Can Fish ‘Jump’ While Out of Water? You Might be Surprised
- Posted on November 21, 2011 at 7:34am by
Liz Klimas
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We’ve all probably seen a fish out of its element — water — at one point or another. And as you know, their behavior is usually marked by flopping around in a seemingly helpless manner. But scientists from Northern Arizona University recently studied the behavior of fish out of water in detail revealing they’re not as doomed or helpless as they may seem.
First, watch this video of a few aquatic species and see the differences in their jumping capabilities:
New Scientist has more on the research:
The first fish in this video are purely aquatic, whereas a later example shows a killifish, which purposefully strands itself on land to escape water-dwelling predators. However, despite their different behaviours, they both have the remarkable physical ability to jump.
The researchers noticed that the jumping resembles underwater behaviour that allows fish to quickly escape predators. However, during land-based jumping, a fish spends a lot more time flexing its body. This allows it to store up more elastic energy, which is then used to generate lift.
Wired explains that the researchers used a wide variety of fish in their study and found that almost all of them had some sort of surprising leaping ability, without the traditional anatomical structures that one would expect to allow them to do so. The team is now looking into if the fish that are better jumpers could be poorer swimmers to “compromises” may have been made in favor of certain abilities.
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Fubert Barr
Posted on November 23, 2011 at 2:53amUntil they learn how to hold a basketball, what’s the point?
Report Post »yiddishlion
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 5:30pmObviously the author has NEVER caught a fish before.
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:56amWhy is it these so-called smart people have no clue. I have known since I was a child that fish jump out of water. That would make me about 50 years ahead of this scientist genius!
Report Post »Please Lord, don’t let this be something our taxes paid for. PLEASE!
V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 5:26pmI hope I didn’t pay tax dollars for this stupidity.
Jesus Christ.
Report Post »RugDog
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 4:47pmAny one of those fish would make a better president than our current muslim POTUS.
Report Post »Wheelerdude
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 2:13pmIncredible! These “researchers” probably think milk comes from a grocery store. This is what happens when kids are glued to TV and video games…they don’t get out into the real world and develope into idiotic “researchers” that must rely on government grants and substidies for sustenance!
Report Post »GodsDotr
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 1:45pmWas this paid for by the stimulus plan?
Report Post »Hollywood
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 3:25pmOn the positive side,if they can be taught how to bounce a basketball, they might be good draft picks for the Golden State Warriors!
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 12:10pmDoesn’t this qualify as animal abuse?
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:56amWonder if that’s what Obama meant by shovel ready jobs?
Report Post »Two Cents
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:53amHaving done basic research before, I’ll add that medical application of findings is not always immediately evident. Learning about the differences in the jumping of fish species may spark another scientist to apply that knowledge to prosthetics for handicapped Paralympics athletes. It really does work that way.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 8:48pmwell said… pure research leads to development in sometimes strange places.
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:15amGawd, what a slooooow news cycle.
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:21amI am curious though, how much are these clowns making?
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:42amCan libtrash breath when out of UC berkley???? Story at 11.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:40amAnyone who has ever caught salmon could tell you this!
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:17amOr bass, or bream, or bluegill, or crappie, or trout, or catfish, or….
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:32amGod knew mankind would build ladders for salmon. God knew mankind would figure out about putting electric current in wires and birds would land on the wires and the bird brains would say to each other, “don‘t touch me bro or don’t touch 2 wires together or we may get zapped.”
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:11amThis is a terrible waste of taxpayer money and should be stopped. Think of how many stupid projects like this are going on all the time.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 9:48am.
This sounds alot like that Tx A&M researcher who studied Frogs. He cut off a leg and poked the frog and said Jump Frog, the frog jumped. He continued to cut off legs and poke the frog each time saying Jump Frog. He cut off the last leg poked the frog said jump, the frog just sat there. For the next 12 hours he Poked and Yelled Jump Frog, the frog did not move.
He finaly concluded that a Frog with no legs, goes Deaf………
Report Post »TheLeftMadeMeRight
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 9:46amOk how much taxpayer money are we spending on this one…?
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:05amPeople giving themselves something to do trying to figure out God’s creation.
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