Fish

"Wow!" "That's really neat!" "Cool!" Those words were uttered yesterday as a crowd at the New Jersey State Aquarium gazed at a motorized mobile that sent hundreds of fish swimming toward a lighted dome, giving the impression of fish swimming on the ceiling. The mobile, in the rotunda, was just one innovation in a $3.75 million package displayed yesterday when the aquarium opened a new exhibition titled "Ocean Base Atlantic. " Among the features were a 7-foot-tall set of jaws from a prehistoric, 50- ton shark, an interactive computer system called "Ask the Experts," and an underwater station that simulates life on the bottom of the ocean.

Excerpts from Craig LaBan's online chat. Craig LaBan: Good afternoon, my hungry friends, and welcome to the summer's-just-about-done Philly food chat! Summer's done for me, now that I'm back from a great season of travels, the final leg being a loop through New England. We had great meals almost everywhere we went. In Providence, R.I., we had grilled corn pizza and wood-roasted eggplant parmesan at the classic Al Forno, and amazing mac 'n' cheese alongside house-made charcuterie (kimchi sausage)

Kevin Corbett, of West Philadelphia, takes advantage of clear, cool weather yesterday to fish on the Schuylkill near Boathouse Row. Today is expected to be partly cloudy with a chance of showers.

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin told of how at age 17 he had decided not to become a complete vegetarian after all. This selection was suggested by Harriette Behringer. Being becalmed off Block Island, our people set about catching cod, and hauled up a great many. Hitherto, I had stuck to my resolution of not eating animal food, and I considered the taking of every fish as a kind of unprovoked murder, since none of them . . . could do us any injury that might justify the slaughter.

On a narrow strip of green dividing the Schuylkill from a waste-processing facility and the remains of a shuttered chemical plant, Edison Crayton reeled in a catfish about 18 inches long on a weekday morning. Crayton had been catching fish in Grays Ferry Crescent park for a few hours and tossing them back, but this time, he took the wriggling fish over to one of his fellow anglers, Darryl McMillian. He had heard McMillian was keeping his fish. "The water's crappy," McMillian said as he looked at the brown depths from which the fish had come.

Eat up fresh-caught fish fast. They'll taste so much better. That fresh quality and taste begin to deteriorate as soon as the fish leaves the water. The way it is caught and stored also affects the flavor. When caught, fish struggle to escape and use up stored glycogen that otherwise would convert to lactic acid, which acts as a preservative for the flesh. Oily fish, unusually high in polyunsaturated fats, also tend to spoil more quickly. Refrigeration helps preserve the fish, but won't stop the growth of bacteria on and in the fish, which should be gutted and rinsed at once.

Michael Boyd, 22, and Mary Bond, 23, both of North Philadelphia, cast for fish in the Schuylkill on a warm summer's day, with bucket poised to hold their catch should they meet with success.

Goldfish don't forget every time they swim around the bowl. Fish - the smarter ones at least - have been shown to distinguish left from right, to remember mental maps of their surroundings, sometimes for months, use logic, engage in deception, and cooperate while hunting. We humans have grudgingly come to accept the idea that our close relatives the chimpanzees can think. And maybe our best friend the dog. But fish? They're not even warm-blooded. We may tend to underestimate fish as "lower" creatures thanks to the residue of an ancient idea known as the great chain of being - a quasi-religious notion that all living things form a hierarchy from lowest to highest.

Lawrence Ceresani said he got the idea from a previous owner who built the half-acre pond in the back yard to raise trout. When Ceresani bought the house on Bridgetown Pike in Northampton Township seven years ago, he decided to switch to a more colorful fish called Koi. Or, as Ceresani describes them, a Japanese "gigantic-looking goldfish. " The Koi started reproducing like crazy. "Before you knew it," Ceresani said, "you could almost walk across the pond on them. " It started Ceresani thinking, and about two years ago, he set up a fish hatchery on his 6.35-acre property and began selling the fish to a couple of wholesalers who supply pet stores.

Koi are to carp what butterflies are to moths. "They're basically the same fish that swim in our rivers," said Donna Howard, of the Quality Koi Co. on North Broad Street. "But koi have much prettier clothes on. " Spectacular suits of metallic gold and platinum. Vivid stripes and spots of red and white and black. The Japanese call them "living jewels. " The goldfish are a distant cousin, but don't expect to win a koi at the church carnival. They are bred like show dogs and fetch similarly high prices - anywhere from $250 to $2,500 on average, with rare one-in-a-million specimens fetching in excess of $10,000.

Ex-president gets prison term BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Former President Carlos Menem was sentenced to seven years in prison Thursday for illegally smuggling weapons to Ecuador and Croatia in violation of international embargoes in the 1990s, but he won't be going to jail soon. An Argentine court also banned Menem, now a senator, from holding elective office for 14 years, and asked the Senate to vote to remove the immunity he enjoys as an elected member of Congress. However, the judges said the Senate should not move against Menem until the sentence is final, meaning he could remain free while the Supreme Court studies any appeal.

