Father's Day is coming up in just over a month, on Sunday, June 18, 2023. Wow your dad with fun facts about marine fathers with our fun list of fishy facts!

• In some species of fish, such as seahorses and pipefish, it is the male who carries the eggs in a special pouch until they hatch. The female lays her eggs in the male's brood pouch. The father-to-be releases sperm into the pouch to fertilize the eggs. He carries them until they are ready to hatch.

• Prospective Bluegill Sunfish fathers practice three different strategies to find a mate. Large males make and protect nests and eggs; mid-sized fish mimic the look of females in order to join a spawning pair under false pretenses; and small males perform a kind of sperm-release-and-dash when they find a spawning pair.

• After fertilization, male Banggai Cardinalfish carry their eggs in their mouths! Brooding takes about 30 days, and during that time the father-to-be will refrain from eating! bhave been observed swallowing and holding their eggs in their mouth until they hatch. They will spit out the baby fish once they are big enough to survive on their own.

• In many cases when there is parental care in fish species, it is the father that cares for the nest, eggs, and/or young. Another example of this is found in the popular Clownfish, where it is the male fish that cares for the eggs by fanning them and keeping them safe.

However you'll be celebrating Father's Day, we hope these fun facts about fishy fathers brought you some joy and maybe helped spark some interesting conversations!

You've probably heard the term "school of fish", but do you know why the collective noun for fish is school? The term derives from Old Dutch, where the word schole means multitude. The similar use of the word shoal to describe a group of fish has similar origins.

There are other, less common, collective nouns used to describe groups of fish. Have you heard of any of these?

A school of fish is the most common collective noun used for a group of fish. It refers to any group of fish swimming together, regardless of the species.

A shoal of fish is a term used to describe a large group of fish swimming close together in the same direction.

A swarm of fish refers to a group of fish that are densely packed together and moving quickly.

A run of fish refers to a group of fish that are migrating together, usually for spawning or feeding purposes. This is used for spawning salmon, who form a run of salmon.

Pod is used to describe a group of larger animals swimming together, as in a pod of dolphins, or a pod of whales, or a pod of orcas.

Other, self-explanatory examples of collective nouns for fish and friends:

• An aggregation of manatees
• A bale of turtles
• A company of angelfish
• A consortium of crabs
• A battery of barracudas
• A bed of oysters
• A cloud of minnows
• A fever of stingrays
• A flock of parrotfish
• A flotilla of swordfish
• A fry of eels
• A galaxy of starfish
• A glide of flying fish
• A glint of koi
• A herd of seahorses
• A pack of perch
• A smack of jellyfish
• A squad of squid
• A troubling of goldfish
• A troupe of shrimp

A pack of sardines is a different kind of expression. While it may look like a collective noun for sardines, it actually refers to a group, usually of humans, gathered together in a very tight space. When you are among a large crowd in a small area, you might feel like a sardine inside a tin pack!

The Nurse Shark is a special species of shark found in relatively shallow coastal waters around North and South America, and along the western coast of Africa. Here are some things you may not have known about these fascinating fish!

• Nurse sharks are nocturnal animals, which means they are most active during the night.

• While feeding at night, Nurse Sharks are generally solitary. However, at rest during the day, they may display more gregarious behavior, loafing alongside other Nurse Sharks.

• They are slow-moving sharks and are not considered a threat to humans. They are different from most other shark species with their extremely sedentary behavior.

• Nurse sharks can grow up to 10 and a half feet long!

• They are known for their unique feeding behavior, where they suck in prey, rather than biting them. In fact, they are obligate suction feeders, meaning that they use suction force through their relatively small mouths to pull prey in. Because of their method of feeding, they are generally bottom-dwellers in shallow water.

• Nurse sharks have fleshy "whiskers", called barbels, hanging down near their mouths. They use these barbels to detect potential prey on the surface below.

• Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous, which is a method of breeding somewhere between giving live birth and laying eggs. The eggs are fertilized internally, as in live births, but the eggs remain inside the female's body until hatching. Instead of receiving nourishment via a placenta, the babies receive nutrition from the yolk of their eggs!

• The gestation period for Nurse Sharks is about six months, with a typical litter consisting of 21-29 babies, or pups.

• Although not studied extensively in the wild, the lifespan of a captive Nurse Shark can be up to 25 years.

• Unlike other shark species, nurse sharks can breathe without moving through the water. They use a strategy called buccal pumping to remove oxygen from the water without having to swim.

• Nurse sharks are not migratory and typically stay in one area their entire lives. Like other species of reef shark, they have strong site fidelity.

• Nurse sharks have a unique opening, called a spiracle, behind their eyes. This opening provides oxygenated blood directly to the brain and eyes.

• The Nurse Shark was added to Scubadorable on September 2, 2007!

The Arabian Picassofish is a beautiful and unique fish species found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Here are some cool facts about this fascinating and striking fish!

• The Arabian Picassofish is named after its striking and vibrant colors, which might bring to mind the similarly striking paintings of artist Pablo Picasso.

• What's in a name? The Arabian Picassofish is also known as the Picasso Triggerfish, and the Assasi Triggerfish. True to two of these common names, the species belongs to the Triggerfish family.

• Male Arabian Picassofish create nests by biting and moving coral fragments, rocks, and shells to attract females to mate. They also use their pectoral fins to attract and court potential mates. They may breed in monogamous pairs, or as part of a harem which consists of one male and several females.

• Arabian Picassofish are known for their strongly territorial behavior. Females are especially aggressive when it comes to defending their nesting sites and young.

• The Arabian Picassofish is omnivorous, meaning it eats both plant and animal material. Their diet consists of a variety of algae, small crustaceans, and small fish. Like other fish in the family. Arabian Picassofish have strong jaws which they use to feed. They can often be seen head-down on the ocean floor, looking for food sources. Their powerful jaw and teeth can breach the shells of creatures like mollusks.

• The Arabian Picassofish joined Scubadorable on August 3, 2008.