Post #13862

Gambusia: The fish that defeated malaria in Russia and turned Sochi into a resort Today people from all over the world come to relax in Sochi. Previously, even the most desperate people were afraid to go there. This is because local attractions on the Black Sea included malaria, swamps and huge swarms of mosquitoes. That's it, I came for a tan and left with a temperature of 40°! Everything changed thanks to the efforts of the Soviet people and one tiny fish. Gambusia is the story of how a small fish defeated malaria, saved many lives and finally fulfilled the dream of an entire country about a warm resort. The genus Gambusia has about 40 species, but they are all small and inconspicuous. The female grows to only 7 centimeters, and the male even less. No bright veil fins, no neon glow, nothing. But you know what? Not all superheroes wear capes! For a long time, the south of our country was a promising place except for the exile of unreliable persons. No resorts or pebble beaches - just dampness, swamps, wilds and clouds of biting insects that carried all sorts of diseases. In particular, deadly malaria - yes, it is not only in Africa, we also had it before. And not as an exotic disease, it was widespread: according to various estimates, the number of cases varied from 40 to 60%. And in some areas the number of cases reached 90%. The Soviet government, once at the helm, decided to correct the situation. And cure people, and develop a promising piece of land. The swamps were drained using drainage canals and trees, and the wilds were cleared. There are mosquitoes left. And malaria. Then scientists decided to bring mosquito fish to the country. The choice of these small fish was not accidental. In their homeland, America, mosquito fish are called mosquito fish - for their great love for eating mosquito larvae. Of course, if you remove the carriers, that is, the blood-sucking parasites, then there will be no malaria. The results exceeded all expectations: the first mosquito fish were released into water bodies in 1925, and by 1960 the USSR announced the complete eradication of the disease in the country. So, in 35 years, the fish ate all the larvae and the once ruinous swamps turned into a resort! This is because mosquito fish are extremely voracious creatures. During the day they eat several hundred mosquito larvae, after which they polish off a hearty lunch with the eggs of small fish and other insects. But that’s not the only reason they took root in the Black Sea reservoirs. Gambusia lives and reproduces in conditions under which another fish would float upside down in a day! Gambusias tolerate a wide range of temperatures - from +43°C to 0°C. They spend the winter quietly under a layer of ice several centimeters thick! They don’t mind muddy, dirty water either - the fish survive well in swampy lakes with stagnant water and a lot of algae. As soon as the water warms up to +18°C, the fish will immediately begin to make thei