The Fish with a See-through Head
A deep-sea fish has a transparent head, and the 'eyes' on its face aren't eyes at all.
What was reported
The barreleye, Macropinna microstoma, lives 600 to 800 metres down in the Pacific. For decades it was known only from damaged specimens hauled up in nets, which lost their fragile heads on the way.
In the 2000s, researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute filmed living barreleyes with remotely operated vehicles. The footage showed a dome of clear, fluid-filled tissue over the head, with two glowing green eyes inside, looking upwards.
Explanations offered
The two dark spots above its mouth, which look like eyes, are its nostrils. Its tube-shaped eyes can turn inside the transparent shield, looking up for prey silhouetted against the faint light from above, or forward as it feeds.
- When
- Described in 2009
- Where
- Monterey Bay, California, USA
- Witnesses
- Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
- Status
- Explained
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