#freshfromthedeep

[mbari-blog]

Fresh from the deep—a rarely seen deep-sea giant that MBARI researchers recently observed in Monterey Bay. 🤩⁠

During a research expedition with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Ventana in Monterey Bay last month, Senior Scientist Steven Haddock and researchers from MBARI’s Biodiversity and Biooptics Team happened upon a rare sight approximately 700 meters (2,300 feet) deep: a seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus). This sighting marked just our fourth observation of this species in nearly four decades of ocean exploration.

Using a 4K camera specially developed by MBARI engineers for deep-sea exploration, the team collected detailed observations of the animal’s appearance and behavior. This extraordinary octopus was clutching a crimson red helmet jelly (Periphylla periphylla). Previous research by Haddock and MBARI collaborator Henk-Jan Hoving first revealed that this large deep-sea octopus feeds on gelatinous animals. This new sighting underscores the complexity of deep-sea food webs and their surprising connections.

Learn more in our Animals of the Deep gallery.

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This ghostly giant is a rare sight. 😮

But last month, MBARI researchers spotted this giant phantom jelly (Stygiomedusa gigantea) with the ROV Doc Ricketts 990 meters (3,200 feet) deep in Monterey Bay. The bell of this deep-sea denizen is more than one meter (3.3 feet) across and trails four ribbon-like oral (or mouth) arms that can grow more than 10 meters (33 feet) in length. MBARI’s ROVs have logged thousands of dives, yet we have only seen this spectacular species nine times. ⁠

The giant phantom jelly was first collected in 1899. Since then, scientists have only encountered this animal about 100 times. It appears to have a worldwide distribution and has been recorded in all ocean basins except for the Arctic. The challenges of accessing its deep-water habitat contribute to the relative scarcity of sightings for such a large and broadly distributed species. ⁠

Historically, scientists relied on trawl nets to study deep-sea animals. These nets can be effective for studying hardy animals such as fishes, crustaceans, and squids, but jellies turn to gelatinous goo in trawl nets. The cameras on MBARI’s ROVs have allowed MBARI researchers to study these animals intact in their natural environment. High-definition—and now 4K—video of the giant phantom jelly captures stunning details about the animal’s appearance and behaviors that scientists would not have been able to see with a trawl-caught specimen. ⁠ ⁠ 

Check out this and other iconic deep-sea animals on our Creature feature.

[mbari-blog]

Fresh from the deep: a whalefish made an appearance for our researchers last week! ⁠

This whalefish (order Cetomimiformes) was spotted by Steve Haddock and his team on their recent R/V Western Flyer expedition 2,013 meters (6,600 feet) deep offshore of Monterey Bay.  We've only encountered these obscure fish 18 times in 34 years of deep-sea exploration with our remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). ⁠

Whalefishes lack external scales and pelvic fins, and in adult fish, the eyes are very primitive and small. The eyes' lenses are lost after they transform from the larval stage, and with it, they lose the ability to form images. But instead of relying on sight to survive, they have an incredible ability to feel their surrounding. They have a highly sensitive lateral line system, with sensory pores that run over the head and down the length of the body to help them feel vibrations in the water around them. ⁠

Whalefish have rarely been seen alive in the deep, so many mysteries remain regarding these remarkable fish. With each deep-sea dive, we uncover more secrets and solve others. ⁠

[mbari-blog]

Fresh from the deep—this mom is a pelagic parent 🦑 

During a recent deep-sea dive, MBARI researchers encountered this incredibly rare sight—a deep-sea squid (Bathyteuthis sp.) grasping hundreds of eggs in her arms. This squid mom was spotted at 1,390 meters (4,560 feet) deep more than 90 kilometers (56 miles) offshore of MBARI’s facilities in Moss Landing, CA. The stunning ultra high-definition resolution 4K video from the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts allows researchers to examine the pelagic parent in astounding detail. 

Most squids reproduce by depositing egg cases on the seafloor or releasing eggs in a gelatinous mass that drifts in open water. While exploring the depths of Monterey Bay in 2005, MBARI researchers first encountered a female Bathyteuthis sp. carrying a sheet of eggs in her arms. Scientists think these nurturing mothers will carry the eggs until they hatch to improve their babies’ chances for survival. Brooding is common among bottom-dwelling octopuses, but we’ve only observed this behavior in three squid species. Researchers suspect other deep-dwelling squids may also turn out to be brooders. This is only the second time we’ve spotted a brooding Bathyteuthis sp. since that first sighting over 17 years ago! 

The deep ocean is challenging to study and we only get brief glimpses into the behaviors of deep-sea animals. MBARI’s archive of thousands of hours of underwater video has helped illuminate life in the largest living space on Earth. MBARI researchers can document remarkable new species and learn how these animals feed, escape predators, and reproduce. Each observation logged by our ROVs provides another piece of the puzzle and helps improve our understanding of life in the deep. Learn more in MBARI’s Creature feature.

[mbari-blog]

Dragonfish lurk in the dark depths 🐉🐟🖤 

During a recent expedition aboard our research vessel Western Flyer, MBARI’s science team encountered a beautifully bronze deep-sea dragon. Meet the highfin dragonfish, Bathophilus flemingi. 

MBARI researchers have observed a few different dragonfishes in the depths of Monterey Bay, but this one is the rarest we’ve encountered. We’ve only seen this particular species four times in more than three decades of deep-sea research and more than 27,600 hours of video! We spotted this individual just outside of Monterey Bay at about 300 meters (980 feet).

Bathophilus flemingi can be up to 16.5 centimeters (6.5 inches) long. Its fins have long, thin rays. Scientists suspect those wing-like filaments may sense vibrations in the water, alerting the fish when predators or prey are approaching. They likely provide stability and keep the fish from sinking while it lies in wait for food. These dragons don’t have scales—they have smooth, dark skin. Research by MBARI and our collaborators has revealed the pigments in the skin of some deep-sea dragonfishes are some of the blackest blacks found in nature, all the better to camouflage in the ocean’s midnight zone. Learn more on our Creature feature.

[mbari-blog]

Fresh from the deep!⁠

During a recent deep-sea dive, our team came across one of the most remarkable residents of the ocean’s twilight zone: the strawberry squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis). MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts spotted this crimson cephalopod 725 meters (2,378 feet) deep in Monterey Canyon. The stunning ultra high-definition resolution 4K video from the ROV Doc Ricketts allows researchers to examine deep-sea denizens in astonishing detail. ⁠

The strawberry squid has one big eye and one small eye. Together, this unlikely pair helps the squid hunt for food in the ocean’s twilight zone. The big left eye looks upward to spot shadows cast by prey in the dimly lit waters above. The eye’s tubular shape helps collect as much downwelling light as possible. Often, this eye has a yellow lens to see through the luminescent camouflage of its prey. The squid’s right eye is small and looks downward. This eye searches for flashes of bioluminescence produced by prey or predators lurking in the darker waters below. This squid is sometimes called the cockeyed squid for the remarkable difference in size between the two eyes.⁠

Learn more about this captivating cephalopod on our website: https://www.mbari.org/products/creature-feature/strawberry-squid/