Fish spa anyone?

I recalled the last time I watched Ugly Betty, the evil lady Valmar (actress Vanessa Williams) bought some Garra Rufas so that she can get a silky soft legs to seduce the big boss. That was interesting. A friend of mine told me that we have this fish spa in Malaysia too. Have anyone tried this fish treatment before? How does it feel? What about people with bad skin leg problem (not psoriasis.. but more like.. athlete's foot? Do you think it can cure or lessen the problem?

Garra Rufa or doctor fish is a species of freshwater fish which breeds in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It is also called the doctor fish, because of the role it plays in healing persons affected with psoriasis.

The Frankenfish

Fifteen minutes of fame might not be much -- unless you're a fish, in which case that flash of notoriety is more than you had a right to expect in the first place.

Variously described as "alien monsters," "the stuff of nightmares," and "something from a bad horror movie," they are said to eat human flesh and attack without provocation. In the U.S of A, they are considered such a serious threat to the national welfare that officials have proposed banning the so-called "vicious predators". 

Zebra Fish Saves Boobs

What if doctors could peer through a patient’s skin and see a cancer tumor growing? They’d be able to study how tumor cells migrate: how they look, how they interact with the blood system to find nourishment to grow and spread through the body. Well, a group of scientist did just that. We all know that scientists can’t look through human skin except in movies. But a small, tropical minnow fish common to aquariums has given our researchers a window for viewing live, human cancer cells in action. Working with transparent zebrafish to study one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, has led to their discovery of how two proteins interact in the metastasis of breast cancer. 

How to kill a fish...humanely of course

Having a hard time killing your catch? Well..killing a fish is no easy task, and how to kill a fish really depends on which species you are intending to kill. For all freshwater species, I find the quickest, and most humane way to kill a fish is to place two fingers, either side of the gills, under the fish's mouth. As it breathes, you will see a piece of skin, which connects the body and the jaw. Place your fingers in there, and lift the fish's head backwards, hence killing it, quickly and painlessly. This method applies to some saltwater species, such as garfish, snapper, trevally, salmon, tailor, wrasse, whiting and mullet. It works on all freshwater species, except catfish of course. 

The Chimaeras

Now I am sure a lot of you out there like to fish. We all know the sea contains untold numbers of strange and bizarre creatures. It is said that we know more about our own solar system than we know about our oceans. Indeed, some creatures of the sea can seem more alien than anything you can imagine. But even worse, some of them can seem more frightening than your worst nightmare.

Possibly the creepiest looking fish known to humanity

An 8-year-old boy fishing with his grandfather for > > the first time in made the catch of the century -- a fish with a human face! Puzzled marine biologists say the mysterious creature, which sports a distinctly man-like nose and jagged, eerily human teeth, is like nothing they've ever seen before. Scientists and experts said that they have not yet ascertained whether this fish belongs to a previously unidentified species that has lived in the waters of North America for centuries, is the by-product of genetic tinkering or is a random mutation caused by something in the environment. In other word, they don't know shit. But they do know that this is one of the most spectacular finds in decades.

Officials have launched an investigation, bringing in some scientists and other experts. Some refuse to discuss the case -- or even confirm the discovery of the fish -- until its origins are better understood. Efforts to find and capture another human-faced fish may be in the works.Of course there's got to be more where that one came from.

Early in 2005, a couple of fish with a strikingly human-looking face was found in Korea and was originally published by the Korean Bureau of the Reuters news service. The hybrid species fish were born between a carp and a leather carp in the pond of a personal house in Chongju. Each of the two female fish is 80 cm (32 inches) long and 50 cm (20 inches) in circumference. The owner of the fish said that their faces have begun to look more and more human over the last couple of years. No kidding!

Home powered by fish

Research found that a typical salmon, which zips through waters at a top speed of 12 metres (40ft) per second, can over a 100m (330ft) stretch generate enough electricity to make 18 cups of tea, while the more shy rudd will only trigger enough power for three cups. 

Does eating fish make you smarter?

