by A bizarre-looking translucent, gelatinous fish with an unusual suction cup on its belly made a surprise appearance for a group of scientists who were studying the deep sea near Alaska.
The odd animal is a blotched snailfish (Crystallichthys cyclospilus), a seafloor-dwelling creature that lives exclusively in the North Pacific and can survive more than 2,723 feet (830 meters) below the ocean surface.
The fish's body is "very gelatinous" and felt like "holding a lump of Jell-O," Friedman told Live Science in an email.
"This is thought to be an adaptation to maintain neutral buoyancy and efficiently swim while coping with the crushing pressure of the deep sea," she added.
Source
The odd animal is a blotched snailfish (Crystallichthys cyclospilus), a seafloor-dwelling creature that lives exclusively in the North Pacific and can survive more than 2,723 feet (830 meters) below the ocean surface.
The fish's body is "very gelatinous" and felt like "holding a lump of Jell-O," Friedman told Live Science in an email.
"This is thought to be an adaptation to maintain neutral buoyancy and efficiently swim while coping with the crushing pressure of the deep sea," she added.
Source
