Eps 1: I'm round, in the water with a black and white contrast, what am I?
— ? Am I?
In this podcast, the narrator discusses a quiz question that asks "what am I?". The clue given is "I'm round, in the water, with a black and white contrast". The answer is a killer whale, which is a highly intelligent and social marine mammal that lives in pods and is known for their distinctive black and white coloring. The podcast goes on to discuss the intelligence and communication abilities of killer whales, as well as their status as both apex predators and protected species.
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Host
Ronnie Rodriguez
Podcast Content
Welcome to another episode of our trivia game, where we challenge your knowledge and curiosity about the world around us. In this episode, we have a riddle for you to solve: "I'm round, in the water with a black and white contrast, what am I?" If you're thinking of a particular animal, you may be on the right track, but let's explore some more clues and fun facts that may help you identify this mysterious creature.
First of all, let's unpack the clues one by one. Roundness is a characteristic that can apply to many animals, from fish to jellyfish to whales. However, when combined with the medium of water, being round can have advantages for different reasons. Some animals that are round in the water, such as pufferfish, blowfish, and porcupinefish, use their shape as a defense mechanism against predators. By inflating their body with water or air, they make themselves bigger and spikier, deterring attackers or making them harder to swallow. Other animals that are round, such as ball-shaped nudibranchs, use their shape to roll or bounce along the seafloor, avoiding obstacles and predators. Interestingly, some animals that are not normally round can become round in the water, as shown by the octopus, whose flexible body can morph into a ball shape to fit into crevices or disguise itself.
The second clue of the riddle is "black and white contrast". This can also apply to many animals, but some stand out for their stark or striking black and white patterns. One of the most iconic black and white creatures of the ocean is the killer whale or orca, which has a distinctive dorsal fin, eye patch, and saddle patch on its sleek body. Orcas are known for their intelligence, social behavior, communication, and hunting skills, and they occupy a wide range of habitats from polar to tropical waters. Orcas are not only black and white but also have shades of gray, which help them blend in with their surroundings and avoid detection by prey or predators.
However, the mystery animal in our riddle is neither a fish, a nudibranch, nor an orca. It is a species that belongs to the same group as the orca, but is smaller, rounder, and less famous. Have you guessed it yet? If not, here's another clue: this animal is found in the cold, deep waters of the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica. It feeds mainly on squid and fish, and can dive to depths of up to 2,000 meters. It has a spherical body that can reach a diameter of about 60 centimeters, and its skin is black on the top and white on the bottom.
Yes, you are right, we are talking about the mysterious and fascinating creature known as the Antarctic sunfish or Mola ramsayi. This bizarre-looking animal is also called the southern ocean sunfish, the headfish, or the short sunfish, and is one of three species of sunfish in the family Molidae. Like its cousins, the mola mola and the ocean sunfish, the Antarctic sunfish has a flattened appearance, with its eyes and mouth located on the same side of its body. However, unlike them, the Antarctic sunfish lacks a distinct caudal fin, and has a unique arrangement of pelvic fins that resemble wings or paddles. These fins enable the sunfish to maneuver and control its body in the water, but also make it slow and clumsy compared to other fish.
So why does the Antarctic sunfish have such a round shape and black and white contrast? The reasons are not fully understood, but some hypotheses have been proposed. One is that the roundness of the sunfish may help it to conserve energy by reducing its drag as it moves through the water. Another is that the black color on the top and the white color on the bottom may help the sunfish regulate its body temperature, by absorbing and reflecting sunlight depending on its orientation. A third reason is that the black and white pattern may also serve as a warning signal to predators or as a camouflage against prey, by breaking up the sunfish's outline and confusing its shape.
Despite its odd appearance and elusive habits, the Antarctic sunfish is not a rarity in the Southern Ocean, and has been recorded in various locations around Antarctica, from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. However, much of its biology and ecology remains unknown, and further studies are needed to understand its behavior, reproduction, and population status. Meanwhile, if you ever happen to spot a round, black and white creature in the water, you now know that it might be an Antarctic sunfish, and that it is certainly an amazing and unique animal worth admiring and respecting.
Thank you for listening to this episode of our trivia game, and we hope you enjoyed learning something new today. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please feel free to leave us a comment or a message. And as always, stay curious, stay fascinated, and stay around for more episodes to come.