The decline of the burbot

When it comes to animals threatened with extinction, the cute and cuddly ones tend to get the most attention. But what about the ugly ones that go unnoticed when their numbers start to dwindle? Mary Colwell speaks up for the burbot.

"When you are furry, when you're lovable, you often fare better in people's interests than if you're bald and rather ugly," says Richard Sabin, curator of mammals at the Natural History Museum in London, referring to the popular appeal of animals such as pandas.

It was never going to bode well for the burbot then. The fish is "fat looking and a little bit flabby and soft" - a description offered by the museum's fish curator, James Maclaine.

He isn't the only one who doesn't swoon at its looks. "People have mixed feelings about the burbot," he says. "There's a 19th Century account by a man called Pennant who calls it 'a very delicate fish for the table, though of disgusting appearance when alive'."

It is true that burbot are… characterful. They are long and sinuous, commonly growing to more than a metre in length, but can get much larger. They look very much like eels - they are often called eelpout - and when caught, will wrap themselves around the angler's arms and legs.

With large squashed heads, small eyes, downturned mouths full of razor sharp teeth and tubes protruding from their nostrils, they are not exactly pretty. They are also exceedingly slimy and under the chin is a single long, fleshy feeler called a barbel, giving the impression of a goatee beard.

These characteristics are important. They are all adaptations to the cold, dark world at the bottom of northern lakes and rivers.

These were ice-age fish that once swam unhindered in a glacial world, until the ice retreated 10,000 years ago leaving some remnant populations throughout the northern hemisphere, including eastern England.

Find out more

Ten facts about the barbot

• Natural Histories is a series about our relationships with the natural world
• Listen to Barbot on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 7 July at 11:00 BST or online after broadcast

The burbot is the only member of the cod family that lives in fresh water. For several months a year burbot can be trapped under ice - they need cold temperatures to spawn but all that slime and flabbiness provide excellent protection.

Their teeth are essential for catching a huge variety of food. "They're a very voracious predator," says Steve Simpson, marine biologist and lover of burbot at Exeter University. "There are reports of them eating birds, eating snakes, eating frogs - they really will eat anything they encounter."

Because their world is dark, they don't need big eyes. They use their barbels to detect vibrations and catch their prey. They may not be beautiful but they are perfectly adapted to their gloomy, chilly world.

Although still present throughout the rest of Europe and North America, the only burbot in England today can be found in the vaults of the Natural History Museum in London, preserved in pickling jars. Once a proud member of Britain's piscatorial family, the fish disappeared from British waters in the 1960s - the Angling Times offered a reward of £100 to anyone who found one in the UK, but that money lies unclaimed.

(BBC News/ Magazine)

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‘Irreversible change’ to sea life from CO2

A major report warns that life in the seas will be irreversibly changed unless CO2 emissions from industrial society are drastically cut

Twenty-two experts in the journal Science say the oceans are heating, losing oxygen and becoming more acidic - all in response to our carbon dioxide.

The scientists in Germany have been studying an event five million years ago that could throw light on today's challenges.

From BBC Science

The lion: A victim of its own power?

Lions have padded their way through history, their beauty and physical prowess inspiring fear and respect. But despite a fascination with the creatures, humans have managed to wipe out one type of lion completely, writes Mary Colwell.

The lion motif appears on the insignia of kings, cars, chocolate bars and rugby shirts - the giant media company MGM has famously used the roaring creature as its logo since 1924.

Lions are among the most popular subjects for natural history films, where every nuance of their lives is explored in detail. We never tire of the thrill of a hunt or seeing cubs playing around a dozing adult.

Leo the lion, the star constellation of the outgoing and showy, prowls the night sky. The embodiment of power and wealth, lions symbolise physical beauty, muscular prowess and majesty.

Find out more

• Eleven facts about lions

• Natural Histories  is a series about our relationships with the natural world

From BBC news magazine

Call for more protection for seagrass meadows

Seagrasses - the underwater plants that act as nursery grounds for young fish - need more protection, say scientists.

Seagrass is found in shallow water around the coast of the UK

Monitoring of seagrass meadows off the North Wales coast found areas damaged by the likes of boat moorings, anchors and vehicles crossing at low tide had reduced value to the ecosystem.

Fewer species of fish were found where seagrass was degraded, according to research published in PeerJ journal.

The seagrass studied was near the village of Porthdinllaen, in Gwynedd.

Researchers at Swansea University studied areas with both high and low cover over a 28-hectare stretch of sea bed.

They also sampled fish living in the underwater meadows of flowering plants.

Plaice in seagrass

There was a three-fold reduction in the diversity of fish species and invertebrates, such as prawns, shrimp, juvenile cod and juvenile plaice, in areas of low cover, said lead researcher Dr Richard Unsworth.

He said that in the areas that had become damaged, there was "a reduction in diversity of the species and in the value of the habitat for juvenile fish".

The seagrass is in a special area of conservation, which is a strictly protected site under the European Habitats Directive.

However, despite this protection it was still being degraded, he said.

"We have a lot of legislation in the UK already to conserve a lot of marine habitats but these mechanisms do not have enough financial clout," said Dr Unsworth.

Impacts

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt of the Marine Conservation Society said the study reaffirmed that seagrass meadows are important habitats that should be protected.

"This research shows that disturbance to seagrass beds negatively impacts on ecosystems, and the capacity for these habitats to support a wealth of species.

"It is further evidence that protection measures are needed to preserve these diverse but fragile places."

Seagrasses are also found in several marine conservation zones off England.

Some marine conservation zones have already designated, with others due for consideration next year.

Conservation groups, backed by MPs, have been calling for a full network of protected zones to be created around the coastline of the UK.
From BBC -Science

Seagrasses are the only flowering plants that are able to live in seawater and able to pollinate while submerged. Seagrass often grow in large groups giving the appearance of terrestrial grassland – a kind of underwater meadow. There are four species of seagrass in the UK, two species of tasselweeds and two zostera species commonly known as eelgrass.

What is it?

The plants’ roots are anchored in mud, sand or fine gravel acting to stabilize the seabed and prevent erosion, which has the further effect of helping to stabilise and defend the wider coastline. The leaves are narrow and long, forming a three-dimensional habitat allowing a wide range of species to inhabit the area. The density of the grasses causes the water currents to slow down and allows nutrients to settle, in turn attracting wildlife.
Where is it found?

Seagrass is dependent on high levels of light for photosynthesis to grow and can therefore only be found in shallow water to a depth of around 4 metres. They are found around the coast of the UK in sheltered areas such as harbours, estuaries, lagoons and bays. ( From The Wildlife Trust)

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/habitats/seagrass