Yes it does make people smarter but this has happened over 1000s of years of evolution and it is not like you can start eating fish and expect to be smarter a year later. What makes you smarter is learning. It cant make you learn what you don't already know, but fish contains Omega 3, which can help your heart, and your concentration. It can also help you relax and sleep at stressful times. Omega 3 tablets can be found pretty much everywhere, and it comes from fish. If you eat just the fish, like Fish and Chips, you are less likely to receive any benefit, as the deep fryer has destroyed all of it. You can eat the fish you have caught, but it is still more efficient to buy the tablets. It does not make you smarter for tests or anything, but it does help concentration.

Why are the fish biting now?

Have you ever asked yourself the question, what makes a fish bite? There are obviously many factors that contribute to making a fish want to eat something. Some of these factors would include:

-Water Clarity - Obviously if a fish can't see your offering, they aren't going to bite it, and the clarity of the water will affect how well the fish can see potential prey.

-Realism - The more realistic your offering appears, that is the more it looks like the actual food the fish is used to eating, the better. Whether we're using live bait or lures, realism is a huge factor as to whether or not a fish is going to bite. This is why when you're using live bait, gang hooks should be employed.

Fish for druggy?

This is a type of fish that will give you hallucinations if you eat it. Sarpa Salpa is a plankton eating bream that is a very popular dish in many Mediterranean restaurants. You need to eat the head or other unspecified body parts to hallucinate. It seems two men were hospitalized in 2006 after eating this bream. Hallucinations occur within minutes and can go on for several days. Wow! Talk about getting high.

"We are not stupid," says Fish.

Fish are socially intelligent creatures who do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits of the animal kingdom, according to a group of leading scientists. They said that fish do not deserve their "dim-witted" reputation. Rather than simply being instinct-driven, they say that fish are actually cunning, manipulative and even cultured.

The three experts from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Leeds said there had been huge changes in science's understanding of the psychological and mental abilities of fish in the last few years. Writing in the journal Fish and Fisheries, biologists Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause said fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures. 

The biggest freshwater fish

It is said that the largest freshwater fish in the world lives, of course, in the largest freshwater river in the world - the Amazon River in South America. Arapaima, also known locally as Pirarucu, Arapaima Gigas are believed to be the largest, exclusively fresh water fish in the world. They have been found to reach a length of 15 ft/4m and can weigh up to 440lbs/200kg. 

And yes, for you smartypants out there, the Sturgeon are even larger than this, but they are not exclusively freshwater fish. Duuh~! Sturgeon spend most of their lives at sea, or in brackish water, and only swim into freshwater rivers to spawn. Arapaima are, like sturgeon, a very primitive form of fish covered in very large, bony-like scales. They are members of the Osteoglossidae, having a "bony tongue", that has a second set of teeth embedded into it. This allows it to chew up catfish that are protected by armored plates.

When a fish makes you scream and freak the hell out, that's a moray.

You know how the exomorphs in Alien that had a second jaw that reached out and bit you while they were biting you with their regular jaws? Moray eels have that. Just thought you should know. The pharyngeal jaw is used for swallowing--it swings forward, grabs the food that's in the eel's mouth, then pulls it back down the throat. Yet another reason why I do not live near the ocean. *shudder* Morays are like the coolest thing to see under the ocean. Well.. besides octopuses.

How to catch a fish... your bare hands

This method is very hard to do. Many say that catching fish with your bare hands can be done if executed correctly. The first step to catching a fish with your bare hands is to sneak up to a pool of water, preferably in a creek. Any sudden movements can scare the fish away. You will want to find a rock to lay on which allows you enough height to dip your arm into the creek.

Wait until a fish is in your reach. Slowly place your hand under the fish, and tickle the fish's belly. Imagine yourself tickling your cat neck if you have a cat. If you don't have one, imagine tickling your dog.

Fish Ninja Trick

More than 90 percent of the fish and other marine creatures that live in the oceans mid-watersfrom 300 to 3,000 feet deep-glow in the dark. The light emitted by living things is called bioluminescence (bah-you-lou-me-nest-cents). 

You may wonder why do they glow. Well, some use a lighted lure to attract prey, the way a fisherman sometimes baits a hook with a brightly painted fake fish. Others use their light to attract (or to find a mate in the dark). How can you love what you can't see, right? =)

Be Careful When Fishing 2.0

Don't you ever wonder what lurked in the depths. I seen a lot of croc and shark movies that  certainly going to haunt me each time I went swimming or fishing for the rest of my life. Talking about fishing, just be careful  of what you hook up. Aside from picking some vicious industrial garbage, you can bring to the surface some strange and unmentionable things that will sent you screaming home to mommy. Most fishermen will happily brag about an extraordinary big fish. But sometimes the catch is so bizarre, that they'd rather try to forget it over a drink or two (or twenty). I wonder how would you react if you caught one of these.

