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THEY DON'T SEEM TO LIKE JAZZ

A 210,000-gallon aquarium isn't exactly the sort of place where you'd expect to hear the strains of love-ballad icon Barry White. But "we're hoping the music will tempt them into feeling more romantic," says Josie Sutherland, curator of the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham, England. Who, the visitors? No, 10 tope sharks - five males and five females - that so far have shown zero interest in courtship. The idea came from the US, where researchers found that music puts koi carp in the mood, since their brains process the sounds much as humans do. And, since tope sharks "are a bit more intelligent" than carp, the Sea Life Centre is trying White's songs. How to tell if they're working? Says Sutherland: "The male chases the female and tries to bite her back and pectoral fins."

Russell Crowe is in the running for his second straight best actor Oscar, but Tom Hanks (the last to win such honors), Tom Cruise, and Julia Roberts all outshine him, according to an annual survey by the weekly Hollywood Reporter of the most bankable stars in the motion picture industry. Industry executives ranked more than 1,000 actors on their ability, by name alone, to generate financing, wide distribution, and long lines at the box office for a film. The Hollywood Reporter's top 10:

1. Julia Roberts

(tie) Tom Cruise

(tie) Tom Hanks

4. Mel Gibson

5. Jim Carrey

6. George Clooney

7. Russell Crowe

8. Harrison Ford

9. Bruce Willis

10. Brad Pitt

- Associated Press