Researchers have recently discovered a remarkable fish swimming deep in the sea off the coast of Japan. The fish, a snailfish from the genus Pseudoliparis, was spotted by scientists at a depth of approximately 8,336 meters. This makes it the deepest recorded fish ever to have been photographed.
Footage of the Fish
The scientists, from the University of Western Australia, captured footage of the fish as it swam near the Izu-Ogasawara Trench off Japan’s coast. The juvenile snailfish, which was around the size of a human palm, had scaleless translucent skin.
Armatus Oceanic, a technology and communications company that focuses on the deep ocean, tweeted, “Our CEO, Professor Alan Jamieson has just broken the previous record for the deepest-ever fish, with this recent observation of a snailfish in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, near Japan. The deepest fish observed now sits at 8336m!”
Autonomous Camera Used to Locate Snailfish
Snailfish are suction feeders that consume small crustaceans found on the ocean floor. To capture footage of these unique creatures, scientists utilized an autonomous camera known as a “lander,” which was dropped into the Izu-Ogasawara Trench.
The latest discovery of a snailfish swimming at this depth of 8,336 meters was captured on camera “very close to” the maximum depth that any fish can survive. This provides valuable insights into the adaptability of these fascinating creatures and their ability to thrive in extreme conditions.
Unique Adaptations of Snailfish
According to findings from earlier research, snailfish contain unique adaptations that allow them to survive tremendous pressures.
These fish live in the hadal zone, which is the deepest portion of the ocean and is also the darkest. There is no light in this zone, and the depths may range anywhere from 6,000 to 11,000 meters.
— Alan Jamieson (@Hadalbloke) April 3, 2023
Previous Record
Despite the astonishing discovery, the researchers were unable to correctly identify the species using the camera video as their only source of evidence.
The Mariana snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei), which was discovered at a depth of around 8,200 meters in the Mariana Trench, was the previous holder of the record for the deepest fish that has ever been photographed with a camera.
More Fish At a Depth of More than 8000 Meters
The researchers were able to haul in two more species of fish from a depth of around 8,022 meters, in addition to the snailfish. This is the first time fish have been collected at such great depths, and it gives scientists who are researching life in the deep seas significant information.
Alan Jamieson, the director of the Minderoo UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, said, “We have spent over 15 years researching these deep snailfish; there is so much more to them than simply the depth, but the maximum depth they can survive is truly astonishing.”
