Young Snailfish Break Record for Deepest Ever Filmed on Seabed Off Japan
At an incredible depth of 8,336 meters (over 27,000 feet) just above the seabed in the northern Pacific Ocean, scientists have captured footage of a young snailfish that has become the deepest fish ever recorded. This extraordinary discovery was made by researchers from the University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology using sea robots to film the abyssal trenches off Japan.
The team also managed to physically catch two other specimens at 8,022 meters, setting another record for the deepest catch. Previously, the deepest snailfish ever spotted was recorded at 7,703 meters in 2008, with scientists never being able to collect fish from depths below 8,000 meters.
"This is significant because it shows how far a particular type of fish will descend into the ocean," explained Dr. Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, who led the expedition. According to Jamieson, scientists are filming in the trenches off Japan as part of a 10-year study into the deepest fish populations in the world.
Snailfish from the Liparidae family inhabit both shallow and deep waters, with some species surviving at extreme depths. During their two-month survey last year, researchers used automatic sea robots fitted with high-resolution cameras to film three trenches – the Japan, Izu-Ogasawara and Ryukyu trenches – at varying depths.
Footage shot in the Izu-Ogasawara trench showed a juvenile snailfish hovering calmly alongside other crustaceans on the seabed. Younger deep-sea snailfish tend to stay as deep as possible to avoid being eaten by predators that swim at shallower depths.
Another clip captured between 7,500 and 8,200 meters in the same trench revealed a colony of fish and crustaceans munching at bait tied to an undersea robot. Images of the two captured snailfish identified as Pseudoliparis belyaevi provide a rare glimpse into their unique features that help them survive in extreme environments.
These remarkable creatures have tiny eyes, translucent bodies, and lack a swim bladder, which helps other fish float – an adaptation that works to their advantage. According to Jamieson, the Pacific Ocean is particularly conducive to vibrant activity due to its warm southern current, encouraging sea creatures to dive deeper, while its abundant marine life provides a good source of food for bottom feeders.
However, despite the excitement of this discovery, scientists face significant challenges in studying such extreme environments. The cost of assembling and operating each lander alone is $200,000, which makes it difficult for researchers to collect more data on creatures living at these depths.
At an incredible depth of 8,336 meters (over 27,000 feet) just above the seabed in the northern Pacific Ocean, scientists have captured footage of a young snailfish that has become the deepest fish ever recorded. This extraordinary discovery was made by researchers from the University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology using sea robots to film the abyssal trenches off Japan.
The team also managed to physically catch two other specimens at 8,022 meters, setting another record for the deepest catch. Previously, the deepest snailfish ever spotted was recorded at 7,703 meters in 2008, with scientists never being able to collect fish from depths below 8,000 meters.
"This is significant because it shows how far a particular type of fish will descend into the ocean," explained Dr. Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, who led the expedition. According to Jamieson, scientists are filming in the trenches off Japan as part of a 10-year study into the deepest fish populations in the world.
Snailfish from the Liparidae family inhabit both shallow and deep waters, with some species surviving at extreme depths. During their two-month survey last year, researchers used automatic sea robots fitted with high-resolution cameras to film three trenches – the Japan, Izu-Ogasawara and Ryukyu trenches – at varying depths.
Footage shot in the Izu-Ogasawara trench showed a juvenile snailfish hovering calmly alongside other crustaceans on the seabed. Younger deep-sea snailfish tend to stay as deep as possible to avoid being eaten by predators that swim at shallower depths.
Another clip captured between 7,500 and 8,200 meters in the same trench revealed a colony of fish and crustaceans munching at bait tied to an undersea robot. Images of the two captured snailfish identified as Pseudoliparis belyaevi provide a rare glimpse into their unique features that help them survive in extreme environments.
These remarkable creatures have tiny eyes, translucent bodies, and lack a swim bladder, which helps other fish float – an adaptation that works to their advantage. According to Jamieson, the Pacific Ocean is particularly conducive to vibrant activity due to its warm southern current, encouraging sea creatures to dive deeper, while its abundant marine life provides a good source of food for bottom feeders.
However, despite the excitement of this discovery, scientists face significant challenges in studying such extreme environments. The cost of assembling and operating each lander alone is $200,000, which makes it difficult for researchers to collect more data on creatures living at these depths.
. I mean, it's not like anyone else would've been stupid enough to try to film stuff that deep off the Japanese coast...it's probably just a publicity stunt or something 
. And $200k for one lander? Yeah right, that's just money thrown down the drain like they say 
. It's all just a bunch of scientists trying to get their 15 minutes of fame and make some fancy discoveries 
.
... i mean, 27k feet down? whoa 
that's crazy! they're like aliens or something 
but seriously, scientists are actually super passionate about studying them cuz they can tell us so much about how deep sea creatures adapt to extreme environments. the fact that they have tiny eyes and no swim bladder is like, totally mind blown 
but i guess it's all worth it in the end when we discover new species and learn more about our ocean. 
and to think scientists have been trying to study these creatures for years but it's only now with tech that can reach such depths 
that we get this incredible footage! 
just imagine seeing a snailfish in real life 
i mean, can you even? they're so tiny and adapted to survive in extreme environments 
.
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just think about it, we got robots that can dive deeper than humans ever thought possible, now they're showing us the weird and wonderful creatures that live down there 
! But at the same time, it's amazing how these little guys have adapted to survive in such extreme conditions 
. And the fact that they don't need a swim bladder like other fish makes sense given their unique environment 
. It's also interesting that the Pacific Ocean is conducive to deep-sea life due to its warm currents and abundant food sources 
. The cost of collecting data can be a major barrier, but I think it's worth it to learn more about these incredible creatures and the ecosystems they inhabit 
.
. scientists are stoked about this discovery, I mean who wouldn't be when they get to study fish that live in a place where most people would just pass out from lack of air 
.
. but for real tho, $200k per lander is hella expensive