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

A Fish Story

[ackthpt]

"Yeah, it's small. But you should have seen the one that got away!"

Re:A Fish Story

[Tired and Emotional]

Should be a commercial success though - they'll just make up the volume with batter.

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]

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

I thought that was pretty cool, too. Although it's not household cleaner-strength acid. According to the article, the pH is 3, which is very close to orange juice, vinegar, and cola. I can only imagine the joy of living in oxygenated cola. MMmm, cola. :-) -- Paul

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[jtorkbob]

Here's the important bit:

the males have enlarged pelvic fins and exceptionally large muscles that may be used to grasp the females during copulation

Why didn't this make it into the summary?

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[servognome]

"the males have enlarged pelvic fins and exceptionally large muscles that may be used to grasp the females during copulation"

Why didn't this make it into the summary?

Jealousy

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[catahoula10]

"the males have enlarged pelvic fins and exceptionally large muscles that may be used to grasp the females during copulation"

"Why didn't this make it into the summary?"

"Jealousy"

It sure ain't penis envy

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[smellsofbikes]

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.

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:Hope for life on other planets

[Gulthek]

Ah, much more than fish live near the undersea volcanic vents.

http://venturedeepocean.org/life/index.html

Frex: tubeworms

"Not only can they live under immense pressures deep in the ocean, tubeworms living around volcanoes and vents can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. An individual tubeworm can often experience a range of tens of degrees over the length of its body (or a change in the same place on its body over the course of just a few seconds): from the background chill of most deep water (a few degrees above freezing), to warm fluids drifting out of vents in the seafloor."

"Unlike most other animals, a tubeworm lacks a mouth, gut and anus. Instead, it gets its food from millions of microbes living inside it (a bit like a plant gets its food from the choloroplasts which give it its green color). The tubeworm's body reflects the symbiotic (living together) relationship it has with its microbes"

http://venturedeepocean.org/life/tubeworms.html

How's that for wicked cool?

Not to say that a fish living in acidic water isn't nifty, but it sure isn't high on the list of Extreme Life Conditions.

Re:Hope for life on other planets

[smellsofbikes]

That's true. I wonder if, like some other fish, it can change its sex whenever it wants to, as well. ALMOST makes me want to be a fish.

Mmmmm

[MrShaggy]

Fishy Fishy Fishy.. Has anyone seen the fish?? Where did the fishy go ?

It's (still) ALIVE!

[LinuxWhore]

Looks like the EPA might have to update their pH scale.

Re:It's (still) ALIVE!

[955301]

You should tell them to update it.

If you have questions about this site, please contact the Acid Rain Students Site Webmaster via e-mail at walke.cynthia@epa.gov.

You may also write to us at:

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Hotline: 202-343-9620

My Fish

[kote-men-do]

That's funny, my fish are way smaller than that. Good at swimming upstream too.

Re:My Fish

[fashionfirst]

Its a real shame they never get the chance =( /cry =)

Re:My Fish

[Gzip Christ]

That's funny, my fish are way smaller than that. Good at swimming upstream too.

Given that this is Slashdot, I suspect there is no actual stream involved and that your fish are primarily farm raised (by hand, so to speak).

They're micro-fishes

[wcrowe]

They're used for archiving documents.

Sushi

[TCFOO]

Are we going to see a story on the worlds smallest piece of sushi made from this fish tomarow?

grasping fins not cool enough?

[elohim]

"[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."

Are grasping fins not scientifically significant enough to be included in what's important? This guy sounds like a true nerd.

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:grasping fins not cool enough?

[hackstraw]

Are grasping fins not scientifically significant enough to be included in what's important?

Odds are, the grasping fins are to improve the likelihood of a male successfully producing offspring.

Its common for external fertilizers like fish and frogs to have hooks or whatnot to stay above the eggs coming out of the female, and to keep another male from joining in on the fun.

The important question

[HangingChad]

How does it taste?

Re:The important question

[OldManAndTheC]

How does it taste?

No one knows. So far we have been unable to make chips that small.

Scientists are hard at work on the problem though. They hope to soon have a tiny potato that they can cut up into (wait for it...) microchips.

Thank you! I'll be here all week.

Why so small?

[onco_p53]

Their theory of its small size, is a lack of minerals in the habitat (Specifically Calcium I guess), that limits the avalible bone making material.

Thats nothing

[Anonymous Coward]

I lived in acid for about 6 years in the 90s

Re:Thats nothing

[FinestLittleSpace]

On, the word you're looking for is 'on'

Small fish?

[jbeaupre]

Now no skull, that's cool!

But I see smaller fish every day. The baby cichlids I'm raising are as small as 2 mm. It's funny watching them act just like adults. Defending turf from each other, looking for food, running from 200 mm adults (different species), and so on. I can't help but think how such complex actions are being controlled by so few neurons.

How this fish and I are alike...

[VitrosChemistryAnaly]

From TFA "...exceptionally large muscles that may be used to grasp the females during copulation..."

No wonder I scare the ladies away!

Slashdotters Discover Worlds Lamest TinyFish Jokes

[digitaldc]

Scientists have discovered the world's smallest fish on record in an acidic peat swamp in Indonesia
Ironically, all his friends just like to call him 'Shrimp'

'with a see-through body and a head that is unprotected by a skeleton'
Which one are you referring to, Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie?

It's tiny, it lives in acid and it has these bizarre grasping fins.
Are you sure you weren't talking about your last 'Phish' concert?

"the males have enlarged pelvic fins and exceptionally large muscles that may be used to grasp the females during copulation"
Does size really matter?

"You don't wake up in the morning and think today we will find the smallest fish in the world,"
Well I guess you haven't been fishing much at my local pond lately.

And finally...
You can never tell any 'fish stories' because this is always going to be the 'one that got away.'

Me too.

[IAAP]

I can't help but think how such complex actions are being controlled by so few neurons.

I have that exact same thought when hearing politicians speak.

For small appetites

[rip_1956]

Scientists are now seeking a miniature species of potatoes so they can make the world's smallest batch of fish 'n chips.

I suppose they could call it microfiche and microchips...

Re:Not important

[19thNervousBreakdown]

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

So few neurons...

[truthsearch]

I can't help but think how such complex actions are being controlled by so few neurons.

I wonder the same thing about my coworkers every day...

What the hell does it look like?

[killermookie]

Hey Lookie! Another article with an actual PICTURE!

A picture is worth 1000 words.

I for one...

[garrett714]

...welcome our new acid-swallowing, skeleton-challeneged, bitch-slappin' miniature overlords!

Is it the shortest?

[antifoidulus]

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

Is it really such a small fish...

[Elvis Parsley]

...or was it just found in a really big pond?

Just small enough

[Red Flayer]

To fit in my ear canal and swim in a bit.

Babelfish, anyone?

Not from Thailand

[Seanasy]

...is reporting that scientists have found the world's smallest fish in Thailand.

The report comes from Thailand. The fish comes from Sumatra.

Actually its in Indonesia not Thailand

[trash eighty]

It was found in a Sumatran swamp, though the story was filed in Thailand. Obviously the submitter didn't get as far as reading the first sentence of TFA :p

Maki

[malus]

I'm sure the Japanese will figure out a way to get us gaijin to pay $400/oz for sushi.

Re:Groan....

[gardyloo]

I used to microfiche, but my eyes aren't good enough, any more. Baiting those tiny little hooks is a b*tch.

      Cue the "since this is Slashdot, you have to be a masterbaiter..." jokes.