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See the Fascinating Discovery Scientists Made 5 Miles Beneath the Ocean Surface
Image source: YouTube

See the Fascinating Discovery Scientists Made 5 Miles Beneath the Ocean Surface

"This really deep fish did not look like anything we had seen before."

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom think they may have discovered a whole new species of fish 5 miles beneath the ocean surface.

"This really deep fish did not look like anything we had seen before, nor does it look like anything we know of," Alan Jamieson said. "It is unbelievably fragile, with large wing-like fins and a head resembling a cartoon dog."

Image source: YouTube Image source: YouTube

The team of scientists made the aquatic discovery in the Mariana Trench located in the North Pacific Ocean, 3,500 miles west of Hawaii. They said it's the deepest at which any fish has ever been seen. In 2008, scientists discovered a type of fish which swam at depths of up to 4.75 miles, according to the Discovery Channel.

The Mariana Trench is believed to be the deepest place on Earth and the oldest part of the ocean floor. The team of scientists used unmanned lander technology complete with cameras to capture 100 hours of video footage to make the fascinating discovery.

Jamieson told ABC News he's "pretty confident" its a snailfish. But, he added, "Not that we know. It's a new species."

While Jamieson said the fish look to be about 20 centimeters in length, scientists were not able to capture any of the creatures to conduct further research or assign a name to what they believe is a newly-discovered species. But Timothy Shank, director of Aberdeen's Oceanlab program said there's "no doubt" they'll be able to catch a sample sometime soon.

"We put out fish traps. We put out landers that have baited traps on them. We very much want to capture these deep-sea living fish," Shank told ABC News.

The incredible find came after scientists launched a 30-day international expedition to explore the Mariana Trench.

"Many studies have rushed to the bottom of the trench, but from an ecological view that is very limiting. It's like trying to understand a mountain ecosystem by only looking at its summit, Jeff Drazen, co-chief scientist at the University of Hawaii, said, BBC reported.

(H/T: Huffington Post)

Follow Jon Street (@JonStreet) on Twitter

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