The Latest Pisces of an Evolutionary Puzzle: A fascinating fish that time hasn't forgotten

摘要

When Pieter C.R. Venter slipped beneath the waves off the northeastern coast of South Africa last October, he didn't expect to find biological gold. Venter, a patent attorney on vacation from Pretoria, was taking the final dive in a series leading to his deep-water scuba certification.rnThe midafternoon sun shone brightly at the ocean surface, but little of that light filtered down to where Venter, his dive mate, and their instructor were exploring a cave-pocked canyon in the St. Lucia Marine Reserve. Near the end of the dive, at a depth of about 340 feet, Venter noticed a glowing eye in a nearby cave reflecting the beam of his underwater light. He swam over to investigate.