Science: Apex Shark Population Declines

[ScubaJW]

A source? Actually it was fairly common knowledge some time ago. You can tell the difference by the way the muscle fibers run. True scallops have muscle fibers running end to end. Ray wings have muscle fibers running "across" the piece if you look at it from one end. This is the reason that food packagers had to re-label so-called "sea scallops" in the past.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's when I used to spearfish, we'd take bat rays and create "scallops" out of them ourselves. They were fairly tasty, although nowhere near as sweet as the rock scallops here are.

Interesting, I never knew that. Wish I can find the source on that so I can learn more about it. I am much younger than you, so that's new to me.

 

[drbill]

There have been other studies on the ecological effects of the depletion of sharks on coral reef ecosystems. Essentially, the cascade effects go something like this. The absence of shark predators increases the grouper and large sea bass populations which decreases the number of herbivorous reef fishes like surgeonfish which leads to algal growth destroying coral reefs.

 

[drbill]

Interesting, I never knew that. Wish I can find the source on that so I can learn more about it. I am much younger than you, so that's new to me.

That's it, rub it in. Remember, it is much better to be older than not to be older! Just teasing ya. Back to shark depletion.

 

[DavidPT40]

Hmmm, which tastes better, algae or seabass? Because one of them needs to be eaten.