Residing some 26,830 feet (more than 5 miles) below the ocean's surface in a natural depression known as the Mariana Trench is the ocean's deepest-dwelling fish: the Mariana Snailfish.
Researchers initially spotted the fish at a depth of 26,200 feet with the help of camera traps, but the deeper observation shattered that record sometime after. Researchers think cells stop working correctly after 26,902 feet below the ocean's surface, so the Mariana Snailfish is quite literally living on the edge.
Recently, people of science took advantage of a rare opportunity to scoop one of these deep-dwelling fish up from the ocean floor to study. An ensuing CT scan revealed several details about the fish, including its skeletal features and its most recent snack.
This deep below the ocean's waves, pressures exceed 1,000 times that of the surface. Most fish can't survive at these depths, so the Mariana Snailfish has few predators to worry about. Further studies could provide clues about how this fish can withstand such crushing pressures.
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DEC 06, 2017