I have a new entry for the Coolest Fish Ever Award. The Barreleye!

This Barreleye usually lives at between 2,000 to 2,600 feet, is only a few inches long, and is thought to eat smaller fish and jellyfish. The best observations scientists have made of this little guy have been with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and attempts to bring intact specimens to the surface have often been thwarted by the fragile structure of its head. Oh, have I mentioned that its head is TRANSPARENT!

 That’s right. As you can see in this photo, the Barreleye has a transparent forehead and its large green eyes are actually inside its head. The eyes are often found looking up through its forehead scanning for prey, but they have found that the eyes can look forward; usually when feeding. Above the mouth it looks as though the Barreleye does have squinty eyes, but those are actually its olfactory organs; much like our nostrils.

Check out this awesome ROV shot video footage of the Barreleye from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)