0:00:01 > 0:00:04Australia, home of the possum, strange lingo -
0:00:04 > 0:00:06no worries, mate, fair dinkum - lots of sunshine,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08and the bonza Barrier Reef.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12It's the biggest, most spectacular coral reef in the world!
0:00:12 > 0:00:14What's more, every creature is linked to another.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Just imagine one huge family tree dating back 18 million years.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22From the miniscule, to the mammoth, to the miraculous,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24they're all connected in Barney's Barrier Reef.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47- What are you doing? - I'm doing my party piece.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Everyone's got one. I know this guy that can bend his thumb
0:00:50 > 0:00:54- right back to touch his arm. - Bet he can't do this, though.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56That's good. Can you do this?
0:00:56 > 0:01:01- Eww, freaky!- I know. Everyone's got their own freaky party trick.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03The underwater world is no different.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06From the bizarre to the hair-raising to the downright disgusting...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Ladies and gents, boys and girls,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10welcome to the Ocean Cirque de Freak!
0:01:10 > 0:01:13It is utterly, fantastically freaky. In fact, it's...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15DONALD DUCK VOICE: Freak or unique!
0:01:15 > 0:01:17That was "freak or unique".
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Well, hello, Mr Spiky!
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Is this where all the boy bands get their hairstyling inspiration?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31I can see the resemblance,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33but I somehow think Mr Sea Urchin is too busy
0:01:33 > 0:01:36trying to coordinate his hundreds of spiky legs, by the looks of it.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Venomous, deadly, spiky legs, no less.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42They have little holes around their bottoms, which suck up
0:01:42 > 0:01:44water into their tube feet.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Imagine long balloons filled with water
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and having to walk on them. That's how they move.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53They also use their spines a bit like oars on a boat to move back
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and forth, to cruise through the reef.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It looks complicated to me!
0:01:57 > 0:02:00So far, not so freaky, though.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02OK, well, let's take a closer look.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- Be prepared to be a little alarmed, though, Gem.- Ha! As if!
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Let me firstly introduce the luminous eye spots.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Ooh, that's pretty freaky - their own blue lighting system. I like it!
0:02:12 > 0:02:16They're not actually eyes at all, just sensors that react to the light
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- or darkness. - What's that bulbous eye thing?
0:02:18 > 0:02:21OK, this is where it gets freaky.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25That bulbous eye thing isn't an eye at all, although it looks like one.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28It's the urchin's very own gross fashion accessory.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30That is a poo bag.
0:02:30 > 0:02:36Ewww! OK, let me get this straight - that bag is full of the urchin's poo?
0:02:36 > 0:02:38And he carries it around with him?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Yeah. Because his bottom is so close to his water pumping system,
0:02:41 > 0:02:46to avoid sucking up poo, he keeps it separate in this little bag,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49which he can then release away from his water supply.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53You'd think most creatures would want to hide something like that,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58- but the sea urchin carries it around with pride.- Yeah!
0:02:58 > 0:02:59And surrounds it by blue lights.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Freaky and disgusting!
0:03:03 > 0:03:04Next!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Ewww! This is freak ugly!
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Hey, it's my old pal, the sea cucumber.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20A creature of many talents, it can poo sand, shrink and expand.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24But it has another even more awesome talent to behold.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Is this one of those "don't watch and eat" moments?
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Ah, yeah, possibly. And for his next trick, he will spew copious
0:03:32 > 0:03:34amounts of sticky white gunge.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Dare I ask where that's coming from?
0:03:37 > 0:03:42- His bum.- Naturally. Nothing would surprise me with the sea spew-cumber!
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Now, those sticky white threads are called Cuvierian tubules.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48They're stored in the cucumber.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- You mean spew-cucumber!- Stop it. It was bad enough the first time.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55They're stored in the cucumber's bottom as a defence mechanism.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59So when he's scared or angry, he releases his very own silly string?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Extremely sticky and smelly string
0:04:01 > 0:04:04that would entangle their predators and allow the cucumber to escape.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Cool! If only we could do that!
0:04:21 > 0:04:24'Now, you tell me that isn't cool!'
