Pseudoliparis swirei
| Pseudoliparis swirei | |
|---|---|
| Photographs A and B were taken in the wild and C was taken after capture | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Cottoidei |
| Family: | Liparidae |
| Genus: | Pseudoliparis |
| Species: | P. swirei |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudoliparis swirei Gerringer & Linley, 2017 | |
Pseudoliparis swirei, the Mariana snailfish or Mariana hadal snailfish, is a species of snailfish found at hadal depths in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. It is known from a depth range of 6,198–8,076 m (20,335–26,496 ft), including a capture at 7,966 m (26,135 ft), which is possibly the record for a fish caught on the seafloor. Various anatomical, physiological, molecular and genetic adaptions help this species survive in such depths.
This pale, tadpole-like fish reaches up to 28.8 cm (11.3 in) in standard length and 160 g (0.35 lb) in weight. It is apparently the top predator along certain stretches of the Mariana Trench, feeding on tiny crustaceans in a deep-water habitat with few larger predators. Pseudoliparis swirei are abundant in their deep-sea habitat and lay relatively large eggs that are almost 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter.