A dolphin’s face always expresses an apparent smile, its good-natured and playful appearance together with its reputation of being one of the most intelligent animals in the animal kingdom make us think that dolphins can actually laugh just like humans, but it is not quite like that.

According to studies conducted by Bioacoustics, The International Journal of Animal Sound and its Recording entitled “Reproduction of human vocalizations and laughter: a comparative review”, dolphins can emit sounds that can be interpreted as “laughter”, but this laughter has nothing to do with their appearance or with the sense of humor known to humans.

Through the study, it was determined that dolphins, like other animals, can emit sounds and vocalizations that fit within the concept of what is understood as laughter.

Animals generally emit these vocalizations when they are playing, because among animals they play in a very physical way and it is difficult to differentiate between a fight and a game between them.

When emitting the sound, the animal is announcing that its mood is playful and has no intention to hurt or fight with the other animal, it is a very basic and simple way for the animal to say “quiet, I’m just playing”.

If you are wondering how dolphins can produce sounds underwater to communicate with each other, I also remind you that dolphins can produce ultrasonic sounds, with waves that are above the hearing capacity of the human ear.

What about the dolphin’s laughing expression?

The dolphins’ perpetual laughter must be the main reason why people think that dolphins are very cheerful creatures that laugh all the time.

Although in the animal world, things are very “down to earth”, not everything is what it seems, especially from a human point of view.

The smile on a dolphin’s face is just a coincidence because of the curved shape of its beak; a dolphin could be in pain and still keep that “smiling” expression on its face.

That reminds me of the face of a sloth, another animal that appears to be smiling all the time, when in fact the lack of muscles in its face is what gives it that appearance.

Some people may think of dolphins and sloths as happy, cuddly, smiling animals and may unintentionally subject them to situations that are uncomfortable for them.

This reminds me a lot of a very cruel joke about a clown who meets a group of rapists in a lonely place, when the rapists attack the clown he tells them “treat me gently, my smile is not real, it is painted”.

The false smile of dolphins

I have read several articles about it, many people enjoy seeing dolphins in aquatic amusement centers, these trained dolphins always seem to be happy with a smile on their face, but that is just an illusion.

It is similar to the story I mentioned above about the clown, although the dolphin’s expression is one of laughter and happiness, inside he actually feels desperate for being in captivity and not being able to escape to nature.

Do dolphins have a sense of humor?

Dolphins can have a sense of humor because they are animals with highly developed brains and are able to create emotions because they possess neurotransmitters and hormones just like humans.

But one must distinguish between what could be the sense of humor of a dolphin to that of a human, the human sense of humor is a unique cognitive process, supported by a highly developed sense of consciousness that does not exist in other animals.

By this, I am saying that, yes, dolphins have their own sense of humor, but they would not be able to understand the sense of humor of humans because they are very different cognitive and mental processes, although similar in essence.

A sense of humor is a person’s ability to express or feel that something is “funny”. Or to transform emotionally difficult situations in order to avoid feeling defeated.

When something makes us laugh or amuses us, our brain activates mechanisms that make us feel good. This also happens in animals, especially in those with developed brains, such as dolphins.

Games and similar behaviors that occur more in young animals are part of what we could call a “sense of humor” in animals.

These are fights or confrontations that occur in a non-aggressive atmosphere. They encourage bonding between individuals in a social group, just as in humans.

Do dolphins jump out of the water for fun?

Dolphins are as friendly creatures as they are playful children. Sometimes jumping out of the water may be purely for play, but it also has a functional reason.

Through biochemistry and fluid mechanics, studies of dolphins and other fish have discovered why dolphins jump out of the water and spin in the air, the reason being to shed parasites in their bodies, being in the water dolphins get a lot of resistance when swimming.

Once they jump out of the water, the air resistance is much less than that of the water. Dolphins can spin on the surface of the water at a speed of 6 meters per second.

Dolphins feel uncomfortable when they jump out of the water, but they can get rid of parasites. In fact, parasites have a considerable impact on dolphins, and severe cases can make dolphins sick.

This toxin is found only in fish from tropical and subtropical countries but can reach other parts of the world through imported fish.

The problem is that a ciguatera fish is impossible to detect with the naked eye or human senses, because ciguatoxin is odorless, colorless, does not alter the taste of the fish, and does not alter the physical appearance of the fish.

But there are ways to minimize ciguatera poisoning by recognizing the source and type of fish that is most likely to have this toxin.

Ciguatoxin poisoning is triggered by metabolic products of microalgae, which have their natural habitat in the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Herbivorous fish feed on these microorganisms. If the small fish are eaten by larger predatory fish, the ciguatoxins can accumulate and enter the human food chain.

New and reliable methods for detecting the presence of ciguatoxins in fish and microalgae are currently being developed and established.

The detection of ciguatoxins places great demands on analytical methods, as the toxins are effective at very low concentrations.

Furthermore, they occur in many different chemical structures, depending on the fishing area. So far, there is no analytical method with which fish can be routinely screened for ciguatoxins.

How to reduce the risk of ciguatera poisoning?

Since it is very difficult to immediately detect a fish with ciguatera, the most appropriate way to reduce the risk of consuming the fish is to recognize which fish are most susceptible to ciguatera toxin.

As well as in which parts of the body ciguatoxin accumulates in a fish, ciguatera is a toxin obtained from small reef-feeding fish in the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea.

