The last time MBARI researchers saw a barrelfish was in 2021. Credit: MBARI

Few deep-sea species will cause an entire research vessel’s crew to rush into the control room to catch a glimpse—but the barreleye fish ( Macropinna microstoma ) is one of them. During the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute ’s (MBARI) recent eight-day Diving Deep for Delicate Drifters expedition, oceanographers aboard the David Packard were reunited with one of these rare, surreal creatures for the first time in nearly five years. This time, they successfully recorded the ethereal fish using a high-resolution 4K camera attached to Doc Ricketts , the ship’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

“Seeing a barreleye fish is a rare treat,” Steven Haddock , a MBARI senior scientist, said in the institute’s announcement . “Crew from across the ship joined the science team in the control room, mesmerized by this remarkable animal.”

MBARI researchers film rarely seen deep-sea barreleye fish in 4K

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