Spooky Lizardfish on Cook Islands' Seafloor

Have you ever heard of a lizardfish? Our Corps of Exploration came across this Highfin lizardfish (Bathysaurus mollis) at over 4,700 meters (15,400 ft) deep while exploring the abyssal plains in the deep sea around the Cook Islands. These benthic predators are known for their unique lizard-like faces, with impressive rows of needle-like teeth fringing strong jaws which help them feed on other deep-sea fish. The yellow look of its eye comes from the tapetum reflecting layer which helps reflect light to maximize vision in low-light environments. The team loved spotting this new friend as it represents one some of the deepest-dwelling apex predators in its abyssal plain neighborhood of the ocean. 

Special thanks to https://www.deepsea.com/ ‪‪‬for their MxD SeaCam imaging system, which brought us this stunning 4K footage! 

The NA176 Deep Sea Habitats of the Cook Islands expedition is using the ROV, mapping, and telepresence systems of E/V Nautilus to explore deep-sea areas prioritized by the Cook Islands government and local stakeholders. All collected data will be made publicly available to stimulate further exploration and research, and to support ongoing local management and future decision-making for the Cook Islands by Cook Islanders.