Researchers have found a colony of "ice fish" in the Antarctic Ocean, which covers an area of 93 square miles, the size of the island of Malta, according to a report published by the scientific "Biology" journal.
The researchers said that this "colony" is perhaps the most extensive in the world that has been discovered so far, in a new mystery of the biological puzzles that researchers are looking for a solution to.
Scientists estimate that this colony contains about 60 million broods of ice fish.
The blue ice fish live in the frigid deep sea waters of Antarctica, and depend on the presence of copper in their blood, which allows oxygen to be carried in their bodies in this harsh environment.
The researchers were able to monitor these fish by sending a camera to a depth of more than 1,700 feet under the water, where they found millions of brooders, each of which is about 2.5 feet in diameter.
They spent about 30 hours filming, estimating the number of incubators at 60 million, each containing 1,500 to 2,500 eggs, which were guarded by icefish.
This discovery sheds light on the marine ecosystem, as researchers believe that ice fish migrate to this area to breed.
The researchers call for the creation of a marine protected area to protect the colony of ice fish from fishing or disruptive practices.
