Random thread about anything

rick1zoo2

JonnyPistachio wrote:

I once had one of these fishes stalk me while I was surfing. I couldnt escape the damned thing and it started to freak me out. Evolution at its finest...

Scientists Confirm Theory Regarding the Origins of the Sucking Disc of Remora Fish

June 6, 2013 — Remora fish, with a sucking disc on top of their heads, have been the stuff of legend. They often attach themselves to the hulls of boats and in ancient times were thought to purposely slow the boat down. While that is a misunderstanding, something else not well understood was the origins of the fish's odd sucking disc. Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and London's Natural History Museum, however, have solved that mystery proving that the disc is actually a greatly modified dorsal fin.

The world's eight species of remoras range from 1 to 3 feet and are primarily found in tropical open-ocean waters. They use their sucking disc to attach themselves to large marine animals and feed off of scraps of food and parasites from the larger animal.

The idea that the sucker disc is developed from the dorsal fin is not new and dates to the early 1800s. Since then, many scientists have suggested it was derived from the dorsal fin but nobody had studied the development of the remora from its earliest larval stages. "One reason I think this hasn't been done before is due to the difficulty in finding early stage remora larvae" said Dave Johnson, zoologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and co-author of the research. "In our study we closely tracked the development of the sucking disc beginning with tiny remora larvae, through to juvenile and adult remoras. We followed the earliest stages of the disc's development by matching the first vestiges of elements of the sucking disc with the first vestiges of elements of the dorsal fins of another fish, the white perch (Morone americana), which has the typical dorsal fin of most fishes."

By doing this, the team was able to identify which of three main fin elements -- the distal radials, the proximal-middle radials, and the fin spines -- are radically modified and develop into the different elements of the remora's unusual disc.

Up to a certain stage in the fish's development, the dorsal fin can be seen developing in the same way and looking very similar in both fishes. Then, through a series of small changes, the remora's dorsal fin begins to expand and shift towards the head. By the time the remora has reached about 30mm in length, the dorsal fin has become a fully formed 2mm sucking disc. It still has the components found in the dorsal fin, the tiny fin spines, spine bases and supporting bones, but the spine bases have greatly expanded.

This research thus confirmed that the sucking disc is formed by a massive expansion of the dorsal fin through small changes while the fish is developing. It is not the result of the evolution of a completely new structure.
Before developing their disc, remora larvae have very distinctive hooked teeth protruding from the lower jaw. "Because remora larvae at this stage are relatively rare in plankton collections, I have often wondered, although we don't have any evidence for it, if maybe remora larvae are not free living in the plankton layer but go into the gill cavities of fishes and use their hooked teeth to hang on until they develop a disc," said Johnson. "Fodder for future research."

that kinda sucks...

RKCNDY

81 wrote:

peacefrompaul wrote:

Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy, and Alcohol

i have 2 of those at home.

I've got 5... :shifty:

BinauralJam

RKCNDY wrote:

81 wrote:

peacefrompaul wrote:

Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy, and Alcohol

i have 2 of those at home.

I've got 5... :shifty:

Want to make some $$$?

RKCNDY

BinauralJam wrote:

Want to make some $$$?

$1 per smoke really isn't gonna get me that far...

peacefrompaul

RKCNDY wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

Want to make some $$$?

$1 per smoke really isn't gonna get me that far...

What?

BinauralJam

RKCNDY wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

Want to make some $$$?

$1 per smoke really isn't gonna get me that far...

I was really just interested in the vicodin :P

mmmmm vicodin

81

BinauralJam wrote:

I was really just interested in the vicodin :P

mmmmm vicodin

that stuff sucks....i was extremely disapointed in it.

BinauralJam

81 wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

I was really just interested in the vicodin :P

mmmmm vicodin

that stuff sucks....i was extremely disapointed in it.

Gotta double up

norm

81 wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

I was really just interested in the vicodin :P

mmmmm vicodin

that stuff sucks....i was extremely disapointed in it.

how many mg's did you take? i need at least 750mg of vicodin for it to take effect

81

BinauralJam wrote:

81 wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

I was really just interested in the vicodin :P

mmmmm vicodin

that stuff sucks....i was extremely disapointed in it.

Gotta double up

i did :fp:

BinauralJam

chadwick

norm wrote:

that is awesome

LloydXmas

I never used tumblr until I googled yoga pants, tumbler and added it to my flipboard account.


:shock:

BinauralJam

LloydXmas wrote:

I never used tumblr until I googled yoga pants, tumbler and added it to my flipboard account.


:shock:

Thank You

LloydXmas

BinauralJam wrote:

LloydXmas wrote:

I never used tumblr until I googled yoga pants, tumbler and added it to my flipboard account.


:shock:

Thank You

no problem. I also added a Kate Upton tumblr too.. It's fantastic.

BinauralJam

LloydXmas wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

LloydXmas wrote:

I never used tumblr until I googled yoga pants, tumbler and added it to my flipboard account.


:shock:

Thank You

no problem. I also added a Kate Upton tumblr too.. It's fantastic.

Some of these women are topless i am shocked to report

LloydXmas

BinauralJam wrote:

Some of these women are topless i am shocked to report

the horror

rick1zoo2

81 wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

81 wrote:

I was really just interested in the vicodin :P

mmmmm vicodin

that stuff sucks....i was extremely disapointed in it.

Gotta double up

i did :fp:

didn't we just have this discussion, like last week? :think:

BinauralJam

rick1zoo2 wrote:

didn't we just have this discussion, like last week? :think:

man i don't remember this weekend

peacefrompaul

Jesus Christ, it's hotter than ball sack in here.... The fuck is that AC doing? It's making noises but it certainly isn't delivering.