Be Careful When Fishing

Two fishermen bled to death after their penises were bitten off by piranha-like river fish that pursue their prey by following urine trails in the water. The two men died in separate attacks several days apart on the Sepic River in Papua New Guinea's jungle, which have struck terror into the local communities.

In both incidents, the fish demonstrated a trait of the piranha by following the urine trail in the water, swimming to its source and then biting it off with their razor-sharp teeth. The fish have the most human-like teeth on the bottom jaw and quite possibly feed on insects. It was believed that the fish had started biting humans because of a lack of naturally occurring food.

So guys, next time when going fishing, be afraid, be very afraid.

Funny Names For Your Fish

If you are going to have a fish you might as well name it, and what could be better than having funny pet names for fish in your tank! Naming your fish or finding funny pet names for fish sounds simple enough when first bringing those two harmless guppies home. Just wait it gets tougher when you turn around a few months later and have a whole tank full! 

Let a child name the fish, often times this is completely hilarious.  You will be amazed of the names they'll come up with. Be persistent. Write down names that spark your interest. Google Funny Pet Names for Fish, take a few days to think about it. Believe it or not they won't mind being called "fishy" for a few days while you figure it out.

Try naming this fish. =)

Oh No! It's Raining Fish

We’ve all heard of the expression, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” Some of us remember the Weather Girls’ hit “It’s Raining Men.” Now, one Australian town has seen its first downpour of fish. There are reports that small white fish rained down on one of the town in the Northern Territory of Australia. And some of the fish were still alive!

Weather around the world has been anything but usual lately. From the earthquake in Chile to the extreme snowstorms on the East Coast of the United States, there’s no telling what will come from the earth ... or the sky.

Australia’s fish rain is much like the infamous frog scene from Paul Anderson’s film “Magnolia” come true. Sure some brainiac will say that such an event is possible. One of their

Little Nessie

If the Loch Ness monster exists at all, he (or she) could only be about as big as a sixth grader. A new study shows that there is only enough fish in the loch to feed a 31 kg (about 67 lb) creature. Some brainiac  with nothing to do and too much time to kill had the guts to go to the loch and used sonar to estimate the number of fish in the lake and came up with an annual food supply of 93 kg. Since a cold blooded animal like Nessie would need to eat about three times its body weight each year, it could only weigh about 31 kg. Hell, I can even easily throw it outside the window. But.. did they count in the possibility that Nessie could be a vegetarian??

Older Than Dinosaurs

These are some interesting facts about fish. Fish have been on the earth for more than 450 million years. Fish were well established long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are here before and after the extinction of the dinosaurs. I guess they are intelligent than the dinosaurs too. There are over 25,000 identified species of fish on the earth. It is estimated that there may still be over 15,000 fish species that have not yet been identified. These are truly beautiful creatures. Maybe that's why some men would rather be photographed with their fish than their wives.  

Did You Know?

The meat of blowfish is considered a highly-regarded delicacy in Japan, because of the taste and the fact that the fish is poisonous (it's food only for the brave! Ha Ha!). If the meat is not prepared properly (for example, poison from the internal organs is spilled over), the poison may cause numbness in lips and tongues, vomiting, coma or even death from muscle paralysis. In other word, you're doom! However, some smart  brain have put the poison in good use: a drug (Tectin) developed from this poison is used as a powerful pain reliever for quite a few cancer patients. So next time, in addition to showing off your catch, remember to brag out your knowledge on this fish as well! Attached pictures are for those who never seen these type of fish before.

