Venom increases diversity of fish and insect species, research suggests

Venomous species diversify twice as fast as their non-venomous counterparts, Andy Gregory reports

A pharmacist catches a scorpion at the Scorpion Kingdom laboratory and farm in Egypt, where scientists are studying the pharmaceutical properties of venom (Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images)

Venom has played an important role in helping the diversity of fish and insect species to flourish, according to new research.

Fish and insects are by far the most diverse groups of vertebrates and invertebrates, respectively – with the more than a million known types of insects accounting for three-quarters of the invertebrate species discovered on Earth. The 31,000 species of fish account for nearly half of all known vertebrates.

While biologists have long examined what drives biodiversity, the role of venom in relation to these most diverse groups of all had not previously been fully considered.