Scientists finally have an up-close look at the deepest-dwelling fish in the world. Several samples of the fish have been brought to the surface for study. Following is the transcript of the video.
Scientists finally have an up-close look at the deepest-dwelling fish. The fish was found nearly 5 miles underwater. It's the first time scientists have retrieved one for study. This CT scan shows the fish's skeleton and its lunch.
Researchers have named the fish the "Mariana Snailfish" AKA "Pseudoliparis swirei." It was found 26,200 feet below the surface, in the Mariana Trench. The pressure is 1,000X greater than at the surface. Researchers say the pressure there is so intense, it's "similar to an elephant standing on your thumb."
In August, Japanese researchers saw the same fish even deeper, at a depth of 26,830 feet. Scientists didn't know for sure if such life could exist at this depth. It's thought that after 26,902 feet, cells cease to function normally.
Scientists caught this fish with a camera-enabled trap. They hope the samples will help them understand how something could survive such incredible pressure. One advantage to their depth is a lack of natural predators, except for the occasional scientist with a trap!