Arctic Snailfish with Freeze Proteins

In News

• A glowing snailfish (Liparis gibbus) with antifreeze proteins flowing through its veins has been found by scientists underneath a Greenland iceberg. 
  • This allows snailfish to prevent ice crystals from accumulating in their cells and body fluid.

About the Discovery

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

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.

Source: DTE