#bumpy snailfish

Video courtesy of MBARI, © 2019 MBARI

PUBLISHED September 8, 2025

Adorable New Species Of Snailfish Filmed 3,268 Meters Below The Sea, And There's A Video

In 2019, scientists spotted something strange thousands of meters below the ocean surface. There, they filmed a pink bumpy blob with cartoonishly big eyes and more pectoral fin-rays than you could shake a stick at. Now, they’ve been able to confirm that this was a new-to-science species. It’s a snailfish, and better yet, it’s one of three new-to-science species described in a new study.

There are over 400 species of snailfish across the globe, some of which are the deepest-dwelling fish known to science. Now, we have three more to add to the roster: the bumpy snailfish, Careproctus colliculi, which is pinkish in color, meanwhile the other two new species – the dark snailfish, C. yanceyi, and sleek snailfish, Paraliparis em – are both black.

The fact that two undescribed species of snailfishes were collected from the same place, on the same dive, at one of the better studied parts of the deep sea in the world highlights how much we still have to learn about our planet.

“Two of these are black snailfishes collected on the same dive by the submersible Alvin,” said study lead and Associate Professor of Biology Mackenzie Gerringer from SUNY Geneseo to IFLScience. “As I looked more closely at the specimens, I was very surprised at how different these two individuals were.”

"These were not an adult and a juvenile of the same species, they are very different both morphologically and genetically. These two species were discovered at Station M, an incredibly valuable research site with decades of exploration and time series data. The fact that two undescribed species of snailfishes were collected from the same place, on the same dive, at one of the better studied parts of the deep sea in the world highlights how much we still have to learn about our planet.”

All three snailfish were found thousands of meters below the ocean surface, but thankfully, through their photos and videos, the team of scientists working with the Monterey Bay Research Institute and Aquarium (MBARI) has brought them to the surface for us all to enjoy.

Many fishes can actually ‘taste’ with their fin rays.

As you can see, the bumpy snailfish is remarkably adorable as deep-sea creatures go, looking very different to the dark and sleek snailfish. It might seem odd to have such drastically different colorations among snailfish living in the same region, but when you’re this far from the surface, color doesn’t count for much.

“At these depths, there is no sunlight, so color becomes less important for hiding,” said study lead Mackenzie Gerringer from SUNY Geneseo to IFLScience. “These snailfishes are likely sensing one another and their environment using other means, particularly by picking up vibrations in the water and by smelling and tasting their surroundings.”

"In 2019, researchers observed a pink snailfish gliding just above the seafloor that did not match any known species. Follow-up research has now confirmed that this fish is a newly identified species, the bumpy snailfish (Careproctus colliculi)."

How cool that we are still learning new things about the world we live in, right?

Look at him

This little guy is only about 3 inches long and is found deep in the ocean at over 10,000 feet.  They were discovered in 2025 using robots in Monterey Canyon.  Here are some other facts about this new discovery: As you’ll see in the pictures below, they’re adorable. Snailfish have a suction cup on their underbellies to help them attach to rocks. While they are a fish, snailfish have no scales…

A Bumpy Snailfish