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Fish in Hot Water

This purple fish, Bythites hollisi, was named after Alvin pilot Ralph Hollis, who captured one in 1988 with a net held in Alvin’s manipulator arm. Bythites hollisi is one of many deep-sea animals first discovered by scientists aboard the submersible Alvin. These particular fish are adapted to live near hydrothermal vents, cracks in the seafloor where water heated deep beneath the surface gushes forth at temperatures sometimes exceeding 400°C (750°F). Many animals living near vents present unique traits that have re-shaped scientists’ understanding of life on Earth. (Photo by Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)