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Science news
Fossil hunter discovers new species of 210-million-year-old lungfish
Ferganoceratodus edwardsi suggests that many ancient lungfish are more closely related than first thought.
6 August 2024 -
Science news
North Sea oil rig pollution linked to seafloor biodiversity decline
The North Sea’s oil and gas rigs impact more than the atmosphere.
29 July 2024 -
Science news
New species of vegetarian piranha named after Lord of the Rings villain Sauron
The newly described Myloplus sauron highlights how little we know about South America’s biodiversity.
11 June 2024 -
News
Blueprint launched to save 1,000 of the world’s most threatened fishes
A new project to kickstart conservation for some of the world’s rarest fishes is making a splash.
15 May 2024 -
News
Governments falling short of protecting the world’s oceans
Protections for the world’s oceans need strengthening, a new report suggests.
9 May 2024 -
News
The world’s largest ever salmon had tusk-like teeth
Scientists now know more about how the three-metre-long Oncorhynchus rastrosus might have looked.
24 April 2024 -
News
River restoration is encouraging Atlantic salmon to return to heart of UK
For the first time in 100 years, Atlantic salmon are once again spawning in the upper waters of the River Derwent.
8 April 2024 -
What on Earth?
How do electric eels work?
Electric eels are like living batteries, but how does their amazing electric-shock ability work?
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Science news
Giant fishes in the Mekong River at risk of extinction
Some of the world’s largest and most unusual fishes could be wiped out.
8 March 2024 -
News
Solo south African orcas learn how to hunt great white sharks
The orcas have learnt to catch and eat young great white sharks in less than two minutes.
1 March 2024 -
News
Newly discovered deep-sea species could help to protect fragile ocean habitats
As many as 100 new species of deep-sea animals may have been discovered living on undersea mountains.
27 February 2024 -
News
Migratory fish, mammals and birds at risk of extinction
The first State of the World’s Migratory Species report found that countries aren’t doing enough to save threatened species.
12 February 2024 -
Science news
New technique detects distinct fish populations in a single lake through their environmental DNA
A new study has allowed scientists to see how populations of fish differ through their DNA.
7 February 2024 -
News
Ban on sandeel fishing to support UK’s struggling seabirds
The fishing of sandeels in the UK’s portion of the North Sea will be banned from April.
1 February 2024 -
What on Earth?
Pufferfish: An underwater balloon of death?
Meet the fish with many faces: famous inflatables, fatal poisoners and even romantic artists.
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Collections
Our LGBTQ+ video tour
Take a virtual tour of the Natural History Museum and explore the astonishing diversity of the natural world.
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News
An upside down deep-sea anglerfish might be hunting for prey
The mystery of the whipnose anglerfish’s extraordinarily long lure might have finally been solved.
1 December 2023 -
Science news
400-million-year-old fish fossil reveals how we got our arms
A question that has puzzled scientists for over 150 years may finally have been answered.
1 November 2023 -
Collections
What can shark teeth tell us?
Sharks have been around for millions of years. Their teeth are some of the most common fossils you can find.
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Science news
Ancient fish reveals how vertebrates put their heads together
New research on the 450-million-year-old Eriptychius suggests it could be a ‘missing link’ in the evolution of the vertebrate skull.
20 September 2023 -
News
Artificial reefs in seagrass meadows could help protect against climate change
Artificial reefs attract fish, which can improve the ability of seagrass to lock up more carbon dioxide beneath the waves.
26 July 2023 -
What on Earth?
The unusual link between parrotfish and sand
In some places, it's estimated that up to 70% of beach sand has gone through the guts of parrotfish.
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What on Earth?
The real cast of The Little Mermaid
Meet the creatures that really are part of your world.
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Science news
Around 90% of species in prospective deep-sea mining zone are unnamed
Many regions of the deep sea are currently being explored for the potential to mine them.
25 May 2023 -
Oceans
Great white sharks: Dangerous man-eaters or marine marvels?
Great white sharks are some of the world's most misunderstood animals. There is much more to these sensitive fish than just a big bite.
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News
Deepest-ever fish filmed at a depth of 8,336 metres
An expedition to some of the Earth's deepest ocean trenches has broken records for deep-sea fish.
5 April 2023 -
News
Historic treaty to protect the world's oceans finally agreed
Nations have reached a historic agreement to protect the world's oceans from exploitation.
6 March 2023 -
News
UK creates three new 'highly protected' marine nature reserves in England
While conservationists have welcomed the announcement, they've also raised concerns that the proposals aren't enough to protect vulnerable marine habitats.
28 February 2023 -
Science news
Creatures from the deep: exploring the seas around remote South Atlantic islands
Museum scientists joined a six-week voyage to understand more about the fragile environments surrounding South Atlantic islands.
3 February 2023 -
News
Invasive rats are affecting the behaviour of algae-farming fish
Invasive rats are devastating tropical islands, with effects reaching far beyond the land.
