Why can the “headless fish” in Chengdu, Sichuan survive without a head?

Recently, a " headless fish " has become an Internet celebrity: In Chengdu, Sichuan, a fish that appears to have no head is swimming in an open-air pond. The owner of the fish said that the fish was injured because of a fight with other fish. Now in order to allow it to receive individual treatment, the fish is placed in an outdoor pool and has survived for seven or eight days.

Many netizens exclaimed that this was a "strong fish" and expressed admiration for its tenacious vitality. However, many friends also wondered: How can the fish still be alive even though its head is gone?

Orange-spotted snakehead, a relative of the snakehead

The fish in the video is called " Golden Cobra Brontosaurus " and is a common ornamental fish in flower and bird markets. Its official Chinese name is Channa aurantimaculata , and it is a relative of the black fish we eat every day, namely the black snakehead (C. argus).

Orange-spotted snakehead in a fish tank | 5snake5 / Wikimedia Commons

The orange-spotted snakehead is native to some water systems in the Indian subcontinent. Similar to the snakehead, it is a strong and ferocious predatory fish . Moreover, some individuals sold in the flower and bird market have become accustomed to the artificial breeding environment and will chase approaching humans and food. It has a strong interactive nature and is a very popular ornamental fish.

However, like many other brontosaurs, the orange-spotted snakehead does not like to be crowded in the same fish tank with other fish and can generally only be kept alone . If other fish intrude, the orange-spotted snakehead will fight with them and will not stop until it drives the opponent away or bites it to death. The orange-spotted snakehead in the video was probably bitten while fighting with other fish.

Headless fish? Not that exaggerated

However, if you watch the video carefully, you will find that this fish is not as exaggerated as the "headless fish" described in the copy. Only the upper and lower jaws and part of the eyeballs are damaged, and most of the organs in the head are still intact - as long as there are gills to ensure breathing and the brain is not injured, this fish can survive temporarily.

Fish's brain is in the back of its head｜Living Ocean, CRDG, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Although the mouth of this orange-spotted snakehead has been completely disfigured and may affect its eating ability before it recovers, the metabolic rate of fish is different from that of mammals, and many fish can survive for a long time without eating. The body structure of fish is also different from ours. Many of their important organs are concentrated in a relatively small area of ​​the head and abdomen . As long as these organs are not traumatized and can stop bleeding in time and overcome bacterial infections and other factors, they can survive. Similar to this "strong fish", there are some fish on the Internet that have also suffered incredible injuries, such as losing the back half of their bodies and having a large piece of meat bitten off the side of their bodies, but because their important organs are not damaged, they are still alive.

In addition to fish, there are some other "headless animals". In the 1970s, there was a " headless chicken Mike " in the United States. Although the chicken's beak and eyes were cut off, its brain and other important organs were not damaged, and the bleeding from the wound was quickly stopped. The owner also maintained its nutritional intake by injecting nutrient solution into Mike's esophagus. Headless chicken Mike finally survived for 18 months.

Photo of Mike the Headless Chicken｜Troy Waters

Living a long life? I'm afraid it's difficult

However, based on my many years of experience in fish breeding, it is not easy for this orange-spotted snakehead to live long. On the one hand, the injured area of ​​the fish is relatively large, and the wound shows signs of bacterial infection ; on the other hand, the owner of the fish kept it in an outdoor pond for separate healing, but the water in the pond does not look very clean , which may increase the risk of bacterial infection.

For fish with bad tempers such as orange-spotted snakehead, owners should try to avoid raising them with other fish . Once a fish is injured, it should be isolated and placed, and the container and water should be sterilized in advance, such as adding a certain dose of antibiotics to the water, so as to prevent wound infection; if conditions permit, it is best to keep the fish indoors, after all, the indoor environment is much more stable than the outdoor environment.

Raise them individually to avoid tragedy｜5snake5 / Wikimedia Commons

However, although it is theoretically feasible, the chance of death for artificially raised pet fish after large-scale injuries is still very high.

Author: Erzhu

Editor: Mai Mai

This article comes from the Species Calendar, welcome to forward

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