Film of some the deepest living fish in the world has been captured by scientists aboard the Japanese research vessel Haskuho-Maru.
This shot shows snailfish (Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis) 7,700 metres below the surface of the Pacific.
“We thought the deepest fishes would be motionless, solitary, fragile individuals eking out an existence in a food-sparse environment. But these fish aren’t loners,” says Monty Priede, of the University of Aberdeen (press release).
“The images show groups that are sociable and active – possibly even families – feeding on little shrimp, yet living in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.”
Priede told the BBC the fishes were “cute”, which some might disagree with. The images were taken as part of the HADEEP project, run with the University of Tokyo. This investigates life in the ocean below 6,000 metres and ended yesterday.
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Image: Natural Environment Research Council and University of Aberdeen.