a tropical fish, the Parin malka (Diretmichthys parini), which lives in deep water, was detected near the Arctic Pole. As reported this thursday a french maritime agency, his whereabouts could be linked to climate change.
“It seems to be related to climate change, as it coincides with a recent warming of the water temperature in this region far to the north”, explains Pierre Cresson, a researcher at the French Institute for Research on Maritime Exploration (Ifremer).
This fish lives at depths between 500 meters and 2,000 meters and feeds on plankton. Scientific media in the Nordic countries have mentioned its presence since the mid-1990s, but the phenomenon seems to have accelerated in recent years.
The last apparition detected last October, when the Norwegian press reported the capture of two specimens in water just at the edge of the polar circleCresson explained in an Ifremer videoconference.
“It appears that this fish continues to rise as the water heats up.“Cresson explained.
“This species is rare and little known.“They informed of Ifremer. Although its natural habitat is warm water, it is able to navigate temperate waters to feed. To do this, it rises to the surface to feed on plankton.
Parin’s bruiser is the species Diretmichthys parini. It measures about 40 cm and can live for tens of years. “It’s similar to coelacanth, a slow-growing deep-sea fish, which can make it vulnerable,” added Cresson.
Its rarity has allowed it to escape mass fishing for the time being, “which explains why it is not on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists of threatened species”, says the expert.
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