A to B Barney's Barrier Reef

Australia - home to cool surfer dudes, strange lingo...

No worries, mate.

..lots of sunshine and the bonzer Barrier Reef.

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

What's more, every creature is linked to another.

Just imagine on 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!

There are many ways you can travel around the ocean.

-And this is one of them.

-Well, it's the easy way. Ha ha!

There's the athletic way...

Or there's the ambitious way.

Really we're spoilt for choice.

The ocean community don't have planes, trains or boats,

but they still need to get around.

Luckily they have a wealth of ways of wandering through the water.

So how DO they get from A to B?

Let's find out. Full steam ahead.

Whoo-hoo!

First up, a very mysterious mover.

Wow! Is it a fish?

Is it a turtle?

Is it a whale? What is it?

This, Barney, is a sunfish.

Is it alive?

It looks like someone forgot to finish you off!

I know. He's a little weird looking.

Notice anything missing?

Yeah, most of his body.

Something in particular that might make him swim slower?

Well, he's lacking something on the back end.

-Like half a body.

-Yeah.

The most distinguishing feature about the sunfish is what he doesn't have.

He has no tail.

That's why he looks like a fish head.

So how does he get along, and why is he only half built?

He uses fins to propel himself forward.

No-one really knows why he has no tail.

They think parts of the dorsal and anal fins were extended

and then joined together again to replace the tail fin.

That stumpy bit waving at the back

is not a proper tail but a kind of pretend tail.

I bet he's gutted.

I doubt it. He's a big presence in the reef -

they can grow up to one-and-a-half tons in weight.

So he knows his place all right.

One-and-a-half tons. That's like twenty Barneys.

No wonder he doesn't miss his tail.

It would take 16 men to lift this big boy.

Or 26 Barneys.

-Are you saying I'm below average?

-As if!

He's not the life and soul of the party, is he?

Maybe not. But he's found an ingenious way of moving around.

You try swimming without a tail!

OK, keep your hair on...

I guess he does qualify as an ocean mover.

Well, just.

Ah! It looks like a domino.

-I know. They're pretty, aren't they? They're called triggerfish.

-OK.

Tell me more, triggerfish expert.

The triggerfish does have a tail.

But like the sunfish, it's abandoned using it.

Instead, it uses its top and bottom fins.

The reason these guys are more agile than the sunfish

is because they have side fins

that help them move around obstacles, like corals.

In other words, a great steering system.

They look like they're sideways swimming.

It's a bit like a bird flying on its side.

Why do they use their top and bottom fins more than their other fins?

They need to move around quickly.

This is a more energy efficient way of swimming.

OK. So in other words, they're lazy?

No way. The have to swim all day, remember.

This method means they don't get tired as easily. Try it, it works!

So why do front crawl when you can mosey along on your side?

Well, it works for me.

Just like the sunfish who has no real tail,

our triggerfish doesn't use his tail much, either.

He's figured out that sideways swimming is the way forward.

OK, so we've had two tailless travellers

who use nifty ways of getting from A to B.

So, who's our next magnificent mover?

Look at him. He's not an animal, he's a flying carpet.

Yeah, he's quite a nifty mover, this one.

This is a flatworm.

A flatworm.

He's been short-changed on the name front.

He's not that flat and looks nothing like a worm.

And it doesn't describe what a good mover he is.

He should be called "the rippling worm".

Or rather, "the rippling carpet".

I agree. This is a pretty speedy way of moving.

It's because he uses his whole body to move around.

The flexible flatworm, I like it.

But what's the hurry?

They live on the ground most of the time,

but sometimes they find themselves swept up by a super-strong current

or chased by a bossy fish.

That's why they came up with the speedy swimming technique.

Does he ever stop?

He goes on and on and on, this one.

-Phew, I'm exhausted!

-Me too.

But I think I see the connection.

Both the triggerfish and the flatworm use a rippling motion to get around.

The flatworm ripples its body

and the triggerfish ripples its fins.

These two are connected because they both go for a cool ripple effect.

SPANISH GUITAR PLAYS

Hola, mis chicos.

Yo soy un pink fishy. Mi nombre es dancer Espanol.

-Are you OK?

-You like my Spanish accent?

-Mm-hm...

OK, I'd like to introduce my next nifty mover, the Spanish dancer.

Spanish dancer? I can't see any dancing or anything Spanish.