0:04:24 > 0:04:28OK. I admit, although it looks disgusting, to be able to spray
0:04:28 > 0:04:32silly string to distract predators is kind of awesome. Now, can we move on?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35The bottom-spewing sea cucumber is linked to the poo-carrying
0:04:35 > 0:04:39sea urchin because they both do bizarre things with their bottoms.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41A bit like me granddad.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45So, who else connects to our sea urchin?
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Ahhh. I'm a little puffer fish, just minding my own business.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01I look so sweet and innocent, don't I? Now, leave me alone.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03No, I mean it, really, go away,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06because you won't like me when I'm angry.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Seriously, you really won't
0:05:08 > 0:05:13like me when I'm angry! Raarrrr! See what you've made me do?!
0:05:13 > 0:05:18I warned you, didn't I? I am now a big, spiky ball in a bad mood!
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Welcome to the reef's weirdest,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22most ludicrous example of self defence - the puffer fish.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- Puffer by name, puffed up by nature. - Whatever!
0:05:26 > 0:05:29It's an amazing party trick.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- How does he do it?- Well, a puffer fish can blow itself up to three
0:05:32 > 0:05:35times its size by sucking in water.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37So they go from little, sweet and innocent
0:05:37 > 0:05:41eye-fluttering fish, to spiky, big-eyed, scary fish in seconds?!
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Raaarrrrr!
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Only when they're really, really angry. It's cool, though.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Imagine if we could do that!
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Well, it can be arranged, without the angry bit.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Thankfully.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59They come in all sorts of different sizes, from our dog-faced puffer...
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- ..to our black-blotched puffer... - Oh, la-la!
0:06:05 > 0:06:06..to the star puffer fish.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11- They can also be bad tempered when they're blown up.- Raaarrrr!
0:06:11 > 0:06:14They've been known to bite off diver's fingers who've got
0:06:14 > 0:06:17too close. They don't get eaten much themselves.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Their appearance and shape makes them too much
0:06:19 > 0:06:22of a mouthful for even the most adventurous predator.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24I agree, that's a great party trick.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26They'd be first on my party list.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30They're linked to the sea urchins because they both suck up water -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33one to move, and one to puff up to scare predators.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Is it a fish? Is it a newt?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Or is it a dragon fish?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46You're looking at the gurnard, or the flying gurnard, to be precise.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- That's amazing.- Uh-huh!
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I'm loving his wing action. But when's he going to take off?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Well, they don't actually fly, they crawl along the sea floor with their
0:06:58 > 0:07:03folded arm fans, and then, when they become scared, they open their wings.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It's the gurnard's way of saying, "I'm bigger than you thought!"
0:07:06 > 0:07:08That's so cool!
0:07:08 > 0:07:10So they go from pretty ordinary floor fish
0:07:10 > 0:07:13to dragon-like super fish in a split second.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Yeah. Their extreme change in size totally confuses any predators,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20a bit like someone beefing themselves up before a fight.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23But what's the point of wings if you can't use them properly?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26It might confuse predators, but is that all?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Well, their wings also help them to glide smoothly across
0:07:29 > 0:07:31the ocean floor, away from danger.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Oh, so they kind of hang glide on the floor?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Yeah. It's odd they actually can't use their wings to fly,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40but they have another weird trait. The name gurnard
0:07:40 > 0:07:43comes from the French word grogner, which means "to grunt"
0:07:43 > 0:07:46and they sound like this. GRUNTING NOISE
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Doesn't sound as scary as he looks, though.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53No, but the whole point is to look scary,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54just like the puffed-up puffer fish.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58The peeved puffer fish and the grunting, winged, dragon-like
0:07:58 > 0:08:01flying gurnard are connected because they can change
0:08:01 > 0:08:04their bodies dramatically to scare away predators.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Ooh, yeah!
0:08:09 > 0:08:12These sea creatures certainly have some amazing party tricks,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15which I think are a lot better than yours.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Whatever! It's time for a reef-cap.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Our freaky connection started at sea urchins
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and took us to flying gurnards.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Our first awesome freak is the sea urchin.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Not sure their poo bag will catch on, though,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34although I must say, it's pretty unique.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Unique or freak? Check out the sea cucumber.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Eww! Spew-cucumber!
0:08:39 > 0:08:43They have their own version of silly string to ward off enemies.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46What a bizarre method of self defence.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Imagine being able to blow yourself up like a puffer fish!
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Surely they look too weird for any animal to want to eat them.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Raarrrr!
