Deep-Sea Mystery: The Ox-Eyed Oreo Fish We Never Expected to Find
It started out as a normal fishing day. The kind of day we’ve experienced hundreds, if not thousands, of times before.
We were out targeting yellowfin tuna as usual, one hook, one line, one fish at a time. It’s a slower, more deliberate way of fishing, but it’s also the reason we’re able to maintain such incredible quality. Every fish is handled with care, bled and gutted immediately to bring the core temperature down quickly and preserve freshness.
Part of that process also means we often check stomach contents. Understanding what fish are feeding on helps us better understand their behaviour, where they’re moving, and ultimately how to fish more responsibly and effectively.
But what happened on 23 May 2026 was something none of us had ever experienced before.
As we were cleaning one of the fish, we noticed the stomach moving slightly.
At first, we thought it might just be nerves or movement from the boat, but curiosity got the better of us. When we carefully opened the stomach to inspect the contents, we discovered something unbelievable inside, a tiny little fish… still alive.
We quickly placed him into a bucket of clean seawater and watched as he slowly began to recover.
Over the next few hours, we changed the water regularly, gave him time to regain strength, and eventually watched him swim off safely once released back into the ocean.
The little survivor turned out to be an Onyx-eyed Oreo fish, also known as an Atlantic Oreo, one of the ocean’s strange and fascinating deep-sea creatures.
What makes them so interesting is how dramatically they change as they grow. Juveniles look almost alien-like, covered in armoured bumps and spikes that help protect them from predators. As they mature, they lose much of that armour and develop into a smoother, deep-bodied fish with large eyes adapted for life in the deep ocean.
These fish are usually found hundreds of metres below the surface in cold, dark waters and are very rarely seen alive by most people. Juveniles often spend time closer to the surface before moving deeper as they age.
It was one of those moments that reminds you just how little we truly know about the ocean.
No matter how many days you spend at sea, there is always something new, strange, and beautiful waiting beneath the surface.
And honestly, that’s exactly why we keep going back.
Experiences like this are a reminder of why our oceans are worth protecting, not just for the seafood they provide, but for the incredible hidden world they hold beneath them.