Three new species of fish discovered 4 miles below Pacific

Three new fishes have been discovered by a team of scientists at Atacama trench, nearly 4 miles below the surface. A team of 40 scientists from 17 different nations went on an expedition to the Atacama trench where they discovered three new species. The expedition was carried out by Newcastle University. 

The three discovered fishes have been temporarily named 'pink, blue and purple Atacama Snailfish'. 

The fishes surviving in extremely cold temperatures are translucent and bereft of scales. 

Dr Thomas Linley, from Newcastle University, said, "Their gelatinous structure means they are perfectly adapted to living at extreme pressure and in fact, the hardest structures in their bodies are the bones in their inner ear which give them balance and their teeth. Without the extreme pressure and cold to support their bodies they are extremely fragile and melt rapidly when brought to the surface."

"There is something about the snailfish (fish of the family Liparidae) that allows them to adapt to living very deep. Beyond the reach of other fish they are free of competitors and predators."

"As the footage clearly shows, there are lots of invertebrate prey down there and the snailfish are the top predator, they seem to be quite active and look very well-fed," Linley added.

However, scientists could manage to bring one specimen of fish back with them which is being described and preserved by the Newcastle team.