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Or a bit like the flying gurnard, who actually can't fly,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01but spreads his dragon-like wings to look fierce and freaky!
0:09:01 > 0:09:04A bit like you.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10And now, for my next party trick, I'd like to introduce the cuttlefish
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and his amazing colour-changing technique.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Very cool, Barney,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18but this is a bit of an obvious one, if you dont mind me saying.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Well, OK, we know the cuttlefish can change colour,
0:09:21 > 0:09:22but what about this?
0:09:22 > 0:09:28- They talk and signal to each other through their colour change.- No way!
0:09:28 > 0:09:32They're just doing it to confuse predators, they're not talking.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36They are! No idea what they're saying, we should try and guess.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Hmmm. Think I might wear pink this evening.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- On second thoughts, I think white is safer.- You looking at me?
0:09:42 > 0:09:47- Who you calling spotty?! - White is definitely the way forward.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I don't think we're ever going to speak cuttle,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53but I wish I could change outfits in a split second.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57They can change in between 20 and 50 different outfits,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00or display patterns, to use the technical term.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04What's even more amazing is that no-one really knows how they do it.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- They're colour blind. - No way! Now, that is cool.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10This zebra pattern is the male cuttlefish's way
0:10:10 > 0:10:12of saying, "Hands off! She's mine!"
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Now, that would be a handy device.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17And they can put on these amazing body pattern displays,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20which hypnotises their prey or camouflages them.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24So it's like, "Look into my spots and swirls.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27"You're under. And now, my dinner."
0:10:27 > 0:10:31They can also display a false eye to confuse their prey or predators.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Is there anything these guys can't do?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- They can't play football. - Moving on...
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Told you. This is the party trick to end all party tricks.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Unless you have something better?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Haven't I always?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47But first, the flying gurnard and cuttlefish both put on
0:10:47 > 0:10:50dramatic displays to communicate - the gurnard to make himself look
0:10:50 > 0:10:54tougher and the cuttlefish to flirt, attack and chat to each other.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57So they are connected by their over the top, show-off displays.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09Whoa-wee! It's a bit breezy! Oh, I'm getting blown away!
0:11:11 > 0:11:16Oh, that was close! These flippin' frog feet are useless.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Luckily, I have a cunning plan. Most people call me the "frog fish"
0:11:20 > 0:11:25and tend to laugh at my unusual appearance and bad hair.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But I'm also known in more inner circles as the angler fish.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I look like a useless, hairy object, but I have a device
0:11:31 > 0:11:36that has fooled many and earned me my reputation as quite a trickster.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Allow me to demonstrate.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42My in-built fishing rod! That's why I'm called the angler fish.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Get it now? It's mostly hidden away.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Good for me, not so good for my victim.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51On the end of my rod is this false worm.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Ah, you thought it was a real worm!
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Well, that's exactly what my victims fall for, every time!
0:11:58 > 0:12:01What a cunning plan from the angler fish,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05and to think he looks so useless!
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Oh, he's awesome all right, a pretty cunning fella.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12In fact, he's up there with the cunning cuttlefish.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14So, the cuttlefish is linked to the angler fish
0:12:15 > 0:12:18because they use their appearance to fool others.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- Ahhh, pretty rainbow worm!- Ah, you're looking at the Bobbit worm.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25But don't be fooled by his rainbow coat.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30Look at him go! Hang on - are they teeth?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Yeah, this guy is deadly.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33What?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Since when did worms have teeth?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Is nothing normal in this ocean?
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- Huh?- Even the worms are scary!
0:12:41 > 0:12:43It's another example of deceptive appearances.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Or, to put it more simply - "I look so sweet and colourful,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50"but I'm actually deceivingly deadly. Ha-ha!"
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Oh, no!
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The hairy, clumsy angler fish looks like a bit of a loser
0:12:55 > 0:12:59from a distance, but has a deadly fishing rod to ensnare his prey.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Like the Bobbit worm, who looks like an ordinary worm,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04but don't get too close!
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The angler fish and Bobbit worm are linked by deceptive appearances.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Deadly worms! Whatever next?!
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Ahhhh. Look at this cute little cone shell, minding its own business.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Ah, yeah, look at him, he's making friends with a fish.- Ahhhh.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I know, look at him! He's lovely!
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Although he does seem to be getting awfully close to that fish.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32Hey! He's eating it whole!
