1. Home
  2. Multimedia
  3. Image of the Day
  4. September 2, 2020

September 2, 2020: Polychaete Worm

Scientists were intrigued by this unusual polychaete worm, which lacked the expected visible scales; no members of the science team participating in the dive had seen anything quite like it. Seen during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition while exploring a ridge that is southeast of Maro Reef on August 6, 2015.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana. Download larger version (jpg, 1.6 MB).

Scientists were intrigued by this unusual polychaete worm, which lacked the expected visible scales; no members of the science team participating in the dive had seen anything quite like it. Seen during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition while exploring a ridge that is southeast of Maro Reef.

Watch a video of the worm as it moves along the bottom before swimming away!