In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have identified the first animal known to survive without oxygen. The creature, Henneguya salminicola, is a microscopic parasite related to jellyfish and corals. It inhabits the muscle tissue of salmon and has evolved to entirely bypass oxygen-dependent respiration. Unlike most animals, this parasite lacks mitochondria, the cellular structures responsible for oxygen-based energy production, and instead relies on anaerobic processes to generate energy. This makes it the first multicellular organism found to live without oxygen.
This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the necessity of oxygen for complex life forms. The absence of mitochondria in H. salminicola suggests that the parasite has undergone significant evolutionary changes, shedding key genes and structures essential for oxygen-based metabolism. Its ability to thrive in oxygen-deprived environments within its salmon host raises new questions about metabolic diversity and how organisms can adapt to extreme conditions. Understanding how this parasite functions could offer valuable insights into alternative metabolic pathways that could reshape our understanding of life itself. More