Deepest living fish scooped up, said to be "cute"

William Atkins
Tuesday, 07 October 2008 21:37

Science - Biology

Scientists have recovered the “deepest ever” living fish at 4.8 miles under the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Film of the fish shows them to be living as a family, and described as very active and "cute."


A team of British and Japanese scientists used remote-operated landers, which are designed to resist the giant pressures found beneath the ocean water, to find the grayish-white fish species Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis.

The P. amblystomopisis is of the family Liparidae (Snailfishes), order Scorpaeniformes  (scorpionfishes and flatheads), and class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes).

A group of 17 fish was filmed by the scientists living at a depth of 4.8 miles (7.7 kilometers) below the surface of the Japan Trench in the Pacific Ocean.

Specifically, the researchers found the fish within the Hadal zone—a very narrow system of underwater trenches found in the area of the Pacific Rim.

The fish was measured at 12 inches (30 centimeters) in length and was described as “cute” by one of the researchers on the United Kingdom-Japan team. [BBC News: “'Deepest ever' living fish filmed"]

Dr. Alan Jamieson, from the University of Aberdeen, stated, “It was an honour to see these fish.” He added, “No-one has ever seen fish alive at these depths before - you just never know what you are going to see when you get down there."  [BBC News]

The deepest depth previously holding the record for observing a species of fish was about 4 miles (7 kilometers).

Page two provides comments from members of the team, along with the actual video of the film in their natural habitat nearly five miles below the surface of the ocean.