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July 26, 2020: Shark Embryo

This embryonic cat shark and egg case attached to an octocoral colony was seen during the Océano Profundo 2018: Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands expedition. While the team had seen such egg cases before, they had all been empty, leaving scientists wondering what laid them. The fact that this one was seen alive and directly linked to a coral colony provides information about how important deep-sea corals are as nursery habitats for fishes and other organisms.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Océano Profundo 2018: Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Download larger version (jpg, 741 KB).

This embryonic cat shark and egg case attached to an octocoral colony was seen during the Océano Profundo 2018: Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands expedition. While the team had seen such egg cases before, they had all been empty, leaving scientists wondering what laid them. The fact that this one was seen with a live embryo and directly linked to a coral colony provides information about how important deep-sea corals are as nursery habitats for fishes and other organisms.

From: Favorite Moments From the Océano Profundo 2018 Expedition.