These fish, in turn, are the food of larger predatory fish which produces a food chain, the ciguatoxin passes from microorganisms on the reefs to small fish and then to larger fish.

Therefore, ciguatera is found more in tropical predatory fish such as barracuda, grouper, moray eel, marlin, sea bream, sailfish, snapper, jacks, jack mackerel, among other large tropical fish.

In these large tropical predatory fish, the highest amount of ciguatoxin can be found, because they feed on a large number of small fish that already have the toxin.

The part of the body where most of the toxin accumulates in these fish is in the innards and head, so it is recommended to avoid consuming these parts as well.

Ciguatera fish poisoning symptoms

The first signs of ciguatera poisoning appear between 15 minutes and 24 hours after ingestion, although the average is about 12 hours. The signs of ciguatera are, in the acute phase, gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea).

There may also be neurological symptoms such as:

• An abnormal sensation of tissues, cold and/heat, tingling (paresthesia) and sensitivity disorder (dysesthesia).
• Muscular discomfort.
• Skin disorder, basically itching
• Cardiovascular signs such as decreased heart rate (bradycardia), decreased blood pressure (hypotension) or tachycardia.

Other signs are:

• Joint discomfort
• Vertigo
• Headache
• Loss of consciousness
• Hallucinations
• Fatigue
• blurred vision
• Hiccups
• Thialism
• Exacerbation of acne
• Metallic taste in the mouth

Can ciguatera be cooked out?

Fish with ciguatoxin can not be detected by appearance, taste, or odor, and the toxin is not removed by freezing, filleting, or cooking the fish. There is currently no FDA-approved test for ciguatoxin.

Can you get ciguatera from eating salmon?

Salmon is a sea fish and also a freshwater fish regularly found in the oceans, this type of fish is not exposed to ciguatoxin.

And although the salmon is also a fish that eats small fish and crustaceans, it does not frequent coral reefs, it feeds on small fish in the ocean, which do not contain ciguatoxin.

What treatments are used for ciguatera toxin?

The treatment regimen is an osmotic diuretic with parenteral mannitol for symptom relief. It is also important to rehydrate the patient with saline to balance the losses caused by diarrhea and vomiting.

For further treatment, calcium gluconate, a mineral supplement, may be prescribed orally; and for chronic symptoms, amitriptyline, an analgesic, and antidepressant.

Resources:

https://calpoison.org/news/ciguatera

For an animal to coexist for centuries until today, it must possess a set of physical attributes and abilities that protect it in an environment as harsh as the wild.

One of the most predominant and incredible attributes of the Crocodile is its skin, which can be so tough that it can resist knife cuts, arrows and can even be bulletproof.

Realistically, it is not that the Crocodile’s skin makes it a bulletproof animal, there is no animal that has such resistant armor, not even an armadillo.

But a Crocodile’s skin is tough enough to protect it from pellet shots from a distance.

What is the skin of a Crocodile made of?

The skin of the crocodile is covered by scales that form a kind of armor that protects the animal, these scales are composed of keratin.

Keratin is the same component found in the nails and other parts of the human body, its function is to provide a layer of strength and resistance.

Some horns and hooves of other animals are also composed of this substance.

Apart from this, crocodiles have another protective armor between the scales and underneath by bony plates called osteoderms.

These plates of osteoderms are overlapping each other, providing extra protection and being quite flexible.

These two components that make up the crocodile skin are the reason why crocodile skin is so tough.

How thick is crocodile armor?

In the crocodile, most of its body armor is just a thickened version of keratinized skin, only the back is covered by a layer of not very dense ossified scales.

On the back of an adult crocodile, the thickness of this skin layer is about 5 cm, but half of it is the dermis which has no protective capacity.

The epidermis of the back of a crocodile is divided into six layers: stratum corneum, ossification layer, transparent layer, granular layer, spinous cell layer, and basal layer from outside to inside.

Only the stratum corneum and the lower ossification layer play a protective role.

For small animals, this protective layer on the crocodile is practically indestructible, but against big cats such as jaguars and lions, this protective layer does not offer much protection.

How crocodiles are hunted by other animals?

Despite their tough skin, crocodiles are preyed upon by other animals, such as some big cats, the bite force of tigers, lions, jaguars, and other big cats is close to 500 kilograms per square centimeter.

Compared with the 1,000 kilograms of the Nile crocodile, it is indeed a bit short, but such a large bite force combined with the sharp and developed canine teeth is enough to bite through the hardest part of the back skin of an adult crocodile.

When a leopard hunts a crocodile, it usually jumps from a high platform on the river bank when the crocodile goes ashore to bask in the sun, jumps from the back onto the crocodile’s back, and bites the crocodile’s neck.

This trick is very effective for mammals. It can quickly cause cervical spine rupture, suffocation, or carotid artery bleeding.

Generally, the prey is finished in less than half a minute. But it’s not easy to use this trick against crocodiles.

The crocodile skin is thick, and the carotid artery is hidden deep in the spines of the cervical spine. It is not easy to bite through (the crocodile has the strongest bone among the existing reptiles).

It’s nothing if I don’t breathe when I’m young. But in several sighting reports, the leopard won in the end, and as long as the leopard bites the crocodile’s throat, the crocodile cannot effectively counterattack, it cannot bite the leopard, and its claws are short and “weak”, can’t hurt the other party.

