Meet the monkeyface prickleback, the hero we all need

A new vegetarian fish species known as the monkeyface prickleback poses as a possible alternative to dietary protein for human consumption as claimed by researchers at University of California, Irvine (UCI). In the paper they published, they described its diet to be “specialized algae in the tidepools where they live.” Donovan German, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, reported their digestive system to be excellent at breaking down starch and lipids. Interestingly, the monkeyface prickleback can break air and remain out of water for 15-35 hours. This new discovery could potentially alleviate the detrimental impact of raising livestock to climate change, since plant-based food ingredient reduce costs and pollution. Fortunately, the species is describe to be pleasant to human taste buds, usually grows up to three feet long, weighs up to six pounds, and can live up to 18 years. In addition, exploring the fish genome such as that of the monkeyface prickleback could open up potential candidates for sustainable aquaculture.

To read the full article by Melissa Breyer from treehugger, click here.