Night Shift Barney's Barrier Reef

Australia home of the possum, cool surfers, strange lingo.

Fair dinkum.

Lots of sunshine and the bonza Barrier Reef.

It's the biggest most spectacular coral reef in the world.

And what's more every creature is linked to another.

Just imagine one huge family tree dating back 18 million years.

From the miniscule to the mammoth, to the miraculous, they're all

connected in Barney's Barrier Reef.

BRAHMS LULLABY

SNORING

Get off me, it was the Gobi that did it.

Shark!

Eh, wake up.

-What?

-We're on the night shift.

No, no we're not because the fishes are sleeping too.

No way most of the Barrier Reef doesn't even get to go sleep

and tonight neither do you.

Besides, so many exciting things happen

at night we don't want to miss anything.

OK, but it better be good.

Oh, it will be the reef at night is like a whole different universe,

shy fish becoming all bolshie, nocturnal predators coming out play.

Go on I'm listening.

Grab your teddy then, Barney, today we're on the night shift

in Barney's Barrier Reef.

Teddy bear, me, as if.

It's early evening on the reef, for some fish it's time to chill,

for others it's time to eat before they start their shift

and for some its time for romance.

Meet the surgeon fish, they're feeling romantic.

Oo la la.

They don't sound very lovey-dovey,

I mean surgeon fish, they sound a bit clinical.

They're named surgeonfish because they have razor blades

near their tails, used to defend

themselves against attackers a bit like a surgical scalpel.

Ah, OK, go on then back to the romance.

I knew you'd want to hear.

So, as the sun is setting the surgeonfish

gather together to woo each other.

How sweet, I guess there's nothing like a sunset

to inspire a bit of loving. And they do look like they're showing off.

Well, what they are doing is actually rushing

to the surface to lay their eggs.

-But why the big rush?

-They choose this time because the tide is going

out and as they lay their eggs the tide will sweep them away from

hungry predators meaning their babies have more chance of survival.

Ah, they think of everything these ocean lot, don't they?

Practical yet romantic. Who's next on the night shift?

Spooky, is this the same reef?

It looks like the moon. It might seem weird but there's a good reason.

During the day the day sunlight gives the reef its beautiful

colours but at night

the coral and animals look completely different and act differently too.

Wow, what are all those balls, it's like an ocean snow storm.

Well, it's basically the coral laying eggs

into the water for the eggs to be fertilised by other corals.

It's quite spooky really. Loads of the corals

-around the reef all spawn together.

-How do they know when it's

the right time, they don't have watches?

I know, well, it's a bit of an ocean mystery

but the moon, the sun and the tides are all kind of linked together

and the corals somehow let each other know that it's spawning time.

It's spawning time, it's spawning time, it's spawning time.

Wow, now that is some cool coral action.

The loved up surgeonfish and the spawning

corals are both night-time romantics.

Both get together and mate in the evening so

the eggs have more chance of survival.

-And to the left and to the right.

-Is that crab doing aerobics?

He does like he's having a good old work out,

or maybe he's mixing on the ocean decks.

-No, actually he's just stuffing his face.

-What's he eating?

Well, the coral aren't

the only clever night-time creature, MC crabster here is well aware that

there is some tasty coral spawn to feed on. So, he's positioned himself

-at the top of the reef to catch it as it comes up.

-Crafty crab.

He has these funny filtering glove hands that enable him to scoop up

tasty morsels which he then puts straight in his mouth.

-It's like he's licking his fingers.

-A little bit.

Luckily there is plenty of tasty coral spawn to go around

but for the night-time crab feeders it's a fabulous feast.

So, the coral spawning snow storm connects us to crafty crab stuff.

The coral release the eggs

and the crab lays in wait to snaffle some of them up for his dinner.

Who else is linked to our coral?

After a hard day of swimming,

feeding and remembering to come up for air a turtle's work is done.

-Hello.

-He does look a bit tired, doesn't he?

