New fish species found deep below ocean surface

11:54 AM ET
New fish species found deep below ocean surface

http://i2.cdn.turner.com.nyud.net:8090/cnn/2010/images/10/15/c1main.snailfish.oceanlab.jpg

_{The ghostly white snailfish was found September 10 in the South Pacific.}

Scientists have discovered a new species of fish living almost 4 1/2 miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

The ghostly white snailfish was found September 10 in the Peru-Chile trench in the South Pacific by an international team of marine biologists led by Alan Jamieson of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. The scientists also found cusk-eels and crustaceans living in the trench off the west coast of South America. Those creatures had never before been observed at such depths, where sunlight never penetrates and water pressure is almost 10,000 pounds per square inch.

“Our findings, which revealed diverse and abundant species at depths previously thought to be void of fish, will prompt a rethink into marine populations at extreme depths,” said Jamieson, who led researchers from Japan and New Zealand in the project.

The researchers discovered the creatures during a three-week expedition during which they took more than 6,000 images at depths between 4,500 and 8,000 meters (15,000 to 26,000 feet).

More:
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/15/new-fish-species-found-deep-below-ocean-surface/

:)

Ha!

Seriously, that's really cool.

or for those watching the attempted dining experience.

“Our findings, which revealed diverse and abundant species at depths previously thought to be void of fish, will prompt a rethink into marine populations at extreme depths,”