The previously unknown pufferfish species lived around 150 million years ago. A number of interesting finds have been unearthed at the same stone quarry in northern Bavaria.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Merz
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Scientists in southern Germany have discovered the fossilized remains of a previously unknown pufferfish.
A team from the Bamberg Museum of Natural History made the find in a stone quarry in nearby Wattendorf.
Matthias Mäuser, the head of the museum, said the pufferfish lived around 150 million years ago.
Similar to pufferfish living today, the fossilized remains showed that the fish had teeth.
Fish were long believed to be unfeeling, dead-eyed animals. But now scientists are discovering the intrinsic social life of fish. They grieve, engage in cooperative hunting and some have very weird sex lives. Take an underwater journey to learn more about the greatly misunderstood and underappreciated fish.
Image: Fotografie Dos Winkel, www.dos-bertie-winkel.com & www.seafirst.nl
Bodyguards
Fish have each other’s back. The rabbit fish even go out for lunch together: While one of them feasts on the algae found on deep-water reefs, the other is on the look out for predators. Then they switch. Scientists call this virtuous behavior. The rabbit fish make sacrifices for another by waiting their turn.
Image: gemeinfrei
The fearful fish
It was long believed that fish cannot feel fear because they’re missing the part of the brain where other animals and humans process it. But scientists have now shown that fish do feel fear, pain and stress. It is still a contested issue among researchers, though. Fish welfare lobbyists say the new findings are an inconvenient truth as it means we would need to rethink our fishing practices.
Image: picture-alliance/blickwinkel/H. Goethel
Red lips are made for kissing
Those lush lips look like they are made for smooching! One fish species goes even further and uses their mouths to procreate. The female drinks the male's sperm which passes rapidly through the intestinal systems and fertilizes the eggs. It’s a pretty weird sex practice not often observed in the animal kingdom. But the red-lipped batfish pictured here actually procreates the traditional way.
Image: Imago/Imagebroker/N. Probst
Full house
The world-famous clown fish are very social creatures: They share their anemone homes with other fish. The venomous anemones offers life-saving protection to the little fish, as they are immune to its sting. As a result, it often gets a bit tight in their cozy homes.
Image: Fotografie Dos Winkel, www.dos-bertie-winkel.com & www.seafirst.nl
Hunting pals
The mean-looking grouper cooperates with the moray eel while hunting. The grouper initiates the hunt by shaking its head at the eel. The eel then follows it to the prey hiding in a hole and enters the hide-out. It's a 50/50 chance whether the eel corners and eats the prey or it escapes out of the hole into the grouper's mouth. This kind of team effort is extremely unusual in the animal kingdom.
