Coolest evolutionary adaptations?

[GallonsOfFun]

What do you guys think are the coolest evolutionary adaptations in aquarium fish?

I'll start: I find it extraordinary that the elephant nose fish has evolved, turning its muscle cells into electrocyte cells, to be able to use weak electrical signals in the same way Dolphins would use sonar.


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[Nils]

I think it's cool how puffers can puff up to protect themselves

 

[sinibotia]

Weatherloaches are pretty cool, repurposing their swim bladder as a barometric pressure sensor

Botiid loaches in general having evolved communication through clicks made by grinding their pharyngal teeth is pretty cool too!

 

[stop.alvin]

Bettas & Gourami using a labrynth organ to breathe air out the surface, because oxygen levels in the water are low


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[GallonsOfFun]

All great ones! Just remembered leaf fish, as well, for obvious reasons!

 

[HUKIT]

The Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish has a rather unusual breeding habit. They will use a pair of surrogate fish as parents to incubate their eggs. When a pair of mouth brooding Cichlids are in the process of dropping eggs, these catfish will dart in and devour the newly dropped eggs. During this time they will conveniently drop their own eggs, thereby confusing the Cichlid parents into believing they are their own. The Cichlid parents will then care for and incubate the eggs. The Catfish eggs will hatch before the eggs that the Cichlid parents were able to save, and the catfish fry then feed upon the Cichlid eggs.

 

[ImACoolguy]

The Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish has a rather unusual breeding habit. They will use a pair of surrogate fish as parents to incubate their eggs. When a pair of mouth brooding Cichlids are in the process of dropping eggs, these catfish will dart in and devour the newly dropped eggs. During this time they will conveniently drop their own eggs, thereby confusing the Cichlid parents into believing they are their own. The Cichlid parents will then care for and incubate the eggs. The Catfish eggs will hatch before the eggs that the Cichlid parents were able to save, and the catfish fry then feed upon the Cichlid eggs.

Now that is an interesting story!


Caleb

 

[lunch]

The archer fish and it's ability to allow for refraction at the air-water interface when hunting prey up to 3mtrs above the water

 

[Fishobsessed7]

Live bearers!


Fishobsessed7

Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Fish Which Is Pretty Much The Same Thing

 

[keegster803]

The Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish has a rather unusual breeding habit. They will use a pair of surrogate fish as parents to incubate their eggs. When a pair of mouth brooding Cichlids are in the process of dropping eggs, these catfish will dart in and devour the newly dropped eggs. During this time they will conveniently drop their own eggs, thereby confusing the Cichlid parents into believing they are their own. The Cichlid parents will then care for and incubate the eggs. The Catfish eggs will hatch before the eggs that the Cichlid parents were able to save, and the catfish fry then feed upon the Cichlid eggs.

Did you see that documentary too?!?

And my favorite adaptation is the adaptation that altolamprologus compressiceps and calvus have. When threatened, they turn their bodies and expose their scales as spikes and the scales have been known to rip up the lips of attacking fish. They also use it to help them eat the fry of other fish and not have to worry about angry parents


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[Gillie]

The Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish has a rather unusual breeding habit. They will use a pair of surrogate fish as parents to incubate their eggs. When a pair of mouth brooding Cichlids are in the process of dropping eggs, these catfish will dart in and devour the newly dropped eggs. During this time they will conveniently drop their own eggs, thereby confusing the Cichlid parents into believing they are their own. The Cichlid parents will then care for and incubate the eggs. The Catfish eggs will hatch before the eggs that the Cichlid parents were able to save, and the catfish fry then feed upon the Cichlid eggs.

Which would bring us to another neat adaptation, mouthbrooding

 

[sinibotia]

Which would bring us to another neat adaptation, mouthbrooding

Heck, even just parental care in general. But for me discus take the cake for that. Producing mucus to feed their fry? CRAZY!

 

[stop.alvin]

Hatchetfish using they're flat bodies and wing like pectoral fins to fly


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[cgthebeast]

The four eyed fish an how it spilt it's eyes in half in order to both see above and below the water

 

[Minato]

African butterfly fish the way its top body is flattened and fins evolved so it can jump out of water and glide back into it



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[FWFishTanks]

This is a pretty general one, but fin adaptations are pretty cool. Like stated above, the african butterfly has fins adapted to top water life. Many fish have different fin types. Open water fish generally have sharply forked tails and sleek dorsals for speed, and most ambush predators have rounded tails for quick bursts for ambushing prey.

 

[superpeytonm]

I find electrogenic fish, like the electric eel or electric catfish, extremely cool. It's just neat to see animals producing electricity.

 

[PoppaRyno]

The Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish has a rather unusual breeding habit. They will use a pair of surrogate fish as parents to incubate their eggs. When a pair of mouth brooding Cichlids are in the process of dropping eggs, these catfish will dart in and devour the newly dropped eggs. During this time they will conveniently drop their own eggs, thereby confusing the Cichlid parents into believing they are their own. The Cichlid parents will then care for and incubate the eggs. The Catfish eggs will hatch before the eggs that the Cichlid parents were able to save, and the catfish fry then feed upon the Cichlid eggs.

Theres some great video of this process in a nat geo documentary abt the rift lakes. They cover the syno breeding pretty well. Im sure youve seen it, but if not its a good watch. Even if just for the video footage. Im more than sure your well versed in rift lake africans. ?

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[Delapool]

That sounds pretty interesting. I'll have to hunt around for some links. Some amazing stuff. Who said fish are boring!

 

[PoppaRyno]

That sounds pretty interesting. I'll have to hunt around for some links. Some amazing stuff. Who said fish are boring!

Start here
https://youtu.be/2oCJ9cJbp-w

Its part 1 of 6. Check them all out.

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