Warm-blooded Fish?

DIY News writes "Scientists now have direct evidence that the north Pacific salmon shark maintains its red muscle at 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit, much warmer than the 47 F water in which it lives. The elevated muscle temperature presumably helps the salmon shark survive the cold waters of the north Pacific and take advantage of the abundant food supply there. The heat also appears to factor into the fish's impressive swimming ability."

Comments

Re:I knew it!

[caddisfly]

"Damn reptiles... always trying to copy us!"

...and this is why we need to continue to teach *science* in science class 'cause last time I checked, salmon sharks were not reptiles.

These findings just confirm the "above ambient temp" findings that have been known for quite a while with bluefin tuna, other big sharks, etc.

...the evolutionary implications are that these "heater" systems allowed these predators to extend their hunting range and hunting efficiency by moving into and operating in colder waters and thus increasing the amount of food available to them --- presto, evolutionary success!

...that was until the commercial fishing and technology came along to start wiping them out