How old is a fish? Can we determine the age of a fish? Let’s try.
Things Required:
Hand lens
Fish scales (collect fish scales from a local fish market)
Dark paper
Directions:
Place a dried scale on the dark paper. Study the ring pattern on the scale. Count the wide, lighter bands.
This Is What Happens:
The number of wide bands equals the age of the fish in years.
Science Behind It:
Like rings on a tree trunk, fish scales form rings with each year of growth. The rings grow fastest in warm weather when there is an abundance of food. During this growing season, the growth band is lighter in colour and much wider than during the colder months of winter. The winter growth produces dark slim bands because the growth is so very slow. The ring pattern varies in design from one species to another.
