Researchers off California filmed a barreleye fish for about 20 minutes at a depth of roughly 600 metres. Its transparent head and rotating eyes were captured in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s first 4K observation of this species. The encounter adds detailed footage to a small collection of sightings accumulated over decades.
A fish with a transparent head held researchers’ attention for about 20 minutes off California. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, known as MBARI, released the footage on October 28. Its remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts encountered the barreleye, Macropinna microstoma, about 600 metres below the surface and 90 kilometres offshore. Shannon Johnson noticed the animal during the return leg of a research dive.[1]
The fish’s eyes rotate beneath the transparent dome covering its head. They help it detect silhouettes in the weak light coming from above, then turn towards objects ahead. Large fins help it remain steady in the water. The team used different lighting conditions and camera systems during the encounter. The 4K video and stereo imagery offer detailed views of the animal’s body, movements and unusual eye arrangement.[1]
The encounter took place during an eight-day expedition aboard the research vessel David Packard, led by Steven Haddock’s team. MBARI calls it its eleventh observation of the species in roughly 40 years, after about 7,000 vehicle dives and 41,000 hours of video. This was the institute’s first sighting of the species filmed in 4K. The infrequent encounters describe its research experience, rather than providing a census of the fish population.[1]
