What is the smallest fish of all?
1 February 2006
by Carina
Lee
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A new species called Paedocypris progenetica has been discovered living in the acidic swamps of Southeast Asia, but there was a bit of an argument about if it really is the world's smallest fish. A team of researchers with lead scientist, Ralph Britz, made the discovery according to Nature News. The discovery of these 7.9 millimetre long vertebrates prompt researchers to declare them the smallest fish. However Ted Pietsch from the University of Washington claims that he described an even smaller fish, the male species measuring only 6.2 millimetres. The Photocorynus spiniceps is an anglerfish found in the Philippines but critics argue that it isn't the smallest fish because it attaches itself to the much larger female and lives off it. To this argument Pietsch explains, "To me it doesn't matter if it's a breeding parasite. It is still a sexually mature adult with a backbone." In search of finding the smallest fish in the world, an expert from the University of California, David Wake, has another viewpoint. He explains "Salamanders are the smallest vertebrates, there's not even any question." Salamanders are amphibian vertebrates and even though they are several centimetres in length, their genome is what makes Wake believe they are the smallest vertebrates. In the end, the fish debate was inconclusive with Britz explaining to Nature News, "There are no hard feelings. It's not really a very scientific issue. These are just very interesting fish." |
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