Comments on: The Last Thing The Mosquitofish Saw

By: Jonathan Eisen

Jonathan Eisen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:32:05 +0000

Check out the video stats on Youtube. It is up to 170,000 hits – seems as though it went from me tweeting about it -> Zimmer blogging about it -> a few papers picking it up -> some Asian news web sites picking it up -> 170,000 hits. (see http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com/2009/11/holy-slingjaw-wrasse-and-power-of.html for a bit more detail on the history)

By: Carl Buell

Carl Buell — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:59:53 +0000

Actually, the mosquitofish saw a whole lot more before it actually ceased to be. Swallowed alive, the mosquitofish witnessed the whole upper gastric track of the Red Bay Snook pass by before it’s lidless eyes stopped functioning as they began to be dissolved by the acid in the Snook’s stomach.

By: Oroboros

Oroboros — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:03:30 +0000

I was thinking more that the accordion structure just allows the predator to suck in a little bit more of the water surrounding its prey and make it harder to escape.

By: Krystal D

Krystal D — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:22:49 +0000

The accordion-like unfolding of the fish’s mouth is incredible! What an amazing evolutionary feature–I wonder if it minimizes disruptions in the water allowing the fish to scoop up prey. Any one have any ideas on this?

By: Daniel J. Andrews

Daniel J. Andrews — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:53:07 +0000

I’ve seen similar suction type feedings in other fish (bass). It happens so fast you can’t really see what happens. There’s the prey and suddenly its gone.

By: Oroboros

Oroboros — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:40:33 +0000

Confirmed from original at YouTube:

High-speed video (500 frames/sec) of Petenia splendida, a Central American cichlid, suction feeding on a live mosquitofish.

By: Oroboros

Oroboros — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:38:48 +0000

Having shot a fair bit of high-speed video, I’m almost certain that is the case there.

By: Wonderer

Wonderer — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:05:08 +0000

The title threw me off… I thought it would be about a fish that sucks blood. Now I’m wondering… is there such a fish? It seems like that would be an equally opportune niche in the ocean as it is on land.

By: Joshua Zelinsky

Joshua Zelinsky — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:35:23 +0000

Is that video real time or slowed down? I can’t tell and it doesn’t say.

By: The Science Pundit

The Science Pundit — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:27:35 +0000

I have a lot to say about this video, but I don’t want to carp on it.

By: Jonathan Eisen

Jonathan Eisen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:13:36 +0000

Peter showing these videos in our “Biodiversity and the Tree of Life” class at Davis yesterday was quite fun.