In the end, the violent struggle exhausted the oxygen stored in the crocodile, and the overlord of the river beach suffocated and died.

Can a gunshot kill a crocodile?

One shot from a gun could kill a crocodile, although this will depend on several factors such as the caliber of the gun, the distance, and the point where the crocodile is shot.

The softest part of the crocodile is the belly, but it is difficult to aim at this area since it is usually the part that is submerged in the water.

A shot from a powerful gun can penetrate the crocodile’s scale armor, but for a shot to kill it, it would have to hit a vital area of its body.

From what I have seen in some videos and documentaries is that a close-range shot from a boat with a shotgun to the crocodile’s head is the most accurate and reliable.

The largest known Crocodile

The largest crocodile nowadays is the marine crocodile. The largest known was a male crocodile of 8.5 meters in length and 1700 kilograms in weight and was captured in Queensland, Australia, in 1957.

Closely followed by the Nile crocodile capable of reaching 6 meters and 750 kilograms. The smallest crocodile species is the dwarf crocodile.

Being a species derived from salamanders, it is known that axolotl can last a long time out of the water, in fact, despite being an aquatic animal, the axolotl has legs to walk on the surface.

The axolotl not only has gills to breathe in the water, it also has lung sacs, so they can breathe out of the water without problems, but they can’t really do it for long.

The axolotl ascends to the surface from time to time, takes in air to fill these sacs and gently descends to the bottom. In nature they live in shallow water.

Although the axelotl cannot live outside the aquatic environment, this species has retained a pair of nostrils through which it can breathe out of water for about for about 15 minutes. 

More time out of the water would be dangerous because even if it could breathe a little longer out of the water, its skin would begin to lose moisture, it would start to dry out.

Would begin to lose moisture, start to dry out and flake, or suffer start to dry out and flake. You would suffer serious skin lesions or infections and may even die. may even die. 

The axelotl naturally comes out to take a breath of air and return to the aquatic environment: they do this as quickly as the blink of an eye. as quickly as the blink of an eye, it is almost imperceptible. imperceptible.

The axolotl has four different types of breathing

Amphibians generally have two types of respiration, which are cutaneous and pulmonary, which in itself is surprising.

But, the axolotl does not have only the two types of respiration characteristic of amphibians, it actually has four different types of respiration, which it can use depending on the situation and the environment where it is.

Cutaneous respiration

Cutaneous respiration, as you may know, is breathing through the skin. The axolotl has a soft and always moist skin, but what is most special about it is that it allows gases to diffuse through the nearest blood vessels.

Its skin itself functions as a separator, the amphibian’s organism, the amphibian’s organism takes in oxygen while the dioxide evaporates through its dermis.

Do you know what other animals do this? Frogs and toads.

Gill respiration

The axolotl’s gills are not only beautiful and ornamental, they are also indispensable for its respiration.

They allow a greater volume of gas to pass into the blood to absorb oxygen. But not only that, these gills have the ability to remove impurities. 

Mouth breathing

Probably the easiest to understand. These animals have a small buccopharyngeal membrane that allows them to allows them to attract oxygenated water. 

This water passes through the brachial filaments, taking what is necessary for respiration. 

A process similar to that of cutaneous respiration occurs, in which oxygen dioxide and oxygen are separated.

Pulmonary respiration

It is very curious, but axolotl only use pulmonary respiration when it is really difficult for them to “take in” oxygen. 

This is because pulmonary respiration is quite deficient in the amount of oxygen it can take in. 

The lungs of this amphibian are small sacs with folded pockets and are surrounded by blood vessels where oxygen flows.

Because of all these wonderful characteristics, there are also cons, the axolotl is a very sensitive animal, it is required that its environment is as clean as possible, especially its water.

The cleanliness of the water is indispensable for these animals. Because they eat and defecate in the water, it becomes a “breeding ground” for bacteria that can cause diseases, the water should not contain chlorine either.

The more clean the water is, of course, means that the animal will not be as likely to get sick. For this purpose, an aquarium filter is suggested.

No abrasive cleaning and disinfection chemicals should be used and everything must be thoroughly rinsed so that there are no toxic residues that could affect the animal.

Is it OK to touch an Axolotl?

You can touch the axolotl, but you must be very careful not to hurt the animal because the axolotl’s skin is very fragile.

In addition, there is a risk if you are a person susceptible to allergies that you may be affected by touching an axolotl with your hands.

It should be taken into account that all these amphibians have skin covered by secretions that can cause varying degrees of irritation in humans. It is recommended to wash hands thoroughly after handling them.

The pH of the axolotl’s skin is a natural layer of lipids, water and fatty acids produced by the glands of the skin, this protective layer when introduced into an aquatic environment is completely eliminated, so it is safer to touch them in the water.

The axolotl tends to be a shy animal, so don’t expect it to be very receptive when you try to touch it, nor is it an animal that likes to be touched a lot, like a dog for example, either in or out of the water.

Whenever you try to touch the axolotl, you should do it very gently, sliding your fingers carefully over its body, ideally on the back, not holding it, not forcing it.

If you try to force or hold it against its natural movement, the axolotl could become very stressed.

Once you are confident, you can touch him regularly, as long as he feels comfortable.

