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You are in: Home > > First Look at the Rare Barreleye Fish

First Look at the Rare Barreleye Fish

20 by LiveOAK Staff on February 24, 2009

Barrel Eye Fish

This is the first picture taken of the Macropinna microstoma or “Barrel Eye” fish.  This strange little guy has a transparent head so it’s eyes can rotate back and it can see right through it’s “dome” and see what’s going on above.

barreleye

“Barreleyes typically live near the depth where sunlight from the surface fades to complete blackness. They use their ultra-sensitive tubular eyes to search for the faint silhouettes of prey overhead.”

Scientists have known about ol’ Barrel Eye since 1939, but until 2004 have only seen mangled bodies dragged to the surface by fishing nets.  This picture taken in 2004 in the deep water off California's central coast by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), but was just released yesterday.

barreleye5barreleye2barreleye3barreleye4

Source: Monterey Bay Research Institute

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  • http://wickedwitchoftheweb.blogspot.com RB

    What’s funny, is that when MSNBC reported on this, the headline was “Weird Fish Can Actually See Through Its Own Transparent Head.”

  • http://greenupgrader.com Matt Embrey

    @RB That headline is classic!

  • Peter Marquardt

    I would not be surprised if this was fake. The video in the original post shows very mechanical movements and the inside of the transparent head is glowing right where the eyes are? really? If anything I believe this is a 3D recreation of the fish, not the real thing.
    Convince me that it’s real.

  • Craig

    I knew it! I knew there’d be a guy–who knows absolutely nothing about marine biology–sooner or later come around and claim the ubiquitous “fake!” or “photoshopped!”
    Classy.

    • mojo

      i love u to

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  • billtedjimbob

    Fake!!!!! Photoshopped!!!!!!

    • oscar

      NO ITS NOT! G O S H !!!!!!!!

  • oscar

    oh, well i think it iz real

    • mojo

      like my penis

  • cheyenne

    woooooooooooooooooow!! that is the most interesting fih in the world! when i first saw it i thought it was fake! but now……………….. im doing my report in school in it!!!

  • Imy

    That looks really wierd, I want to see a real one. lol
    But I dont like seeing these comments saying it is photoshopped. I dont know why they are saying that. :S
    And this website is really nice! ^^

  • bob

    this is real because i caught one on a fishing trip

  • bob

    if u read this you are gay

  • hehe

    i lyk penis

  • mojo

    me too lol :l

  • mojojojo

    i think ur all hot

  • john

    i lov vagina

  • nyan

    69 . <3

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