Transporting fish without water
Researchers of the Shandong Institute of Commerce and Technology in Jinan have developed a method that makes it possible to keep fish alive without water for up to 72 hours.
Inspired by animals who become dormant in winter, Doctor Zhang Changfeng, the founder of the project, developed a similar system by manipulating the metabolism of the fish by lowering its temperature. By doing so, the fish enter a dormant state and are able to survive without water for up to 3 days.
"In nature, animals, like frogs and snakes usually need dormancy. Fish are also heterothermic animals, [meaning] that external temperature will effect its metabolism. In this case, we could decrease the metabolism via reducing the external temperature. We could turn the temperature into the so-called 'biological freezing temperature' and the fish will go to a dormant state," said Doctor Zhang Changfeng.
Zhang Changfeng explained that the project began in 2010, and that the team has "done research on hypnotising the fish, waterless packing, transporting and revitalising. We have built up the complete procedure."
"In the end of 2019, we developed the commercialised exploration of the research. Where we transported turbot fish from Shandong Province to Hainan Province, and did another trial by transporting the Boston lobster within the city," he added.