Scientists film deepest ever fish on seabed off Japan

Deep-sea researchers have made the most extraordinary discovery, capturing footage of the deepest fish ever filmed on camera - a young snailfish hovering in the darkness of the Japan Trench at an astonishing depth of 8,336 meters, or over 27,000 feet.

This remarkable find marks a major breakthrough for scientists studying the deepest fish populations in the world, as it provides a rare glimpse into the unique features that help deep-sea snailfish survive in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

The discovery was made by researchers from University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology during a two-month survey using advanced sea robots equipped with high-resolution cameras. The team deployed three 'landers' - automatic sea robots fitted with cameras - into three trenches, including the Japan Trench, at varying depths to capture footage of deep-sea creatures.

The footage shows a juvenile snailfish hovering calmly alongside other crustaceans on the seabed in the Izu-Ogasawara trench. The fish has been identified as Pseudoliparis belyaevi and possesses tiny eyes, a translucent body, and an unusual lack of swim bladder - features that help it survive in the crushing pressure of the deep ocean.

The Pacific Ocean is proving to be an incredibly productive ecosystem due to its warm southern current, which encourages sea creatures to venture deeper. The abundant marine life also provides a reliable source of food for bottom feeders such as snailfish.

While this incredible discovery brings scientists one step closer to understanding life in the deepest corners of our oceans, the high cost of technology remains a significant barrier. The cost of assembling and operating each lander alone is estimated to be around $200,000, making it a challenging task for researchers to gather more data about these mysterious creatures.

"It's not just that technology has been expensive, but scientists don't have a lot of money," noted Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre.

I'm low-key obsessed with this discovery! Can you imagine something so tiny and fragile living in one of the most extreme environments on Earth? The fact that they can survive without a swim bladder is mind-blowing And $200k per lander is crazy, I feel for the researchers who have to deal with those costs

8,336m deep & still got eyes tiny fish doing tiny things. Ocean's like a big laboratory scientists trying to figure out life at extreme depths $200k for a lander? yikes but hey discovery = progress

I'm stoked they finally got some solid footage of deep-sea snailfish ! I mean, 8,336 meters is crazy depth - it's like something out of a sci-fi movie. The fact that these fish can survive with tiny eyes and no swim bladder just blows my mind. It's amazing we're learning more about our oceans and the creatures that call them home.

But, let's be real... $200k for each lander is wild . I feel for researchers trying to gather data on these creatures - it's like they're trying to fund a space mission . Can't help but wonder if we'll ever see more affordable tech in this field. Still, the discovery is awesome and brings us closer to understanding life at the deepest depths of our oceans

OMG u guys! Can u believe we got footage of a snailfish at 8,336 meters?! That's wild! I think its kinda cool that scientists are tryna figure out how these creatures survive in the dark depths of the ocean. Like, who needs eyes when ur surrounded by bioluminescent stuff?

But seriously, it just goes to show how much we still dont know about our oceans. Im all for investin in research, especially when its gonna help us learn more about these incredible creatures. I mean, $200k might seem like a lot, but think of all the ppl who could get jobs from this tech!

anywayz, let's keep explorin and see what other secrets we can uncover

Wow, can you even believe it? 8,336 meters is like, whoa! These deep-sea snailfish are literally aliens from another world . I'm so stoked that scientists got to capture this footage - it's gonna be a game-changer for ocean research. The way they adapted to survive in that crushing pressure is wild . And $200,000 is crazy expensive! I mean, yeah, the tech costs a lot, but it's not just about the tech, it's about the people behind it . Researchers like Alan Jamieson are doing such important work and deserve our support .

I'm amazed by this discovery ! Those little fish are literally superheroes, surviving in conditions that would be lethal to us just thinking about it. I mean, can you even imagine being 8,336 meters underwater? It's like they have their own special suit on or something . And the fact that we can finally see them on camera is just incredible. It gives me hope for our planet's oceans and the creatures that live in them . I wish they could make these landers more affordable so scientists can keep exploring without breaking the bank .

The fact that they had to shell out like $200k each for those lander robots is wild, man... I mean, what's up with the cost? You'd think that's part of the deal when you're working on groundbreaking research like this They should find a way to make it more accessible or crowd fund something or another.

omg this is like mind blown rn!!! 8k meters is crazy deep i wonder how they got the footage without getting squished it's so cool that they caught a pICTURE of the snailfish, i mean who needs that much pressure in their body? and $200k is wild but like scientists need this info to save our oceans

OMG , can you even imagine seeing a fish in real life at 27k feet below sea level?! It's like something out of a sci-fi movie! The fact that this young snailfish is just chillin' on the seabed with other crustaceans, not even fazed by the pressure... it's just mind-blowing . I mean, scientists have been searching for answers about how life thrives in those depths, and now they've got a whole lot more info . The technology might be pricey, but it's worth every penny to learn more about our oceans and the creatures that call them home .

omg, can u believe this?? they actually caught footage of the deepest fish ever on camera! like 27k feet deep!! i'm all about those deep-sea creatures tho . it's crazy how these snailfish have adapted to survive in that extreme pressure, tiny eyes and no swim bladder? mind blown! what i find really interesting is how the pacific ocean is like a big buffet for sea life, all that food for those bottom feeders . tech costs are steep tho, like $200k per lander... but can you imagine being able to learn more about these creatures and their habitats? it's like, we're still only scratching the surface of our oceans . gotta keep pushing those boundaries and funding for research!

OMG , can you believe those poor little guys are living at 27,000 feet under water? like they're in some sci-fi movie or something ! I mean, it's crazy to think about how we still don't know that much about our oceans and the creatures that live in them. The fact that this discovery was made with $200k worth of tech is wild, though... like, what kind of cash are they raking in from all those lander deployments?

OMG , I'm like totally blown away by this deep-sea snailfish discovery! 8,336 meters? Whoa! That's like, way deeper than my ex's drama . I mean, can you imagine being a tiny fish with teeny eyes in that kinda pressure? It's like they're saying, "Hey, we may be small, but we're also super resilient... and also kinda boring because who wants to hang out with crustaceans all day?" Anyways, scientists are totally stoked about this find and I'm happy for them! The Pacific Ocean is like the ultimate buffet for marine life . And btw, $200k per lander? That's like a year's salary for me... just saying .

Ugh, think about this... they're talkin' 'bout breakin' through with all these underwater robots and cameras, but what's the real agenda here? Are we just distractin' ourselves from the fact that our oceans are gettin' more polluted by the day?! And $200k for a sea robot? That's insane! Meanwhile, there's still so much we don't know about the world beneath the surface. What if this discovery is just coverin' up some other, way bigger secret?

I mean, can you even imagine being at 8,336 meters underwater?! It's crazy to think about how much pressure they're dealing with there. And that little snailfish is just chillin' in the dark, like it's on a beach vacation or something. I'm fascinated by how scientists are working hard to learn more about these creatures and their habitats. But $200k for one lander? That's wild

This discovery is like what happens when you're trying to level up your underwater gaming experience - except instead of leveling up, we're talking about LEVELING UP OUR UNDERWATER EXPLORE GAME ! It's crazy that with all the tech advancements, scientists are still having to shell out a pretty penny (literally) to get these landers into the depths. I mean, what if this was like a voting system for sea creatures - whoever has the most 'dollars' gets to be in the game? Anyway, it's awesome we're getting more info about life at extreme depths, but maybe it's time for some tax reform... or just more funding for marine research?

I mean, can you believe it? A snailfish at 8,336 meters deep? That's like, mind-blowing! The fact that these creatures exist in such extreme conditions is just incredible to me. And the tech used to capture this footage? It's crazy expensive - $200,000 per lander? That's a lot of cash for underwater robots . But you know what they say, "you get what you pay for" . Still, it's awesome that scientists like Alan Jamieson are pushing boundaries and giving us a glimpse into the unknown depths of our oceans .

omg 8k meters is crazy!! i feel like we're literally exploring another planet the fact that it can survive in crushing pressure with tiny eyes is just mind-blowing can you imagine living in a world where the light barely reaches and everything feels like you're drowning in water? anyway, i'm so down for more research on these creatures they're basically aliens from another world

omg can u believe we got footage of snailfish in 8k+ depth??

so i was thinking, these creatures are literally superheroes with tiny eyes & translucent bodies lol they just chill on the seabed w/ crustaceans like nothing's wrong

but seriously, it's crazy how scientists r working hard to study deep-sea life & we're getting closer 2 understanding how these creatures thrive in extreme environments

i also feel 4 them tho, the tech costs are insane $200k+ per lander? that's like buying a whole new car lol but i guess it's worth it 4 the data they get

I'm so hyped about this discovery! 8,336 meters is mind-blowing!!! I mean, can you even imagine what it's like to swim in that kind of pressure? It's crazy how these snailfish are able to survive with tiny eyes and no swim bladder - talk about adaptability . And the fact that they're just chillin' on the seabed with crustaceans is wild . The cost of tech is still a barrier, but I think it's worth it for this kind of groundbreaking research . It's amazing how much we can learn from these tiny creatures and their incredible survival skills