‘It’s just gorgeous’: rare deep-sea dragonfish spotted off California coast

The Bathophilus flemingi, also known as the highfin dragonfish, was captured on video by a team of researchers in Monterey Bay, California. Named after the mythical creature, the torpedo-shaped fish is a predator that roams the depths of the ocean.

The fish can grow up to 16.5 cm in length and has long thin rays for fins. Scientists think the wing-like filaments can detect vibrations and can alert the fish of oncoming predators and prey. The dragonfish uses a sit-and-wait tactic in which it hangs motionless in midwater and waits for unsuspecting crustaceans and fish to feed on, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute . It also uses a bioluminescent filament that extends from its chin.

“In more than three decades of deep-sea research and more than 27,600 hours of video, we’ve only seen this particular species four times! We spotted this individual just outside of Monterey Bay at a depth of about 300 meters ,” the researchers said in a Youtube videoThe fish captured by researchers on camera had a bronze hue unlike that of any other deep-sea species. “They are just amazing animals, and part of what is appealing is that color pattern,” Robinson said.

He added the bronze hue could likely be a type of camouflage as it absorbs the blue light that reaches the ocean’s depths. As a result, the fish blends into its dark environment and becomes nearly invisible.

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