Transparent Fish
Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have obtained footage of the elusive Pacific barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma).
This 6-inch long fish has a transperent dome for a head. Its eyes are underneath green lenses which filter out whatever sunlight trickles down 600 metres below the ocean's surface, where it resides. Its eyes can pivot. It is thought to feed on fish it steals from certain jellies known as siphonophores.
The fish has been known since 1939, but no one was able to retrieve an intact specimen until now.
A video that summarizes these points and and contains the footage.
Some of the accompanying photos.
Video and images from National Geographic. Click to read more.
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I saw this on another website and am still in awe ... so is that its brain all up in there or what? Looks like plants growing or something.
ReplyDeleteThose are lenses, from what I gather. Fish usually have small brains so I wouldn't be surprised if its brain was not visible.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I thought that too! I guess green has been associated so strongly with plants that it's what we think of instantly.
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