I'm off to bed, my work is done.

Well, it is for the male turtles.

Oh, here we go.

All turtles work pretty hard during

the day but now its time for the female turtles to

start their night shift and boy have they got a long night ahead of them.

The females do a double shift.

When night falls they come on to land to nest.

For the first two hours while the men

are snoozing the women are digging nests for their eggs.

OK, is this what you call random sand flinging?

Well, she is working on her own, what do you expect.

I was only asking but I see your point.

-She's nearly done now, isn't she?

-No!

Now she lays the eggs into this chamber she's made at the bottom

of this sand pit, all 120 of them.

I must admit I have a whole new respect for the female turtle.

So you should

after all that hard work she covers her eggs with sand to keep them warm.

There are loads of turtles nesting on this beach, up to 20,000.

That's 20,000 turtles in an island

the size of about 32 football pitches.

About 625 turtles per football pitch, all trying to find to space

for their babies, its hard work.

OK, I admit she does all the hard work

and the bloke turtle does very little.

But why doesn't she do it during the day, wouldn't that be easier?

Well, night-time is much safer for her and for her babies.

She can lurk in the shadows and lay her eggs nice and peacefully.

What can I say respect to the female turtles

for their very busy night shift.

Ah!

Like the coral the female turtles

choose night to lay their eggs to make sure

they are as safe as possible from predators.

So, the connection between the corals and turtles

is nocturnal egg laying.

-Have you ever really watched a fish?

-What, of course.

No, I mean really watched them, they are always on the go.

Yeah!

So, when night falls its snooze time.

But they can't be asleep their eyes are open.

Ssh. Gem, they're asleep, fish don't have eyelids.

They look awake when they're asleep.

Surely it's a bit of a dangerous time for them to relax, though, isn't this

when the big boys come out to play?

No problemo they just put their pyjamas on.

Yeah, and I suppose

they read a bedtime story as well.

Once upon a time.

Yeah right, but they do change outfits when they

sleep, like this little fella here.

During the day the fusilier fish is silvery blue but at night he

changes his colour. It's a bit like putting on a pair of red jim-jams.

That's the same fish are you sure?

Yep, at night-time red is the most difficult colour to see under water,

so it helps them hide from predators.

So not to be seen they put on a different outfit?

Yeah, loads of fish do it.

This fellow is striped yellow, black and white during the day

but at night he turns his colour ratio right down.

What about this blue fish

he stands out a mile, he's deffo gonna be shark feed.

No, he's pretty safe he's chosen

a coral bedroom to settle down for the night.

I think that shrimps got the best idea, no-one's going

to argue with that toothy trigger fish.

Oi, keep the noise down!

So, like the turtles, sleeping fish use the cover of darkness

to hide away from predators.

Aha, the parrotfish, its an ordinary looking fish

with a mouth of steel and a sand blasted bottom.

Trust you to remember they pooh sand.

The parrotfish spend the day travelling around in schools,

bustling around, chomping algae off rocks so by night-time

-they're pooped.

-I'm not surprised

rock chomping and what goes with it, it must get tiring.

Once night falls they say goodnight to their buddies and search

-for somewhere to sleep.

-So, where do they go, under rocks and stuff?

Yes, mainly coral.

Once they've found a little hole to snuggle into,

they make their very own sleeping bag and kind of camp out for the night.

-That is a cool trick, how?

-Well, it's another

fascinating use of mucus.

-What!

-You mean bogies, don't you? A choo!

In a word yes. They release lots of mucus

and wrap it around themselves before they sleep.

They make their own snot sleeping bag?

I'm not sure whether to be impressed or disgusted.

Well, it protects them from predators that hunt by smell, like sharks.

So, it's kind of a mixture of a sleeping bag and armour.

-And its snot, I mean not...

-Oh, dear.

Ha-ha-ha-ha!

..a quick process either. It takes half an hour

to make the cocoon and almost as long to get out.

And, they eat their way out.

