Fish

Adaptive Antarctic Fish



Photo by Uwe Kils

Antarctic icefish have no hemoglobin, an adaptation to the oxygen-rich waters of the Southern Ocean.

Remove the hemoglobin from my blood, NOW! It is getting colder and I'd like to survive just like the Antactic icefish! It's not so easy as I wish I'm afraid, it would have needed to be in my genes for ages to kick in. I love winter and snow, but I hate freezing. I'm a "freezing stick" (directly translated from Norwegian) and have no idea where those genes that make me thrive in this climate went. Because I do thrive in the cold north but I freeze too darn quick. No, I'm not longing for the tropics. In the tropics my brain stops functioning. I am willing to suffer in the cold for my brain, that is how much I appreciate this particular organ of mine! I think I will study this antarctic fish's strategy a little closer....




The Antarctic Fish Movie (8 min).