Wildlife

Deepest Fish

Scientists using a remote camera in the Pacific Ocean near Japan have discovered a fish living deeper in the ocean than any seen before. Belong to the genus Pseudoliparis, the previously unknown snailfish was filmed at a depth of 8,336 metres in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench — more than 1,000 metres deeper than previously observed deep-sea fish.

"Fish all have osmolyte, a fluid in their cells that they use to counteract (deep sea) pressure – it's the thing that makes that fishy smell," said Alan Jamieson of Australia's Minderoo Centre. He says that since their remote cameras have seen snailfish at every depth, there are likely to be others managing to survive at even the deepest depths.