Hang on, they eat their own snot? That's gross.

So, some fish change colour when they go to bed but the parrotfish

creates a mucus bubble shield to protect themselves from predators.

ALARM

Oh, look its 11pm already.

-I know.

-It's been an interesting night so far, hasn't it?

We started with the surgeonfish and ended up with the dozing parrotfish.

-How did we get here?

-Well, our surgeonfish have spawned,

as have the spooky coral with their ocean snow storm.

And the crafty crabs are feeding on any coral spawn they can grab.

Whilst our hard grafters, the female turtles are halfway through their

-night shift. I don't envy them.

-I bet you'd want to be a sleeping

fish, they're getting in their ZZZs ready for action tomorrow.

Just like the parrotfish in his snotty sleeping bag.

So, who's our next sleepless sea creature?

This flamboyant fishy is called the lionfish.

Now, I understand why some fish need a snot sleeping bag.

This lionfish is a swooper and a gulper.

I know, look how quick he is, sneaking up to a sleeping fish

and hunting from above.

Moonfish come on you've got to move, you must see this one coming.

Mmm, tasty.

And for my next trick I'm swimming upside down. Yeah.

And for a fish with such a flashy

head dress he can move pretty quickly.

Well, actually his red head dress helps hide him.

Like the sleeping fish in their red pyjamas.

You see red is the best underwater camouflage.

This is one night-time hunter who knows exactly what he is doing.

So, while the parrotfish hides from all predators,

the lairy lionfish is hiding to gobble up predators.

So, they're connected because they both have clever ways of becoming

practically invisible at night.

Well, hello grumpy face, you look like you need a coffee.

You try staying up all night.

YAWNS

These are soldier fish.

These guys are strictly nocturnal.

They love staying up all night to eat.

They don't look like they love anything. Cheer up, dude.

They do look like they haven't slept in weeks.

-Their eyes are massive.

-Well, their eyes are so huge so they can filter

in as much moonlight as possible to help them catch their food.

-Microscopic Zooplankton.

-You took the words out of my mouth.

I can see it on the tele. I just wish they'd smile more.

Well, they have been up all night and do this night shift all the time.

In fact their ancestors have been

around for 50 million years. So, they've been grumpy for a long time.

So, how come these guys don't eaten

by the hungry lionfish or other predators?

Well, it's that old red coat trick again.

They would be seen during the day but at night they are camouflaged

and can nibble to their hearts content.

Isn't it funny how on land

the colour red can mean danger but here it keeps fish safe.

Or helps camouflage them in the lionfish's case.

Another ocean wonder, the soldier fish are connected to our other

night-time nosher, the lionfish, because they both dress in red.

-Hey!

-Oh, no.

-CAR BEEPS

We are still here in the ocean depths

and these are flashlight fish,

so called because they flash their lights

at each other to communicate.

A bit like this.

This means can I have a cup of tea.

And this means, let's get on with the story.

What you can see glowing is a bioluminescent pouch underneath

each eye. The fish use their glow to find food and speak with each other.

But what's in the pouch that glows like that? I want me some of that.

Well, its kind of a special glowing bacteria.

On second thoughts maybe not. Can they turn it off?

Otherwise they might as say here I am come and eat me.

They have a lid which comes up from the bottom to cover their glowing

pouch, otherwise predators would gobble them up easily.

-It's clever, isn't it?

-Ah so they see by flashing each other,

it's a bit like having the wrong car headlights.

Like the soldierfish our flashing fish

have special ways of checking each other out at night.

The soldierfish with their enormous eyes

and the flashlight fish with their own built in headlamps.

So, the connection must be that they have special tricks to let

them see in the dark.

These fish have some stamina, don't they? Will you do me a favour

can you pass me them matchsticks to keep my eyes open.

Who's our next insomniac fish?

Talking of spooky glow in the dark

things, wait till you see this fluorescent wonder.

-What coral, have you been asleep?

