Barreleye fish is one of nature’s finest creations. One look at the fish and one can just wonder at the amazing creature which might look like some weird creation for a Hollywood sci-fi movie. The fish has a dome shaped transparent head. It has an ultra sensitive tubular eyes covered by a green fluid shield which helps them locate prey overhead even at pitch dark depth of the sea. The two oval-shaped olfactory organs (similar to human nostrils) located above their mouth is often mistaken as their eyes given them a sad look. Their cylindrical eyes are imbedded inside the transparent head facing upward. They have a small mouth with a pointed snout. Their elongated flat fins allow them to float motionlessly. The Barreleye fish have luminous organs throughout the length of their body.
The Barreleye fish were discovered by the marine biologist, Chapman in 1939. However, the transparent head of the fish and its specimen were unknown till 2004. Earlier, when the barreleye fish were caught, the fragile structure of its head were destroyed by the net while bringing them to the surface. However with the advent of technology live specimen of the fish and its transparent head feature was captured by researchers on special cameras. Researchers named Robinson and Reisenbichler observed and filmed the Barreleye fish in their natural habitat and even kept the specimen in the aquarium for closer study.
Barreleye fish are deep water fish mostly found off the coast of California and the North Pacific region. They are found mainly at a depth of 3330 ft.