National Aquarium in Baltimore Answers Top 10 Questions Generated By `Finding Nemo' Fans
 

In the wake of Disney Pixar's blockbuster fish tale, "Finding Nemo," staff at the National Aquarium in Baltimore are prepared to help visitors sort fact from fiction from the new hit movie.

From explaining whether fish really talk or if sharks could ever really give up eating fish, the Aquarium's Curator of Fishes, Alison Davidson, and her team of aquarists are armed to give visitors the real scoop on the movie's real-life counterparts.

"Many of us have already seen or are eager to see `Finding Nemo,'" says Davidson, who helps oversee the Aquarium's collection of 11,000 animals from 600 species.  "Already our visitors are seeking out the Aquarium's clownfish and blue tangs.  Before `Finding Nemo' debuted, these species dwelled in relative obscurity compared to our sharks and dolphins."

Here are the top 10 questions the Aquarium anticipates from Nemo fans:

 1. Do clownfish really live in sea anemones?

Davidson:  Yes, clownfish do live among the tentacles of sea anemones,  including ours at the Aquarium.  Normally the anemone would sting and eat most fish that stray into its tentacles.  However, the clownfish has a special mucous coating that prevents it from getting stung.  The anemone provides shelter and protection to the clownfish.  In return, the clownfish helps defend the anemone from other fish that might pick at its tentacles.
 

2. Do fish talk?  If so, can they hear each other underwater?

Davidson:  Fish do not "talk" as we think of it, but they can make noises under water to communicate.  For example, croakers are so named because of the loud noise they make to one another by vibrating their swim bladders.

3. How long could a saltwater fish survive in fresh water?  How long can fish survive out of water altogether?

Davidson:  Generally, saltwater fish do not survive long when placed in fresh water, and vice-versa.  The osmotic stress is too overwhelming for them.  However, there are certain fish that can move between salt and fresh water, provided they transition slowly.  An example is a salmon that hatches in freshwater streams, travels to the ocean where it spends most of its adult life, and returns to streams to spawn.  The majority of fish (including clownfish) will not survive for more than a few minutes out of water.

4. In the movie, Dory is always forgetting what just happened.  Do fish have memories?

Davidson:  There certainly have been studies that demonstrate that fish can learn new behaviors (e.g., feeding techniques) and seem to remember those behaviors.  I don't know if anyone has tested whether fish remember distinct events, although I would imagine they would have some capacity for this.

5. Can sharks really "smell" blood?  Do they have noses?

Davidson:  Sharks have noses, which are called "nares" in the scientific world.  Nares have both smell and taste receptors, so sharks can taste with both their noses and their mouths.  In addition, sharks have electrosensory receptors in pits all around their face, as well as have    very sensitive motion detectors in the lateral line that runs down the sides of their bodies.  This makes them pretty effective in finding their food!

6. Marlin the clownfish gathers quite a varied group of friends -- other fish, sharks, sea turtles and pelicans -- as he searches for his son.  Would these creatures all get along with each other in real life?

Davidson:  As charming as animal friends are in any animated movie, it is unlikely that these animals would associate with each other in real life.  Many animals will form close associations with other animals of the same species, and there are a few instances on associations between species (such as the clownfish and the anemones), but the group from the movie would be pretty unnatural.

However, it is possible to keep many different types of fish together in an aquarium setting, and they will get along all right.  For example, it is possible to keep the clownfish, moorish idol, and tang together without any problems, provided that the aquarium is large enough.  Sea turtles can be kept with sharks and fish in the same system.  However, I suspect a pelican would go after the fish pretty quickly if given the opportunity!

7: Nemo has one front fin that's smaller than the other.  Would this be a problem for a real clownfish?

Davidson:  Actually, many fish adapt just fine to losing a fin.  It does impair their ability to maneuver, which makes them more vulnerable to predators in the natural environment.  In an aquarium setting, however, their lives can be just as long and healthy as their fully finned counterparts.

8. Would fish and sea turtles really surf the currents like they do in the movie?

Davidson:  I'm not sure if any fish actually seek out ocean currents to aid in long-distance travel, although I would not be surprised if this happens.  Many species of fish migrate between different areas seasonally, and it stands to reason that they may be following currents.  An example would be cod that spend winters in offshore, deeper waters, and return to shallower coastal waters in the spring and summer.  Fish certainly get caught in large ocean currents accidentally and are carried into new waters -- sometimes ones in which they cannot survive.

For example, the Gulf Stream frequently carries tropical fish up the Atlantic Coast of the U.S. from the south and into more northern waters off New England.  The fish may be able to survive there for the summer, but they die off in the fall and winter when the water gets too cold.

9. Would a squid really squirt ink when it gets excited?

Davidson:  Squids will ink as a defensive mechanism.  Generally it doesn't happen too often, unless they find themselves the frequent target of a predator.

10: If a fish swam to an ocean depth where there is no light, could it survive?

Davidson:  The sunlit or "euphotic" zone actually extends down about 600 feet.  Below this, there is not enough light for plants to grow, so it is called the diphotic (twilight) zone.  At about 3,000 feet below sea level, the aphotic (complete darkness) zone begins.  As the water gets deeper, the pressure becomes immense.  For  example, at the bottom of the sunlit zone (600 feet), the pressure is more than 18 times stronger than at the surface.  Only fish specially adapted to this kind of pressure can survive.  The clownfish and the blue tang would be squished.  Clownfish are generally found at depths no greater than 50 feet, and blue tangs can be found to about 140 feet.


Clownfish, blue tangs, sharks, octopus, dolphins and starfish are now showing at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  A blockbuster exhibit, "Seahorses: Beyond Imagination," runs through 2003, as does Shark Quest, a new exploration of sharks.  The Aquarium is rated "G," and parental guidance is welcome. 

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