A molly fish weighing just one gram has become the UK’s smallest surgery patient after vets removed a tumour from its abdomen.
The fish, named Molly, was rushed into the practice after its owners noticed a large lump on its belly.
Staff at Highscoft Vets in Bristol immediately diagnosed a tumour and prepared Molly for surgery.
The emergency procedure saw vets catheterise its mouth before anaesthetising Molly and removing the mass within 40 minutes.
The vets, who normally operate on iguanas, snakes and crocodiles, said the fish was the smallest animal to go under the knife.
Exotic species vet Sonya Miles said: “It’s not common across the UK to bring your fish to the vets but it is here. We are seeing more and more fish, which is great.
“It was definitely the smallest animal we’ve seen here. It barely registered on our scales.”
Molly woke up within minutes of the anaesthetic being stopped and returned home the same day, reported the Mail Online.
