These newly discovered snail fish become bumpy, dark and stylish in the deep sea – huge

Thanks to increasingly advanced imaging techniques, researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Institute (MBARI) work with SUNY Geneseo with unprecedented capabilities to glimpse rare and previously unknown marine species.

In 2019, an encounter with a strange pink snail fish swam under the sea, leading to the discovery of an unknown species: the bumpy snail fish. This small, light pink vertebrate is found in the deep seas of the California coast, characterized by snails, large heads, jelly-like bodies and narrow tails.

“Many snail fish have an intervertebral disc on their abdomen, allowing them to hold the seabed or hitchhike on large animals, such as deep-sea crabs,” said Mbari Communications expert Raúl Nava. “Shallow water snails often cling to rocks and seaweed, curling like snails.”

MBARI researchers combined microscopy, micro tomography (Micro-CT) and measurement techniques to collect detailed information about snail fish. They also used a DNA sequencing method to distinguish three newly discovered fish from all other known species, confirming that they are completely unique. This also allows scientists to identify their position in the broader evolution Liparidae Family, snails belong to this family.

In this new report, the dark, bumpy and stylish snails are named by scientists. The bumpy snail fish is slightly pink, and, as its name suggests, has a bit of a bumpy overall texture with loose skin. The dark snail-like color is completely black, the smooth variety has a unique long body without a suction disc. It’s indeed smooth.

Get an in-depth look at Mbari’s recent discoveries and many other underwater discoveries on the program’s website.