十大速度最快的海洋動物(下)

Mako Shark

5.灰鯖鯊

Much like their larger cousins, the Great Whites, Mako sharks are found in waters all over the world, though they are particularly well-adapted to surviving in cold water. They are known as pelagic species, which means they prefer deep ocean waters free of clutter for their travels. And travel they do, with a regular cruising speed of around 35 miles per hour, they cover migration ranges of more than a thousand miles in only a month. However, when they are hunting or feel threatened, they can execute bursts of speed in excess of 60 miles per hour. While they aren’t especially picky about what they eat, they seem to prefer schooling fish—tuna, swordfish, or herring.

灰鯖鯊和體積偏大的大白鯊有點像，雖然更適應在冷水裏生存，但是各個海域中都能見到它們的身影。灰鯖鯊是深海生物，喜歡在沒有阻力的海洋深處任意遊動。它們能以35英里每小時的速度，只用一個月游完1000英里的遷徙距離。但是當它們捕食或是感覺受到威脅的時候，它們的遊速可以超過60英里每小時。它們對自己的食物倒不是特別挑剔，但似乎偏向集羣魚類一點——金槍魚，箭魚或是青魚。

Descended from a Cretaceous Era giant of the sea, the Mako of today tops out at around 500 pounds—and bears all the hallmarks of evolutionary success. They have a compact, streamlined design that makes speed on demand a possibility. Large eyes, which are even larger in the rare longfin variant of the species, render them highly successful hunters. One other evolutionary marvel that they share with Great Whites is an endothermic circulatory system—that means warm-blooded. This enables them to distribute and maintain a stable body heat even in the coldest water. While it is a mechanism employed by several fish throughout the world, it is a characteristic that has been honed to perfection by these ultimate predators of the sea.

繼承了白堊紀海洋巨型生物的特點——灰鯖鯊最重可達到5000磅左右，身上帶着成功進化的印記。緊湊，流線型的體型滿足對速度的需求。灰鯖鯊的眼睛比長鰭變異生物的眼睛還大，因此它們成爲了海洋中捕食成功率非常高的捕獵者。另一個和大白鯊都有的進化特徵便是體內的吸熱循環系統——也就是說它們是溫血動物。因此即使在最寒冷的冬天也能夠散熱保持身體的恆定溫度。雖然世界上有很多魚都擁有這樣的本事，但這個特點讓這些海里的終極捕食者變得愈趨完美。

Bone Fish

4.骨魚

This fish can be found in most tropical and subtropical shallow waters. It’s so named for its large number of fine bones, but it’s also one of the fastest shallow bottom fish in the world. Unlike its faster friends, the pelagic fishes, such as tuna and mackerel, this fish moves up into mud flats to feed during high tide, and has an air bladder that allows it to breathe easy during these trips. They tend to enjoy crustaceans and other creatures found in less than twelve inches of water that they crush with powerful pharyngeal teeth. While they can live as long as 19 years, these fish are a favorite snack of both sharks and barracudas. That means they have a need for speed in order to escape capture. They can maintain flight speed of up to 40 miles per hour for long durations. Another safety tactic is their small school size—only about 100 gather together at any time, and each fish maintains a constant distance from its neighbors.

在大部分熱帶和亞熱帶的淺海里都能發現骨魚。它身上有許多細密的骨頭，因此得名，但是它也是世界上游得最快的淺底魚之一。不像其它遊得更快的小夥伴，比如金槍魚和鯖魚這樣的上層魚類，骨魚在漲潮時鑽進泥灘覓食，氣囊讓它在找食物的路途上呼吸得更輕鬆。它們喜歡吃甲殼類動物和其他生活在水下12英尺以內的生物，進食時它們會用有力的牙齒咬碎獵物。只有19年壽命的骨魚是鯊魚和梭魚最愛的零食。因此它們必須要速度很快才能躲過獵捕。骨魚可以長時間保持40英里每小時的速度遊動。另外魚羣很小——任何時候都只有100條魚聚集在一起，每條魚之間都保持恆定的距離。

They range throughout the Caribbean Sea—as far north as the Carolinas and down as far as the lower reaches of Brazil in their Atlantic habitats. They can be found from Hawaii to Peru and up as far North as San Francisco Bay in the Pacific, but tend to shy away from ranging any farther from the equator. While they are often prized as game fish among sports enthusiasts—especially for their canny habits and maneuvers honed while outwitting natural predators—the flesh is incredibly bony. It is, therefore, not considered an important source of nutrition when other fish are available. Its other names also include bananafish, banana, and ladyfish.

