A Behemoth
Japanese researchers said
they have taken images of a 2.5-meter-long yokozuna slickhead, possibly the
world’s largest known deep-sea bony fish.
The scientists, primarily from the Japan
Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), captured the fish on
video more than 2 kilometers deep off Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture in
October 2021.
JAMSTEC reported the yokozuna slickhead as a
new species only in January last year. It is believed to be an apex predator in
deep waters off Suruga Bay.
Six yokozuna slickheads have been caught, but
the largest one measures 1.4 meters long.
The research team surveyed ecosystems in four
sea areas, including the one off Suruga Bay, that were designated as
environmental preservation zones under the Nature Conservation Law in 2020.
DNA was collected from seawater in the zones
and analyzed in the study, including samples later confirmed as that of
yokozuna slickhead, according to the scientists
Read rest here:
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14662408
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