The world's record holder for deepest
fish goes to the brotulid* family, about which scientists know almost
nothing. These fish are benthopelagic, living at depths of 7000 meters
or more. The world's deepest fish (Abyssobrotula galatheae) was
found in the Puerto Rican Trench at a depth of 8,372 meters (that's
over five miles down!). Unfortunately, the fish didn't survive the trip to the surface.
Their eyes appear to be virtually
nonexistent. Maybe it's because there is never enough light for the
fish to see, so why bother with the eyes? After all, eyes in most organisms
are designed for gathering light in the creature's visual field and
transmitting it to the brain - giving it useful information about its
environment. In a world where no sunlight ever penetrates there's probably
little use for eyes. The brotulids probably have other, highly developed
senses to compensate for their lack of vision, which help them to find
their way around in the dark depths. Maybe YOU could be the scientist
who studies this species and unravels its mysteries.
This
species is called a 'Sabre tooth' (can you guess why?) and it is one
of the deepest-dwelling fish in the sea. Sorry, but Extreme Science
still does not have a photo of a brotulid species. Scientists know
almost nothing about this fish that dwells deeper than any other fish
in the ocean, so getting a picture will take some time - stay tuned!
