Scientists find cell in fish that can sense light and contribute to vision

September 30th, 2009 LONDON - Reports indicate that the giant Chinese paddlefish, which is one of the world's largest freshwater fish, is on the verge of going extinct. According to a report by BBC News, a three-year quest to find the giant Chinese paddlefish in the Yangtze river failed to sight or catch a single individual.

September 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Just as you plug in your computers and smart phones to communicate, electric fish too communicate by quickly plugging special channels into their cells to generate electrical impulses. The fish generate electric fields to navigate, fight and attract mates in murky streams and rivers throughout Central and South America.

September 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - University of Texas at Austin researchers have discovered that just as people plug in to computers, smart phones and electric outlets to communicate, electric fish communicate by quickly plugging special channels into their cells to generate electrical impulses. The fish generate electric fields to navigate, fight and attract mates in murky streams and rivers throughout Central and South America.

September 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species off Brazil's Bahia coast, which is more than six feet long, has small teeth, and has no scales covering its gelatinous body. According to a report in National Geographic News, the fish that has a long tail, was found floating in the sea by researchers from the TAMAR Project, a sea turtle conservation project.

August 31st, 2009 LONDON - In what may eventually prove very useful in human health research, scientists at Michigan State University have come up with a more efficient method to clone zebra fish. What makes this work an important achievement is the fact that zebra fish, which have served as an excellent model for understanding normal development and birth defects for more than 20 years, are quickly becoming the animal of choice for many researchers.

August 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists is exploring the fundamental basis for the unique sixth sense of fish to "touch" objects in their surroundings without direct physical contact, or to "see" in the dark, which could better equip robots to orient themselves in their environments with multiple sensors. The research work is being led by Professor Leo van Hermmen and his team in the physics department of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) in Germany.

August 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - If scientists have their way, giant robotic cages may one day roam the seas as future fish farms, which could help produce greener, healthier, and more numerous fish. According to a report in National Geographic News, scientists propose that in the future, giant, autonomous fish farms may whir through the open ocean, mimicking the movements of wild schools or even allowing fish to forage "free range" before capturing them once again.

July 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Nearly all animals can detect light, thanks to three types of retinal cells that allow us to see images or distinguish between night and day. Now researchers have discovered in fish yet another type of cell that can sense light and contribute to vision.

July 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research by scientists from the University of Victoria has shown that fish avoid the divers and snorkelers who try to count them, and that is why using snorkelers and SCUBA divers may misrepresent the number of fish. Not all types of fish are equally frightened by the divers, and Faculty of 1000 member Helen Yap, who recommended the study, explains that therefore "such methods may not provide an accurate picture of the actual diversity and abundance of fish communities." Counting coral reef fish informs researchers about local ecological changes.

July 14th, 2009 SYDNEY - Scientists have discovered a 400 million-year-old reproductive organ in an ancient fish specimen, which is the oldest penis-like structure found yet. According to a report by ABC News, earlier this year, the team, led by Australian palaeontologist Dr John Long, predicted some ancient fish from the Devonian era, had an attachment to their pelvic bone, which were used by males to fertilize females.

July 13th, 2009 DUBLIN - Soon, with the help of a swimming robotic fish, scientists would be able to understand how fish swim upstream. According to a report by the Independent News and Media Limited, five research institutions, including the University of Bath, have been given 1.8 million euros by the European Commission to build the swimming robot.

May 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A recent study has provided a new insight into the evolution of the eyes of primates, taking the example of the nocturnal owl monkey. Researchers comparing the fetal development of the eye of the owl monkey with that of the capuchin monkey have found that only a minor difference in the timing of cell proliferation can explain the multiple anatomical differences in the two kinds of eyes.

May 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists are all set to harness the mechanism behind nocturnal geckos' unique ability to see colours at night, in making multifocal contact lenses and better cameras. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found that the key to the exceptional night vision of the nocturnal helmet gecko is a series of distinct concentric zones of different refractive powers.

April 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has shown that chemicals commonly used to clean up oil spills make oil far more toxic to fish, particularly for eggs and young fish. According to a report by Discovery News, the research was done by Fish toxicologist Professor Peter Hodson of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and colleagues.

March 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered that the elephant shark, a primitive deep-sea fish that belongs to the oldest living family of jawed vertebrates, can see color much like humans can. This discovery may enhance scientists' understanding of how color vision evolved in early vertebrates over the last 450 million years of evolution.