Overview

• Researchers named the bumpy snailfish (Careproctus colliculi), dark snailfish (Careproctus yanceyi) and sleek snailfish (Paraliparis em) after multi-year morphological and genetic analysis.
• Specimens were collected from abyssal depths, including more than 13,500 feet near Station M and in Monterey Canyon using MBARI’s ROV Doc Ricketts.
• An adult female bumpy snailfish measuring 3.6 inches is preserved at the California Academy of Sciences, offering a rare public view of an abyssal fish.
• Snailfishes rank among the deepest-dwelling fishes, lacking air-filled spaces and using dual jaws to feed in darkness under extreme pressure.
• Scientists from SUNY Geneseo, the University of Montana, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and MBARI emphasize deep-sea biodiversity and report concerns about trash and climate impacts, noting MBARI’s record of 300-plus species discoveries.