Scientists are discovering new species of fish in the terrifying depths of the ocean

If you dive 7,500 meters below the surface of the ocean, there is a good chance that you will see wild fauna. Especially in one of the deepest ocean pits in the world.

A team of 40 scientists from 17 countries traveled 7.5 kilometers below the surface of the water in the Atacama Trench in the Pacific Ocean to study the creatures below, discovering three new species of fish, Newcastle University. announced Monday in a statement.

The pink, blue and purple snail fish of Atacama, as they were named temporarily, were caught on camera by slowly swimming around the bottom of the ocean and slamming on a carcass tasty fish.

"There is something about snail fish (fish of the family Liparidae) that allows them to adapt to a very deep life," said Dr. Thomas Linley, one of the project's scientists. Newcastle University. "Beyond the reach of other fish, they are free of competitors and predators.

"Their gelatinous structure allows them to live perfectly under extreme pressure and the hardest structures of their body are the bones of their inner ear, which gives them balance and teeth without the extreme pressure and cold to support their bodies, they are extremely fragile and melt quickly when they are brought to the surface. "

Despite their implausible name and slimy physique, Linley said that snailheads were the "top predator" at this depth and that specimens caught on camera looked "very well fed".

But it was not all transparent fish scales in pastel colors. Boosting the ultimate goal of science to make us fear the abyss, the University of Newcastle also captured rare images of creatures resembling spiders, known as Munnopsids, which are about the size of an adult hand.

According to the University, "these crustaceans have a small body, extraordinarily long legs and swim backwards and upwards, propelling themselves with pallets on the ventral side – the belly" – before straightening up on the seabed. like a spider. "

Yes. It looks exactly like the next sentence I'm going to write in my nightmare journal.

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