Young Salmons Leap to Remove Lice!

We love watching dolphins and whales leaping in the blue ocean. But do you know why they make such leaps? To catch their food and escape from predators perhaps? This is indeed true for adult fish and other aquatic animals. But what about young fish that do not need to catch their food by leaping? According to a team of researchers from Simon Fraser University, young salmons make leaps in the ocean not for food, but for removing sea lice from their body. The Canadian researchers discovered that young salmon in certain coastal regions have faced sea lice infestation for a long time. This has led to their reduced growth and impaired swimming capability. To prove their theory, the Canadian researchers allowed young salmons to leap and studied them after three days. They observed that the salmon that were allowed to leap had fewer sea lice on their body than those that were not allowed to leap. The more dreadful fact was that to remove a single louse, a baby salmon had to make about 50 leaps!