Slashdot Mirror
World's Tiniest Vertebrate Found
foidulus writes "The BBC reports that American scientists have identified the world's tiniest fish living around Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It is also the tiniest animal with a backbone. The male of the stout infantfish is only about 7 mm(or less than 1/4 of an inch) long. It has a life span of only around 2 months which scientists say may be an advantage because it can evolve rapidly."
...to put in your ear.
Have they tested the translation capabilities of these little critters?
Stop the world; I need to get off.
25.4mm/4 = 6.35mm
I would say just over a 1/4 of an inch
dumb ass reporter!
We need to destroy these creatures before they evolve into something that can take over the human race! With only a 2 month lifespan, they could easily out-evolve us within our children's lifetimes!
Doesn't being the tiniest fish imply being the tiniest invertebrate? (Posted anonymously due to pedantic shame.)
Jumbo shrimp _not_ an oxymoron!
Sentience is theorized to exist in the thalamus, which is a feature that evolved with vertabrates. You are in the cerebral spinal fluid in the third ventricle between the lobes of the thalamus.
-I am an elective eunuch.
Am I the only one who thinks they're showing a picture of the wrong fish?
The areticle clearly states that the stout infantfish is ~7mm long. The picture shows a fish that is clearly 10mm long. Which makes me think that the picture they're actually showing is a picture of the world's second smallest fish, the goby fish.
Stupid beeb editor.
Karma
I think my bait would eat the fish!
Logic, macros, and more
Doesn't being the tiniest fish imply being the tiniest invertebrate?
Given that fish are vertebrates I'm gonna go with NO!
SteveM
What sucks is when they get in yoiur ear and allow people to control you.
KHaaaaaaannnnnnnnn!
'Cause I thought Darl had the distinction of having the world's smallest vertebrate.
*may* be an advantage? That's awfully certain. Not to mention that by this logic bacteria have a greater advantage over pretty much all other life, since they can "evolve" so rapidly. So, living longer lives is no longer an 'advantage'? The article itself says:
"It's interesting that these animals experience several generations a year," said Dr Watson. "This suggests they could evolve quickly as well."
Which makes a bit more sense.
Oh, whew, my wife still needs me for something.
In tons of biology and genetics classes, people selectively breed fruit flies because of their short lifespan (among other reasons.) These guys could be useful in a similar reguard, but now we'll all have vertebrates to play with. I can't wait.
This sig has been stolen. Return it to its original user for a reward.
True, but (I say this as a question as I am not 100% on this) but are there not rules regarding the use of vertebrates in science?
I remember in good old elementary school where we couldn't use vertebrates in experiments. (at least when it came to looking inside them or "treating" them to your new chemicals.)
the biologists probably don't know enough about the living situation for the fish to have more than hypotheses about why their generations are optimized like that.
So the researchers probably don't know yet.
(And yes, bacteria do evolve fast. That's why our immune system isn't based on DNA -- we have too long generations.)
Karma: Excellent (My Karma? I wish...:-( )
The Pygmy Leaf Chameleon.
Cool, I can add them to my aquarium at work and my Sea-Monkeys can have pets of their own !!!
Sea-Monkeys® are a true miracle of nature. They exist in suspended animation inside their tiny eggs for many years. The instant-life crystals, in which the eggs are enclosed, preserve their viability and help to extend still further their un-hatched life span! Sea-Monkeys are real Time-Travelers asleep in biological time capsules for their strange journey into the future!
Scientists call this amazing rare process "cryptobiosis" which means, "hidden life". Among the types of life on Earth that are cryptobiotic in early stages of development are the seeds of higher plants (wheat grains from the tombs of the ancient Egyptian Kings have sprouted after being sealed in urns for more than 2,000 years), the larvae of certain insects, and the thick-shelled eggs of some crustaceans such as Daphnia, seed Shrimps (Ostracods) and Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina). Sea-Monkeys too belong in this category, since they are a variety of Artemia. A relative of Lobsters, Crabs, Fairy Shrimp and other crustaceans, instead of originating in the ocean, Artemia are found in salt lakes and salt evaporation flats. The waters of these areas are often so salty that Artemia may be the only non-microscopic animal inhabiting them.
Are they Brine Shrimp?
Because fish eat and thrive on brine shrimp, for years they were collected as eggs or alive, to be sold as an aquarium "food." Although all along, brine shrimp had the very qualities that would, at a later date, make them one of the most desirable pets ever sold, it simply never "dawned" on anyone to consider them as anything other "fish food". Now, thanks to Sea-Monkeys, this attitude has changed.
Although Sea-Monkeys are a species of brine shrimp, they are unique. We not only unlocked the most elusive secrets of their life cycle, we created new formulas to keep them alive under conditions found in the average home--an accomplishment never before achieved! Finally, after years of crossbreeding, we developed a hybrid. These amazing new hybrids grow larger and live longer than any "natural" variety of brine shrimp.
How long do Sea-Monkeys live?
Thanks to new computer-driven processing technologies and ultra-pure, non-toxic chemicals, twice as many Sea-Monkeys instantly hatch, grow larger and live longer than ever before.
An exact, pre-blended formula of "magic crystals"--and live Sea-Monkey eggs are inside the envelopes supplied in every Sea-Monkey kit. When added to water, live Sea-Monkeys will hatch. That's why anyone can get perfect results without any knowledge of chemistry or biology. Just by following the easy instructions you create Instant Life®. The only "extra" is the water. At birth, the Sea-Monkeys are very tiny, no larger than the "period " at the end of this sentence. That is why it's possible to "overlook" them when they are first born. Since their fate is in yours hands, do not discard the formula if you don't see them right away. To do so would be like "throwing the baby out with the bath water."
Are Sea-Monkeys safe?
Sea-Monkeys are in no way harmful to humans or the environment. If they somehow find their way into natural water ways or sewer lines, they simply will not be able to survive outside of the formula.
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."--Benjamin Franklin
"It has a life span of only around 2 months which scientists say may be an advantage because it can evolve rapidly."
Another reason why the quest for eternal life is an evil one!
We're equipped for this world here and now... As much as I've love to experience the technological wonders of a world 3000 years from now, maybe I wouldn't be prepared for the variations in temperature, climate, or even social norms. Sure, I could adjust, but how well? This body was created specifically for life in the 21st century...
Awwwww!
"You lied to me! There is a Swansea!"
As I sit here doing my morning Slashdot readings, I came up with a thought that has me a bit perplexed.
It says these fix evolve quickly. Let us say there is a minor evolutionary change every five generations or so. That would be one year to have five changes. By the fifth change, there may be a marked difference between the new fish and the its great great grandmother/father.
My question is this. How long until the evolution creates a new species? Two years down the road, will you be comparing two separate fish even though they came from the exact same gene pool? Could a biologist or relatively smart person in the field explain that to me?
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang