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A juvenile snail cruising at a depth of 8,336 meters (more than 27,000 feet) just above the ocean floor has become the deepest fish ever photographed by scientists while exploring the depths of the North Pacific.
Scientists from the University of Western Australia and the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology released on Sunday video of the snail taken by a marine robot in a deep trench off Japan in September.
Along with filming the deepest snail, scientists physically captured two other specimens at 8,022 meters, setting another record for the deepest catch.
The deepest snail previously discovered was 7,703 meters in 2008, and scientists were unable to collect fish below 8,000 metres.
“The important thing is to show how far down in the ocean certain types of fish will go,” said marine biologist Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Center for Deep Sea Research, who led the expedition.
![These two fish were caught at a depth of just over 8,000 meters in the Japan Trench in the North Pacific.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230403124413-02-snailfish.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill)
Scientists are filming in a trench off the coast of Japan as part of a decade-long study of the world's deepest fish population. Snails belong to the Liparidae family, and while most live in shallow water, others survive at the deepest depths ever recorded, Jamieson said.
In a two-month investigation last year, three “landers” – autonomous marine robots equipped with high-resolution cameras – were dropped at various depths into three trenches – the Japan Trench, the Izu-Ogasawara Trench and the Ryukyu Trench.
Footage of the Izu-Ogasawara Trench shows the deepest snails floating quietly along with other crustaceans on the sea floor.
Jamieson classified the fish as juveniles and said young deep-sea snails often stay as deep as possible to avoid being eaten by larger predators swimming at shallower depths.
Another clip, filmed between 7,500 and 8,200 meters above sea level, shows a colony of fish and crustaceans gnawing on bait tethered to an undersea robot.
Images of two captured snails – identified as Shudolipari Belyaevi – Provides a rare opportunity to glimpse the unique features that help deep-sea species survive in extreme environments.
They have small eyes, translucent bodies and lack the swim bladder that helps other fish float, which works to their advantage, Jamieson said.
The professor said the Pacific Ocean is particularly conducive to active activity thanks to its warm southern currents. This encourages marine life to go deeper, and the abundance of marine life provides a good source of food for bottom feeders.
Scientists want to know more about life in the extreme depths of the ocean, but cost is a constraint, Jamieson said. He also added that each lander costs $200,000 to assemble and operate.
“The problem is that the technology is expensive and scientists don’t have a lot of money,” he said.