World’s deepest fish named to 10 ‘remarkable new species’ list for 2017

A CT scan of the Mariana snailfish, showing a side view. The green shape, a small crustacean, is seen in the snailfish’s stomach.

The deepest-dwelling fish in the sea just got one more bragging right.

The World Register of Marine Species, or WoRMS, has named the Mariana snailfish one of its 10 “remarkable new species” discovered in 2017. The team that discovered and named the small fish that lives at ocean depths of up to 8,000 meters (26,200 feet) includes Mackenzie Gerringer, a postdoctoral researcher at the UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories.

“It is exciting to see the Mariana snailfish on the WoRMS list,” Gerringer said. “It is a remarkable animal, thriving under the amazing pressures and cold temperatures of the Mariana Trench. The impressive diversity of this list serves as a reminder to keep exploring, discovering the incredible organisms with whom we share our planet.”