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First discovery of a warm-blooded fish!

Saturday, May 16, 2015 0:30
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(Before It's News)

Nick Wegner (Southwest Fisheries Science Center) is pictured here holding an opah. Image Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Nick Wegner (Southwest Fisheries Science Center) is pictured here holding an opah. Image Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center

With the discovery of the first known warm-blooded fish, scientists have overturned elementary school wisdom that taught us fish are all exotherms.  The opah (Lampris guttatus), otherwise known as a moonfish, lives in the deep sea where warm blood can be advantageous. According to a quote from Nicholas Wegner (NOAA) posted in Live Science, “Increased temperature speeds up physiological processes within the bod. As a result, the muscles can contract faster, the temporal resolution of the eye is increased, and neurological transmissions are sped up. This results in faster swimming speeds, better vision and faster response times.”

Wegner also told Live Science, “The opah appears to produce the majority of its heat by constantly flapping its pectoral fins which are used in continuous swimming.” A new study published in Science May 14, showed that the blood vessels which carry oxygen rich cold blood from the gills are next to the vessels that carry warm blood. This serves as a heat exchanger to warm up the blood. This is the first discovery of its kind.These fish do not exactly warm up to mammalian temperatures mind you. By “warm-blooded” scientists are referring to the maintenance of 9 degrees Fahrenheit even as the fish dive down to 45 meters (150 feet). It is safe to say however, that the fish are warmer than their surrounding environments allowing them to swim at deeper depths for longer durations than their cold-blooded friends.Source:

LiveScience

Scientific American



Source: http://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2015/05/16/first-discovery-of-a-warm-blooded-fish/

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