Cruising to a depth of 8,336 meters, a young snailfish became the deepest fish ever filmed by scientists during a sounding in the abyss of the North Pacific Ocean.
Scientists from the University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology have released images of the snailfish, filmed last September by marine robots in deep trenches off Japan.
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Along with filming the deepest snailfish, scientists physically captured two other specimens at 8,022 meters and set another record for the deepest catch.
Previously, the deepest snail ever sighted was at 7,703 meters in 2008, while scientists had never been able to collect fish from anywhere below 8,000 meters.
“What’s significant is that it shows how far down the ocean a particular type of fish will go,” said marine biologist Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, who led the expedition.
Scientists are filming in Japan’s trenches as part of a 10-year study of the world’s deepest fish populations. Snailfish are members of the Liparidae family, and while most snailfish live in shallow water, others survive at some of the deepest depths ever recorded, Jamieson said.
During the two-month survey last year, three “landers” – automatic marine robots equipped with high-resolution cameras – were dropped into three trenches – the Japan, Izu-Ogasawara and Ryukyu trenches – at varying depths.
In the Izu-Ogasawara trench, images showed the deepest snailfish hovering calmly alongside other crustaceans on the seabed.
Jamieson classified the fish as juvenile and said that younger snails tend to stay as deep as possible to avoid being eaten by larger predators that swim at shallower depths.
Another clip filmed between 7,500 and 8,200 meters in the same trench showed a colony of fish and crustaceans munching on bait tied to an underwater robot.
The images of the two captured snailfish – identified as Pseudoliparis belyaevi – provide a rare glimpse into the unique characteristics that help deep-sea species survive in extreme environments.
They have tiny eyes, a translucent body and the lack of a swim bladder, which helps other fish float, works in their favor, Jamieson said.
The professor said the Pacific Ocean is particularly conducive to vibrant activity due to its warm southern current, which encourages sea creatures to go deeper, while its abundant marine life provides a good source of food for bottom feeders.
Scientists would like to know more about creatures that live at extreme depths, but cost is the constraint, Jamieson said, adding that each lander costs $200,000 to assemble and operate.
“The challenges are that the technology has been expensive and scientists don’t have a lot of money,” he said.
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