5 facts about the world's deepest fish found near Japan
Scientists have spotted the deepest-ever fish near Japan, setting a new record. The snailfish was swimming at a depth of 8,336 meters in the Izu-Ogasawara trench, in the western Pacific Ocean, south of Japan. The discovery came from the footage filmed in September 2022 by sea robots that have been probing the oceanic trenches. Here are some of the key facts.
The scientists also caught two snailfish at 8,022 meters
According to the team, which includes researchers from University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, the snailfish are the first to have ever been collected from a depth greater than 8,000 meters. Along with spotting the deepest snailfish, the scientists also physically caught two other snailfish, Pseudoliparis belyaevi, at 8,022 meters, creating a new record for the deepest catch.
Three oceanic trenches are being probed
Snailfish belong to the Liparidae family. Currently, there are over 400 known species of snailfish, which are found in varying habitats, from shallow waters to deep oceans. Three oceanic trenches are being probed as part of a 10-year study into the deepest fish populations in the world. The Japan, Izu-Ogasawara, and Ryukyu trenches measure 8,000 meters, 9,300 meters, and 7,300 meters in depth, respectively.
Some snailfish possess specific adaptations
Alan Jamieson, the chief scientist who led the expedition, said that some snailfish had specific adaptations which enabled the species to live approximately 1,000 meters deeper than the next level of deep-sea fish. "One of the reason [snailfish] are so successful is they don't have swim bladders. Trying to maintain a gas cavity is very difficult at high pressure," said Jamieson.
The recently discovered snailfish was classified as juvenile
Snailfish do not have scales, but possess a gelatinous layer instead, which Jamieson describes as a "physiologically inexpensive adaptation." He classified the recently-discovered snailfish as juvenile. In contrast to other deep-sea fish species, these young snailfish are usually found at greater depths when compared to adult ones which allow them to escape larger predators that swim at shallower depths.
The former record was held by Mariana snailfish
The snailfish discovered at the Izu-Ogasawara trench overtakes the previous record by 158 meters. The former record of 8,178m was set in 2017 by a Mariana snailfish found in the Mariana trench. Jamieson was also part of the Mariana discovery in 2017. He said that the latest discovery confirms the longstanding belief that Mariana snailfish will not be the deepest fish in the world.
"We have spent over 15 years researching these deep snailfish"
"We have spent over 15 years researching these deep snailfish; there is so much more to them than simply the depth, but the maximum depth they can survive is truly astonishing," said Jamieson. The warm southern current in the Pacific Ocean leads sea creatures to go deeper and the rich marine life serves as a good food source for the bottom feeders, added Jamieson.
