Snailfish: Cuties of the Deep

Snailfish: Cuties of the Deep

Photo credit: DIVE Magazine

Luca Berberich’s long-standing interest in the natural world is being brought to the Talawanda Tribune in their series: Luca B. the Science G. Their newest article is about the semi-recently discovered indestructible deep sea fish…

National Geographic described it best: “It’s cute, almost pink, and about twice as long as a cigar, with flesh so translucent you can see its liver from the outside. And it is the deepest fish ever caught.” 

In 2017, Pseudoliparis Swirei, or the Mariana Snailfish was photographed in the Mariana Trench (an oceanic trench in the Pacific) at more than 8,000 meters underwater (that’s a little more than 5 miles!) and is the deepest fish ever discovered— and likely the deepest that will ever be discovered, as scientists theorize that no fish could possibly survive any deeper due to the debilitating water pressure. 

While this particular species of snailfish are likely endemic (or restricted) to the Mariana Trench, there are four hundred and ten known species of snailfish, and they are abundant in many parts of the ocean.  

The Mariana Snailfish is not what one would picture when thinking about deep sea animals. Some of the most well-known deep sea creatures, such as the anglerfish or the fangtooth are a bit daunting to look at. Snailfish, on the other hand, are cheerful looking little guys that are non-venomous and non-aggressive. They are scaleless and shaped like tadpoles, with thin, translucent skin and resemble snails in their gelatinous nature. 

We don’t know much about snailfish due to scientists’ inability to bring them to the surface without them “melting” or “exploding” due to the drastic change in pressure (Fun fact! This is the same thing that happens to the viral internet meme, the Blobfish. The images you’ve seen are actually its mutilated corpse!) Thus, it is difficult to study them on land. 

Snailfish are carnivores, mostly feeding on small animals such as plankton, krill, and small crustaceans. The size of their diet depends on the size of the fish themself, as snailfish sizes range from two to twelve inches. 

All in all, these little fish are fascinating and adorable in pretty much every way. Too bad we can’t study them without them blowing up!