Dr Samantha Andrews

Science & stories from the sea (& occasionally the other 30% of our planet)...over on LinkedIn & Bluesky

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the twelfth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Salmon snailfish 🐌

Salmon snailfish have been spotted in waters down to 1,000 metres! They use those dangly bits on their chin to feel for crustaceans buried in mud. When they think they’ve found something, they’ll dig in!

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

🍽️ Hitting and pinning down prey like rays
🚤 Reducing drag
👀 Giving them 360 vision, so they can see above and below them
🛜 Spreading sensory pores that detect the electric fields generated by other animals over a wide area, helping them find their dinner
2/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the eleventh day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Great hammerhead sharks 🔨

Their strangely shaped head seems to be used for many things like

1/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

Some combtooth blennies, like this one, can spend time out of the water! Most can only stay on land for a short while, but some species can spend almost their entire lives living on rocky coasts and muddy shores. As long as they can stay moist, they are happy!
2/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the tenth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Combtooth blennies 🪮🦷

There are around 400 species of combtooth blennies (that we know of), each with a set of comb-like teeth.

1/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the ninth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Lionfish 🦁

Lionfish are equipped with venomous spines on their dorsal fin (the fins on their back) that they use to protect themselves from other predators.

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

Even though they don’t need teeth, they have around 6,000 teeth, organised in rows, just like their other shark relatives. These teeth reach lengths of just 2 millimetres and seem to have no functional use!
2/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the eighth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

The whale shark 🐋🦈

Whale sharks are filter-feeders, which means that they sieve small animals out of the water.
1/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the seventh day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me

Ocean sunfish 🌞

Ocean sunfish are famed for basking at the sea surface, but they actually spend much of their time down in the deep sea (200 m), where they hunt for things like squid, jellyfish, crustaceans, and small fish!

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the sixth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me

Frogfish 🐸

Frogfish love a disguise. Some look like corals, some like sponges Some are covered in algae! Their clever disguises help them catch food - from becoming someone else’s food!

Oh…did I mention they also walk?

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the fifth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Longfin batfish 🦇

The adults look rather stunning, but when they are very young, they look more like brown, floating leaves 🍂

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the fourth day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Spotted box fish 📦🐟

When mating, male spotted boxfish like to hum a little tune 🎵 Well…tune..ish. Its more of a six-second high-pitched hum. Still, if music be the food of love, play on!

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

Their beautiful shimmering scales, patterns, and colours, help keep them out of the eyes of hungry birds. When faced with these flying predators, they’ll head up towards the surface, where they shimmer like sunlight on the sea surface, making them hard to spot.
2/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the third day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

Pacific mackerel!

1/2

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the second day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

The orange-dotted tuskfish 🧡

They’ll happily pick up a clam and smash it against a rock, coral, or something else hard until the shell cracks open, revealing the clam’s soft insides. Nom nom nom!

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

On the first day of Fishmas, the ocean gave to me…

This beautiful stargazer! 🤩

There are around 51 species of stargazers that we know of. They like to bury themselves in sand, where they lie in wait for unsuspecting prey

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

Twas the night before fishmas, and all through the ocean…

Lots of things were stirring, like this beautiful tiger shark 🦈

With females reaching lengths of over 3.7 metres, tiger sharks are the fourth largest shark in the world!

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

🛢️ 1,000

The number of tons of very low sulfur fuel oil that spilt into a mangrove in Mauritius when the MV Wakashio ran aground in 2020. Samples taken in 2023 found that oil is still trapped in the sediments that mangrove trees grow in

https://t.co/5hTITtVht5

[EU for enhanced ocean observation @EU4OceanObs]

🔔 Job Alert!

Programme scientist - #G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean Initiative ( #G7FSOI ) at @MercatorOcean as part of the @EU4OceanObs team!

Learn more and apply by January 10, 2025 👇
https://t.co/7PAxubGpB1

[Dr Samantha Andrews @OceanOculus]

💶 43 million

The est. annual loss Irish fishers are facing after Brexit. The loss comes from the EU transferring 25% of its fishing rights in British waters back to the UK, which heavily impacted the amount of fish Irish vessels are allowed to catch

https://t.co/yU07TkXPOq