"This is the first time a fish in this family has ever been seen alive," said fishery biologist Dr. Bruce Mundy with the NOAA. "This is really an unusual sighting."
Video of the eel-like fish was captured during an expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore the unknown deep waters of the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean. While exploring a ridge feature at about 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) underwater, the fish measured about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long.
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The fish appeared to have transparent, gelatinous skin that lacked scales, and its eyes lacked pigment, giving it a ghostly appearance. The NOAA believes the fish is in the same order as cusk eels (Ophidiiformes), but belongs to a distinct family (Aphyonidae) that has never before been seen alive.
The NOAA believes the rare find highlights "how much we still have to learn about our vast, and unexplored, ocean."