Deep-sea snailfish make history as the deepest fish ever filmed, reaching an incredible 8,336 meters below the surface in the Japan Trench. A team of researchers from the University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology captured this remarkable footage using advanced sea robots equipped with high-resolution cameras.
The discovery not only sets a new record for the deepest fish ever filmed but also sheds light on the behavior of deep-sea snailfish, members of the Liparidae family. While most snailfish inhabit shallow waters, certain species have adapted to survive in some of the darkest and most extreme environments on the planet.
The two landers used by the researchers were deployed in three trenches – Japan, Izu-Ogasawara, and Ryukyu – at varying depths during a two-month survey last year. The footage revealed stunning images of snailfish hovering alongside crustaceans on the seabed, providing valuable insights into their unique adaptations.
Scientists identified one of the captured snailfish as Pseudoliparis belyaevi, characterized by tiny eyes, a translucent body, and an absence of swim bladder – features that enable it to thrive in the extreme conditions. The lack of buoyancy allows the fish to settle on the seabed without drifting upwards.
The discovery was part of a 10-year study into deep-sea fish populations, which aims to explore the world's most extreme environments. However, funding constraints remain a significant challenge for researchers, with each lander costing around $200,000 to assemble and operate.
As Professor Alan Jamieson, leader of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, emphasized, "The challenges are that technology has been expensive and scientists don’t have a lot of money." Despite these constraints, the research team remains committed to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding about life on our planet.
The discovery not only sets a new record for the deepest fish ever filmed but also sheds light on the behavior of deep-sea snailfish, members of the Liparidae family. While most snailfish inhabit shallow waters, certain species have adapted to survive in some of the darkest and most extreme environments on the planet.
The two landers used by the researchers were deployed in three trenches – Japan, Izu-Ogasawara, and Ryukyu – at varying depths during a two-month survey last year. The footage revealed stunning images of snailfish hovering alongside crustaceans on the seabed, providing valuable insights into their unique adaptations.
Scientists identified one of the captured snailfish as Pseudoliparis belyaevi, characterized by tiny eyes, a translucent body, and an absence of swim bladder – features that enable it to thrive in the extreme conditions. The lack of buoyancy allows the fish to settle on the seabed without drifting upwards.
The discovery was part of a 10-year study into deep-sea fish populations, which aims to explore the world's most extreme environments. However, funding constraints remain a significant challenge for researchers, with each lander costing around $200,000 to assemble and operate.
As Professor Alan Jamieson, leader of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, emphasized, "The challenges are that technology has been expensive and scientists don’t have a lot of money." Despite these constraints, the research team remains committed to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding about life on our planet.
And $200k for each lander? That's like building a luxury mansion underwater 
Guess it's worth it to learn more about these tiny fish and their fancy adaptations. Maybe they can even teach us humans how to thrive in extreme environments without totally losing our buoyancy 
i'm so grateful for ppl like prof alan jamieson & their teams who are brave enough to explore the unknown. funding might be a challenge, but ain't it worth it to expand our knowledge of life on earth 
. And the way they adapted to live on the seabed without a swim bladder is straight-up genius 
. I'm all for funding cuts though 
it's like, yeah we get it technology is expensive but come on, scientists need some love too 
. Can't wait to see what other secrets the deep sea has in store for us 
can you even imagine living that deep? i'm so grateful for people like professor jamieson who are out there pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding 
? Like, how do these snailfish even survive down there with no eyes and a swim bladder that's basically useless? It's like they're saying "screw buoyancy" and just chill on the seabed all day 
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. and can you imagine what other secrets are hiding in those dark trenches?
It's wild, man. We're talkin' high-res cameras, advanced sea equipment... it's like somethin' straight outta a sci-fi movie! 
But at the same time, I gotta feel for these researchers - $200,000 per lander? That's like, whoa... 
Not exactly cheap, you know?