5 January 2023 -
Collections
Hidden Treasures: Season one of our behind-the-scenes live streams
Catch up on season one of our interactive behind-the-scenes live stream.
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News
Some mouthbrooding fish eat their children to reduce stress
Fish raised in their mother's mouth can sometimes end up their parent's next meal.
9 November 2022 -
News
World war shipwrecks are leaking pollutants into the world's oceans
Carcinogenic fuel, explosives and chemical weapons are leaking into the seas from sunken naval vessels.
18 October 2022 -
News
Underwater noise pollution is risking the lives of whales and dolphins
Loud sound bursts throwing cetaceans out of balance and risk their health, amid growing concern over the impacts of anthropogenic noise pollution.
14 July 2022 -
News
Drug pollution is threatening the water quality of the world's rivers
Over 40% of the world's rivers could contain harmful levels of pharmaceuticals.
6 July 2022 -
News
Killer whales that attack great white sharks are changing a marine ecosystem
By scaring away the great whites, the killer whale hunters are altering the habits of other sharks, abalone and even penguins.
1 July 2022 -
What on Earth?
Whale sharks: Meet the world's biggest shark
Whale sharks can be huge. But even experts aren’t entirely sure just how big they can get.
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News
Great white sharks could have contributed to megalodon extinction
Great whites and megalodon may have been competing for the same prey in the last years of the megalodon's life.
31 May 2022 -
News
Protected areas could help world's biggest ray to bounce back
Crowdsourced photographs are helping to demonstrate the value of nature reserves to one of the world's largest fish.
17 May 2022 -
News
Megalodon sharks grew biggest in colder waters
The finding could offer insights into the impact of climate change on its modern relatives.
7 March 2022 -
Biodiversity
Christmas animals and plants: The festive species named for 25 December
Over 30 species globally are named for Christmas Day, recognising their bright colours, place of origin or reproductive cycle.
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News
World's 'most wanted' fish rediscovered after 50 years
One of the world's 'most wanted' fish has been tracked down, almost 50 years after it was last seen.
16 December 2021 -
News
Coral reefs at risk of being wiped out in western Indian Ocean
Some of the world's most picturesque coral reefs are at risk of being wiped out in the next 50 years.
8 December 2021 -
News
Sharks, seahorses and seals found in River Thames' first full health check
Sharks, seahorses and smelt are among the residents of the River Thames revealed in a new report.
10 November 2021 -
Science news
Documenting one of the most abundant vertebrates in the world before it's too late
Lanternfish are one of the most abundant vertebrates on Earth. Yet despite their huge numbers, almost nothing is known about them.
1 October 2021 -
What on Earth?
Mutualism: eight examples of species that work together to get ahead
In nature, species will sometimes form unexpectedly close bonds and work to their mutual benefit.
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What on Earth?
Sea monsters and their inspiration: serpents, mermaids, the kraken and more
Discover the real sea creatures behind the lore.
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What on Earth?
Best foot forward: eight animals that dance to impress
Meet some of the animals that bust out their best moves to attract a mate.
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What on Earth?
Coelacanths: the fish that 'outdid' the Loch Ness Monster
Meet the remarkable fish that turned up alive in 1938, despite having been presumed extinct for 70 million years.
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Science news
Dragon snakeheads form a new underground fish family
The fish may be a relic population that has existed for over a hundred million years.
30 October 2020 -
What on Earth?
Hagfishes: how much slime can a slime eel make?
There's more to the snot-like secretions of the internet-famous hagfish than meets the eye.
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British wildlife
Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
Explore facts about this huge shark - which can open its mouth up to a metre wide - including where you might see one in the UK.
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Oceans
Are seahorses the ocean's quirkiest fish?
With armoured bodies, curly tails and limited swimming ability, seahorses are a group of fish quite unlike any other.
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Science news
New species of subterranean fish named after Lord of the Rings character
It has been named after Gollum due to its underground lifestyle.
9 May 2019 -
Oceans
Do sharks lay eggs?
Although most sharks give birth to live young, a few lay oddly shaped eggs that occasionally wash up on beaches.
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Collections
Fishy faces, fur and feathers
Meet some faces that only an ichthyologist could love and catch up on the latest natural history news.
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Science news
Over 270 new species discovered in 2018
They include new dinosaurs, an ancient wombat and a giant shark.
27 December 2018 -
Oceans
Shark evolution: a 450 million year timeline
Evolving before trees and weathering five mass extinctions, sharks are true survivors.
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Collections
Specimen stores and lights at night
Find out what can happen when fieldwork doesn't go exactly as planned, and how to do a simple DIY science project at home.
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Patrick Campbell on being young and black in science
When Patrick started caring for the Museum's fish specimens, he became one of the institution's first black curators.
