We have some thrilling news about a groundbreaking discovery that has just been made by a team of scientists. They have captured footage of the deepest fish ever observed, and it’s absolutely mind-boggling!
In the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, located south of Japan, a juvenile snailfish has been caught on camera swimming at an astonishing depth of 27,349ft, which is almost equivalent to the height of Mount Everest.
Can you believe it?! This incredible discovery was made possible by the latest deep-sea technology, which has enabled scientists to explore the depths of our oceans like never before.
Professor Alan Jamieson, the lead scientist on the team, could hardly contain his excitement as he announced his findings to the world.
According to him, the snailfish had likely reached the absolute limit of how deep any fish could survive, and he believed the fish was able to survive due to the warm waters of the Izu-Ogasawara Trench.
This discovery has broken the previous record set in the Mariana Trench, where a fish was observed at a depth of 26,830ft.
While the specific species of the juvenile snailfish observed at 27,349ft was not fully identified, other comparable snailfish were successfully captured at a shallower depth of 26,319ft, thus breaking the record for the deepest fish ever caught.
“If this record is broken, it would only be by minute increments, potentially by just a few meters,” Professor Jamieson told BBC News. “We predicted the deepest fish would be there and we predicted it would be a snailfish. I get frustrated when people tell me we know nothing about the deep sea. We do. Things are changing really fast.”
With over 300 known species, snailfish are a common sight in oceans all around the world. These fascinating creatures possess a unique tadpole-like appearance, with their distinguishing features being their larger heads and slender bodies.
The deep-sea varieties of snailfish have developed an extraordinary adaptation to withstand the colossal pressure that comes with living in the depths of the ocean – their gelatinous bodies are the key to their survival.
Watch The Footage Below Of Snailfish Filmed At 27,349ft
Professor Jamieson, who was born in Scotland, has made several other exciting discoveries, including the deepest octopus, jellyfish, and squid.
He is thrilled to see how much we’re learning about the deep sea and to prove those who say we know nothing wrong. He believes that we are in for even more incredible discoveries as technology continues to improve.