0:13:32 > 0:13:36That fish is a goner! You fall for it every time, Gem.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39He may look sweet and innocent, but he's not.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42He is one of the most venomous creatures in the ocean,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- capable of killing people. - Of course he is!
0:13:44 > 0:13:49If there are killer worms, why shouldn't there be killer snails?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52This one is pretty hungry, too.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56He's a true sea stalker. He hunts at night, purely by smell,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and as water passes through his nostril,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01he can smell the scent of nearby snoozing fish.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04He smells by inhaling water? Far out!
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Yeah, he's always on the smell for dinner.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12See his tongue? On the end, there's a tooth,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17but no ordinary tooth - that is a barbed tooth that stabs its prey.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20That's pretty deadly.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Bet he doesn't have many predators.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Not many. Rumour has it he can start digesting his food
0:14:25 > 0:14:27before his prey have even died!
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Ewwww! So he's chewing them and killing them at the same time.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34All this from something that is basically a sea snail!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37He may look sweet and innocent, crawling along the ocean floor,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41- but speeded up... - Exterminate! Exterminate!
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- ..he looks like a Dalek! - There's something in that, I reckon.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50- Speeded up, he looks a lot more evil. - So, like the Bobbit worm,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the cone shell looks innocent, but is a killer.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Both of them use a ferociously fast speed of attack to kill their prey.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Oh, where is everyone? Hello?
0:15:05 > 0:15:07I wonder if it was my singing.
0:15:07 > 0:15:14Give it a rest, will you, love?! Me ears are bleeding!
0:15:14 > 0:15:16If this gal is supposed to be
0:15:16 > 0:15:20freakily outstanding for her singing skills, then you'd better re-think.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24She's got many skills, but singing certainly isn't one of them.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- She's obviously not really singing. - Yeah, I'd gathered that!
0:15:28 > 0:15:29But she needs to gulp like that
0:15:29 > 0:15:32in order to pump water over her gills so she can breathe.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35You still haven't introduced me to this quirky lass.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Gem, meet the ribbon eel.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41- Wonderful.- Looks a bit like a ribbon, or maybe a party streamer.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I can see the resemblance, so what's her party trick,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47apart from looking like a party streamer?
0:15:47 > 0:15:50OK. Ribbon here has really bad eyesight, but to make up
0:15:50 > 0:15:53for it, she has supersonic smell.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Pretty awesome. How does she do it?
0:15:56 > 0:16:00She's got four nostrils, two front ones and two at the back.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Those are some whopping nostrils she's got there!
0:16:03 > 0:16:06She relies on them so much that if they were blocked, she wouldn't be
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- able to eat, as she uses smell to catch her prey.- Room service!
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Weird. It's like not being able to taste when we have a cold.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I really don't like that.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18But what's even weirder is this -
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Hello, can I help you? Who are you?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24You're invading my space. Oh, it's my other end. Silly me!
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Her bad eyesight also means that she confuses her own body for a friend.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34So she might have super-sensitive smell, but she's a little bit dozy.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And don't forget the cone shell and his smell power.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42So the cone shell and the ribbon eel are linked because they both
0:16:42 > 0:16:43have a great sense of smell.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Freaky or uniquey, all right!
0:16:48 > 0:16:51My party tricks look lame compared to these guys.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55I told you so. Time to look back over our freaky friends so far.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Look into my eyes, not around my eyes!
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Actually, look into my skin!
0:17:03 > 0:17:06The cuttlefish can talk, hypnotise and chat up girls,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09all through his amazing colour change talent.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14What about the angler fish? On first glance, he's a bit of a loser
0:17:14 > 0:17:17until her strikes with his fiendish fishing rod!
0:17:17 > 0:17:23Talking about deceptive looks, this is a worm and it bites pretty hard!
0:17:23 > 0:17:25It's the bizarre Bobbit worm.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Or the not-so-sweet and innocent cone shell with his lasso
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and venomous spear, no little fish is safe around this freak.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33But for the biggest mouth and the noisiest nostrils,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35you can't beat the blue ribbon eel.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40She can't see a thing, but has super smell-o-vision instead.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Cool, sharks. They're always awesome in my book.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50But what on earth are they doing?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53These aren't just any old sharks, I'll give you a clue.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58That's easy, they're hammerheads.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01They have to have the most bizarre head shape in the Reef.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04They're sizing each other up, or maybe they need to circle because
0:18:04 > 0:18:08their eyes are so far apart they have to keep turning to see each other.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Can you imagine if we had to do that?
