The deepest depths of the ocean are known to be the home of some the strangest, scariest looking fish in existence, and Lasiognathus regan certainly fits the bill.
According to CNN, Theodore W. Pietsch and Tracey T. Sutton detailed the new species in a study published in the journal Copeia.
"As a researcher, the one thing I know is that there's so much more we can learn about our oceans," Sutton, an expert on deep-sea marine life at Nova Southeastern University, said in a press release. "Every time we go out on a deep-sea research excursion there's a good chance we'll see something we've never seen before - the life at these depths is really amazing."
A member of the Ceratioid anglerfish species, L. regan dwells between 1,000 and 1,500 meters below the surface of the ocean, an area also referred to as the "midnight zone." The researchers examined three specimens, all of which were female, which measured from 30mm to 95mm in length.
"Finding this new species reinforces the notion that our inventory of life in the vast ocean interior is far from complete," Sutton said. "Every research trip is an adventure and another opportunity to learn about our planet and the varied creatures who call it home."
