Scientists discover a fish that devours its own offspring out of stress 

If you go through the evolutionary history of species, you will learn that most of them, be it humans, animals or plants nurture their young, until they are fully grown and ready to face the world all by themselves.  

But like everything else in this world, this too has an exception. Turns out, there is a fish called Cichlid (a small-sized tropical fish often suitable for aquariums, native to central Africa), whose females devour their own babies. Vicious, you think? Well, let’s not judge till you know the whole story. 

A female cichlid fish carries the eggs inside its mouth for about two weeks until they hatch. However, when the babies are born, the mother is supposed to keep the babies inside in order to protect them from potential predators. But guess what happens instead? It ends up eating 40 percent of its own offsprings.  

Sources cite that this finding not only reveals ‘filial’ cannibalism but also the fact that the cichlid females do so as they benefit out of it. For instance, mouthbrooding in aquatic animals usually causes cell damage and this devouring habit is known to reduce the chances of this condition. But that’s not why the cichlid mothers feed on their own babies. Turns out, while mouthbrooding, the fish is often unable to eat or even breathe properly, so it is often left with no other choice but devour some of its young. In fact, during this period, the fish is mostly stressed due to lack of regular food and nutrition and hence end up taking such a drastic step. Not only that, more the amount of stress (proved by the presence of certain stress chemicals inside their bodies such as reactive oxygen that often damages DNA), more does female cichlid eat its young, to counter the stress-induced hormonal imbalance.  

Moreover, it also helps improve their health as these babies are full of nutrients and antioxidants. In fact, this current study is the answer to how not just cichlid but other mouthbrooding females survive and maintain their own health during the gestation period. It also sheds light on the reproductive habits of such species. Scientists involved in the study also believe that female cichlid considers it logical to eat some its own children and be able to reproduce again in the future, rather than die during its reproductive cycle.  

Interestingly, apart from cichlid, there are other animals who also consume their own progeny. For instance, barred-chin blenny, guppy and common goby fish feed on eggs which they are supposed to protect and nurture.  

Wondering who is responsible for this strange and brand-new discovery? Well, biologists based at Central Michigan University and Natural History Museum, London are responsible for this startling revelation. This latest study has been published in the scientific journal Biology Letters.