Ghost fish was discovered in Mariana Trench.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – The Okeanos Explorer team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recently discovered a ghost fish similar to an eel.
The discovery was made 1.5 miles in the Mariana Trench, which is located in the surroundings of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Mariana Trench has always been a mysterious place for scientists as it is rich with new species of plants and animals most of which haven’t been discovered by scientists yet. More precisely, only five percent of this enormous area has been studied by marine biologists.
Experts established that the ghost fish belongs to the Aphyonidae family, of which most scientists have little information and only a couple of dead samples that provided them with some additional information.
According to Bruce Mundy, NOAA fisheries biologist, this species of fish is the first living specimen ever recorded belonging to the Aphyonidae family, making this discovery a biological breakthrough for marine scientists.
Mundy stressed that until now, experts have only dreamt of discovering such a species of fish which might hold many secrets and answers about the marine life in the Mariana Trench.
This discovery represents just the beginning of the long journey that scientists have to make in order to learn more about the rich wildlife hiding in the depths of the Mariana Trench.
Mundy underlined that marine biologists have countless of questions regarding the species which have been found living in these waters. Also, there are many other species of plants and species which scientists are looking forward to discovering and studying.
According to NOAA officials, the ghost fish has a gelatinous and transparent skin. Shirley Pomponi, lead researcher of the Okeanos Explorer team, associated this species of fish with a creature, known as Falkor, from a classic 1984 movie called Never Ending Story.
Marine biologists will double their efforts to learn more about this new species which might provide them with valuable information that could be used in other scientific fields. Scientists have always used wildlife as a source of inspiration to improve the medical and technological field.
For instance, planes were designed to imitate the body shape of birds, whereas submarines were built to look like fish. Experts will investigate the new ghost fish hoping to lead them to further discoveries.
Image Source:The Guardian
Tara Hamilton
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