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Issue 25

SSThe Billfishpearfi pearfiFoundation’s Conservation Program For Kids Who Caress About Ourhh

Photo courtesy of Encyclopedia Britanica

The Secret Lives of Flying

Have you ever seen a flying fish explode out of the water and “fly” just over the surface of the water? Flying fish are exciting to watch, but have you ever thought about how or why these fish fly?

There are approximately 50 of flying fish found in warm waters around the world. They live at the very surface of the ocean, staying within the top 20 inches (50 centimeters) of the water. Many that live in the open ocean retreat to the darker depths to hide during the day, returning to the surface to feed only at night under the cover of darkness. Not flying fish. They remain at the surface day and night. Therefore, flying fish are the number one target of many predators, including , wahoo and , which feed on them night and day.

Since they’re hunted almost every minute of their lives, flying fish have to have a few tricks up their sleeves in to survive. ANATOMY OF A FLYING FISH

Pectoral

Caudal Fin Large Eyes

may reach speeds that are nearly twice its top underwater speed. Photo courtesy of Pearson Scott Foresman - Wikimedia Foundation Up to to 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers). If the fish flies close to Their first plan is to be difficult to be seen. They accomplish this a wave, it can use its tail to extend its , making a series of by being counter-shaded. Their bellies are white and their sides glides. With some luck, the flying fish will have landed a safe are silver with a hint of blue. This makes them “disappear’ when distance away from hungry mouths. viewed from below against a bright sky or from the side against a watery background. Because they stay at the surface of the water, Flying fish have to eat too, and when not being pursued by flying fish can also vanish amongst the swells and waves at the hungry predators, they are eating microscopic . (see surface of the ocean. below for plankton) Flying fish live at the surface of the ocean, because this is where the highest concentration of their food is Even though they are difficult to be seen, predators do spot found. Using their large eyes, flying fish are even able to hunt for flying fish. This is when it’s time for them to resort to “Plan B”. plankton at night. Their escape! They do this by taking flight. A flying fish speeds to the surface of the water with its pectoral , folded against its body. Then, as soon as it breaks the surface, it unfolds its massive WHAT IS PLANKTON? There are two types of pectoral fins, locking them out into position for flight. As it’s body plankton. Phytoplankton, which are tiny plants that live leaves the water, the fish rapidly beats its caudal fin or taill. The near the surface of the oceans and use the sun’s light lower half of this fin is elongated so it can still reach the water as and nutrients from the water to grow. The second type the fish enters the air. The final beats of the tail thrust the fish into is Zooplankton which are tiny animals that spend their flight. Catching the breeze, the flying fish is able to travel 330 feet lives drifting through the oceans. (100 meters) before landing back in the water. While gliding, it

