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September 20, 2021: Chimaera

This chimaera, at roughly 50 centimeters (20 inches), was the largest and darkest we saw during the 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. Download larger version (jpg, 1.0 MB).

This chimaera, at roughly 50 centimeters (20 inches), was the largest and darkest we saw during the 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. Seen during Dive 12, it really let us check it out from all angles and close up. The dots on its head are electroreceptors, ampullae of Lorenzini, that can detect minute electrical signals generated by their prey.