A remarkable new sighting: Dragonfish lurk in the dark depths

During a recent expedition aboard our research vessel Western Flyer, MBARI’s science team encountered a beautifully bronze deep-sea dragon. Meet the highfin dragonfish, Bathophilus flemingi. Dragonfishes are cunning predators in the ocean’s depths. Although they are strong swimmers, they are sit-and-wait predators. They hang motionless in the midwater, lying in wait for small crustaceans and fishes. When a tasty morsel comes close, those big jaws open wide and sharp teeth snap shut. MBARI researchers have observed a few different dragonfishes in the depths of Monterey Bay, but this one is the rarest we’ve encountered. In more than three decades of deep-sea research and more than 27,600 hours of video, we’ve only seen this particular species four times! We spotted this individual just outside of Monterey Bay at a depth of about 300 meters (980 feet). Bathophilus flemingi can be up to 16.5 centimeters (6.5 inches) long. Its fins have long, thin rays. Scientists suspect those wing-like filaments may sense vib