Nature constantly surprises us with rare and very interesting plants and animals. Among the amazing and unusual representatives of the fauna, there are many inhabitants of reservoirs. One of them is a transparent fish. This is one of the rare species that not everyone knows about.
Sea "glasses"
In order to survive, fish have to disguise themselves. Stripes and spots on the fins and body, different coloration of the scales, as well as various outgrowths help them blend in with the background that surrounds them. But there is one very extravagant and easiest way to become invisible in the water. It is to become transparent, as if dissolving in the native element. For a marine animal to lose color, it is enough to lose a reflective surface, for example, a mirror scale.
After all, it is a well-known fact that the glass lowered into the water is almost imperceptible to the human eye. This method of disguise was chosen for themselves by a variety of fish that live in the seas and in fresh water. Moreover, these species often do not have anyfamily ties with each other. "Glass" fish are also found among aquarium fish.
New Zealand miracle
Fisherman Stewart Fraser stumbled upon an unusual creature near the Karikari peninsula. At first, he mistook it for a crumpled plastic bag that slowly glided over the surface of the water. It was only after looking more closely that Stuart realized that it was a living organism. Until that time, the fisherman had not seen anything like this in sea waters and at first he did not dare to take the animal in his hands.
However, man's curiosity prevailed over fear. A very strange and completely transparent fish was extracted from the water. Her body was covered with unhard scales of a jelly-like appearance. That is why the transparent fish looked more like a jellyfish. In an amazing marine animal, all internal organs were practically invisible, except for one small teardrop-shaped, painted red. Fraser took several pictures of the amazing fish and released it back to its natural element.
A new species of inhabitants of the reservoir?
Stuart Fraser showed pictures of the amazing creature to Paul Kast, director of the National Marine Aquarium. After studying the photographs, he determined that this creature is none other than Salpa Maggiore - a transparent fish. This species is similar in appearance to jellyfish, but nevertheless has a close relationship with marine vertebrates.
Salpa Maggiore is a transparent fish (see photo below). However, she has a heart and gills. In addition, there are special filters inside this fish. They run through her bodywater, collecting food in the form of phytoplankton and algae.
Salpa Maggiore is a transparent fish that travels in large groups. The peculiarity of this species is that the individuals of this creature do not have a gender. They are able to independently produce offspring, forming massive shoals.
Salpa Maggiore is a transparent fish (the photo confirms its unusual appearance), and it looks like a creature from a horror movie. However, you shouldn't be afraid of it. This is an absolutely harmless creature that feeds on plangton. The transparent body is only a disguise that can protect the fish from the attacks of marine predators, which, like it, live in the surface layers of the water.
Information about Salpa Maggiore is very limited. Scientists attribute it to one of the subspecies of s alts, numbering about thirty species. In addition, these marine invertebrates are known to prefer living in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean.
Transparent fish Salpa Maggiore has a barrel shape. She moves through the water by pumping fluid through her body. The jelly body of the fish is covered with transparent scales, through which the circular muscles and intestines are visible. On the surface of an unusual creature, you can see two siphon holes. One of them is oral, leading to a vast pharynx, and the second is cloacal. Siphon openings are located at opposite ends of the transparent body of the fish. There is a heart on the ventral side of the sea animal.
An amazing inhabitant of Baikal waters
Unusual creaturesfound not only in the seas and oceans. For example, there is a transparent fish in Baikal. This is an animal that does not have a swim bladder and scales. In addition, thirty-five percent of his body is fat. Such a fish lives at a great depth of the Baikal lake. Her individuals are viviparous.
What is the name of the transparent fish of Baikal? Golomyanka. This name comes from the Russian word "golomen", meaning "open sea". It surprisingly accurately conveys the existing features of the etiology of this species of fish.
The Golomyanka has delicate skull bones. She has especially developed dorsal, pectoral and anal fins. Golomyankas are very prolific. One individual is capable of producing almost two thousand fry. Reproduction occurs by gynogenesis, which is characteristic only for this species.
The transparent fish of Baikal is able to withstand enormous pressure equal to one hundred and twenty-five bars. That is the only reason why its habitat is the bottom of this deep reservoir.
