New unusual fish species observed at record depths

Scientists exploring the deepest place on earth – the Mariana Trench – have used video equipment to record a new, never before known species of fish. This might not be so unusual if it weren’t for the fact that the whole event took place at a record depth of 8145m.

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The entire event was described in New Scientist magazine. “The ghost fish – as it was named because of its shape and way of moving – was discovered during an expedition led by Jeff Drazen and Patty Fryer of the University of Hawaii. As the marine biologists assume, the new species is most likely some type of denfish (a marine scorpene fish), but based only on footage, they are not entirely sure.

“We suspect that it may be some kind of denning fish, but it is so different from the species we know of that we cannot be absolutely sure. It gives the impression of being extremely fragile, and when it swims it resembles a paper handkerchief in water. It also has a strange snout. It looks more like a cartoon character than an actual creature,” expedition member Alan Jamieson wrote in his article for the BBC.

Whether it is a denfish or any other species, the most important thing is the depth at which the encounter with this extraordinary creature took place. 8145m is a new record for an encounter with a complex life form. The previous record holder, Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis, was encountered at a depth of 7703m.

Interestingly, during one expedition, expedition members broke this record twice. The first encounter took place at 8000m, but after travelling another 145m they managed to encounter another fish.

The researchers also recorded another interesting material. They recorded strange representatives of amphipods, which in comparison with the known so far representatives of these crustaceans are considered gigantic. Until now, amphipods measuring 2-3cm have been found, while those recorded during the expedition in question are ten times bigger and measure up to 30cm!

Source: io9.com