评论
打印
I know monsters aren't real,
怪物都不是真的，这我知道
but there's an invasive fish here in the U.S.
但是有种怪鱼入侵了咱美国
that breathes out of the water and walks across land.
这种鱼不仅离了水还能活，它还能在陆地上行走
What the hell is going on?
到底是怎么回事呢？
I called Pam Fuller and Matt Nelson.
我给Pam Fuller和Matt Nelson打了电话
Hello, we're here.
嗨，我们上线啦
Both fish biologists, who study non-indigenous aquatic species
她们都是鱼类学家，研究的是非本土海洋生物
'cause I want to talk to them about this straight up, badass fish.
因为我想跟她们聊聊这个长长的、爱惹事的鱼
The proper name for it is actually Northern Snake head.
这种鱼的专名其实叫“北方蛇头鱼”
Thanks, Pam.
谢谢你的解释，Pam
When the Northern Snake head was found on the eastern U.S. coast in 2002,
2002年，美国东部海岸发现了北方蛇头鱼
the media went crazy,
媒体顿时炸开了锅
because this fish was named one of the most invasive species to date.
因为这种鱼被称之为目前最具攻击性的物种之一
Its origins are in Asia, but scientists aren't sure how it got here.
这种鱼原产于亚洲，科学家们也不知道它们究竟是怎么跑到这儿来了的
Some say it may have escaped a fish market,
有人说，它可能是从某个海鲜市场逃了出来
like, walked off and made it into a nearby stream
比如一路走到了附近的小溪
where it found a new and suitable home.
在那里找到了新的安乐窝
And this wouldn't have been hard.
这对它们来说并不难
Here's why.
原因是这样
If you were to make a successful invasive species checklist,
如果要做一个攻击型物种的可靠清单
this fish checks every single box.
这种鱼将满足所有条件
Lots of progeny, parental care, broad thermal tolerance.
繁殖能力超强、亲代抚育、对温度的适应能力极强
Meaning they make lots of babies that survive,
这也就意味着它们繁殖的后代不仅有较高的成活率
can live almost anywhere, and eat almost anything.
能够在世界各地生存，而且几乎什么都吃
Whatever they can fit in their mouth, they're gonna eat.
只要是它们能吃进嘴里的东西，它们就会吃掉
And they can breathe out of the water.
更有甚者，它们离开水也能活
How is this even possible?
这怎么可能呢？
Matt told me Northern Snake heads are called obligate air breathers,
Matt告诉我，北方蛇头鱼必须呼吸空气
which means they must breathe on the surface periodically in order to survive.
意思就是，为了维持生命，它们要定期浮出水面来进行呼吸
They have a chamber kind of in the back of their mouth,
它们的口腔后部有一个类似于腔体的部位
kind of behind where the gills are,
差不多位于鱼鳃后面
you can think of it kind of like a very rudimentary lung,
你可以把它当做某种比较初级的肺
and that allows the fish to extract oxygen out of the air.
这个腔体有助于黑鱼从空气中吸取氧气
And because they can breathe air,
因为它们能够呼吸空气
they can crawl out of whatever body of water they're in and into another,
所以它们就能从一片水域跑到另一片水域
where say, where might be more food, Even if that trek takes them a few days.
比如，有更多食物的水域，即便为此需要跋涉好几天
The Northern Snake head has a firm hold in our rivers' ecosystems,
北方蛇头鱼牢牢地控制了我们河流的生态系统
much to the dismay of ecologists.
生态学家们为此大为头疼
And while fishing has helped control its populations,
尽管捕捞控制了蛇头鱼的数量
these guys are here to stay.
但这些家伙算是在这儿扎了根了。
