Followers of this blog will know that Soloman David, the post-doctoral researcher we share with the Shedd Aquarium, is an unapologetic lover of prehistoric fish and a whiz with a GoPro camera. For this Friday, he sent in a recent encounter with a bowfin.
Bowfin (also known as dogfish or mudfish) are a truly remarkable species. They have been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth during the Jurassic period and are the only remaining member of the Amiidae family of fish. Like gar, another primitive fish, bowfins are capable of both pulling oxygen out of the water with their gills or rising to the surface and gulping air. For more fun facts on the bowfin, go here.