Aw, pretty in pink, though.

Ole!

This is a species of nudibranch.

named after the Flamenco dress of Spanish dancers.

I can kind of see that, but really,

I'm not sure you can call THAT Spanish dancing.

No. Instead of nifty dancing feet, they have one big clumsy foot

underneath their dress which slides them along the reef.

They're quite cool. They can grow up to 50cm,

which is the size of a small poodle.

That's one big dress, all right.

OK, they do move but I wouldn't say

this is a great mode of water transport.

Sliding and the odd flip and bend.

-SPANISH ACCENT:

-That is where you are wrong, Senorita.

-Drop the accent.

-Sorry.

Let me introduce you to the Spanish dancer's nifty moves.

And move that body and bend,

and bend, and work that body...

Woah, looks like hard work.

See, now you know why he needs to chill sometimes.

And he swims a bit like the flatworm.

He does indeed.

Senor Spanish dancer uses his whole body to move through the ocean.

Which connects him to the floaty flatworm.

And while we're visiting our Spanish dancer,

I'd like to introduce you to our next crafty carrier.

See the little pink shrimp?

Oh yeah, bless.

He is an imperial shrimp and this is an example of

"you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

In this case it's the shrimp doing most of the scratching.

Oh yeah. Left a bit.

Down a little bit.

That's it. Good.

And hitching, by the looks of it.

Yeah, they get a good deal from our friend, the Spanish dancer.

They nibble, poke around and have a free ride.

They're very nicely coordinated.

They are. They're the same colour as their bus - or nudibranch -

handy, because they are completely camouflaged.

This, together with the fact that the Spanish dancer looks tasty

but tastes foul, puts off predators.

This means shrimpy can chill out, eat and travel, knowing he's safe.

A bit like travelling first class.

With a bodyguard.

So, our pretty-in-pink shrimp

and our glamorous Spanish dancer are always together.

Can't get more closely connected than this.

They are constant travelling buddies.

Who else is connected to the Spanish dancer?

Snails...

Get a move on, we haven't got all morning.

Give them a chance.

Just because they don't have a pink frilly coat

like the Spanish dancer...

..doesn't mean they don't have a nifty way of moving.

Pull the other one. They're SO slow.

So? They still move, don't they?

And, only using one foot.

This one's better. He looks like an army tank.

But I wouldn't put money on him winning a battle.

This one's a giant triton shell.

-GRUFFLY:

-Ooh, a giant triton shell.

Sounds like something off Gladiators. But it's just a snail.

You may mock but they can grow as big as a small dog.

Well, whoop-de-doo.

It doesn't matter how many different ones you show me,

they're still too slow!

They don't have to move quickly. They feed on sea stars

who are also slow movers and sandy dwellers,

so they don't have to look far for dinner.

They always have their shell to retreat into, so why bother rushing?

Because it's like watching paint dry.

They can also dig under the sand to find food.

Erm, what are you doing?

You know, just catching up on some e-mails.

Or should I say, "e-snails"?

It's quite a slow connection.

Yeah. Just till the snails get here.

OK, OK. Get the message.

Send.

The sea snail links the Spanish dancer

-through their ability to move...

-Badly...

-..on one foot.

You'll have to wait for my next magnificent mover

while we catch up on our connections so far.

How did we get from the tailless sunfish to the sleepy snail?

We started with our stately sunfish who, with no tail,

has to use his half-finished fins to transport him around.

Our triggerfish saves his energy by a bit of sideways swimming.

It's cool, but not as cool as the fabulous flatworm.

Rubbish name, sensational swimming technique.

But for a true workout he can't beat our Spanish dancer.

Who can't dance, but boy, can they swim!

They use their whole body for a proper aerobic workout.

Unlike the lazy shrimp, who's just along for the ride.

Then there's the... Excuse me.

The sleepy snails,

who move around on one foot.

It takes them all night to cross the ocean floor.

So, we've had sensational swimming, we've had bus-riding shrimps,

and we've had flouncy flatworms.

How else do our fishy friends get from A to B?

Hello, handsome.

Now, one guess why he's called a frogfish.

He looks like a frog and hops like a frog?

But not nearly as effectively.

They weren't first in the queue when swimming techniques were handed out.

They have to use their modified fins as legs.

-It's their only way of moving.

