PREVIEW

BY MARK WORGAN

Scientists exploring the deep Atlantic were left giggling after finding a fish so small it could fit on a fingertip – but its exact identity remains a mystery.

The creature, estimated to measure between 5mm and 1cm, was spotted by a team from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during an expedition to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, off the coast of New England.

In the footage the NOAA team called it the, “silliest, most adorable little thing ever”.

The deep ocean is one of the least explored environments on Earth, and scientists regularly encounter species and behaviours that are difficult to identify.

In this case, researchers believe the tiny fish could be a juvenile toadfish, from the family Batrachoididae, sometimes known as sea toads - but have still classified it as “species undetermined”.

Toadfish live close to the sea floor and are ambush predators, feeding on animals that come within range. They are known for their distinctive, somewhat gloomy appearance.
The fish was recorded during NOAA's Deep Connections 2019 expedition, which explored Atlantic canyons and seamounts in waters belonging to the US and Canada, but only publicised this week.