Brook trout have "fin prints" that can act as unique identifiers similar to human fingerprints. Unity College aquaculture research student Jason Overlock noticed that he could distinguish one fish from another in his lab's tanks based on the patterns on their dorsal fins. From the Associated Press:
One immediate implication, according to A. Jim Chacko, professor of aquaculture at the college, is that testing and research on brook trout will no longer require the cutting or clipping of fins for identification…
The pair, who are seeking funding to expand the project, plan to monitor some of the fish for long-term changes and would like to develop a computer program similar to the one that the FBI uses for fingerprints.
Link (Thanks, Loren Coleman!)
