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Icefish

Icefish from Antarctica - ice fish live only in Antarctica. They have no haemoglobin and their blood is transparent. They feed on krill, copepods and other fish.


Antarctic ice fish - larvae (photo Uwe Kils)

The icefish produces a natural "antifreeze," enabling it to survive in the subzero waters of the Antarctic. It lacks red blood cells and hence looks rather pale, but has excellent blood circulation, and a strong heart which weighs as much as that of a small mammal. Its large, toothy mouth led to it being called the crocodile fish by 19th-century whalers.