Scientists Discover World's Smallest Fish

sckienle writes "Yahoo news is reporting that scientists have found the world's smallest fish in Thailand. It wins the prize by 0.1 mm, being 7.9 mm in length. The fish has other unique qualifications: it lives in acidic water (ph 3), the males have fins that appear to be able to grasp objects, and have a head that is unprotected by a skeleton." From the article: "[Maurice Kottelat] said the record of finding the world's smallest fish was not important, preferring to focus on what he said was "scientifically significant." "What's important is finding a complete vertebrae in a body so small," he said."

Comments

Hope for life on other planets

[catahoula10]

""It's tiny, it lives in acid and it has these bizarre grasping fins. "

If science can find a fish living in acid, then the possibility of life on other planets seems more real.

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[ackthpt]

If science can find a fish living in acid, then the possibility of life on other planets seems more real.

Who's to determine what's normal for life? One lesson you gain from seeing a bit of grass growing up through a crack on an interstate is that nature is tenacious. On a different world, under different atmospheric pressure, light spectrum and intensity and different chemical make-up of environment you could find life. It just wouldn't do well here as neither would we there.

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[macklin01]

There are archaeobacteria that live in nearly boiling hot sulfuric acid ponds, stuff that has chemical activity more aggressive than batteries, and others that live near underwater volcanic vents that, because of the enormous water pressure and its increase in the boiling point of water, survive quite nicely in water temperatures far above boiling. Many of them have weird long-chain ethers and esters in their cell membranes that keep the membranes from rupturing to the outside world, in a manner similar to rivets keeping an airplane's skin on.

That's absolutely fascinating! (I knew that these extremophiles lived in the high temperatures, but I hadn't remembered the pH levels.) The structure of the membrane is really very interesting. Now that's a post that should be modded +5 interesting. Thanks -- Paul

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[PitaBred]

Yes. But this is a fish, not a bacteria. That's what makes this even more amazing. An actual vertebrate, not just some cells.

Re:grasping fins not cool enough?

[Anonymous Coward]

There are other fish with grasping fins, sea horses being an obvious example. Go to your local tropical fish store and you'll see them.

We're talking about being able to hang on to a weed, not that it can deal blackjack.

Re:Not important

[19thNervousBreakdown]

Well, yeah, but only if your local resivoir is made of orange juice.

Is it the shortest?

[antifoidulus]

The fish featured in this slashdot article was 7 mm, this one says their fish is 7.9 mm....