The deepest fish in the world has been captured on film

A two-month deep-sea expedition to the Japanese tombs of Izu Ogaswara and Ryoko has yielded amazing results for researchers. They were able to photograph and catch fish at record depths.

In a video shared by the University of Western Australia, you can see how a semi-transparent, scaleless fish slithers forward at a depth of 8,336 metres.

It is a type of snailfish, distinguished by its long, wing-like fins and two black spots for eyes. This is the first time scientists have seen a snail fish at this depth.

– Japanese tombs were great places to explore. “They’re rich with life, even at the bottom,” Alan Jamieson, the University of Western Australia professor who led the campaign, said in a statement.

Fishing at a depth of 8022 meters

This particular type of snailfish belongs to the family Pseudoliparis and was previously seen some 7,700 meters below the ocean’s surface in 2008, according to the University of Western Australia.

The fish seen at a depth of 8336 meters were allowed to swim. But a few hundred meters away, at a depth of 8022 meters, the researchers picked up some samples.

– We have spent over 15 years searching for these snail fish in the deep sea. There is much more to them than living in deep levels, but the maximum depth they can survive is truly astounding.

– What I really take away from this is not necessarily that they live at 8,336 meters, but rather that we have enough information about this environment to be able to predict that these deep-sea fish will be at the bottom of the grave. Until this expedition, no one had ever seen or caught a fish from this entire grave, says Alan Jamieson.

Different types of snailfish can be found all over the world, with some species living in shallower levels.

Also read: Companies have created meatballs made from mammoths

Also read: Plants ‘click’ when dehydrated – that’s what it sounds like

Also read: An unexpected Japanese success – carrying meat in a vending machine