While exploring the depths of the ocean, it’s hardly surprising to come across life forms that look almost alien. But sometimes scientists stumble upon something truly extraordinary. The latest example of these lucky encounters was the recent video footage by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) of a creature that has only been seen four times in deep-sea research in over three decades: a high-finned dragonfish.
The extremely rare fish was spotted by MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robison and colleagues aboard the research vessel Western Flyer. Known as the high-finned dragonfish (Bathophilus flemingi), this fish was caught glowing in California waters at a depth of about 300 feet just outside of Monterey Bay.
The metallic-looking fish looks almost like a bronze-colored submarine. However, we can speculate that she probably looks different in her natural environment, off camera.
Robison explains: “These fish live in either dim light or complete darkness; the latter is illuminated only by bioluminescence. So, their appearance in their natural habitat is unlike anything we’ve seen in these videos. Many other fish have silvery edges that reflect ambient light to help them visually blend into their surroundings. The metallic character of the skin of the Bathophilus probably serves a similar function. As for color, there is variation among the examples I have encountered. Some were bronze like this one; others were copper, brass, and even metallic green. They might adjust the color to suit the conditions or maybe not, we don’t know yet.”
While the fish’s swimming direction may seem a bit odd, it’s part of the fishing technique in which dragonfish stay motionless in the water until their prey falls within reach. They then grab the unlucky animal within chewing distance with their large, toothy jaws.
There is a lot of mystery about Bathophilus as it hasn’t been seen much until now, but we do know that it shares the water column with a rich diversity of species, including squid, crustaceans and worms, as well as some predatory marine mammals. “Anything larger than this fish is a potential predator. It’s a dangerous world for them,” Robison says.
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