The Arctic flounder, Liopsetta glacialis, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on coastal mud bottoms in salt, brackish and fresh waters at depths of up to 90 metres (300 ft). Its native habitat is the polar waters of the northeastern Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
The Arctic flounder is a right-eyed flatfish. Its upper side is dark olive green to dark brown in colour, sometimes with black spots or dark patches; its underside is white. Its fins are pale brown, sometimes with a yellow tinge or faint dark spots.
So what does it have to do with strawberries? Is there really a blue strawberry?
Not in the wild but there are genetically modified strawberries that are blue. This blue was purely unintentional as scientists wanted to figure out a way to protect strawberries from frost and found a gene in an Artic Flounder fish that produces antifreeze properties to protect the fish from freezing waters. The result of genetically modifying this gene created a shockingly blue fruit that can withstand very cold temperatures.
While they’re not in production, research is ongoing.
- AGROBACTERIAL TRANSFORMATION AND TRANSFER OF THE ANTIFREEZE PROTEIN GENE OF WINTER FLOUNDER TO THE STRAWBERRY http://www.actahort.org/books/484/484_99.htm
- CBF1 Gene Transgenic Strawberry and Increase Freezing Tolerance http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-DNYX200702001.htm