Roman Fedortsov is a deep-sea fisherman from Russia, famous for sharing photos of bizarre sea creatures he caught while traversing the Norwegian and Barents seas in north Russia.
He has shared once again a photo of a terrifying deep-sea creature that he caught while at work that many have been dubbed "Frankenstein's fish." What could this creature be?
Frankenstein's Fish Stunned Fisherman
The 39-year-old trawler spends the months of his life at sea and shares photos of unique deep-sea creatures to his more than 651,000 followers on Instagram. Each sea creature he caught was newsworthy because of their terrifying appearance that is not always seen on the surface.
Daily Star reported that he recently shared a snap of an almost translucent fish that has unusual fins, ghostly eyes, and a jagged tail. It looked like it had been sewn together because it had unique markings on its whole body.
The photo has received more than 6,200 like on Instagram as of this writing and people online remarked on its strange appearance. Hundreds have commented on the unusual creature, with one person commenting that he has been looking for that creature for so many years, noting how lucky Fedortsov is to catch one.
Some tried guessing the sea creature, saying it was a Pokemon or a cartoon fish. However, due to the unusual marks on its body, some call it Frankenstein's fish.
One person, though, has correctly identified the bizarre fish. The person commented that it was a chimera, also known as ghost shark, ratfish, spook fish, and rabbit fish. These sea creatures are so rare and are only seen deep in oceans.
A few months ago, Science Times reported that Fedortsov had captured a chimera from the depths of the Norwegian sea. The fish was described as a "dragon-like fish with large eyes, a long body tail, and a light pink appearance."
Aside from the ghost sharks, Fedortsov has been sharing photos of terrifying creatures online, including a fish with bulging eyes and hanging jaw, and a cyclops fish.
How Many Deep-Sea Creatures Remain Undiscovered?
Live Science cited a 2012 study published in the journal Current Biology, suggesting that the oceans remain a vast, unchartered territory with millions of ocean-dwellers who may still be undiscovered.
Study lead author Ward Appeltans, a member of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, said that understanding life on Earth involves knowing what life is on the planet, including those in the ocean, which also need protection.
So far, the team has cataloged 226,000 marine species, excluding bacteria, out of the estimated 700,000 to 1 million species that live in the sea. They estimated that about one-third to two-thirds of these marine creatures remain hidden and unknown.
Researchers listed the sea creatures they cataloged in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), which fulfills the curiosity of many people, not only scientists. But beyond that, the team said that an orderly system for categorizing marine life might help in conservation efforts of endangered species and keep track of medicinal chemicals derived from them.
Check out more news and information on Fish in Science Times.
