Abyssal freshwater fish

[Orion]

Lake Baikal is in a rift valley created by the Baikal Rift Zone, where the crust of the earth is pulling apart. This rift valley is 636*kilometers long and 80 kilometers wide and is the deepest lake in the world at 1,637 metres.


In this lake found the world's most abyssal freshwater fish - golomyanka (oil fish).
These fish have eyesight even at the greatest depths, although they see only in black and white. Their size does not exceed 24 centimetres, they have no scales, and they are nacreous (mother-of-pearl) in colour.(fishes live in dark caves tend to lose colour pigment) and transparent.
It gives birth to 3,000 living fry at a time. Most females perish after the child-hearing. Rarely, the golomyanka gives posterity twice, an nature golomyankas live no more than 6 years.

They contain up to 35 per cent of medicinal oil rich in vitamin as such after storms (during Stalin's era) , golomyankas were gathered alongside the shores by the local siberians where they melt the fish fat and used it in treatments for rheumatism, atherosclerosis and for healing wounds.


info from wikipedia.

[Merviso]

Wah! That's a interesting piece of information. Thanks for sharing.

Sometimes really do wonder if there is any part of singapore that is very much unexplored; maybe like a big underground cave that contains lots of interesting creatures..

[Orion]

My friend told me long ago in Bukit Timah reserve there are some caves with underground water source. Believed to harbour some UNKNOWN rasbora fishes. Too bad it's secured with iron gate now and closed for public. Maybe should organise these 'expeditions' to spur interests in nature conservation and of course must have all the approvals from all the government agencies.

NATURE CONSERVATION MUST GIVE WAY TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT!

[valice]

They contain up to 35 per cent of medicinal oil rich in vitamin as such after storms (during Stalin's era) , golomyankas were gathered alongside the shores by the local siberians where they melt the fish fat and used it in treatments for rheumatism, atherosclerosis and for healing wounds.

The fishes swim up to near the surface? Or the fishermen fish them at depths?
If the fishes are caught at the upper depths of the water, probably explains the reason why they still have eyes unlike the cave fish we see in the trade.

[CK Yeo]

vaguely remember seeing on one of BBC's documentary. Is this where the world's only freshwater seal and giant amphipod is found?

ck

[doppelbanddwarf]

I did a search on the fish on google. The fish looks really weird, with almost wing-like extensions.

[Orion]

The freshwater seal like to feed on the oilfish.

The fish stays in deepwater(>1000m) during daytime and only ascend to shallow water at night to feed and probably attracted by moonlight. How the fishes perform such a feat remains a mystery as fishermen who caught them accidentally often find the fishes in oily lump and bones as pressure differences is too great.
These fishes are very common in lake baikal but not commericially viable because they do not form shoals. Surprise surprise for fishes these common they live solitary lives.

[celticfish]

cool information orion!

lake baikal... wonderful place to visit if you've seen picture of the place.
its the russian equivalent of alaska - bears and salmon galor.
quite a major supplier of lapis lazuli (semi-precious stone) though nothing near the grade os those from afganistan.
it has too much calcite deposits (white inclusions).