WEEDS THAT SWIM FOR FISHES THAT DON’T
By daring to swim, sargassum forms a triad with two opposite fishes that both dare to unswim.
LATERAL THOUGHTS IN SEARCH OF EVER MORE INTERESTING STORIES FROM BIOLOGY. Robin and the Honey Badger’s mission is to recharge biology with originality for you, the non-specialist reader. Here we discuss sargassum, a ‘seaweed’ that lives on the surface of the ocean. This macroalga provides habitat for other strange creatures, and by daring to swim, forms a triad with two contrasting fishes that both dare to unswim. We integrate information from botany and ichthyology as we cross boundaries between biological disciplines. Our interpretation will reveal the ecological tactics shared by apparently disparate organisms, enriching anyone who has ever pondered the mystique of the Sargasso Sea or wondered how – and why – fishes can possibly fly.
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