You must keep in mind that usually when you touch an axolotl it is to feed it, so sometimes the axolotl could mistake your fingers for food.

Because of this, from time to time, the axolotl may bite you, but it does not do this with the intention of attacking, it will simply mistake your fingers for food, not always, just sometimes.

As for its bite, do not worry, it does not hurt at all, the axolotl lacks teeth or fangs, or rather, they have teeth but in a very rudimentary form that cannot tear or cause discomfort, you do not feel any kind of pain in a possible axolotl bite.

“I would like to be a fish to touch my nose in your fishbowl and make love bubbles Everywhere”, these are the lyrics of a famous song in my native language (Spanish) that came to my mind while I was preparing this topic, previously I asked myself, what do the bubbles of a fish have to do with love?..from the human point of view, it has everything to do.

Bubbles are a fundamental part of the reproductive process of betta fish, it is understood that the betta fish is an animal, but if you want to explain in a more “romantic” way the betta fish makes bubbles when it is in love. (he really just wants to reproduce like every living organism)

Making bubbles on the surface of the water is an activity that fish do naturally and is very necessary for their development. Betta make bubbles on the surface of the fish tank with their own saliva, with the purpose of forming a nest for their future eggs.

The betta fish cannot reproduce without this nest since this is a very important part of the reproduction process. The bubbles have the purpose of containing the small eggs that will be expelled by the female betta to prevent the eggs from going to the bottom since they are denser than water.

This bubble nest is usually built by the male, and later, when the female deposits the eggs in the water, the male collects them and carries them up to the bubble nest.

Consequences of breeding a betta fish without having a bubble nest

There are negative consequences that you should be aware of when trying to reproduce specimens of the betta fish when the male does not yet have the bubble nest ready.

Many people who are dedicated to the breeding and reproduction of betta fish are always trying to make many reproductions of betta fish, either because they like the process of reproduction and breeding of betta fish or because they have never been able to make a successful reproduction and for that reason they want to make one as successful as possible.

For that reason they always make certain mistakes, mainly because they are in a hurry, you can lose the whole process of reproduction, you must always keep in mind that betta fish breeding is a hobbit that requires a lot of patience and care.

It is necessary to prepare and take care of the adult specimens as well as the young. One of the mistakes that is commonly made is to free the female in the pond when the male does not have the nest ready.

This violent attacks by the male betta fish on the female during the reproduction process is something very well known, the male betta fish has a very bad reputation for having a rough and wild attitude, this is so against the female betta fish, if the betta fish does not have the bubble nest ready and you add a female to the pond things will not go well.

That is why you should keep the female betta fish in a plastic container or similar transparent container, inside or next to the pond, so that the male can court her, but cannot attack her while he builds the nest.

On the contrary, if the female manages to survive the male’s attacks and reproduction will be achieved, but even the male bettafish did not have the nest ready, what will happen is that the male will be too stressed trying to collect all the eggs that will fall one by one to the bottom of the aquarium.

Because the male does not have the nest ready, which is where the young are supposed to be, the eggs will begin to fall to the bottom of the aquarium, causing the male to accidentally eat some of the eggs.

They will not be able to raise them all at the same time, but even worse, when the hatchlings begin to be born, they will all fall to the bottom of the aquarium one by one and this will cause the male betta fish to become even more stressed and probably eat them all.

Remember that a male that does not build a nest is a male that is not yet ready to be reproduced. If your betta fish does not build a nest, you should not release the female because the male may kill her or eat the young because she is not yet in optimal condition to reproduce.

How to breed a betta fish without a bubble nest?

There has always been the myth, and indeed in numerous articles on the internet and from experts in betta fish breeding and reproduction, that light-colored betta, including Cambodians, cellophane males and yellow males are certainly difficult to breed.

Apparently the genetics of the same diminishes the reproductive instinct, many holders of these betta fish have experienced something similar and many difficulties can be presented to reproduce couples of betta fish of that type, it is possible that you have tried the reproduction by various occasions and the only result obtained is the male betta fish mistreating the female, but it has not had at any moment the instinct to spawn it neither and to make nest of bubbles.

There is a solution that works, and this is using a bubble nest of another person, for that you are going to use the nest that has made another betta male of any other color.

This can be a somewhat tedious method because you would have to get another betta fish and expect it to make a bubble nest, but it is totally worth it to reproduce species that can be genetically valuable and very difficult to get in the environment or difficult to reproduce.

What you should do is carefully remove the bubbles with a semi-curved element, it can be a plastic cup, and place them in the other container and it doesn’t matter that the bubbles you have obtained are not too many, they can be enough to nest the eggs in case you have a positive spawning.

Try to place the bubbles as close as possible to the male, then you can place the female betta fish in the same container as the male and he will start to court her, try to make the location of the female as close as possible to the nest to see if the male will dare to complete the bubble nest.

It is possible to have a successful reproduction with this method, as I had previously mentioned this is not a technique that you will use regularly, it is something that you will use sporadically in specimens that are difficult to reproduce and that are very valuable.

A shark has very distinctive eyes and properties, but some surprising facts about the physical qualities of a shark’s vision may surprise you.

Many of us ask ourselves some questions regarding certain physical attributes around shark vision and eyes, in this topic, I investigated some of them in-depth.

Do sharks have eyelids?

Actually, sharks do not close their eyes, because they do not have eyelids. Instead, they have a thin translucent protective layer, known as the nictitating membrane, which coats the entire eyeball before the shark bites its prey.