0:18:16 > 0:18:20They may have the most ludicrous head shape in the ocean, but I don't think
0:18:20 > 0:18:25you'll hear them complaining, as it comes complete with six super senses.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27With their extra strong smell,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31they can detect one drop of blood in 1 million drops of water.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Remind me never to go into the water with a nosebleed!
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- They have amazing hearing.- All the better to hear their prey, no doubt.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45They have electrical senses spread across their super snout,
0:18:45 > 0:18:50which allows them to sense weak electric fields given off by prey.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Er, what do you mean by weak electric fields?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Could they pick up a human heartbeat, for example?
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Yes. Scientists have proven that they can detect an electrical current
0:19:02 > 0:19:06100,000 times smaller than a normal AA battery.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- So they've got metal detector heads? - Quite similar, actually.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Funnily enough, they don't have many predators.- Surprise, surprise.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19From super smell to super electric senses.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Our blue ribbon, or party streamer eel as I prefer,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26is linked to our hammerhead shark because they both have super senses.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Quite a display going on here!
0:19:36 > 0:19:37Schools of fish are amazing.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41They're so graceful and well co-ordinated.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I mean, how do they do it? Is there a leader fish going,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47"And left, and right, and make a crazy ball"?
0:19:47 > 0:19:50It's all about who you hang out with.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Some schools do have leaders who lead the way, a bit like
0:19:53 > 0:19:55the lead majorette or cheerleader.
0:19:55 > 0:20:01But the difference is they're usually moving like this to stay alive.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It must be confusing for their predators.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07They don't hang out with any fish, they choose their classmates well.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- But they all look the same!- Exactly.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Fish that look different, even of the same species,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17would stand out from the crowd, so they choose fish that fit in.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21How cliquey. How do they know how to move in the same direction, though?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Some do it by eyesight, but most fish have lateral lines
0:20:24 > 0:20:27on either side of their bodies which are sensitive to movement
0:20:27 > 0:20:31and allow each fish to know where the others are.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Their lateral line is like a sixth sense,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35which links them directly to our hammerheads.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39But our big-headed sharks also have another unusual connection.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Now, this is freaky.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49I say, I say, I say. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57There'd better be a good reason for that joke. That was your worst yet!
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Thank you. Of course there's a good reason, but I bet you can't guess.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Are you OK? - Yes. I bet you can't guess.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Freaky eyes! Why I had to endure a string
0:21:08 > 0:21:10of bad jokes, I just don't know.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So, what are we looking at? I can't wait.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Meet the flounder. Wake-up, mate, we're talking about you.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21As I was saying, one eye, two eyes.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Don't most fish have two eyes? What's the big deal?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Imagine if, as you started growing,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30one eye started to move to the other side of your head.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32I'd think I was on extra on Dr Who!
0:21:32 > 0:21:35This is exactly what happens to our flounders.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39They're born with eyes on each side of their face,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41but as they grow older, one eye moves,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44until both eyes sit together on the same side of their heads.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46That's amazing. But why?
0:21:46 > 0:21:48As you may have noticed, they're rather flat.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51You're telling me. That one looks like he's been stood on!
0:21:51 > 0:21:54They live on the ocean floor and their bodies
0:21:54 > 0:21:58have adapted to this, even to the point where their eyes move.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02So this eye thing certainly stops them floundering around?
0:22:02 > 0:22:08Like the hammerhead, the flounder's eyes are weirdly spaced out
0:22:08 > 0:22:11to enable them to adapt very cleverly to their surroundings.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14So the connection is odd eyes.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The mudskipper. One of the weirdest, boggle-eyed,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26mud-loving animals in the Barrier Reef.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29He'd outstare anyone, this geezer.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40OK, you win, mudskipper.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44What's even weirder is that when they do decide to move,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47they're super quick. Where has he gone?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50They're very weird. Like statues one minute and gone the next.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52In fact, they're multi-talented.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55They can jump, skip, walk and climb.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58On land, they use their fins to move about in little hops.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Or skips, like their name.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So are they fish, or froggie-type things?
