It never ceases to amaze me how wonderfully fascinating this world we live in is.

Macropinna microstoma

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Scientists have never been able to figure out how or why this fish had an invisible head because whenever one was caught it would die and the invisible part would go away. They were finally able to observe one in the wild.

The common name for the fish is “barreleyes.” Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute investigators recently figured out why this species has such an unusual head. Its eyes can actually rotate within its “skull,” so the transparency allows the wary swimmer to keep a literal eye on happenings above it, as well as to the sides and directly in front.

Using video cameras, MBARI researchers Bruce Robison and Kim Reisenbichler revealed the fish’s eye movements. When remotely operated vehicles approached the fish, its eyes glowed a vivid green shade in the bright lights of the ROVs. Usually the fish were just hanging out motionless under the deep waters offshore California’s central coast.

The fish can literally look up through its own head to search for food.

Imagine if humans had the ability to have see through heads, we wouldn’t have phrases like, “heads up” or “hey, watch out for that hammer!” Truly amazing.

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