The nictitating membrane, also known as the third eyelid, has the function of protecting the eye from elements that can cause injury or discomfort, also in land animals it fulfills the function of moistening the eye, although the shark does not need this because of the environment that surrounds it.

Most sharks have a protective membrane, called a “nictitant”, to protect their eyes, similar to our eyelids. 

The Great White Shark, however, lacks this membrane. Instead, it rolls its eyes back over its sockets so that they are protected when it approaches unfamiliar objects or hits one of its prey.

What do shark eyes look like?

At first glance a shark’s eyes look spherical with small black pupil in the center, oriented towards the extremes.

Contrary to the popular idea that the Great White Shark has “deadly” black eyes, the iris actually has a deep blue color, clearly visible in sunlight when viewed from the front. 

From close distance what you see are actually very dark blue eyes in which it is possible to distinguish the circular shape of the iris, which is capable of orienting itself to focus on an object.

Shark eyes also have a remarkable characteristic, the “tapetum lucidum”, similar to the eyes of cats and other nocturnal animals.

Located just behind the retina, this miniature plate structure causes light rays entering the eye to strike the shark’s retina, thus increasing the light available to photoreceptors and improving vision in low-light conditions.

Do sharks and other fish sleep?

Sharks don’t really sleep because they can’t sleep because of their physiology, since the water gets in through their gills because they keep moving. 

Sharks do not have any organ that can make water enter their gills, so if they stop, they stop breathing and die. Therefore, in order to rest, they usually become lethargic when they enter a sea current.

While others fish sleep a good part of their lives. A sleeping fish is hard for us humans to recognize because fish don’t have eyelids to close. Many are blind at night and hide.

During the night they reduce their metabolism significantly, breathing and heartbeat are reduced. That saves precious energy. However, the fish have not gone completely away while they are sleeping. Although they significantly reduce their alertness, they never fall into a deep sleep phase.

Some fish even lie on their side to sleep, like us. Parrots wear a kind of pajamas: they cover their bodies with a slime that absorbs all odorous substances and thus protects them from attackers. 

Some freshwater fish change color and become pale gray while resting on the bottom or on parts of the plants.

Of course there are also nocturnal fish. Moray eels, mackerel and grouper, for example, go hunting at dusk. Lanternfish have organs that generate light below their eyes, which they use to hunt like torches at night. At sunrise, when other fish are awake, the night hunters go to rest.

Fish that are exposed to strong seasonal fluctuations also adapt their phases of activity to the annual rhythm. Many of our sea fish, especially the carp-like fish, hibernate. When it is cold and there is a lack of food, the body functions are reduced to a minimum.

In winter, however, life rages in our streams. The cold water is rich in oxygen and full of tasty insect larvae. Ideal conditions for the salmon-like fish to get active and start breeding in November.

Why can’t sharks and other fish close their eyes?

It is very difficult to see a fish with their eyes closed. Even though they are calm in the water or remain calm at the bottom of the aquarium, their eyes are always open.

In humans, the closed eyelids block out light reflections and protect the eyes from foreign bodies. Their most important function, however, is that the blink of an eye prevents the cornea from drying out. 

If the eyes were always open, the protective tear film would have evaporated quickly. Constantly blinking at night could be extremely annoying, the eyelids close.

Fish do not need to specially moisten their eyes and therefore have not developed any skin folds. As water dwellers, they have always managed without eyelids. Different shark species, which protect their eyes with a nictitating membrane, are an exception.

But that doesn’t mean that fish don’t sleep. Burbot, pikeperch and perch, for example, are predatory fish that become active at dusk.

With a good catch, they can quickly meet their nutritional needs and then take long periods of rest. When perch rest, they support themselves with their fins on the ground or on a plant.

The burbot lies almost motionless in a shelter on the ground and is almost frightened when you bump into it.

Prey fish such as small moderlies or roaches cannot afford such deep sleep. They search for food all day, eat water plants and various small animals. At night they maintain about ten percent of their activity. They continue to swim and are wide awake even with minor disturbances.

Sharks see the world in black and white

between colors, according to an Australian study that has analyzed the cells of the retina of 17 species of sharks. In all these species, were found in their eyes abundant canes, cells very sensitive to light, useful for night vision but unable to distinguish between colors.

However, most species studied lacked cones, the photoreceptors that respond to different wavelengths and differentiate between colors. And only in some species, seven in particular, the researchers identified a type of cell that allows detecting wavelengths of 530 nanometers, which correspond to the color green.

The study has been carried out by the Universities of Western Australia and Queensland and published in the German magazine Naturwissenschaften.

Monochromatic vision is very rare in terrestrial species, because detecting colors helps to survive. 

But the role of color is less evident in the marine environment, where colors are progressively filtered out as depth increases and survival depends on the ability to distinguish contrasts to determine whether a silhouette in darkness belongs to prey or predator.

The black and white vision of the sharks is supported by the statistics of shark attacks where it is observed that the great majority of the attacks had as victims divers and surfers with black clothes which, to the eyes of the shark, is very showy.

If you notice the belly of the betta fish is inflamed this can be the cause of several things but usually constipation, to avoid this it is essential to avoid over feeding the fish.

