Scientists first encountered the slimy fish known as Pseudoliparis Swirei in 2014. This particular inhabitant of the Mariana Trench lives at a depth of 8,000 meters, and all specimens captured to date reveal good health and an abundant food supply. The public unveiling of Pseudoliparis Swirei took place last week, accompanied by plenty of material, including videos and computed tomography scans.
The Mariana Trench is a strange and mysterious place. From a certain point of view, it could be said to represent a completely different world, and that keeps experts' interest alive. In 2012, James Cameron went down to its deepest point, the Challenger Abyss, perhaps seeking inspiration for what will be the continuation of the Avatar saga. And today it is the turn of one of its inhabitants, a small slimy fish designated Pseudoliparis Swirei. I say 'small' because the images that began to circulate make it look gigantic, but in reality it has an average length of 14 centimeters. It is slightly pink, almost transparent, and has no scales.
Scientists have doubts about whether another fish could surpass the depth at which Pseudoliparis Swirei lives. The lowest record was obtained by a Japanese team, which saw it swimming at an impressive 8,178 meters deep. Beyond that number, the enormous pressure (sources speak of an equivalent to the weight of 1,600 elephants on their heads) begins to destabilize proteins, but no one is willing to completely close the door to a surprise. The traps designed to capture these specimens took four hours to fall, and their recovery confirms that slimy fish have adapted wonderfully. Food is abundant (something associated with the shape of the trench), and they have no predators. Even their eggs, one centimeter in diameter, develop without major incidents.
The video was shared by the University of Washington, as were the images obtained via computed tomography. What appears in green is a tiny crustacean previously devoured by the slimy fish, but beyond its teeth, the Pseudoliparis Swirei seems to suck and swallow its prey whole.
