Source: National Geographic
Author: Sarah Gibbens
Observed at a staggering depth of more than 8,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, scientists think they may have found a new species.
The small wriggling creature is a snailfish and comes from the family Liparidae. For having been found at the depths of the ocean, the snailfish is unexpectedly cute, more resembling a small minnow than one of the ocean’s deep creatures.
Snailfish is a broad term for a large category of fish encompassing 350 species. Characteristically, they’re recognizable from their large eyes and heads that taper into small, slender bodies.
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