An icefish colony of nearly 60 million fish has been discovered in Antarctica’s ice-covered Weddell Sea. This area is a unique and previously unseen ecosystem that covers an area the size of Malta. This interesting discovery shows us how little is known about the ocean and the creatures that live there.
This vast colony, which is believed to be the world’s largest, is home to the icefish. Properly named the Neopagetopsis ionah has a see-through skull and transparent blood and is the only vertebrate to have no red blood cells. To survive such a cold environment the fish has developed an antifreeze protein in its transparent blood that stops ice crystals from forming.
This breeding colony was identified in February 2021 by the German polar research vessel Polarstern. It was surveying the seabed about half a kilometre below the ship. The ship used a car-sized camera system attached to the stern of the ship that transmits pictures.
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