整個加勒比地區，北至卡羅來納，一直到巴西的下游都有骨魚的棲息地。從夏威夷到祕魯，北至太平洋的舊金山灣都可以發現它們的蹤跡，但是這些魚很少在赤道附近活動。儘管在體育愛好者中，骨魚常常被作爲獵用魚——尤其是因爲它們可以謹慎的生活習慣和矯健的身姿戰勝天敵。骨魚骨瘦如柴，因此，當有其他魚類可以選擇時，它們就不作爲重要的營養來源了。骨魚也叫香蕉魚、香蕉和海鰱。

Barracuda

3.梭魚

Often called a King Fish or a Wahoo, this fish is a decidedly nasty customer. One of the most proficient predators in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, the barracuda reaches a top speed of 47 miles per hour. When paired with its distinctive and often unpredictable directional darting, what is a terror for fish is a delightful challenge for sport fishing enthusiasts. While they’re a pelagic or open-water species, they also make themselves quite at home among the formations of reefs.

梭魚通常被稱爲國王魚或火樹，這種魚相當卑鄙下流。它是熱帶和亞熱帶海域中最熟練的捕食者之一。梭魚最高時速可達47英里。當配上它獨一無二又不可預知的猛衝時，對其他魚是一種災難，但對釣魚愛好者來說是一項令人愉快的的運動。雖然它們生活在深海和遠洋之中，但是在珊瑚礁自己家裏時也是十分安靜的。

In the tropics, snorkeling and diving parties are often warned to keep a sharp eye out for these unfriendly-looking fish. They aren’t in the habit of attacking humans, but they may be aggressive if they feel threatened. While they do hunt among the reefs, more often, they can be found hanging in the midst of a current, looking for all the world as if they’re taking a break. Tending to favor a diverse diet of other pelagic species and squid, they have few natural predators. However, several species of sharks and larger predatory fish find them delicious. One fascinating aspect of the barracuda’s development is that, while most individual specimens tend to slow in growth once they’ve reached about 66 inches in length, their Weight is a different matter. Specimens that live in the warmer waters of equatorial oceans and seas tend to be less robust. Weight appears to be dependent upon how cold the water becomes—the heavier specimens living in the chillier northern waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. As well, while they are fully mature at two years of age, researchers believe that they may live to be six years old or more in ideal conditions.

在熱帶地區，帶裝備潛水的朋友們常常要警惕這些不友好的魚。它們沒有攻擊人類的習慣，但如果它們感到有危險就會變得很有攻擊性。梭魚在珊瑚礁中捕食時，會隱藏在涌流中，搜尋獵物，但是外表看起來卻像正在休息。它們的飲食十分多樣，吃深海中的生物和魷魚，幾乎沒有天敵。但是偶爾也會淪爲某些鯊魚和大型食肉魚的盤中餐。關於梭魚的成長有一個有趣的事，一旦長到66英寸左右，身長就會減緩生長，但體重的增長就是另一回事了。生活在溫暖水域和赤道附近的海洋的梭魚不太健壯，它們的體重似乎與水溫有關。太平洋和大西洋北部寒冷的水域及地中海中的梭魚較重。梭魚兩歲便成年，研究人員認爲它們有六年的壽命，在理想環境下，可能會更長一點。

Swordfish

2.旗魚

A close relative of marlins, though a separate family and distinct species, the swordfish is hunted both for sport and as an expensive prestige food in many Western cultures. While these fish can be found in temperate waters around the world, including the Mediterranean Sea, heavy over harvesting has led protective agencies to place them on a list of endangered species. Indiscriminate harvesting practices have also contributed to depredations of other marine species not being directly culled—such as sea turtles.

旗魚雖是馬林魚的近親，卻分屬於不同的家族、截然不同的物種。在西方文化中，旗魚是垂釣運動的“目標魚種”及餐桌上彰顯主人地位的“上等食物”。它們廣泛分佈於包括地中海（Mediterranean）地區在內的全球熱帶、亞熱帶海域。由於過度捕撈，相關保護機構已將旗魚列爲瀕危物種。非選擇性的捕撈也間接威脅到了海龜等其他海洋物種。

However, while stiff fines are often appended to the catching of these fish, they still represent a strong draw for sports fishing. They have been recorded as leaping in excess of 50 miles per hour, and swimming steadily at speeds as much as 60 miles per hour. Like their much larger friends in the billfish group, they tend to prefer open water, and migrate to warmer climates during the cold season. However, unlike Marlins, they will dive up to 2,000 feet in pursuit of prey, and their swordlike bill is used more to thrash than to pierce prey. While they once averaged 1,200 pounds in weight, growing up to 14 feet in length—the Pacific variety being the largest of the many locational variants of swordfish—years of over fishing has reduced the size of the average catch. They generally weigh no more than 200 pounds at the very best—often less—and are seldom more than six feet long. In addition to human over fishing, they continue to be occasionally hunted by Orcas and sharks. Even large tuna will sometimes prey on the immature, smaller individuals.

