Scientists have discovered the worlds deepest-dwelling fish in the world

[Mook]

Nature is awesome.

Snailfish sets depth record at more than 8,000 metres below surface of Pacific | Environment | The Guardian

Scientists have discovered the world’s deepest-dwelling fish during research in the depths of the Pacific.

They captured video footage of a type of snailfish at depths of 8,145 metres (26,700ft). They also discovered several new species on the trip to the Mariana Trench in the Pacific, as well as the first footage of a live “supergiant” amphipod.

Click to read more...

 

[Yaj Yak]

the pressure down there has to be so fucking insane. over 5 miles of the weight of water above that. fuck.

 

[Zack]

Congrats science, you've just blinded all of your test subjects.

 

[Mook]

That deep down, I imagine there eyes are already worthless (if they even exist) anyway.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

The ocean is scary.

 

[Spivitz]

I agree, scary.
Hard to wrap my head around the depth & vastness of the Ocean.

 

[Kaeghl]

Oh you are talking about fun physics.
You have vents releasing water that it so hot that if it was under our pressure it would literally explode, but the pressure is so hi down there that it is somehow still a liquid.
Methane ice, right, the pressure is so intense that methane gas is turned into a solid. And then the really weird versions of Ice.

 

[VenomousDSG]

How long before we make a device that can bring those fish up to the surface so I can cook it and eat it?

 

[FrenchLicker]

Curious how we have a percentage of the oceans explored and we're ready to find another planet.

 

[Yaj Yak]

how? cuz they are fucking massive

 

[Flyn]

 

[Hot_Wheels]

Now hurry up and find the lockness monster sea sea serpent!

 

[VenomousDSG]

Now hurry up and find the lockness monster sea sea serpent!

Saw him yesterday, he asked for about tree-fiddy.

 

[Ear Rak]

So...if you brought one of these to the surface, would it explode from the pressure difference? Its designed to be under immense pressure, so i assume it's body would expand harshly under our relatively low pressure.

Much like if you took a huge breath with a scuba tank, held it in, then rapidly surface, your lungs practically explode.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I'd would think you could bring them up slowly just like you would diving

 

[Flyn]

I'd would think you could bring them up slowly just like you would diving

Wouldn't work. If you descended to that depth, the pressure would crush you even if you descended slowly. the pressure down there has been estimated to be around 8 tons per square inch. That's five cars worth of weight pushing in on every square inch of your body.

Conversely, the fish already has that much pressure inside its body. It would never survive an ascent and would explode sooner or later, most likely sooner.

 

[Pressure Ratio]

I'd would think you could bring them up slowly just like you would diving

I think the only reason for coming up slow is to let the gas in your blood keep normal size. As you go deep your blood gets used to that pressure. Then if you come up too quick the gas in the blood gets large and can cause lots of issues. Decompression sickness is common as is blood "boiling". Come up slow or making stops along the way allows the gas in the blood to get familiarized with the pressure and not continue to get larger and the pressure drops. Something like that. I am not a diver

They have found some deep water fish on shore before. Not exploded. But I doubt nothing from that depth.

Does a fish have internal pressure or just a body that doesn't compress under that large amount of pressure?

 

[Pressure Ratio]

Quick Google. Interesting reads. Probably a lot more to read online as well.

http://nature.ca/explore/di-ef/dsfe_e.cfm

http://www.reddit.com/r/ask science /comments/1vfliv/how_do_deepsea_fishes_not_get_crushed_by_the/


Quick answer for those not wanting to read... Just like the gases in humans blood that we have to worry about, the fish have the same issue. Some have air bladders inside that expand as they come up. It expands pushing their insides out their mouth. Yikes.

This same issue is a problem at a cellular level as well. Gas in their cells can expand causing them to look different at the surface then at their normal depth.