The Daily Reel

• Pakistani Fisherman Arrested on “Unspecified Charges” After Whale Shark Haul
• Most of the World’s Fish Species Are Found in Freshwater
• California Aquarium Holds Special Grunion Spawning Event

Pakistani Fisherman Arrested on “Unspecified Charges” After Whale Shark Haul

Following the capture of a 22-ton whale shark in Pakistani waters, the fisherman responsible for the haul has been arrested on “unspecified charges” by personnel of the Marine Fisheries Department. Speculation abounded that the arrest came from either the Pakistan Navy or the Maritime Security Agency, raising doubt as to whether the arrest was legal under Pakistan law. Both agencies denied any involvement in the arrest. The fisherman claimed that the behemoth was hauled in after finding it entangled and dead in his fishing net about 50 miles away from the harbor where it was landed in the Arabian Sea. There are currently four security agencies working in Pakistani territorial waters, leaving many questioning how the fisherman was able to tow in such a massive catch without any security checks. Although considered globally endangered, no Pakistani laws exist prohibiting the catch of whale sharks. The giant was sold for Rs 170,000, or about $3,500 USD. The meat of the whale shark will possibly be used as an ingredient for poultry feed.

Most of the World’s Fish Species Are Found in Freshwater

A recent study on the number of fish in the sea versus freshwater fish astounded scientists when it was revealed that more of the world’s fish species are found in freshwater, in stark contrast to the long-held theory that life originated in the oceans. To further emphasize why this is shocking, the world’s oceans comprise 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, while freshwater bodies occupy just 2 percent. The results of the study point to the possibility of life re-emerging in land-based water bodies following mass extinctions, and that many ocean species today are descendants of colonizations that began in freshwater. The study was based on the biodiversity of ray-finned fish, which comprise 96 percent of all fish species, from which they were able to create evolutionary trees based on fossil and molecular information and their vast database of fish habitat.

California Aquarium Holds Special Grunion Spawning Event

The Birch Aquarium of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is inviting the public to bear witness to one of the most spectacular spawning events: that of the tiny, silvery grunion. In the spring, on nights that follow high tides, the male and female grunion ride waves onto the shore, where the female buries half her body into the sand to lay eggs, and the male surrounds her body to fertilize the eggs. The observatory experience will take place on specific nights between April 8 and June 6, 2012. For more information and reservations, call 858-534-7336. The grunion runs will not be observed at the aquarium, but rather on the beaches of La Jolla.