-No,I've been finding

extra cool night-time wonders including this one.

-Mmm.

-Allow me to explain.

We know that corals are naturally pretty and colourful

and make the reef look very appealing.

-Right, this had better be good.

-Well, at night corals look very

different, especially when its spawning time, much more moon like.

OK, OK but they still look like corals.

-Look at this.

-Whoo, they're

purple and very bright.

-What have you done?

-I have used a very special ultraviolet light.

Wow, that is spooky.

Ooh, ooh Dr. Barnacles tell me more.

OK, here's the science bit.

Well, it's an ocean mystery why it happens

but there are several theories.

One is that it helps poorly coral recover

by protecting it from damaging UV light.

You see, corals know how to look after themselves.

They can produce sun screen to protect them from sunlight.

So maybe being fluorescent as well is like putting on an extra shirt

to protect themselves even more.

Thank you Barney, oh, I mean Dr. Barnacles.

So, if you put a special light on

these corals they shine a bit like the flashlight fish.

So, the connection is that they glow in the dark, how cool is that?

Who else connects with our funny flashlight fish?

Put these on and you will have something in common

-with our next sleepless wonder.

-What?

Meet the slipper lobster.

Indeed, what a lovely day for a stroll in the park.

-Ah, very clever Gem.

-Except he's not a lobster.

Oh, here we go! Another mad reef moment.

He's actually a clawless crustacean

who is more related to a spiny crayfish.

He looks more like a space age Star Wars lobster, or maybe a hovercraft

or a giant wood louse.

-Or he's driving his own special tank.

-What's he doing?

Has he just staying up all night to wander across the ocean?

Yeah. He's a creature of the night and feels more confident

having his stroll in the evening.

He'll nibble until its time to hide away.

night-time is a popular time for crustaceans

because it's easier to surprise their prey

in hidden crevices or beneath the sand.

I like the strolling slipper lobster.

How on earth is he connected to the flashing flashlight fish?

Well, both the flashlight fish and slipper lobster

come out at night to feed.

There are all kinds of weird critters out at night.

OK, who is our next insomniac?

Have you noticed how the reef feels calm and peaceful during the day

with fish happily going about their daily business?

-Yes.

-Well, that's because the sharks are asleep

and that's why, at night, everyone hides.

FISH: Oh, no!

So, what are we doing up?

TURTLE: Goodbye.

Why are you shouting?

I'm not sure. Sharks always make me nervous.

Now, this is why we're supposed to be asleep at night, Gem!

Barney, its OK. Look, we're on dry land.

During the day, white tip sharks are pretty lazy.

I bet he's dreaming about hunting all those little fish

he's going to eat.

Oh, Barney get on with it.

Once night falls, the white tips wake and all those happy fish

have to hide or be eaten.

He can't get into that hole there, can he, or can he?

SHARK: Hello, I can hear you.

Oh, yes, the fish can hide all they want but white tips

have a hidden talent which allows them to get into smaller crevices.

They have indestructible skin and bendy fins that mean

they can squeeze into ridiculously small spaces.

Oh, Mr blue fish, you didn't hide well enough!

CHOMP!

Even if their prey hides deep in the reef they're still in danger.

Absolutely, and sharks have a super sense of smell.

If you combine that sense of smell with their extra electro sensors

that allow them to detect a sleeping fish's heartbeat

from kilometres, you've no chance if you're on this shark's menu.

SHARK: Mmm.

Sharks can't swim onto the beach, Barney!

But we can safely say they are the ultimate nocturnal hunter

with a raging appetite.

And just like our slipper lobster

and his mates, they come out feast once night-time falls.

It's time for a reef cap.

Barney, what are you doing?

Ah, can you see me?

Yeah, the red disguise only works underwater, duh!

It works for the lionfish, I thought it was worth a try.

He doesn't look like a lion but behaves like one.

Talking of red, the soldier fish look like they haven't slept

in weeks but they have ways of seeing in the dark,

just like flashlight fish.

