A large new species of deep-sea fish over 1 meter in length was found in Suruga Bay off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture, and was named "Yokozuna sardine".

The group that found it said, "It's rare that we couldn't find such a large fish."

In 2016, a research group of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology conducted a survey of organisms in the deep sea of ​​Suruga Bay off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture, and caught four large, previously unknown deep-sea fish at a depth of more than 2000 meters.

All four were over 1 meter long, the largest being over 1 meter and 30 centimeters, and weighing about 25 kilograms.



From the analysis of morphology and genes, it is a new species of deep-sea fish called "Sekitori sardine", and because it is the largest among this group, the research group named it "Yokozuna sardine".



The scales of "Yokodunaiwashi" are bright blue, and the latest analysis method for examining the contents of the stomach and its position in the food chain revealed that it is located at the top of the food chain in the deep sea of ​​Suruga Bay. That is.

In addition, the research group has succeeded in photographing a "Yokozuna sardine" that exceeds 1 meter slowly swimming near the seabed with a camera installed in the deep sea.



Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Senior Researcher of Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, said, "It is rare that large fish could not be found. There is a diversity of organisms that we do not know in the deep sea, and the fishery in the deep sea is increasing, so the ecosystem You need to be careful not to break it. "

Features of "Yokozuna Sardine"

Most of the "Sekitori Iwashi" are deep-sea fish, and more than 90 species have been confirmed in the world so far.



Many are about 30 to 40 centimeters in size and are usually known to eat jellyfish and plankton.



This discovery means that the paper by the research group of Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology was accepted, and it was recognized as a new species of "Yokozuna sardine".



"Yokozuna sardines" examined the contents of their stomachs and found that they were eating another relatively large deep-sea fish.



In addition, even the latest analysis method for examining the position in the food chain shows that the value is higher than that of deep-sea sharks, and it seems that it is located at the top of the deep-sea food chain in Suruga Bay.



The surface of "Yokozuna sardines" is covered with bright blue scales, but it is easy to peel off, and when the scales are peeled off, the surface looks black and the mouth is lined with many fine and sharp teeth.



For structures such as the skeleton, I contacted hospitals and medical device manufacturers to find a place to rent equipment for human CT examinations.



All four captured are females, and the maximum size and size of the males is still unknown, and the research group reveals a deep-sea ecosystem that still has many mysteries. I want to.