然而，即使捕撈旗魚會被處以嚴厲的罰款，它們仍是垂釣運動中的一大吸睛亮點。據記錄顯示，它們在水中跳躍的時速可達50英里，游泳時速可保持在60英里。與長嘴魚族羣一樣，旗魚也偏愛開闊的水域，冬季會洄游至氣候相對溫暖的水域。與馬林魚有所不同的是，它們會對獵物窮追不捨，爲了捕獵可跳躍2000英尺。比起用尖長嘴刺穿獵物，它們更愛用此利器把獵物敲死。它們的平均體重可達1200磅，身長達14英尺。在衆多旗魚變種中，屬太平洋（Pacific）海域的旗魚體積最大。當然，多年來的過度垂釣導致平均被捕撈到的旗魚尺寸大大縮減，體重不到200磅，也鮮有超過6英尺長的。除了人類的捕撈，它們不時會遭到虎鯨和鯊魚的獵殺。體型碩大的金槍魚有時也會將它們的幼魚和個別“小個子”侵吞入腹。

Marlin

1.馬林魚

Although the Blue Marlin, a denizen of the Atlantic, may be the most recognizable member of this group of species, there are several that comprise a worldwide population of billfish. Marlins in general are characterized by the elongated bill, which they use to spear prey, and a rigid or semi-retractable dorsal fin that may come forward to form a type of sail or crest. They’re actually closely related to trout, and may have also presented freshwater or estuary species in the past. However, today, the Blue Marlin and the much larger Black Marlin are the two largest groups in the billfish group. The Blue Marlin can grow to nearly seven feet in length and weigh up to 260 pounds. The Black Marlin grows to 16 feet and can weight as much as 1,500 pounds. Both species average a speed of about 68 miles per hour.

藍槍魚（俗稱藍色馬林魚）生活在大西洋（Atlantic）海域，它可能是這片海域的所有物種中最出名的魚類。它們中的幾個已囊括了全世界範圍內所有的長嘴魚品種。馬林魚有着可以刺穿獵物的尖長嘴，背鰭壯碩有力，前行時狀如船帆。它們與鱒魚是近親，曾經也活躍於淡水域或江河入海口中。藍槍魚和體積更大的黑槍魚可能是目前長嘴魚族羣中最龐大的兩大家族。成年藍槍魚長度可達7英尺，體重可達260磅。黑槍魚長度可達16英尺，體重可達1500磅。兩大族羣的平均游泳時速約爲68英里。

Marlins are surface pelagic fish—meaning that they prefer the open ocean, but stick to the top levels of the water, and rarely dive very far for their prey. Because they also prefer to spawn and live in warmer waters, they do seasonally migrate from cooler subtropical locations closer to the equator as the seasons turn. Although the species matures relatively swiftly, the typical sexual dimorphism—when the male is larger than the female of a species—is reversed. Fully mature females can be as much as three or four times the size of their male counterparts. How much sport fishing and commercial depredations have to do with this phenomenon is unclear, though it does appear to be a trend innate to the species. Such intense speeds are amazing anywhere, but when you consider that these animals attain and maintain these velocities in an environment with a density far greater than air, it becomes phenomenal. As our technology advances, scientists are able to observe the once-secret behaviors of animals such as the Pilot Whale, diving deep below the surface, and exhibiting behavior no one ever suspected. As well, we are now able to obtain a more accurate idea of how fast species travel beneath the waves, rather than only when they leap above them. Consider this: we know more about other planets in our solar system than we do about our own oceans and the animals that inhabit them. With a better understanding and the help of advanced technology, we will be able to study marine populations as never before, to preserve them and understand them, and well as utilize them more responsibly.

馬林魚是一種淺海魚，它們更喜歡生活在遠洋中。但是它們卻喜歡呆在上層水域，也很少爲了獵物下潛。它們喜歡在溫暖的水域中產卵生活，因此有季節性洄游的習性。冬季從相對寒冷的亞熱帶水域遷移至赤道附近，來年再游回原處。馬林魚生長迅速，屬兩性異形魚，一般來講，相同品種的雄魚體積大於雌魚。但是成年雌馬林魚的體積大概是其配偶的三到四倍。這一現象有多少是由垂釣運動和商業破壞所致還未可知，但這確實是物種自然生長的趨勢之一。如此驚人的速度簡直秒殺一切，但考慮到它們能在比空氣密度更大的環境中達到並保持此等高速，這就略顯逆天了。隨着人類科技的進步，科學家們能夠在深海中觀察圓頭鯨等動物不爲人知的行爲舉止，並將這些體態展現出來。同時，我們也能獲得更爲準確的信息，比如生物以多快的速度從海浪下方穿過，而不僅僅是它們越過海浪的那一瞬的速度。請深思以下內容：我們對太陽系的其他星球瞭解頗多，卻對地球上的海洋及海洋生物知之甚少。在科技進步和增進了解的基礎上，我們可以對海洋生物達到一個前所未有的認知高度，以更負責的態度去保護、理解並利用它們。

審校：哎呀 編輯：旭旭 來源：前十網