Photo of the Week

We are excited to bring back our Photo of the Week section so stay tuned for new content coming soon! In the meantime, take a look at these fantastic pictures from our teachers.

Age, Written in Bone

August 6, 2018
A comparison of otoliths extracted from Black Sea Bass (left), Red Snapper (middle), Jackknife fish (right).

Photo: David Knight

In the head of ray-finned fish, one can find small, bone-like structures called otoliths. These structures have a variety of sensory functions that include detection of sound vibrations in water, movement, and its orientation in the water. As fish age, calcium carbonate will be added to the otolith, forming ring-like structures that can be used to determine the age of a fish, much like a tree will add new tissue each season forming tree rings. Otoliths are the best way to determine the actual age of a fish.
Read the blog post
More topics (78)

55 photos for fish · Clear

Back to SchoolSeptember 13, 2021Saury, not SorryJuly 19, 2021Winter Flounder-landDecember 7, 2020Picking the IchthyoplanktonJuly 20, 2020Hello there, HitchhikerFebruary 3, 2020O. rex, King of the Snake EelsOctober 21, 2019Rays in the SunSeptember 23, 2019The ‘Otolympics’July 22, 2019Attraction or DistractionJune 24, 2019It’s a Fish-Eat-Fish WorldAugust 20, 2018Age, Written in BoneAugust 6, 2018Though it be but Little, It is FierceApril 16, 2018
Older →