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September 30, 2020: Halosaur

Seen while exploring an unnamed seamount west of Salmon Bank during the 2016 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition, scientists identified this halosaur as belonging to the genus Aldrovandia due to the lack of scales on the fish’s head. Eel-like fishes within the family Halosauridae are found around the world at great ocean depths, but only two genera are known in the waters of Hawaii, including this one -- which gave the remotely operated vehicle quite the stare!

Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Hohonu Moana 2016. Download larger version (jpg, 258 KB).

Seen while exploring an unnamed seamount west of Salmon Bank during the 2016 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition, scientists identified this halosaur as belonging to the genus Aldrovandia due to the lack of scales on the fish’s head. Eel-like fishes within the family Halosauridae are found around the world at great ocean depths, but only two genera are known in the waters of Hawaii, including this one — which gave the remotely operated vehicle quite the stare!