A see-through alternative to classroom dissections
A team of Japanese scientists has successfully created a school of transparent goldfish.
The “see-through” creatures are expected to offer a realistic alternative to controversial classroom dissections.
“You can see a live heart and other organs because the scales and skin have no pigments,” Mie University Professor Yutaka Tamaru told AFP. “You don’t have to cut it open. You can see a tiny brain above the goldfish’s black eyes.”
Tamaru explained that researchers created the “Ryukin” fish by selecting and breeding mutant hatchery goldfish with pale skin.
“Having a pale color is a disadvantage for goldfish in an aquarium but it’s good to see how organs sit in a body three-dimensionally. As this goldfish grows bigger, you can watch its whole life.”
He added that the “Ryukin” fish are likely to live approximately 20 years, with a length of 25 centimeters (10 inches) and a weight of two kilograms (five pounds). ??
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