Scientists' Experiment Accidentally Creates New Jurassic-Like Species
Scientists are facing a problem: Caviar, or sturgeon fish eggs, is seen as a delicacy in cuisines across the globe, and the demand for this product is high. So high, in fact, that natural sturgeon populations aren't flourishing enough to replace the high numbers of fish lost to the food industry. Experts have desperately tried to produce a solution to overfishing by creating an animal that would solve sturgeon extinction problems. In doing so, however, they ended up breeding a monstrosity.
Underwater Problem
It was 2019, and a team of researchers in Hungary had a pressing problem on their hands. The sturgeon that had formerly thrived in Russia’s waters were becoming endangered, and science needed a way to help boost sturgeon populations again.
Cause
What was then, and is still, the problem with sturgeon? They're a fish in high demand, due to their prized roe — or fish eggs — which are harvested and cured with salt to sell as caviar.
Consequences
Unfortunately, sturgeon don't reproduce or mature quickly, so compared to the rapid rate they're harvested from the wild, they aren't able to replenish their numbers in time for the next fishing season.
Effects
Over the years, this problem has led to sturgeon becoming critically endangered. In 2020, the fish was just one IUCN conservation status away from being confirmed extinct in the wild.
Taking Action
In recent years, scientists monitoring sturgeon populations realized something needed to be done. The demand for caviar showed no signs of abating. As long as it fetched a high price at market, fishers and illegal poachers would continue to chase the money.
Forming A Squad
So, in Hungary, researchers Jenő Káldy and Attila Mozsár, along with a team of eleven other contributing scientists, set out to solve the sturgeon problem. They thought they had a method that might help the fish reproduce more quickly.
A Bold Hypothesis
Since the sturgeons' low numbers made it even more difficult for male and female sturgeon to find one another and to mate, the research team countered with the idea that if female sturgeon could reproduce without male sturgeon, the species could bounce back more quickly.
An Ingenious Approach
Though the idea of asexual reproduction in a sexual species sounds impossible, the team reasoned it wasn't. They were aware of an existing method called gynogenesis, which takes sperm from a similar species, treats it to eliminate competing or unwanted DNA, and then introduces it to the specimen.
Projected Results
That sperm can then send a biological signal that encourages the specimen's eggs to develop. If done properly, the specimen will produce offspring that are 100% the same species as itself, are healthy, and are able to reproduce normally.
Beginning The Process
So, the team figured they had a pretty good shot at getting it to work. They harvested and treated sperm from specimens of American paddlefish, which are native to the Mississippi River Basin and would never naturally encounter Russian fish of any kind.
Low Risk
The American paddlefish is also endangered, and previous conservation attempts to hybridize it with other breeds of sturgeon had been unsuccessful. So the research team believed that there was little to no risk of the two fish actually crossing.
A Twist
However, the two fish share a common ancestor and are part of the same order of basal ray-finned fishes, called Acipenseriformes, so they weren't totally biologically incompatible — and boy did that turn out to have an eye-opening effect.
False Security
At first, when the experiment was getting underway, nothing seemed amiss. Once fertilized with the paddlefish sperm, the female sturgeon specimen seemed healthy and normal, and the scientists reported no reproductive problems.
Oops!
However, when the sturgeon's eggs hatched, the Hungarians were shocked to discover that despite the two species' apparent biological incompatibility, the baby fish carried a variety of characteristics of both the paddlefish and the sturgeon.
Mismatched Fish
Perplexed, the scientists named the new Frankenstein creatures "sturddlefish," a portmanteau of both creatures' common names. With the ridged, dinosaur-like backs of sturgeon and the long, paddle-shaped noses of paddlefish, they looked almost prehistoric.
Unintended Discovery
Although the team didn't get the results they'd hoped for, they made the important discovery that sturgeon can breed with other species, possibly opening the doors for similar conservation efforts for sturgeon in the future.
Safety
And there's no risk of the hybrid sturddlefish breeding with wild fish. They're safely in captivity inside the Hungarian research facility, and even if they accidentally escaped, their hybrid nature would render them sterile.
Wasted Fish
Although the results were interesting, the problem of sturgeon and paddlefish over-harvesting still remains. Many of the fish aren't farmed for their meat, but only for their caviar, and are discarded after being harvested.
Cruelty
Moreover, the roe-collecting process, which must be begun while the fish is alive, is often barbaric. While it's possible to extract roe through a small incision in the female fish, after which she is sutured up and allowed to go back to swimming, it's often done with the intent to let the fish die.
Cost Vs. Benefit
Is caviar really tasty enough to hunt a species into extinction? For the time being, apparently so — but maybe people are just blissfully unaware of how the food is produced. That's why it's necessary for the government to step in and enforce conservation laws to keep some items off our menus. But which items in the US are strictly off-limits?
Puffer Fish
Also known as "fugu," the pufferfish is off the menu for your own good. Some of its internal organs contain the deadly poison tetrodotoxin, which can easily spread to the meat if not prepared with the utmost caution. For better or worse, fugu is a delicacy among sushi aficionados in Japan, so some think it's worth the risk.
Shark Fins
Dun dun. Dun dun. The shark from Jaws might eat anyone he comes across, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to chow down on any of his pals. In 2019, Congress introduced a bill to ban the sale of shark fins nationwide. While some diners enjoy the fin, they're often obtained by poachers who remove the extremity and dispose of the rest of the animal.
