Scientists film deepest ever fish on seabed off Japan

Scientists from the University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology have filmed the deepest fish ever recorded, a juvenile snailfish at 8,336 meters (over 27,000 feet) in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench off Japan. The footage, captured in September 2022 and released in April 2023, shows the translucent fish hovering calmly above the Pacific Ocean seabed. The expedition also set a new catch record, physically retrieving two snailfish specimens at 8,022 meters. Previously, the deepest snailfish sighting was at 7,703 meters in 2008. The Pacific Ocean's warm southern currents and abundant marine life make it conducive to deep-sea life. Each deep-sea lander robot used in the two-month survey costs $200,000 to operate, limiting research due to funding constraints.