Unusual Cavefish Navigate in Darkness by the Teeth on Their Skin
September 19, 2012
Contacts: Lee Tune, 301 405 4679 or ltune@umd.edu
Unusual Cavefish Navigate in Darkness by the Teeth on Their Skin
By Evelyn Rabil
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- In a single cave in Ecuador, a species of cavefish has evolved to do something perhaps unique to them, navigate with their teeth.
The sensory use of these teeth, which are not in their mouths, but protrude from their skin, appears to be a previously unknown evolutionary phenomenon, one that may not exist anywhere outside this one cave, say researchers at the University of Maryland, National Institutes of Health and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador who brought to light this fascinating new adaptation to life in dark, swiftly flowing waters.
Many fish have such skin teeth (denticles), which are surrounded by dentine and capped in enamel, but most use them for cutting, protection or to reduce drag when swimming. Astroblepus pholeter, the catfish that lives in this Ecuadorian cave, developed a new use: sensing their world. University of Maryland assistant professor Daphne Soares and her colleagues found that the skin teeth of these fish evolved into environment-sensing tools, projecting hydrodynamic images that allow them to feel their way in darkness and fast currents. The teams findings were recently published in Current Biology.
"We have now a whole new sensory organ to examine when we find new species," said Soares, who works in the biology department of the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences. "More importantly, we found a new way in which evolution has allowed animals to live in this challenging environment. It's not only completely dark but the world around them is also flowing fast."
More:
http://newsdesk.umd.edu/scitech/release.cfm?ArticleID=2782
[center]
[/center]
= new reply since forum marked as read
