Fish-needle - the paradox of nature

Fish-needle belongs to the family of needles. About 200 varieties are known, each type having a certain body length, which can be from 3 to 60 cm.

This fish justifies its name.It can be compared to a needle or a colored faceted pencil. The body of this fish is thin, elongated, with evenly located bone thickenings, like an outer skeleton. The tail is fan-shaped, elongated. Dorsal fin small, so it can not develop a large speed. Coloring - from yellowish and dark green to speckles to reddish tones. It can vary depending on the environment. Mouth long, tubular, widening at the end. On the sides of the mouth are scallops. That's it, the fish-needle. The photo shows it well.

Teeth are absent, as there is no need for them.The fish-needle eats small crustaceans, plankton, larvae of insects, and will not refuse from the alien caviar. In search of food, it focuses on sight. Shy. Most of life

conducts between stones, in thickets of marineplants, quietly lies on the bottom or slowly moves along the bottom. Sluggish, only the danger makes her move faster, snaking the entire body like a snake. For this ability it is also called snake.

Fish-needle is found in the Atlantic Ocean,Black, Caspian, Azov, Mediterranean seas, as well as in the mouths of rivers flowing into these seas, i. in warm waters. The average depth, which prefers to inhabit, is about 9-12 m. And it tries to keep close to the coast. It grows slowly, by the age of five the fish of the Black Sea reach 19 cm in length and weigh 5 g.

Children like to catch it in shallow water. Caught fish they dry in the sun. Dried with a rest dried fish as souvenirs.

Very interesting in this fish is the process of reproduction. Spawning occurs in May-June.

At the end of the mating games, the female,male, spawns in the folds of the skin on the ventral side of his body. In the process of throwing, eggs are fertilized. After filling the edges of the folds converge, forming a brood chamber, which occupies the third part of the length of the male. If the eggs were not enough, the male is able to take caviar from another female. Being in the brood chamber, eggs (up to 100 pieces) are fed and oxygen along the blood vessels of the father.

Hatching from them, the fry still spend some time in the brood chamber. To release the fry, the male bends in an arc and opens the brood chamber. In case of danger, the fry is hidden.

Swedish scientists, conducting experiments with a fish-needle,came to the conclusion that not all eggs turn into fry. If the male lacks food, then part of them dissolves, entering his body. Digesting their contents, he continues to feed and grow the remaining. Needle fish is a good example of how nature has wisely managed, seeking to support and continue life.

Practical interest for people it is notis. The fish-needle is not used for food and is not suitable as a bait. Predatory fish claim it only in the absence of other, more delicious food.