Tuesday 10 May 2022 07:14 AM Indian Ocean, Western Australia: Explorers discover deepest fish ever caught ... trends now
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Australian scientists have discovered a new species of fish who have faces that are permanently frozen in a frown.
Researchers found two new species of snailfish after a $100,000 monitoring device was attached to a yabby trap and sent 6.5 kilometres underwater.
The team from the Minderoo University of Western Australia Deep Sea Research Centre had been on an expedition exploring the bottom of the Indian Ocean.
Instead of scales, the peculiar looking fish has a body made of a translucent gel and has a face permanently frozen with a frown.
The unnamed snailfish with a dark-coloured head (pictured in the foreground surrounded by cusk-eels) was found 6,500 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean
Founding director Alan Jamieson said the new species of snailfish (pictured) had begun to melt minutes after it was hauled 6,500 metres from the sea floor
Founding director Alan Jamieson told The Sydney Morning Herald the snailfish had begun to melt minutes after it was hauled 6,500 metres from the sea floor.
'While the fish are in the trap they are basically being cooked because they haven't ever been to 25 degrees in the last 10 million years,' he said.
'Once they come on board you have probably less than 20 minutes to preserve it. You can't put it on the desk and