Little Fishes Baffled Experts

Biologists at the University of Manchester, England, want help in cracking their "miracle" discovery of three fish inside a sealed egg. The group found the duck egg in a small pond on a field trip to the French Alps and noticed something moving inside it. When they cracked open the shell, three live minnows were inside. They have enlisted the help of other experts, but despite their extensive combined knowledge, the biologists admit they are "baffled". Any comments? ^___^

Funny Goldfish Fact 2.0

Goldfish can't close their eyes. This makes sleeping a little different for them. Instead of closing their eyes and falling into a deep sleep, they sleep with their eyes open usually at the bottom of the water. Goldfish have been pets for 1000+ years. Dating all the way back to ancient China, goldfish have been common household pets. The world's oldest recorded goldfish was 43 years old. Which is just amazing for almost any pet really, and he did very well considering he was won at a town fair. His name was Tish, and he died in 1999 in North Yorkshire, UK.Goldfish don't have stomachs. So they just eat, eat and eat and poop, poop and poop. Through a goldfish's eyes you would see a lot more color. Goldfish are able to see ultra-violet and infra-red light. This also mean they have a greater spectrum of visual colors. Goldfish can live in cold and freezing waters. Please don't test your goldfish by putting it in the fridge. When it gets really cold or freezing, a goldfish's body will slow down dramatically, almost like hibernating. Just like doing yoga or meditating. As the waters warm up they spring back to life. Cool huh!

The Slippery One

I think this is my first post about ocean dwelling fish but I think I must share this info with you guys. For all the amateur Ichthyology among us. The Slippery Dick fish is quite rare indeed!. Stupid and funny. I wonder why they name this fish the Slippery Dick? Of all the names you can come up with why choose Slippery Dick? My friends lol'ed when I told them slippery dick is a fish.

Do Fish Fart?

Actually according to the Ontario Science Center whether or not fish fart, is an ongoing debate. Some experts  (seriously..these are really expert in fish farting) say that the digestive gasses of fish are consolidated with their food waste and expelled in gelatinous tubes which fish then eat. But, fish have been known to emit bubbles due to an excess intake of air. For instance the sand tiger shark purposefully gulps air into its stomach at the surface then farts it out at the other end so it sinks to its desired depth. 

I personally think that fish fart because I have seen my marble goby do it. I think this because when he goes up for air and that they take in too much air and then they exert it out of their rear end. All living things produce gas,which is expelled. Some from the rear, some from other places. You can see tiny air bubbles from the anus and the poop also. 

A friend of mine had an Arowana. Whenever there was a large change in air pressure (storm approaching) it

Yoda Fish??

While browsing the net I stumbled upon this picture of fish. I was like "GaaaahhHH~! What is this??" This fish reminds me of Yoda. You know that little dude jumping around like a retard using a mini lightsaber in Star Wars. Aaahh those eyes. It looks like some kind of a goby fish. Really weird up close.

The Responsibilities of Caring for Freshwater Fish

Usually freshwater fish are considered the pets for people that are either lazy or don't really want to take care of something They may like the idea of a pet but perhaps one that you don't have to interact with as often as others, underestimating the responsibility of freshwater fish care. Well, fish can be the pet for you but it is wise to understand that fish can't just be tossed into a tank and then left until they die. This is not proper handling of fish and they do require that you actually know a little something about them.

Research is always a great idea when considering a pet--especially fish, as there are SO many types of freshwater fish to choose from. If you're wanting more than one fish in a tank, be sure to find out whether they are aggressive or not, as some fish will literally kill others in the same tank. It is also wise to understand the environmental needs of your fish, such as tank size, whether it requires freshwater or saltwater, and how often the tank should be cleaned (some fish actually eat the "gunky" build-up on tank walls).

Fresh Caught Fish Cooking Preparation

To maintain the delicate flavor of a newly caught freshwater or saltwater fish, this must be handled properly to avoid spoilage. Not to mention preserving the fish with pleasing odor. There are ways to properly prepare and maintain the quality just after the catch of the fish into a sumptuous fish meal. Check out the tips below:

What's the Difference From a Farm Pond to a Koi Pond?

First they both involve water, Koi fish, plants and natural inhabitants. One of the big differences is where they get their water from, how it's treated or filtered.

A Koi pond is generally built with a pond liner to hold and maintain the water level.

What’s Essential For Your Pond

Of course, you will first have to decide what kind of pond you will want to make and then choose the appropriate pond supplies to make a lovely addition to your garden. There are several types of ponds to choose from, and therefore different types of pond supplies.

When you choose the type of pond you want for your yard or garden, there are considerations such as: garden ponds, custom designed garden ponds, fish ponds, Koi ponds, stone ponds, ponds with waterfalls, indoor ponds, or a combination of any of these, and much, much more.