Complete with car-headlight luminescent pouches,

they can turn on or off.

For the ultra spooky, what about that fluorescent coral

you showed me, that was cool.

It glows bright purple under UV light.

Or the lobster, that's not a lobster,

named after night-time footwear.

That's mad! The slipper lobster comes out at night to nosh along

with the ultimate insomniacs, the white tip reef sharks.

So, who else works hard in the hours of darkness?

Wow, this shell-type geyser looks almost energetic.

It's the giant Triton snail, named after the Greek God Triton.

WITH DEEP VOICE: The giant Triton,

sounds much scarier than he is though.

He's having a bit of a stretch before dinner.

Dinner? What's he gonna eat? Worms and stuff?

No way. He has a lot more, shall we say, toxic taste buds?

-What are you talking about?

-Well, let's just say he's starving,

really starving.

SNAIL: Uh-huh.

-No way. Come on, snails don't eat sea stars, do they?

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Oh, yes, they eat all sorts of sea stars and sea cucumbers too.

By day, an ordinary snail but at night...

HOWL!

..he's the deadly Triton.

Once he's caught the sea star he pushes his proboscis

- it's a bit like a trunk -

into the body, feeding on the soft parts first.

Is he really going to eat all of it?

Looks like it, doesn't it?

Although because the sea stars legs can grow back,

it could escape, leaving a leg or two behind for the Triton to munch on.

I can think of better midnight snacks, like chocolate.

It's certainly not for the faint-hearted, this meal.

Loads of legs, big spiky and toxic.

I'll bet that will fill him up for a while.

Yeah. They only eat once a week, luckily for the sea stars.

I thought only sharks were night-time hunters.

It seems that they're all at it.

Yep, the white tip and Triton are linked

because they are night-time predators.

Ah! A lovely little sea shell

having a nice night-time stroll along the ocean bed.

Oh, yes, look at him! He's making friends with the fish.

-I know.

-FISH: Hello.

But he's getting a bit close to Mr Fish...

FISH: He's behind you.

No! He's eating it whole.

That fish is a gonner. You fall for it every time, Gem.

He may look sweet and innocent but he's not.

He's one of the most venomous creatures in the ocean

capable of killing people.

No! He can't be tougher than the giant Triton. He's half the size.

Oh, and he's much deadlier. And night-time for this geezer

is pure party time. He can't see very well,

so he has to smell his prey by running water

through this one big nostril called a siphon

and at night, when his victims are sleeping.

He smells by inhaling water, cool.

This one must have a great sense of smell -

look he's on his second course.

He's silent and deadly

and creeps along the ocean floor on his one foot until...

Well, until it's too late for little fishy here.

But he's a snail. How can he move so fast?

See his tongue? Well, on the end is a tooth

but not just any ordinary tooth. That is a barbed tooth.

It stabs his prey like a poison dart.

He lassoes, injects the venom which paralyses

and then sucks his prey up.

So, he swallows his prey whole. Gross!

Rumour has it he can start digesting his food

before his prey's dead!

So he's chewing them and killing them at the same time.

All this from a sea snail.

Yeah, and what's more, sped up, he looks like a Dalek!

Oh, there's something in that. He looks a lot more wicked.

I just can't believe it. Another deadly snail.

Yep, like the giant Triton, the cone shell

is a one-footed deadly night-time hunter

using his special sense of smell to sniff out prey.

We may have encountered a breathing rock.

That may or may not be an eye.

And they may or may not be some teeth.

-I think you were right the first time.

-I think so were you.

We're looking at a stonefish - a master of disguise, a true monster.

-And really, really ugly.

-Indeed.

-Do you mind?

-Is he going to sleep? It looks like he can't get comfy.

And boy does he need to be comfortable

because he may be there for a while.

Sleep is the last thing on his mind.

"Nice day for it, eh, Sid?

"Sid? Where are you?"

Meet one of the ocean's most convincing night tricksters.