FLYING FISH BREEDING GROUNDS Like many fish species, flying fish congregate in carefully selected breeding sites to . However, flying fish take more care in how they disperse their eggs than many other in the open ocean. Spawning begins with a courtship display. A flying fish opens its pectoral fin, turns it pale pink and flutters it’s fin gently. The females then lay a string of bright orange eggs, twining them around any floating debris such as floating sargassum which is a type of seaweed. The eggs form a dense web and the males disperse their sperm nearby. The eggs develop while attached to their rafts with tough fibers in relative safety. However, sometimes so many fish lay their eggs in a patch of sargassum that it actually sinks to the ocean floor. Did You most organisms. Know That Why are oceans more salty when Oceans they are Cover More surrounded by Than Three- desert? This is Fourths Of because when seawater evaporates, The Earth’s only the water is turned Surface? into gas. The minerals A and salts stay in the ocean. r The three largest oceans in e t? In desert areas, where there is the world are the Pacific, Atlantic, T o h H not much rain, the ocean has and Indian Oceans. Although some ey y Co The higher salinity levels because over time seas have different names, the world’s ol Or Are there is less water, but the amount of oceans are in some ways a single body of water. minerals and salts stay the same. In other places, such Things called ocean currents flow around the world’s oceans. as where rivers flow into the ocean or in places where there is a Some ocean currents bring warm water from the tropics around lot of rain, salinity levels in the ocean are lower. This is because the equator to cold, polar regions. Others bring cold water in these places there is more fresh water entering the ocean. In from the north and south poles to the equator. The overall some oceans, currents run from places with high salinity to system of ocean currents, sometimes called circulation, places with low salinity. These currents keep levels of saltiness is very important to the climate of the Earth. Aside balanced so that marine organisms can remain healthy. from different temperatures, can you think of any of properties of sea water that might be A Fish Eat Fish World different from one ocean to another? These differences in temperature and saltiness of the oceans are two things that cause ocean currents. In places where warm How Salty Water Gets Saltier water currents flow, climates are warmer—even on land! In Salinity, or the measurements of minerals places where cold water currents flow, temperatures in the air and salts in seawater, can be different can be colder. In this way ocean currents are very important to from one ocean to the next. In bodies of the climate of the Earth. Many species of fish and whales also salt water surrounded by desert where depend on ocean currents. Cold water from the bottom of the there is little rainfall, oceans are more salty. sea (where no sunlight can reach it to warm it up) and from the The Dead Sea was given its name Earth’s poles can travel in ocean currents to near the land. because its salinity levels are so These waters are full high that it is harmful to of nutrients and many important and valuable fish species can be found in these areas. A good example of this is off the coast of Peru in South America. Cold water from the deep ocean that is full of the nutrients is

Join TBF at Billfish.org | 3 pushed by ocean currents to the surface of the sea. Millions and millions of small fish and other marine organisms gather there to eat the nutrients and bigger fish and whales come to eat the REVIEW: small fish and organisms. Because of this Peru has historically 1. What are the things called that flow between different been one of the best places to fish in the world. Not only do oceans? fishermen catch tons of and there every year, but the world record black (incredibly weighing over 1,500 2. What are two properties of seawater that can be pounds) was caught off the coast of Peru. different from one ocean to the next?

3. Name a body of water with extremely high salinity. Ocean Currents Connect Us All How did it get its name? What are some of the factors Ocean currents are very fascinating. They help maintain the that give it such high salinity? Earth’s climate and connect one ocean to the next. Fish and other marine organisms rely on ocean currents to bring them 4. In what country was the world record black marlin food and disperse their eggs and larvae. Ocean currents can caught? Do you know what continent this country is on? make the air around them warmer in the winter or colder in the 5. Where are two places in the ocean where cold waters summer. They can help boats sail and supply food to some of come from (Hint: one is a location on the earth and one is the most life-filled areas in the sea. From tiny fish and sardines a place in the water column)? to giant black marlin and whales, ocean currents make life possible—for fish in the ocean and for us on land as well.

Looking at the map of Sea Surface Temperatures below, warm water—oranges and yellows—flow into cold waters draw on the map where you think ocean currents might be (shown by blues and purples) or vice versa. Use a pencil or going. Hint: Keep in mind that currents travel from places crayon to draw arrows on the map where the currents might where waters are very warm to where they are very cold as be. When you are finished, flip the page and look at the well as from places where they are cold to where they are map of ocean gyres to see how you did. Gyres are the large warm. Places where currents might be flowing are where circulation patterns in the oceans. World Ocean Day is Saturday, June 8 Getting involved is easy. Heres a few things you can do at the grass roots level:

• Ask local restaurants and businesses to use less plastic or, ideally, be “plastic-free” and not use disposable • Use reusable shopping bags, reusable mesh plastic in the first place. Many places have already produce bags, bamboo utensils, steel or paper straws, adopting a no-straw policies. steel water bottles, reusable coffee mugs, and steel • Recycling your monofilament at public harbors or at to-go containers. local tackle shops. • Purchase products from companies who align with • Participate in community and aquatic cleanups to raise utlizing less plastic - like Costa Sunglasses & Yeti Coolers awareness about this issue, cleaning our communities, and help keep plastic out of the oceans.

