Researchers in California filmed a rare deep-sea fish.
At first glance, the little fella looks like a bronze shimmery cigar floating on end, but the feverish wiggle of its tail gives the creature its true identity.
One of the rare deep-sea dragonfish in Monterey Bay is the little bronze beauty.
In more than three decades of deep-sea research and more than 27,600 hours of video, we have only seen this particular species four times.
The individual was caught on camera during a recent expedition on the Western Flyer, which is a large ship set up to deploy and control remotely operated vehicles as they dive thousands of kilometers under the sea.
By the looks of things, the dragonfish was headed even deeper after the footage was taken at a depth of nearly 300 meters.
Dragonfish are capable swimmers, but when they are hunting, they hide in the dark and wait.
The high fin dragonfish is covered in a cloak of bronze scales, but other species are not as colorful. Dragonfish can be black with some of the blackest blacks found in nature.
With a smile full of sharp teeth, these predator must look downright terrifying to smaller fish and crustaceans as they emerge from the deep dark.
The Pacific blackdragon is named Idiacanthus antrostomus.
Some dragonfish have red eyes and use them as searchlights for food.
The shiny loosejaw is from Aristostomias scintillans.
Others use bioluminescent fishing rods attached to their chins.
The dragonfish is black-belly.
The high fin dragonfish is cute and colorful. That is based on a skewed perspective.
According to a report from Live Science, the bronze skin of the high fin may absorb blue light to make it nearly invisible.
This fish grows no more than 16 centimeters in length (6 inches) and is a veritable needle in a haystack.
It's not known when researchers will see it again.
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