Deep-sea creature with 18 ‘dark yellow eggs’ caught in Japan. It’s a new species
Thousands of feet down off the coast of Japan swam a pink sea creature with “dark yellow eggs.” Out of the shadows, something encircled it and pulled it to the surface.
Sifting through their catch, scientists noticed the deep-sea animal — and discovered a new species.
A team of researchers with the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency conducted a series of “deep-water trawl surveys” off Ibaraki Prefecture between 2020 and 2022 as part of their ongoing monitoring efforts, according to a study published Sept. 25 in the peer-reviewed journal Species Diversity.
During the trawls, researchers caught a pair of unfamiliar-looking fish, the study said. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals, analyzed their DNA and realized they’d discovered a new species: Paraliparis anomalus, or the anomalous snailfish.
Anomalous snailfish can reach about 3.5 inches in length, the study said. They have “slender” bodies with a “small” head and “gradually tapering” tail. Their skin is “thin,” their stomachs are “large” and their mouths have dozens of “trilobed,” or three-pointed, teeth.
A photo shows the pale pink coloring of the new species. Its eyes and belly are slightly silvery.
A female anomalous snailfish had “18 round, dark yellow eggs” in one of its ovaries, researchers said and a photo shows.
Much about the lifestyle and behavior of anomalous snailfish remains unknown.
So far, only two anomalous snailfish have been found at depths of about 2,200 feet in one area of Ibaraki Prefecture, a coastal region north of Tokyo, the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species after the ancient Greek word for “anomalous” because its teeth shape, pores and ribs are different from “those of most species of Paraliparis,” or snailfish.
The new species was also identified by its gills, fin shape and coloring, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 9% genetic divergence from related species.
The research team included Kenta Murasaki, Yoshiaki Kai, Ryo Misawa and Yoji Narimatsu.
This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Deep-sea creature with 18 ‘dark yellow eggs’ caught in Japan. It’s a new species."
