Fish Go Very Low
A new fish species is discoverd 8.2 kilometers below the surface of the ocean.
In an expedition to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the deepest ocean on the planet, Dr. Paul Yancey and his colleagues discovered a new species of fish farther down than any fish had been seen before - nearly 8.2 kilometres below the surface.
Other species from a group called the snailfish have been seen nearly as deep, but this fish was the deepest and was quite distinctive - with large "angel-like" pectoral fins.
In previous work, Dr. Yancey had worked out the physiological system fish use to survive the crushing pressure of these extreme depths, and he had predicted that 8200 meters was as deep as fish could go. They found no fish any deeper than this new discovery, which was satisfying confirmation of his prediction.
Related Links
- Exploring the Mariana Trench
- New Scientist story
- National Geographic story
- Expedition report at The Conversation
- Dr. Yancey previously on Quirks