via: The Hindu.com
After a couple of successful trips aboard the ocean research vessel ‘Sagar Sampda’ in the Bay of Bengal, two weirdly spectacular creatures were rediscovered: the Deep Sea Smoky Batfish and the Frog Crab (from left to right). These odd creatures were collected off the Andhra Pradesh coast during the cruises held between August and September 2009 but it still took over a year for the identification and validation of the species, scientists of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute said.
via: The Hindu.com
The Batfish was first described by Alfred William Alcock in 1894 after it was spotted in the Bay of Bengal following surveys conducted on board ‘Investigator,’ the Royal Indian Marine Survey Ship. The samples were obtained from a depth ranging from 265 metres to 457 metres.
Personally, I think it should be referred to as a Pancake Fish instead because pancakes are way more appealing than bats.
via: The Hindu.com
The Frog crab was first described by B. Chopra, former director of the Zoological Survey of India, in 1933 based on a single specimen collected from the Andaman Sea in 1898. The recent find of four specimens were from an area off Tamarapatnam at a depth of 100 metres. The rediscovery came after a gap of 120 years. The species got its name from its general appearance and posture. The crab rests on the seabed with its anterior end raised as if resting on the claws.
Who knows what kind of dark menace these two have been battling in the deep….
