Scientists have discovered a highly unusual fish with fangs made of bone.

Dubbed the "Dracula" fish, the creature is about 17mm (0.7 inches) long and has been found in only one Burmese stream.

The researchers, from London's Natural History Museum (NHM), believe the fish lost its teeth over evolutionary time, but later evolved the bone fangs.

Writing in the Royal Society's journal Proceedings B, they say the males use the fangs to jostle each other - but do not appear to draw blood.

"When you watch them in captivity you can see the males sparring," said NHM's Ralf Britz.

"They display with their lower jaws open incredibly widely, then they nudge each other; but we don't see any wounds."

Dr Britz, who has worked with Burmese wildlife for more than a decade, named the species Danionella dracula in honour of mythology's most eminent fanged predator.

News Source: BBC Science News