Parrot Fish How Survive

Humans make mosquito repellent, mosquito stun devices, up to anti-mosquito cream to withstand the action of blood-sucking insects and pests bed. In the water there was also an attack of blood-sucking fish often called "mosquito sea". However, certain types of fish have different ways to defend itself from the "mosquito sea", by secreting mucus or mucus.

Fish that have a way of adaptation is a parrot fish (Chlorurus sordidus). Mucus production of this fish is removed from the mouth and protect the entire body. This mucus is used to protect themselves from attacks Gnothii isopods, a sort of shrimp or blood suckers, previously called "mosquito sea" it. This is a type of fish parasites.

Scientists who discovered the adaptation is Alexandra Grutter, a marine biologist from the University of Queensland, Australia. He learned that after doing research that begins with collecting samples of fish cockatoo with large mesh size of 1.8 meters x 13.7 meters.

In the laboratory, Grutter put the fish that do not produce mucus and parrot fish in a separate container. He then put the mosquito sea in a container of two types of fish and left it for 4.5 hours. Then, he compared the percentage of fish that attacked "the mosquito sea".

The result, as much as 95 percent of fish that do not produce mucus attacked by a "sea of mosquitoes." Meanwhile, only 10 percent of the fish that produce mucus attacked. Percentage of proving that mucus is really able to protect the parrot fish and scientifically proven about the function of mucus for the defense parrot fish.

"Mucus is produced shortly after the fish started to sleep. Mucus released from the fish's mouth and flows into the back of his body to cover the entire body," says Grutter explain the production of mucus on the fish. He said the mucus is very helpful for parrot fish can sleep soundly.

Mucus production is consuming 2.5 percent of daily energy parrot fish. "The amount of energy expended to make this requires that fish mucus glands cockatoo has a large enough to support its work. Parasites also have to exert too much energy to be able to break through the defense of this fish," explained Grutter.

Although its function was unknown, the workings of mucus that can not be explained. It is not yet clear whether the mucus is also a physical or chemical protection. "Research in the field will be very interesting. However, the study is also very risky because it must work in water and darkness and to anticipate the predators such as sharks," says Grutter.

Results of research on parrot fish was published in the journal Biology Letters, published on 17 November 2010. Parrot fish itself, as the name implies, has a mouth that resembles a parrot beak. The body of this fish is very slippery, while the bird's beak-like mouth that requires humans to be careful to catch it.