Swan
Americans love to devour all kinds of chicken and turkeys, so what makes swans so special? It's not just that they're pretty. Many varieties of these birds are endangered, including the trumpeter swan. This is also the case in the United Kingdom, where all swans are legally the Queen's property.
Bushmeat
This already sounds like something you shouldn't eat, but just to make sure, bushmeat is categorically illegal in the U.S. The term refers to just about any animal killed for sustenance in the African wild. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, bushmeat hunters often target "gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates, elephants, antelopes, crocodiles, fruit bats, porcupines, and other rodents, and several species of pangolin."
Beluga Caviar
Who knew tiny fish eggs could taste so good? Americans can find several types of high-priced roe at specialty stories, but beluga caviar is a no-go. It comes from the sturgeon, which has been overfished to the point where the species is near extinction.
Ambergris
You might not find many banned foods appetizing, and that's because our tastes have come a long way. Take a look at some delicacies from the past, like ambergris. Usually found washed up onto seashores, it used to be considered dragon saliva. It's actually a mixture of fat and bile from a whale's digestive system! It's a major ingredient in Chanel No. 5, and the flavor has a range. Sometimes it's on the earthier side, and sometimes it's sweet.
Horse Meat
Easy, boy! Whoa! Don't mind us — we're just calming down our horses. They're understandably finicky about being eaten, but the good news is that the FDA has made it impossible to buy or produce horse meat. For the most part, horse meat is only taboo because of our attachment to these animals; many who've sampled it actually found it quite tasty.
Raw Milk
Back in the 1860s, scientist Louis Pasteur revolutionized food safety by inventing a process that eliminated harmful yeasts and molds from dairy and liquid products. Still, some traditionalists shun pasteurization and cling to the idea that raw milk is healthier. It's not, and the United States forbids the sale of raw milk due to risks of Salmonella and E. coli.
Red Drum
Optimists will tell you that there's plenty of fish in the sea. Unfortunately, that's not the case for red drum fish. After they boomed in popularity among fishermen in the 1980s, the government designated them as a protected species. They cannot be commercially harvested, though in some states individuals are still allowed to catch red drum.
Queen Conch
If you put your ear up to this seashell, you'll hear...a giant, slimy mollusk. These sea critters are common fare around the Caribbean, overfishing has forced Florida to ban the harvesting and consumption of the regal shellfish.
Haggis
Sure, you might be able to find haggis — that's spiced beef, suet, and oatmeal boiled inside a sheep's stomach — on the menu of a Scottish pub in America, but the FDA has outlawed the import of the Scottish dish. Their take on the dish often includes livestock lung meat, which is illegal on this side of the pond.
Foie Gras
Only California has banned this delicacy so far, but opposition is building up in other states too. The rich spread, made from the fattened liver of a duck or goose, isn't exactly ethical, even in the controversial meat industry. Farmers immobilize and force-feed the birds multiple times a day until they're plump enough for slaughter.
Casu Martzu
Need a hint as to why this dairy product is illegal? In Sardinia, its name literally means "rotten or putrid cheese." Manufacturers actually allow casu martzu to decompose as it ferments, to the point where flies lay their eggs in it. Once the cheese becomes very soft and those babies hatch, it's ready to eat — live maggots and all.
Kopi luwak
The most expensive coffee beans — kopi luwak — have to be excreted by small, cat-like creatures called the Asian palm civets! Because their digestive tracks change the protein composition of the coffee cherries, these little guys' poops have become a hot (and expensive) commodity.
Mirabelle Plums
These fruits are delicious and don't carry any medical risks, so why can't you find them in the United States? Well, the government simply doesn't want you to have them. The plums are cultivated exclusively in Lorraine, France, and domestic and foreign officials have agreed to make the mirabelle a protected species that cannot be shipped overseas.
Sassafras Oil
Soda isn't good for you, but certain varieties used to be much worse. Root beer was originally made from the sassafras vine, but no longer. Scientists have determined that the spicy-sweet plant is a carcinogen, which is hard news to swallow.
Ackee Fruit
Although ackee is a mainstay in Caribbean and African countries, you won't find it in even the largest supermarket stateside. That's because it contains a toxin called hypoglycin. Eat too much ackee, and you might be suffering from the malady known as "Jamaican vomiting sickness."
Fish Bladder Jelly
Using the bladder of a sturgeon, Victorians made a sweet jelly dessert that doesn't sound all that appetizing today. Still, you've probably had fish bladder jelly without knowing. Believe it or not, this ingredient is still used today in the making of Guinness beer. It's also a popular thickening agent for jellies you may have already enjoyed!
Bird's Nest Soup
Many traditional Chinese chefs stand by bird's nest soup as not only a delectable meal, but also a bringer of good health. That's all well and good until you consider what's in it. The soup is made from the byproduct of the swiftlet, an endangered bird that constructs nests out of its solidified saliva. On top of being gross and environmentally unfriendly, the soup costs a pretty penny too.
Iguana Eggs
You wouldn't think to make a meal out of an iguana, but what about their eggs? Apparently, those shells are filled with yolk, and the Mayans used to eat them as a delicacy. No egg whites here.
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