A snail fish brimming with antifreeze proteins stunned scientists studying these sub-zero waters off Greenland. The frozen water-loving Liparis gibbus was first noticed for its flamboyant bioluminescence, but it was later revealed that it also hides record levels of antifreeze proteins in its tiny body.
David Gruber, a research fellow at the American Museum of Natural History and a distinguished professor of biology at the City University of New York Baruch College, said in a statement: “Just as the antifreeze in your car keeps the water in your radiator from freezing in cold weather, some animals tend to freeze up, such as antifreeze proteins that prevent ice crystals from forming. He has developed wonderful systems that prevent
Ice crystals can have a devastating effect on the cells of many animals, including humans. As a result, humans and other mammals perished in the cold, while some impressive species overcame the problem of freezing by producing proteins that kept their systems fluid. And none of them seem to have as much antifreeze as this little snail fish.
Because it is the only polar fish reported to show light scattering (they were seen to glow green and red), the researchers decided to take a closer look at the snail fish and realized that it had two different gene families encoded for antifreeze. In fact, they had the most antifreeze protein of any animal ever studied for this trait.
“We already knew that this little snail fish that lives in extremely cold waters produces antifreeze proteins,” said Gruber. “But we didn’t realize how packed it was with these proteins and how much effort it took to make these proteins.”
The discovery comes from a team of scientists based at the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York, who have published their findings in the journal Evolutionary Bioinformatics.
As well as making the tiny snail fish gain great notoriety, the discovery comes as a grave warning of how many creatures will be affected by warming oceans when cold environments become unbearably calm.
Co-author John Sparks, a curator in the museum’s Department of Ichthyology, said: “Since the mid-20th century, temperatures in the Arctic have risen twice as fast as in the mid-latitudes, and some studies suggest that if Arctic Sea ice regression continues at its current rate, it could be in 30 During the summer months of the year, the Arctic Ocean ahead will be mostly ice-free,” Sparks continues. predicts it may face increased competition by more temperate species.”
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