Ipnops meadi

Due to their rarity, and lack of photos, the three species of Ipnops (I. agassizi, I. meadi and I. murrayi) are distinguished by the depth and location of which they reside. I. meadi and I. agassizi are found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, and I. murrayi are found in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. Ipnops agassizi, meadi, and murrayi also differ by which the depths they occupy. I. agassizi and murrayi are found at depths 3,000 metres (9,840 ft) and above, while I. meadi are found from 3,300–5,000 metres (10,830–16,400 ft).

Stomach dissections of I. meadi indicate the species primarily feed on small crustaceans.

Ipnops were first discovered and named in 1878 by Dr. Albert Günther during the expedition of HMS Challenger. Ipnops was originally classified as a broad species of abyssal flat-headed fish with either very small eyes or membranes covering their eyes. Due to recent scientific advancements and increased deep-sea expeditions, the Ipnops genus now divided into three species (I. agassizi, I. meadi, I. murrayi) based on geographic location. Most information on Ipnops species has been collected via deep-sea expeditions, the most prominent being HMS Challenger (1878), “Galathea” (1950–52), and “Okeanos” (2017). Since Ipnops are rather difficult to locate and photograph at high resolution, very little is known about any of the three species.