spine stickleback usually forages and builds its nest near the lake bottom. But in Enos Lake, it appears to have merged with a related species that spends its time near the surface.

Extinction or Evolution? The Answer Isn’t Always Clear

The same factors that kill off some species cause others to evolve at lightning speed

Page 25 of 36