Scientists have made a huge breakthrough by rediscovering the faceless deep sea fish that has not been seen for as long as a century. The scientists have been digging deep into the massive abyss off the East coast of Australia. They also came across large quantities of amazing rubbish.
Over the weekend, the Australian government’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization along with scientists from the Museums Victoria rediscovered the 40 centimetres fish 4 kilommeters below sea level. The fish was found in the waters South of Sydney.
According to the chief scientist and expedition leader, Dr. Tim O’Hara this was the first time the fish was spotted since 1873. The fish was seen brought to shore by a British ship near Papua New Guinea.
Dr. Tim O’Hara reported, “This little fish looks amazing because the mouth is actually situated at the bottom of the animal so, when you look side on, you can’t see any eyes, you can’t see any nose or gills or mouth. It looks like two rear ends on a fish, really.”
On 15th May, a survey of Commonwealth marine reserves from Nothern Tasmania to central Queensland was conducted. It is a month long voyage and on board are 27 scientists, 13 technicians, and 20 crew members on the Investigator research vessel.
They have brought ashore a number of new creatures from under the sea. The new findings include bright red spiky rock crabs, gigantic sea spiders, and spectacular bioluminescent sea stars.
O’Hara said, “The experts tell me that about a third of all specimens coming on board are new totally new to science.”
He also added, “They aren’t all as spectacular as the faceless fish but there’s a lot of sea fleas and worms and crabs and other things that are totally new and no one has seen them ever before.”
The scientists are coming across a number of amazing water creatures than have not been discovered. The scientists also said that they found as much rubbish as they did fish.
“It’s quite amazing. We’re in the middle of nowhere and still the sea floor has 200 years of rubbish on it,” O’Hara said. The species found will be studied for research and then preserved in museums. The voyage is to end on the 16th of June.
