Fish chock-full of natural 'antifreeze' protein found in iceberg off Greenland

Fish chock-full of natural 'antifreeze' protein found in iceberg off Greenland

Source: thenationalnews

8/16/2022

Credit: J Sparks, D Gruber

A tiny species of fish is able to live in icy Arctic waters thanks to very high levels of "antifreeze" protein in its bloodstream, researchers have found.

Snailfish found on an iceberg habitat in Greenland are able to prevent ice crystals from forming in their cells and body fluid thanks to this remarkable ability, which is rare among sea creatures.

Fish, unlike some other species of reptiles and insects, cannot survive being partially frozen and the findings highlight how marine life can survive in an extreme climate.
The study was led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York (CUNY), and published in the journal Evolutionary Bioinformatic.