The ocean floor remains a mystery to everyone – more than 80% of it is still unknown. When biologists discover new or rare species, it is almost always an invasion of the scientific community.
A team from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), an aquarium located in California, in the United States, has discovered a rare species of fish that swims between 600 and 800 meters deep in the ocean, Macrobina microstoma. The animal, known as the barrel-eyed fish, has been observed only nine times by the team, in 34 years of research and more than 5,000 expeditions to the ocean floor, by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) Ventana and Doc Ricketts.
The barrel-eyed fish was first described in 1939, and can be seen between the Bering Sea and Baja California. Its appearance distinguishes it from all other fish, with a transparent head where you can see its large green eyes, which rotate up and forward, and also two nostrils above the mouth. The rest of the body is covered with black gills, and the tail ends with a transparent color. As for the length, it measures a maximum of 15cm, according to MBARI.
When it wants to feed, this fish looks for the shadows of its prey. They feed on siphonophores, crustaceans and zooplankton.
Here is a video of the barrel-eyed fish, made available by the Monterey Bay Aquarium:
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