Snailfish

deep ocean · extreme survival · ray-finned fish

Live in the deep. Snailfish are found in the deepest parts of the ocean, including the Mariana Trench nearly 7 miles down where the pressure would crush most creatures like a pancake.

Squishy and scaleless. Unlike most fish, snailfish have soft, gelatinous bodies with no scales, which helps them survive the crushing pressures of the deep sea.

The Liparidae family. Snailfish belong to the family Liparidae and are part of an order called Scorpaeniformes, which includes over 100 different species of snailfish.

Mystery feeders. Snailfish are scavengers and predators in the deep sea, eating whatever food sinks down from the ocean above, from dead animals to small creatures.

Ghostly appearance. Most deep-sea snailfish are pale, pinkish, or transparent, which helps them hide in the darkness of the ocean depths.