0:23:04 > 0:23:07They're fish, but they've adapted to being on land.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Some of them spend almost all of their time living on land,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13returning to water just to fill up gills so they can breathe.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19So they carry around their own little oxygen water tanks? How cool.
0:23:19 > 0:23:25What on earth are they doing now, and what's with the tail?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28They're flirting. The males try to out-jump each other
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and raise up their dorsal fins at the same time.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35So it's the mudskipper's way of saying, "Look at me, look at me!"
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It's funny - they don't look the romantic type.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43The flounder and mad mudskipper have both adapted their eyesight
0:23:43 > 0:23:45to live in their surroundings,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49so super eyes connect the flounder and mudskipper.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Hang on, cut! No, Gemma.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06No can do, these are birds, birds aren't freaky or uniquey.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Sometimes, the best stories are the ones that are the least obvious.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14OK, Mystic Gemma! I can't wait for this humdinger.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Once upon a time in the Barrier Reef,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22there was a Mum bird, a Dad bird and a Baby Bird.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Basically, a happy bird family.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- It's not bedtime, Gem!- Mum and Dad work really hard to make sure
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- Baby bird has the best start in life. - This is making me sleepy.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Stay with it, not all stories have happy endings, Barney.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Seabirds work all day building nests,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43keeping watch for things that might eat them
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and finding lots of food, so Baby can grow big and strong.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Hurry up! You're sending me over the edge!
0:24:49 > 0:24:55The mums and dads will do anything to make sure Baby bird is happy.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Including the most disgusting feeding method ever heard of.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01OK, now I'm interested.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04They find food, eat it, but store it in their gullet.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07That's like the sac area in the bird's stomach.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10When Baby bird is ready to eat, they regurgitate their food
0:25:10 > 0:25:13into their mouths, which the babies then eat.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Oh, gross-a-rama!
0:25:19 > 0:25:22So they eat, keep the food in the belly
0:25:22 > 0:25:25then bring the food back up, or pukage, as it's known,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- which the baby eats from the parents' mouths?- Basically, yes.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32They're puking up their food and feeding it to their babies.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35That's the grossest of disgustings.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Disgustingly freaky?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Yeah, you win this one.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Mudskippers and regurgitating birds
0:25:40 > 0:25:44are connected because they're both Barrier Reef land and sea dwellers.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53That's quite freaky. A bit like our awesome line-up of ocean freaks.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57They were freaktastic! Let's run through our unique connections.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04One accessory that won't be on the catwalks this year
0:26:04 > 0:26:08is the sea urchin's poo bag. It looks like an eye.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10While we're talking bottoms, what a form of defence
0:26:10 > 0:26:14this geezer has, shooting sticky silly string from his bum.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Not scary, but it's gross.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Moving away from the grossness,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21the puffer fish has the coolest party trick in the ocean.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24From this to this in seconds. Who would want to eat him now?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Like the flying gurnard, he can't fly,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28but he can do an impression of a dragon.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32What about the outfit-changing, colour-talking cuttlefish?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34He can flirt with one side of his face,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- and argue with the other.- Or the deceptively clever angler fish?
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Looks ludicrous, but has his own in-built fishing rod.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44From a distance, a bright, colourful worm.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Up close, he's got teeth that can bite through a finger.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50What about this cone shell?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53He's got a spearing tooth and deadly venom.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Pretty awesome. But what about the not-so-tuneful ribbon eel?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00With her four nostrils, she's got an amazing sense of smell.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03For senses extraordinaire, look no further than the freaky
0:27:03 > 0:27:06hammerhead shark, with a head like a metal detector.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11They call it a sixth sense, and these sensational schools of fish have it.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14But you'd better look the part it you want to be in their gang.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I spy with my normal eyes,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19a flounder and his freaky migrating eye.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22That's one party trick I'd like to try.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Talking of eyes, the mudskipper can outstare anyone, even Barney.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Your bedtime story didn't convince me at first,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33but vomiting into a baby's mouth is weird.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Not for the babies, it's not.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37That's gross! What a line-up, though.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42These ocean wonders have got party tricks for any occasion.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- What are you doing?- Sending the party invites out for my next party.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I'm going to invite the ocean lot.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54You can't have a party without them, they're trick-tastic!
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:11 > 0:28:14E-mail us at - subtitling@bbc.co.uk