----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Learning Kingdom's Cool Fact of the Day for June 10, 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What kind of fish steals scales from other fish?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What kind of fish steals scales from other fish?
Fish in the genus Perissodus eat mouthfuls of scales from the sides of
other fish. These strange predators live in Africa's Lake Tanganyika,
where they form part of one of the most diverse freshwater ecosystems
on Earth.
Each Perissodus individual is left-biting or right-biting. Its mouth
curves to the left or to the right, and it can only steal scales from
one side of its prey. The number of left-biting and right-biting fish
is roughly equal.
The scale-stealing Perissodus are cichlids, part of a family of fish
that became isolated in Eastern African lakes millions of years ago.
The family includes hundreds of specialized kinds of fish, with many
different feeding and breeding habits. All of them evolved since the
lakes were isolated.
African cichlids are popular aquarium fish:
http://members.xoom.com/genjym/
http://hometown.aol.com/Cichlidfan/aacc.html
http://www2.cichlidae.com/cichlidroom/
Cichlids of Lake Malawi, another East African lake:
http://www.connix.com/~mko/
Today's sponsor: K-12 Learning Network http://homeschoolnetwork.com
NEW LOW PRICE -- Take your home school to next level of excellence!
K-12 classes for the serious Home Educator - Proven Curriculum -
Taught to reinforce Christian values to your children - High School,
Jr High, Elementary, K-5 in full-motion digital video. Helping you
with the harder subjects - For the serious Home Educator.
Free info: E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 1-888-406-4040
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cool Fact of the Day list membership: 123,438
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe, visit http://www.tlk-lists.com/join/
To unsubscribe, visit http://www.tlk-lists.com/change/
To become a sponsor, visit http://www.tlk-lists.com/sponsor/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1999, The Learning Kingdom, Inc.
http://www.LearningKingdom.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
