Scabbard fish at Mercator mud volcano

Whilst on a sampling mission at the Mercator mud volcano in the Gulf of Cadiz, the Remotely Operated Vehicle Isis had a close encounter with a shoal of scabbard fish. Their silvery scales provide perfect camouflage, rendering them almost invisible in the darkness of the deep ocean. Under the lights of Isis' cameras their scales are so shiny that you can see the yellow and red reflection of Isis in the fish closest to the camera.
Video footage taken by ROV Isis during cruise JC10 aboard RRS James Cook, summer 2007. Copyright NOCS/JC10.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• HERMES
• National
• Oceanography
• Centre
• Mercator
• mud
• volcano

[aaronmoravek]

Truly a shinny fish, thanks for showing them, I hope we get to see them in high def later in life.

[ChantezWithMe]

Those scales are so beautiful.