Flatfish

Flatfish: Pleuronectiformes

Looks

Flatfish are round, sandy-coloured fish with both eyes on one side of the head. Babies are born with an eye on either side of their head. The second eye migrates to the other side while the fish is still developing—that way they can get a good view of the water above without one side of the face being mushed into the sand. Some flatfish have both eyes on the right side, some on the left. On the side with the eye, most species have darker skin, and on the eyeless side, their skin is pale. They use camouflage to escape from enemies: and indeed, it seems to work very well!  They blend in with the sandy bottom of the sea or rock pools. (See Habitat)

Feeding

Flatfish eat mostly crustaceans, polychaetes, small fish, and fish spawn. 

Habitat

Most flatfish live in seawater. It is not decided officially whether they can live in fresh water, though there have been sightings all over the place of flatfish in freshwater pools.

Breeding

Female flatfishes lay eggs, sometimes more than a million, that she releases into the water for the male to fertilize. The eggs hatch after a few days into long, spiny plankton-like larvae, with eyes on both sides of the head. As they develop the eye moves across the head to the other side (see Looks) and their body grows rounder. The larvae have spines to protect them in the early stages, and a gas-filled swim bladder to help them stay stabilized in the water, both of which they lose as they grow into adults. They sink to the bottom and lie with the eyeless side on the sand.

When just hatched, the larvae are less than 1.3 centimeters (that’s ¹/₂ inch) long!

See here for information on a swim bladder:

Link to Wikipedia

Lifespan

Varies according to species.

Dover Sole: 58 years male, 53 years female

Starry flounder: 24 years

English Sole: 22 years

Sand Sole: 10 years

Arabian Camels

Link

There are two types of camel, the dromedary (Arabian camel, such as the one in this post, with one hump) and the Bactrian (with two humps).

Interesting Facts:

Camels are able to go for many, many days with little — or no —food or water. They can even go thirsty for weeks!

Did you know camels, using their fat-storing humps, can travel up to 100 desert miles (that’s 161 kilometers) without water?

Camels can drink up to 135 litres of water in one sitting! (fourteen minutes)

Looks

Camels are large mammals with long, curving necks and long legs. Their most distinguishing feature is the lump on their backs, called a ‘hump,’ which is not used for storing water (as many people falsely believe) but instead, fat. Many people traveling through the desert choose camels for their preferred transport, because their long eyelashes, sealable nostrils and ability to store water for a long time in their three stomachs make them the perfect sand vehicle. Camels use their wide-spread, flat-toed feet to balance on top of the sand, and their thick coats protect them from driving sand.

Feeding

Camels’ parted lips make it easy to munch the small desert plants and cacti that make up their diets.  However, if they get hungry enough, they will eat many surprising things, such as leather, fish, bones, and even their owner’s tent!

Also, the lining of their mouth is so tough and thick that thorns cannot hurt them if they gobble up a thorny twig. 

Camels don’t sweat often, either, and the water that saves can be conserved for a long, long time. Their urine is as thick as syrup, too, because all the fluid in camel’s bodies are being used for its survival. All in all, camels are the ultimate desert contraption.

History

These camels have been used for transport for about 3,500 years. They can bear large loads on their back, for up to 25 miles (or 40 kilometers) a day! People’s wealth is sometimes judged on how many camels they own.

In the present day, most camels are domestic animals, trained for carrying loads across the desert, but there are still feral camels wandering the dunes in America, Queensland, and other places in Australia today.

Habitat

Arabian camels have been brought to Australia, but they are usually found in southwestern Asia and northern Africa.

Breeding

Female camels’ gestation period is about nine to eleven months, and usually have one baby (called a calf) at a time. A year after their birth, the baby camels are weaned.