FIRST PHOTOS: Fish With Transparent Head, "Barrel" Eyes

doesn't this make anyone scratch their heads and say, "hang on just one second there darwin mate, WTF is this thing all about?"

not that i'm saying this can't evolve, i'm just scratching my head trying to figure out how, why and from what. it's an odd ball and that's for sure.

reply to post by and14263


Cool find! But before we get too excited, remember there are similar creatures out there. The jellyfish has transparent skin and you can see into its body. So I'm guessing this fish's skin is something along those lines.

Not really invisible but some sort of transparent skin similar to a jellyfish. Amazing, though! Especially how its eyes are inside its head. I thought it was its brain at first until someone mentioned those were its eyes.

[edit on 2/25/2009 by AshleyD]

the clear, helmet-like shield may protect its eyes,

news.nationalgeographic.com...
Wonder if it is helmet like in toughness or just shape?

reply to post by and14263


Just in shape. They said the 'shield' is actually extremely fragile and the species is almost never found fully in tact when it is caught in a net or washed up on a beach because it is so fragile. I am assuming the matter is fragile like jellyfish bodies.

reply to post by AshleyD

Of course....

...is the first specimen of its kind to be found with its soft transparent dome intact.

El bizarro.

That does not look real, maybe it has taken so long to release because someone lost it then tried to recreat it in photoshop. that seriously does not look like an original photograph.

Originally posted by aleon1018
I might be wrong, but the eyes look as if it's blind.

The eyes you are talking about on the front are the fish's 'nostrils' ... The weirdest feature of this fish are its actual eyes which are the large green orbs inside of the transparent dome... Looking up and can rotate forward when needed.

Cool fish!!

[edit on 25-2-2009 by Walkswithfish]

Here's a really cool video of it for anyone who is interested:

yes. totally amazing!
i found this early this a.m. and was blown away at the creature's design.
just when you think you've seen it all especially in life forms, you see something like this.
very cool.