pigeons of the sea (ratfish)

lamont · Post by **lamont** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:50 pm

Seattle Times article on the "Rise of the Ratfish":

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/p ... ish15.html

Blaiz · Post by **Blaiz** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:59 pm

That article isn't very friendly to ratfish. :(

I adore them; I think they're terribly cute! (just ask Dashrynn!)

WylerBear · Post by **WylerBear** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:06 am

I love Ratfish, too. Even have one tattooed on my shoulder. But don't know a lot about them. Thanks for this interesting article. 200 million in Puget Sound. Wow!

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:56 am

I had read before that they were the largest species by biomass in the Sound.

I don't understand why people find them ugly. With those big, puppy-dog eyes, and the elegant gold line down the side, and the utterly silly way they swim . . . how can you find them anything but charming?

spatman · Post by **spatman** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:37 am

LCF wrote:With those big, puppy-dog eyes, and the elegant gold line down the side, and the utterly silly way they swim . . . how can you find them anything but charming?

Other than the gold line down the side, people often say the same about Josh.

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:51 am

Well, I've only dived with him once, but I did find him rather charming . . .

ktb · Post by **ktb** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:56 am

It's funny how differently I view articles like this since I started diving. And I'm surprised at some of the statements made by "the science writer." But still interesting information, especially the sheer numbers of them and the distance they will travel.

spudgunman · Post by **spudgunman** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:32 am

while reading other info about this fish found this fun one

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... cture.html

H20doctor · Post by **H20doctor** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:59 pm

Ratfish are cool, but Nasty .. I know some divers on this Board who are afraid of them... Look at the girly diver who is afraid of the silly little Ratfish..

lamont · Post by **lamont** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:02 pm

if you're diving with a scooter they can be a little bit suicidal and spook themselves right into your running prop...

Blaiz · Post by **Blaiz** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:46 pm

lamont wrote:if you're diving with a scooter they can be a little bit suicidal and spook themselves right into your running prop...

i just totally got a nasty visual there. thanks lamont.

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:47 pm

Steding calls that ratfish chop-chop.

I prefer egg yolk frappe, myself.

Sockmonkey · Post by **Sockmonkey** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:58 am

Thanks... now I have that stupid ratfish song stuck in my head.

And now you do too..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2r1qChVtQI[/youtube]

Suckers.

-Eric

psundquist · Post by **psundquist** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:19 pm

They also had the ratfish picture from the underside where they do look ratlike, completely different looking fish from any other angle.

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:23 pm

Like my Superman photo I got at Saltwater State Park?

- Janna

H20doctor · Post by **H20doctor** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:46 pm

Wow scottsax on sax ... who would have thunk ?

Blaiz · Post by **Blaiz** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:01 pm

that's awesome janna!

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 2:25 am

Great picture Janna!

I'm one of those guys that likes the Ratfish as they seem to follow you around at Three Tree N. They swim with such ease and can take off like a bullet if they want to. Which is strange since they have such a small, or sometimes no, tail.

scottsax · Post by **scottsax** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:29 am

H20doctor wrote:Wow scottsax on sax ... who would have thunk ?

If that's the ratfish song I'm thinking of (no YouTube at work) then that most defiantly is NOT me!

And that song is horrible on the surface, but strangely appealing. Good hook on that one...

H20doctor · Post by **H20doctor** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:40 am

Ya ... its not you ... but its a terrible song ... You play way better than that .. Spike AND THE iMPAILERS!!! rule

scottsax · Post by **scottsax** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:47 am

Dashrynn · Post by **Dashrynn** » Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:11 pm

lamont wrote:if you're diving with a scooter they can be a little bit suicidal and spook themselves right into your running prop...

that reminds me of the dive when myself and blaiz saw the dog fish at driftwood. Coming back up the slope from 50 ft we encoutered several ratfish and one of them was so scared he ran straight into my chest scaring the heck out of me and almost causing an underwater wreck.

Northwest Dive Club