How long until the plastic is gone?

Each year, humans produce 200 billion plastic bottles. 35 billion in the United States alone. After only a few minutes of use, plastic bottles last for up to 1,000 years and 10% of them end up in the ocean. TBF Yough Angler Spotlight Brycen Oquin

incredible fight! Brycen was really happy and excited to be leaving Australia with what he came for, his first black marlin tagged and released!

Their next stop took them to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in December 2016 where they were The Billfish Foundation would like to recognizejunior angler, after Brycen’s first Striped Marlin. They fished aboard Caliente Brycen Oquin, as part of the Junior Angler Program. and went out to the finger banks. Once they started trolling Brycen Oquin had a pole in his hands at two years around, they instantaneously got a big hit. Unfortunately, it old. He caught the fishing bug very early on from his was not a stripey but they did get a monster, a 348.5-pound grandfather (Bob) and now they are partners in crime on caught on 40 lb. test! their request for a Royal Slam - to catch and release all nine of the billfish species. Brycen and his grandfather have already planned their next trips, with a trip back to Hawaii and Cabo. He is hoping to The first stop was Kona, Hawaii in June 2016 aboard the Sea catch several species left on this list on their boat, No Genie II, and they were after a shortbill spearfish. Brycen (8 Problem, in the Gulf of Mexico years old at the time) got tagged and released a blue marlin! in the near future. It gave them a beautiful jump right at the boat and Brycen was thrilled with his first Pacific Blue Marlin! Brycen had a great 2017 when he was recognized as one of A trip to Cairns, Australia in August 2016 for the black marlin the top TBF youth anglers in season was next. They were fishing aboard Kekōa for black marlin. 2018 and is a current member. Even though the blacks were juvenile, they put up an

Would you like to be a part of the next Spearfish magazine? Send us pictures of any fishing-related artwork, photos, fishing stories you’ve written. Remember to provide your name, age and where you fished.

Send them to [email protected] or to address below: The Billfish Foundation • Education Department • PO Box 8787 • Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 TBF Tracking Maps Tagging billfish helps scientists and organizations like The Billfish Foundation Brycen Oquin learn more about these fish; where they travel to, where they go, when they are found in certain areas and how big they can get!

We always love getting new reports of recaptured tagged fish and this one is super cool. A that was originally tagged off Ocean City, MD in September by Tom Arnot and Capt. William Chapman aboard Fishbone was recaptured off Grenada! After 89 days it travelled at least 2000 miles and recaptured and reported by a local artisanal fisherman.

Isla Mujeres Recapture! This sailfish was originally tagged off Key Biscayne, Florida, on August 31, 2016 by the Juncadella who fish on Profishent and recaptured off Isla Mujeres 864 days later by the crew of Chacchi and angler Karl Guetter. Records like this help demonstrate that some of the fish we think that are residents of an area, actually are not.

You can find more maps like these on Billfish.org and on TBF’s Fan page on Facebook at Facebook. EDIBLE ART PROJECT BLUEBERRY OCEAN FRUIT SNACK Here’s your chance to play with your food, and not get into trouble!

INGREDIENTS: Half a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries One slice of cantelope - about an inch wide Small piece of watermelon or apple Short stick about 4” long 1 cherry tomato

DIRECTIONS: Place the cantelope in the center of the plate. Next, take the stick and place that almost all the way down to the bottom of the cantelope, but not all the way through.

Take your watermelon sail and push that about 1/3 of the way into the top of the stick. Arrange the blueberries around your boat and then add the cherry tomato crab as a garnish.

Become a fan of The Billfish Foundation so you can be the first to know the latest TBF news! #everytagtellsastory & #tagurit!

@TagBillfish The Billfish Foundation #TheBillfishFoundation Billfish.org