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Anthropocene
You are probably completely unaware of the largest wildlife crime in Europe
The illegal trade of European eels is worth up to £3.5 billion a year.
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Anthropocene
More than a quarter of fish in the Thames Estuary are eating plastic
Microplastics are having an enormous impact.
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Science news
New species of blind eel that burrows through the soil discovered
The fish burrows underground and breaths through the lining of its mouth.
17 September 2018 -
Oceans
Megalodon: the truth about the largest shark that ever lived
Just how big was megalodon and could this giant predator still be lurking in the dark depths of the ocean?
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Oceans
What lies beneath?
Watch for an exclusive peek behind the scenes at the Museum's Tank Room.
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News
Dredged from the deep: huge donation of specimens arrives from the ocean floor
Thousands of ocean animal specimens have joined the Museum's collections, including a group of rare anglerfish.
8 June 2018 -
Anthropocene
The problem of sea lice in salmon farms
Salmon farms are known to experience outbreaks of sea lice. But fixing the problem is far from simple.
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News
Why the Coral Triangle is the most important part of the ocean
It's the most diverse part of the ocean, but plenty of people have never heard of it.
28 March 2018 -
Oceans
Orla Doherty on science in the sea and Blue Planet 2
An expert in underwater filming, Orla Doherty is one of the lucky few to have explored the deepest parts of the ocean.
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Collections
How to restore a 135-year-old-sunfish
Find out what it takes to care for an enormous, scientifically irreplaceable fish.
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Oceans
The spectacular display of the mobula ray
Why do some rays belly flop?
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Oceans
The fish that's also a pearl
Watch Andreia Salvador, Curator of Marine Mollusca, take a look at one of the Museum's most extraordinary and precious pearls.
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Oceans
The fishes of the deep sea
The deep ocean houses an ecosystem that has learned to thrive without sunlight or warmth. Welcome to the abyss.
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News
The cannibal rays that eat fellow fish
CT scans have revealed that the species of ray called giant guitarfish is cannibalistic. Until now, scientists never knew its true eating habits.
6 September 2017 -
What on Earth?
The bizarre love life of the anglerfish
Watch a fish curator get up close and personal with one of the deep sea's most unusual partnerships.
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Collections
The art of preserving a fish
Find out how Museum scientists used a new technique to preserve this enormous blue marlin forever.
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Pickle jars and precious specimens
Step behind the scenes of the Museum’s spirit collection with curators Oliver Crimmen and James Maclaine.
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News
Shark genes could reveal how to grow new human teeth
An investigation into how sharks repeatedly regenerate their teeth has found the crucial network of genes, potentially paving the way for medical breakthroughs in the future.
17 February 2016 -
News
Ancient sawfish fossil sheds light on tooth evolution
Detailed 3D X-ray images of the saw-like nose of Schizorhiza stromeri challenge the classical theory that vertebrate teeth evolved from external scales.
6 October 2015 -
News
Amazonian artwork by pioneers of evolutionary theory now online
Scientific artwork by Alfred Russel Wallace and Henry Walter Bates - two of the most important nineteenth-century biologists and natural history collectors - is available online for the first time.
7 July 2015 -
News
Two fishes named after Museum scientists
Fish experts Oliver Crimmen and Ralf Britz have had species named for them to honour their work and dedication.
18 May 2015 -
Oceans
Mystery of the hairy anglerfish’s huge stomach
Follow Museum scientists as they solve the decade-long mystery of a rare anglerfish’s bulging stomach.
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News
Ancient sea saw arrives at the Museum
An exceptional example of the saw-like nose of an extinct fish has made its way into the Museum’s collection.
27 January 2015 -
Fishing for new life
Meet some of the strange life forms that Museum scientists are uncovering in the peat swamps of southeast Asia.
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News
Evolution pioneer’s illegible notebook brought back to life
Hyperspectral imaging allows us to read for the first time one of Alfred Russel Wallace's notebooks that was ruined in a shipwreck.
20 November 2014 -
News
The fishy origins of sex
The world's oldest vertebrate sex organs, found in 385-million-year-old fish, prove sex is a lot older than we thought.
20 October 2014 -
News
Rare Greenland shark specimen preserved at the Museum
The first complete Greenland shark specimen has been preserved for research at the Museum after washing up on a Northumberland beach last autumn.
8 September 2014 -
News
Different on the inside
In a rare case of internal differences between the sexes, the males of one fish genus have a swimbladder up to 98 times the volume of the females'.
18 July 2014 -
News
New miniature fish discovered
A new fish species measuring up to 15.4mm has been discovered in the Rio Negro in Brazil.
1 July 2014 -
News
Letter from 1909 could solve missing fish riddle
Document found in Museum's archive suggests the river blenny was wiped out on Cyprus.
26 March 2014 -
News
Size matters as fish species splits in two
Evolution in action as small fish in a big pond lose out.
3 March 2014