Scientists Stun the World by Capturing Footage of Deepest Fish on Seabed Off Japan - CNN.
Deep-sea explorers from Australia and Japan made history last month when they captured footage of the deepest fish ever recorded, a young snailfish, at an unprecedented depth of 8,336 meters off the coast of Japan. The incredible discovery was part of a decade-long study to explore the depths of the northern Pacific Ocean.
Led by renowned marine biologist Alan Jamieson from the University of Western Australia and the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, the expedition involved deploying advanced sea robots equipped with high-resolution cameras into three trenches - Japan, Izu-Ogasawara, and Ryukyu. The two-month survey allowed the researchers to capture unique footage of a snailfish hovering calmly on the seabed alongside other crustaceans.
The significance of this discovery lies not only in the extreme depth at which it was recorded but also in providing insight into how deep-sea fish adapt to their environment. "What is significant here is that it shows how far a particular type of fish will descend in the ocean," said Jamieson, highlighting the remarkable resilience and survival capabilities of these creatures.
Snailfish, members of the Liparidae family, are known to inhabit shallow waters but some species have evolved to thrive at extreme depths. The captured footage provides a rare glimpse into their unique features that enable them to survive in such hostile environments.
These snailfish possess tiny eyes, translucent bodies, and an absence of swim bladder, which is crucial for other fish to maintain buoyancy. These adaptations have allowed the deep-sea species to stay undetected by predators that thrive at shallower depths.
While the discovery has left scientists thrilled, it also underscores the financial challenges associated with exploring such extreme environments. Each lander alone costs approximately $200,000 to assemble and operate, highlighting the substantial investment required for research in these vast and largely uncharted territories.
Jamieson emphasized the importance of learning more about creatures that inhabit the depths of our oceans but noted that "technology has been expensive" and funding is a significant constraint. Despite this, his team remains committed to advancing our knowledge of deep-sea life, driven by an insatiable curiosity about these enigmatic worlds beneath our feet.
The discovery also speaks volumes about the Pacific Ocean's unique ecosystem, characterized by its warm southern current that encourages sea creatures to venture deeper into the ocean's depths. The abundance of marine life and food sources in this environment provides a critical support system for bottom feeders like snailfish.
As researchers continue to push the boundaries of our understanding, they are reminded of the vast mysteries hidden beneath our oceans' surface.
Deep-sea explorers from Australia and Japan made history last month when they captured footage of the deepest fish ever recorded, a young snailfish, at an unprecedented depth of 8,336 meters off the coast of Japan. The incredible discovery was part of a decade-long study to explore the depths of the northern Pacific Ocean.
Led by renowned marine biologist Alan Jamieson from the University of Western Australia and the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, the expedition involved deploying advanced sea robots equipped with high-resolution cameras into three trenches - Japan, Izu-Ogasawara, and Ryukyu. The two-month survey allowed the researchers to capture unique footage of a snailfish hovering calmly on the seabed alongside other crustaceans.
The significance of this discovery lies not only in the extreme depth at which it was recorded but also in providing insight into how deep-sea fish adapt to their environment. "What is significant here is that it shows how far a particular type of fish will descend in the ocean," said Jamieson, highlighting the remarkable resilience and survival capabilities of these creatures.
Snailfish, members of the Liparidae family, are known to inhabit shallow waters but some species have evolved to thrive at extreme depths. The captured footage provides a rare glimpse into their unique features that enable them to survive in such hostile environments.
These snailfish possess tiny eyes, translucent bodies, and an absence of swim bladder, which is crucial for other fish to maintain buoyancy. These adaptations have allowed the deep-sea species to stay undetected by predators that thrive at shallower depths.
While the discovery has left scientists thrilled, it also underscores the financial challenges associated with exploring such extreme environments. Each lander alone costs approximately $200,000 to assemble and operate, highlighting the substantial investment required for research in these vast and largely uncharted territories.
Jamieson emphasized the importance of learning more about creatures that inhabit the depths of our oceans but noted that "technology has been expensive" and funding is a significant constraint. Despite this, his team remains committed to advancing our knowledge of deep-sea life, driven by an insatiable curiosity about these enigmatic worlds beneath our feet.
The discovery also speaks volumes about the Pacific Ocean's unique ecosystem, characterized by its warm southern current that encourages sea creatures to venture deeper into the ocean's depths. The abundance of marine life and food sources in this environment provides a critical support system for bottom feeders like snailfish.
As researchers continue to push the boundaries of our understanding, they are reminded of the vast mysteries hidden beneath our oceans' surface.
! Mind blown, right? Scientists are like "how do these creatures even survive?" And it's not just about the depth, it's also how they adapt to their environment - tiny eyes, translucent bodies... what a team player! 
The fact that we can capture footage of them is already giving us so much insight into their survival capabilities. It's crazy to think that technology has been expensive 
but someone's gotta keep pushing the boundaries of our understanding. Can't wait for more discoveries like this! #DeepSeaExploration #Snailfish #MarineBiology #OceanMysteries 
Like, who knew there was even a limit to how deep you could go in the ocean? I mean, it's not like anyone can just 'snorkel' down to 8,336 meters or something 
. But seriously, these snailfish are straight outta sci-fi - tiny eyes, translucent bodies... they're basically fish-shaped alien life forms 
. And can we talk about how much money goes into exploring the deep sea? Like, $200k per lander? That's more than I spend on a decent gaming rig each year 
8k meters off japan! mind blown - how do those tiny eyes work?! and did you know these little guys have no swim bladder lol it's like they're defying gravity or something 
it's crazy to think about how tiny its eyes must be and how it can survive at such extreme depths, I mean, who needs eyes when you have a body that's basically see-through? 
anyway, what's also interesting is the fact that these fish don't need swim bladders to maintain buoyancy, which makes them super hard to detect for predators. it just goes to show how adaptable and resilient life can be in extreme environments 
deep sea snailfish? who cares? 
they prob just wanna spend their lives at 8,336 meters or watever. what does that even do for us? 
lets give credit to Alan Jamieson n his team tho, dey r actually doing somethin good 
OMG, can you believe it?! Scientists just captured footage of the deepest fish on Earth at 8,336 meters off Japan's coast 
The fact that these snailfish can survive with no eyes and a super thin body is mind-blowing. I mean, we still have so much to learn about our oceans and the creatures living in them. It's crazy expensive to explore those depths, too 
But it's worth it to uncover these secrets and get more insight into how life thrives in such extreme conditions. Can't wait for the next big discovery 
tiny eyes, translucent bodies, and no swim bladder like wot? 
this discovery is defo mind-blowing & it just goes to show how much we still have 2 learn about our oceans & the incredible creatures that call 'em home 
its a reminder that no matter how tough life gets, we all got our own built-in superpowers just waitin to be tapped 
These researchers are literally walking on water and discovering creatures that we have no idea exist! And the fact that it took a decade to get this footage is crazy. I'm all for the research, but like, can't we just spend some cash on exploring our own backyard instead of sending robots all over the world? 
. Let's keep pushing those boundaries and exploring the unknown! 
and these scientists just casually deploy robots with high-res cameras into trenches like it's a Tuesday afternoon 
anyone got a decent excuse for why they spent over $200k on one lander 
i mean, how do you even see in those conditions? 
! 
, unlike most other fish. They just hang out on the seabed and get away with it 
! 
- warm southern current encourages sea creatures to dive deeper. And did u know that snailfish eat crustaceans & worms? 
