giant oarfish self-amputation shortened body

Giant oarfish can shed much of their bodies

Giant oarfish repeatedly shed the rear part of their bodies, sometimes losing far more than just the tail fin. Their vital organs are concentrated at the front, and they survive the loss. Every oarfish longer than 1.5 m has a shortened body, though the reason is unclear.

Bioluminescence becomes much more common in the deep ocean

2.5% near coasts vs 76% in the deep eastern Pacific

Only about 2.5% of organisms in coastal ocean habitats are estimated to make their own light. In the deep eastern Pacific, about 76% of the main animal groups include light-producing species.

Viruses can kill bacteria and feed other life

Some viruses in water infect bacteria and break the cells open. The material released from the dead bacteria becomes food and nutrients for other bacteria and algae. Viruses can therefore help recycle material through aquatic ecosystems.

Like this? There’s a whole feed of it. Replace empty scrolling with things worth knowing.

Download Hence for free

giant oarfish self-amputation shortened body

Giant oarfish can shed much of their bodies

Keep exploring