A very unusual species of fish with fangs made of bone has been found in only one stream in Burma. Researchers from London's Natural History Museum believe the fish lost its teeth about 50 million years ago, but later evolved the bone fangs.
Dr. Ralph Britz, who has worked with Burmese wildlife for more than a decade, named the new species Danionella dracula after Bram Stoker's fictional vampire.
The male dracula fish have been observed to open their mouths very wide and nudge each other, but they don't draw any blood.
Photo by Ralf Britz
Dr. Ralph Britz, who has worked with Burmese wildlife for more than a decade, named the new species Danionella dracula after Bram Stoker's fictional vampire.
The male dracula fish have been observed to open their mouths very wide and nudge each other, but they don't draw any blood.
Photo by Ralf Britz
"After a year or so in captivity they started dying; and when I preserved them and looked at them under the microscope, I thought 'My God, what is this, they can't be teeth!' Dr. Britz told BBC News."
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.