Watching Shark Week on Discovery. Tonight the researchers are making tiger sharks and other shark breeds into this state by flipping them upside down. Are bass able to experience tonic immobility also if put on their backs while they are in the water?

Only if you add gin to the tonic

Only if you add gin to the tonic

SWI

Swimming While Intoxicated

Interesting question, but why would anyone want to do that?  That said, I can imagine a fisheries guy being interested in doing something like that in order tag the fish.

probably not lol

Ive actually done that trick on blacktip sharks in FL...works great for getting you hook back and it save your gear in the boat

Doesn't effect bass. Lay a bass on its back in the water and it will either right itself calmly ans swim away, or freak out jumping back up or splashing wildly as it writes itself. 

Interesting question, but why would anyone want to do that? That said, I can imagine a fisheries guy being interested in doing something like that in order tag the fish.

The researchers did that to the sharks in order to tag them and find out if TI was used by larger sea life such as orcas to kill the sharks.

The reason this happens to sharks (I'm guessing here) is they have skeletons made of cartilage while bass have bones.  side note, the 2 bass i have in my aquarium like to barrel roll upside down sometimes, not sure why. (they flip 180 on their back and then 180 back the same way again)