Fish living at the depth of 7.7km in the Pacific Ocean.
Posted by F. S. KAMAL on October 11th, 2008
At team of UK and Japanese scientists has been able to record on camera a species of fish known as Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis at the Hadal zone - the area of ocean that sits between 6,000 and 11,000m.
A scientist from the University of Aberdeen described the deep-sea fish, which is 30 cm long, as cute.
Alan Jamieson, also from the University of Aberdeen, said: “No-one has ever seen fish alive at these depths before - you just never know what you are going to see when you get down there.”
The fish live in complete darkness. They use vibration receptors on their snouts to navigate and locate their food. They feed on little shrimps.
To live at this depth, the animals have to overcome many problems: food supply, very high pressure, and deep trenches which are in effect small islands which may not offer enough “space” to support thriving populations.
Deep sea divisions: Bathyal zone: 1,000-3,000m; Abyss zone: 3,000-6,000m; Hadal zone: 6,000m-11,000m
For more on this subject: BBC News University of Aberdeen