By Paula Moore Earlier this month, a German angler made headlines for reeling in a 103-pound cod off the coast of Norway. The fish is believed to be the largest cod ever caught, and if confirmed, the catch will break the record set in 1969. As I looked at the obligatory photos of the grinning angler with his "prize," my first thought wasn't, "Atta boy!" but "How disconnected does a person have to be to take pleasure in killing other living beings - any other living beings?" Here are two things that anglers should know about their supposedly "harmless" pastime: Fish can feel pain, and they can experience fear.

Eating fish is good for your heart, but taking fish-oil capsules does not help people at high risk of heart problems who are already taking medicines to prevent them, a large study in Italy found. The work makes clearer who does and does not benefit from taking supplements of the good oils found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines. Previous studies have suggested that fish-oil capsules could lower heart risks in people with heart failure or who have already suffered a heart attack.

Makes 4 servings 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds Four 4-ounce portions    wild    king salmon,    skin-on 2 cups rendered chicken    fat (schmaltz),       melted For horseradish sour cream: 1 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons       prepared    horseradish Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt and pepper Chopped dill 1. Combine salt, pepper, caraway, and mustard.

Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran had a choice: Sign a new lease at Lolita - the Mexican BYOB on 13th Street near Sansom that put them on the map nine years ago - or think about buying a spot and moving. That wouldn't be easy, as the couple also own Barbuzzo and Jamonera , plus the retail locations Grocery , Verde , and Open House , on the same block. They not only elected to sign a new 10-year lease but also to obtain a liquor license for Lolita, which should be in place by summer.

This one-pan meal is bright, intense and satisfying. Using skin-on fish helps keep the delicate chunks from breaking up during cooking. Serve with something green on the side.   Moroccan Fish Stew 4 servings 1 large onion 1-inch piece ginger root 1 large clove garlic 1 1/4 pounds firm, skin-on white-fleshed fish fillets 1/4 cup sliced skin-on almonds 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground turmeric One 3-inch cinnamon stick Pinch cayenne pepper 14 ounces canned, no-salt- added diced tomatoes 1 cup water Sea salt 14 ounces canned, no-salt-added chickpeas 2 teaspoons honey Fresh black pepper Flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (may sub cilantro)

Barry Kratchman's experience more than 40 years ago - as a teenager, he watched in "horror" as an eel's head and body each continued to wriggle well after being separated - might seem gross. It was gross. But it also proved something important, he insists now: that his friend - the one behind the beheading, the one who wanted to experience what eel tasted like when filleted, breaded, and baked - would make a tremendous business partner because he wasn't afraid to try new things.

French Polynesia and the Cook Islands this month created adjacent shark sanctuaries spanning 2.5 million square miles of ocean, a move that reflects a growing trend to protect sharks worldwide and more than doubles the area now off-limits to any shark fishing. As many as one-third of all shark species face some threat of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in part because their fins are coveted for the Asian delicacy shark fin soup. In the last few months, American Samoa and the Micronesian state of Kosrae have barred shark fishing off their shores, and the European Union and Venezuela have both prohibited the practice of cutting off a shark's fins while discarding the body at sea. French Polynesia - a group of five major archipelagoes with more than 100 islands, including Tahiti - created the world's largest shark sanctuary of 1.5 million square miles of sea on Dec. 6. The Cook Islands designated its own, which is equal to the size of Mexico at 756,000 square miles, on Dec. 19. French Polynesia had established a moratorium on shark fishing and finning in 2006, but it exempted mako sharks to win over local fishing interests.

By Lou Rodia The Holiday season has come and gone. Winter has officially arrived. A whole new fishing season lies ahead. Boat schedules are changing. Marinas and tackle shops are operating under curtailed schedules. Anglers should call ahead to confirm sailing schedules and shop hours. Striper season closes Dec. 31 in all New Jersey state waters except from the Atlantic Coast shoreline to 3 miles offshore. Sea bass season will reopen Jan. 1 and will remain open through Feb. 28. Anglers will be allowed 15 sea bass per day with a minimum size of 12.5 in. Blackfish season remains open through Feb. 28 with a 4 fish per day bag limit and a 15 in. minimum size.

MIAMI - A person familiar with the negotiations says third baseman Placido Polanco has agreed to terms with the Miami Marlins. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the Marlins hadn't announced a deal. Polanco, 37, battled injuries this year and hit .257 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 90 games with the Phillies. The 15-year veteran is a career .299 hitter with 103 homers. The deal solidifies the Marlins' lineup following an offseason payroll purge.