-Well, he's a real bumbler.

It's impressive for a fish to be able to walk.

Especially one that looks like a frog.

Though I still don't understand why he can't swim off.

Unlike most fish, frog-face here doesn't have a swim bladder.

That's the thing that helps fish to stay afloat.

It's a bit like a rubber ring. So they have to stay at the bottom.

Where's he going? Hey, come back!

It also means they can get blown away by the current,

if their fins aren't able to stabilise them.

So actually, the fact he can jump at all is pretty cool.

He's a determined little geezer, all right.

Jumping for him is like us jumping from the bottom of the pool

with weights tied round our ankles.

I won't be volunteering for that experiment.

Aw, he can't move very well

but at least he's too ugly for anything to want to eat him.

Well, someone would eat him. Nothing goes to waste in the ocean.

That's why hairy Mary is hiding in the weed

and these orange ones look like sea sponges.

BURP!

Well, I guess frogfish are a bit cooler than my snails.

So our ugly, clumsy but brave frogfish

uses his fins to walk along the ocean floor.

Which links in to our slow-walking snail.

Who's our next ocean mover?

Introducing the epaulette shark.

Ah, spotty shark. That's a new one.

He's a bottom-dwelling shark.

He needs different markings so he can hang out at the bottom unseen.

He's not as scary-looking as other sharks.

In fact, he looks quite comical.

He's very different from your average shark.

He loves shallow water.

Hang on a minute, is he walking?

Yep. Those fins are made for walking.

It's weird, isn't it?

A little. So he's just strolling in the shallows.

He can swim but because he loves the ground so much,

he's adapted his fins to allow him to walk across.

When it's low tide they don't have a lot of water to swim in.

They can trot along from pool to pool.

And they can have a good rummage for any food.

As they're strolling, they can stop, have a nibble and carry on.

He's another one who's got fins built for walking,

just like the frogfish.

It's another great way of getting from A to B in the Barrier Reef.

And they're linked to the frogfish

because they prefer the pedestrian way.

Next up...

We can't talk about travelling

without talking about the ultimate long-distance traveller.

This is another shark altogether.

JAWS THEME TUNE

Are we talking about the "classic" shark?

Do you mean the shark that legends, films and all scary seas are made of?

Absolutely.

These guys are the long-distance lorry drivers of the ocean.

They keep on swimming and swimming and swimming...

morning, noon and night.

They must stop to eat or take a nap.

SNORING

Some do, but our classic shark doesn't.

Or rather, can't.

Why not? Even lorry drivers get a tea break.

Well, sharks don't have a swim bladder.

That's what most sea life have to allow them to float without sinking.

So why don't they sink?

They've got a few handy devices to help them swim.

Their shape, for one.

It's a bit like a plane.

It's designed to lift up as it moves forward.

It's streamlined but they have several cool devices

to help them in their superior swimming.

They're pretty fast, for a start.

That's because of their skin.

It's made of interlaced scales

that allow the water to pass over quickly,

meaning they can move smoother and faster.

But even better is their oil-filled liver.

Oil-filled liver?! How does that help them swim faster?

Calling Dr Barnacles.

OK, here's the science bit - listen and learn.

Now, oil is lighter than water, so it stops the shark sinking

which means they can spend more energy swimming

and less energy floating.

And those two elements, combined with their super-light skeleton,

means these super sharks zoom through the water.

This, of course, doesn't apply to plastic sharks.

You see, there's nothing like the classic shark's stamina, looks,

and super-powered skin. They've got everything.

But what happens when it's dinnertime?

They just nosh on the move. It's the ultimate ocean drive-thru.

So, unlike our epaulette, who can stop

because he's on the ocean bottom and doesn't need to swim as much,

these other sharks just can't stop swimming

so are constantly on the go from A to B.

Got it. So, we've had long-distance, walking sharks and fish,

and one-foot crawlers.

Who else connects back to our epaulette shark? Marathon runners.

Well, funny you should say that? What would you do if you had eight legs?

Is this the start of one of your bad jokes?

No! Seriously, what would you do?

OK, well, I'd take them out for a bit of a stroll

and then I'd enter a running competition.

-Really?

-Yep.

-See, great minds think alike. Just like our octopus.

UPTEMPO PIANO MUSIC

-Er, I don't think you can compare me to an octopus!

-It's a compliment!

They're really intelligent.

