Snailfish can survive sub-zero temperatures; but will it beat climate change

Source: The post is based on the article “Snailfish can survive sub-zero temperatures; but will it beat climate change” published in Down To Earth on 18th August 2022.

What is the News?

A study has found a Snailfish that lives in an iceberg habitat in Greenland can survive in icy Arctic waters due to the presence of antifreeze proteins in its bloodstream.

What is Snailfish?

Snailfish also called sea snail is a species of marine fish.

Habitat: They are found in oceans worldwide. But they are strictly found in cold waters meaning that species of tropical and subtropical regions strictly are deepwater.

Features: The Snailfish releases biofluorescence, which allows it to glow green and red in the dark arctic waters.

Note: Snailfish are the only polar fish reported to have biofluorescence.

Biofluorescence: It is the ability of an organism to convert blue light into green, red, or yellow light. It is rarely found in Arctic fish due to prolonged periods of darkness in the region.

What are the findings of the study?

Scientists have found a snailfish in an iceberg habitat in Greenland that can survive in icy Arctic waters due to the presence of ‘antifreeze’ proteins in their bloodstream.

This extraordinary feature, which is rare among sea organisms, allows snailfish to prevent ice crystals from accumulating in their cells and body fluid.

However, climate change could affect its survivability, as with rising ocean temperature icebergs would melt at a faster rate.

Significance of this study: The findings demonstrate how marine life can sustain in sub-zero temperatures using their unique adaptation mechanisms.