A fish with gin-clear blood is trending on April 7 as the rare specimen debuted in Tokyo Sea Life Park. This member of the crocodile icefish came to Japan from the Antarctic where krill fishermen caught the creature.
According to AFP on April 5 via France 24, this particular fish is one of only two dozen invertebrates that possess transparent blood. The reason for this was offered by experts in Nippon who explained that "the ocellated ice fish has no haemoglobin making it unique among vertebrates the world over." The same group said that these fish have oversized hearts which compensate.
That said, since haemoglobin turns blood red, this species lacks that color in their systems.
Another interesting fact about the fish with the gin-clear blood is that this species has no scales which makes for a unique sight at Tokyo Sea Life Park. Happily, the public facility now boasts both a male and a female in captivity so more of these curious creatures and the way they came to be will be able to be studied in years to come.
Meanwhile, the new digs for the special fish is the first aquarium in Japan opened at Ueno Zoo in 1882. Tokyo Sea Life Park is known for its various marine environments, thus making this a great place for a future marine biologist to visit.
And so, as the fish with the gin-clear blood has made its way to Japan from the Antarctic, this fish is now transparently the most coveted sea life to be heralded at the Tokyo aquarium known at Sea Life Park.
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