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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Photo: Antarctic Fish "Hibernate" in Winter


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Antarctic cod, like the one seen above, are the first fish known to actively go into "hibernation" as part of an annual cycle, a new study shows.

As winter approaches the fish hunker down on the seafloor, reduce their feeding, and slow their heart rates—probably as a way to survive the long, dark Antarctic winters, researchers say.

Photograph courtesy Hamish Campbell