Fish feed using a passive method. Golomyankas literally soar in the water with the help of their pectoral fins. At the same time, their mouth is constantly open and is able to instantly grab the passing food in the form of benthic amphipods, epishura and macrohectopus and other food.
Golomyanka fat is believed to have been used in ancient times as lamp oil. This transparent fish played an important role in Chinese and Mongolian medicine. During wars, it was caught in order to restore strength to wounded soldiers.
Transparent groupers
"Glass" fish are also found among fairly well-known species. There are also among the representatives of the perch family. Ambassidae is one of the subspecies of these fish, otherwise called glass Asian. These aquatic vertebrates are characterized by a high and short body, somewhat thickened laterally. In the back of the head they have some concavity. The transparent tissues of these fish allow you to see the skeleton, as well as the shiny membranes that cover the gills and internal organs.
Long braids on unpaired fins have a transparent fish, whose name is a glass angel. Representatives of this family do not have scales on the body. However, the most extravagant appearance has a large-browed perch. Above the head of this fish hangs a huge disk-shaped outgrowth resembling a hump.
Aquarium perch
The most common home purchase is Parambassis ranga. This is an Indian glass perch. This fish has gained an unjustified reputation for being difficult and capricious to keep. This opinion was formed based on the assumption that she prefers to live in brackish waters. Of course, some representatives of this family do live in the seas. However, the Indian glass perch is a resident of slow-flowing fresh water bodies. This fish prefers slightly acidic and soft water. Under such conditions, it will easily take root in the aquarium and will not cause unnecessary trouble to its owner.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that Indian glass bass like to eat natural food and refuse flakes. Besidesit is desirable to keep a flock of a dozen or more fish in a home aquarium. The fact is that single individuals or living in small groups become very shy and oppressed. In addition, their appetite is deteriorating.
Glass catfish
This is another transparent fish for the aquarium. Despite its name, it is impossible to recognize its close relatives of the catfish that live in our reservoirs. The body of these fish is compressed from the sides, and not vertically. This is because glass Asian catfish do not lie on the bottom. They actively move in the water and live in flocks. Transparent body tissues allow you to see the threads of the ribs and the thin spine of these amazing fish. At first glance, it seems that the abdominal cavity with internal organs in these individuals is completely absent. However, it is not. All of them are shifted towards the head and look like an extension of the gills.
Glass catfish can be not only Asian. There is also an African species of these fish, belonging to the shilb family. Outwardly, they have an incredible similarity with their Asian namesakes. However, they are not so transparent and are distinguished by longitudinal black stripes stretching along the sides of the body. Another distinguishing feature of this family is a remarkably developed adipose fin, as well as four rather than two pairs of antennae on the head.
Transparent tetras
Decorate the home aquarium and small fish of the Characidae family. Their torso is painted with only a small palette of colors. As a rule, these are only individual pigmented areas, barelynoticeable against the faded background of the body. Such spots are a kind of identification marks. They flare up only at those moments when light hits them at a certain angle. These suddenly appearing spots, playing with all the colors of the rainbow, look great in a slightly darkened aquarium. However, in this family there are absolutely transparent fish. In their torso, only one swim bladder can be seen through the light. Nevertheless, this fish also has an ornament. It is represented by a red tail at the base, and a thin greenish stripe stretched along the body. Keeping such a fish is easy even for beginners, as it is completely undemanding to aquarium conditions.
Charax Condé
This is a relatively large fish as close as possible to the ideal "glass". Her tall, diamond-shaped body has a slight golden hue.
The transparency of this fish is not used at all for disguise from enemies. The fact is that the charax itself is a predator. In order to wait for the prey passing by, this fish is able to spend long hours in ambush. The transparent body makes her invisible in the water. At the same time, the charax hangs absolutely motionless in the thickets of aquatic vegetation with its head down.
Regular Ridley Priestella
On the anal and dorsal fins of this fish there are spots of yellow and black colors. Her tail has a reddish tint. But, despite this coloring, the pristella is still classified as a transparent fish. "Glass" is her body. Only inIn the abdominal cavity, you can see the stomach and intestines of the fish, as well as the gills located behind the gill covers.
