Fish without skullcap

Senckenberg scientist Ralf Britz, together with U.S. researchers, has studied the evolutionary skeletal development of Danionella dracula (pictured), a transparent fish measuring only 11 to 17 mm that was discovered in 2009. It is missing several bones, including the skullcap. That's why it's just becoming an important model organism in neurophysiological research. "The dwarf fish is transparent and lacks a skullcap, allowing it to be studied as a living animal," explains Ralf Britz of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden - what could be better suited for neurophysiological vertebrate research? Compared to its close relatives, the zebrafish Danio rerio, it lacks more than 40 bones; in contrast, other parts of the skeleton are exceptionally well developed, such as hearing for intraspecific communication.

Literature
CONWAY, Kevin et al. (2021) Extreme evolutionary shifts in developmental timing establish the miniature Danionella as a novel model in the neurosciences. Development Dynamics 250:601-611 https:kurzelinks.de/D-dracula

Photo
Ralf Britz