Study
Morphology and genome of a snailfish from the Mariana Trench
Wang, Kun; Shen, Yanjun; Yang, Yongzhi; Gan, Xiaoni; Liu, Guichun; He, Shunping
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2019
Sequenced the genome of a snailfish recovered from the Mariana Trench and examined its skeleton and tissues, comparing both against shallow-water relatives.
- Studied in
- Pseudoliparis swirei
- Sample size
- specimens recovered from about 7,000 metres
The fish has an incompletely ossified skull, unusually flexible bones, no swim bladder, and changes in genes governing bone development and membrane composition. Its tissues are permeated by fluid rather than air spaces.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
Life at hadal depths involves losing rigid and gas-filled structures as much as gaining protective ones.
How NatureHQ reads it
The counterpart to the intuitive picture of a reinforced deep-sea animal. What actually distinguishes this fish is the absence of things that would be a problem — no air spaces, less rigid bone — rather than any armour.
- One species from one trench.
- Genomic differences identify candidates rather than demonstrating function.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Nature PortfolioPublished in a Nature Portfolio journal.
doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0864-8
Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-03.