Faceless Fish Found During Deep Sea Expedition off Australia
Posted on May 31, 2017
This "faceless fish" was caught during a deep sea expedition off Australia. The fish measures 16 inches. Researchers aboard a CSIRO operated ship think it is the same type of fish that was discovered by scientists in the Coral Sea in the 1870s. It was found near Jervis Bay, which is located south of Sydney, Australia.
The fish actually does have eyes but they cannot be seen. Di Bray, from Museums Victoria, told ABC News, "Apparently, it's got eyes way under the surface but really you can't see any eyes."
The fish likely looks different in its natural environment deep under the sea. The blobfish is known for its strange appearance but as the Smithsonian Magazine notes the blobfish looks more fish-like in the deep water where there is extreme pressure. The fish lacks muscle and a strong skeleton and its structure collapses when it is pulled to the surface.
ABC News Australia reports that the faceless fish was caught at a depth of 4,000 meters. Di Bray says they are collecting a lot of unusual fish specimens. Bray says, "We think a lot of them are going to be new ... and we're not even scratching the surface of what we know about our abyssal plain fishes."
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