Category: Fish
Also called the suckermouth catfish, the common pleco is an armored catfish native tropical northeastern South America and has been introduced to several other countries. The sucker-like structure of their mouth allows them to adhere to surfaces and rasp at food such as algae – this feature endears them to aquarists, who value them as a way to control algal growth in their tanks.
Undersea Conversations…
While it isn’t obvious, fish have ears, and are able to communicate to one another through sounds. They don’t have vocal chords, but instead vibrate their swim bladders, producing popping, grunting, moaning, barking, or chirping noises. While some species of fish, like the goldfish, are silent listeners, there are over 1000 species that are known to vocalize, and some, like the gurnard who are veritable chatterboxes. While we can’t have a conversation with them - at least not yet - it is theorized that they do it to attract mates, frighten away predators or competitors, to synchronize mating, call for help and warn others, or to orient themselves.
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
