Take a meditative moment and gaze into the eyes of the deep-sea rattail fish

Описание: Meditate for a moment by gazing into the mesmerizing eyes of the deep-sea rattail fish. Rattails, or macrourids, are common throughout the world’s ocean. They are characterized by a distinctive large head and whip-like tail that tapers to a point. Big blue eyes give the rattail an edge at finding food in deep dark waters. Their keen eyesight reveals prey, like fishes and squid, darting just above the seafloor.

There are over 1,000 species of rattails found worldwide, although MBARI has recorded less than 20 species during our numerous expeditions. Macrourid species are difficult to distinguish on video, so researchers often use species complexes to describe similarly-looking species. MBARI’s Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS), a software system for documenting deep-sea observations, is used to annotate all video recorded with our remotely operated vehicles. As of 2022, the VARS database contains more than eight million video annotations and includes thousands of deep-sea species.

MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles continue to reveal astonishing animals, habitats, and behaviors. Building a baseline understanding of the deep sea is critical for determining how climate change, pollution, and mining will affect the largest living space on Earth.

More about these fascinating fish: https://mbari.co/RattailFish
More about MBARI’s Video Annotation and Reference System: https://www.mbari.org/products/resear...

Animals in order of appearance:
00:00 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 1,146 meters (3,759 feet) | Monterey Canyon
00:14 Albatrossia pectoralis | 2,117 meters (6,946 feet) | Pacific Northwest
00:37 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) | Monterey Canyon
01:04 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 1,214 meters (3,982 feet) | Greater Monterey Bay
01:15 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 1,371 meters (4,498 feet) | Monterey Canyon
01:27 Macrouridae sp. | 471 meters (1,545 feet) | Monterey Canyon
01:55 Coryphaenoides armatus-yaquinae complex | 3,961 meters (12,995 feet) | Station M (291 kilometers (181 miles) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California)
02:07 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 1,068 (3,504 feet) | Monterey Canyon
02:19 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 1,254 meters (4,111 feet) | Sur Ridge (60 kilometers (37 miles) off the coast of Monterey, CA)
02:25 Coryphaenoides armatus-yaquinae complex | 1,306 meters (4,285 feet) | Sur Ridge
02:38 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 2,041 meters (7,024 feet) | Monterey Canyon
03:15 Coryphenoides leptolepis | 3,169 meters (10,397 feet) | Gulf of California, Mexico
03:28 Coryphaenoides filifer | 1,830 meters (6,003 feet) | Monterey Canyon
04:01 Coryphaenoides armatus | 2,845 meters (9,333 feet) | Monterey Canyon
04:22 Coryphaenoides armatus | 2,845 meters (9,333 feet) | Monterey Canyon
04:52 Coryphaenoides armatus-yaquinae | 3,966 meters (13,011 feet) | Station M
05:04 Coryphaenoides acrolepis | 1,254 meters (4,114 feet) | Sur Ridge
05:13 Macrouridae sp. | 501 meters (1,644 feet) | Monterey Canyon
05:37 Coryphaenoides armatus-yaquinae complex with parasitic copepod (Order Poecilostomatoida) | 3,965 meters (13,008 feet) | Station M
05:47 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 2,383 meters (7,818 feet) | Monterey Canyon
06:00 Coryphaenoides armatus-yaquinae complex | 2,816 meters (9,239 feet) Pacific Northwest
06:11 Coryphaenoides acrolepis-filifer complex | 1,372 meters (4,501 feet) | Monterey Canyon

Producer/editor: Larissa Lemon
Music: Aura of Nature by Markery (Motion Array)
Production team: Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun