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Fish

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When Attacked, Corals Send Out Chemical Signals to Recruit Bodyguard Fish

New science reveals that, when threatened by toxic seaweed, corals send out chemical signals to small goby fish that remove the coral-choking greenery

Black-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps)

Alan Dudley’s Wondrous Array of Animal Skulls

A new book delivers fascinating photographs of over 300 skulls from the British taxidermist’s personal collection—the largest in the world

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Nikon Announces the Winners of its “Small World” Competition

See a selection of beautiful images captured by scientists gazing through light microscopes

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Scientific Illustrations: Your Go-To Guides for Halloween Costumes

The details are what separate a good outfit from an amazing one. The images in the Biodiversity Heritage Library can help you make the leap

14 Fun Facts About Hagfish

These frightening creatures defend themselves with slime and chow down on animal carcasses

Plastic debris and particles are now turning up in the ocean waters surrounding Antarctica.

High Levels of Plastic and Debris Found in Waters off of Antarctica

In the world’s most remote ocean waters, researchers discovered unexpectedly high levels of plastic pollution

Scientists are learning that bacteria play a crucial role in our digestion of food, including our intake of fats.

Biologists Pinpoint Bacteria That Increase Digestive Intake of Fat

A new study in zebrafish found that certain types of gut bacteria lead to a greater absorption of fat during digestion

Gastroptychus spinifer is capable of seeing UV light, researchers discovered.

How Do Crabs See Food on the Ocean Floor? UV Vision

Marine biologists took a submersible more than half a mile below the surface to understand the strange creatures that glow on the ocean floor

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Collage of Arts and Sciences: Now In Session

Our newest blog explores the fertile ground where art and science meet

An Air Force plane sprays dispersant onto the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon spill. New research could produce safer dispersants that include ingredients found in food.

An Oil Dispersant Made From Ingredients in Peanut Butter, Ice Cream and Chocolate?

New research is yielding oil dispersants that are non-toxic and prevent oil from sticking to birds and wildlife

Some chemicals in antibacterial soap have been banned by the FDA after testing showed they did not provide any benefit over normal soap and water.

Triclosan, a Chemical Formerly Used in Antibacterial Soaps, Was Found to Impair Muscle Function

In a study, the chemical inhibited muscle activity in individual human heart cells, mice and minnows

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See a Google-Earth-Like View of an Embryo, Down to an Individual Cell

A new technology combines thousands of individual images to create a zoom-able picture of living tissue, down to the cellular level

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Ocean Acidity Rivals Climate Change As Environmental Threat

Rising ocean acidity is now considered to be just as much of a formidable threat to the health of Earth’s environment as the atmospheric climate changes

Osprey Reef, one of five reefs that will have have full national park-level protection in Australia.

Australia Creates World’s Largest Marine Reserve Network

The plan will protect the Coral Sea as well as pygmy blue whale habitat off the southern coast of Western Australia

The ocean sunfish is the heaviest bony fish in the world; it can grow more than 10 feet long and pack on a whopping 5,000 pounds, and yet its flat body has no real tail to speak of.

Unraveling the Mysteries of the Ocean Sunfish

Marine biologist Tierney Thys and researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are learning more about one of the largest jellyfish eaters in the sea

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The Sawfish is a Great Slasher

This ray uses its toothed rostrum not only to detect its next meal, but also to attack and impale its prey

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Fish “Scary Stuff” Alarm Call Deciphered

A newly identified brain circuit could be responsible for driving innate fear responses in many species

Top: The ninespine stickleback, Pungitus pungitus, is typical of the saltwater form. Bottom: A freshwater form of stickleback with fewer bony plates and fewer spines.

What Robot Fish Can Tell Us About Parallel Evolution

When housed in an aquarium with a swirling robotic school, what determines whether a fish will join the crowd?

A good eye will spot the black-marble jawfish next to the mimic octopus's arm

Fish Mimics Fish-Mimicking Octopus

The black-marble jawfish takes advantage of its coloring to blend in with an octopus and stay safe from predators

A great white shark off the coast of South Africa

The Secrets of a Shark Attack

In an attack against a Cape fur seal, a great white shark’s advantage comes down to physics

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