As a rough rule of thumb, feed quantities that your fish can eat in less than 3-5 minutes. If there is still food left in your aquarium after this time, you have fed too much. Remove leftovers with a net and feed accordingly less the next time.

Symptoms of constipation in betta fish

The belly of the fish bulges noticeably. Because it is constipated, it does not feed or defecate. It rests on the substrate for many hours, since it is weakened. It can be difficult to distinguish this condition from dropsy.

How to avoid constipation in betta fish?

• Do not overfeed the betta.
• Soak the dry food (pellets, scales) for 5-10 minutes in aquarium water before giving it to the betta fish.This is because this type of food often contains air inside that can contribute to constipation and inflamed swim bladder. By soaking the food this air will be lost.
• Give boiled peas to the betta fish at least once a week. Pea will help enormously to prevent this type of problem and therefore I consider that it should be part of the diet of the betta fish.
• Add aloe vera to the aquarium regularly. Among the many benefits it brings to the betta fish, one of them is also to prevent constipation.

Betta fish after eating are slow

A betta fish, after having eaten in its totality can become very slow and stay calm until the stomach is empty again. They may even stagger or swim with difficulty or imbalance, as if their swim bladder has ruptured.

When the food has been processed and the swimmer’s bladder has room again, the animals will behave normally again.

Unusual swimming behavior does not necessarily indicate illness. You should wait at least half a day to see if the belly thins again and the fish swims normally.

Highly draughty water can slow down the feeding and digestive process of betta fish

Generally, a fish tank with very strong water current could make it more difficult for the betta fish to feed and digest food, betta fish come from waters with almost no current. Aquarium filters usually generate stronger currents.

If you notice that the betta fish is constantly in a certain place, the fish may not be bothered by a strong current at this point.

Betta fish also likes to stand between plants or on the ground with their long pelvic fins. There they look for anything that is edible.

An overfeeding of betta fish causes problems in its digestive system and general health

Another important element to take into account regarding the digestion of betta fish is the amount of food it is supplied, the stomach of betta fish is the size of your eyeball, very small.

The main mistake of most novice aquarists is overfeeding. Of course, it is very tempting to feed the fish more often and a lot, since it is the only possible direct interaction with your fish at first and the fish are grateful recipients of every single food donation. 

However, excess or poorly digested food will rot in your aquarium and seriously affect the water quality; Bacteria and algae multiply, the filters in your aquarium are more polluted and your fish are more susceptible to disease. 

A single overfeeding can pollute your aquarium just as much as a whole month of “normal” pollution. In the wild, fish are often forced to survive for several days without food. You can also do this in your aquarium in an emergency,

Feeding a betta fish is a little more difficult than with other ornamental fish. Usually betta fish eat until there is nothing left, they must be fed regularly with smaller rations several times.

That works best for betta fish, too much food could lead to death, disease, and indigestion. In addition, overfeeding can lead to later sterility.

Due to the tiny size of the betta fish’s stomach, it is easy to understand that it does not take much food and therefore does not eat as much as one might think. An excess of food could cause digestive problems such as swim bladder disorder, also known as “flip-over”.

This disorder forces fish to float on the surface of the water. The affected fish swims sideways or upside down and may also lie on the bottom of the tank.

Can a betta fish go one day without food?

One day a week without food is considered healthy. In nature, betta fish can last much longer than five days without eating without any problem and feeds mainly on insects. It is a carnivore and can be fed live food, frozen food, special flake food and granules. Live food is not absolutely necessary but is gladly accepted. 

How to cure constipation in a betta fish? Three easy steps

The treatment consists of a depurative diet and is really effective especially if you act quickly.

1-You should stop feeding the betta fish for two days, this will help cleanse your digestive system.

2-On the third day gives him 1/4 of a boiled pea without the skin.

3-Wait two more days without feeding it. The most certain thing is that in these two days constipation will be cured, if so, stop the treatment and continue feeding him in the usual way (but following the advice to prevent constipation).

If two days pass and the betta fish is still constipated, give it 1/4 pea again and wait again for two days to see if it is cured.

If it still continues with the lump it is recommended that during two or three days you return to feed your betta in a normal way, since it will be quite hungry.

From here on you can try the treatment again which basically consists of 2 days fasting, 1-day pea, returning to point 1.

If after two weeks the lump is still there, in that case, it may be that constipation has reached a point where it no longer has a solution or that the lump is a tumor that is somewhat different from digestive problems.

Betta fish fights have always been clandestine and illegal, they are placed in crystal rings, where gamblers watch with enthusiasm.

These encounters can last up to three hours and the losing owner can continue or accept defeat, if the fish dies the person is offered a small amount of money.

Nowadays, these fights are not very popular, since their owners prefer to breed and keep them in a way that they can get different colors and styles, also, the business of breeding and selling betta fish is giving very good results.

Clandestine animal fighting is illegal in many parts of the world, but the profits it produces make people more invested in this illegal activity, not only with people but also with animals.

The greed of man has gone so far that now dogs, roosters, or people are no longer typical because in Thailand there are people who practice this, but with betta fish.

Is betta fish fighting illegal?

Yes, If you train any type of domestic animal to fight another animal, buy or have your own equipment to use in animal fighting, promote animal fighting, in any way facilitate it, bet on animal fighting, or even attend a scenario where animal fighting occurs, you will be responsible for a certain violation of the law.

