Researchers Coo Over 'Cute' Snailfish Spotted During Deep Sea Exploration

Researchers cooed over a “smiley” snailfish they spotted during a deep sea exploration mission in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument on Wednesday, June 7, footage by the Ocean Exploration Trust and NOAA showed.

The footage was captured at a depth of over 9,000 feet near the Kingman Reef and shows a snailfish, a species known for surviving in deep waters, according to the BBC.

“How did you get to be so cute?” one of the researchers said as the fish turned its ‘cartoonish’ face toward the camera. The exploration team entitled the video “Smiley Snailfish.” Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust / NOAA via Storyful

Video transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- Whoa, this is a cool fish.

- Speaking of snailfish.

- I was wondering.

- I'm not sure yet.

- Look at those pectoral fins.

- They're so cute.

- It is really cute.

- Look at that big old mouth. It's got like a little kind of a cartoonish mouth on it.

- Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is a snailfish.

- Aw.

- Why are they called that?

- That, I don't know.

- Look at him. Look at it go.

- How did you get to be so cute?

- All right. Helen, why not-- you're one of those ugly is cute people?

[LAUGHTER]

Look at its mouth. That's cute.

- It's just kinda swimming around with it halfway open. And it's showing us its tummy, almost like-- like a puppy, like you just want to give it a little tummy rub.

- Thank you, Dan. But, yep, conjured the snailfish.

[LAUGHTER]

- Yay. I'm excited to have seen a snailfish. That's been on my bucket list.

[MUSIC PLAYING]