OK, so here I am setting front row center at the Richmond Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo on Sunday; I had taken my seat early for the 3:00 seminar by Rick Morris on “swimbaits done right”.  Before me is the casting tank with a good number of Bass suspended at one end.  I’m kind of just staring at the tank killing time when I see a Bass slowly open it’s mouth wide and then slowly close it again; and I think to myself “ha, that Bass just yawned”; then I think “no way - fish don’t yawn”.  Then, a minute later the Bass did it again; and I think “that really looked like a yawn”.  Then a couple minutes later the fish did it a third time.  What the hay, is this for real??  Or is the fish just bored being on display in an aquarium that’s mounted on wheels?

 

Do fish yawn???

 

Bass top left yawning....   And with all the room in this tank, look at where all the Bass are......

 

My kind of aquarium

 

I'll hazard a guess that what looks like a yawn is done to move water past the gills.

Fish often "stretch" their pre-maxillary process after eating, or when getting ready to eat.  It can also be a sign on ammonia or nitrite toxicity, or simply low dissolved oxygen.

I'll hazard a guess that what looks like a yawn is done to move water past the gills.

Isn't that a yawn?  When we yawn we draw in air to increase O2 in the blood..  Come to think of it, I did see the gill plat open a little after the mouth closed.

Wow, yeah they are hugging the closest thing to cover they could find!  The solid back panel away from the fishing platform.  

The poor fish is probably tired of performing for all those empty seats.

Oddly enough I have seen yawning bass while  sight fishing. Usuallly when I throw a senko at them.

Usuallly when I throw a senko at them.

 

HAHAHA!  Even the fish get bored of them!

Wow, yeah they are hugging the closest thing to cover they could find!  The solid back panel away from the fishing platform.  

Ya, out of the whole tank only two fish were up forward, the rest were at the rear holding just above the water intake to the circulation system. There were artificial clumps of SAV and stumps, but the bass weren't interested, don't think they liked the plastic.

 

Holding above the water intake is like the response you see on the river where they let the current bring the food to them.