FISH
Japanese researchers say they have successfully filmed a giant rare deep-sea fish in the Pacific called the "yokozuna iwashi."

The fish was discovered some years ago in Suruga Bay, central Japan, and identified as a new species last year. Only six have been captured or photographed so far, and little is known about it.

Researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology said the footage was taken by a camera placed at a depth of 2,000 meters in the sea last October about 100 kilometers southwest of Hachijojima Island in Tokyo.


They said the fish's estimated length is 2 meters and 53 centimeters. That's almost double the size of the largest one confirmed in Suruga Bay.

The footage shows the black fish slowly approaching a bait basket, driving away other fish nearby and biting the basket.

The researchers said they believe that the fish may be inhabiting the deepest depths of the deep sea in an extensive area of the northern Pacific, as they have already confirmed it in two places.

Fujiwara Yoshihiro of the agency said he was surprised by the size of the fish. He said many things are still unknown about the deep sea.