Fish spa not for the squeamish

Have you ever jumped when your foot touched something wiggly while swimming in a lake? If so, you may not want to try a new "fish spa" where hundreds of tiny cleaner fish nibble the dead skin off clients.

Fish are the hot new exfoliant, and fish spas are springing up in China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. The claim is that cleaner fish nibble off dead skin and produce a "pleasant tingling" feeling. They leave people feeling rejuvenated, and even help treat psoriasis. The fish work well in hot water so you get a hot soak out of it too.

Hey, it beats using chemicals or abrasives, and it sounds like fun to this fish guy.

hat tip: mental floss

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Huge underwater creature filmed in China

Chinese cousin to the Loch Ness monster? Is it real or a hoax? Watch the video and decide for yourself.

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Eating up Asia's reef fish

Insatiable demand is driving Asia's reef fish towards extinction. Destructive fishing seems to be the norm, and reefs without fish are becoming a common sight.

The high-end market, where prices can exceed $100 per pound, requires live fish. Unfortunately, destructive cyanide fishing seems to be the preferred method. Cyanide kills corals and most fish, but those fish that recover can be sold alive for rich profits.

This tragedy seems to defy solutions. Trade restrictions are in the works for humphead wrasse, one of the most endangered reef fish, but the process is laborious, loopholes exist, and there are many other species with no relief in sight.

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Jellyfish bloom in Japan

A nuclear power plant in Japan had to slow down because jellyfish blocked the cooling water intake. The nuke plant is not alone, Japanese fishermen have also been plagued by blooms of giant jellyfish in recent years, some as large as sumo wrestlers.

Whither our ocean when jellyfish are the new fish? Is this Jeremy Jackson's "rise of slime?"

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