Author: Gerringer & Linley, 2017
FBname: Mariana snailfish
Comments: This species was reported to be abundant at depths of ca. 7,000-8,000 m and video records showed large aggregations of different-sized individuals attracted to the bait (mackerel) and fed on swarms of amphipods. Smaller individuals were caught at greater depths and no individuals were seen at depths below 8,200 m, which is apparently the physiological depth limit for teleosts. Ripe females had eggs up to 9.4 mm in diameter, among the largest teleost eggs recorded; 0.4 mm smaller than the largest record. Eggs were unsorted within gonad, with the largest eggs free and interspersed within a matrix of smaller eggs. No developmental structures were visible within even the largest eggs. Two distinct size classes of eggs present with up to 23 large eggs (>5 mm) and up to 851 small eggs of less than half the diameter of the larger size class; rarely in intermediate stages. Individuals with only small eggs had maximum egg sizes ranging from 0.7 to 1.4 mm. Genital papilla is visible in freshly collected males, and is oriented anteriorly (Ref. 116641).
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  A self-powered robot that can dive into the ocean's deepest trench  was largely inspired by the bones in the skull of <i>P. swirae</i> (Ref. 124589).