Snow White and the seven cods

How do Icefish in oceans near the poles survive? Antarctic Icefish are starkly different from most vertebrates and most fishes in the fact they do not have haemoglobin- the red colouring pigment in our red blood cells which acts as the oxygen carrying component, supplying oxygen taken in through the lungs to the different cells and organs in the body. Antarctic Icefish are the only vertebrates that lack both red blood cells and haemoglobin.

In fact, the loss of haemoglobin in these fish occurred by accident at the genetic level, forcing the Icefish to alter their body in order to survive, as their colourless blood can transport only 10% as much oxygen as other fish. The onset of the Ice Age also forced them to adapt themselves to the changing environment. Their thin blood helped them survive in the cold currents around Antarctica, as thinner blood can circulate more easily, an advantage in harsh conditions.

But how could they prevent their blood from freezing, when the arctic waters themselves go below -2°c? (The water doesn’t freeze at 0°c as salts dissolved in the ocean lower its freezing point) These fish contain anti-freeze glycoproteins (a combination of carbohydrate and protein) in their blood serum, which bind to tiny water crystals that start forming in the blood, and prevent the ice from building up. Later, it was found that several fungi, bacteria and plants also contain anti-freeze glycoproteins to help them survive extreme cold.

Once upon a time, around 25 million years ago, lived a codfish called Snow White in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. This codfish was quite an unlucky little fish, because she was abandoned as soon as she was born. This had happened because she was a freak— she didn’t look like the other codfishes in the region.

She was born pale white, without scales, and white as snow in some parts, and almost transparent in others. It was quite evident that she did not have the same red blood running through her veins as the other fishes in her group. Seeing the strange baby fish, no mother codfish in the region would own up that the baby was hers.

So little Snow White, as she was called for her white body, had to fend for herself. It was a big struggle for her, especially as she was deficient not just in colour, but in health as well. She found it difficult to breathe in enough oxygen, and the warm water currents they lived in weighed her down. It took her an enormous amount of will power and strength to just survive.

Snow White was a nice fish, but no one was prepared to see her good qualities. All they saw was that she was strange, different from them, with an appearance that none of them had. They avoided her as much as they could. Seeing her fate where her own mother had refused to accept her as her baby, the other fishes felt that Snow White would bring them terrible bad luck.

Once, when Snow White was nibbling at some seaweed, some baby crabs came that way. The baby crabs, which were still new to the ocean, waved to her happily. Snow White waved back. But Mother Crab, seeing her kids talk to the “weirdo” as she called Snow White, came rushing to the spot. “Stay away from my kids!” she screamed at poor Snow White. “You’ll get them into trouble!”

“But… but… I haven’t done anything wrong”, sobbed poor Snow White.

“If you haven’t done anything wrong, why are you different from others? Surely, this must be a punishment for you… or a warning for the rest of us to stay away from you!” cried the Mother Crab, herding her children away.

Snow White silently heard all the insults heaped on her. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to retaliate, but she knew that there was no point arguing with the rest of the fish who had already made up their mind about her.

This happened several times with various other fish. The other cod fishes, of course gave her the silent treatment, swimming away swiftly the moment they saw her approaching. Some of the other fishes stared at her as she passed by. The snails withdrew into their shells when they saw her coming, and the octopus rolled up his eight arms as if he was scared of becoming like her if he touched her by mistake.

Yet, Snow White, who had no other place to go, managed to live on in that hostile environment on her own. It hurt her deeply inside when people judged her wrongly just because she was different, but she put on a brave face. She hoped there would be a day when her unlucky appearance would become lucky for her.

Then one day, things started going terribly wrong for all the creatures of the ocean. It started getting colder and colder with each passing day. Many of the smaller fishes died, and the other fish had a hard time coping up with the cold.

There were of course a few, who seemed to be more comfortable with the chill in the waters, but the majority of them were unhappy with the dropping temperatures. The sea creatures discussed what the cause could be for such a misfortune.

“This sort of thing has never happened before”, said a young cod fish, with a superior air of one who had lived through the entire history of the earth.

“Don’t talk about things you don’t know, sonny”, said a Hydra. “It has happened before, but many, many years ago…. long before you were born.”

“Well, why did it happen then?” demanded a starfish. “There must be a reason!”

“It must have been the presence of another fish like Snow White”, said a malicious cod fish. “That must have turned the tide towards the ocean’s misfortune!”

The fishes started whispering among themselves. Now everybody found this the most acceptable explanation, one that they were comfortable with. They hated to think that anyone else, other than Snow White, could be responsible for the disaster.

“Snow White must be brought before the Seven Cod Council!” cried a cod fish.

The Seven Cod Council was a group of seven Cod fishes, who judged those who had committed crimes and punished them accordingly. They were extremely powerful, sometimes ruthless, and no fish dared to even cross their path.

“Yes, she must be judged and punished for bringing bad luck to our ocean!” said another fish.

Very soon, all the fish started repeating the same thing, and all the creatures agreed that they should immediately ask the Seven Cod Council to hold court.

Snow White, as usual, was away from all of them, and was unaware of all that was happening. So when a swordfish came to tell her that she was being summoned by the Seven Cod Council, she was both surprised and afraid. “Why am I being called?” she cried. “What have I done?”

But the swordfish refused to answer. He felt he had already invited enough bad luck by talking once to her. Dreading what was going to come, Snow White followed him to the reef clearing where the Seven Cod fishes of the Council were sitting on seven high mounds on the ocean bed, with a central clearing in the middle. Snow White stood silently in the clearing, with the seven Cods glaring down at her.

“We have found that you are responsible for the changing temperature of the ocean”, said the Chief, his gaze steady on her. “And we believe you need to be punished for bringing on such misfortune upon us.”

“If any sea creature has any objection, I ask him or her to voice it now!” thundered the second Cod fish of the council. Not a single creature moved. The Hydra opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it, and shut it again.

“No one seems to have any objection, Snow White”, said the third Codfish softly. “In that case, we shall pronounce your sentence.”

Snow White trembled and wondered what was coming. “You are banished to the ice cold Southern Ocean”, came the booming voice of the second Cod fish again. “You should not be seen here ever again!” The Southern Ocean was an extremely cold place, with waters as cold as ice. It was a terrible place, because no fish could survive there.

But no sooner did the Codfish pass the sentence than the audience rose to corner Snow White. “Go now!” they cried. “Go away before we hurt you!”

Snow White had no option but to flee. She swam faster and faster, crying all the way. She hardly knew where she was going, except that she was going to her death. She swam on and the waters started getting terribly colder.

But strangely, she did not feel uncomfortable, and could breathe freely through her soft gills and ultra-thin skin. In fact, she felt better than she had ever felt all her life! With a shock, she realised it was her body without the red blood that seemed to be helping her survive the harsh, freezing cold.

Then she spotted several other fish, swimming away in the cold waters. To her surprise and joy, she realised that many of them looked like her! With a cry of joy, she joined them—they were called the Icefish— and survived that Ice Age, as the cold which had come on them was not brought by her bad luck, but by the earth itself during its glacial cycles.

As for the other fish in the warm waters, who had banished Snow White away, they froze away along with the earth, meeting their death. Snow White had survived, just because she was –different.

By: Sneha Verghese is a research scholar in Journalism at Osmania University, Hyderabad. Also a post-graduate in biotechnology, she loves teaching and writing stories for kids to explain scientific concepts.