Most people have probably seen a dead fish and wondered, “How long does it take for dead fish to float?” While the answer to this seemingly innocuous question is not simple, it does provide a good opportunity to explore the interactions between fish and water in detail. In this article, we will discuss the physical processes that occur as a fish decomposes in water, and how these processes affect the floatability of the fish. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
The Anatomy Of A Fish
Fishes are members of the taxonomic class Acipenseriformes (formerly known as Chondrostei), which is a type of fish that has a long, slender body with five fins and a tail. Fishes are an extremely successful group of animals, with over 1,600 extant species and 300 fossil species (the oldest being 400 million years old). Fishes can be found in all aquatic environments from the tiniest puddle to the deepest oceanic trench, making them extremely adaptable to their surroundings. This is because fishes are equipped with a variety of sensors, such as eyes, ears, and a nose, that allow them to detect subtle changes in their immediate environment, allowing them to react quickly and adaptively to their surroundings. When a fish dies, the skeletal muscle essentially stops contracting, and the body begins to decompose. Over the next few days, the fish skeleton decomposes, causing the fish to shrink and float to the surface. This process is known as “flotation.” Here are the key stages in the decomposition of a typical fish:
Live To Feast: The Fishes’ Perspective
When a fish is born, it is typically very tiny and poorly equipped to fend for itself. Its mother or caregivers typically feed the fish a nutritious milk diet until it reaches a certain size before releasing it into the wild. For example, in the Atlantic Ocean, young striped basses are typically between four and six inches long, and grow to be between 12 and 18 inches long within a year. Once large enough, the fish will begin grazing on zooplankton and other small organisms which the filter through its gills. The fish will also consume a variety of invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, and worms. As the fish gets larger, it will prey upon larger fish as well as marine mammals like squid and turtles. The fish’s diet will affect its coloration and growth rate, with some fish being quite colorful while others are typically paler in appearance. Some fish, like the oceanic whitetip shark, have virtually no meat and rely almost entirely on their diet of fish and other marine life for food. This type of diet presumably explains why whitettip sharks are among the world’s most docile and least aggressive of all sharks.
The Anatomy Of A Fish: A Closer Look
Let’s begin our closer look at the anatomy of a fish by taking a closer look at the structure of a fish’s head. The head of a fish is extremely important, as it houses critical sensory organs that help the fish navigate its surroundings and locate food. Most fish have two brains within their heads, one that controls critical functions like breathing and the other that processes stimuli from the external world. Like other muscles in the body, the muscles in the head will also begin to deteriorate and decompose after death, causing the head to shrink and flatten out. The inside of the mouth of a fish is also filled with specialized ‘taste buds’ that allow the fish to detect chemicals in its surrounding. The walls of the mouth are also lined with tiny sensors that sense objects as they pass by (similar to the nasal cavity in humans), and can trigger an immediate protective behavior in the fish.
Fish And Water: The Physiology Of Swimming
When a fish is born, it immediately begins swimming in its mother’s womb, stimulating nerve endings in its brain which cause it to automatically swim. Fishes have 4 basic muscles which allow them to move throughout the water, these muscles are the muscle of the throat, the dilator muscle of the trachea, the intercostal muscles, and the abdominal muscles. The muscle of the throat is a muscle that surrounds the trachea, or the tube that connects the lungs to the esophagus. This muscle will help protect the trachea during swallowing (it will constrict the opening if the esophagus is too large). The dilator muscle of the trachea is a muscle that helps widen the opening of the trachea, allowing for easy inhalation and exhalation. The intercostal muscles lie between the ribs and are responsible for allowing the fish to breathe when it is on the surface or submerged. Lastly, the abdominal muscles, which are found near the belly of the fish, help pull it through the water. Like other muscles in the body, the internal organs of fish will begin to deteriorate and decompose after death, causing the belly of the fish to slosh around as it decomposes.
The Metabolism Of A Fish
While all fish will decompose after death, some fish decompose more quickly than others, with the rate depending on many factors, most notably the fish’s size and sex. In general, the rate of decomposition for most fish will be between three and seven days, with larger fish decomposing faster than smaller ones. After death, the metabolism of a fish begins to slow down and its body temperature will drop slightly, with its collagen beginning to break down and the internal organs detaching from the main body. In addition to affecting the rate at which a fish decomposes, digestion by certain types of bacteria, such as klebsiella, will also result in the production of biochemicals that have a toxic effect on the nervous system. The toxic chemicals generated by these microorganisms will accumulate as the fish decomposes, causing significant neurotoxicity if the fish is not processed promptly upon decomposition.
What Affects The Floatability Of A Fish?
A fish’s floatability is determined by several factors, which we will discuss in detail below. First, the size of the fish will affect its ability to float; in general, the larger the fish, the greater its capacity to float. Second, the more eggs the female has in her ovaries, the greater her capacity to float. Third, the sex of the fish will also affect its floatability, with males tending to be more buoyant than females. And finally, the length of time that a fish has spent dead will affect its floatability, with shorter time periods resulting in more rapid flotation. With all these variables, it is best to simply practice safe boating and avoid going overboard with your buddies in their fishing boats! Let’s discuss each of these factors in detail.
The Size Of A Fish
Whether you are a professional angler, hunter, or fisherman, there are certain parameters that you need to consider when it comes to choosing your bait and tackle. One such parameter is the size of the fish you intend to target, with larger fish typically being far more attractive to a variety of fish species than smaller ones. If you are fishing off the coast of Florida, for example, and are targeting redfish, you will need to choose your fishing gear accordingly, with huge quantities of the fish being caught on giant poles and long lines with huge sinkers. If you are using worms as your bait, the largest ones will be the most effective, helping you better your odds of catching a fish.
The Number Of Eggs In A Fish’s Ovaries
The number of eggs in a fish’s ovaries will affect its ability to float. In general, the greater the number of eggs a female has, the greater her capacity to float. When a fish is born, it has a yolk sac which provides nutrients to the embryo until it is large enough to feed itself. Like other eggs, the yolks of the fish’s offspring will also provide nutrients to the fish’s developing digestive system. If you are new to fishing, this parameter may be worth considering, as the greater the number of eggs, the greater the chance of catching a fish. Having more eggs will also make the female fish more attractive to male fish, increasing the chance of spawning and allowing you to be a more hands-off parent.