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.

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

Leg 3 Dive 02: Keahole
August 29, 2015
Access Dive Summary and ROV Data

Leg 3 Dive 02: Keahole

Video highlights from a dive conducted off the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii at the Keahole precious coral bed. Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana. Download (mp4, 76.3 MB)

Today's dive was conducted off the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii at the Keahole precious coral bed. This area is primarily carbonate ledge habitat and much of the dive time was spent working the top edge of the drop off. During the dive, the team recovered an acoustic current meter and three flow meters that were deployed in 2012 to collect data on the environmental conditions surrounding these deep-sea coral communities. We also investigated nearby previously marked coral colonies and conducted close-up imaging for comparison to photographs taken over three years ago.