Rare footage: A creature with a transparent head appeared in the depths of the sea - and the scientists stopped everything

Researchers from MBARI documented a rare barreleye fish at a depth of 600 meters off the coast of California. The fish, with a transparent head and rotating green eyes, was recorded in 4K quality for 20 minutes. This is only the 11th encounter in 40 years of research.

Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) documented a rare barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) at a depth of 600 meters off the coast of California. The observation occurred on October 22 during an eight-day research expedition aboard the ship David Packard. Researcher Shannon Johnson spotted the fish on the screen of the remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts and called for an immediate stop. The fish, about 15 centimeters long, is characterized by a transparent fluid-filled dome covering its head, inside which are two green tube-shaped eyes that can rotate. This is only the 11th encounter researchers have had with this species in about 40 years of research and 7,000 robotic dives. The team filmed the fish for 20 minutes with a 4K camera, the first time in this quality. The researchers did not collect the fish and hope the footage will help understand its unique vision mechanism.

Rare footage: A creature with a transparent head appeared in the depths of the sea - and the scientists stopped everything