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July 28, 2020: Hoplostethus crassispinus

Hoplostethus crassispinus - in the same genus as, and related to the Orange Roughy. Unlike the Orange Roughy, this fish lives a somewhat solitary existence, whereas the Orange Roughy schools – which has contributed to the species’ being overfished in some places. There is a general sense that these fish have a level of curiosity because they often retreat into holes when imaged, but then turn around to investigate the investigator. This one was spotted checking out remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana. Download larger version (jpg, 1.9 MB).

Hoplostethus crassispinus – in the same genus as, and related to the Orange Roughy. Unlike the Orange Roughy, this fish lives a somewhat solitary existence, whereas the Orange Roughy schools – which has contributed to the species being overfished in some places. There is a general sense that these fish have a level of curiosity because they often retreat into holes when imaged, but then turn around to investigate the investigator. This one was spotted checking out remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition.