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Fish Use Sharp Barbs and Spines to Fight Off Hungry Seals

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday May 05 2020, @09:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the get-the-point dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

What price are you willing to pay for food? As humans, we face this challenge each time we shop, but for some seals and dolphins this may be a life or death decision.

Modern medical scanning reveals the steep price some marine mammals are willing to pay for food, after a stranded fur seal was discovered with more than a dozen facial wounds inflicted by its seafood prey.

The extreme dangers facing hungry marine mammals are revealed in a new study published in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, led by marine biologist Dr. David Hocking from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences.

"Marine mammals like whales, seals and dolphins need to eat seafood to survive," Dr. Hocking said. "But, we seldom consider what the fish think of this situation. Obviously, they are less than enthusiastic about being eaten, and some of them have evolved elaborate defence systems to help them fight off would-be predators."

Journal Information: DP Hocking et al, Inferring diet, feeding behaviour and causes of mortality from prey-induced injuries in a New Zealand fur seal, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (2020). DOI: 10.3354/dao03473

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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:25PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:25PM (#990694) Journal

    Modern medical scanning reveals the steep price some marine mammals are willing to pay for food . . .

    Especially unemployed seals. And then this to add injury to insult . . .

    The extreme dangers facing hungry marine mammals are revealed in a new study . . .

    Do those prey animals have no compassion for the hungry seals?

    "Marine mammals like whales, seals and dolphins need to eat seafood to survive," Dr. Hocking said. "But, we seldom consider what the fish think of this situation. Obviously, they are less than enthusiastic about being eaten

    In the headline change the word "hungry" to "horny" and the prey animals might be more enthusiastic.

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