>
A face only a mother could love! Scientists have set a record for the deepest fish ever seen at more than 27,000 feet off the coast of Japan
- A young snailfish was filmed 8,000 meters below sea level in the Pacific Ocean
- The lead scientist said it was likely to survive because of the warm water
According to scientists, a new record has been set for the deepest fish ever recorded at more than 27,000 feet below sea level in the Pacific Ocean.
A juvenile snailfish was filmed swimming 8,349 feet below sea level — nearly the same height as Mount Everest — in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan.
Lead scientist Professor Alan Jamieson said the snailfish could be at the maximum depth a fish can survive and probably did so because of the warm waters of the trenches.
While the snailfish were not caught to fully identify the species type, similar snailfish were caught higher up at a depth of 26,319 feet, setting the record for the deepest fish ever caught.
Professor Jamieson told BBC news: “If this record is broken, it would only be by one-minute increments, possibly by a few meters.”
A young snailfish (pictured, left) was filmed swimming 8,349 feet below sea level — nearly the same height as Mount Everest — in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan
He added: ‘We predicted the deepest fish would be there and we predicted it would be a snail fish.
‘I get frustrated when people tell me we don’t know anything about the deep sea. We do. Things change very quickly.’
The previous deepest fish sighting was made at 8,830 feet further south in the Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Trench.
Snailfish are found in oceans all over the world and over 300 different species are currently known.
They are described as having a tadpole-like shape, with larger heads and slender bodies.
The species adapted to life in deeper waters can withstand the enormous pressure of the deep sea with the help of their jelly-like bodies.
Born in Scotland, Prof Jamieson is credited with discovering not only the deepest fish in our oceans, but also the deepest octopus, jellyfish and squid.
Lead scientist Professor Alan Jamieson (pictured) said the snailfish could be at the maximum depth any fish can survive, probably because of the warm waters of the trenches.
While the snailfish were not caught to fully identify the species type, similar snailfish (pictured) were caught slightly higher at a depth of 8,319 feet, setting the record for the deepest fish ever caught
Images from higher up showed the same snailfish species, but mature and in larger numbers