He has all the tools to disguise himself

and stake out any passing prey.

-Hey!

-Thick skin covered in slimy algae to resemble a stone.

Eyes that can constantly look all around him, his very own binoculars.

Upturned mouth facing the surface, all the better to gulp you with.

Add it all up and you get an easy meal for this geezer.

They are a night-time bottom dweller.

With an algae covered slimy skin, they can hide anywhere.

They are terrible swimmers,

but with a mouth action like this, he doesn't care.

This night hunter's prey can be history in about 15 milliseconds.

The stonefish doesn't rest at night because with a gut that size,

he's always hungry but he's the ultimate master of disguise,

blending into the background

and lying in wait for poor innocent fish.

Who else could be connected to the cone shell?

Why are we looking at a plant, Gem?

It's all very pretty but we've just had the gulping stonefish monster.

A plant is not going to cut the cheese.

-It's not a plant, it's an echinoderm.

-Wow, that sounds nasty!

No, you've seen loads of echinoderms but you just didn't know it.

These guys are related to sea urchins, sea cucumbers,

sea stars and brittle stars.

Wow, they've got a lot of relatives. I bet birthdays are cool.

But unlike the other echinoderms, you won't see these guys anywhere

during the day, but at night, they're all action.

So why are they doing that weird floaty dance thing?

They look like they're dancing to a rock ballad.

That's their arms.

-Wow, that's a lot of arms.

-They have arms within their arms, these guys.

They all branch together like a snowflake.

So, what do they do with all these arms?

They hold them up in the current

and catch mini micro food called plankton as it passes by.

Their only tools are tiny hairs coated with mucus.

Yummy!

Mucus again! I wonder if we're missing a trick in the human world.

Ah-choo!

Eurgh...

It's a bit like having a net with hundreds

of little hands all reaching out for a bit of dinner.

That's cool but if I had hundreds of arms,

I could think of a lot more interesting things to do.

Like the cone shell, our basket star only comes out at night

because he knows it's the best time to grab all the grub.

The basket star also links right back to our first night critter,

the surgeon fish, because they both make the most

out of night time currents,

one for spawning and one for feeding.

COCKEREL CROWS

That wasn't a bad night shift, thanks to the great company.

Aw! Thanks, Barney.

I was talking about the fish.

I'll put that down to lack of sleep.

First up were our surgeon fish who meet up at dusk to get romantic.

Like our magical coral snowstorm

who spawn at night to escape predators.

But there's always one freeloader and this time its Mr Crab,

who stays up especially to nosh on any spare coral eggs.

No-one does a harder night shift than the female turtles

who lay eggs under the cover of darkness to make sure they're safe.

They sure don't get a lot of sleep time unlike our sleeping fishes,

once they put their pyjamas on, that is.

The oddest night dwelling has surely got to be the snot sleeping bag,

created, slept in and then eaten by the potty parrot fish.

I don't blame him when there are flamboyant dudes

like the lionfish around. Ludicrous outfit,

but it helps disguise him so that he can sneak up from behind.

The longest shift worker has to be the soldierfish.

Big eyes, grumpy face and his red coat helps him hide away.

Fish with headlights.

The flashlight fish have found a much flashier way of keeping in touch,

but they can't beat the magical fluorescent coral.

It's an ocean mystery.

He looks like a slipper, but the slipper lobster is not a lobster.

He does hunt at night though, just like the bendy fearless white tips

who can sniff out dinner from miles away.

Like the giant triton,

a snail that eats spiky poisonous ginormous sea stars,

a bit different from your garden snail.

Then there's the pretty but deadly cone shell.

With its venomous toothy action, no fish is safe.

And if the cone shells don't get you, then the stonefish will.

Plug ugly but strikes out of nowhere

and so thick-skinned, it just doesn't care.

Then there's the floaty basket star,

whose many arms allow it to sway and scoff at the same time.

You really remind me of someone.

I know who it is! It's the soldierfish.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]