This is applicable in many nations, including the United States, Thailand, and other Asian countries.

The potential criminal liability for animal fighting is comparable to the charges you may face in federal court for facilitating a dogfight. For this reason, betta fish fights are usually carried out clandestinely.

In fact, it is considered illegal from the judicial point of view, not only animal fights but also the breeding of animals for this purpose.

The animal protection law that prohibits the mistreatment of fish

For example, in the United States and in most nations of the world, there is an animal protection law that protects animals from mistreatment.

This law includes birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and all types of animals that can be domesticated.

In this law, clandestine fights between animals are considered animal cruelty, a violation of this law can lead to fines and even time in prison depending on the gravity of the crime.

The famous aggressiveness of the betta fish used in fights

At first glance, the betta fish stands out for its beautiful coloring and coloration, however, when you start to observe it, you discover that this animal stands out more than anything else for its aggressiveness.

The Betta is well-known for being able to protect its territory at any cost, both from individuals of the same species and from others. If its opponent doesn’t submit to it, this fighting fish turns any fight into a fight to the death. Even his mating rituals have a high dose of aggressiveness.

Some research indicates that the male Betta uses this same aggressiveness to attract females; the Betta fish is more likely to initiate a fight with another male if there is a female in front of him. They observe the battle and often choose the “winner” to mate.

The combat training technique that causes stress in betta fish

The betta fish is so protective of its territory that it may even feel threatened by its own reflection in the glass of the aquarium.

This “technique”, which has often been used as a fighter’s entertainment, causes the fish great stress when it sees itself thinking it is an invader and tries to attack it. When he sees himself, he thinks he is an invader and tries to attack him.

Betta fish are highly sensitive to stress, in fact they could die if subjected to continuous and severe stress.

What type of betta fish is used for fighting?

Certain cultivated forms are chosen for fighting, usually the Betta splendens. But you can also take Betta imbellis, Betta smaragdina and hybrids.

The fight between male fighting fish is usually fatal. But in most cases, the surviving specimen does not get very old either, as the stress for the fish is very great.

How do illegal betta fish fights take place and what are the rules?

For example, these illegal fights in some Asian countries are carried out by placing the fish in glass quads placed in two rows, the men betting stand around with bills in hand.

Betta fish measures only 6.5 centimeters long and 270 grams in weight and are aggressively territorial, which is why they are the right fish for these practices.

A person designated as the referee of the fight, weighs the contestants, which must be the same or very similar weight, and then introduces them into the narrow fish tanks, where they start to bite and bounce until one of them gives up and moves aside.

The most affected fish is separated to another tank and observed if it spreads its fins again, if so, it is ready to continue if its owner wishes.

The owner can accept defeat or continue, but if his fish dies, he can be fined. According to experts, these fights can last up to 3 hours.

Betta fish socialization and how to avoid fights

The betta fish is more of a loner. If you want to socialize it, you have to make specific considerations. Under no circumstances should two males be kept in one tank.

If you want to give him company in female form, then you should offer the betta a harem. Otherwise, it can also lead to aggressiveness.

By the way, that doesn’t just mean the male is chasing the female, it might as well be the other way around. Two to three females and one male are ideal here.

A 60-liter tank is enough for this. One chooses a harem to make the stress bearable for the female, otherwise, she could die. If you only have one female, you run the risk that the female will be continuously chased by the male. This stress is shared by several females.

Outside the breeding season, female betta fish can also be kept in groups in a tank. they should get along well without any problems.

Betta fish are very aggressive and careful in defending a territory. They do not tolerate any intruders, especially no other male betta fish.

A true rival is fought to the death if the subordinate cannot evade and flee. Everything can go so far that even a betta fish can attack its own reflection.

If you think that the male betta fish attacks the females you are also wrong. Usually, what seems a little aggressive is the courtship and mating behavior.

It is better to avoid fish of other species. Now, there will surely be a contrary opinion, as there are some traders who claim that this is not a problem. Usually, it is a problem.

Other brightly colored species with large fins are frequent targets of betta fish attacks.

Aggressive behavior of male Betta fish before fighting

The betta fish, after seeing a threat, begins a ritual dance that aims to threaten the other male and make him flee. It is called a ritual because it will always (and this is an important detail later on) be performed in the same way once it visualizes a rival.

The fish has very long fins that, when relaxed, extend along its length and slings with the water. However, the first thing it does is the complete extension of all its fins, so that its body seems to stretch and occupy more than twice its surface. The male tries to show himself to be superior, bigger, and stronger.

The fish then begins to swim from side to side, keeping its fins widely spread, standing on its side to show off its great attributes. Then, it faces the rival and opens the structures that protect its gills, giving it a bigger and more threatening look.

At the same time, he feigns to attack his rival, even hitting the glass of the aquarium to scare his opponent. If he doesn’t succeed, he starts dancing again, again and again.

This ritual aims to avoid the fight, trying to make the other male flee, once his opponent moves away in fear; the betta fish relaxes its fins again and the dance ends.

This organ is specific to fighting fish and allows them to take in air from the surface, which helps increase the level of oxygen in the bloodstream.

I have read several times about people whose betta fish by accident or in an unsuspected way, have dawned out of the fish tank, to their surprise still alive. This proves that a betta fish can last much more than 10 hours out of the water, under the right conditions.

