Nightmare gnashers: 8 ordinary creatures with surprisingly terrifying teeth
Some of the most innocent creatures in the animal kingdom are secretly hiding horrifying sets of teeth. If you’re brave enough to peek inside the mouths of these seemingly normal animals, you’ll discover nightmare gnashers that look like they’ve come straight from the set of a monster movie. Have a browse of the gallery above to … Continued
When the fish are gone
Vast and seemingly limitless, we traverse its edge on foot, its waves on ships and occasionally dive to its shallower depths. Our oceans cover 70% of the world’s surface and 99% of the world’s habitable space for life. However what resides within those endless blue waters for the most part remains out of sight and, … Continued
Do you know about nature's strangest symbioses?
Out in the natural world it’s survival of the fittest. Whether that means being the fastest or strongest, the best camouflaged or most poisonous, or perhaps simply the most intelligent—nature has thought of it all. Amongst the most ingenious strategies are symbioses. These are species that have adapted, through chance, to rely on and benefit … Continued
Have you heard about the mystery of the Zuiyo-maru?
Early on the 25th of April, 1977, a Japanese fishing vessel named the Zuiyo-maru was trawling for mackerel, around 30 miles off the New Zealand coast. Little did they know that entangled in their nets, over 300m below the surface, was something far larger and more mysterious than its normal catch—something that would set the scientific … Continued
Lovers for life? The secret world of animal cheats
Think you love someone? Want to spend the rest of your life with them and raise lots and lots of cute kids? Sorry, that might be exactly what your genes want you to think. Monogamy is a strategy, and for species where the young are vulnerable or take a long time to mature then it’s … Continued
10 brightly coloured animals that look like they fell out of a rainbow
Mother Nature must have been tripping when she came up with this lot. From flamboyant birds to deadly snakes, meet the insanely colourful critters for whom camouflage probably means hiding in a box of fluorescent crayons.
Tiger shark on the hunt
Tiger sharks are known to devour just about anything they can get their jaws on. Their list of edibles include fish, jellyfish, cephalopods, mollusks, sea snakes, dolphins, sea turtles, dugongs, seals, sea birds, rays and even other sharks! They are also known to scavenge on dead whales, or attack and eat injured whales. Tiger sharks … Continued
Sea of creepy ice monsters
Oceans cover more than two thirds of the world surface and contain a staggering 99% of the living space on our planet. It’s no surprise then that scientists are still turning up strange and unexpected creatures. We’ve all heard about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and the strange adaptations of the Deep Sea, but what … Continued
Spiders are just as scary under the sea as they are on land
Arachnophobes beware, the sea is crawling with spiders! Ok, they’re not ACTUALLY spiders, but with their long spindly legs, these anthropods are sure to send shivers down your spine. [geoip-content not_country=”CA”] Learn more about sea spiders and other fascinating water-dwelling creatures by checking out Fish Life, available on the Love Nature app. Not a member? … Continued
6 surprising animals that can change sex
Lets face it; most things in the natural world revolve around sex. Specifically, making sure you survive long enough to find and impress a mate—then have lots of offspring. It’s a complicated game that has led to all sorts of adaptations, but the one we’re sharing with you today is amongst the most surprising—the ability … Continued
What do colours signify for ocean-dwelling creatures?
If you live the life of a fish, one of your primary methods of communicating to others is through your colouration. Different colours mean different things, and more often than not the message is “I am poisonous, so stay away”. Take the young nudibranch featured in the video above, for instance: its bright colours let … Continued
Just how dangerous is the stingray's sting?
Going diving in tropical waters? Keep an eye open for this cartilaginous fish! The stingray sports one of the deadliest defense mechanisms in the sea. Their barbed stinger, found on the end of their tail, is incredibly sharp and venomous, and can reach a length of up to 35 cm (14 inches). Their stingers were … Continued
This fish has a unique way of protecting her young from predators
Mouthbrooding, or oral incubation, is a form of parental care in which the mother or father will carry their eggs inside of their mouth. There are all kinds of species that are mouthbrooders, but it is most commonly exhibited among fish. Either the father or mother will carry the eggs around in their mouth, and … Continued
Stargazers are more terrifying than sharks
Stargazers are the deadly ninjas of the sea: These fish spend most of their time hiding under the sandy ocean floor. To attract prey, they use a worm-shaped lure that is attached to the floor of their mouth. When a hungry fish swims by looking to nibble on that “worm”, the stargazer leaps out of … Continued
How parrot fish build sandy beaches will gross you out
Finding out how tropical beaches become so sandy might make you want to avoid the beach for the rest of your life.
Plucky Pacific micronation punches shark poachers where it hurts most—Their ships
In midst of the world’s largest ocean, a desperate sea battle is being fought, with pirates, poachers and illegal fishing ships on one side, and on the other, Palau, a remote nation of 250 islands scattered like gorgeous green marbles across the great blue blanket of the western Pacific. And the action has recently become superheated, … Continued
7 reasons to stop being worried about shark attacks
The thought of being attacked by a shark is universally terrifying. Being literally out of your depth in an ocean full of these impressive predators is something most of us try not to think about during a visit to the beach. Indeed it can be enough to put some people off swimming in the sea … Continued
Weird fish
There are almost 28,000 known species of fish in the Earth’s rivers and oceans. They come in various shapes and sizes with different behaviours and life cycles but the one thing many of them do have in common is that, to our mammalian eyes, they are weird. Here is just a small selection of the … Continued
New study reveals intriguing information about inquisitive UK fish
The discovery of distinctive face markings on one of the UK’s most charismatic and inquisitive fish has enabled an underwater photographer to reveal intriguing new information about its behaviour. Paul Naylor has been studying tompot blennies for many years, undertaking more than 100 dives at particular spots in Devon. He recently discovered, thanks to his … Continued
Destination spotlight: Bahamas
The islands of the Bahamas are ringed with lush coral, underground cave systems and plunging barrier reefs. Beyond the white sands and turquoise water, marine life abounds: agile reef sharks, manatees, sea turtles and wild dolphins. Our crews recently visited the Bahamas to film the local wildlife for Bahama Blue. Above are just a few … Continued
Freshwater fish and amphibians have an enzyme that acts like night-vision goggles
Researchers uncover an enzyme that allows various marine species to see a much wider range of light than us humans — from the blue-greens of marine environments to more cloudy, infrared inland streams. For nearly a hundred years researchers have known that fish and amphibians have an unreal ability to fine-tune their visual abilities to … Continued
The animals that live fast and die young
Some animals give rockers and daredevils a run for their money when it comes to the old live fast die young adage. Madagascar’s Labord’s chameleon (pictured above) is one of the most extreme examples. These gorgeously mosaicked lizards are alive for just a single year, and only out of its shell for four or five … Continued
Facial-cleansing routines are harming so many fish that even this cosmetics industry body says it should be stopped
A major cosmetics industry association has made a big move towards reducing plastic pollution in the world’s oceans after recommending that its 4,000 members phase out the use of microplastics in wash-off cosmetic and personal care products. The recommendation by Cosmetics Europe—the ‘voice of Europe’s EUR 58.1 billion cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery industry’—was cautiously welcomed by … Continued
You live on land thanks to this walking fish
Spoiler alert: You were once a fish. No, not recently – we’re talking 400 million years ago, when most animals living on Earth were in the water. It was around this time that Tetrapods, fish with walking limbs, started appearing on land. Millions of years of evolution later, our planet becomes home to a number … Continued