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Arctic Snail fish with Freeze Proteins

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    22nd Aug, 2022

Context:

A glowing snail fish (Liparis gibbus) with antifreeze proteins flowing through its veins has been found by scientists underneath a Greenland iceberg. 

  • This allows snail fish to prevent ice crystals from accumulating in their cells and body fluid.

About the Discovery

  • The discovery of the Greenland snail fish also leads to the first documented bio-fluorescent fish in the Arctic.
  • Experts claim that it is rare for a marine animal to exhibit bio-fluorescence, the ability of some living organisms, including fish and insects, to absorb sunlight and reemit it as a different colour.
  • In the past, Notothenioid fishes are known for possessing the antifreeze compound in their bloodstream which prevents them from freezing to death. 

About Snailfish

  • The Liparidae, commonly known as snailfish or sea snails,are a family of marine scorpaeniform fishes.
  • The Snailfish releases biofluorescence, which allows it to glow green and red in the dark arctic waters.
  • Snailfish is the only polar fish reported to have biofluorescence.
  • Biofluorescence is the ability of an organism to convert blue light into green, red, or yellow light.
  • Snailfish are found in cold water—in the North Atlantic and North Pacific and the Arctic and Antarctic seas.

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