Biologists at the University of Manchester want help in cracking
their "miracle" discovery of three fish inside a sealed egg. The
group found the duck egg in a small pond on a field trip to the
French Alps and noticed something moving inside it. When they
cracked open the shell, three live minnows were inside. They
have enlisted the help of other experts, but despite their
extensive combined knowledge, the biologists admit they are
"baffled". Dr Matthew Cobb, a lecturer in animal behaviour at
the university, said: "As 21st century scientists rather than
17th century antiquarians we think it's unlikely this represents
a hitherto unknown mode of fish reproduction. "Perhaps the egg
fell into the pond following some kind of predatory attack but
we're baffled as to how the minnows got to be inside.
"Certainly, we didn't see any crack in the egg." Dr Cobb and his
colleague, Henry McGhie, head of natural sciences at the
Manchester Museum, have written to the New Scientist magazine in
the hope readers will help solve