Snailfish: Surprisingly bright blue fish discovered in the darkest ocean depths
Most snailfish living in the deepest ocean realm known as the hadal zone are ghostly white with tiny eyes. But a newly described species has large eyes and is intensely blue
Life
21 October 2022
A blue snailfish captured on camera in the deep sea off the coast of South America Dr Thom Linley, Professor Alan Jamieson
More than 7000 metres beneath the ocean’s surface in a trench off the western coast of South America, a bright blue fish swims in endless darkness.
The species has now been described by scientists for the first time, and its discovery may yield clues on how fish living in the deepest part of the planet have evolved a lifestyle to fit their extreme environment.
In 2018, Thomas Linley at Newcastle University in the …