Strange but true


The fish that bangs like a gun
Danionella cerebrum is a tiny transparent fish native to Myanmar. It measures just 12mm long – yet it can produce sounds exceeding 140 decibels in the waters around it, equivalent to a rifle shot. Scientists in Germany, who were using the fish as model organisms for medical research, became intrigued by the noise coming from their fish tanks, and have now worked out how the fish makes this extraordinary sound. Using high speed videos of the fish, they discovered that when it contracts its muscles, these pull on a rib next to the fish’s swim bladder; a rib that slots into a piece of cartilage with an indentation. This creates significant tension, and when the cartilage snaps free, it hits the bladder hard, producing the drumming noise. Further analysis revealed that this drumming muscle is more resistant to fatigue than the fish’s other muscles. Why they make this noise is not clear, but it may help them navigate in murky water or be used to ward off rivals or predators.
Late revival
Three members of an electro pop girl band that disbanded without a hit to its name nearly 40 years ago have experienced a career revival since a DJ found a copy of their only single in a secondhand shop in Cornwall in 2022. The members of Zenana, who are all now in their 50s or 60s, had briefly dreamed of stardom in the 1980s, but had assumed their pop careers were long over when Kiernan Abbott tracked them down. They released an EP last year, which has since been remixed, and now their single, Witches, is being rereleased.
Dining curfew
The minister of labour, Yolanda Díaz, has told the restaurants of Spain that they must close earlier. “It is madness they should still be open at 1am, long after staff in the rest of Europe have gone home,” she said. The move is part of the drive by the left wing government of Pedro Sánchez to limit the working week to 37.5 hours. Spain is known for its very late dining hours, and Díaz’s remarks have sparked a national debate. Its most feted female politician, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, right wing head of the Madrid region, accused the minister of sacrificing Spanish cultural freedoms for socialist puritanism.
Bons mots
“I hate housework! You make the bed, you do the dishes – and six months later you have to start all over again.” – Joan Rivers
“One good reason to only maintain a small circle of friends is that three out of four murders are committed by people who know the victim.” – George Carlin, comedian, USA


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