However, the fact that a betta can survive out of water for so long, does not guarantee its life, in fact, this traumatic event can cause irreversible damage inside the fish, which would definitely lead to death.

During dry seasons, betta fish can manage to survive buried in the mud. Their diet is based on insects that fall into the water, which is why they have an upward-facing mouth.

Why can betta fishes breathe atmospheric air?

The bettas fish are from Asia, the labyrinthine fish like the bettas, needed their labyrinthine organ to be able to survive in the rice fields where they come from.

These rice fields are not very deep, perhaps only 15 cm. and therefore the water is heated very strongly by the Asian sun. So the water is quite hot, and hot water also means oxygen-poor water.

That is why God this species of fish evolutionarily developed this special labyrinthine organ with which they can breathe the atmospheric air.

Betta can not only live under water, but absolutely needs the atmospheric air to survive, because they have gill breathing in addition to their labyrinth, but the gills are probably less developed in favor of the labyrinth organ.

How does a betta fish breathe using the labyrinth organ?

The betta splendens, like the rest of the fish, has gills for the addition of oxygen to the bloodstream through the natural liquid medium (water); like the rest of the anabanids, it has an auxiliary organ called the labyrinth and it is located in the upper part of the head, thanks to which it is capable of performing two vital functions in the life of the betta (essential for its survival and to complete its life cycle, in its natural environment).

The addition of oxygen to the bloodstream to increase the proportion of it and facilitate a mixture in his body, product of the liquid and gaseous environment, in order to produce an oxygenated adhesive foam provided with bactericidal agents, this foam is the raw material to create and form the bubble nests that will protect the clutches of descendants.

The betta labyrinth is an organ for taking oxygen from the air; this information is entirely true, but it requires a nuance: The labyrinth helps increase the level of oxygen in the bloodstream, but it is not capable of supplying the betta organism with all the oxygen it demands to perform its vital functions.

Therefore, the labyrinth is an auxiliary, and not a primary, organ for breathing betta. It is composed of many thin sheets, with a lot of blood flow and through which they take the oxygen to mix in the body.

Although it is not the main organ for breathing, it is very important, because both in its natural environment and in captivity (usually in aquariums or containers without aerators) it is vital to enrich the oxygen mixture of the blood using the gaseous medium and to compensate the levels of CO2.

What happens to a betta fish that is out of water for a long time?

After being out of the water for too long, a betta is recovered into the liquid medium in time but dying. if it is reintroduced into the aquarium and (if it was dying) you will see how it goes to the bottom.

Then it will start with a spasmodic behavior (rampant behavior), after a few minutes (if there is a lot of luck and the water is well oxygenated) it may recover, it will start to abandon the rampant behavior, to stay stable on the surface but visibly weak.

In all probability, he will die within 24 hours and possibly show dark spots on his skin due to internal bleeding.

When the fish’s oxygen supply is cut off, the brain lowers the heart rate and begins to “disconnect” organs to reserve the available oxygen, trying to ensure the survival of the individual’s essence.

This cut will affect various parts of the brain if the oxygen cut is prolonged, until finally the brain dies (brain death), a few minutes after the heart (cardiac arrest, preceded by respiratory arrest).

If, when we recover the dying betta, it has entered the phase of organ disconnection, the more organs have been disconnected, the greater the danger of death.

In addition, we must take into account that the moment we run out of oxygen and are disconnected, the organs begin to deteriorate and this results in irreversible damage.

In general, they lead to internal shocks and hemorrhages and finally cause the death of the affected specimen.

How often do bettas fish breathe air?

The number of times that a betta fish rises to the surface to “take the air” can vary according to certain characteristics, such as age, activity, conditions of the aquarium, some cases confirm that it is normal to rise once every 30 seconds, other cases claim that it could be 3 to 4 times per day.

Young fish, for example, only breathe through their gills and after a few weeks, the labyrinth organ develops, with which they can/must absorb atmospheric oxygen because the gills are no longer sufficient with increasing body size.

However, it is not a bad thing if you notice that the betta fish comes up too often to take air to check the quality of the water in which it is found.

Life expectancy of a betta fish

A betta fish can live for about four years. However, socialization or stress can significantly shorten its life. With the least possible stress, good planting and compliance with ideal temperature and water values can significantly extend this life span.

In nature, betta fish do not age as much as they do in the aquarium, as they are exposed to significantly more stress from land struggles and predators, are often attacked by parasites, and also die from diseases.

Can a fish drown?

All animal and plant organisms need air, to live, where Oxygen: represents 21% of the air volume. It is formed by molecules of two atoms of oxygen and its formula is O2. It is a very reactive gas, and most living beings need it to live.

When this indispensable supply is lacking for a more or less long time, either by drowning or by rarefaction, we say that the person, animal or vegetable has drowned.

Human beings perish in water because their lungs are constituted in such a way that they can only extract oxygen from the atmosphere. On the other hand, due to the special shape of its breathing organs, the gills are located between the mouth and the pharynx, and that is where the fish takes in the oxygen for breathing.

The water enters through the gills when it opens and closes its mouth, and the blood vessels present in them take in the necessary oxygen by transporting it directly into the blood.

If any cause were to prevent it from taking in the water, it would die by drowning. As the verb drowning means to die of asphyxiation in a liquid, we could say that any fish, under certain circumstances, drowns when it is taken out of the sea or a river.