DRAMATIC ORGAN MUSIC

Like you said, what's the point of having eight arms and legs

-if you don't make the most of them?

-Do you think he's got a spare one?

He needs them all. They don't have any skeleton

-so their arms are just muscle.

-That's why he's so flexible!

Their suckers work like those rubber bathroom mats

and allow them to cling on for dear life if they fancy a breather.

He does spend a lot of time on the bottom, doesn't he?

A bit like our epaulette shark who prefers to walk, rather than swim.

That's the connection between our flexible octopus and epaulette shark.

They both find walking a lot less effort than swimming.

Aaah! Pretty coral!

Yeah, yeah, but where's all the action?

After the octopus, I want to see some proper movement.

Patience, Barney. See that spindly thing there?

FUNKY ELECTRONIC MUSIC

There are loads of spindly things, this is like spindly reef.

Well, that particular spindly thing, that...is a feather star.

And that feather star is not doing any moving as far as I can see.

In fact, he's clinging onto that reef for dear life.

Well, he's only got spindly little legs.

-Or feathery little legs, more like.

-I think they're cute.

Look! They come in different colours.

The yellow one's slightly better but really, I'm not that impressed.

Well, OK, look at this then.

Have you ever seen a swimming technique like this one?

It's no wonder they cling on! That's not swimming!

That's flailing arms in all directions and hoping for the best.

-Does he know how ridiculous he looks?

-Probably not,

but cool points go out of the window when you're trying to survive.

So they use their many arms to swim back to safety.

This might perk you up a bit - they have their mouth in their centre

and their, er, bottom is located next to their mouth.

Ah-ha - now that is weird! I didn't think there could be anything

with more arms than a sprinty octopus.

So our feather star is linked to the sprinting octopus

because they both have loads of arms to help them move around.

OK, time for a reef-cap.

Our ocean movers haven't missed a single trick

when it comes to getting from A to B.

And these frog-feet might be made for walking OK

but not always in a straight line when it comes to the frogfish.

But a walking shark? That's a new one on me.

Our epaulette shark is linked to Mr Froggy by their walking action.

Unlike the classic shark, who has to travel very long distances

-cos he has to keep moving. Doesn't stop for a cup of tea.

-Poor him!

And the running octopus with eight arms to scurry across the sea bed?

Who's connected to the feather star with his funky arm moves.

He won't win awards for swimming but he knows how to get from A to B!

Now, imagine for a second you had no brain.

OK, where are you going with this exactly?

OK, bear with me. If you had no brain, you wouldn't be able to walk,

talk, eat or do anything really.

OK, Dr Gemma, I'm with you so far.

Well, I just think our next ocean mover's really inspiring! Ta-dah!

Inspiring? These are just sea stars, Gem.

I'm wondering what's happened to your brain.

Nothing wrong with my brain. These guys literally have no brain.

But they can walk with five arms all at once.

Are you sure they're walking?

Oh yes, and not only that, they are coordinating

all their five arms at the same time,

together with many mini feet underneath the arms.

Come on, they must have a brain.

No, it's one of the mysteries of the ocean.

It's baffled scientists

-for decades.

-That explains why they move so slowly.

-It's a lot to think about all at once.

-Ooh yeah, and they smell

with their feet while they're moving!

BARNEY SNIGGERS

So they have smelly feet, feet that smell...smelly feet! Get it?

Huh?

Do they have one arm that does most of the work?

-You know, like being right-handed or left-handed?

-Nope.

All the arms share the work.

If the feet on one arm have smelled something good for dinner,

the rest automatically follow.

Imagine if we had five legs. Would we even managed to walk one metre?

-And we have brains.

-That's true.

Wow, look, he's doing back-flips!

Well, wouldn't you if you had five arms?

Yeah, but those groovy moves that the spindly feather star does

-would be fun too.

-You've got it!

The sea star and the feather star are linked together

because they both travel around with their arms. Next please!

Well, we couldn't do a show about cool, fishy ways of travelling

without including this crazy contender, the crab. Look at him go!

He moves completely sideways. You try running sideways - not easy!

FAST DRUMBEAT

Yep, feels totally unnatural!

Now that's travelling.

I've always wondered, could he walk forwards if he wanted to?

-I can answer that.

-OK, know-it-all!

Because of how their legs are positioned,

they can only move sideways. Their limbs are kind of hinged together.

