April 18, 2021: Shrimp
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Windows to the Deep 2018. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).
A close look at a beautifully colored red shrimp. The shrimp measured nearly 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long and had modified swimming legs. It was seen during a Windows to the Deep 2018: Exploration of the Southeast U.S. Continental Margin dive on a site dubbed “Richardson Ridge.”
Red light does not reach ocean depths, so deep-sea animals that are red actually appear black and thus are less visible to predators and prey. This is why red is such a common color for animals in the deep ocean.