Alaska Blackfish

Task one in the year 12 blog competition was to write about an animal or plant adapted for life in a cold environment. The post with the most views was the one below:. To see further studies of animal and plant adaptations visit the 12D blog.

The Alaska Blackfish:Dallia pectoralis

Once thought to be an herbivore, its primary diet is midges and mosquito insect larvae. Alaska blackfish are found in swamps, ponds, lakes, and streams with vegetation for cover, in tundra and forested locations not far inland. Their range includes Alaska and the Bering Seaislands.

Most living things are made up of 70% water. When water freezes, it expands and forms ice crystals. Repeated freezing and thawing can destroy living tissue.

The Alaska blackfish overcomes this problem by producing chemicals within its body that lowers the freezing temperature of cell fluids. Much like the antifreeze we add to the water in our vehicles, the "antifreeze" of the Alaska blackfish prevents the formation of large ice crystals within its cells, even at low temperatures.

 The Alaska blackfish can survive temperatures of-20 degrees C (4 F) and the complete freezing of some body parts, including their heads, for up to several days

By P.Ramsbotham