And they seem to tiptoe everywhere they go too.

Running sideways on tiptoe - what an effort!

It's no wonder they've got a quirky little running style!

And he's another one with loads of legs.

-He goes a bit faster than our brainless starfish.

-Yeah!

Our crazy crab is more nifty but he's connected to the sea star

because they both have lots of legs to control.

Here's something special for you - the flame shell!

Is it me or is this animal flashing? Is there an ocean emergency?

Yeah, quite a light show, hey? Flame shells are pretty impressive!

That's a nice display he's giving us there

-but he doesn't do much else, does he?

-Ah, that's where you're wrong!

-Look at him move!

-Is that the same animal?

-Yeah, but guess how he does it! Now, this is impressive.

-Go on then.

So this is a mollusc - it doesn't have fins, arms, or legs,

-hands or feet.

-So, doesn't have much going for it then, does he?

Ah, yes it does. This geezer uses something called jet propulsion.

OK, so they push themselves forward. But hang on a minute - how?

Well, they move using all they have really - their shells.

They open their shells, fill up with water,

snap the shells together which forces the water out

and jet-propels them sideways. They don't go fast but it's ingenious.

Yeah, they move just using water and shells.

When you put it like that, I guess it's pretty cool.

They can't move forwards properly, more of an odd sideways thing -

a bit like the crabs.

It is a bit crab-like. So flame shells are connected to our crabs

by their crazy sideways moves.

FAIRGROUND MUSIC

Roll up, roll up! See the magnificent performing squid!

He flies through the air, we'll see, with the greatest of ease.

It's the stupendous, swimming squid!

He does look like he's on an invisible trapeze.

They are like circus performers. They have no feet and no big fins.

So how do you think they move?

Hmm, good question.

The squid takes jet propulsion to the extreme.

This is like a real superpower - look at him go!

How? Has he got a little rocket up his bum?

No, it's a lot more simple than that.

-See those jerky movements he's making?

-Er, yeah.

Well, that's him filling his body with water

which he forces out of his siphon - this bit. That jets him forward.

Cool! So it's a bit like filling this balloon with air and letting it go?

Oh!

Or, getting one of these squirty bath toys and er, squirting somebody!

SHE LAUGHS

That is a cool way of getting around.

-That is the technique I would choose.

-I like his little skirt.

Typical! I'm talking about his superpower

and all you can talk about is what he's wearing.

Well, those are their fins. As you can see, they're a bit girly.

-What's wrong with that?

-That's my only problem.

For an animal with such a super-cool power,

he really needs to think about a makeover.

-Well, I like it.

-You would.

I'd love to be a squid or a flame shell.

Jet propulsion is such an awesome way of getting around.

So the squid and flame shell are linked by their jet propulsion

that helps them travel from A to B.

Let's have a look back over our ocean transportation system.

Come on, Barney!

Coming!

The reef is packed with groovy movers.

And what's more, they are all connected.

First up, our half-finished sunfish, who moves like a train

on a bank holiday. He doesn't go very far, very fast but has found

a unique way of moving, despite his lack of tail.

Then there's our sideways-swimming triggerfish.

He swims with ease but not as funkily as the flatworm

or the Spanish dancer with his water workout.

The cheeky imperial shrimp hitches a ride

on the back of the Spanish dancer

who at least travels faster than the one-footed snail,

who can only move on one foot. Don't wait up for him...

What about our walking frogfish? OK, he doesn't walk in a straight line,

but not bad for something with no swim bladder!

I think the epaulette is cool - a walking shark, that is a first!

Unlike his cousins, the classic sharks. For them, it's swim or sink!

Linked to our walking shark was our eight-legged runner, the octopus,

who runs with his arms and legs,

unlike the feather star, who swims quite badly with his feathery arms.

They linked to the sea star, with his five legs and super coordination.

And one of the quickest, quirkiest movers in the ocean - Mr Crab,

who couldn't move forward if he tried.

How about the flame shell? They can really move

but not as fast as the super squid

who jet-propels himself across the sea.

Getting from A to B in the reef isn't always easy

but our weird and wonderful animals always find a way,

no matter how difficult or, er...uncool they might look.

Come on, dolph, it's me and you.

-DOLPHIN CALLS IN REPLY

-We're coming!

Come on, don't give up.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]